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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Call it a day on this friendship?

10 replies

Ladystarr · 11/04/2018 11:43

Apologies – it’s long!

I met my ex-husband when I was 17 and we were together 13 years. He treated me badly at times (controlling, emotional abuse) and it took me to discover that he’d cheated on me to wake up, smell the coffee and get the hell out of there.

He is part of a huge family and I was extremely close friends with all my SILs – they all pretty much abandoned me when I left which I kind of understood even though it hurt. Ex-H had a complete breakdown so ended up getting all of the sympathy.

He also has a close friend who is married to a friend of mine from uni – I introduced them. It’s her reaction to all of this that I’m finding very hard to deal with and I’m thinking it’s time to call a day on the friendship. These are some of the things that have happened:

  • When I told her I’d left ex-h she was extremely upset and made a big deal about sitting the kids down and telling them – it felt really over the top at the time.

  • I met someone quite quickly and when I told her she accused me of cheating on my ex and told me her husband had told her I’d cheated and she was upset at me for proving him right (I 100% didn’t cheat on him)

  • She took one look at his picture and told me she didn’t know what I saw in him – we’re now married with kids and I’m happier than I ever have been so that’s awkward.

  • She told me she thought me leaving my Ex was me having a breakdown due to a traumatic event that happened years previously and that I needed her to help me sort my life out and get things back to how they were.

  • She regularly brings this traumatic event up and says she doesn’t think I’ve dealt with it and that she’s waiting for me to have a breakdown (I’m absolutely fine!)

  • We/I never get invited to birthdays, parties etc. She invites my ex-H and his new wife to everything. When I raised this and said that if people didn’t want us all together maybe we could take turns I was told I needed to get over it and still continues to see me separately. She’s one of my oldest friends yet I’ve not been invited to her birthday night out in over 5 years. I just get to see it all on facebook.

  • When she and a couple of my SILs got married I organised great hen do’s and really spoilt them but when I married DH I got a card (it’s not about presents but the lack of thought)

  • I moved to a new place when I was pregnant and didn’t know anyone. I was so lonely and told her and one of my ex-SILs (who was like a sister to me – I was her birth partner!) and they just told me I’d be fine. They made no effort to come and see me and check I was okay.

Apologies for how long this is! Just writing it all down makes me see how I’d be better off without her/them in my life.

OP posts:
HumpHumpWhale · 11/04/2018 11:46

Yup, that friendship is dead. It's sad, but you deserve proper friends who treat you as such. Don't waste any more energy on them.

Ladystarr · 11/04/2018 11:51

Thanks for your reply. I know you're right. I should have walked away years ago but it felt sad losing such old friends.
It's very frustrating as I feel like i'm the one being punished when i did nothing wrong!

The irony is their DH's treat them the same way my ex treated me - now i'm an outsider I can see it as clear as day

OP posts:
HoHoHoHo · 11/04/2018 18:01

It sounds like she was always more his friend than yours. It sucks but break ups often involve losing friends.

Dimael · 11/04/2018 18:40

Friendship is over! My friend recently took my ex boyfriends side over me and I can’t trust her now. You did well to last so long and with those accusations/comments as well.

KellyMarieTunstall2 · 11/04/2018 18:45

As sad as it feels, it's sounds like it's time to move on from that friendship. She doesn't sound like your friend at all.

Ikeameatballs · 11/04/2018 18:51

I think that your last post probably explains why she's behaved like this; you've left and moved on because your life was unacceptable to you. She's stayed and probably knows that you know what her life is like. Being a good friend to you would not allow her to sustain the facade of her own relationship. Only by minimising what happened with your ex and dismissing your new happiness can she continue in her own reality.

Sadly the friendship has run it's course for both of you.

helpmum2003 · 11/04/2018 18:55

Definitely end friendship - your life is too positive for it....

Aeroflotgirl · 11/04/2018 19:02

Yes cut this off now, for your own sanity. She seems more his friend, and is not helping you.

bonnyshide · 11/04/2018 19:12

It sounds like the friendship was over a long time ago, time to let go. Stop contacts by her and unfriend her on FB so you don't have to see her posts.

I know you put most of her behaviour down to your break up....but she doesn't sound like a very nice person tbh and a bad friend anyway.

Ladystarr · 11/04/2018 19:57

Thank you so much for all your replies. You have all validated how I feel about the situation.

It’s funny because she's actually got an awful lot in common with my DH and he could not be more different to her husband - it’s possible that she’s a little bit jealous. She would never admit that though as she spends a lot of time projecting this ‘perfect life’ persona.

For a while I’ve not particularly enjoyed her company but I couldn’t put my finger on it but the last time we met it dawned on me. She clearly has no respect for me and is very condescending. She was going for a job in my area of expertise (I have a PHD in the subject and teach it a postgraduate level) and I offered to help her with her application and interview and she refused in a way that made me feel stupid for offering.

Time to move on.....

OP posts:
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