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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

DP tracking his ExW and reading her emails.

609 replies

NameChangeAsThisIsBloodyAwful · 26/06/2018 08:29

Urgh. This is really messing with my head.

So, DP has been separated for 2 years. Divorce in progress. He left. There are 2 older teenage DCs. We have been together 1.5 years, it's serious and we will be moving in together.

Basically, without writing a novel, there are a few issues at play here. He tracks his ex wife on Find My IPhone - he has the password. He says he does it to see where his children are (on same cloud), and so that he doesn't ever have to bump into exw. I've been unhappy with this as it smacks of not letting go, and of control - not to mention legal implications of invasion of privacy.
Thing is, it's not just for the kids. The exw had a night out on Saturday and he kept checking to see where she was and was frustrated that her phone seemed to be offline.
We rowed about it. I told him he needs to let go. He told me that he has let go, but because of the nature of the split - she took it very badly and it's impacted massively on his relationship with his children who took their mum's side and don't really want to see him, that he does it to feel part of the children's lives still...or something,

It's not only that. He regularly checks her email. He also has that password - she isn't technogically minded, and he set up all these things when they were still together. He says he does it see if there are any emails regarding a sport his eldest dc takes part in, as the exw is telling him nothing anymore. I think that is also completely unacceptable.

Further, he's been very reticent about telling her that he has a new relationship. I accepted that due to the precarious nature of his relationship with his kids and didn't want to rock the boat. However, at this stage we are serious about a future together. The other week we were spotted by a relative of the exw who reported back to her that we had been seen together. She text him to ask if he was with someone else, and expressed that he had promised to tell her if he was seeing someone new, and that it hurt to hear second hand (totally reasonable of her in my opinion) and that she (and the kids, she always involves them) would like the truth from him.

He text her back minimising everything, saying it was someone he had very recently started seeing and that it was far too soon to tell the children.
Lies. Total lies. We've been together since 2016. He has met my entire family and child many times. We have had family holidays together and we are going to be buying a house together.

He is just so scared she will use anything against him to create an even worse relationship with his children.

To say I'm fed up of all of this is a huge understatement. We also rowed about his reply to her text. I understand he would have preferred to tell her that he was in a relationship and not for her to hear it second hand, but he should have told her before, in my opinion. And now that she knows something, he should have been more honest. Not to rub her nose in it, but not to minimise me and make me feel like a nothing in his life.

The rest of our relationship is excellent, otherwise I'd not be able to cope with his.

I don't know what to do about this though. I don't know if I'm being unreasonable or he is. I am looking for some advice on how to handle it.

OP posts:
Mix56 · 26/06/2018 09:28

on top of all the previous posts.
what about You? he may want a relationship with his DCs, but he is not on board with a normal relationship,
Hiding your existence shows he doesn't love you. at all.
DO NOT MOVE IN WITH THIS MAN

ReanimatedSGB · 26/06/2018 09:29

The most dangerous abusive men often give the impression to work colleagues and friends that they are 'nice'. They may do a lot for charity (that everyone always somehow gets to hear about, no matter how 'modest' the man claims to be. They often seek out pillar-of-the-community roles; they are widely talked about as 'wonderful' - and they are subjecting their partners and children to horrific abuse behind closed doors, all along.

If ever you meet a Wonderful Man who has a female partner regarded by other people as a crazy bitch/alcoholic/slut/lazy/drug user or just 'she's really quiet and shy and maybe a bit stupid' then it's very, very likely that he has been abusing her for a long time.

Get the hell out of this awful relationship before he starts treating you worse than he already has done. Because, OP, there will be all sorts of little things stacking up, once you start thinking about them. Subtle undermining. Having to apologise for 'not understanding' or 'hurting his feelings' if he doesn't get his own way. Having to change plans in order to avoid a row. Second-guessing yourself all the time...

StaplesCorner · 26/06/2018 09:30

I think the first post earlier this morning said "Run". Everyone agrees. Its not viable OP, sorry.

notangelinajolie · 26/06/2018 09:30

You do realise that he is probably reading this thread?

shiklah · 26/06/2018 09:30

He's stalking her - it is a serious criminal offence.

You have written a lot about her, how she behaves, she 'took it badly' etc. When you are taking his word for it it seems incredibly naive to believe him. He is clearly a manipulative liar, you need to see him for what he is an stop victim blaming his ex - who probably ended the relationship for good reason and keeps the dc away to stop his manipulation and control.

shiklah · 26/06/2018 09:31

And yes, he will be following you too - and probably reading this.

I was stalked - it is utterly terrifying. He is a terrible person.

HelloBrass · 26/06/2018 09:31

It's not about maintaining a relationship with his kids. They are older teens so that relationship can be established independently. There might be some resistance and fallout from their parents breaking up, but that can only be addressed through time, understanding and perseverence....not by stalking their mother.

He's beyond nosy and interfering and he has crossed a line. It's manipulative and it's stalking. He has his own little power play and knows he has the "upper hand" as EXW is in utter ignorance of his actions. It's so creepy.

His attitude towards you and your relationship, I don't think I could move on from. He's denied your status in his life and he has openly lied.

You know what you need to do.

ReanimatedSGB · 26/06/2018 09:32

Oh, OP's chap, if you are reading this, I have some information for you. You are a worthless human being and your own sickness will eat you from the inside out. You will die despised and alone, and that will be exactly what you deserve.

Eliza9917 · 26/06/2018 09:32

MrsBertBibby Tue 26-Jun-18 08:38:04
Oh my god, he is a lunatic.

He has set up all this stuff on you. He is probably reading this now.

THIS. He's probably got key loggers on all your devices and I wouldn't be surprised if he had tiny hidden cameras/bugs.

Orangecake123 · 26/06/2018 09:32

For your own safety get away from this man!!

eyycarumba · 26/06/2018 09:34

Separated 2 years ago and was with you within 6 months? No where near enough time to get over a marriage. You're a rebound for him and he is stalking his ex. If this was laid out in court, he would be facing a prison sentence, at the very least a restraining order.

I can't believe you could sit there with him whilst he's checking up on his ex when the kids aren't even with her.

C8H10N4O2 · 26/06/2018 09:35

As for him stalking me - I'm way too tech savvy for that. There's zero way he has my passwords

Anyone who thinks they are too tech savvy to be hacked or breached is not tech savvy.

Passwords to online accounts are not the only way to stalk someon. Stalking is not a trivial crime, it destroys lives both of victims and people around them.

Stop making excuses for him. Whatever the rights and wrongs of the divorce there is no excuse for tracking his ex wife's movements and illegally intercepting her mail (or has she given consent for him to do this??)

isambardo · 26/06/2018 09:35

Please op, don’t buy a house with him.

His ex needs to know what he’s doing and you need to find a way to tell her. It’s creepy as hell.

You know he will do the same to you if you stay with him.

Juells · 26/06/2018 09:36

You have been caught up in their spiders web of toxicity.

It isn't their web of toxicity. The wife doesn't know she's part of it.

@LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett makes an excellent point - he set up all those stalking things before he left. How fucking sneaky and controlling was that? So his claim about doing it 'because of the children' is bullshit. When he did it, he was still living with them.

FinallyHere · 26/06/2018 09:37

I want to support him through this awful situation with the kids and his ex, but he is making it very difficult with his continued denial/minimisation of our relationship and also the stalking behaviour. Urgh.

Really@NameChangeAsThisIsBloodyAwful , whatever are you thinking about, wanting to support a stalker, a self confessed stalker who lies about his relationship with you to the ExW who he is stalking ? You are already an accessory after the fact.

Absolutely, do the freedom programme, get yourself some counselling to work out why you want to support a creepy criminal and do not tied yourself to this man.

Do it now, you will honestly thank us once you have got away. All the best.

Bluntness100 · 26/06/2018 09:37

This is awful. How can you sit there watching a man stalk his ex wife like that, and not just stay but contemplate a serious relationship with him.

How can you actually watch someone do this?

Honesty, there is something wrong with the pair of you. He's a creepy stalker, and you are happily involved with him.

It's sick.

TellsEveryoneRealFacts · 26/06/2018 09:37

Can I just point out - in a relationship you should be able to leave your internet and emails open because you are in a trusting relationship - if you have to ensure that your partner doesn't have your emails so that they don't stalk you - the relationship is pretty much over before it started.

What is the point?

LemonBreeland · 26/06/2018 09:38

Why are you doing this to yourself OP?

You say twice in your OP that you are serious about a future together. Firstly it doesn't sound like he is, and secondly why would you want a future with this horrible stalker of a man. There are no justifications for any of his actions and you know that. Get yourself far away from this situation.

EggysMom · 26/06/2018 09:39

Do you know where XW lives (e.g. from paperwork)? Drop her a note by post - not email, as he'll see that - to let her know that he knows her passwords and is monitoring her, suggest she enlists the help of one of the older children to change her passwords.

Then consider your options. Your relationship does not sound healthy.

LunaTrap · 26/06/2018 09:40

Don't you think his ex is entitled to privacy? He is reading her emails! How can you climb into bed with him knowing what he is doing to her? You are complicit in his criminal behaviour. And you have never even met his kids, you have no idea what kind of father he is or why they don't want to see him. The fact that he is an abusive controlling stalker might play a part though. It's pretty shocking that you've involved him in your own kids lives tbh.

Noqont · 26/06/2018 09:40

He will do the same to you op one day. He is a stalker, he is obsessed by her, and he is minimising his relationship with you. When someone tells you who they are, listen. And in this case, get out.

starryeyed19 · 26/06/2018 09:41

You should get WELL RID. He sounds like a nightmare. Is he going to do this to you if you guys break up? I would be very reluctant to enmesh myself further with this guy.

CommanderDaisy · 26/06/2018 09:42

He is stalking her.
End of.
It's illegal.
It's really fucking weird.
Don't move in with him.
You are like a placemarker till he gets her back. The fact that your relationship is hidden is insulting to you and simply wrong. It may be serious for you, but it isn't for him.

Break up and tell her.

londonrach · 26/06/2018 09:43

Re read what youve written and re think this relationship. Hes not serious about you and very strange about his ex. Stalking is serious. Dont buy a house with him.

LunaTrap · 26/06/2018 09:43

I've just received an email from the well-being service where I am discussing my mental health with a therapist. The idea that an ex could be reading something so personal is devastating. Bluntness is right, there is something really sick about the fact that you are sitting by and watching this happen.