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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

Please help, I cant see the wood for the trees.....

106 replies

FrancisUnderwood · 22/09/2018 21:41

Please help, I'm really struggling to make sense of what has happened to me over the last 4 months, I feel broken and confused, i'll try to be as concise as I can.

4 months ago I met a man and we hit it off almost away, my age (37), similar hobbies, interests and humour. Although I had previously been of the thought that I was happily single and had all my life ducks in a row, he blew me away.
Within 2 weeks i'd met his parents, his children, there was talk of engagements, living together and potential children of ours. All my friends said it was crazy fast, and I knew it was, but it was utterly intoxicating to be so wanted. I fell hard and fast.

Within 3 weeks he'd called my boss (without my knowing) and arranged my time off work to go on holiday with him and his son, without consulting me first.
I was 50/50 as to whether this was absolutely insane/controlling or a deeply romantic gesture but for the first time in my life I thought i'd found The One.

Once I was on holiday with him, things changed. He'd ignore me for long periods of time while he played on his phone, he took his phone everywhere with him, but always had it on silent and spent several hours a day in the toilet on it. He wouldn't look at it if I was in sight of the screen. I spoke to him about the phone thing and he said it was his holiday and he was entitled to relax as he wished. Not wanting to be a nagging girlfriend I eventually took myself off for walks around the area to enjoy the country we were in. His entire attitude to me changed too, he became very cold and quite cruel in some ways, there was no affection, no sex, no hand holding, nothing. He would tease me till the point of tears if he saw it was affecting me in any way. He could be similarly cruel to his DS too, at times, in a strange way of persuing a line of questioning on something really banal until the DS was very, very upset. He seemed to enjoy it.
Once we got back I told him how I felt, and why and he said that nothing was insurmountable as long as two people loved each other, so we tried again.
I would stay at his some nights and some nights come back to mine, I found out that on the nights I was at mine he would have a female friend over. I asked why she never 'popped round' while I was there and he couldn't give me an answer, it transpires she'd been an internet date he had had a fling with earlier this year. That omission bothered me somewhat and we had words.
He's become increasingly cold and cruel, telling me he doesn't want to do the things I want to do and wants to do his own things (I've never imposed any activity upon him, but have had to keep a strict schedule of attending endless gatherings of his).
He keeps telling me about his terrible temper.
I wanted him to meet my parents this last weekend and he hung around the house forever in his dressing gown knowing we were scheduled for 12:00, playing on his phone before announcing at 12:00 that he needed to have lunch first and proceeded to start cooking. I was just astounded and rescheduled, but still took him to meet them several hours late.
While I was waiting I decided to de-limescale the kettle, he asked what I was doing and looked at me as if he hated me, it was horrible. I was wearing his jumper and he made a big song and dance about me taking it off as he wanted to wear it, then, once I had, put another one on instead.
We went to a festival over the weekend and a very drunk friend of his pulled me to one side and told me he'd told her that he was taking his Ex to it instead of me. When I told him what she'd said he was angry at ME and we had to come home early, ive honestly never had someone look at me with such hatred in their eyes.
He sent a message to a group chat I'm in (his friendship group) saying I wouldn't be attending another event scheduled for Christmas and then backtracked when he realised i'd seen it and said he meant his DS. He didn't.
The climax of all this came this weekend when a girl started to ring him and he'd reject the calls, he then went out to pick his son up (a 15 min drive) and was out an hour and a half, he said he'd called her back while he was out but she was just a customer. He told me about her husband and kids, their cars and life etc and I believed him.
On Monday I found out she was another 'ex', the one the drunk friend had told me about and was, in fact, very single. He'd lived with her not 6 months previous. I hit the roof and called him a liar, then called it off.
He hasn't said much only that he's not lied and she's just a customer wanting work done.

I'm broken. When I said I loved him, I meant it. He's completely changed towards me, blocked me on everything and gone cold as ice. 3 months ago I was his world.
I'm feeling such dissonance between the man I fell for and whoever this man is.....please help. I'm so lost.

(Please be gentle, i'm really very delicate at the moment.)

OP posts:
RyderWhiteSwan · 22/09/2018 21:46

He sounds deranged and a narcissist to boot. You've had a lucky escape here. Read your OP back, seriously.

JeSuisPrest · 22/09/2018 21:48

Blocked me on everything and gone cold as ice.

That's the best thing he's ever done for you, you should be grateful, it'll stop you making the horrific mistake of trying to resurrect this disastrous relationship.

You fell hard and fast, learn from it for next time and be thankful that you've had a lucky escape. His poor son though Sad

Hadalifeonce · 22/09/2018 21:48

I'm so sorry you are in this situation. I think you know he is not 'the one' or even 'A one'. You need to get out of this relationship, he's a player and will break you heart. I know it's not easy when you love someone, but you have to love yourself, first and foremost.
Cut this man out of your life, he will bring you no joy.

FrancisUnderwood · 22/09/2018 21:50

My head is screaming at me that he's not a nice person, irrespective of the presence or not of an OW, but my heart hurts for him still.

He has made a few 'enemies' in business dealings and I've seen how he treats people who cant serve him in any way....

I think I'm in shock.

OP posts:
DarkDarkNight · 22/09/2018 21:51

It may not feel like it now but you have had a lucky escape. Be thankful he showed you who he was so quickly. He could have spent months on his best behaviour and had you well and truly reliant on him emotionally or otherwise.

FrancisUnderwood · 22/09/2018 21:54

There is a long line of ex wives (2), fiances (3), girlfriends and flings though, all of whom are still on the scene, in touch constantly.
I've really worked hard to understand and accept who these people are to him now, and to respect it but in honesty, I just cant keep up. Its exhausting.
Everyone he mentions turns out to be an ex.

OP posts:
FrancisUnderwood · 22/09/2018 21:55

I thought it was me. I've spent 3 months thinking i'm the problem.

OP posts:
CantankerousCamel · 22/09/2018 21:56

Please try and contact his DS’s mum and let her know how he treats the boy :(

Bullying him til he’s very very upset is so horrid. That’s the worse to me

puzzledlady · 22/09/2018 21:57

Confused have you left him yet?

FrancisUnderwood · 22/09/2018 22:03

I was shocked he was willing to introduce me to his children so quickly and so casually. For me, meeting someone's DC is a huge deal, the biggest and it mattered very much to me that they liked me and thought I was serious about their Dad, which I was.
They are 13 and 19 and completely took it in their stride but honestly now, I think they're used to a flow of new women through the door.

He's been cruel to his eldest DD too, the same line of pressing her on something which was incredibly important to her until she felt it was silly, unimportant and dismissed it herself. Its truly horrible to watch.

I don't understand what he gains from this.....

OP posts:
Snowman123 · 22/09/2018 22:06

Unfortunately men with axes to grind often move quickly. He sounds like such a difficult person. Re-read your message and consider whether this is really how your want your life to be.

You are worth so much more. Please have the strength to move on. You lived without him before, and you can again. Focus on you. Go dating, and find someone who treats you how you deserve to be treated x

FrancisUnderwood · 22/09/2018 22:10

Yes, I finished it on Monday but have struggled horribly all week.

I keep feeling the love I felt initially and feeling weak, like i've broken this, it was my fault and I've missed out on a relationship with this man.
He could be very reasonable, promising to be more open and honest, and then he'd hide and delete conversations he'd had with his exes, mute certain conversations, turning his internet off.... it turned me from what I thought was a reasonable human being into a paranoid wreck.

I think that's what I need help with, was I right to walk away?

OP posts:
Doyoumind · 22/09/2018 22:10

You fell in love with a character he was playing. He love bombed you. It's a game to him. He doesn't have normal emotions. You are very lucky to be out of this so quickly.

misszp · 22/09/2018 22:11

Take a look at love bombing and future forwarding. They go hand in hand with a narcisstic character like this who more often than not then suddenly reveals their nasty side. They do the former to hide the latter from you, which is the real them.

No wonder you’re feeling like you’ve been through a whirlwind and tipped upside down, but believe me you’ve had a lucky escape!

JK1773 · 22/09/2018 22:14

5 months ago you were absolutely fine and you soon will be again. You are well rid. It sounds totally overwhelming. I’m not criticising you at all as you didn’t organise it but a holiday with his child within such a short time is ridiculous. The fact that he organised this when he appeared to be cheating on you demonstrates also that he’s an appalling father who has no insight into his child’s needs as he knew you wouldn’t be around long. He’s a disgusting despicable man and you are far better off without him. He’s taken you on an emotional rollercoaster. It will take a little while to recover from this but hopefully not too long Flowers

Snowman123 · 22/09/2018 22:15

Was the relationship working for you? If the answers no, then you were right to walk away.

He was chatting to exes, acting horribly in such a short space of time and frankly his behaviour would have made the most un-paranoid of people paranoid.

FWIW I think you should have ran never mind walked..... there was so many red flags. Mr Right is out there for you, and I get the feeling that you won't look back on this one!!!

Joysmum · 22/09/2018 22:19

You don’t love him, you love who you thought he was and are still struggling to get your head around the fact that he isn’t that at all.

FrancisUnderwood · 22/09/2018 22:20

I can't even begin to express how validating your views on this are right now and how much of a real difference they're making.

Everyone I speak to (who hasn't been in a relationship with him) gushes uncontrollably about how great he is and I thought that at first too, but he's not. He's deeply horrible just under the surface. How can someone be so accomplished at hiding who they are?

I'd have liked to have thought I wasn't as gullible as this, at 37.

OP posts:
BlueUggs · 22/09/2018 22:24

You have done exactly the right thing. He sounds exhausting!!
I'm sorry you've gone through this but I think blocking and walking away really is the best option.
I also agreed about contacting the children's mother....

MorrisZapp · 22/09/2018 22:36

The fact you saw him being cold and cruel is enough in itself, never mind the carry on with the phone and the exes. Dating in the early days should be fun and exciting, not weird and creepy.

Keep him blocked.

mumofnat · 22/09/2018 22:39

You deserve to be treat better than this.
You sound like someone who is very open to love and this man has taken advantage of that.
By the way he is in constant contact with his exes, he may have done something very similar with them, which means they are always open to speaking to him, in the hope that he may change and become the man they first met. I would never trust a man who treat his children badly.

Take a few steps back and just focus on yourself. It's not going to be easy, but you will come back again. The right person is out there ❤️

FrancisUnderwood · 22/09/2018 22:49

Thank you.

I understand there have been several re-kindlings with several of his exes before. At least one of which earned him a slap around the face from whoever, he actually told me this. Another red flag I guess.

I won't be 'available'. It's been an absolute rollercoaster. One I didn't need.

I told him I was ok on my own and told him I was cautious of relationships but honestly was completely swept up in it very quickly and then cast aside, just as quickly.
I can only assume this is because I've caught him out in a lie.

Its irrelevant though, he just isn't a very nice person.

OP posts:
FrancisUnderwood · 22/09/2018 22:53

FWIW, I suspect his first ExW, the Mother of his children knows exactly who he is as he has relayed some of the conversations they've recently had regarding child rearing.

I have to say, in everything she's said, I've agreed with her. She seems perfectly reasonable.

OP posts:
MiniTheMinx · 22/09/2018 23:06

Everything you have said seems to suggest that he's a narcissist, including having a hold over his ex gfs. Don't become one of these women who he can still play with, walk away and never look back.

FrancisUnderwood · 22/09/2018 23:11

I'll look into narcissism. I've heard the term before but have never really researched it......

OP posts:
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