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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:
Angrybird345 · 23/09/2018 09:09

Don’t go back to him ever!!!

FrancisUnderwood · 23/09/2018 09:12

I have been able to block his number on my iPhone which stops calls/texts and WhatsApp even though he'd blocked me on WhatsApp anyway so if he decides to unblock me the messages still won't get through.

He had blocked me on the messenger app (because I confronted him about his lying), but not on actual facebook, which I have now done.

DS defends his Dad to the hilt, even when I tried to stick up for him a bit, I was made to feel unreasonable, like I was the one with the problem and that's just the way their relationship is, but I don't come from a family where any of that is normal.
DS is a big lad, big for his age and is nearly as big as his Dad, but no where near as strong... The punching was really shocking.
What upset me most was the way DS was belittled and picked on, he's only 13 and isn't clever enough yet to outsmart his Dad, when he was being verbally attacked.

OP posts:
PussGirl · 23/09/2018 09:21

The poor DS Sad

Hopefully he'll eventually work out for himself that his dad is a twat worked for my DS & not start copying the behaviour.

MarthasGinYard · 23/09/2018 09:23

Lucky escape Op

I got the chills reading that

Nasty piece of work

dilly123 · 23/09/2018 09:30

You have been through hell at the hands of this cruel deranged man but you're now free of him.. take each day as it comes, regain your strength & your self worth... you deserve so much better than him..

I've no doubt he will contact you again at some point because I think he needs to have that control over women but the few weeks of happiness were an act, he has shown his true colours & that is not a man you want in your life!!

Belletower · 23/09/2018 09:33

I read as far as this OP...

He keeps telling me about his terrible temper.

When someone tells you who they are, believe them!

Ohyesiam · 23/09/2018 09:35

Op,
So sorry you’ve been treated this wayFlowers.
Your first post is an increadibly chilling read, he is skilled at his nasty abusive approach. It’s so easy to be taken in when your heart wants love. Many of us have been there.
I did counselling and worked on my self esteem for years, now o know that a loving relationship feels good, that there’s nothing to “ put up with” at the beginning.
Gather yourself, breathe a better go sigh of relief that you’re not there any more, and go forward knowing the red flags.
Flowers

TheVanguardSix · 23/09/2018 09:39

You do know which way the hills are, don't you?
Double knot your laces and run for 'em! And don't look back!

Zofloramummy · 23/09/2018 09:40

Well done for ending it, I was with a similar man and it took me nearly 3 years. He morphed into a selfish bully also but took longer to do so. You have been very lucky that this man dropped his mask so quickly. It hursts now but you will soon enough be grateful that you escaped when you did.

TheCakeDiet · 23/09/2018 09:41

He literally ticks every single box for a narcissistic man.

Love bombing
Sweeping you off your feet
Followed by
Affection withdrawal
Controlling behaviour - initially hiding this as a loving gesture (texting work your your consent)
Controlling behaviour designed to confuse you and render you frozen - breezily starting to cook lunch just as you are ,raving to needy your parents. This would have escalated to pulling out if every single plan that you had arranged at the last minute for the rest of your life.
Love of danger and excitement - keeping ex gfs on the go, running from restaurants.

It's literally ALL RIGHT THERE.

Please read up on narcissists. The only good thing is that he has blocked you at the moment and isn't trying to love bomb again to reek you back in (be warned this might well happen).

These men are properly dangerous and do not have the same level of cognitive function as you or I. They don't have empathy and can only pretend to show feelings. Run for the hills.

TheCakeDiet · 23/09/2018 09:42

Sorry for all the stupid autocorrects. On phone. Hopefully you get the jist

TheVanguardSix · 23/09/2018 09:45

And I'm so sorry that you met a bona fide nutcase.
I've been in your place... sucked into that heady, heart-racing hope of love and then the guy turns out to be everything he wasn't. It's awful. Such a letdown!

It's a bit of an out-of-body/is this really happening? experience.
Yep, he really is a nutjob and a total arsehole. And no, he will not ever change and become the nice guy in the mask who led you on with false and dangerous hope. You've seen the real him. Run. And of course he's blocked you. Those types are great at making you look like the unstable one. Do not EVER contact this man again. Get your pride on and hold your head up.
Flowers

GreenFieldsofFrance · 23/09/2018 09:45

All I have to say is you should be throwing a party, praising the lord that you are away from this man. Run. Run more. Run again. And then have a further run. Do not look back.

TheVanguardSix · 23/09/2018 09:52

And I f*cking hate men like this because they damage people. They damage people and they make themselves mental obstacles- even when they're gone- on the path of love for the victims they've abused. They disappear out of that person's life leaving nothing but confusion and wreckage behind. And that person is left hanging there in the wind, with little faith, little trust, and no self-esteem. Don't let that happen to you!

Don't let this one bastard tear you down and diminish your sense of self-worth, OP. And please have faith that the chances of you meeting another man like him are slim to none. Now you know the warning signs.

The intense guys never work out. Their agenda is all sorts of f*cked up. Don't even waste your energy analysing this guy. He's a nut and a nut he'll remain. Wash your hands of him. You're well rid. Heal quickly. Flowers

Beamur · 23/09/2018 09:55

You've had a lucky escape. Don't give him a second chance.
Don't berate yourself for not seeing this sooner, men like this are highly manipulative.

FrancisUnderwood · 23/09/2018 09:59

Thank you all for the advice and links I really needed to see at the exact moment I was doubting myself the most.

I do think he's been 'punishing' me this week by withdrawing and blocking me once he'd been found out in his lie. I was very close to folding and crying to him that I loved him and that we'd work through whatever i'd clearly misunderstood about the situation and I was also blaming myself for driving him away and not being more trustful of him. I suspect I also have some self esteem issues which need working on.

Thankfully, you've all brought into sharp relief the things i'd been denying but were nagging at me and I can now see how I've been completely love bombed and discarded by a narcissistic bully.

Its still hurting but I'm going to keep coming back and reading this thread until the clouds clear for good.

OP posts:
thethoughtfox · 23/09/2018 10:17

You weren't ever his world. He played a deliberate game with you. Remember this.

Santaclarita · 23/09/2018 10:19

If he contacts you, read this thread again and if you still feel like trusting him, read it again. Do not trust this man. He is not to be trusted. He is a liar and he plays women for fun. He keeps all the others around to boost his ego. He doesn't love you or any of them, he loves himself.

Samantha2018 · 23/09/2018 10:20

Someone like this will eventually drive you crazy! I know you don't think it now but he's done you a favour blocking you. Please ignore him when he comes crawling back he sounds horrid

Kemer2018 · 23/09/2018 10:32

Accept that you are vulnerable and protect yourself accordingly.
This guy is poison and you've had a horrible time of it. I feel so so sorry for his kids.
You can end it (you should not contact him) but his poor kids are stuck with him.
I was love bombed by a narcissist alcoholic at 17 i stayed for 2 years and was destroyed at the end. Took me many years to recover, and i fucked up a lovely relly with a lovely guy in the process.

bluebell34567 · 23/09/2018 11:28

him blocking you is a tactic, to test if you come back to him begging. if you think that you can change this man and contact him, he will think he won, you are his slave like all his exs.

Isawthesign · 23/09/2018 13:20

I went back to someone like this and when it ended the second time, my whole body crashed. I was sick and housebound for 7 days. Friends couldn't believe I was sucked in because I'm pretty 'with it' etc. The power narcissists have is incredible. I wish I had had Mumsnet at the time. This is a gift. You're getting out NOW. Flowers

eelbecomingforyou · 23/09/2018 13:24

All this happened in four months?? My god.

Read your post back. More red flags than a bunting convention...

Ringing your boss and arranging leave for holiday without telling you?? Your spider sens3s should have been tingling.

The way he treats his kids? The constant lies?

You’Ve has a lucky escape. Block him right back.

Next relationship, be on the lookout for mad behaviour or anything that makes you feel uncomfortable.

FrancisUnderwood · 23/09/2018 13:57

@Isawthesign

Its been a very rough week indeed, a struggle to stay in work and put one foot in front of the other. I haven't eaten and just worked and slept. On Friday I saw his Ex's car outside his house on the way home from work, came in, rushed upstairs, was violently sick and in bed for 17:30.

This thread has helped immeasurably though.

OP posts:
Isawthesign · 23/09/2018 14:01

@FrancisUnderwood

I just cried a little reading your last post because I remember being in the exact same position.

Congratulate yourself for staying in work, for putting one foot in front of the other. You are being so strong and I promise you, as you completely detach from this man it will get easier. Don't do what I did and take him back. I promise you that no good could ever come of that no matter what he says and does in the coming weeks or months.

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