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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

I feel like I am being massively taken advantage of financially

324 replies

Dominique82 · 02/02/2019 16:27

My frustration is getting bigger and bigger week by week.
I am 36 years old, have got a reasonably good job, small car, nice flat. I work quite hard, often till late hours.
I have a boyfriend of 3 years, who earns over 100k a year (that’s nearly 3x more than me), drives an 80k car, lives in another town but works in my town Monday to Friday.
Sorry to mention the salary and car value, but feel like this is important in the big picture.
Boyfriend has been staying with me, most weekdays for the past year and a half, Monday to Friday. This happened so unnoticeably, that I don’t even know how. It started with just one night a week, now he has taken over my flat. Often, when he doesn’t need to go to the office, he sets up an office in my kitchen, doing calls and spreading his laptops, phones, notepads, charging cords all over. I can’t access my fridge or make tea. I need to ask him to move constantly.
He uses my car a few times a week if he needs to run some errand or is going to the gym. He rarely comes in his car, as comes up by train. So having my car is very handy (for him)
I am paying all the household bills.
I just got a huge gas and electricity bill for the past 3 months, which I told him about. His response - wow that’s high. Has there been an increase ? Is the boiler broken? That’s it. Not a single word about helping me with paying the bill. He takes very long showers, and has the heating on full blast when I am not around.
When I come home from work, every light in every single room of my flat is on. That is 6 rooms including the hallway, and even the f*ing storage room ! Wtf. He just doesn’t care that I am paying for all of this.

Also, My car recently broke down, which I told him about, his response was- ‘you need to ring the garage’.That was it. No mention from him of sorting it out for me. He uses my car more than I do. I pay the insurance etc. He puts in petrol. But occasionally I do too.

He tells me he loves me all the time, and that I am the woman of his dreams. I feel so stupid writing this now, as he must be loving me for all the freeloading I think.

Honestly, I feel like I am being a cheap hotel in town. All the cleaning, bills and entertainment included.

He occasionally buys groceries, then looks so proud of himself telling me how much he likes to help out...
When we go out, he always pays the bill BUT I am quite sure, he claims it back as an expense from his company. So he doesn’t really spend anything.
When we go on holiday, he books and pays for everything. But I just feel like this is not enough.
I got to the point where I know, i can’t live like this, but how do I say he needs to ... leave?
I don’t even have a key to his house. Been there max 5 times in the last 3 years. Help

OP posts:
hamandpease · 02/02/2019 19:00

Trying to work this out though, if he's still married how would it work having the OP come to his house even the few times she has? Even if wife & son we're away for the weekend the house would have her stuff in it and neighbours could report back?

Racheyg · 02/02/2019 19:03

Sorry I haven't read the full replies. Is he still with his wife?

Has he told her he works away during the week so he can stay with you and then back to the wife and kid at the weekend?

theworldistoosmall · 02/02/2019 19:05

it might not have been his place. A mate. Air bnb etc
He didn't leave her alone in the house. Having a room with kids stuff wouldn't seem out of place, considering he has kids. There are a number of ways to have the OW in the house without being detected.

Gone4Good · 02/02/2019 19:06

Seem them parked on their drives or in the garage. They are also possessive and no one is allowed to drive them, unlike the runaround

Not always the case.

My friend drives a Mini Cooper to work and the wife drives 'his' Aston Martin as a run about. Not sure he intended that way, but he's easy going.

BitOutOfPractice · 02/02/2019 19:10

I'd bet your electricity bill that he's not single in his home city

thenightsky · 02/02/2019 19:16

Unlikely he's still living with his wife if the OP was able to visit 4 or 5 times. More likely he has another relationship with a woman in his home town, which explains why he took the OP out of town to socialise. Its also easier to hide the presence of another gf if she is not living in his house. He probably did a 'sweep' to remove her odd bits and bobs like toothbrushes, hair bobbles, spare knickers etc.

In a previous relationship I had, I thought my bf was just very houseproud when he used to run around tidying up my things. He even used to go over the pillows and whisk away the odd very long hair of mine.

User292494333 · 02/02/2019 19:23

If he’s able to ‘expense’ meals with you, as you suspect, I wonder if he also has an accommodation allowance for Mon-Fri. Or is pretending to charge in Air BnB or similar, therefore making money on your arrangement.

He almost certainly gets a car allowance with that kind of job, which is supposed to cover some of the wear and tear on his (unused!) car...

SeigneurLapindeGrantham · 02/02/2019 19:58

He sounds like a total user, why not have a nosy on 192.com maybe see who else might be living in his house?

Guiltypleasures001 · 02/02/2019 20:04

Ide be on google, checking every nook and cranny, and maybe even staking his house out this weekend.

So when he's out for the weekend, who's doing his washing and ironing for the coming week?

TaimaandRanyasBestFriend · 02/02/2019 20:07

Well, what are your plans for him, OP? He's not single. And yy, he's likely getting accommodation allowance and completely swizzing you.

Giesabreak · 02/02/2019 20:12

I wouldn't be giving him any inkling I was suspicious because I wouldn't want him wriggling out of anything, or dumping me over the weekend with some shit excuse. I'd want that for myself. He's called the shots for too long as it is.

BHStowel · 02/02/2019 20:20

I’d make an appointment at a GU clinic just to be on the save side.

You know you don’t need to “know” they hecgas a wife/girlfriend/other family to split up with him. It’s okay to split up with him because you don’t want to be in a relationship with the person he has shown himself to be.

I’d probably get the locks changed. Do it yourself if you’re handy. Then ask him not to come to you next week. Then pack his stuff up and post it to him...

ZenNudist · 02/02/2019 20:24

Sorry OP Flowers at least you've seen the light. He probably has another gf at home if not the wife.

Miyajima89 · 02/02/2019 20:25

This thread started off as being about money and the more you have shared it's clear there's a lot more to this and the money is just one concern.

I think you are the side chick OP. Hiding you and not including you in his life are not the actions of someone who is a keeper, and it all seems highly suspicious (house, car, Facebook etc).

I don't think you should have him back at your house again. You have made your decision and now need to assert yourself by taking steps:

  • gather up his belongings and drop them round to him. This should be a quick job as you're not properly living together and sharing your lives, so pack his bits up in a carrier bag or two if you need to!
  • while you're at it tell him it's over
  • get some therapy for yourself and start to look after yourself / put yourself first. Do not take any bullshit excuses from him. Whatever he has to say, whether it's lies or platitudes, your response is simply "this is not working for me".

You don't actually have a relationship with this man, as a true relationship involves mutual sharing and intimacy.

A useful prompt a therapist once told me was: intimacy = "in to me see". He has excluded you from his whole world.

Miyajima89 · 02/02/2019 20:25

And as BHS said- get to a GUM clinic Thanks

motherrye · 02/02/2019 20:27

OP, how are you feeling in all this? It's all very well us saying do this, do that (most of which I agree with) but my primary concern is YOU. Do you have a good friend (male or female) that could either be there when you confront him or go with you to do a bit of 'looking' if you wish to go and see what's happening at his weekend home.

What have you done at Christmas/birthdays? I expect he has said he is spending the festive period with his son.

I had a boyfriend who refused to be friends with me on social media. After two years it came to light he had several other girlfriends (victims) like me and had been hawking his services as a male prostitute too. Trust your intuition. I wish I had.

Most importantly though, try and get some support for you. I know you've said that you haven't told people about your concerns but if you have someone you can trust I would be inclined to confide in them and possibly ask for their help too.

Good luck. I know you'll look back on this in years to come and be thankful of the lucky escape.

I'm not so sure it's about trying to recoup the money (although that would be a bonus) but more drawing a line under this relationship and finding someone who you can build a future with and be a team.

I do feel for you lovely X

Coyoacan · 02/02/2019 20:49

If he has a wife elsewhere, she is welcome to me. I can't bear users.

Bananalanacake · 02/02/2019 21:14

I had a dp who refused to introduce me to his family and I went to his place twice in 4 years. I love telling the story of how his mum and sister died within a month of each other and I wasn't obliged to give a shit as I'd never met them. Though that's besides the point. He wasn't a cocklodger. He paid towards my rent and he didn't stay with me for 5 days a week. More like 2 but he paid his way. And yes. He was not bothering to sort his divorce.

OopsInamechangedagain · 02/02/2019 21:15

Although not unheard of it's quite unusual for a dad to see their DCs for the whole weekend every single weekend otherwise the mum gets very little quality time with her children. Especially if he doesn't live far away, it's much more usual to see the DCs EOW and some weeknights too.

Something is definitely not adding up here. Expenses aside and regardless of whether he is still with his "ex" or another woman at weekends he's not emotionally available to have a relationship with you. Get rid.

Renarde1975 · 02/02/2019 21:18

He's a freeloading cockwomble.

I HIGHLY doubt he earns that much. Highly.

Very sorry for you OP. You deserve much better x Flowers

thenightsky · 02/02/2019 21:46

it's quite unusual for a dad to see their DCs for the whole weekend every single weekend

Good point. Well spotted.

Giesabreak · 02/02/2019 21:52

That's true @OopsInamechangedagain

Does he claim to go home and have his child any other time? Eg school holidays?

cstaff · 02/02/2019 21:53

@renarde The OP did say that he was seeing his kids every second weekend but catching up with his mates the other weekend. More than likely he is with his other partner at least eow. Sorry OP. Hope you get sorted.

ilovekale · 02/02/2019 21:57

OP you said you can't check if he's divorced but I'm pretty sure you can do this online as I managed to get all my dads 4 marriages worth of certificates online. There is a small fee attached to it but you can get them so long as you know his full name, place and date of birth. Worth checking.

If it was me I'd be straight over there unannounced to 'surprise' him and see who's there. All the red flags Would drive me mad. Please do update us whichever way this goes

altiara · 02/02/2019 22:02

Can you ask him for the cash for the bill first after pointing out it’s his usage that made it high. Then dump him.
Just think you should at least get something out of the freeloading cockwomble.

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