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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

How should I approach this conversation? Really need some guidance!

137 replies

FairylightsAndMoonbeams · 11/05/2019 08:04

Morning wise people of MN. I need your guidance... It's probably over long for the question but didn't want to drip feed and wanted to give a full picture for clarity.

In January, I met a man. Prior to that, I have been single for around 5 years or so.

I feel I'm ready for, and deserve, a loving, loyal, long lasting relationship with someone and everything about this man and how we are together has suggested that he has the potential to be that someone.

Which brings me to the 'problem'.

He divorced a few years ago. He subsequently had another relationship which ended around last summer. He told me they were still friends on fb after the breakup but didn't have any contact with each other otherwise. Then in March, he told me that she'd contacted him saying that she'd like to give the relationship another go. He said that he'd met someone else, was really happy and had no interest in doing so and he told me that he'd deleted her contact details on his phone and unfriended her on fb. All good so far? I said that it sounded like 'unfriending' was probably the best option. No drama.

Except that, the last time I saw him, he was sitting next to me scrolling through down a list of names on fb that I assume was his friend list (his friends list is set to private) - and her name came up. Or at least I think it was her name.

I only know her first name. It's not unusual but it's not common either. So when I saw it, I did wonder, but didn't say anything. I'm not too proud to say that I did a bit of 'looking' when I got home and he had tagged her in posts during the time they would have been together but there has been no activity since they split up - he posts so rarely this I only went back about 25 posts!

So it appears to me that he told me he had unfriended her and deleted her contact details but hadn't actually done so. I want to speak to him about it but I don't know how to broach it. If it is her, then I will end it with him. Not because he is fb friends with his exgf, but because he will have lied to me about it after telling me that she would like to get back together with him.

But because his friends list is private, it will be obvious I have seen her name on his list over his shoulder and then turned into Columbo.

But I don't know what to say to him. I feel I need some guidance because, left to my own devices, I'll just be really blunt to the point where, if I am wrong, I'll have ruined it anyway.

But I don't think I am.

TL;DR - it appears that boyfriend is still friends with his ex gf despite telling me he'd unfriended her after she asked to rekindle the relationship whilst we were together. If this is the case, then he has lied to me. His friend list is private so I'd only know by 'snooping'. Lying is a dealbreaker. How to I bring it up?

OP posts:
lovelypumpkin · 11/05/2019 11:58

I think it is fine to change details on here so that you are not identifying yourself too much, but can I just ask, have you changed quite a few of the details here? I am asking because something about this rings bells for me, and the answer I would give intuitively is different from the answer if I took what you said to be the exact facts. If that makes sense.

pinkyredrose · 11/05/2019 12:22

I think you misunderstood my post OP.

ConfCall · 11/05/2019 12:40

You could that a Doris Jones has come up as a suggested friend, with him in common; is it the Doris he was dating last year, or is it a different one? Hopefully, the answer will be, “no, my ex is Doris Smith and I’m no longer friends with her”. If it isn’t, you can legitimately express surprise that they’re still friends.

I agree with you re the lying and completely understand that this is not about him having an ex on social media.

I was really suspicious about his compliments about your figure - until your update. I now think that he’s probably just in the habit of reassuring women about their bodies, because of what his exes were like.

FairylightsAndMoonbeams · 11/05/2019 12:58

ittooshallpass I think he's trying to be kind by his compliments but I'm not comfortable with it. It's like him telling me I'm beautiful when I'm not. If he told me my eyes sparkle when I'm excited or that my skin is soft, then fair enough. But 'beautiful'? I'm not buying that.

Moondancer73 he tagged her in posts from the time they would have been together. There has been no (public) contact between them on there since last summer.

lovelypumpkin It's close enough for any slight changes to not be significant, I wouldn't imagine.

You're pissed off because he may have an ex as a Facebook friend? It might not be her anyway so you don't know if he lied. If he did it may be because you're a drama queen? But he might not have and if you ask him you'll look ridiculous.

I've said several times that I'm not bothered who he is fb friends with. His ex wife is on there. I'm not bothered. I know it might not be the same person. That possibility is the very reason why I'm asking how to approach it. I don't think I've said anything to him to give him the impression I'm a 'drama queen' - quite the opposite in fact. He told me he'd done something and I said that it was probably for the best if he felt it was appropriate. But he told me after the fact so it wasn't in response to any 'drama'. At that point, we'd only been together for 8 weeks so no time for any drama anywhere. Aside from that fact, I don't do 'drama'. I walk away. But I like him so I'd rather give him the chance to explain if necessary. So I can't see where I've misunderstood your post, pinkyredrose

ConfCall That's a good idea. I have had some of his friends come up as suggested friends.

Yes, that's what I want to believe about the compliments.

OP posts:
Moondancer73 · 11/05/2019 13:12

Aah, I misunderstood then. That's not such an issue then.

lovelypumpkin · 11/05/2019 13:19

It comes across as though you are very jealous of his ex. It comes across that there are things you are being dishonest with him about. It comes across that you would do almost anything to keep him. I actually wondered whether you had known him for a long time longer than six months and if you had been "friends" before getting together and that you used to know his exgf.

If I am wrong about any or all of that then I apologise.

But bottom line, you are doubting him on at least two fundamental levels. If things were as they should be I don't think you would be, whether you had insecurities or not.

But it is hard, I see that. And he may have his own demons.

FairylightsAndMoonbeams · 11/05/2019 14:12

It comes across as though you are very jealous of his ex. It comes across that there are things you are being dishonest with him about. It comes across that you would do almost anything to keep him. I actually wondered whether you had known him for a long time longer than six months

Really Sad

I'm not jealous of his ex. Tbh, until I saw her name pop up last weekend, I hadn't given her a second thought. I trusted that what he was telling me was the truth - that she'd been in touch; that he'd said he wasn't interested; that he'd unfriended her etc because it didn't seem appropriate to be 'friends' with her when the dynamic had now changed and he knew she wanted something different. I said it was the right decision if that was how he felt. And I would say that to anyone!

He hadn't given me any reason at that point (or at any point since) to think that he might not be on the level. I didn't ask him to do any of it - it had all already happened and was presented as a fait accomplis.

What am I being dishonest with him about?

I wouldn't do almost anything to keep him, if I don't have a converstion with him about it, I'll end it anyway. I haven't got any interest in game playing or feeling like this! I was happy on my own before, I'll be fine again. But I do really like him and I'm not going to end it without telling him why or giving him the chance to explain it. But, at the same time, I didn't really know how to bring it up.

It's not even particularly bothered me all that much this week. I thought about it last night because I was out with some couples. They were saying it was a shame he couldn't make it last night and I was thinking about him generally.

I think you make a choice to trust someone or not. And I made a very easy choice to trust him. I guess last night it came to the forefront of my mind a bit and I started to feel a bit, "it's all well and good making the choice to trust him but, if he has actually misled me about this, all the trust in the world isn't going to undo it!" And I'm not going to blindly trust someone and ignore my instincts if I feel something is a bit 'off'.

OP posts:
FairylightsAndMoonbeams · 11/05/2019 14:46

Ok. So it is definitely her.

Which means he definitely lied.

I'm not going to ask him to unfriend her, I'm just going to send him a message ending it and then block him. Not standing for being lied to.

I have to go out for half an hour so I'll do it when I get back and I'm less upset/angry about it.

Fucking idiot that I am.

OP posts:
QueenOfTheCroneAge · 11/05/2019 14:55

Oh sorry OP - but at least you now know the truth Flowers

lovelypumpkin · 11/05/2019 14:56

And I started to feel a bit, "it's all well and good making the choice to trust him but, if he has actually misled me about this, all the trust in the world isn't going to undo it!" And I'm not going to blindly trust someone and ignore my instincts if I feel something is a bit 'off'. I think you can usually trust your instincts unless you aren't being honest with yourself in any respect in which case your instinct may be off.

Have you been entirely honest with yourself/him about how you feel about his ex? Have you ever passed comment on her?

lifebegins50 · 11/05/2019 14:58

And I'm not going to blindly trust someone and ignore my instincts if I feel something is a bit 'off

I am sorry to hear your suspicions were correct but I was coming on to say, trust yourself and your instincts. Something is not right and don't doubt yourself.

lovelypumpkin · 11/05/2019 14:58

Just saw the update, sorry post crossed. I am sorry - be kind to yourself and take time to think it all through so that you can put it behind you.

FairylightsAndMoonbeams · 11/05/2019 15:02

lovelypumpkin

No never passed comment on her. I don't know her. He's only ever mentioned her a couple of times other than the conversation we had about her contacting him.

I just have no idea what to say to him.

Explains why his friends list is set to private though.

FFS. I thought he was one of the good ones too Sad

OP posts:
FairylightsAndMoonbeams · 11/05/2019 15:03

I'm done now. That's it.

OP posts:
lovelypumpkin · 11/05/2019 15:15

I have to go out for half an hour so I'll do it when I get back and I'm less upset/angry about it

Given how you feel about him, do you think you will feel less upset/angry in half an hour?

MsDogLady · 11/05/2019 15:48

I’m sorry, Fairylights.

How did you discover that she is one and the same?

ThatCurlyGirl · 11/05/2019 16:00

@FairylightsAndMoonbeams

I get it - someone telling a lie about something because they know it would upset you is a red flag to me personally.

He either said something to placate you and didn't follow through, or he said he did something and it was a lie. You didn't invite him to do the thing in question, he chose to make it an issue.

I understand why it might not be important to others, but I think you're well within your rights to set your own boundaries.

But set those boundaries and stick to them - if a smallish lie has rocked your faith and upset you, trust your gut.

Otherwise (as you know I think) it ends up being a toxic part of the relationship and you'll start to doubt everything.

The insecurity that causes has driven me mad before and it turned me into someone I didn't recognise for a long time.

I try to do the right thing not the easy thing. I'd like a partner to be the same.

FairylightsAndMoonbeams · 11/05/2019 16:21

Given how you feel about him, do you think you will feel less upset/angry in half an hour?

No. I picked my daughter up from an activity and dropped her off at her friends house. Now I'm alternating between between disbelief and tears.

How did you discover that she is one and the same?

I remembered that I'd previously seen he had a second account that he doesn't use. She's on there. As is a family member he'd mentioned. That family member has them both as friends.

ThatCurlyGirl

Every point you made there is exactly why it is an issue for me.

It now means I can't trust anything he has said to me about anything or any of my other dealbreakers/boundaries.

I also try to do the right thing.

I know what he's going to say. He's going to say that he just wanted to be 'nice'. He's a bit of a people pleaser. He unfriended her when they split up and she sent him another request before Christmas that he accepted because he didn't have a good enough reason not to and he wanted to be nice.

I don't think for a second that he is still interested in her and I believe what he says about how he feels about me.

But he lied.

OP posts:
FairylightsAndMoonbeams · 11/05/2019 16:22

I just don't know what to say to him. I can't believe it.

OP posts:
FairylightsAndMoonbeams · 11/05/2019 16:23

And it explains why his friends list was set to private.

OP posts:
FairylightsAndMoonbeams · 11/05/2019 16:26

if a smallish lie has rocked your faith and upset you, trust your gut.

The thing is, it's potentially not a small lie. It's a reflection of his sense of loyalty and honesty. They are two of the key factors of a relationship as far as I'm concerned.

OP posts:
FairylightsAndMoonbeams · 11/05/2019 16:31

He messaged me earlier to tell me that he's missing me.

I haven't replied.

Everything, on the surface, is perfect. If I could have written a pen portrait of the man I want, he'd be it. If being 'my boyfriend' were a job, he'd have met all the Essentials and exceeded the Desireables.

He's the first man since I divorced my husband 7 years ago (been single for 5 - I tried a few out for size at the beginning!) I've been even remotely seriously interested in.

I don't think I've got it in me to do it again. I'm realistic and pragmatic. I know there are no guarantees and you don't know how things are going to turn out but I didn't expect it to turn out like this. Or quite so soon.

OP posts:
benderinabun · 11/05/2019 16:36

Hang on OP- are you sure it was his friends list he was scrolling through? Could it have been a list of who to tag in a post? As when I go to tag people it sometimes gives me options of people I'm not FB 'friends' with...and you said he has tagged her in things before and doesn't post often so could it be that?

Fizzysours · 11/05/2019 16:40

Can I say...as an older (not necessarily wiser) lass that you are making a very extreme decision here without giving him any chance to explain?

BumbleBeee69 · 11/05/2019 16:44

well well well.. OP you were in fact CORRECT.... well done for trusting your instincts. Flowers