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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

Are we kidding ourselves to think we can fix this?

134 replies

Cheryberys · 21/10/2019 19:30

My expartner and I were together, mostly happily, for a long time. I was devoted to him, and would do anything for him, and always felt it was reciprocated. Whilst no relationship is perfect, there was a lot of mutual support, meeting of minds etc. He wasn't entirely happy with our sex life (in retrospect nor was I), but we struggled to discuss these problems (although we'd resolved other issues as they arose this one was one we found hard to discuss) and eventually we split up. For the last few months of the relationship he began fucking someone else, a woman he met online where he went looking for sex (at this point we had effectively stopped having sex). This carried on for a few months after our split but he refused to commit to a relationship with her (because in his words he just saw her as someone to have sex with), and eventually contacted me to ask if we could try again.

As of yet, a few months on, I haven't agreed so whilst we are in contact we are not in a relationship. I have a LOT of concerns. As does he. I wasn't always particularly kind or nice, and in the process of us splitting up I sent some very negative and quite personal messages. That said had I known he was fucking someone else I would have said worse.

My view is that we both behaved badly and that whilst 2 wrongs don't make a right of we want to start again we wipe the slate clean.

However he wants to analyse all my comments while dismissing his infidelity on the basis we weren't having sex. He is also still in contact with the woman he was fucking and I know she is dripping poison in his ear about me (as she has told me directly that she thinks she should be with him as she is better in bed than me - but because I am significantly more attractive in all respects he doesn't want her if he can have me) He says she means nothing to him and I do believe it but she is a shit stirrer and for that reason I think he needs to cut contact.

I don't fall into that trap of just blaming her. I know both are at fault. But she is the one who has repeatedly contacted me to 'put me in the picture' and make a number of spiteful and hurtful comments like telling me I'm shit in bed, or how they used to laugh at me and take the piss behind my back. She knew of my existence all along and even after he contacted me to try and get me back, she called me to tell me everything and then immediately after called him and offered him sex. She is jealous of me clearly; I try to just think she is pathetic and no threat but frankly I would prefer her to be out of the way entirely rather than sending him messages like how if he stays with me I'll never give him sex and nothing will change and he'll regret it!

I do think things can change and she clearly is no oracle. I've suggested seeing a counsellor which he is willing to do. I think he also should cut this woman out as she has an agenda which is deeply anti me.

OP posts:
user1481840227 · 22/10/2019 01:32

It sounds like you're doing things the right way, you say you have high self esteem and all this other stuff, so why do you need him?

The truth here is that your dh has done LESS than most men do who are trying to win back their wives, he is STILL in contact with this woman? Why? It's weird.

LovesNettles · 22/10/2019 01:33

Do you make more money than him OP? Sounds like he treated you like shit, won't take ownership of his wrongs and has insulted you to the OW. Personally I'd run like hell.

Cheryberys · 22/10/2019 01:36

His behaviour for the best part of a decade was completely unlike the past few months.

He is not haranguing me. I'm not sure where that came from. He does want to go through and discuss my unpleasant comments to him. I'm not unwilling but I think on a scale whatever I said was no worse than what he did.

As for him wanting me to fuck off, far from it. He is the one pursuing me. After our relationship ended I moved on. He contacted me to try again. He couldn't be without me. Much of the impetus has come from him. I didn't engineer this at all, I honestly thought we were finished for good. Indeed we still might be. It's not a done deal yet.

OP posts:
Cheryberys · 22/10/2019 01:44

He earns more than me currently, but previously I have been the higher earner. I also have properties etc which he doesn't. We always kept finances separate which as things turned out was for the best.

I am well aware I don't need him in my life and if he won't cut contact, or if I think we genuinely can't fix things, then I will walk away from him - and having done it once, O know I can do it again.

OP posts:
EmmiJay · 22/10/2019 01:44

What Gamerchick said. Thats the vibe I'm getting too. This is now a war over her tosser of an OH.

SpinneyHill · 22/10/2019 01:44

while dismissing his infidelity This is what cheaters say they lie because it works

He says she means nothing to him Sweet he'll happily drop contact then unless he is lying

He is also still in contact with the woman Damn I bet you're the ex who won't let go when he wants a BJ from her now or in a few weeks.

we both behaved badly Did you forgot to mention your own online looking for and then having sex with other men? You get called names and shouted at if you get caught cheating, cussing him out and laying bare his insecurities in a row doesn't put you on the same level of shitcunt behaviour as looking for sex when your partner is likely in the room followed by fucking other people

You are not the queen of his world you seem to imagine you are. Wake up to it, you are both being used by a dickhead

Oliversmumsarmy · 22/10/2019 01:50

My friends are baffled as to why he would even go near her other than the fact she has literally zero self respect so is constantly available for sex

Your friends have answered their own question

She was ready and available.

He was on the look out.

Now he wants to step back into his old life but regardless of his words his actions don’t match up.

He doesn’t want to be blamed for shitting on his relationship so he is going to be pinning the blame on you.

You made him sleep with this woman. You split the 2 of you up.

Why waste your energy trying to get back something that has either gone or wasn’t there in the first place.

If you were really trying get a result one way or the other you would tell this woman and your ex that they are quite welcome to each other and he can piss off with wanting to analyse your words.

He stuck his dick in a minger so maybe he should analyse his own actions.

He will either come scurrying back or he won’t.

Either way you can put an end to this drama

SpinneyHill · 22/10/2019 01:53

He contacted me to try again. He couldn't be without me Although he was shagging her

His reasons for coming back include this delightful nugget of love and gratitude for your forgiveness
He does want to go through and discuss my unpleasant comments to him
How did he react when you laughed and told him to Fuck Right Off?

Don't be surprised if he lets slip other infidelities during this little lecture or in the future when your jealousy subsides a little, you've shown him what works now.

1forAll74 · 22/10/2019 02:15

It sounds like a grim situation all around, so advance very carefully,if you really wan't to be with this cheater at some point again.

There is every chance, that this other woman,will make your life hell,if you decide to take your partner back, despite your partner saying that he has done with her, as she sounds quite a nasty woman.

babbi · 22/10/2019 03:10

In short .. yes you are absolutely kidding yourself to think this dysfunctional mess can be sorted .

Also bewildered as to why you would even want to try .
You should think about doing a course of self awareness.
You think you have good self esteem.. your posts scream otherwise ..
the bar is set very low for you in terms of boundaries for relationships .
You are letting this man disrespect you completely and don’t see it .

Forget her completely-she is not the problem at all - work on yourself and stop all contact with him and move on .

FuriousVexation · 22/10/2019 04:19

Decades! I thought you were all going to be in your teens.

Listen, by your age most women have grown up enough to realise that competing with other women is a crock of shit invented by the patriarchy to keep us preoccupied with crab bucket behaviour rather than supporting each other to raise our standards and kick these shitty men into touch.

You may think you are visually attractive and a "good catch", but your comments about this woman show a deeply unattractive aspect of your personality. You're effectively saying that you think people who don't meet societal norms of beauty don't deserve relationships and you can't understand why someone wouldn't drop them like a hot brick when someone with a straighter nose or a better job hoves into view.

Leave this fool to his own devices. You already know you're sexually incompatible and he refused to meet your needs. (BTW I'm assuming you asked him for something pretty vanilla like oral or anal, not that you wanted to fuck him with a strap on while dressed in a nazi uniform...)

Do you all live in a small town? I'm having trouble imagining how he's managed to say in front of you (and her?) that she's a FWB. And how has she made contact with you to tell you he says you're shit in bed or whatever? If she's contacted you by phone, who do you think gave her your number? Yeah.... He'll be loving this shit. Two women having a cat fight over the dubious merits of his dick. Ego boost for him. Humiliation for both women.

Block him and her on every form of contact. If you frequent the same pub etc, go somewhere else.

You all sound like you deserve better than this horribly toxic situation.

PearlsBeforeWine · 22/10/2019 05:05

You sound quite smug, nasty and precious.
I dunno idea why as you've clearly got no self respect to be dallying with someone like this guy who is clearly a total prick. Do you not think that this is all quite trashy?

Brittany2019 · 22/10/2019 05:37

Well, you're clearly quite determined to go back to this absolute minger of a man, so off you go.
Just be aware that, as regards std testing, you'll need 3 months of him not shagging anyone for a HIV test to be effective. Do you really think he'll be able to do that?

ukgift2016 · 22/10/2019 05:46

He sounds like prince charming, go be with each other.

lexiepuppy · 22/10/2019 07:31

@FuckYouChrisAndThatHorse
I literally think the same thing, he has a Madonna/ Whore complex. He wants to do the dirty stuff with her as he views you as too good.

By the sounds of the OW she is not going to go away without a fight , so you will have a bunny boiler trailing along after him.

You will need STI testing after all that he has done.

But you really need to raise your self esteem, release your ego, stop the pick me dance with this massive dickhead, that literally has nothing going for him.

He has humiliated you over and over again.
Don't keep putting yourself through it.

Stay classy. Walk away with your head held high and find a man that doesn't need to shag a bunny boiler and then blame you for it.

Walk away from the circus.Flowers

Cheryberys · 22/10/2019 07:33

I am surprised how people seem to think that because I am honest enough to say she's unattractive in every sense that somehow makes me a worse person than her, despite the fact she's deliberately and repeatedly been malicious and spiteful to me.

I do think my self esteem is fine; my counselor agreed I didn't have issues in that respect. I've been referred to above as smug, etc, is that indicative of someone lacking in self esteem?

Alternatively if you actually DID think my self esteem was lacking, how do posts insulting me help that? Aren't they likely to lower my self esteem more? Genuine question.

The issues we had with sex and him thinking I was too good were acts I wanted to perform on him. There were other issues too around frequency but those really centred on communication (which around sex was poor, but which we have spoken about extensively now).

OP posts:
Elieza · 22/10/2019 08:16

Just being honest OP, but I don’t think you want to listen to any advice on here other than stuff to confirm you are right wanting to get back with him and advice around that.

People aren’t saying that. You appear to have a dysfunctional relationship with an untrustworthy guy. People are telling you that and you just refute what’s being said.

You have been to counselling which is good. What’s she saying about the whole situation? Do you listen or just take the bits of the conversation you like and ignore it twist the rest like you do with us? I mean no disrespect, I am trying to be honest as I see it.

I can’t help but think a break from the whole thing would let you take stock. It is not a competition. There will be no winners here. Sorry OP.

SurfingGiantess · 22/10/2019 08:20

Here's what I would do.

Tell her she's welcome to him and tell him it's over for good.

There's just too much water under the bridge. Too much happened and you had moved on already. Don't get roped back into all this drama. Try and find a good man and keep working on yourself too via counselling. Start fresh when you're ready. Too much drama for my liking.

category12 · 22/10/2019 08:28

How can you even want a man who treats another human being the way you say he's treated this woman?

He's disgusting.

He'll use her for sex despite not liking her or finding her attractive.

He'll fuck her and then treat her like she's nothing, and badmouth her and humiliate her to prove to you she's nothing to him.

However much you dislike and despise her, he's worse. What the fuck is the excuse for being so horrible to another person and exploiting them. He's grim.

Raise your standards.

Cheryberys · 22/10/2019 08:28

In previous discussions with my counsellor around my ex, she obviously can't and won't tell me what to do, she has said that my relationship with him clearly brought a lot of joy and happiness to my life and that any decisions I make don't need to be rushed. and also that those decisions should be based on what is best and right for me, being mindful of my present and future. I am not currently seeing the counsellor so this is based on discussions we had previously - but at a point when my ex had already contacted me again and we were talking.

OP posts:
lexiepuppy · 22/10/2019 08:39

Well you obviously want to be with him and no matter what anyone says you seem to have made your mind up, which is a positive for you.

Counsellors don't know everything, but if you believe your self esteem is high and you are confident he is going to fall into line then .....go for it.

Maybe he has had a midlife crisis (always a great excuse).
Or if he hasn't dealt with the couple of life events he may have had a breakdown.
I will not knock someone's MH status, it is just the fact he wants to blame you for his actions that i would be wary of.

Do you have children? Have they witnessed bad behaviour from him?

Did your parents have extra marital affairs?
Is this pattern familiar?
Have you got delayed guilt resurfacing from the affair you had?

Do you feel you are too old to start again?

Has it brought up feelings of worthlessness? Or abandonment?
Do you honestly feel loved by him?

That is how I felt after I found out my ex had cheated on me during our marriage with someone that was known as a bunny boiler. (Other people's words, not mine).

But i would rather be on my own than back with him and believe me he has tried his hardest to Hoover me back in.

I am trying to confront it all. The worthlessness, abandonment, the quick replacement. The throwing away a 18 year marriage and 2 children.
He seems to be treating her way better than he treated me and our children. Something else I find difficult.

But he's a narcissist and eternally unhappy and abusive.
So i am happy to be alone.
I deserve more.
You do too.

Cheryberys · 22/10/2019 09:19

I do have children (not with him). They are closer to him than to their father and regard him positively. They obviously don't know much of what has gone on as that would be unfair. They know we split up and that we are now trying to work things out.

My parents were completely faithful and devoted to each other so it's certainly not a pattern. As for the affair I was involved in that was a very long time ago and I don't feel any residual guilt around it.

I also don't feel worthless or too old to start again, quite the opposite. I'm in better shape than in my 20s, my children are grown, I'm financially secure. I've always been very independent - it was one of the things that he, unlike previous partners, actually valued in me.

I don't know what will happen. This thread has given food for thought. I am clear that if we stand any chance he has to sever contact with her.

OP posts:
user1481840227 · 22/10/2019 09:21

I just don't think you are being honest with yourself.

WHY would you want a man like that?
Why is he still talking to her if she's throwing himself at her.
It's an awful way for a man to treat a woman, no matter how you feel about her, he has issues around certain aspects of sex so he's happy to treat her like a worthless piece of crap that's good for sex and say all those things to her and STILL talk to her and keep the whole drama going? He's a pig. He's obviously getting some kind of thrill over treating a woman that way and her still being interested....and you're taking this as proof that you're the better woman in his eyes....but she's obviously fulfilling some kind of need in his sick little head because most men would have cut contact by now if they wanted their wife back.

category12 · 22/10/2019 09:29

but she's obviously fulfilling some kind of need in his sick little head because most men would have cut contact by now if they wanted their wife back.

This^

Quartz2208 · 22/10/2019 09:34

OP he also needs to take responsibility for his part and stop blaming the fact you were not having sex and analysing what you say