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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

Thought he was proposing. He wasn’t.

129 replies

Takethebullbth · 12/12/2019 17:27

Listen & learn young ladies. I’m a really private person, but am shell shocked atm. My partner of 5 yrs told me 3 mths ago (when pressed) that no, he didn’t want to marry as he’d been there before & failed. Him 59, me 49, never married. This after him leading me to believe he wanted to. Okay, fine.

Not happy, but spent the next 8 weeks in my remote job location getting my head around it & making plans for myself. EG: Switched from casual to permanent fifo, planning on packing my stuff for storage & selling my car. As being out there requires very little & will spend my 9 wks annual leave a year & flight allowances on travelling, visiting mates, whatever.

I came home 3 weeks ago & he proceeds to tell me how he thinks he’s been selfish, as clearly being married means more to me than him not marrying, & given he loves me & wants to spend the rest of his life with me anyway, he will do it. Awww I hear you say, how sweet. Yep, me too ladies, I swallowed it hook, line & sinker. Sooo, was waiting for a proposal. Today he says, well let’s go down to this jewellery store to get you an Xmas present. I said, no I’m fine I don’t need a trinket for Xmas. (As last year I nearly threw the cheap locket at him) as I’d been hoping for a ring. (When I say cheap, think something you would give to a 10 yr old). “Well, I’m going to go anyway, wouldn’t you rather it something you choose rather than being disappointed? & we’ll go for lunch first”.

Well I’m ashamed to say after all I’ve been through in my life, I was like an excited puppy thinking this is it. We get to the store & he says “would you like a watch?”. I said no thanks & walked out before anyone could see the tears welling. This man, who knows the hell myself & my children have been through at the hands of my alcoholic ex (who drank himself to death). Who knows I stayed single for 12 yrs because I didn’t even trust my own judgement as far as men were concerned, so refused to have anyone around my children. Who knows this is a hill I will die on due to my insecurities ( If I’m not good enough to marry I’ll walk). Has just figuratively kicked me in the guts. I am astonished that he is in fact a cruel bastard.

I’m lucky, my children are grown, I have a good job to go to, but young ladies, listen to your gut & don’t let them waste years of your life. My gut told me 4 yrs ago something wasn’t quite right, but every time I wanted to break it off, this tosser reeled me back in. I thought the world of him because he wasn’t abusive. Keep your standards high girls 💕

OP posts:
Cheeseandwin5 · 13/12/2019 13:30

Sorry , you are both wrong here. You knew he didnt want to get married, but instead of accepting that or ending the relationship, you gave him the cold shoulder. After some of this behaviour he then said things that lead you to believe he wanted to get married, but he than pulled out.
He was cruel and should not have dangled that infront of you and than taking it away, but you knew he didn't want to do it and railroaded him into it.

AutumnLover19 · 13/12/2019 13:33

Been there, wasted 10 yrs!! Leaving was the best thing I have ever done!! Wish you the best Flowers

Sparkletastic · 13/12/2019 13:54

He wasn't doing some awful practical joke with the watch act was he? So he could then present you with a tray of rings to choose from with a flourish?!

Not saying you haven't done the right thing mind you. Couldn't bear a proposal that was presented as a charitable favour.

afterme · 13/12/2019 14:32

I think op knows him well enough to know he wasn’t joking.

There have been so many similar threads on here over the years. There was one where the guy had taken the op ring shopping 25 times and had still not proposed or bought a ring.

Bottleblonde99 · 13/12/2019 15:27

I don't comment much on this forum but I just wanted to say YOU ROCK girl, and you know your worth which is a fantastic quality to have. Go forth and make a wonderful life for yourself and leave the spineless tightwad in your dust.

Azzizam · 13/12/2019 16:09

Wow, as if things weren't bad enough he is a tightwad with ED!!! Sending you best wishes for a more rewarding future. Smile

Hopoindown31 · 13/12/2019 17:31

He doesn't want to get married. Yet you still were trying to push him into it. I'm sure the character assassinations of him on here are good for your ego but the relationship wasn't right and you should have ended a while ago rather than with all the dramatics.

NaturalDisasters · 13/12/2019 19:10

I don't think that the watch thing was a practical joke at all. I think this guy is emotionally illiterate and just doesn't do joined-up thinking. I think he was purely thinking of the jewellery shop trip as to get the OP to pick out a Christmas present, and suggested a watch as an alternative to the cheap locket she didn't like last year that it never occurred to him, even in the context of a conversation about proposing, that 'Trip to Jewellery Shop' could be construed as anything other than 'Buying Christmas watch/pendant/bracelet' because that's what was in his head. He doesn't sound as if he really has a theory of mind where she is concerned. Which is of course enough of a reason to end things.

patchworkpatty · 13/12/2019 19:27

Well done you !! For all those who say 'I don't need marriage' I say FANTASTIC!! If you have independent wealth .. yet nothing says you are my ' only' like marriage does. .. well done you for DEMANDING commitment... envy would you not ??

justilou1 · 13/12/2019 23:34

Is ED eating disorder?

user764329056 · 13/12/2019 23:36

ED erectile dysfunction

Takethebullbth · 14/12/2019 01:33

@Cheeseandwin5*.*@Hopoindown31, both correct on one level. I should not have character assassinated him, not good. However I would have thought moving 250 kms away over a year ago gave him the out he was looking for?, but he followed. Same with me taking a job on the moon after last xmas’s fiasco? As I said to him yesterday when he weakly proclaimed he wants to marry me “It just feels like blackmail now, all wrong.”

OP posts:
shiveringsparklingtimber · 14/12/2019 02:00

That was a close call! Whew, you're so lucky to have dodged that bullet, OP! What an abusive piece of shit. Good riddance.

DeeCeeCherry · 14/12/2019 02:09

If he's dragging his heels now over the engagement, he'll be dragging his heels over a wedding - only to marry you in 10 years time when he's getting a bit doddery and thinks you'll come in useful as a potential carer.
You're well out of it!

This, with bells on.

& he may want you in the carer role without marriage, in fact.

Takethebullbth · 14/12/2019 02:37

@DeeCeeCherry, spot on. He had a TIA last year (mini stroke), which quite frankly had I not recognised the symptoms & rang the ambos would have killed him due to the underlying, unknown AF situation which is now under control with medication. All good, this is part of ageing, you take the good with the bad. But if I’m going to do for better or worse, I expect marriage.

OP posts:
ThanosSavedMe · 14/12/2019 09:11

I’m sorry to hear that @Takethebullbth, I was hoping it was a misguided joke. Then you’re absolutely right to pack up and go. You have so many wonderful years ahead of you, why waste them on someone who doesn’t value you. Good luck for the future.

Takethebullbth · 14/12/2019 11:42

@ThanosSavedMe, Thank you, it’s amazing how complete strangers can help to keep you strong.

OP posts:
WeakAsIAm · 14/12/2019 13:43

Hey OP been reading your threat over last few days.
I think you're absolutely spot on with this one he is a knob.

Think the mention of the ring thing was him trying to reel you back in again with false hope.

Don't fall for it, pack your stuff up move on and don't look back. He can repent at his leisure Grin. Hopefully he will buy that ring and it can sit unwanted and unloved forever along with him.

WeakAsIAm · 14/12/2019 13:43

Thread *

MaeveDidIt · 14/12/2019 14:07

What an eejit - this guy doesn't know when he's got it good and he's ruined it.
You on the other hand are streets ahead and you will be ok.
Good luck you're doing the right thing x

Theredjellybean · 14/12/2019 14:08

i think you sound a bit dramatic tbh...

you have been in a happy relationship with this man for some years, the only discord being you wanted to a wedding and he didnt.
So he realises this, decides to do the thing that will make you happy and he also says he wants to spend his life with you etc.

You 'presume' the trip to jewellery shop was for an engagement ring, he thinks your going to get a christmas present..

you storm out of shop and immediately start packing to leave him..

you do not in the shop ask him why you are not looking at rings ?
you do not discuss with him how the watch comment made you feel
you do not explain why you are upset ...

you then dismiss his nice gifts of home furnishings, with sarky comments and again do not explain why you are doing this...
and then you say he is moping about like someone died..

poor bloke.
he was a bit insensitive and rather blokey in his lack of emotional intelligence but frankly you sound very dramatic and rather petulant

bottlenose301 · 14/12/2019 14:12

See, I view it differently given what I've read.

I see it that he doesn't want to marry, personal choice and all, but for your benefit has changed his mind. However I do think if someone is dead set against marriage, and will do something they don't want to do, it's not going to happen overnight. That could be for a number of reason, one bring money - maybe he wants to buy the best ring in the world , two - this being a simple Xmas gift and he hadn't imagined it being linked to a proposal and three - being actually ready to do it,

It's one thing agreeing to propose but once he's made that choice he has to get his head round it and think of when and how.

I do think it was massively insensitive though and thoughtless. If a joke then even worse.

Xx

Tubridy · 14/12/2019 15:49

I don’t see why you only awoke to the fact that this man is tight, emotionally dopey and has ED after the non-proposal. He’s the same guy. Would you have married him and thought he was great if he’d just got down on one knee with a giant diamond solitaire in the shop?

IdiotInDisguise · 14/12/2019 15:52

He is exactly the same guy, she is just now able to see him as he is.

The straw that broke the camel’s back and all that. People do not change suddenly, our perception of them does.

RockingAroundTheXMasTree · 14/12/2019 16:02

@Takethebullbth My initial reaction on reading your first post was to just send hugs - what a total dick!
Then kept reading and, well, just wow! You are amazing, so strong and it looks like you’ve only just realised it! I wish you complete happiness with someone who deserves you! Flowers