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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

STBX trying to sext me

34 replies

NoFun21 · 23/12/2019 20:29

My STBX split a year and a half ago - have 2 young children one with additional needs. I have been through hell in the last year or so and my life is extremely difficult as my children do not give me any breather and I have no one to step in. My STBX sees kids once a week and doesn’t have suitable accommodation for them which is preferable to them having to go off to his as my child with autism cannot cope this This.
My issue is that he is consumed by his own self pity about his situation and expresses no real concern for me or the children only in relation to himself. He is an adoring father and the children love him but he cannot seem to really see anyone else’s needs but his own.’if I express upset or any criticism of him he reacts immediately in angry defence. If he’s depressed he tells me to “Be gentle” with him. If I am pleasant to him he often gives me lascivious looks and then will later once he’s left try to engage me in some kind of sexting about how good I look etc,

I slept with him once which was a mistake and was disgusted when he said he felt relief afterwards when asked how he felt . I almost slept with him a second time but after he sulked when I refused oral sex as “ he’s done it for me l etc I decided I would not get on that situation again. Foolish I know but I have really struggled with breaking up my vulnerabile little family and though it might help us resolve things , also I find it hard to say no to men - always have.
last time he visited he left and then stared texting me about my wearing my fitness clothes as I’d gone up a class.
Him: “ your clothes are so sexy”
Me: thanks but that’s unintentional
Him : I know but you look so good in them
Him: “do I look Sexy I’m my t shirt?
Him ( after w couple of hours of me not replying)
obviously not Then!”
Me: I am Washing the floors and running back and forth to the children and not thinking about you/ I looking sexy.”.
Him: don’t you want to fuck me?
Me: I don’t know what to say . No I don’t . There is too much for me to resolve before I would feel at ease. You don’t even seem to want to resolve things- I don’t know why you’re even thinking about this”.
Him: “ok”

The thing is I am so uncomfortable with this and find it really awkward. He just doesn’t seem to get that after the most gruelling time I’ve had as a mother separating with a 6 month old and a 4 year old with asd I would need him to come to me with remorse and effort and talk to me Like a human being . This focus on “
Fucking” makes me feel very
Odd-like laughing at his preposterousness, offended and amazed at his lack of understanding that this is the last thing on my
Mind after 3 weeks of Nursing kids through various viruses including bring kicked at 3 am by screaming toddler during fits of fever. He is at
Mine with my family over Xmas
Lunch. He is very depressed and sorry for his lot. He is not getting on with finalising divorce as he can’t afford legal fees I think. I am part disgusted, partly nervous about rejecting him, partly angry.. How to handle this please wise mumsnettets. Also how is it a
man can be so crudely fixated when there are complex issues involving young children etc -‘it’s baffling to
Me?

OP posts:
Fr0thandBubble · 23/12/2019 22:42

He sounds like a narcissist - or at least utterly self-absorbed. I think you did the right thing breaking up with him.

NoFun21 · 23/12/2019 22:57

Yes I’ve considered him being a narcissist but I’ve also heard they are actually quite rare in their true sense. I just am in disbelief at his disconnection from me. I can never suggest he has no idea how my life is , like any assertion he might lack anything he reacts very defensively . I need to “ handle him”
For my kids sake but feel
Manipulated and off balanced all the time.

OP posts:
Grumpelstilskin · 23/12/2019 22:58

Stop all non-children related contact. There is no reason for you to communicate to him apart from contact with the DC. Grey rock all the way. Ignore his inappropriate messages.

doodoodoodoodoolittlelulu · 23/12/2019 23:08

I've been in this same ridiculous loop for years. You can't criticise because ohhh his mental health. It continues to this day. These guys can't see past their own dick. They are so self absorbed it's an utter joke. Can't do a damn thing for their kids but play on your sympathy and push it too far. Grey rock. He does not get to treat you like this. Disconnect and bounce off the guilt trips, same with the sexual attention. Contact for kids sake and that only. Sorry to vent OP but I know this too well and it gives me the rage dealing with it myself. I wish you all the best Thanks

justilou1 · 23/12/2019 23:14

“Yes... I want to fuck you royally. Get on with the fucking divorce.”

NoFun21 · 23/12/2019 23:16

Thanks doodoodoolittle. It likewise enrages me because if I get upset or cry o am told by him that I “ mustn’t get upset in front of the children “ even though I consider them every minute of every day and yet he can come over and tell me to be” gentle with him” and make sad faces. Also he can be so focused on the way I look and me looking good and that ok and yet when we Weyerhaeuser married and he refused to take care of himself- get a hair cut, shave, put on. a clean shirt , get a large lump removed from his back I was made out to be so mean and shallow for even suggesting his appearance mattered to me.

OP posts:
doodoodoodoodoolittlelulu · 23/12/2019 23:21

Sod him. You're doing the right thing every day by the children and he doesn't see that. It's like tunnel vision for his ego.

NoFun21 · 23/12/2019 23:22

Justilou 1 thank You so much for making me laugh.

OP posts:
NoFun21 · 23/12/2019 23:24

And he certainly doesn’t look sexy in his horrid old t shirt . He has never made any effort to look
Nice for me. I am just waiting for him to tell me he’s too depressed to
Come for Xmas now when I’ve told the kids he’ll be there. He’ll find a way to punish me even if it’s just no eye contact.

OP posts:
justilou1 · 23/12/2019 23:25

I honestly can’t imagine anything less sexy than this arse of a man

justilou1 · 23/12/2019 23:26

Too depressed for Christmas sounds like a win for you, btw....

NoFun21 · 23/12/2019 23:31

Yes I’d be happy if he didn’t come but the children would be upset. He was sexy once before I realised how childish and selfish and primally defensive he is and also hit adolescent his sexuality is To others rather he’s a very clever medic with a razor sharp wit and very kind . At home he’s like a depressed teenager with a hormone surge and the emotional intelligence of a 2 year old.

OP posts:
NoFun21 · 23/12/2019 23:33

Sorry for typos I’m up making trifle at 11 and 2 year old has ear infection. Thinking sexy thoughts though of course

OP posts:
NoFun21 · 23/12/2019 23:38

i assume that all men are like him now and have zero interest in them. Please tell me I might meet someone who actually cates whether I am genuinely interested or not. It’s so boring. The whole porno sex thing. I have never really enjoyed sex but pretended I did. I hope perhaps there are men with whom it is not this tired routine .

OP posts:
Fr0thandBubble · 23/12/2019 23:40

Honestly, google “vulnerable narcissism”. Going by what you’ve said, I wouldn’t be at all surprised.

PicsInRed · 23/12/2019 23:46

If you have a child with ASD, it's likely one of the parents also has ASD.

Looking at your conversation, you seem to have good social understanding and communication skills and he seems to lack both.

Re: parent with ASD, my money's on him.

Loveablers · 23/12/2019 23:47

You’ve posted about this before haven’t you? I’m sure you have...

Thing is OP this is easily solvable. You are choosing to engage with him when you don’t have to. Tell him you will not be contacting him/replying to him unless it’s to do with the kids and only then you’re just going to be messaging any important info and to arrange contact

Don’t bother replying to any other messages of his. Don’t sleep with him. Don’t give him the time of day.
Also.. why are you having him round for Christmas?! He broke up your family yet he’s still reaping the benefits of a family man without the full responsibility.

I get you don’t want to break up your family but it’s already broken up. You need to adjust to your new life however hard that may be.

PicsInRed · 23/12/2019 23:50

And you likely lost enjoyment in sex because where's the enjoyment in transactional, robotic sex? Effectively being a zero-intimacy receptacle for his "relief"? Hmm

I think humans shut off from sex under such circumstances - for our own self protection. I wonder if you'd feel the same about sex with an affectionate, reciprocal, genuinely intimate partner.

NoFun21 · 24/12/2019 00:11

I have posted before yes about a different incident. I just struggle to handle this. If I tell him I’m not going to contact him except about the children I know he will become nasty and not communicate with me when i need to tell him important things for example about my son who is a VERY complicated child. I find him very very hard to talk to when he’s in obstructive mode- I get so anxious , physically and emotionally. It’s like being interrogated. I need to keep him sweet or I feel a need to keen him sweet. My lovely boy who loves his dad can’t process that we have separated . My husband loves him so much but doesn’t always parent him well N opinion ( think all
Affection but nothing challenging) I’m terrified he’ll force a situation which iis harmful to either child. My daughter who is two adores him and I’m also worried he’ll turn her against me one day or turn her into the kind of women in his family like his
Hypochondriac, women child sister.
I also feel guilt as it was me who broke up the family as I
Asked him to
Leave for swearing at me all
The time. I also called the
Police after he pushed me back by the throat ( but didn’t report this). I felt guilty because his life is shit and he has no friends and no money and I have some money because of my family and I have friends. I feel bad because I am primed to feel responsible for people and “Compassion” for people particularly men by my upbringing.

OP posts:
NoFun21 · 24/12/2019 00:16

I suggested to him he has Asperger and he was furious and told me I was emotionally autistic.’I said t would happily be assessed . When I told him why I thought he might be he said No yo everything and that I had never known him or understood him which is hurtful after a huge portion nod your life and emotional
And physical energy had been devoted to someone abs you have borne them 3 children. If he has autism I’m sorry I can’t give him the marriage he needs. I hope my son might need w nice partner one day but I will try to teach him to be kind and that women are more than body parts. When I have sex with my STBKH I feel Like body parts .

OP posts:
PicsInRed · 24/12/2019 00:20

You're not responsible for him. Set him adrift.

You've worked out your own codependence. Well done, that's not easy. Now make hay with that and free yourself from this person.

Save yourself, then and only then can you can save your children.

Loveablers · 24/12/2019 00:24

OP your marriage is OVER. Whether he has Aspergers or not it doesn’t make a difference - your marriage is finished. Stop trying to diagnose him, stop trying to find explanations for his behaviour, stop trying to mother him. You’re finding excuses for everything and that’s why it’s so easy for him to take advantage of you

You can’t claim he’s a good father and yet then go on to say how he gets angry and refuses to talk to you. He doesn’t sound like a good dad

quit making excuses. If he wants to stop contacting you just because you refuse to talk about sex or anything other than your kids then so be it. Stop dangling on his puppet strings.

“His life is shit and he has no money so I felt bad for him after he had me round the throat”

Do you realise how messed up that is?! And yet you still claim this VIOLENT man is a good father? Hmm I’m sorry but I would be keeping him as far away from the kids as possible. Don’t bother with the “but he’s never been violent to the kids” it doesn’t matter!! He’s still been violent to you and a decent father/human being would never do that

You need help with your self esteem and to see how screwed up this situation is. You have a duty to protect your children

Graphista · 24/12/2019 00:53

I agree you're making excuses AND not properly severing the relationship quite honestly from your early posts I can see why he might be confused and think there's hope for you getting back together or at least his getting into your bed again because your words and actions have indicated that is a possibility.

He's a violent, abusive, selfish man the best thing you can do for you and your kids is get things on a much closer to normal divorced couple level.

DON'T sleep with him again

DON'T engage in sex related discussions

Indeed DON'T discuss anything but the kids with him.

At some point he's going to have to realise and acknowledge you're no longer together anyway and suck it up.

Or...are you considering getting back with him? Because I can see you waivering.

If you did you would be letting your kids down massively though and potentially be at risk of losing them altogether long term

justilou1 · 24/12/2019 01:21

From the way you have described him, he has a persona for strangers and can’t keep that mask on for you. The dangerous, nasty side is the real version that you get, and it is safer for you and the kids to not be around that at all. I wouldn’t bother keeping him sweet. I would let him know that you are not going to engage with him if he continues to sexually harass you. Let him know that you are not in a relationship with him, and that you don’t like it and it is inappropriate.

everythingbackbutyou · 24/12/2019 02:45

I'm pretty sure my stbxh is a covert/vulnerable narcissist. He behaves in a very similar manner to your xp, especially with the self pity party non stop. He is allowed to act as he pleases, - moping, sulking, needling, complaining, but the minute I show a human reaction then he looks at me like I have grown another head. My ex is also very highly regarded at work and with his family and friends as a veritable saint and the proverbial 'good guy'. His insight is such that, after penning me a 3 page letter detailing all that he realises he has done wrong, how he will learn to think about how his actions affect others etc, then turned around yesterday and tearfully informed me that he had "done absolutely nothing wrong". Dear God...After treating me like the dirt on his shoe before and after my decision to separate, he still keeps saying how he finds me sexy, I look good etc. Get bent, mate.