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Messaging his ex ?

18 replies

Tinkerbellx · 01/01/2020 21:23

So I've been with dp almost 3 years and this year we are moving in together .
I trust him and guess this just made me feel a little insecure so would appreciate a bit of Mumsnet reassurance or otherwise .
We are both mid 40's .
I was married 25 years and he was engaged once .
They split up 6 months prior to us meeting hence I took things very very slowly as he was hurt amd I didn't want to be the rebound.
It took him a long time to get all her things out of the house .
Literally 2 years .
She is married to someone else now .
Personally I would have dumped the stuff but he keeps in touch at Christmas with her parents and took the rest of her belongings this Christmas .
I asked him why he didn't just call or message her to come and get it and his reply was that they don't get on now .
I regularly communicate with my ex husband because we have children but he told me ( I didn't ask ) he had no reason to keep in touch and they didn't get on now at all .
I know she hurt him badly enough that he goes for counselling every week .... but I also know there's two sides ect .
Anyway on Christmas Day I left him in bed and suggested he take a nap while I clear up before dinner .
I left him for an hour or so and brought him a cuppa to wake up .
His phone pinged on the bedside table and a message came up on the screen . It was from his ex fiancé .
In the early days that was common place as they shared a dog but this is 3 years later and she's married .
I asked him what the hell he was doing talking to her in my bed on Christmas Day .
I asked to see his phone and he was very coy and didn't want to .
I asked him to show me now which was difficult as it meant I didn't trust him but with good reason . I promised not to read the messages ( honestly can't without my glasses ) but that I wanted to see who initiated the conversation ( he said it wasn't him ) and how often they'd been speaking .
He handed me his phone but was deathly pale .
It was him who had e mailed her to let her know his father was in hospital again and broken his arm . She hadn't got his email so he messaged her .
He'd also messaged that his new dog was recovering from a surgery .
It was all innocent and hope you having a great Christmas type thing but also a couple of times this month and last .
So he'd lied to me . He had initiated the conversation and it wasn't just once . And it was all pleasant when I thought they didn't get on .
He told me he loved me : adored me and I need not fear he still had feelings for her . When I say he is kind he is unusually kind and wanted her to know he's returned her last few things to her parents . So I think he just genuinely wanted to be friendly .
He deleted the message trail and said if it made me feel uncomfortable he totally understood and it would stop . He promised not to talk with her again . But I shouldn't need him to say he'll do that because at the end of the day he shouldn't be messaging her should he ?
So ..... does he still have feelings for her ?
I really trust him but wonder if I am being naive or just actually with a perfectly honest chap who fronted up, showed me his phone , apologised profusely and assured me he'd cut all contact .
Surely he should have done that anyway before I caught him though ?
Oh crikey I want to spend forever with this man and I know he loves me but does he still have feelings for her and if so what do I do ?
Sorry for long msg x

OP posts:
ChristmasSweet · 01/01/2020 21:55

He still has feelings for her and probably always will. You'd be wasting your time if you stayed with him.

2020BetterBeBetter · 01/01/2020 21:58

It’s been three year and he has weekly counselling? I’d say he still has feelings for her and whilst he might not get back together with her if she suggested it, I don’t think he is being honest with you about what he thinks either.

lexiepuppy · 01/01/2020 22:00

I think there are 2 possibilities going on:

  1. He is genuinely just telling her what is going on with his dad and dog and there is no ulterior motive other than being nice to her.

Or

  1. He still has feelings for her and he is dropping her a line to test the waters.

Only you will really know , as he is your other half.

Does he have any history of cheating?

YappityYapYap · 01/01/2020 22:00

It doesn't seem like he's willing to let go and it actually sounds very unhealthy. He kept her stuff way too long and he's seeing a counsellor this long afterwards? They were engaged, not married with children for 25 years like you were. Are you acting like this? Is your ex husband acting like this? No. He must have had a majorly unhealthy attachment to her

SandyY2K · 01/01/2020 22:13

she hurt him badly enough that he goes for counselling every week

He's not over her. After her hurting him, he still feels the need to update her on his life. What does his dad and dog have to do with her? Nothing.

I don't see that anything is going on with them,
but he's definitely not over her.

80sstyle · 01/01/2020 22:17

If they finished several years ago, why is he telling his ex girlfriend about his father’s broken arm? Sounds like he is finding excuses to stay in touch.

80sstyle · 01/01/2020 22:18

Especially as she is married now.

Is she just answering out of politeness? It must be awkward for her.

fuzzymoon · 01/01/2020 22:23

There is no need to tell her about either of those things. I feel they are excuses to make contact.

Interestedwoman · 01/01/2020 22:35

Oh man, you know he's totally hung up on his ex. 2 years later and he's still in therapy, partly due to his feelings about their split! I couldn't live with this Shock

ItFigures · 01/01/2020 22:40

Sorry OP that sounds really shit. I don't think I'd have a problem with it IF my dp were open and transparent but it's the lies I couldn't deal with.

I have an ex who likes to keep all of his other exes hanging and will send each of us messages now and again to see if we are interested.

It doesn't look great.

FuckingHateRats · 01/01/2020 22:43

This sounds like a really hard place to be.

He does sound like he's reaching for ways in which to make contact.

Would he be honest if you were to sit down and explain your fears?

Windmillwhirl · 02/01/2020 00:46

I also don't think he is over her. Messaging her about things he is likely to get sympathy for is quite telling.

It doesn't sound like she's bothered about him too much but that's irrelevant.

The fact he went white is also telling.

I think you need to have a long think about your future with him. No one should be just the safe option. Sorry you had to find this out, but maybe it was for the best.

dontgobaconmyheart · 02/01/2020 03:12

He is very obviously not over her OP. He is thinking about her still and clearly hoping she will respond. The fact he's trying messages that engender sympathy is a pretty desperate move, as is trying different methods of contact when the initial ones have failed Hmm. He is desperate to hear from her OP and I do not think there is any planet on which that can be good.

Weekly therapy is a very intensive schedule as well, and he has not reduced this down in several years Confused

It's not what you want to hear OP but I wouldn't believe him he sounds very troubled and very attached to his ex. You and he got together very soon after thet broke up and it seems as though you're a comfort blanket for hi. If he wasn't thinking about her, he wouldn't be messaging her.

MsDogLady · 02/01/2020 03:15

He still has feelings for his ex.

He was chatting with her while in bed on Christmas Day after you left the room. It was a priority. When you rumbled and questioned him, he turned pale, balked at showing you his phone, and lied to you. He initiated the messaging and had done so previously, and they do get along after all. It took 2 years to clear out all of her belongings from his home. He is still in counseling to deal with the aftermath of their breakup.

OP, he is not truly emotionally available to you. He has blatantly lied to you. These would be dealbreakers for me.

RLEOM · 02/01/2020 12:43

He still has feelings and no doubt always has. Sadly, you were and still are a rebound (sorry, I know that's harsh to hear).

I'm sure he loves you but he's never gotten over her. Just the fact he tells you they don't get on when they do speaks volumes.

My ex makes out in front of his gf and family that we don't get on - we get on GREAT when others aren't around. It's all an act so his gf and family think I'm still hated. Very immature and a very unfaithful way of behaving.

LittleTinselTown · 02/01/2020 12:50

He sounds weirdly obsessive, keeping her stuff for 2 years and finding any old excuse to message her. Why would you tell your married ex about your Dad's broken arm? She's probably only replying to be polite. I'd run from this one.

ChristmasFluff · 02/01/2020 19:40

A 'perfectly honest chap' would have come clean without you looking at the phone.

He's only a keeper if you are happy with being the consolation prize.

BumbleBeee69 · 02/01/2020 19:56

Fuck that OP.. he's STILL getting therapy FFS.... ditch this idiot and find someone who cherishes you for being you... Flowers

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