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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

Friend Dilemma - WWYD?

2 replies

LFH1990 · 09/01/2020 11:59

Long story, my friend has a long term boyfriend who it was discovered last year has been lying to her about some fairly major things (age and background etc), when he was found out she decided to stay with him and move past it, totally fine, as long as she’s happy then it’s none of my business.

Now, he’s been offered a job abroad, a long way away and a very different culture and way of life to the UK, and they are moving there together at the end of this month. It’s a big move and not without risks and sacrifices. When you speak to them about the long term plan, they aren’t on the same page at all, she wants to save some money and then come home and settle down with some decent money behind them; he wants to save money and in his words “have a baby, stick it in a rucksack, and travel” for the rest of their lives (he is over 50 and has form for ignoring reality and thinking he can run away from/avoid real life or any problems he might have).

I don’t believe he actually wants a child but he knows that she does and so this is the carrot for getting her on board. I’m worried that he is either lying outright about his intention to have a child and just wasting her time, or that he will have a child and show no responsibility towards my friend or the baby and leave them on their own, potentially in a foreign county. He already has children who he has left and now has no contact with...on more than one occasion.

I would like to say something to her along these lines “look X, I don’t want to interfere with your life but I would feel like a bad friend if I didn’t ask - I will only ask once and whatever you say will be final and I will support you - but have you really considered what you are about to do, and are you completely sure that you can trust him throughout whatever might happen.”

If this is what she wants and is happy with it then I will never mention it again, but I’m worried that she is just going along with things because no-one has really checked with her; and I think that for the sake of a potentially awkward conversation it could give her the opportunity to really consider what she is doing.

What do you think, raise it once or stay out of it altogether? For what it’s worth, she is my best friend of over 10 years and was my MOH, so we have a very long standing and close relationship, and I genuinely only want what is best for her.

OP posts:
Poorolddaddypig · 09/01/2020 12:07

It depends what he lied about and why - without knowing that we can’t really say whether we would trust him. Just because of his age and his desire to have babies and travel the world - I don’t think that’s a good reason to criticise or not trust him. It might sound crazy or odd to you but I’m an expat and it’s actually pretty common for people to live abroad and travel with their children - we know lots of families from all over who do it. Also, a break up really isn’t that much more dramatic because it happens abroad - it’s 2020, she would hardly be stranded there and could just come home if things didn’t work out. I really don’t think you should say anything. Are you sure this comes from a place of genuine concern or is it something else - a desire for your friend to stay? Jealousy that she’s going on an adventure? A dislike of the unknown? I don’t know - I’m not accusing you I’m just suggesting. Based on what you’ve said I’d let her get on with it and be supportive, unless his previous lies were really awful and you are genuinely scared for her safety.

LFH1990 · 09/01/2020 12:34

Thanks for your reply, having thought about it from your perspective I think the crux of the issue is that since finding out about the lies he has told I don’t trust him or his character (he wasn’t supposed to have any children, but he has, and he also has a proven capability to walk away from them on more than one occasion - I could never be comfortable having a child with someone who had done this), and whilst I am able to let her get on with things here despite my opinions, the idea of her moving away based on him has just highlighted all of the problems that I see with him; but you’re right, I don’t think she is in any danger, I just personally think she’s making a mistake, but just because she’s moving away doesn’t make that any more of my business than it does if she lives here. I just worry that he is isolating her, but you’re right, as long as she has enough money in her bank account to come home then I guess there is no real change from her current situation.
I would also feel better about it if she seemed excited about moving, but again, I guess I just have to trust that if she had any real concerns she would approach me about it so I shouldn’t get involved.

OP posts:
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