Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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

Boyfriend fell out of love with me

39 replies

Ilinca · 27/04/2020 09:06

Hi! I am here to find some help in understanding and also some advice.
I've just been broken up with by a guy with whom I was in a relationship for two months. He is 21 and I am 22 and we study at the same university. I am from Romania and he is a foreigner student here, from Israel.
Even though two months is not long, we spent a lot of time together because of this quarantine situation.
We liked each other a lot from the first place and our dates were great. He came on really strong at the beginning, like he made himself clear that he is really serious about me, expressing his feelings a lot, even though I told him to take it a bit slower because I am still scared to trust again. Things moved really quickly, he introduced me to his friends during the first week of being together and everything seemed to go great. He even told his parents about me very soon.Little by little I started to let go of my fears and trust him because he was showing me only good things; he was showing me he has serious intentions, he was really carrying and sweet and we got along perfectly. It went like this for a month and a half, until things started to change a bit. We started to get a bit bored and frustrated but this whole quarantine situation, we were not as happy and energetic as before. During all this period he was either with me at his place, or with his friend at his place.
In this last two weeks, he started being different. He didn’t write to me as much as before and he wanted to spend more time with his friend, things that he didn’t do before. Usually he was always enthusiastic to see me as much as possible. But I thought it’s normal to take a bit of time for yourself at some point and didn’t worry, as long as he was still the same when we saw each other.
At some point though I started being anxious about his behavior, fearing that he is growing apart from me. So I asked him if there is something wrong, if it is something on his mind because he is acting different lately, like he doesn’t want to talk to me or see me that much lately. He reassured me everything is fine and he told me he is sorry if he made me feel sad or worried about it and after this conversation he changed, he was writing me a lot during the day, he wanted to see me and everything was back to normal.
We usually saw each other once in every two days, so when the day came to meet next time he asked me if it’s ok to stay with his friend to study. I was upset and told him, he said he is sorry and he told me he would see me the next day. That day he seemed a bit cold towards me and that got me worried. The second day he was not writing as much and I really panicked, because I am an anxious person and I overthink a lot. I wrote a letter to him and I sent it by email. In that letter I told him about my anxiety and all my worries and feelings, about all the thoughts that are going through my mind when I see him acting different. We talked on the phone and he apologised, he explained that he felt the need to spend some time with his friends also or doing his own thing, and also told me not to worry, because he loves me very much as I am, even if I doubt or not.
A few more days go by and he is still talking to me normal, but didn’t say anything about us seeing each other. I decided to ask him to meet and he agreed, but he didn’t seem so happy. That really bothered me and I called him crying, asking what is happening and told him to tell me the truth. He reassured me again that all is good and I don’t have anything to worry about, it’s just the fact that he is in a bad mood lately. When I went to his place, he was really distant, barely talking to me. I asked if something is wrong and he told me all is fine, gave me a hug and tried to comfort me. I was thinking we will spend that day together, but after he told me he has to go to his friend’s house to study for the test he has tomorrow. It was really weird for me because he didn’t even tell me he had plans. At that point I couldn’t help myself and I started crying and asking him what is going on and to tell me because I am seeing the changes. He took me in his arms and he was trying to calm me down, he told me that nothing is happening, to not think anything wrong, that he really loves me and is there for me. I said I am sorry to behave like that, but I do this because of my anxiety. He calmed me down and he told me we should meet the second day.
The other day I came to him to help him move out of his apartment; he was moving with his friend in a better place to pay less rent. During the day everything was fine, as usual. I spent the night there. During that night he didn’t come close to me, hug me and hold me as he usually did. He told me he is really tired and just went to sleep. I was again sad and worried and couldn’t sleep. During that night he received messages and calls at really weird hours. I didn’t say anything until the morning when I asked what is going on; I told him I saw he was trying to hide from me that he was texting during the night and that this is not normal and he can’t pretend nothing is happening. He told me again nothing is going on, not to think anything wrong, nothing related or concerning me. He had to move the stuff and he told me we will talk in the evening.
In the evening I called him to come to talk to me, I was at a friend’s place. He came with the car and we talked for a few moments. He told me that he has a problem that he can’t tell me about because he has given his word. He told me is nothing related to me and to our relationship, to not think anything wrong and told me again that he really loves me and he promised everything will change from now on. He told me the problem is related to his family and that he really can’t talk about it. I was again calm to hear all this things and relieved of my anxiety.
The next day we texted all day, he seemed happy and excited to talk to me, everything seemed fine. That night he didn’t text me good night, in the morning he didn’t text good morning as we usually did. That day I waited until 2 pm for any sign from him and after I decided to call. He didn’t answer and he called me back one hour later. I asked what was he doing that day and he told me he had some stuff to solve. I asked him why he didn’t find a second to text me at least good morning and after he said ok, we should talk.
He started to tell me he doesn’t know what is happening to him, that he needs a few days for himself, to think about stuff. I couldn’t bare the uncertainty anymore and I asked him to tell me the truth, to admit that he doesn’t have feelings for me anymore. He started crying on the phone, telling me he is sorry and I asked why didn’t he tell me the truth all those times I asked; why he told me he loved me so many times if he didn’t feel it. He told me he didn’t find the moment and that he couldn’t face me doing this.
He kept crying and said he doesn’t want to end things like this, that he is not good at this and doesn’t want to break hearts. He told me is nothing about me, it’s just about him and that he is really sorry.
The thing that bothers me the most is that at the end of the call he told me I love you and that left me with a such bitter taste.
Now that I know the truth I feel a bit relived, but also extremely sad because I have strong feelings for him and he made me think he also has for me until the last moment. I can’t stop wondering if it’s not also my fault that I was to pushy with him when he actually needed time to sort out his thoughts and solve his problems. I also can’t stop thinking about the fact that there maybe is still a chance for us to work together, after he takes his time alone and thinks about everything. I didn’t contact him since then and I’m not planning to do it. It’s been just 3 days. I have a small hope in my heart that he will come back to me, but at the same time I want to protect myself and try to move on.
I am waiting for your opinions and advice here, as this whole thing left me really confused and with a lot of questions.

OP posts:
ladymary86 · 27/04/2020 15:15

OP there is so much wrong with this.

  1. You should not have been meeting up at all - whether there are 2 cases or 2000 cases in the city where you live is irrelevant.
  1. Ending up in tears as a reaction to someone who you have only just started seeing wanting to spend time with their friends is not proportionate and it's not ok. You sound possessive and controlling.
  1. There is a difference between being open and honest with people about your feelings and anxieties and putting the responsibility of it on to them - that's what you have done here.
  1. You've gone in too deep and too fast with your own feelings and attachment to this relationship.

Spend some time on your own and learn to be happy with you. Figure out your issues and ways to cope/deal with them.

Ilinca · 27/04/2020 15:46

My tears were not on the fact that he wanted to spend time with his friends. My tears were about all the changes I saw and how those made me feel. I knew he was growing apart from me and he didn't want to tell me. That uncertainty killed me, also because I am anxious. That was a moment when I broke down. I am not trying by any means to put the blame on him, I was just trying to understand the dynamic of the situation and see where things went wrong. I am aware of my own problems and I am really trying to work on them, but it's not always that easy. Many of your answers were really helpful and I thank you all for that!

OP posts:
Dery · 28/04/2020 00:23

Hi OP

As regards understanding the dynamic - I’m guessing there was a very powerful physical attraction between the two of you which you both mistook for something deeper. However, a long-term love relationship is based on much more than physical attraction - it requires really getting to know the other person, discovering shared interests and areas of difference, working out what you both want from life and whether or not you’re compatible. That takes time. And you can’t rush it. Big declarations of passion and serious intentions early on in a relationship are based on fantasy - not reality - and are therefore meaningless. You need to let these things grow steadily, not force the pace, then you will start to know whether your relationship is based on reality rather than fantasy. Also, please be aware that some men (but not all men!) will tell a woman romantic things in order to get her into bed and without particularly meaning them.

What you’re going through now is painful but we can all promise you that the pain will pass. There are some useful lessons for you here about letting love evolve in its own time and just taking things a day at a time. Don’t rush to commit and don’t try to rush someone into committing to you. Onwards and upwards!

AlwaysCheddar · 28/04/2020 07:46

Seriously you need to get a grip. You can’t act like this after every encounter with a partner. It’s was a 2 month fling, if that, not a relationship.

ladymary86 · 28/04/2020 10:01

I'm sorry but this guy has had a lucky escape. You are not emotionally ready to be in any relationship.
The attraction you felt initially led you to spend all your time together in the early days. He then wants to spend time with friends and you read that as changes in his behaviour.
You really do just need to let this go.

SunShine682 · 28/04/2020 10:09

It was 2 months. Not even a relationship. Geez.

Eslteacher06 · 28/04/2020 10:23

You should only go out for work/food shopping / exercise/medical reasons. You should not have met up with him. Or maybe I'm the mug sat at home with my young kids losing my mind at dealing with their meltdowns about wanting their life back to normal?

Sounds like it's the first time you've had a boyfriend you have connected with. He may come back, but if you have any self respect, I would keep away. Read "He's not that into you" and use it as your guru

BackseatCookers · 28/04/2020 13:14

Really shocked other people are suggesting he is a narcissist!!

OP, you were both too intense too quickly. Including flouting quarantine rules.

You've then been in my opinion pretty manipulative by constantly requiring him to affirm his feelings, commit to staying together, asking him to promise nothing has changed etc. Crying and saying you've 'broken down' designed to guilt him / persuade him into the course of action you want from him.

Yes he should have said oh actually things have changed yes but I have a strong feeling you'd have said "but they don't have to, let's work on this, you said you loved me" etc.

He doesn't owe you a relationship, nobody does. You have been seeing each other for 60 days. A negligible amount of time in the best of circumstances let alone the current ones.

If you ever again find yourself just weeks into a relationship saying things like "thinking we could work through this together because he showed me he is really involved and really willing to put in the effort to make things work" then it's a pretty fucking giant red flag that it isn't a healthy relationship.

It shouldn't be that hard at the start! You're talking as if you're a couple who have years of shared history it's worth fighting for through counselling etc.

If you're this anxious about relationships you aren't ready for a relationship until you do some work on yourself. I say that as someone who has had to do that myself.

Have you had help from mental health professionals? You need to look into help for anxiety and maybe intrusive thoughts or you're going to sabotage many parts of your life.

Cyllie33 · 28/04/2020 13:20

It’s disgraceful you care so little for the well-being of others that you are mingling households and travelling around.

You sound far too invested in such a short space of time - I would normally have some sympathy but given you have so littler consideration for others, I don’t have too much for you.

BackseatCookers · 28/04/2020 13:22

In the city where I live there are very few cases and I always took all the safety measures.

The main safety measure is not socialising with people who live outside your household. So haven't taken even the most basic safety measure, no.

Ilinca · 28/04/2020 14:22

I read all your answers and with some I agree, with others I partially agree. It is true, I am fully taking responsibility for my mistakes and for the things I did wrong, there is no doubt about that. The way in which I see things now is this: I was not in a good, healthy emotional state from the beginning. I was vulnerable and I put all responsibility in one person to make me happy and that is not fair. On the other hand, his actions and behavior can’t be considered right also. He told me he loves me way to early in the beginning, he wanted to introduce me in his circle of friends and family also way to early, he was always talking about the future and making plans wayy to early in the beginning, when he didn’t even know me. I told him to take it slow, but he didn’t listen and persisted doing the same. From this I think I can say that he is also (as I am) not emotionally mature enough to differentiate infatuation from love, to know how a healthy, committed relationship should develop. In that beginning I was not feeling any anxiety, actually the opposite, I was the one trying to get more space as he wanted to spend so much time together. Being given my vulnerable emotional state of which I was not aware at that point, I left myself go with the flow, actually with his flow, at his very fast speed, because it was giving me comfort and making me feel safe, and at the same time, I was afraid to back off and not respond to him the same, because I didn’t want him to think I am not as interested.
All in all, this thing that we had, as many of you told me it’s wrong to call it “relationship”, did not stand a chance to work, because we were both not prepared, we both did our mistakes and we both understood a lot of what was happening in the wrong way.
For those of you telling that is not normal to invest so much so fast, do not think I don’t agree, I totally agree with you and I understand. But don’t think I did it out of ignorance and stupidity and that I consider he owed me something. I did it because I was weak and vulnerable and because I did not have emotional self control. I am trying to change, to heal from my issues, but this is a process which takes time. So my message for the people who were a bit harsh with their comments would be to try do more helping then judging, because those people who do the same mistakes as I did, people who struggle with their emotions, they are also not happy with themselves to be that way.

OP posts:
BackseatCookers · 28/04/2020 14:39

He told me he loves me way to early in the beginning

You didn't see this as a red flag so kept seeing him and also said it back

he wanted to introduce me in his circle of friends and family also way to early

And instead of flagging this, you went to meet them

he was always talking about the future and making plans wayy to early in the beginning, when he didn’t even know me

He still doesn't, you've known him 60 days!

I told him to take it slow, but he didn’t listen and persisted doing the same.

If someone doesn't listen to your boundaries and wishes then you need to be an adult and walk away, you didn't and very obviously perpetuated the intensity too

There's a lack of accountability which is concerning for an adult because it doesn't do you any favours in the long run, it's something you must start to take on board.

And I'm sorry but you have been very manipulative with him and have tried again a bit to do the same on here by placing yourself in the victim role when really all that's happened is you were seeing a guy, he backed off, you spent lots of time having big crisis talks with him and crying and now you aren't seeing him any more. In a month or so you won't remember him as someone you loved, just someone you dated a while - I promise! You've catastrophised and over dramatised and it's making it into a bigger deal than it was in your head Thanks

I asked if you've sought any professional help not to be judgemental but because you need to have some support from professionals to stop this becoming a cycle. I mentioned in my post that it's something I struggled with in the past and have worked hard to overcome. So it comes from a place of empathy for your current anxiety Thanks

Opentooffers · 28/04/2020 14:52

On the plus side, you will find you have probably learnt a lot from this experience. You have been sucked in by the love- bombing, and now, hopefully will know not to respond positively to people who do this - fast in, fast out. There are lots of guys out there who can behave like this, don't fall for it, it means they are shallow.
Give it time, you will get over it, but if you ever find this guy wants to weedle his way into your life again, don't be a fool and let him, he'll just do it all over again. So really, stop hoping he will change his mind.
Ps hope you are not in the UK, as you've broken many rules, many times for this crap if you are, and as an NHS worker, I'm not impressed.

DianaT1969 · 28/04/2020 18:37

The bottom line is that you are going to have a very rocky roller-coaster life if you don't wise up about men.
I genuinely have cheese in the fridge older than your 'relationship'.
You seem to have escaped catching Covid, so feel blessed and read a few of the books other posters have recommended. Then read them again. Enjoy the rest of your life with boundaries firmly in place and your own issues addressed.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page