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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

He refuses to end it... but he’s ignoring me

107 replies

WineInTheSun · 12/07/2020 14:10

Trying to keep this as brief as I can.

I met a guy on an app, really interesting and successful. A lot older than me (late 40s, I’m in my twenties) but we had so much in common. We FaceTimed for 2 hours a day, for around 3 weeks. He told me his longest relationship was on/off for 2 years, he’s never done the marriage/kids thing.

He seemed perfect- when I requested he had an STI test prior to us meeting he did just that and email me copies of his certificates. He did say he had doubts about my age as he wanted something serious and wondered if at my age I would really want that, I aalssured him I did.

He then paid for me to visit him at his second him in Europe for 5 days- we had an amazing time. Lots of eating out, he toasted over every drinks ‘to many more times here with you’ and even introduced me to his friends, twice! I went for dinner with him and some of his friends and then again I went to a party at his friend’s home. We were introduced as a couple. We only had sex twice in the 5 days as he was honest- with his age and alcohol consumption he can’t always perform. I accepted this as part and parcel of an older man. But he was otherwise still affectionate, cuddling in bed etc. He did mention an ex messaged him asking for money (he is wealthy) and then we had a conversation about exes, etc and he said he had taken my advice and responded to her request based on this. He said his greatest regrets were girls he dated 20 years ago whom he could have had university aged children with by now.

At the party with his friends, a friend of his (female) said to me ‘you know he just really wants kid? He’s with you because he thinks you would be a good mother’. I let this slip and kind of laughed/agreed I hope to have children.

The next day it was time for me to fly back to the U.K., I was hungover but said I had a lovely time and he said ‘it will be great to have you back sometime’ he told me to message him when safely on the flight etc.

So I did... and he asked if I was feeling better. Once home j knew something wasn’t right in the evening, so I messaged saying ‘do you want to see me again as I like you?’ And helps response was ‘we need to talk’. I panicked and tried to call him which he ignored. On the Monday I sent a lengthy message stating I felt anxious about having had unprotected sex, I had trusted he would keep in touch/was serious etc and to say if he does not want to see me again or speak to me to which he responded ‘let’s speak tomorrow’. I then ignored him for 2 days- he then messaged asking how I was saying he was conscious we hadn’t spoken and he hoped I felt better. I then responded saying I felt he had been intentionally cruel to leave me on edge like this, wondering and I felt hurt.

He replied ‘sorry you’re hurt! I’ll call!’
So he called 2 days ago and said essentially that he just needed time, he’s not good at communicating and sometimes he does this. I told him ‘I am not a mind reader and how do I know that? If you don’t want to see me then just say! Because what you have done is cruel’. He was adamant though that he does want to see me, he said ‘ I don’t want this to be the call to end all calls, that’s why I wouldn’t say that. I just needed time.... I hope to see you again.... I might be in the U.K. next week.... I just need time....’

He’s an older guy who has broke up with women in the past, there is no reason why he wouldn’t break up with me. So why is he not? Why the insistence of oh no I don’t want to not see you but now barely contacting me? I pointed out to him that he used to give me 2 hours of his time a day, nothing that significant has changed from what I know to which he replied ‘I know, I just needed time to think, see where this will go etc....’. Why introduce me twice to married friends if the plan was always to end it? I’m so confused. I really liked him and don’t know whether he’s trying to politely dump me (makes no sense why he won’t say this though) or if he is a massive commitment phobe and that’s why he’s never married/kids so is pulling back?

OP posts:
LadyFlumpalot · 12/07/2020 14:44

Reminds me of that scene in Sex And the City where Miranda gets taken to a dinner party and there is a cut scene showing the same dinner party with loads of other women.

Sack that shit off, no one has time for that level of fuck-wittery.

WineInTheSun · 12/07/2020 14:45

Normal dating app! Really normal! Infact he said he doesn’t mention the second home in Europe and keeps the U.K. as his location base as he doesn’t want to attract the kind of girl who might jump when she sees the second location!

I didn’t ask him for any money or extra gifts whilst there so I know I didn’t give off gold digger vibes.

I shouldn’t think more about the friend but she gave me her number, said to me ‘he is a really
Good guy you know’ as she has known him for 9 years.

It just seems bizarre that he will not outright say I don’t want to see/speak to you again etc. He told me in the past that he broke up with a girl who was upset etc but it’s so hard not to over analyse! I suppose that’s part of love bombing, it’s hard to come down from the high

OP posts:
LittleDonk · 12/07/2020 14:47

So... you're bothered about getting chlamydia but fine getting pregnant having met him once?

KetoWinnie · 12/07/2020 14:49

@WineInTheSun

If he doesn’t want to know then I wish he would just say! And also when did it change I wonder? Went went from a party at his friend’s home/cuddling in bed and my flying home that morning to this! He was the one who initially even suggested to me we both delete the dating app we met on (I don’t want to check if he’s on there, worried I would be very hurt)
Take control.

Text him
Hi Dave, look, uncertainty is not for me so im going to draw a line under this. Goodbye.

PatriciaHolm · 12/07/2020 14:49

He wants to keep you hanging on. I suspect there are a number of interchangeable yous around the place. I fear you are seeing him as a challenge - you'll be the one he chooses! you'll win! - based on nothing.

His friends are used to his behaviour. Occasionally one of them might make a half hearted attempt to warn the latest, but really - their loyalty is to him not you. They are used to him, he's their flaky but fun friend whose behaviour they don't endorse but he's fun, a long term buddy, so they don't really care.

And you realistically have no idea whether he has kids. He could easily have several he doesn't choose to see.

Surely you have more options than a man 20 years your senior, who lives in another country, who drinks too much and is a serial flake?

midnightstar66 · 12/07/2020 14:50

It's seems like he's shared quite a lot of unnecessary personal stuff in 5 short days. Why is he telling you about all the ex's and details of break ups? This is probably to make you believe he's a really good catch.

KetoWinnie · 12/07/2020 14:51

Exactly. Why would he tell you it's over when you can be a page in his black book.

He thinks you have low standards

StuffThem · 12/07/2020 14:51

Good lord woman, here, have 5,000,000 extra self respect points 🎁 on me.

We all do stupid shit in our 20s. I know I did.

Travelling to a foreign country (presumably in the middle of covid?) to meet and stay with a stranger was EXTREMELY stupid. That's how kidnapping, rape, murder and ransom is made possible.

Sleeping with him without using any protection - again, that's mind-blowingly stupid. What the heck were you thinking? And at this point who knows if those STI certificates were real or fake?

He's twice your age, drinks too much to have decent sex, he doesn't call you when he says he will, hasn't managed to hold down a long term relationship and he met you at a location that wasn't even his home address. My money is on him being married and his friends at that address either don't know or you're just the latest in a long line of pretty little playthings. Are you sure she wasn't talking about you when she said he only wants children? Blush

Block him everywhere and ghost the tosser. Hope to god that you're not pregnant and go get STI checked. Follow basic safety rules when dating in the future;

Meet in a public place, having told a friend when and where. Arrange to text your friend to check in half way through and once you're safely home again.

Meet them in public multiple times before you shag them. In person (yes know covid made that difficult but look where it got you). Go home alone each time. This is a safety precaution, not being prudish.

You get their real full name, preferably with ID, and their address, before they get those things from you. No I'm not joking.

Use. A. Condom. Go on hormonal birth control too if you wish for addred protection, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't use a condom. You absolutely should.

Respect yourself more, much more. You're a hot young 20 something catch who doesn't have to settle for an older man who can't get it up and can't hold down a relationship, and can't even call when he says he will.

You don't owe him Jack shit. Block, delete, move on, learn from your mistakes.

Flowers
KetoWinnie · 12/07/2020 14:53

@WineInTheSun i know it seems bizarre, but his agenda is not to give you honesty and to clarity but to keep his options open.

kazzer2867 · 12/07/2020 15:00

I'm sorry

But you sound a lot of work

Why on earth did you have unprotected sex with him?!?? That's just ludicrous!

^^This.

I'm hoping this isn't real. If it is, how could you risk your safety and health for a man you know nothing about. How do you know the sexual health certificate you saw was real. Sorry, but you sound desperate and he sounds like he saw you coming and used you for sex.

Instead of concentrating on what his friend said to you, you need to focus on why you would be so easily taken in by someone you don't know, putting yourself at risk like this. Have you not read the stories of women who have been kidnapped and sex trafficked in the very same scenario you describe.

Please get yourself tested and pray it comes back negative. I hope you use this as a learning experience.

LemonTT · 12/07/2020 15:01

Sti checks before you meet
Overseas and risky dates
An over involved female friend
Worries about gold digging
A mysterious hero behaving inscrutably.
Unprotected sex

Just a tale of everyday OLD

sammylady37 · 12/07/2020 15:05

You have been incredibly stupid. You fell for the image he portrayed, wealthy guy, too nice for his own good (people looking for money from him), some regrets about his wasted years and now wants to settle and have kids etc etc. Talking about getting serious before you’ve ever even met him is madness.

And as for the risky situation you put yourself in, I have no words.

funnylittlefloozie · 12/07/2020 15:06

Sorry, OP, but i would imagine that flying you to his second home for a long weekend is cheaper than hiring an escort for a few days. Basically, thats what you have been. Dont expect to hear from him again, or if you do, expect the encounter to take broadly the same form.

And for goodness sake, use a bloody condom when you sleep with strangers!

WineInTheSun · 12/07/2020 15:07

Thank you all, I have taken what I need from the sensible answers and I can clearly see I’ve been used and it’s not that he necessarily wants to dump me but rather keep me as an option. Thank you!

OP posts:
WineInTheSun · 12/07/2020 15:07

Will ignore him and delete the chat with him so I cannot obsessively check

OP posts:
midnightstar66 · 12/07/2020 15:08

Men who over share and come over extra keen and wanting something serious from the start ALWAYS end up ghosting you ime too. I've fallen for it a couple of times in the past too so I know how you can get swept up in it. Well and truly learned from it though.

midnightstar66 · 12/07/2020 15:09

Block him so when he does text while at a loose end you won't be tempted!

Candyfloss99 · 12/07/2020 15:13

This is common. An old man likes to play at being in a relationship for a few days. I'm sure his friends just think it's laughable. The most shocking thing is the unprotected sex. How do you know his tests were real?
How do you know he didn't have sex with someone else since them? Do you not care if you get pregnant?

Candyfloss99 · 12/07/2020 15:18

Also did he make you have an STI test or did he not care?

KatherineJaneway · 12/07/2020 15:19

You've been used. He got unprotected sex and a companion for a few days for the price of some flights and a few meals. The rest was bullshit that you fell for.

You really need to reconsider your levels of acceptable risk.

KetoWinnie · 12/07/2020 15:19

@WineInTheSun

Thank you all, I have taken what I need from the sensible answers and I can clearly see I’ve been used and it’s not that he necessarily wants to dump me but rather keep me as an option. Thank you!
Dont feel too bad. Join the club. YKWIM.

Most people who date in today's world get a shock to begin with, how poorly men behave.

PAND0RA · 12/07/2020 15:26

What @StuffThem said.

Plus don’t invest 2 hours a night for 3 weeks chatting to a man you’ve never met and have no idea who he really is.

diddl · 12/07/2020 15:33

"I didn’t ask him for any money or extra gifts whilst there so I know I didn’t give off gold digger vibes."

But you had 5 days with him at his expense?

RantyAnty · 12/07/2020 15:34

So much this.
This is how online guys warm women up to get into their panties.

finnmcool · 12/07/2020 15:37

Women are not here to please men,reduce/ignore our boundaries to please men, be something pretty on their arm, be their plaything etc.
Don't waste anymore time or heads pace on this loser. Just because he has money, it doesn't make him more attractive/less likely to be an arse.

Yes, what you did was incredibly risky in so many different ways, learn from it (we all live and learn) and value yourself and your boundaries a lot more.

I wish you all the best for the future Flowers