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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

Can’t stop feeling angry with sister

52 replies

Gibbo387 · 18/08/2020 20:57

18 months ago my ex asked me to leave and take my 10yo son with me (not his dad). I was devastated and struggled to function for a while, as I had stupidly believed this man was my soulmate 😬

We met after I’d left an abusive man, and moved into his home quite quickly (I know, I know.) Everything seemed perfect. He said we would definitely get married and have kids, we went on holidays with my son and things were amazing.

After a year I suggested we start trying for a baby as I was 32 nearly 33. He had been suggesting baby names and sorting out the spare room as a nursery. All of a sudden he did a total u turn. He said he didn’t want kids, and doesn’t understand why anyone would have them. He’d also become offish with my Son, never wanted to spend time with him and was jealous if my son cuddled me on the sofa or wanted me in the night if he had a bad dream.

He then decided he never wanted to get married.

When we first met he told me a couple of things that at the time I didn’t worry about. Firstly, his sister in law who lived 3 doors down from us, had got drunk one night and come to his house and kissed him. He said they had been messaging prior to this but nothing flirty 🤔 and when his brother found out and wanted to see the messages, they had both deleted them. (This was all before we were together)

Secondly a 15 year old girl working at the chip shop opposite our house had a crush on him, and he had been warned by the owner of the shop to not ‘lead her on’ by being a bit too friendly and touchy feely. She also had a key to his house because she walked his dog. When I came on the scene she barely spoke to me which I put down to a child having a crush and being jealous of a partner.

Other little things were weird like he always assumed the 11/12year old girl next door had a crush on him too. He always said he’s just really friendly and people tell him he’s flirty but that he doesn’t realise he’s doing it.

One year at a drunken party he was picking my sister up and swinging her around, I got quite annoyed as he virtually ignored me all night. My sister was lonely and had few friends so my ex took her ‘under his wing’ and was messaging her quite a lot. I told him to be careful because she might get the wrong idea. He also used to invite her to stay over at ours and I wasn’t that comfortable about it because me and her have never been close.

He also told me his ex always moaned at him for flirting with her sister but he said ‘were family, she’s like my little sister.’ But then admits to me that he fancied her and that she undressed in front of him ‘one time.’

Oh this is so awful but his younger half sister who was 13 when I met him, used to run up to him and throw her legs around his waist and if we went to a family party she would always be sitting on his lap. I asked a colleague once if she thought this was weird because it just made me feel icky. He also said himself that he would have to stop cuddling her when she developed ‘boobs.’ 😬

When me and ex split, he went missing for a few days and I was so worried. My sister lied to me and said she didn’t know where he’d gone, but she did know. When I found out I was so upset and confronted her, to which she lashed out at me saying ‘I can’t fix all your problems.’ Then didn’t speak to me for several weeks.

I also had messages since we split from my friends, my sisters friends, work colleagues and neighbours about him sending them flirty messages while he had been with me.

My dad told me yesterday, since I was still feeling low and devastated 18 months later, that my ex had been ‘trying it on big time’ with my sister and even said to her ‘I chose the wrong sister.’ I know I should feel like I’ve had a lucky escape but I feel so hurt and humiliated still. When I asked my sister if anything had ever happened she refused to discuss it and just said ‘he needs to grow up.’ I’m so hurt by her. I’ve helped her out a lot in the past, and the one time I needed her support she wasn’t there, and apparently was at least leading him on and not telling me what a sleaze he was! I was following this guy around like a love sick puppy in front of so many people who knew!

Today, my car broke down, I’m a single parent I lost my job, and I find out the only man I’ve ever really adored and thought loved me at the time, actually wanted my sister. My sister also said she might give me her car as she barely uses it, but then changed her mind and said she needs it, so I need to find a new car ASAP. My parents always defend her and say ‘oh it was nice of her to
Offer though’ and claim my sister did nothing wrong with my ex and that if she had told me at the time, I wouldn’t have listened. She didn’t want to ‘get involved.’ 😔

This relationship left some big scars for me. I found out after we split that my ex had strung his ex along for 12 years always telling her they’d get married and have kids ‘one day.’

I wish all this stuff made me hate him. My sister has got a lovely man, great job and I just feel like I’m at the bottom of the pile. I feel so low right now. Like the happiest time of my life is not only over, but was probably a sham

OP posts:
LouiseTrees · 18/08/2020 22:08

You are blaming the women. He’s a serial sleaze, get a hold of yourself for goodness sake! On the car front though, could you ask anyone for some financial help?

Gibbo387 · 18/08/2020 22:15

I have some savings for emergencies which I will have to use. I think things are getting on top of me, I don’t trust anyone, I’m really depressed and I live 200 miles away from friends/family so it’s logistically difficult to do things like go and look at cars. Just feeling lonely and needed to vent

OP posts:
Ooooosh · 18/08/2020 22:20

Do not waste any more of your precious life thinking about this loser. She’s flavour of the month, big deal! He’ll still be sleazing around the place messaging other victims. This is not a reflection on you at all, he is the flawed one! Although please stop blaming the other women he is the monster throughout this tale.

Krampusasbabysitter · 19/08/2020 00:05

I'd be far more sympathetic to your situation if you weren't misplacing your anger in such a ridiculous way. She was just one of many he tried it on with and not the one you should be angry with. Feck me! It feels like a crappy episode of Jerry Springer when the women attack each other. And if you actually have emergency savings, then you still have some money. Focus your anger at where it is deserved and try and develop a bit of self-respect and stop blaming your sister for all your woes.

rvby · 19/08/2020 03:12

So he's a massive sleaze, and probable paedophile... and you're angry with your sister about this, for some reason?

If you're at the bottom of a pile, its the bottom of a pile according to a man who should probably be in jail for grooming children for sex Confused

I'm going to hand you a grip and suggest you look into some counselling for yourself. It isnt normal or healthy to pine for a man who is this vile and criminal.

alwayscrashinginthesamecar1 · 19/08/2020 03:18

You're angry with the wrong person. And I reckon you dodged a bullet, he sounds extremely dodgy.

SueblueNZ · 19/08/2020 04:07

He is a juvenile and a narcissist. Have nothing more to do with him. Urghk!

SueblueNZ · 19/08/2020 04:08

Sorry, he is not A juvenile as definitely an adult. But his behaviour is totally juvenile.

Aquamarine1029 · 19/08/2020 04:15

Stop blaming everyone else for your absolutely horrible decisions. This man was waving more red flags than a parade and yet you ignored all off them. You need to do some serious self-reflection as to why you allowed this man into your life and your child's life.

ShineYourLight2 · 19/08/2020 04:44

Your priorities are seriously skewed here. Are you honestly pining for someone you are describing in these ways? Do you want to be with someone who has very questionable relationships with young girls? Someone who kisses his brother's wife? Who has to be told by others how to behave appropriately with vulnerable women?

Yet you're angry with your sister ... You need to be telling her all the things you wrote about him so she can make an informed decision about whether to let someone like him in her life. In the meantime, try and find some answers as to why you would go from an abusive relationship to someone like this. Especially considering you have a child. Do not have any more children.

AgentJohnson · 19/08/2020 05:37

This man was always a sleaze and for whatever reason you chose to ignore it.

The thing that stands out about your posts is that there was a lot of creepy behaviour from your Ex but instead, you are blaming your sister for not telling you how creepy he was with her. Given the many red flags you ignored, I suspect that you would have let your Ex sweet talk you if you had of known.

I am sorry that you are hurting but you can’t keep looking to be rescued.

Have you done the freedom programme?

SaintofBats · 19/08/2020 05:45

Honestly, OP, wake up. You were in a relationship with a disgusting sleazebag with paedophilic leanings, and you’re blaming your sister and other women and girls???

Blwoingbubbles · 19/08/2020 05:55

This does sound awful and very humiliating but I have to say - it should’ve been curtains at the point where he was being off and jealous of your son.
That’s not on at all.
It’s time to move on and focus on yourself for a while I feel.

Gibbo387 · 19/08/2020 06:48

I did the FP after I left my physically abusive partner which is another reason I’m humiliated because I genuinely didn’t see a lot of these red flags at the time. I really believed his version of lots of these examples and thought there was nothing in them. It’s only since I’ve been away from him and these people have told me what he was doing, that I’ve added everything together. At the time these things were happening pretty gradually and he could always explain them away.

I do understand what you’re saying but of course as a family member I still have to talk to my sister despite feeling like I can never trust her again, which is what makes me angry. I don’t see him anymore but I know he deserves the anger and not her.

I definitely don’t blame any of the other women involved

OP posts:
user1493413286 · 19/08/2020 06:57

I think you’re misdirecting you’re anger at your sister; admittedly she should have told you but she was also in a difficult position where she may have felt you wouldn’t have believed her and considering all these red flags that were there I think there’s a strong possibility that he’d have talked you round.
I wouldn’t hold it against your sister; it’s not her fault and the fact that she has things you want isn’t her fault and doesn’t mean you won’t have them one day. It will take time to get over your ex’s betrayal but you are much better off without him. You still have time to meet someone new and have more DC; you don’t want to be connected to that man forever through a DC.

Gibbo387 · 19/08/2020 07:03

I think you’re right, it’s a nice cop out as I’ve never got on with my sister anyway, so it’s easy to project the anger onto her And think I would have told her if it was the other way around
I know it’s just bitterness eating me up now as I feel lonely and depressed

OP posts:
cantarina · 19/08/2020 07:12

Many people say nothing when a sleazy male is on the scene because they aren't believed. Hey, some even get the blame for 'leading him on'. You ex is the problem here. And maybe your sister isn't perfect, nobody is. This creep wasn't and you are pining after him. I say give your sister a break, take her as you find her and realise you had a lucky escape from the slime ball.

VettiyaIruken · 19/08/2020 07:17

He sounds predatory and his interest in young girls is deeply disturbing to say the least.
Thank your lucky stars that you are no longer with him.

Re your sister, it's going to take time.

Coffeecak3 · 19/08/2020 07:23

You're lonely and depressed because you were pinning all your hopes on a man to make you happy. Remember he threw you out!
Concentrate on making yourself and your son happy by living your life without relying on anyone else.
If somebody good comes into your life that's great.
You seem like an otherwise strong person, you can be independent and happy.

ALittleBitConfused1 · 19/08/2020 07:46

I think if you're honest you did see them. The thing is you were ready to ignore them, you knew they were there which is why you questioned them. You just didnt have the tools to react accordingly. Men like your ex know they arent capable of a normal adult relationship, they prey on women who are vulnersble and have their bar set so low they know all of thier bulshit behaviour will be tolerated. Honestly op you need to start making better decisions for both you and your son or you are going to find yourself in these situations over and over. The abusive relationship you escaped from (and well done for that , it takes huge courage) has damaged you, horrible to say but true. Your perception of what is right and wrong and what an actual healthy relationship looks like is so off of course its scary. This is normal OP.
Firstly stop dating, stop looking for a relationship, stop thinking someone else is going to solve your problems. If you want to attract a good honest kind man you need to become someone who wants one but doesnt need one.

Move closer to your family if you can, provide yourself with a support network making you less dependent on one person. In any case you need a place that is yours that no man can take away from you, a true, secure home for you and your son. This will be the first step, can social housing or the council help you with this. You havent mentioned what your living arrangements are now you've left your exs house.

Get your car and get back to work then your financially dependent, however I was a single parent for ages and I didnt drive although it did limit my options I managed to work full time so it is an option without a car.

Consider counselling op. Proper in depth trauma therapy. You need help to work through the abuse of your last relationship before you even consider a new one. You need to find a way to set your bar as high as possible, to realise when someone isnt treating you right and to put boundaries in place and learn how to act on them when they aren'tt being respected.

Gibbo387 · 19/08/2020 07:56

Thank you 😊

I haven’t even thought about dating for over 18 months, the idea of it sickens and terrifies me and Im currently having therapy thru Mind, but I probably need more intensive trauma therapy tbh
Reason I moved so far away is because I inherited some money so I bought a house outright but wouldn’t have been able to afford even a studio flat in my home county, So we had few options and I wanted to invest the money so me and my son would always have a home and feel secure in that way.

I definitely had my blinkers on in that relationship and it’s only now I’m really starting to unpack it all

OP posts:
Gibbo387 · 19/08/2020 07:59

And thank you for acknowledging how hard it was to leave that previous relationship, it was abusive in every way, he tried to kill me more than once, but had been a friend of mine for many years, since I was a kid. So yeah it damaged me immensely and then I guess because the next partner wasn’t as blatantly bad as that, and also good at lying and telling me what I wanted to hear, I’ve given up with relationships because clearly I keep getting it wrong even when on the face of it these two men seemed so different, in fact they were both disgusting 😔
My son thankfully has a good father so I didn’t always pick bad ‘uns

OP posts:
Gibbo387 · 19/08/2020 08:04

The only person in my family I talk to now is my dad. I’m civil enough to my sister when we see each other and she came to mine for Christmas last year with her new partner, so I can get on with it.
My mum moved away years ago and has many issues with getting into abusive situations since leaving my dad. So we don’t have a good relationship. So I don’t have very much support. I have started going to church and hopefully when I find a job I will start to make friends.

OP posts:
NotaCoolMum · 19/08/2020 08:06

I struggled to even read your post as SO MANY RED FLAGS were waving in my face!! OP he is absolute SCUM. Consider it a lucky escape. I hope you heal and find some inner peace OP. 💐💐

Gibbo387 · 19/08/2020 08:09

Thank you. I’m trying really hard to move on and find peace. Until I wrote it all out I didn’t really think it was so awful 😔 but he really is so strange and messed up. He comes across so sweet and friendly tho, all my mates loved him 😬

OP posts:
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