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Worst story of cheating - but have I over stepped?

261 replies

CUniverse · 15/12/2020 23:56

This is a very long story, I will start with the back story as condensed as possible.

I became pregnant after 1 year whirlwind relationship with someone I split up my previous relationship for. I was living Amsterdam at the time where he is from, but moved back to the UK 6 months in.
When I found out I was pregnant, I stayed in the UK, and he was saving money to move with me and we were due to live there.
He arrived when I was 6.5 months, everything was great and we were happy. It turned out though that the 3000 euro he had supposed to have saved for us and baby, he gambled away on online poker so he came empty handed. I funded everything.

Slowly, he started to become recluse, and disappeared after work instead of coming home so that he could find places to play poker, in casinos or online.
When I discovered this, I tried to urge him into GA, he went a few times, but eventually he was suicidal and depressed so I recommended he return back to the Netherlands. Our daughter was 1 by this time.

He went back, and after 3 months decided that he wouldn't return back to the UK, he hated it and missed his friends and family. Therefore the plan was to move there with our daughter. We did this, but it took me a year, long story.

He promised he had stopped gambling and was in a good place. Within weeks of arriving he went straight back into gambling, and also speaking to other women. During this time he was emotionally abusive and even struck me 3 times. I had an abortion because of how badly he treated me. The final straw was the fact that he slept with someone one random night, so I broke it off.
I was determined to stay in Amsterdam but eventually would find somewhere else and move out into my own place with my daughter, then suddenly he found a new girl, one week after I broke up with him on tinder. He told me he was in love with her instantly and that he wanted me and our daughter to leave the house for a week, so that she could move in and work from our place for a few days. This was within 3 days of meeting this girl on tinder. I refused to allow this, and he verbally abuse me to the point where I had to flee the country with our child. He knew we were leaving but he didn't care.

Within 6 weeks, he had broken up with the tinder girl and was begging from to come back, saying that he was depressed and didn't know who he was back then and wanted to give us another go. Of course I objected. For a whole year he tried everything, gave up gambling, became selfless instead of selfish and really showed me he was ready. So I told him I would consider returning mostly for our child.

By May 2020 we were locked down together in Amsterdam and I was working from home there and became pregnant. We were happy about it and he thought it was just what we needed to finally cement the return of our relationship.
I was reluctant to put a label on us though and said I needed time, because I was traumatised from what happened between us before. Especially the physical abuse. But he really seemed like a changed man, and in fact, he had a terribly childhood, so we put it down to that, and he said he would get therapy to address his issues.

In August we went on vacation everything was wonderful, and by September, something changed.

I went back to London for a couple weeks and I sensed something was off. I asked him outrightly, if he was seeing someone else while I was in London still.
He told me no.
I arrived in Amsterdam a week later, and checked his phone while he slept. It was almost completely clean, except he left a tiny piece of evidence, along with blonde hair all over the house and I managed to get a confession out of him after pressing him for a few days.
He had met the girl 3 weeks earlier and was sleeping with her. He told me he did it because I wouldn't go publicly official to our friends and family with him. He felt neglected and stressed after a year of trying to get me back.

I made up my mind there and then that I would get my revenge for him doing this too me again. In addition, he slept with her without protection and slept with me too, before the confession thus putting my health at risk which I couldn't forgive.

This is where it gets twisted.

I told him id forgive him and stay, for the sake of our kids and that I loved him. This was a lie, I was just plotting how to get him back.
Things went great the following weeks, I was acting the part of loving and forgiving girlfriend very easily. At some point I caught him on WhatsApp with the girl ( he had told me they had cut contact). She was pursing him, crying etc.. saying she was in love with him and heartbroken that he had too end it with her.
I took a huge step evading his privacy after this and I managed to install his WhatsApp on my laptop, so I was practically spying on every convo he was having. Eventually I told him he should meet up with her one final time and end it because i had to travel back to the Uk and I didn't want him to see her while I was gone.. or more like, I wanted to test if he would, knowing I would be able to see their convos.

When they met up he came back and asked me if I would consider a 3 way relationship with the two of them. Me being the primary. I told him I would consider it when returned from London.
Of course I had no intention to do so, but just wanted to see this girl face to face, (sick I know) so we all met up, discussed things, and well it was painful, but at the end, I told them they were not to see one another while I was away and I would consider the 3way after I had the baby.

While I was there, I was still connected to his WhatsApp as I mentioned and saw they had met 3 times. Which he lied about to my face.

Upon returning though, he ended it with her and said he wanted to focus on his family. Due to the fact that he met up with her while I was away, again displaying how little he respected me, I was driven even further by seeking revenge, so much that I didn't let on that I knew anything. So all these months of knowing what he has been up to, he is none the wiser.

The current situation is that he wants for sure that I move here permanently to Amsterdam once baby is born (in London) with our other child and we buy a new house, and start a fresh... however, of course, there is no way in hell I can do this after all this deceit. I cannot believe how badly I have allowed myself to be treated.

So, because I told him I had forgiven him, I was finding it impossible to go back on my word without admitting that I was spying the whole time. So I have been creatively (insanely) thinking of other ways out... of ways that will allow me to break up with him and him not having any power to force me to stay.

One night, after not checking his actual phone for a long time, I saw he had a dating app installed on his phone, but only once. after 6 consecutive days of checking, I didn't see it anymore. But I initially did check his phone because he was acting weird again all of a sudden.
So, I decided to re install the app I saw while he slept, and then I saw he was speaking to multiple women for 6 months, but had not met any of them. This inspired me to make a fake profile, with photos of a friend of mine he doesn't know.
He matched with my profile and is planning to meet up with this girl on Friday ( I am going back to the UK tomorrow for Christmas)...

Now, if you have gotten this far you may think this is the craziest story ever (and I have missed some crazy bits out)...and may be thinking I am insane for staying and more insane for spying...however, when you're with someone who won't let you go, it is so so so very hard to get out. Especially as his family are all so adamant that I give him chance after chance, and he guilt trips me constantly with his issues and tells me I am the only person who can make him happy. I know I have over stepped by spying on him this intensely, but, I became desperate. It has been a horrible few months being pregnant and dealing with all these revelations that I have made myself privy to by having so much access to his privacy.

I expect to be scolded and told how wrong I am and that I have overstepped, but, for the first time in months I finally feel like I can throw this at him (planning to meet the girl on the app) and he will accept that I can no longer stay with him after this and give in. I don't know how I will expose the fact that I know he has planned to meet a girl, but at this point, I just need to get out.

OP posts:
Temporary1234 · 16/12/2020 00:35

OP, arrange a date with him.

Book a table. On that table leave a note. When he arrives he will read it.

Let the note say, “ this is your partner ..., this is the reason I’m now your ex. Sort your issues out without me I have a life to live. Bye”.

Or if you can’t leave a note. Just text him at the time for the date when he is there. Make sure it’s when you’re in UK.

Text him “ I hope you arrived safely to ... restaurant. Sincerely, your ex..”

If you need that closure get it. Then move on. No more games

CUniverse · 16/12/2020 00:40

Thanks @MaizeBlouse... very easy to say when you're looking from the outside in. If you have ever been with someone who is such a manipulator, somehow they pull you back in, over and over. Also, I did manage to leave him before. I had the strength back then, but I think with being pregnant now, with the pandemic and all the other stressors, I have been just reluctant to make a quick snap decision and instead I have gone the route of revenge. Not saying it is right, but I just hate that I have allowed him to abuse me. I am ashamed of that, yes... But my daughter is very well looked after, and she has all the love in the world from me and her father. She has not witnessed anything thus far, but yes, I am planning to get away for her and the baby I am carrying.

If I could do it all over again, I would have not spied on him and plotted revenge. I would have left the day he confessed to cheating again.. but somehow it has gotten this far, and now I am exhausted by it all.
Again, tomorrow I return to the UK... I have don't have a return Eurostar ticket, and there is no way I am going back to him.

I just feel like now with this extra proof, I can expose him to everyone who thinks he is such a great guy, and finally he can have his world fall apart like mind did. He was totally unaffected by everything that happened between us and I just didn't want that to happen again.

OP posts:
BigBaublesGalore · 16/12/2020 00:48

@CUniverse
My only problem left, if that how do I get him not to join me in London in a few days? This is why I made the fake profile to have a reason to stop him from coming. Now that I can prove he is planning to meet yet another woman on Friday, 2 days after I leave.

^^^

Once you have landed message him and tell him you have told the police everything he's done (hitting you) and that if he turns up at your door you will call them... then turn your phone off or block him

I also think you need to contact women's aid, they're a charity for women who have suffered at the hands of abusive men

You may feel like this is too messy to get out of but it will be ok just take one step at a time

CUniverse · 16/12/2020 00:48

@ Badwill I was very stable when I met him. Funnily in between this whole thing I have worked full time and gone on to gain a degree in Psychology with first class honours. So, my mind, although quite affected, as managed to get me though academically. I have definitely become unstable recently though..I admit, but I am not totally crazy, because I realise what I am doing. It has just gone so far now. It is hard to stop.

@bitheby funny you should say creative writing. ~My friend, the only friend who knows the whole story, she says I should make a book about these 7 years. I am tempted to, but it sounds so awful on paper that I would have to say it was a work of fiction. it is embarrassing to have endured all what I have, and although I am now telling strangers about it online. It has taken me all these years to do so, and there aren't many ppl other than MNetters who will see it. But yes... It would make a great novel on "how not to live your life"

@Temporary1234 finally someone who sees my way of thinking... I want to shake him up. And I did consider something like this.. however, NL has just gone into lockdown.

OP posts:
PheasantPlucker1 · 16/12/2020 00:49

Trying to expose him wont work, sadly. These men manage to lie and bullshit their way out of everything. He will try and convince you to forgive him and get you caught up in this cycle, again.

You dont need to confront him with anything and sometimes its better not too try and make people see the truth.

He does not make you happy. That is enough reason for you to leave! Good luck, whens the baby due?

BigBaublesGalore · 16/12/2020 00:50

@PheasantPlucker1

Trying to expose him wont work, sadly. These men manage to lie and bullshit their way out of everything. He will try and convince you to forgive him and get you caught up in this cycle, again.

You dont need to confront him with anything and sometimes its better not too try and make people see the truth.

He does not make you happy. That is enough reason for you to leave! Good luck, whens the baby due?

Yeah he will just say ' I knew it was you that's why I went along with it'

Yes you're angry and you want revenge but the only way to get that is to cut him off and let him know you're done with him

Agoodbriskwalk · 16/12/2020 00:56

I didn't read it all but I don't think Whatsapp works like that. Even if you put it on a desktop or laptop you still need to have the phone near the computer to synch the messages. You can't just install it and then head off to another country.

TramaDollface · 16/12/2020 00:57

Other

The best revenge is a life well lived.

Take your child and leave.
No looking back
No mind games

JoyousSealion · 16/12/2020 00:57

[quote CUniverse]@zeddybrek.. what does LTB mean?[/quote]
LTB is mumsnet language for Leave The Bastard, which you absolutely need to!

MaizeBlouse · 16/12/2020 00:57

Any revenge ploy will be his 'proof' to any of his future gfs of how 'crazy' you are.

Want to know the best revenge? Building a happy, fun, loving family for your child and soon to be baby, without him. That will hurt his ego the most.

MorrisZapp · 16/12/2020 01:00

This doesn't make sense. Are you saying that if his friends found out about the physical and verbal abuse, the serial cheating and the addictions, they'd be OK with that, but would disown him for going on a tinder date?

CUniverse · 16/12/2020 01:01

@PheasantPlucker1 thank you... Baby is due first week of Feb.

I know he is persistent and will try to get me to come back, yet again. This time however, I am hoping with everyone knowing what he did, he won't dare try. Before when I left, everything was kept secret, so he managed to abuse me and just tell ppl that we split because "we weren't getting on great"
This time everyone will know.

And yes you are right, he doesn't make me happy. Even though we can have really happy times, he is so very damaged and unhappy within himself, that he bullies me and makes me miserable for even caring about him. Her constantly pushes me away but refuses to let me leave. It is exhausting.

He was left in a cult from the age of 4 and had no mother or father figure. It has left him so damaged, but I always thought I could help him.
Turns out, that all he has done is damage me instead.

I appreciate everyone spurring me on to leave him after I return and also those who let me know how inappropriate and crazy my behaviour has been too. It is good to get a reality check.

OP posts:
Inkpaperstars · 16/12/2020 01:04

If he doesn’t accept his infidelity, abuse, gambling and drug addiction as reasons you should leave him, then he will never see anything as a valid reason, certainly not him arranging a date. Luckily, he doesn’t need to. He doesn’t get a choice.

Forget all that, forget games and traps and forget revenge on him or any girl. You will only be hurting yourself with any of that. You have a much more important thing to focus on, getting yourself and your children away from him safely and for good.

Do and say whatever you need to to get safely back to the UK then do not leave. Tell people in real life, your parents included, the full story. They will understand, it will be hard but we all know people get trapped and coerced and manipulated in ways that sound crazy. They will support you in keeping him away, do not on any account allow him to stay with you in the UK. Once you are back here tell him that in fact you are not returning to him or the NL. Hopefully he will go on a bender and not even bother coming over here.

I would say you are still very much under control and need help from family and counselling to see it. For example you feel you need to convince him you have a right to leave, you don’t. You say you will facilitate custody, I wouldn’t. Why would you let your children be in the custody of an abusive, unstable drug addict likely to be bitter towards you? Let alone take them out of the UK ever again. Get a good solicitor and fight him if he pursues that contact.

He won’t change, and you have no obligation to stick around while he proves that either way. GET OUT FOR GOOD. Remember he has been twisting your mind...you can in fact tell people what has been going on and you are in fact free to go and rebuild your life.

CUniverse · 16/12/2020 01:07

@Agoodbriskwalk, there operative part of your comment being "I don't think".... I can tell you categorically, it does indeed work like that. I have been logged into his WhatsApp desktop since September 6th. I have been to London and back in between and have not been logged out once. I still am logged in and actually afraid to log outings case it sends him a notification. it even worked when I was connected to the Eurostar wifi on the way back here.

@MorrisZapp well I feel sorry for any future gfs he has, because eventually, they will realise how 'crazy' they become from being with a man like him. And yes, I am sure his friends would think he was a piece of shit from al that he has done so far, but, he had begged me not to tell anyone... and I was going to uphold this, until I saw that dating app after he started being horrible to me out of the blue... so, they will now know all of it, that even after him cheating and agreeing to stay, he STILL persisted in arranging further dates while I'm more than 7 months pregnant. I want people to really see what I see. Anyone can cheat, but what he is doing and continues to do is unfathomable.

OP posts:
OldWomanSaysThis · 16/12/2020 01:09

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CUniverse · 16/12/2020 01:17

@Inkpaperstars somehow everything you wrote makes so much sense and I can see how irrational I have been behaving through your words. Facilitating visitation would only be with him coming to London to see the kids. I wouldn't leave them with him.

He actually suggested that I allow him to bring our daughter back to Amsterdam with him, ahead of me for a few weeks until I was able to travel back with baby. So that she can start school end of February.
I would never allow this to happen but until now I have played along because he has been so adamant and bullied me into it.

I really do not want to get authorities involved for any of the abuse because it was all in 2018, and again, my family don't know... if they did, my mum and dad would simply not be able to cope, We are so very close, and they would be crushed by knowing I allowed it, I accepted it, and that he could treat me that way. The abuse stuff I will uncover to his friends and family in the NL, but I don want to bring my parents involved here in the UK.

But yes, I initially was going to let him come for Christmas, because our daughter wants him to be there, but I realised after this dating app revelation that I can't have him there.

It's all going to go off tomorrow. Soon as I get on the Eurostar I will be letting him know that I do not want him to follow me and that it is over. I feel relieved that I am getting out but also very scared of how he will react as he has no idea.

OP posts:
BlueThistles · 16/12/2020 01:17

Im not sure what you're asking OP ? nothing will persuade you to leave this man.. despite his obvious utter lack of respect for you.. love for you.. he does not care about you.. but none of this will matter to you...

Crack on... 🌺

aidelmaidel · 16/12/2020 01:19

He gambles, hits you, does illegal drugs, and cheats. You're allowed to say that this isn't working for you any more. You're allowed to keep saying it. You're allowed to tell your parents. You can uninvite him from staying with you. Sod what his family think.

CUniverse · 16/12/2020 01:20

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Message deleted by MNHQ. Quotes deleted post

Aquamarine1029 · 16/12/2020 01:23

This time however, I am hoping with everyone knowing what he did, he won't dare try. Before when I left, everything was kept secret, so he managed to abuse me and just tell ppl that we split because "we weren't getting on great"
This time everyone will know.

What "everyone" thinks is irrelevant and you can't control what they think anyway.

@Aquamarine1029 because he refuses to acknowledge that I have reason enough already.

He is a cheating abuser who will never acknowledge he's done anything wrong.

Honestly, op, you are not thinking rationally. Your children will be the one's caught in the middle of this absurdity and immaturity. All you have to do is maintain your dignity and leave him without resorting to these asinine games. Just leave him and move on.

CUniverse · 16/12/2020 01:24

@BlueThistles I am leaving. But I didn't want to leave without making him suffer this time. This is the whole point. I wanted to see how others have viewed my actions in trying to plot revenge. If they thought I had gone too far. I know I have, but because it has all bee kept secret, I needed to get outside opinions.

I have been pretending this whole time to want to be with him, so he feels secure, and each time he begs me to stay, I say yes I will, I tell him I forgive him, but knowing that I'm going to up and leave and then expose what he has done. no way am I staying with him.

OP posts:
Aquamarine1029 · 16/12/2020 01:29

I am leaving. But I didn't want to leave without making him suffer this time. This is the whole point.

The only person you are making suffer is yourself. It's very tragic that you can't see this. He simply doesn't care about you, and someone who doesn't care will never be made to suffer for hurting you.

CUniverse · 16/12/2020 01:35

@Aquamarine1029... you might be right... it is clear he doesn't care about me, love me or respect me, though he professes he does. I actually think he must hate me to have done all this. Although I have only ever showed him kindness, patience, understanding and compassion, so I really don't know why he he done the things he has

What do you think I should do then? Now it has gone this far, how can I possibly redeem, myself, for MYSELF. How do I end this. Just leave tomorrow and tell him not to follow? That's it? Doesn't seem fair, because then all he gets to do is continue with his life, unaffected, with no-one knowing what he has done, and probably tell everyone a sob story that I took his kids away from him.

OP posts:
BoomBoomsCousin · 16/12/2020 01:36

He's a problem guy. But you can't change him. What comes across clearly in your post is that you are clinging to this relationship at least as much as he is. You are the one who paid for him to travel when you already knew he was bad news. You are the one who followed him to another country with your poor child after he had gambled again. You are the one who makes him jump through hoops to prove his worthiness. You are the one who returns time and again to a man who abuses you and your children. You are the one who got pregnant again with him after all the bad history.

Yes, he did all this. Yes it takes two to get pregnant. Yes he's manipulative and a sorry excuse for a man.

But you have no control over him. You can only control you.

Stop thinking about how to convince him. Stop worrying about how to control his behaviour. Control your own. Find yourself somewhere else to live. Find out what you need to do to bring your children back to the UK (what happens come Brexit?). Find out how to make sure he can't talk you into returning.

You are focusing on making it his decision for you to split up - it needs to be yours.

Aquamarine1029 · 16/12/2020 01:55

How do I end this. Just leave tomorrow and tell him not to follow? That's it? Doesn't seem fair, because then all he gets to do is continue with his life, unaffected, with no-one knowing what he has done, and probably tell everyone a sob story that I took his kids away from him.

Yes, you just leave tomorrow. That's it. What's fair simply doesn't matter anymore, and he will tell what he wants to whoever he wants, and they will believe what they will. You must understand this surely? No matter what absurd revenge plan you have romanticized in your mind will not play out how you envision, and yes, he will continue unaffected with his life because that is reality, not the ridiculous, unobtainable triumph of redemption you wish for. Truthfully, I think it's your anger with yourself in living this charade for so long that's really at the root of all this madness.

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