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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

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What on earth happened?

779 replies

Newbie96 · 01/03/2021 10:55

Hi everyone, long time reader but first-time poster. I'll just jump straight into it. Please be kind.

My boyfriend and I have been together officially for a year, we've known each other since we were around 13 - 14 and attempted to make a go of it as teenagers (around 18) but it never worked. We've been in contact ever since because we both have mutually been drawn to one another. He often tells me he has compared every woman he's been with to me and to be honest I've done the same.

I am now 25 and he is 27. We got together just before lockdown last year and have spent nearly every waking second with each other since. We had been spending a lot of time together prior to lockdown happening and we both jumped at the opportunity to become each other's support bubbles when the time came and to be honest, it has been total bliss, we genuinely never argue, he is like my bestfriend.

Luckily for us, the lockdown has been kind to us mostly because we've had each other to get through it and it has made us grow extremely closer. I can honestly say the past year we both have agreed that we have been the happiest we've ever been, our relationship being one of the main reasons.

We both live alone and so we stay back and forth between his place and mine, only having to travel now and then for work etc. Due to our history and of course how much time we've spent together, emotions have definitely intensified and I am very much in love with this man, he knows this and tells me he feels the same way.

So fast forward to the weekend just gone, we had planned that I would spend the weekend at his house. I arrive at around 6:30 on Friday evening and things are good but I can sense that something is off/ or that he isn't exactly in the mood. I decide to ignore it but it seems to only get worse. Usually, we would sit down, have a conversation about our day and watch a series episode together which we commentate back and forth with each other but this time it's pure silence. Neither of us was physical with each other, he actually even sat on the furthest part of the sofa away from me. I can honestly say this was the first time I felt a little unwelcome in his home, which is odd considering how much time I have spent there and I've never felt this way before.

I mean maybe I overlooked everything far too much so please tell me if that appears to be the case. An hour of silence goes by, most of the time it was him on his phone whilst I watched the episode by myself, he stands up and asks if I am hungry, I say yeah and he says okay I will cook something for us. As it was the first proper real words we had spoken to each other all night, I decided to ask if everything was okay? he says yeah so in a jokey, laughing tone I ask if he wants me over tonight as it feels a little as if I'm intruding.

Well what happens next I didn't expect it at all, he is stood in the doorway of the living room and begins to get more and more wound up, he starts off by saying "of course I want you over but you have been sat there all night with this miserable look on your face, giving off bad energy" his voice is slightly raised but I don't retaliate and I calmy say "okay well I must have read it wrong, I wasn't trying to give off bad energy, I've been looking forward to seeing you all day" but he is so annoyed and goes off again accusing me of being the reason why the energy is so wrong between us tonight and how dare I blame him for it. I apologise again and say that I must have had a long day. He then goes on to say "well this is weird for me now so I think its best you leave" I am in shock as he walks out of the living room into the kitchen, in an attempt to let things settle, I leave it 5 minutes and walk into the kitchen with him and ask if he would really like me to leave? He responds "I'm just saying maybe its best", the thing is I can see on his face he is visually angry and in my head, I can't figure out why he is so annoyed, over something that in my mind was so trivial and silly. Like a fricken helpless puppy dog, I look at him again and ask if HE wants me to leave? and he responds "you know what yeah I do".

I take myself to the other room and begin packing up my stuff and I can hear him stomping and slamming about. I obviously felt a little confused because the whole situation felt extremely blown out of proportion. Once my things are packed I give it one last attempt and go and sit next to him on the sofa, I ask him if we can talk about this and I gently reach my hand out to touch his arm, but he blows up and is practically foaming from the mouth shouting at me not to touch him and that he just wants me to leave, at one point he swings the front door open and walks out of the front door in nothing his dressing gown, I don't chase him because I was honestly just shocked. He begins texting me telling me to leave his house or he won't come back? - I replied and told him I'm leaving but I would have appreciated it if he came back and just spoke to me. After 5/6 minutes pass, he comes storming back into the flat, pushing past me in the hall and is still foaming at the mouth shouting at how it's my fault and I'm making it worse by not leaving. Like a fool, I started to cry because I could see this has all escalated into a situation I didn't want for us at all. He tells me crying doesn't help the situation so tearfully I leave. As I wait outside for a cab, I check my phone and notice that he has blocked my number, my WhatsApp and my Instagram. I am totally confused and hurt by all of this and in my honest moment of craziness, I create another account on Instagram and message "I'm sorry for everything that just happened, I didn't expect any of that. I accept I was in the wrong and that I read the situation wrong, please can we talk when things are calmer?" he replies "please just let me know when you are home as I won't be able to sleep until I know your home" I leave it and let him know I am home, he bluntly replies "good, night" I again press on and I ask if we can talk? he responds and says "no I just want to go to sleep, we have been so good lately and now I'm laying here crying," I tell him I love him and that I don't want him to be sad, he replies and says he knows I do and that I should go to sleep.

Saturday morning comes and I message saying I hope he is okay and that again when things are calmer can we talk about this? he reads and doesn't respond. Sunday I message again along the same lines but telling him I miss him, again he reads and doesn't respond.

This morning I received a message from him saying "I told you that you were just making everything worse on Friday and you just didn't listen, you just thought you knew better and now I'm going to show you what I meant. I don't care, sorry" I sent some messages, honestly being very weak and pitiful, telling him that I would just like us to talk and sort this out as I miss him and this isn't like us at all, I then check for a response and he has blocked me from that account as well, so there are no ways of contacting him.

I just can't make sense of it all, we have never argued like this ever. I didn't expect him to blow up the way he did after asking him if everything was okay. I just feel like its all my fault for ruining something that we had so good. I feel really sad, low and alone and just wish he would calm down and speak to me.

Please give me your take on this entire, childish and shit situation. Did I do something wrong? and is he really never going to speak to me again over that?

Thank you

OP posts:
rawalpindithelabrador · 01/03/2021 14:00

Put him on block, too, so he can't contact you again. Because what Rainbowshine says is spot on. He's following a script. And yes, it's shocking the first time this happens. He'll be back to play mind games with you. Just nope out of there.

Newbie96 · 01/03/2021 14:01

Pebbledashery, thank you for your comment. You're completely right in the sense of me pushing and pushing, in my head I'm telling myself that I must fix this before it gets worse, without realising I'm making it so much worse by pushing.

OP posts:
Dery · 01/03/2021 14:04

“I have found over the years that I have an inability to get angry at the people I love, this often means I'm able to look past certain disrespects, that the normal person would find a deal-breaker or even just a reason to be angry. If anyone knows as to why this would be and how I change that I would really appreciate it?”

Counselling and the Freedom Programme. It sounds like at some stage you somehow learnt that loving someone and being angry with them are incompatible. Or you were excessively punished for expressing anger. It’s vital to be able to feel and express anger in an adult relationship because in any LTR there will be times when a boundary is crossed or something wrong is done (by both parties) and you need to be able to maintain that boundary and protect yourself. This is especially important because we let those we love closer than other people.

YoniAndGuy · 01/03/2021 14:06

Honestly, the only thing I think really worth saying is - he's very likely to pop up again, and if/when he does, I really, really advise you to simply block/delete without a word. Nutjob.

Pebbledashery · 01/03/2021 14:06

I'm actually relieved he's blocked you.. You don't want to be in an abusive relationship and coming on MN asking for advice because your partner has punched you in the face. Consider this your exit strategy. For the love of God, please don't go back to him either.

AfterSchoolWorry · 01/03/2021 14:10

@agaone20

Hey.

What I'm thinking that he has done something and is feeling guilty and bad about it. you felt unwelcome at first so it wasn't you that started the argument. I don't know why are you apologizing for it. Try not to text him and see if you hear from him.

Good luck,
A x

I thought exactly the same.
WishingHopingThinkingPraying · 01/03/2021 14:16

OP, do not let someone, even someone you know and love, treat you like this.

It's a very very clear road to a miserable life to accept this treatment in any way. You can't take him back as there is no coming back from this.

justanotherneighinparadise · 01/03/2021 14:25

Well he sounds deeply unstable doesn’t he?! Thank god you’re out of that. The mask well abs truly slipped.

NotAgainNoMore · 01/03/2021 14:25

I helped him quite a bit financially during our relationship - maybe this shifted the power balance? He may have wanted to end the relationship but thought he 'owed' you. He didn't want to look like he used you.

Krazynights34 · 01/03/2021 14:36

OP - I married the boyfriend who treated me like this (stuck with him for the present at 45 years old).
He got worse. He faked being nice even better and is utterly controlling.
Don’t do it to yourself!!
As pp say, he’s probably had his mind made up to dump you but so he doesn’t look bad.
It’s very important for abusers to look good on the outside
Have you read “why does he do that” by Lundy Bancroft? I’m not a disciple of it but it gives an insight into the mindset of abusive men

Newbie96 · 01/03/2021 14:36

NotAgainNoMore, maybe. He hesitated to ask me for help and it made him extremely uncomfortable but of course, I just wanted to help the best I could.

OP posts:
WaltzingBetty · 01/03/2021 14:42

@Newbie96
What were you apologising for so many times?

Why do you want to be with someone who can't have a conversation about how he feels and instead is explosive and aggressive to you?

Why do you think it's your responsibility to manage his emotional outbursts? Why isn't he responsible for his own feelings and behaviour?

TillyTopper · 01/03/2021 14:44

I think @Morgan12 is right - he wanted to break up with you but he didn't want it to seem his fault. So he picked an argument and said it was your fault. Personally I think it's a lucky escape - red flags all over that behaviour. Please find someone who deserves you!

sweetgingercat · 01/03/2021 14:53

I agree with others. It sounds like he wanted to end it. He sounds emotionally immature and probably can't cope with the responsibility or emotions or guilt of ending a relationship. Lots of people find ending a relationship really hard.

It sounds as if he found it easier to cope with if he shut off his emotions and blamed you. The more you appealed to him, the less that strategy worked until the only thing he could do was cut and block.

Unfortunately a lot of immature men are like that. You are better off without them. Some of them grow up. Others continue to be arseholes.

The good news is there are plenty of men out there who are not like this. You just have to find them.

Have a sob, get drunk with a mate, focus on his bad bits - the hairs on his nose, his tiny penis, whatever they are, and move on.

Changechangychange · 01/03/2021 14:54

He hesitated to ask me for help and it made him extremely uncomfortable but of course, I just wanted to help the best I could

No, he didn’t hesitate, and no it didn’t make him uncomfortable. He’s fleeced you and dumped you. You probably aren’t the first.

Newbie96 · 01/03/2021 14:55

WaltzingBetty, I guess at that moment I just wanted to fix the situation and for us to just get along. I arrived at his house in a very good mood and eager to see him so when things began escalating I thought if I apologised, maybe things would get better. Silly me i know.

OP posts:
nonetcurtains · 01/03/2021 15:00

I cannot allow history to have any say in the future

This phrase has hit me like a hammer. Wow. I promise to live by this ethos from now on.

Sorry for the tangent.

dottiedodah · 01/03/2021 15:00

Firstly it is NOT your fault! He sounds like he has either met /gone back with a prev GF as Morgan 12 says above.Also you say you knew each other as teenagers ,and it didnt work out .I think you have to realise hes not the guy for you .He sounds embarrassed to me that he didnt have the guts to be straight with you.

notacooldad · 01/03/2021 15:09

Well my take on it is that this started off with you both sitting in silence for an hour. I have no idea why either of you do that, but as you both did and caveating that I was not there, I would have to say six of one and half a dozen of another.
I've been in that situation.

I went round to mt then boyfriend s house all in a good mood but I remember I was a bit rushed. As soon as I got in you could feel the atmosphere. I started to make conversation but it it was suddenly awkward so I stopped to see what would happen feeling increasingly uncomfortable. It got to the stage where it was hard to say something but something had to be said.
Turns out it was my fault!! I apparently hadcbeen in a mood and also apparently bought the bad vibe!
Load of bollocks.
It would havevbeen easier for knibhead to day, look we need to talk.....its not you.....blah blah blah.
Instead he manufactured an atmosphere!

brimfuller · 01/03/2021 15:10

I wasted so much of my younger life wondering why various boyfriends behaved why they did, why they didn't want me anymore, why I wasn't good enough etc. I know how hard it is to stop doing that.

The simple fact was that they weren't right for me, and this man isn't right for you. You sound lovely, and you did everything you could on Friday to smooth things over and get back on an even keel. Whatever his issue is, leave him to it and just try to look after yourself. It's not easy to do, but you deserve much better.

Newbie96 · 01/03/2021 15:12

Thank you dottiedodah, I'm trying to come to terms with the fact he's potentially met someone else. Prior to the other night, we genuinely got on like a house on fire, telling me that I was the one he's been waiting for all this time.
It was all a load of nonsense and lies. It just hurts.

OP posts:
Newbie96 · 01/03/2021 15:14

brimfuller , thank you for your lovely words. I really did try to avoid the whole situation because I hate confrontation. I will just leave him to it, it just sucks that im so easy to walk away from.

OP posts:
Itstimetoquit · 01/03/2021 15:14

I think you have had a lucky escape op (even though it hurts like hell,sending hugs) I think he wanted out of the relationship but didn't have the balls to say it! So he created a scenario,then turned it round on you just so he could ask you to leave. Don't blame yourself you did nothing wrong at all. Don't message him he's not worth it,stay strong op xx

sparechange · 01/03/2021 15:16

I'm so sorry, what an arsehole he is.

I'm afraid my immediate thought when I read your post is that he has found someone else.
It is nearly always the reason when a man flips into arsehole mode overnight.
They do it to justify the cheating (even if they've only cheated in their own head at that point)
Paint you as the bad guy and them as the person who is leaving the bad guy for their saviour

Newbie96 · 01/03/2021 15:17

Itstimetoquit thank you! it really does hurt like hell. I've been holding in tears all day at work, so I know as soon as I get home to my empty flat later it will all hit me like a tone of bricks.
I just cant grasp how i can be so easy to leave! it really feels shiity.
Sorry for my moment of weakness, im just feeling pretty low today.

OP posts: