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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

Controlling behaviour? Do I take him back?

110 replies

Fairylou123123 · 05/05/2021 23:29

3 months ago I got back in touch with a man who I knew 21 years ago. This is a year after my marriage separation. To start with seemed a lovely guy. He gave me flowers, treated me like a princess, cooked me dinner, for on well with my kids and made me feel special. But very early on he started making comments about what clothes I was wearing and my make up. He wanted me to dress up for him all the time and if I didn’t he told me I didn’t turn him on. I told him to stop and he would then sulk and not speak to me the next day. He wouldn’t let me sleep at night, even when he knew I had to be up for work at 6am. He would keep me awake until 3am and if I tried to sleep he would say I didn’t care about him and sulk again. He told my kids that I was boring and no fun to be around but in a jokey tone. But my kids started to copy this behaviour and when I told him it was an issue he did stop. He wanted to spend time with me everyday and if I told him I was going to sleep then he would say I don’t expect to see you online and if he did see me he would accuse me of cheating on him. He overwhelmed me with expensive presents and after only a couple of weeks was telling me I’m his world and he can’t live without me. Has he been love bombing me? I told him I wanted to take things slow but he always took offence and felt like I didn’t care about him. He also started doing and saying things and then telling me he hadn’t said them. Anyway he dumped me a couple of days ago because I told him I don’t like how he talks to me. He has now contacted me today to day he is sorry and he didn’t mean any of it. I told him I’m not interested. Have I don’t the right thing? My kids are upset without him but I feel he is too controlling

OP posts:
BlackDaffodil · 06/05/2021 03:26

Christ I was panic stricken reading your post OP, thank goodness you saw through this controlling love bombing possessive jealous twat.

You did good Lady 🌸

BagORats · 06/05/2021 05:41

He must have got started on the abusive behaviour pretty bloody quickly yet you still integrated him into your kids lives enough that he bought one an xbox, they started copying his behaviour towards you and they now miss him. And you gave him a key to your door. After 3 months.

You need to stay single for the sake of your children, and don't introduce new blokes into their lives until you've known them a lot longer

Lozzerbmc · 06/05/2021 06:20

Well done to get rid of this awful controling man. Buying the gifts is just about control wanting to be liked and make you feel beholden to him.

Dont engage with him again, he’ll try and get you back.

Look forward not back Flowers

Jdhshekr · 06/05/2021 06:28

You’ve done absolutely the right thing. So many red flags waving that the sky was vanishing. Don’t let him back into your life at all, and don’t introduce anyone new to your kids so fast - that was a big mistake and very confusing for them.

WildfirePonie · 06/05/2021 06:44

Well done OP.

Change your locks today.

sammylady37 · 06/05/2021 06:54

In contact three months and he has a key to your home and is very involved with your kids??? Jesus Christ. Your poor children. Don’t date again til you learn decent boundaries and how to recognise abusive behaviour early on.

Inxthexdarkness · 06/05/2021 07:27

I've just got out of a controlling relationship. .
Started with lovely intense phone contact. Compliments. I was so beautiful. Perfect. He fell in love fast.
Sex stuff became a big thing. He seemed so focused on me sexually at times. I used to think he's at his nicest when it was about sex.

Over time he said the following.

"Why do you wear your hair so long"

"I prefer ponytails"

"Can I send you some red nail varnish for your toes"

"If I could change anything about you I'd give you a tan"

"Have you never thought about going back to work to see other grown ups at least"

"Stay at home mums turn into children"

He used to want me in certain colour underwear and claimed he liked the idea of me wearing classy stuff in the bedroom. Then he added a new woman to his Facebook. Started looking at her content. Started sending me tarty versions of her clothes to wear in bed for him. We split a week after this!!

Go with your gut. It's the best thing in the world. When you are happy you don't worry. You don't overthink. You don't walk on egg shells.

Write things down in an email draft of anything. Get all your thoughts out. Work out what he does. Is there really anything nice about him?

I thought there were nice parts to my guy. So I let him get away with it. But the nice parts were an act. He was literally taking me for a cruel ride.

He was a day drunk (months into alcohol recovery) never got therapy.
He was on opiates for pain but didn't take them safely.
He was a liar. Started white lies early on. Started noticing his stories not adding up.
He would mirror me to make me think wow we have the same candle. We think the same thing. We like the same food etc.
He would say something I had said the other day like it was his words.
He would gaslight me. Make out I was confusing him. Try to make me feel thick and like I wasn't very bright. Nobody else struggled to read my texts or understand me like he did!
He was always wanting phone sex. I would do things to please him when we were apart. Even though it wasn't easy as I was juggling two young children I made sure he had my undivided attention.
He contacted me every hour.
He was obsessed with his ex still and slept with her photo above his bed.

In the end I found out he had other women on the go phone wise. One woman he had destroyed her marriage and was still faking a future with her. He was always window shopping on Facebook.

Overall not a nice man.
No savings.
Nearly 50 and no property or car.
Clings onto his past.
Obsessed with sex but can't show empathy.
Aggressive with words.hes spoken to Me more horrible than anyone else ever has in my life. Yet he was meant to love me.

Sorry I'm waffling on. But please end it with him. Read up on narcissists. Watch videos on YouTube about them.
He may just be an idiot. But still read into signs of toxic men etc. The more you educate yourself, the more you will realise he's the problem. He's horrible. He's not normal. Also there are men out there that would give anything to look after you properly. Don't let him waste your years.

X

Inxthexdarkness · 06/05/2021 07:33

Also mine sent me perfume. Bath stuff. Nail varnish etc. He was also falling in love very fast. One of the things I have never understood is why send me gifts and things when I wasn't that important and there was others around him. But I was just flavour of the month. I was also lending him money in the end. He was leaning on me and I was quite abit younger with two little kids. He was working full time and only had himself to worry about. These men use people because they mess up again and again and never learn.

Starstruck2021 · 06/05/2021 07:42

Watch out now because it sounds like he will try to persuade you to get back together. He will declare undying love, bombard you with messages and buy you presents, then when you don’t fall for it, he will get nasty. (Been there myself unfortunately.)

I would plan what to do if he turns up etc.

thecatsarecrazy · 06/05/2021 07:48

Yes definitely done the right thing. He sounds like a controling narcissist. Love bombing then devalue and control. I've been there but we don't really see each other. He still try's to control me though, being funny about what I put on twitter. Seeing I'm online on a website and wanting to know why, saying only reason I have twitter is to look for another bloke. Funny looking though his Twitter follows is full of women but I wouldn't dare say a word.

Fairylou123123 · 06/05/2021 07:59

I gave him a key to my home right near the end of the relationship as he said for my birthday he wanted to do something nice for me while I was out. He made me think he was going to put my presents in the house and do something special. He never did do any of this though and actually made me cry on my birthday because of his controlling behaviour

OP posts:
Bananalanacake · 06/05/2021 08:02

Thank God he didn't try to move in with you. Well done on getting rid.

Fairylou123123 · 06/05/2021 08:03

Every time he made comments to me about my appearance, he immediately said afterwards that he was joking and never meant any of it. Then blamed me when I took it to heart. He told me that women who wear make up are fake and he wanted me to go without make up once a week. I told him I would never change. The clothing thing annoyed me as he wore casual stuff but expected me to wear dressier clothing everyday also found out near the end that he had a 10 year old child that he hadn’t see since he was 2 years old. He had signed him over to his ex gfs new man

OP posts:
16purplecolour16 · 06/05/2021 08:06

If you need to ask - answer always ‘no’.

Alfiemoon1 · 06/05/2021 08:09

Run for the hills and don’t look back block him and change your lock

thecatsarecrazy · 06/05/2021 08:10

These men are so messed up. I saw on twitter the other day someone said twitter eventually makes narcissists of us all. I was so angry and replied that you don't just become a narcissist, and they're horrible people who ruin life's and leave you a shell of the person you were. The one in my life during the love bombing sent me a birthday card, long thought out messages about how he's so glad we met and never wants to lose me, declared love early on, used to phone 6, 7 times a day making sure I was ok. Now I get maybe 1 a week and that's only when he wants someone to hear him moan about work. Sort texts that are normally the same thing, you ok? What you doing? Nothing of much interest. He's obsessed with sex, I sent him something sexual once when I wasn't in the mood at all because I wanted to please him. Few days later he made some complaint about me not doing enough. I spoke my mind and said I'm not happy about that, I do things for you to keep you happy and you say that. Then I got paragraphs of text about everything he sees I've done wrong. Sorry for tmi but he says I've never seen you cum. I sext him once for 2 hours, and he fell asleep straight after he pleasured himself. Every other time I just get right going kip now, night. I used to get "gifts" in the form of dildos he wants to see me using. Now it's I would like you to buy such and such.. I just say no I don't really want it so I'm not buying it. So I just get ok. He asked 2 days before Christmas what I wanted obviously with no intention of getting anything. Lied that he sent me a parcel a few months ago. I knew full well he hadn't sent it but still cried when nothing arrived. He brought it up and said oh must of got robbed in the post. Be careful he will probably start sending you sweet messages again and try and hoover you back in now.

Fairylou123123 · 06/05/2021 08:20

Thank you for all the replies. I will read over all replies and answer each individually later after work. I’m new to this and this is my first post. I really appreciate everyone who took the time to reply

OP posts:
youvegottenminuteslynn · 06/05/2021 08:27

Change the locks. He's clearly unstable and at the moment he could get into your home, your children's home, whenever he wanted to.

Meadowlands1 · 06/05/2021 08:34

bloody hell - run like the wind. And never ever introduce someone new to your kids. It should be many months before they meet.

Have you done the Freedom Programme?

LittlestBoho · 06/05/2021 09:11

@Fairylou123123

I gave him a key to my home right near the end of the relationship as he said for my birthday he wanted to do something nice for me while I was out. He made me think he was going to put my presents in the house and do something special. He never did do any of this though and actually made me cry on my birthday because of his controlling behaviour
He asked for a key because he wanted to get into your house when you weren't there. It wasn't about the gift, it was about control. He will definitely have a copy, please change the locks as soon as you can.

Also, why did you allow him to give your son an X Box? That's really inappropriate for someone who is basically a stranger and unfair to your exH. He was trying to groom your kids just like he groomed you. Does he know your son's contact details on X Box live or their phone numbers? Make sure he's not contacting your kids behind your back to try to undermine you; he is clearly a sociopath.

You just came out of a long marriage, and I think this makes people vulnerable. You were with somebody you presumably knew inside out, so you will have lost your relationship 'street smarts' and you don't have the proper boundaries with a new intimate partner. Would you consider doing the Freedom Program? It will help you to identify controlling behaviour in the future. This man should have been binned right at the start, you've had a very lucky escape (but change your locks ASAP!)

OrchestraOfWankery · 06/05/2021 09:11

@Fairylou123123

Thank you for all the replies. I will read over all replies and answer each individually later after work. I’m new to this and this is my first post. I really appreciate everyone who took the time to reply
Are you generally a people pleaser? It may help explain why you've allowed his behaviour up to now.
Fairylou123123 · 06/05/2021 09:39

@OrchestraOfWankery I am a people pleaser. It stems from childhood. If I didn’t do what my mother and sister wanted then I was given the silent treatment and excluded from things

OP posts:
Sssloou · 06/05/2021 09:50

You have done really really well to get out of this within 3 months.

You have made a mental note of each and every incident, consolidated it and seen the pattern of push, pull, love bombing / mirroring, manipulation, bullying, control and abuse.

That must have been v confusing and difficult with someone who you thought you knew and understood from the past.

But he is a classic wrong ‘un and they are so very predictable - I expect his version of his relationship history will give you a few clues.

Anyway - it’s v v important that you totally block and delete and change your locks. If he contacts you some other way tell him once you can zero contact and if he persists speak with the police. He might well have a record.

Agree get the x box thing checked out and if he had any access to tech in your home think about that as well.

billy1966 · 06/05/2021 09:55

OP,

Yes you really made a terrible mistake.

Do not take him back.

He sounds dangerous.

Get that lock changed and stay away from men for a while until you learn boundaries.

Focus on why you put up with him.

Your children need protecting from random men like this.

Mind yourself.

Flowers
Sssloou · 06/05/2021 09:58

The people pleaser thing is what you need to work in within yourself now because this “wound” will expose you and trip you up time and time again in life - at work, socially, parenting and in romantic relationships.

Predatory types (colleagues, “friends”, bosses, potential boy friends) sniff this wound and exploit it.

Start doing some little experiments in your daily life on your boundaries so get a sense of agency. Just say “No” now and again and see what happens (it will feel uncomfortable at first - but the sky won’t fall in - nice people won’t care and nasty people will reveal themselves - ready for a cull)

Another tip as PP has said is whenever you are confused or unsettled - listen to that and assume No or a warning - as this is our head going against our gut .... our gut is our truth and our head is what we think others expect of us - life is much more relaxed when you are true to yourself

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