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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

How can a 48 year old man do this

19 replies

Muffinchips · 11/05/2021 13:50

I thought I had met a good man. He seemed such a healthy normal man. 3 years out of a ten year relationship. Two adult daughters. Told me he was even a grandad now to a baby. I have a 3.5 and 7 year old so we chatted about our children and he said because of his ex wife he missed out massively on his kids and will enjoy a chance to be apart of things in the future when the timings right if we get to that stage.

He worked full time. Had his own rented house. Told me he left everything with his last ex including his dog as he didn't like her being alone. They were on good terms still which made me think he was even more of a normal nice guy. I must admit her regular texts and nipping round for coffee had me abit unsure as I was fairly in the dark about her. She knew about me but wasn't giving him much space to move on.

We had a really nice few months and we laughed at the same things. Agreed on alot of things in conversations. We both liked a fairly peaceful life. I like going out more than he does. But not partying as such. Just days out, shopping and seeing friends. We exchanged love you and we're supposed to be officially a couple. But it was like he never truly acted like we were. I started thinking he wasn't over the ex. But also he was flirtatious online and sometimes I was quite annoyed at his lack of respect in that way.

I started to notice he didn't see anyone. One of his adult kids had cut out contact again and I found out he hadn't seen the baby. She was no longer on his social media. The other daughter seemed to try to keep in touch via phones but didn't visit. His ex wife from 16 years ago was still texting him warning him to be a decent parent and not to lean on her anymore. His mum and dad were no longer speaking to him or his sister and her family.

Our first Christmas he opted out. Said he never celebrated. He literally spent the day alone. Refused to say why he hated christmas so much. But he saw nobody at all. He hadn't met my kids and my Christmas carried on as normal. We celebrated and I enjoyed it. But I must admit I was starting to feel abit suspicious of him. He seemed very miserable. Didn't even have a Christmas card in his house. He was literally like the Grinch.

Over January and February this year he ended up loosing money as a dodgy friend of his had done something dodgy in his name. I don't want to write exactly what but he was innocent and all he was guilty of was mixing with a dodgy type for a few weeks to get some work! Never the less he couldn't get to pay day so I lent him £50 for food. He gave me it back 3 days later. Then The next week he borrowed £30. Gave me it back. Then eventually I lent him £180 and said keep it for a month l, build back up and then give me it.

A month ago everything came out. This man is so many things I didn't realise. His ex is still his friend but the real reason they split Was she had bailed him out for years with money. He was never on the mortgage it was all her house. He was an alcoholic until 4 months before meeting me. He was always drunk and flirting with other women. Had been sacked for being drunk at work. Eventually she caught him having sex with another woman and found out he was planning on starting a life with this woman through messages. This woman was dumped a a few weeks later and after his ex didn't want him back he left the house. He's somehow kept her close which is odd and explains the strange way he mentioned her but it didn't add up. I could always sense he still hadn't gotten over her but he claimed she wasn't very nice.

We split because I had questions and he didn't want to be honest.
He's paid me back, blocked me on every platform. Accused me of being insecure and causing us to split.

He had started being abit nasty to me anyway. Comments on my clothes. My intelligence and the way I spent my time due to being a mother. He was also on opiates and wasn't taking them as recommended. His mood swings were allover and I often noticed he had no food in hardly. Some weeks he would cook the odd meal. But the rest of the time it was toast or takeaway.

I was never ever with him for money but it was quite off putting that he had no savings despite working. Not even abit incase an appliance broke. He was always buying clothing though. I started realising he had nothing to show for his life. His car had been off road for months. He has no mortgage. No decent furniture. No family in his life.

A mutual friend has told me he's now speaking to a lady in her early 50s. She's the 5th woman he's gotten close to since his ex dumped him. She lives further away and hasn't yet met him it seems.

He's well and truly got over me and has no conscience about the lies, borrowing my money or lying to me about the future.

Just don't understand why he wasted my time.

Just wanted to talk. Having a day where I'm feeling quite down remembering all the good times.

OP posts:
viques · 11/05/2021 13:57

It’s not his age, it’s his nature. You met a nasty man, who will carry on being nasty, and alone until he dies. You are clearly a kind person , who deserves better, so congratulate yourself on a lucky escape , dust yourself down and start thinking about finding someone who appreciates you. Be thankful that you aren’t his poor wife who must have put up with his nastiness for years before she saw the light and got rid.

Flowers and Wine if they help. Gin and Cake if you prefer.

pointythings · 11/05/2021 14:01

You've been unlucky enough to fall in with a man with many issues: addiction, not really properly in recovery (not drinking but leaning on the opiates, not addressing the reasons why he drank), unable to maintain healthy relationships or function as an adult. The thing with addicts is that they are manipulative and are often very good at it. You got taken in - don't blame yourself. Well done ending it when you realised he had been massively lying to you.

EmeraldShamrock · 11/05/2021 14:04

Take yourself away from the situation, he is lying to you constantly, thankfully you have no DC together.
You can't trust him after this.

Aquamarine1029 · 11/05/2021 14:05

When someone has multiple people in their life, especially children and family members, who want nothing to do with them, you need to step back and have a rethink. Lesson learned.

EmeraldShamrock · 11/05/2021 14:08

You're not the first or last woman to fall for a man like this, put it behind you, to quote Elsa let it go and be proud.

Sandra15 · 11/05/2021 14:09

Muffin you sound a lovely person and you deserve better than this. I'm sorry this happened but it is him, not you and you are well out. I'm pleased you got the money back though. That could have been the thin end of a wedge.

BertramLacey · 11/05/2021 14:18

He's a wanker. There's not much analysis needed really. A few signs early on though - anyone blaming anything on their ex is cause for some suspicion. I mean their ex might genuinely be problematic, but telling you and saying it early in your relationship is unnecessary. And if they're blaming their ex, just bear in mind you could be the next ex and they could be blaming you.

he said because of his ex wife he missed out massively on his kids and will enjoy a chance to be apart of things in the future when the timings right if we get to that stage.

Your kids are not there to make up for his mistakes. You don't get to rewind and play things out with someone else. The situations are different and he should have respected this.

Muffinchips · 11/05/2021 14:24

Thank you. He his the addiction from me. When I found out he claimed he only drank heavily for six months. But I have found out that he was driving to meet his affair lady drunk and she thought he was on something because he was acting so strange. So I think the drink problem was years more than he admitted.

He always seemed sober and worked Monday Friday. But weekends he was hit and miss. Sometimes slept all weekend due to the opiates. He came off them for a few weeks. Then went back on them. So he's not taking them safely. He'd wake up abit allover the place and would grumble to me that his phone wws constantly going off. I never knew who was contacting him but I guess other women now.

Yes I am very lucky I doged a bullet. I think it scares me that I let this man into my life. In glad he never met my kids. But I sometimes look at my kids and think I'm so sorry I nearly put us in a situation where we would have been unhappy. I'm glad I realised before we were involved too much.

Ive set myself a garden project up and I'm trying my best to make my life all about me and the kids now. I do feel happy in many ways. Him not being in my life is strangely peaceful. I think that's because I always knew deep down. He seemed fun and exciting because he was good at lying.

Hopefully in a few more weeks I'll feel alot happier. I had no idea about addiction as I've never been around it. I stupidly thought once you quit drinking you were ok again after a few months. Silly me. Shows what a sheltered life I've lived.

OP posts:
Skyla2005 · 11/05/2021 14:41

Why are you having a down day ? You should be celebrating the fact that you dodged the looser. Just think you could still be with him not realising what a waste of space he is. Move on and be happy. Reach out to friends and enjoy yourself he will always have a sad life.

TatteredOwls · 11/05/2021 14:44

Can I ask why you thought he was nice and normal? And his age is irrelevant - he's just a prize cock.

Honestly don't waste time trying to delve into his psyche. Who cares? Just move on

TatteredOwls · 11/05/2021 14:46

Oh and don't talk 'I love you' with men you don't properly know.

Muffinchips · 11/05/2021 14:50

Because he shared family photos with me. Sounded like a proud dad. A hard worker. Showed me his old garden He had done up. Told me places he had been. Talked about respect and how he had been raised to respect and always have manners. Told me he loved to cook. Told me his plans going forward. Told me about his work history and his hobbies and interests. Just overall seemed interesting and normal.

I am happy don't get me wrong. Down day is coming from being used. Sexually. Financially. Realising he didn't give a toss about my kids or me. It feels like he was laughing at me. Now he's moved on and is charming some other lady with a grandchild and grown up kids. Another family who may or may not end up hurt if he doesn't get caught out.
I sometimes think what if he respects her and I was just a joke to him because I'm younger. But I am trying to not let it get me down. I look at the gifts he got me sometimes and I can't even bare to use them now as they remind me of the lie I was in.

OP posts:
Muffinchips · 11/05/2021 14:52

@TatteredOwls

Well I did love him and it had been 3 months of closeness and sex. So it felt like love. I've said it to my last long term partner after six weeks. I didn't know it was fake at that point on his part.

OP posts:
Sandra15 · 11/05/2021 14:59

Muffin, put them on eBay. The things he bought you. I totally understand why you are having a down day, but you have a good heart and came from a good place into this relationship. It's not your fault he's a twat in tinfoil rather than a knight in shining armour. He sounds a nightmare.

Fireflygal · 11/05/2021 15:13

@Muffinchips,sometimes people come into our life for a reason, maybe he will help you be more cautious about people,m - the lesson is don't believe what is said until you see the behaviour for yourself.

Many of us have been fooled so be grateful you had your eyes opened early on before any major loss.

You can only love the idea of someone 3 months in, it takes much longer to know if you love someone.

Btw, This type of character is very common online dating sites...what would you do differently next time if a similar man approached you? Did you see any red flags early on and ignore your intuition?

If you learn from it, then it's not a waste.

Muffinchips · 11/05/2021 15:57

Thanks. I didn't mean him through the internet as such. Through us being in the same place at the same time for a few weeks.

It's hard to spot isn't it. I've had three serious relationships in 15 years. Ranging 19 months to 8 years. It's hard to notice in the begining because it's quite normal to share stories and fall in love. I appreciate that there's long term love and there's the passionate love stage where you just feel happy and content. I suppose it was the new feels of love and excitement. Rather than the commitment love you get after a few years. But it did feel intimate and special to me.

I think he managed to blind me with the photos of his family. The oh I'm a parent too. He even said him and his ex fizzled out like me and my children's dad did. So he made us sound like we had Alot in common.

I have learned to true my gut more. I always knew deep down. But i needed the evidence that I wasn't just going abit insecure and crazy. He was always ready to shut me down. Or he would get in there first. For example when a woman told him he looked absolutely amazing now xxxx on his photo he quick messaged me and said dunno how she knows what I looked like before she's not seen me for 20 years. But then he went onto her comment and put why thank you ms Jones xx I thought at the time that is strange. That was the start of her writing on most of his pictures. So I guess he was messaging her too.

I think I'll have to bin the perfume and stuff. It's half used but cost alot of money. He was very good at making you feel special. Probably his guilt. If he has any.

OP posts:
Sandra15 · 21/05/2021 12:14

How are you getting on Muffin?

ToffeeNotCoffee · 21/05/2021 14:37

Google the phrase, 'love bombing.'

Also, he didn't want the relationship to go any deeper. He didn't answer your questions then basically ended things with you because you were pretty much on to him.

That's why he scarpered.

You mean he had no food in the house ? Either toast or take away. I have no time for people who live like this.

Bullet dodged.

user1471538283 · 21/05/2021 17:18

He wanted you to keep him. Someone I knew had one of those and she is working like a dog to provide a useless, weak and strange man with the life he thinks he should have.

Thank goodness you didnt!

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