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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

Bastard bingo around the campfire

984 replies

helplesshopeless · 09/06/2021 10:51

Hi everyone...creating thread number 2 (or at least, attempting to...!) Link to old thread here

If that link doesn't work, I'll be forever indebted to any of you more mumsnet savvy folks helping me out! Grin

I'll come back in a bit to post properly, thank you all again for your help and support Flowers

OP posts:
Whatamesssss · 08/07/2021 19:58

Again, please at least voice record any conversations you have with him. You can get USB memory stick that record voice only, or just use your phone.

The reason he has sent those messages is to use them in court, when he will try to get sole custody of your DD. If you had a recording of what he actually said, he would probably get supervised contact only.

Please, please, please protect your DD and yourself.

billy1966 · 08/07/2021 20:03

Get home safely is your priority.

He is not to be trusted.

Tell your lawyer everything and let her advise you.

His behaviour is too unpredictable and abusive to risk stoke him further.

Men are dangerous when cornered.

He knows well he has behaved appallingly and he is terrified of exactly who he is being revealed by you, so he is unpredictable.

Get home safely and go to your parents.

Call your parents and prepare them.
You need to go to them and regroup.
Flowers

SpringCrocus · 08/07/2021 20:32

^ What @billy1966 said.

Please, please, get you and DD away from him. So many of us have been where you are now, and honestly thought the men we were about to leave would never actually physically hurt us. Or our children.
And so many of us were wrong.

He is dangerous, you need to protect DD.

CharityDingle · 08/07/2021 21:47

@loveyourself2020

Personally, I think that OP should not engage in any kind of confrontation with him. He clearly gets worse every time she tries to talk to him. I would just say for now, "lets talk about this at the counseling". Later once lawyers get involved it should be only through lawyers. He is not someone you can reason with and there is really no point. OP cannot explain anything to him because he does not want to understand.

I am really worried that he is unstable and can blow up at any time. His behavior is very erratic and unpredictable, I think that OP should get out of his way as much as possible.

I agree.
Cavagirl · 08/07/2021 22:48

This is so awful, I'm so sorry Sad

The only thing I'd add to the excellent advice others have given is to please please not be intimidated by his threats. Taking a step back it's completely laughable that he believes he has the power to ruin your reputation through spreading office gossip that no one gives a crap about anyway. And that's supposed to scare you into staying?!? A man who threatens to not let his 3 year old daughter do arts & crafts to punish you, FFS. He's a joke and he's saying whatever he can now to try to bully you into submission.
It will be the biggest test because this is the point at which, as I said on your old thread I think, you need to back yourself and your decision and believe that others are wrong and you are right. And all the while wrestling with the emotional discomfort of disobeying him, and the ever escalating consequences (his behaviour) of doing so, which you have been conditioned over years and years to acquiesce to.
Remember why you're here. Remember why you're doing this. Stay strong.

He was never on your team OP, but now you are fully on opposite teams I'm afraid.

Please please talk to your mum, don't wait till you get back. Sending strength and resolve Flowers

Whatdirection · 09/07/2021 07:55

Dear helplesshopeless

Just sending you a ton of support to help you get through the day.

You are not alone

You have an army of Mumsnetters who are entirely in your corner and have your back at every move.

I second the posters who say don’t do anything to antagonise him any further.

Remember it is second nature for him to behave in a nasty cruel manner.

This is not who you are so you will also struggle to behave in any way that might be considered harsh.

Be yourself but with a backbone of steel. Pull back from any discussions- have a few stock phrases to say in response to his jibes. Calmly state your truth. Quietly keep records.

Get support in real life - your parents, legal help, research getting a new counsellor.

Have an emergency plan for when you return. Who can you ask for help?

You are now in the eye of the storm. Very soon you will have made enough progress to know you will never want to return to this moment.

Keep an image of a happy well rounded DD in your head who thrives on your nurturing in the years ahead. Imagine your home filled with love and warmth. You can have this future.

I know how much it hurts to have a smear campaign directed against you. It’s very very hard. But anyone who believes his horrible comments is not your friend and it’s best you find out now who is truly in your corner.

Big hugs

Mix56 · 09/07/2021 09:01

I can imagine how hard this must be, trying to be happy around Dd with him simmering in the background.
Once you are safely home, as your boss already knows you are having marriage problems. One option would be to warn him/her that you will be separating in the near future, your H is angry & vindictive & looking to do a smarm campaign.

If you are making notes of his threats & lies, remember to change your phone password & be sure there is no joint cloud,
You know he is going to go through your phone/computer at the first opportunity.

I am guessing you are going home tomorrow ? Have you spoken to your parents ?

Alcemeg · 09/07/2021 09:22

Oh OP Flowers

It's a damage limitation exercise really, isn't it.

Since your annoying whore-face sounds as though it's already inflammatory enough, I'd be doing my best to avoid antagonising him (like obviously adversarial evidence-gathering). Keeping a private journal, if it's possible for you to obtain/maintain any such privacy, might be a good way to record events and feelings, and refocus your energies.

Damage limitation means protecting yourself and DD from harm, which (at the very least) is bound to include complete headfuckery. He will be miserably emphatic about "all the damage you have done" (DARVO alert!), and in the face of his distress/fury/loathing you have to find a way to stay calm and settled in your understanding of the situation. It's going to be tough.

I'm pretty sure you have by now constructed your little life-raft of things to cling on to -- a solid base of "We would never have got to this point if he hadn't kept demonstrating, and continuing to demonstrate, that his default setting is to be mean-spirited" woven together with knowing you can never love someone like that, a life of fake love is not worth the pretence, and even he stands a better chance of happiness if you split. The rope holding your raft together is woven from strands like the willy comment, promises to destroy your career (erm, how does that serve DD's best interests?) and wanting you dead... plus his astonishingly idiotic lack of connection with anything that doesn't immediately serve his own interests ("come in for a cuddle"?!?!?!??!?! WTAF 🤣).

Will you visit your parents when you get home? You need to rally support IRL.

Wishing you a trauma-free journey home and sending you love and strength for what lies ahead. Keep your eyes on the prize: a future free of this horrible ongoing trauma! It's like being married to someone who insists on doing plops everywhere and just leaving them for you to clear up. Just think, one day you won't have to keep mopping up his crap.

Alcemeg · 09/07/2021 09:22

@Mix56 I know "smarm" campaign was a typo but I kinda like it 😂

QuentinBunbury · 09/07/2021 11:23

Morning HH, been thinking about your situation a lot. I remember so well that feeling of needing to appease, trying to break the habit and then getting so much pain for it. It's very hard to step out of those patterns and learn something new.
Hope you are being kind to yourself,you are doing so well. Please remember you don't have to respond/interact with H. You can choose not to. Flowers

Mix56 · 09/07/2021 13:15

Oh God, I hadn't noticed !!!!!

billy1966 · 09/07/2021 13:40

I really hope she is OK.
🤞🙏

Grrrpredictivetex · 09/07/2021 15:32

@billy1966

I really hope she is OK. 🤞🙏
Me too @billy, had a feeling he'd resort to abusive self once he got her away from any support. Hopefully holiday coming to an end very soon and at least she'll have an out and safe option.
helplesshopeless · 10/07/2021 10:16

Hi everyone, thank you for your support and concern Thanks

All is fine, my husband has had a few more nasty moments but mainly very sad now, he's been begging me a lot saying how sorry he is, he'll get more therapy, he can't cope without me, etcSad so it's very sad. He's also doing things like deleting me from social media, being awkward about the documents we need for the return home, and refusing to answer me when I speak to him in front of our daughter which is pretty annoying.

We're heading home tonight, strangely don't quite want to leave as it feels like it will all hit home when we return!

OP posts:
FantasticButtocks · 10/07/2021 11:11

@helplesshopeless

refusing to answer me when I speak to him in front of our daughter

For goodness sake! What does your poor daughter think when he does that?

SecondRow · 10/07/2021 12:08

strangely don't quite want to leave as it feels like it will all hit home when we return!

This is understandable. This is it now, it's real, you have to go through it to get to the other side. I hope you can organise physical separation asap when you get home.

Wishing you much strength 💪

Cavagirl · 10/07/2021 12:55

being awkward about the documents we need for the return home
What does this mean OP?

Mix56 · 10/07/2021 12:57

Yes, but HH, ^He is mainly very sad now, he's been begging me a lot saying how sorry he is, he'll get more therapy, he can't cope without me""
But he has said this ad nauseam, he says he will change, but at EVERY small altercation he reverts to being vile.
He says again & again he will change then follows up with being awkward about the documents we need for the return home, and refusing to answer me when I speak to him in front of our daughter
He is UNABLE to reign it in, This is the person he is...
You are on holiday & not in a position to put your foot down, but the Documents, & Cussed behaviour infront of DD, Is something that proves he is still using his sulks, his anger, his manipulation to continue to punish you, because you haven't rolled over & accepted the abuse.

SpringCrocus · 10/07/2021 13:11

Good to hear from you @helplesshopeless

But I'm worried about the "documents to return home" reference. What does this mean? How is he being "awkward"?

helplesshopeless · 10/07/2021 13:24

Nothing sinister about the documents! Just all the various Covid and return to uk documents, plane tickets etc., he has them all together to show at various junctions during the journey; but he's refusing to deal with mine so has forwarded via email to me everything in relation to me so I'll have to deal with it separately. But I have everything I need. He's just being awkward 🙄

OP posts:
QuentinBunbury · 10/07/2021 13:28

That's just being spiteful. What a cock. But all good as examples of his unreasonable behaviour

KatySun · 10/07/2021 13:42

On one hand, that is better than him holding onto everything and ooops, accidentally losing your passport somewhere along the way to the airport. And if you are separating, no reason why he should do your paperwork. On the other, he is marking territory if he has DD’s passport and documents with his, and he can now take every opportunity to visibly separate you out on the way home.
However, such games are time-limited. Make sure you get home safely first and foremost. Then honestly, seek support from friends andfamily, legal advice and then into mediation to put down clear boundaries around who does what when with DD.

KatySun · 10/07/2021 13:47

The deleting social media whilst also apologising and begging you to stay is erratic and all over the place behaviour. Can you see why you previously did not know which way was up? He is literally doing two things at the same time which give out very different messages.

delete social media, separate tickets and blank HH : suggests does not want to be with her and it is toys out the pram time

Beg HH to try again, apologising for being a d*ck: suggests he does want to be with her

I mean, how are you supposed to know which way is up with him? It was just more subtle before but still the same alternating between punish/push away and want back.

SpringCrocus · 10/07/2021 14:06

But that IS sinister! And very very worrying that he has kept DD documents from you!

Mix56 · 10/07/2021 14:28

When You get home, You should get DDs passport, birth certificate & all other health related or other documents & take them out of the house & leave with your parents.
You should get copies of all house docs, his pay slips, pension, savings, bank accounts.
Because this is leading to him taking control/hiding of all the documents.
Does he ever go out ??? You need to do this without him getting wind of it.