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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

What's normal re: friends with an ex

40 replies

Phoebebuffaystwin · 25/09/2021 12:02

Hi. Please read this message, bearing in mind that I've never had a proper, loving, non abusive relationship :(
So I'm after opinions from those in fully functioning, healthy relationships as to what normal and 'okay'.

There's a man that around 7 years ago, I was kind of seeing - we tried to make a go of things but he was unfortunately a flake and it fizzled out, we then met up sporadically up until 2 years ago, which was always initiated by me, I suppose he was basically a bit of an emotional crutch as I was going through a bad time.

I cut contact for a while and he met someone, got engaged and is happy.

We spoke for the first time yesterday in over a year, he said that I had just disappeared, I explained that he started to ignore my messages so I stopped contacting him and I decided to ask about his treatment of me in the past, he told me that he had liked me lot back then, but was "in a bad place" and I "always had some other guy in the background". He also said "you last told me you loved x (the abusive, bad relationship guy), so I back off". I told him this just before he met his now fiancee and we haven't spoken since they have been together, until now.

Anyway. I no longer have feelings for him, there aren't even any residual feelings of fancying him, he told me yesterday that he has always had a soft spot for me, whatever that means.
He is completely loved up, has no feelings for me as far as I know.

So, we arranged to meet up next week at his work.
Would this be okay? I don't know how I would feel if my fiance of a month met up with an ex, mot that we are really exes...it was more of a prolonged and deeply weird fling... would you expect him to tell her he's asked me to meet?

Going to his work seems strange, but he works at a place where people pop in on a regular basis and all his workmates have friends that pop in through the day.

From her point of view, though, she wouldn't see it as weird/wrong given our history? If he told her that is. Should he even tell her, as meeting up with female friends is fine presumably in a healthy relationships, does it work the same if said friend is a kind of ex?

Anyway. I don't want to put their relationship in any risk, he reckons he's got his head on straight now but sometimes men are a bit blind, aren't they, and women see things differently. She seems lovely from what he tells me of her, and apparently she's very easy going but I just wanted to see what you all thought?

The intention by the way is to be friends. I said I would rather be proper mates or never speak again, than all this sporadic chatting that we've been doing for the past 6 years and he agreed that he would like to be friends, too.

What do you all think?

OP posts:
Phoebebuffaystwin · 25/09/2021 14:18

@Verbena87

You could message him and see if he and his fiancée want to meet up for a drink?

I’m friends with my nice exes and their wives, so is my husband. My first long term boyfriend in particular because he knows what a shit I can be, likes me anyway, and can always be relied on to call me out when I’m being a dick. He and my husband share hobbies so they get on really well as well, and we had kids around the same time so his wife was one of my breastfeeding-at-3am WhatsApp buddies.

My exes from dysfunctional/tricky relationships I’ve had no contact with in years.

If a friendship makes you feel doubtful, worried, as if you need to think carefully about what you do/say, or as if you’re questioning the other person, why bother? Friendships should make your life easier and better, not complicated and uncomfortable.

And his soft spot comment seems simultaneously patronising and as if he’s after more than friendship. I’d leave it well alone.

Yes, I took the soft spot comment as quite patronising, almost like he sees me as some sort of lapdog or something. I honestly don't see him as cheating though, he's being with loads of women but has never been engaged.

I think that's why I felt safe to try and pursue a friendship, this woman seems to mean more to him than anyone else previously.

OP posts:
EarthSight · 25/09/2021 14:23

Oh come ON OP. You know this is not ok!

he told me yesterday that he has always had a soft spot for me, whatever that means. He is completely loved up, has no feelings for me as far as I know

Have you considered that this man kept you dangling, that you were ok for a bit of fun, but not to date seriously or marry? Now he's been speaking to you, he thinks you could again be up for it? He's getting cold feet about marrying of letting go of his youth, and you're his little taste of that again?

and all his workmates have friends that pop in through the day

What? All his male workmates have female friends popping in through the day.....do they? Female friends they have 'soft spots' for?

Anyway. I don't want to put their relationship in any risk

Sorry, it doesn't come across like that. It comes across like you're in denial over what you really want. Is it that you secretly hope that he eventually declares his affection for you (he's kind of already done that), that he says his current engagement is a big mistake and she pales compared to you. That what happened years ago was a big misunderstanding and you can both skip off into the sunset?

He had posted on his Facebook about his new love and how he had been messed around in the past being thrown crumbs and realising only after he met his new fiancee that crumbs were all they were

Why on earth is posting things like that on Facebook. It's performative and almost exhibitionist.

Maybe I've just watched too many films and stories of people falling out of touch for years, then getting back in contact and striking up some great romance, so I thought you could do the same with being friends

Yep, just read this and it seems I was right. I think this is exactly what you hope will happen, and deep down, and I reckon you hope that it will be a great romance.

You're both dancing close to the fire. Why is it that these type of men are so keen to me 'mates' with usually single women they think they have a chance with?

I reckon you're desperately looking for permission here to see him more often, to get close to someone else's fiancé.

category12 · 25/09/2021 14:26

I think that's why I felt safe to try and pursue a friendship, this woman seems to mean more to him than anyone else previously.

But why?

Why can't you let this person go? Why are you determined to make something out of it?

Phoebebuffaystwin · 25/09/2021 14:34

Earthsight, yes I had considered that he just saw me as a bit of fun, and I did say that to him yesterday. He told me he was in a bad place (he suffers from depression etc) and liked me, but didn't know how to deal with what he was going through. Which is kind of where I was too back then, as I suffered from unmedicated anxiety.

I just thought that because of both our mental states at the time, and the fact we are in such different places mentally now, AND the fact he is settled down and happy that we might be able to get on just as friends now, without all the extra aggro of fancying each other or whatever.

I do feel a connection with him and I think if someone asked him, he would say the same. It genuinely doesn't feel romantic (or anything other than friendly) to me, though.

I only posted because I was trying to work out whether morally, he should, or would need to, tell his fiancee about it. If you all thought he should, but he doesn't, then I know he's interested in something other than friendship and I would steer clear.

But I wanted to give the friendship thing a go, rather than writing him off as a lost cause, or only after one thing, straight away.

If any of that makes sense?

OP posts:
FluffyWhiteBird · 25/09/2021 14:37

bearing in mind that I've never had a proper, loving, non abusive relationship sad

I didn't need to read past this. You don't want anyone in your life who treats you this way. Not a partner, family, friends or acquaintance. Why would you want to be "friends" with an ex who treated you badly?

toobusytothink · 25/09/2021 14:40

You should never have contacted him. He said he was happy and then you did that. Please leave him alone. Regardless of whether he has feelings for you or whether he doesn’t why do you need him as a friend. Let him get on with his life

toobusytothink · 25/09/2021 14:42

Sounds like you’re playing games - will he tell his fiancée he’s meeting me - if he doesn’t does that mean something … actually quite sad

category12 · 25/09/2021 14:47

No, it doesn't make sense.

You need to examine why you're not willing to let go of someone who has treated you quite poorly at times.

Are you trying to prove you can get him?

EarthSight · 25/09/2021 17:16

You want a friend, yes?

Join a hobby group where you can find like-minded women.

Don't contact men you had a thing from years ago who are now happily engaged.....(apparently).

Sorry OP, but I you just don't have my sympathies here. I have to wonder if you find it titillating that he wants to meet you - the secrecy, the potential drama, the fact that he might be disregarding how his fiancee's feels about it in order to prioritise meeting you, and therefore would make you feel wanted, desired and special.

EarthSight · 25/09/2021 17:21

@verbena87 can always be relied on to call me out when I’m being a dick

Why don't you stop being a dick then so you won't have to rely on others to inhibit your behaviour?

Verbena87 · 25/09/2021 17:53

@EarthSight I do do my best. I still enjoy having friends I can trust to be blunt if I run an idea/dilemma by them. It’s a reciprocal thing and I’m well aware that I have sole responsibility for my behaviour. I’m generally quite a good human, but I can’t think of anyone who has utterly transcended their capacity for being a dick, and I don’t think it’s healthy to assume I have: that’s a bit like people saying “well I’m not sexist/racist” and then not bothering to think about how they might contribute to systemic discrimination because they’re sure they’re not part of the problem.

(I think you touched a nerve, do you? 🤣 Sorry for the rant.)

EarthSight · 25/09/2021 18:29

When I hear men say this, it's usually a warning sign @Verbena87 . It often significes a person that will treat others badly, step all over their boundaries unless they have someone keep them in check. Then, when they behave like dicks, they can say 'but I warned you I was like this! You know what I'm like!! You should have called me out!! It's a way of shifting blame on to the very person who they're being dicks to and making the other person a culpable part of their own mistreatment. They think that by being honest to everyone about what a dick they can be, they can avoid as much responsibility for their behaviour (because other party has already been warned about it), and just go 'Hey! That's just what I'm like! 🤷

The way you worded your post didn't sound like you were talking about running an idea/dilemma past someone (not sure how that in any way could be interpreted as being 'a dick').

I think it's interesting the way you draw a parallel from that to bringing in issues surrounding sexism and racism. It's as if you're trying take back what you said slightly, whilst simultaneously aggrandizing yourself by drawing a parallel between your 'call me out on my behaviour' thing with efforts to end systematic discrimination. 🙄

EarthSight · 25/09/2021 18:30

Sorry meant to type 'people', not men.

Verbena87 · 25/09/2021 18:37

Thanks. Genuinely. Will have a reflect.

Gilda152 · 26/09/2021 17:01

@verbana87 I totally understood your post.

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