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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

Was it all a lie? I’m completely broken…

185 replies

pixietinkdust · 30/11/2021 07:37

10 days ago my partner of 2 years decided it was over. Unfortunately for me, since then my entire world has been turned upside down and I’m really struggling.

For back story:
My ExPartner has some pretty horrific childhood trauma in his past, of which I’m well aware of and I know he’s been to therapy for, however something inside tells me that this is a contributing factor for what’s happened.

ExP has had previously issues with alcohol, drugs and MH struggles (suicide) - these were mainly before me and he kept them under control by using the gym as a coping mechanism.

I won’t say I’m entirely innocent here because I’m not, I have a fiery character and when I believe something is wrong I will bring it up. I never believed I could be gaslighted (this is relevant)

We were in a pub 2 weeks ago having food, he was asking what I’d like for Christmas etc, when I was answering he kept picking up his phone ( I believe it was his boss texting) and zoning out. I asked him to stop it because it was rude - and here the issue started. He lost it, shouting and screaming at me in the middle of the pub. I left immediately and told him to pay the bill.

Whilst driving home we were arguing in the car as I said his behaviour was completely unacceptable, he got so irate he pulled the steering wheel and forced me to pull over the car. He got out and walked off, still shouting and screaming. I drove alongside him and tried to reason with him to be met with “oh you’re crazy and you’re trying to run me over and kill me now” - I was doing about 5mph!

He proceeded to walk to the nearest pub, sat in there for 4 hours and drank 20 pints. When he came hone I’d fallen asleep on the sofa, I was awoken to him crashing around and then sitting staring at me and saying “I’m a psychopath you know, a psychopath and a sociopath. I have someone else who lives inside me and I call him Brian, he does bad things” - I know this sounds ridiculous but I swear it’s true. I was actually frightened by him. Eventually I got him up to bed.

The next day he refused to talk about it at all, completely shut down. This obviously caused a huge argument because I said I wouldn’t be brushing it under the carpet like some of his other outbursts. That night he went out again and didn’t come home, once again drunk.

The next morning he transferred £12,000 (exactly half) out of our savings account at 8am before I’d even spoken to him. He came home a little later and said it’s over, he doesn’t love me anymore and he’s unhappy. I’m ashamed to say I lost all dignity in this moment and most certainly begged and pleaded to attempt to reason with him. But it is over, and it’s stayed that way. From that moment he’s been a completely unrecognisable character. Callous and cruel.

If you’ve gotten this far - thank you, I didn’t intend for it to be this long!

For further info, “home” is a rented house we just signed on for 6 months and moved into the week before this happened! My property was in the final stages of completion and we were planning on moving to a forever house - the mortgage was in place and sols appointed etc so the rented house was a stop gap. I’m now back at my Mam’s with a suitcase.

He’s refused to pay anything for the house and is leaving this weekend, he has sorted another house to go to. It’s going to cost me £4k to get rid of this rental house.

He was literally the most perfect partner in the world, 95% of the time. He came along when I’d almost given up hope on finding someone compatible. He was genuine, kind, considerate, I can’t even tell you how happy I was.

My friends have since said they think I’ve been love bombed and then gaslighted.

I’ve since found out that when I met him he had only returned from London 3 weeks earlier and moved back North (where he is originally from but has been gone for 10 years); he split with another girl, packed up his whole life and moved here. Then met me - within 4 months, at his suggestion, he gave up his beautiful rented apartment and came to live with me in my house.

He’s had 14 addresses in 10 years, my Mam thinks he 100% has form for this behaviour.

He has told me since that he blames me for all of this happening, that I’m manipulative and controlling. I disagree with those things - the only thing I ever recall saying no to was him going to the gym every night if the week 530-830, I said there’s no point in having a relationship if you’re not present.

He also used to say to me that I need to go to therapy when we argued, I don’t know what for though and I never did.

In one of our final conversations he said to me “this happens all the time, in every one of my relationships, they want to stop me from doing exactly what I want to do when I want to do it”, I always said I wasn’t stopping him, but that’s a relationship. A bit of compromise on certain things.

I feel like my life has been a total lie, I have no idea what to believe was ever true. I’m completely broken down here, can’t sleep, can barely eat and I’m not coping. My whole life was there, planned, the fairytale!!! And now it’s gone. I’m 30 years old, no children, single and back at my parents house.

I have always been so independent, luckily I have good friends, an amazing family and a good job but I feel completely numb and empty inside. And the fear of him moving on immediately (which I just KNOW he will) is almost consuming me.

I feel like this is a story I would read in Chat magazine but it’s not fake, it’s actually my life and I’m so so devastated.

How do I ever get over this SadSadSadSad

OP posts:
mewkins · 30/11/2021 09:26

@Rissole

He is Brian a lot more than you think OP.
I think this too. On these boards, it is no coincidence that most think it takes a couple of years for someone to show their true colours. He has been masking this side of him but it slips when he is drinking.

You are really best out of this. He isn't the person you wanted him to be. He just doesn't have it in him.

fournonblondes · 30/11/2021 09:31

If he was controlled or abused as a child. May be he is very affected by it. May be the abortion did affected the way he saw you? I know someone who was devastated by this and the relationship did not survived. However, your ex b is not a healthy man. Have you thought that may be he is protecting you from harming you in a bad way? All that stuff he told you about being a psycho / sociopath I think he was being honest. May be he leave women before he harm them. How terrifying! There will be another person out there getting closer to this man to waste their time and god knows what else.

pixietinkdust · 30/11/2021 09:32

@dabbydeedoo thanks for your perspective on things.

Just to clarify my ask around the gym was, can you not go 3 nights a week and one weekend day rather than every single night and both weekend days. I wanted to have some time for us to actually do things as a couple rather than him wanting me to wait until he’d come back to eat on an evening and then having no time left.

If you see this as controlling fair enough.

I’m not shocked at the thought he is upset about the abortion but we did discuss it at length and he did agree with me that it wasn’t the right time, although he still did want me to keep the baby. It wasn’t just a decision I made and completely disregarded his feelings.

Can you give me a little bit more info around codependency and thinking patterns that you mention please?

OP posts:
DaisyandSimeon · 30/11/2021 09:32

Believe me, he has done you a favour.

FoxgloveSummers · 30/11/2021 09:33

[quote pixietinkdust]@PinkWednesdays

And I mean this kindly, but you’re only 30! You have plenty of time!

I sincerely hope so. Although I couldn’t even entertain the thought of anybody else right now, I know that I do still want to have a happy life with a partner and children one day. I hope I haven’t ruined the chances of that now Confused[/quote]
What’ll ruin that chance is if you accept the blame for this. How would YOU have ruined the chance of that? You’re not the weird one here. Sounds like there’s a complex soup of real MH problems and spoilt brat problems in your ex.

I’m intrigued that many people are now saying it’s a lucky escape. I bet they saw through him more than you think.

Break ups fucking suck but you need to get ANGRY. Think of or even make a list of all the things you have to be angry about. Use it to remind yourself that you are lucky not to be tied to this strange, cruel, man with (we all suspect) a super dodgy background.

AnFiadhRua · 30/11/2021 09:34

Ross Rosenberg has some good videos about co-dependency.

I recommend Meredith Miller (''Inner Integration'') as well as Lisa A Romano, Michelle Lee Nieves
Look up all of these on youtube Flowers

Shedmistress · 30/11/2021 09:34

OP look up the Freedom Programme. I suspect it will be an eye opener.

GertietheGherkin · 30/11/2021 09:35

My goodness you've packed an awful lot into 2 years.
To be fair you seem to have been that consumed in your "fairy tale" that you've overlooked some really important red flags, and indicators.
Meeting this guy, and being so grateful you'd met him, you raced into moving in together, selling homes, renting houses, buying houses etc. You hardly knew him!
You learnt bits about his life, which in themselves should have been red flags. The trauma, alcohol and drugs and suicide attempts.
Why was everything so rushed? Why all the moving?forever homes? Joint finances? It's a lot to invest in each other, especially all within two years.
It's interesting you day that the Gym was his coping mechanism, but you stopped him going... Why?

The whole situation sounds like a complete nightmare, and he's not one for sticking around, if you'd gotten to know a bit more about him, his constant moving, many failed relationships etc would have come to light. I don't think you really got to see the real him. Your relationship moving so quickly enabled him to hide his true self. The mask was starting to slip, but you were to wrapped up in houses and "fairy tales". Having a termination that you say you were OK with, due to movings etc. Was he OK with it too? Or did you just make the decision it was the wrong time, and plough ahead?
Maybe living in the rented house and having time to yourself to slow things in life down a bit would help?
He's made the decision it's over, and really it is definitely for the best. There was just too much going on in your relationship too soon.
You will get over this. He's moved on, you need to do that too.
Your Mum probably saw the reality and knew things weren't quite right. Spend Christmas with family and friends, start your new independent life by moving into the rental, go out with friends. Don't sit around moping about him, he's not moping over you!
It's better you found this out now before having financial constraints binding you together. Maybe he left before all that happened, as it wasn't what he wanted really.
I don't think your relationship was a lie, but I do think it's not what you both wanted. Him certainly.

AnFiadhRua · 30/11/2021 09:36

Ross Rosenberg (and others online) will explain how a person who accepts the blame for everything, who internalises doubts and shame and gives in a relationship is in some ways a perfect match for their opposite counterpart who projects the blame for everything outwards and who takes takes takes in a relationship.

I have been in a relationship like this. There's no way it'd happen now so change is possible.

AnFiadhRua · 30/11/2021 09:41

Good discussion but there are shorter ones

dabbydeedoo · 30/11/2021 09:42

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

AngelinaFibres · 30/11/2021 09:42

He has told you he is a psychopath and a sociopath. Believe him. Be very very glad that it manifests in leaving and gaslighting and ghosting rather than stalking and harming. You relationship sounded very toxic. No one needs a relationship like that .

Momijin · 30/11/2021 09:45

Hi op. What a shock and I don't blame you for feeling like this. It sounds like he has big issues and although he wants to be emotionally attached, he can't be so will do everything to get close and then sabotage the relationship. I think it is called avoidant or something.

I dated a man who was in therapy for childhood neglect and his behaviour was very similar. Absolutely besotted, fairy tale relationship and then switched off all of a sudden and moved on to the next one.

You're understandably hurting now but you're young and have your whole life ahead of you. At your age I'd just broken up with my fiance, no kids, went on to have a few relationships and within 10 years I had 4 kids. Now in my 50s, I'm in an relationship with the most awesome man I've ever met.

So don't be in a rush and leave your ex to his demons.

DuckbilledSplatterPuff · 30/11/2021 09:46

You really are better off without him. You are young, with friends and family and a good job and can rebuild your life. He will probably continue doing his broken damaged dance and repeating this pattern for the rest of his life.
At least he only took half from both accounts and didn’t clear them out and this makes me think that it was a well planned break up plan by someone who has done this before. He didn’t want to leave you a reason to pursue him in any way. He wanted to detach completely.
As pp said, he let an insignificant comment escalate into a major scene to start the break up.
Also this
I was awoken to him crashing around and then sitting staring at me and saying “I’m a psychopath you know, a psychopath and a sociopath. I have someone else who lives inside me and I call him Brian, he does bad things
Yes he could really be “Brian” but it sounds so odd that I think it could have been him thinking what is the scary thing to say that will make her back off and detach completely and that would pretty much be it. It was ruthless and horrible and anyone who behaved like that could indeed be dangerous but I wonder if he actually thought he was being cunning.
He woke you to hear this, it almost sounds like he was acting a part. If he was proceeding with a break up “plan” to walk off Scott free and never have to face the situation again, then Saying things like that would be the way to do it. The way to put you off ever wanting to have anything to do with him in future. He’s got form for running off and starting over with no previous connections in touch.
All of this is to say that none of this is your fault. You couldn’t have found a way of handling it or him that would have made any difference.
This was always on the cards. He was an actor and he picked a time which would cause the most drama and upset for his exit. And before he had to really start living as a normal partner.
He was deliberately hiding his true personality from you and has weird issues all of his own.
It may feel crushing at the moment but now you are free from this disgusting manipulative behaviour and can move on with your life, enjoying the company your family and friends and leaving this unfortunate episode behind you.

pixietinkdust · 30/11/2021 09:51

@GertietheGherkin thanks for your comment.

I agree, there was a heck of a lot going on. And I think I was just sort of swept up amongst it. He was telling me he wanted us to get married and everything. You’re probably right about it all just being too much and that’s probably why I’m feeling so overwhelmed and empty now.

I never ever stopped him going to the gym, please don’t think that’s how it was. I didn’t think it was an unreasonable ask for me to ask him not to go every single evening/day, others disagree with that so maybe I’m wrong.

The abortion I genuinely did discuss it at great length with him, he 100% wanted me to keep the baby and the uncertainty was definitely on my part. I felt I wasn’t ready for a baby at that time and I explained all of this to him. I didn’t just do it and disregard him.

OP posts:
RobertSmithsLipstick · 30/11/2021 09:53

I listened to the little shaman in order to make sense of things.

RobertSmithsLipstick · 30/11/2021 09:55

Anything you do with someone like your ex is going to be used against you at some point.
Too needy/too detached.
You "made" them do it (whatever "it" currently is)
You are never going to win, because you aren't playing a game, unlike them.

pixietinkdust · 30/11/2021 09:56

@dabbydeedoo I never ever treat it as a hobby and I fully recognised it’s importance to him, even to the point where if he wouldn’t go for a week due to work commitments etc I would be encouraging him to go back. I feel I really did try to be careful and accept his mental health and struggles.

Thanks for the point around codependency, i will read up on this. I think I’m probably more vulnerable right now due to this happening so I may be coming across as “desperate for a partner”, I don’t think I was actually like this before. I was happy on my own with my life before he turned up. Right now I’ll admit I am struggling.

OP posts:
PinkMochi · 30/11/2021 09:56

You are well rid! Breathe a sigh of relief! He sounds so tiring to live with.

pixietinkdust · 30/11/2021 09:58

@AnFiadhRua thank you, I will read up about this.

Thanks everyone else for your comments, I can’t respond to all personally as I keep losing track.

I’m also aware I’m probably coming across a bit flighty myself right now but I’m feeling very exposed and vulnerable because this has happened to me. It’s not a nice feeling but is one I’m hoping will ease over time.

OP posts:
pixietinkdust · 30/11/2021 09:59

@RobertSmithsLipstick funnily enough you mention a “game” - his constant come backs in any disagreements were

You can’t win this one
You’re not in control of this, I am
You’re not going to be right this time.

Maybe I do need help, I just don’t know anymore.

OP posts:
Bluntness100 · 30/11/2021 10:01

There is something very calculating about this, so he very very quickly, as in within four months, gave up his rental and happily moved into your home but as soon as it came to a commitment, rental and buying a house together he blew it up, and took his money fast, sorted somewhere to live, very quickly, which indicates he’s had this planned for awhile, and then ran as quickly as he could.

He was leading you on op, when it came to making a proper commitment and not just living in your house, this was always going to happen. I’m sorry.

AnFiadhRua · 30/11/2021 10:04

Show yourself more self compassion. Any break up is challenging. You're not contractually obliged to have it all sewn up emotionally.

This is a very challenging time for you. Acknowledge. Dont berate yourself for how you're coming across 💐

You're coming across in a very typical way for somebody who has been through this.

Peach2021 · 30/11/2021 10:09

Ah @pixietinkdust I'm in a similar situation to you, except it's 20 years down the line with a mortgage and DC...I know it hurts now and the uncertainty over what was real and what not - what a PP most accurately described as a fuckfest - is exhausting, you go back over it and through it again and again trying to make sense of it.

But you will get through this, a little stronger each day - be kind to yourself, spoil yourself over Christmas and then start the brand new year with a spring in your step. This is not the end of something, this is the beginning of better times.

FoxgloveSummers · 30/11/2021 10:13

Those remarks from him aren’t normal are they? How did you feel when he said those things?

I’m trying to imagine my partner saying that to me, I can’t tbh.

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