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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

Feeling sad he didn't choose me

110 replies

sadiesad · 30/11/2021 23:08

I'm a regular but NC, though I posted about this relationship a short while back under another NC.

My bf of 2 years has had a female best friend for a decade who has always been very hostile towards me. It didn't matter how much effort I put into being friendly, she would snub me to my face in front of my bf. Examples are turning on her heel and walking away when we bumped into her, ignoring me completely when we'd meet up with her and her husband (while getting touchy feely with my bf), and never replying to my greetings - not even making eye contact. When I interrogated my bf further it transpired that she was against him dating (before she even knew about me) and has always been a bit 'possessive' and demanding of his time. She wanted to see him multiple times a week, they used to message multiple times a day and when he started seeing me and didn't have that kind of availability she would get passive aggressive and take it out on me, when we saw her. He showed me the messages when I asked to see what he meant. For most of our relationship she would meet up just with him, but if he ever suggested I come along, she'd get pissy with him. And soon I stopped wanting to go even when others were present, as she was so rude to me, it was upsetting. So I felt completely excluded from his social life. She'd also try to sabotage by leaving him off social group invites if we went on holiday together or did anything that seemed like he was building a life with me - so he started feeling ostracised from his friends as well. None of them had any issue with me, her own husband liked me. Both he and her husband tried to talk to her, and she'd just blame it on me saying I was the one with a problem.

It caused a lot of problems and arguments as he never seemed to stand up for me with her. After she'd be hostile, they wouldn't talk for some weeks but then pick up where they left off - nothing ever discussed or resolved. My bf hates confrontation but kept promising he'd talk to her and get to the bottom of it - 2 years, he never did. Always excuses about how he couldn't find the right time, the right moment blah blah.

Anyway, today I finally had enough and asked him if he was ever going to resolve this. And he said he didn't think there could be a resolution. He didn't think the friendship and relationship should be mutually exclusive even though he accepts she is the one causing all the problems. I have never ever made him choose between us but this time I asked him point blank - if he still intended on maintaining a friendship with her, even though he now accepts she has tried to sabotage us, is horrid to me, and it's not purely platonic on her end (also her husband was his friend first, and they are still very close).

He told me that while he accepted the friendship couldn't be as 'intense' as it once was, he always wanted to have her in his life as some sort of friend as he valued their history.

When I told him he couldn't possibly expect me to stay with him if he wanted to stay friends with someone who is rude to me/hurts me/and possibly has feelings for him. He said he understood that and understood that it was too much to ask of me, and while he was sorry for all the hurt it has caused, they had too much history for him to give up on the friendship. So I decided to hang on to my pride and end things, because after 2 years he hasn't done anything to call her out on her BS. He never was, was he?

But I feel devastated. I can't understand why he would choose to maintain a friendship with someone who clearly just wants him to be single, over a relationship he actually enjoyed. He loved me, was happy with me, always said he felt lucky to have met me - other than her, we never argued over anything. She is married to his friend and I really don't believe he fancied her/wanted to be with her - so why was he so reluctant to challenge her or even walk away from her.

I really loved him, so keep waivering on my decision. Please MN, help me make sense of this and tell me if I did the right thing or not? I feel really sad and lost atm.

OP posts:
nocnoc · 01/12/2021 04:22

Good for you for being strong. This is just too weird. It hurts now but this time next year you’ll be over it and onto a brilliant new life surrounded by people who are actually nice to you

TarasCrazyTiara · 01/12/2021 05:15

He a hunge definetly wants her with bells on his dick. She sounds like a total weirdo who enjoys the attention. Sounds like she wears the pants in her marriage as well so she’s got her own husband going along with it too.

Put these freaks in your rear view mirror babes.

Lasair · 01/12/2021 05:49

Very strange sounds like you’re well out of it

RantyAunty · 01/12/2021 06:12

I remember your post from before.

Good for ending it.
There was something strange and wrong going on there.

Buildingthefuture · 01/12/2021 07:05

Sending support op, this must be very painful. But you definitely did the right thing. If he cannot prioritise YOU over this frankly bloody weird woman, there is nowhere to go. You have been very brave and strong, so good for you! He’s just spineless or enjoys the attention of 2 women (neither of which are attractive traits!) And by breaking up with you, he merely validates her awful behaviour. She sounds bloody unhinged and WTF must her husband think about all this?? If I was behaving like this over a male friend, my DH would, quite rightly, go bananas!!!
Painful as it is, write it off as a totally bizarre dynamic, and go out and find someone who will put you first, because that’s what you deserve xxxx

ANameChangeAgain · 01/12/2021 07:16

You are well out of it. Good decision.
There is no way this was a platonic relationship, this level of intensity in a friendship isn't normal.
If it is platonic and he can't/ won't stand up for you against his mate's wife, imagine what will happen if you ask him to stand up for you against his family. Imagine having children with this guy, and needing him to set boundaries for you with his mother. You'd have no chance.

Moonface123 · 01/12/2021 07:32

What with his ego and her insecurity you are better leaving them to it. Its not a healthy relationship, they are probably more than just friends and this situation suits them. It was very unfair of him to enter into a relationship with you.
Your worth so much more, my friend has been in a very similar situation, tried her best to make it work, she is now mentally ill because of it all and seeking therapy. Its heartbreaking to see her struggling like she is, please dont let this be you, its too high a price to pay.

SunnyDay23 · 01/12/2021 07:37

Sounds like my husband’s ex who tried to split us up multiple times. She’d managed it with everyone else he met before me but thankfully he realised he really wanted to be with me and cut all ties with her. Unfortunately this guy is too weak and maybe secretly in love with her. What a fucked up bunch of twats - and what is her husband doing going along with it? You’re well rid.

Inquisitivearchitect · 01/12/2021 07:42

They’re probably having an affair. And she’s jealous and he’s addicted to the affair and her.

Seen it a few times. Messy messy stuff.

Elieza · 01/12/2021 07:46

You dodged a bullet. He’s an arsehole.

Sounds like they want to be together but she won’t leave her husband for him. So they are just weirdly going in circles. When she clearly wants him for herself. Yet she’s married. WTAF.

Or as she’s married they are shagging behind the poor husbands back. Is he particularly rich or something that would explain why she remains married to him? She surely can’t love him.

If you ever bump into the husband I’d be telling him the reason for your split. And suggesting that those two must be having some weird sexual affair or something as the whole thing sucks. See what he says.

NC101NC · 01/12/2021 07:46

You did the right thing.
Good luck to him ever getting a girlfriend in the future. No doubt she'll do this with them too!

MyOtherProfile · 01/12/2021 07:46

Looks like he will always be single and playing third wheel to her and her husband. His loss.

PeterPomegranate · 01/12/2021 07:47

I can understand you feel sad. Of course you do. You love/d him. But you’ve done the right thing. Stick to your guns. You’re worth better than what he was offering.

Pashazade · 01/12/2021 07:58

I put up with a possessive friend of my DH for a very long time.
If he has said he won't drop her and doesn't see anything wrong in her behaviour then you've made the right decision to leave, ours was a narcissist and thrived on control. Fortunately we lived 100 miles away so that made things easier any closer I suspect a proper ultimatum would have ensued.

Justilou1 · 01/12/2021 08:12

@sadiesad I’ve been married for 18 years. My dh is friends with a woman who was the self-professed queen bee to the group of guys he went to school with. They all paired off and married and she never did. She calls herself his best friend, and has been frankly a bit of a dick with all of the relationships. Subtle “I know him better than you do” digs, etc. Right from the beginning, I refused to be affected or play into that shit. I know that’s all about her and her narcissism.
When DH & I were going through some shit together a couple of years ago, she wheedled it out of him and used it to a) drive a bigger wedge and then b) vindictively ensured that I knew she knew about it in a very public place. (I went white and said quietly to one of the guys I trust most that I was getting an Über home.) When DH came home and I confronted him about it, he was angry at HER, so she tried to lie to him about it and tried to play all hurt and innocent. Of course there was no other I would have found out if she hadn’t told me, so she claimed I had intimidated her. (I’m 5ft and scrawny - like a fluffy yap dog.) Luckily all the other wives went in to bat for me in this case and so did the other guys who had seen me react to what she had said and things she had done to them in their relationships and also things she had been saying about me and our relationship which were amazingly false. Her name is now mud with everyone, but Mr Rose-Coloured Glasses won’t hear a bad thing about her because that would mean that he would have to admit that he fucked up Royally by talking out of school.

Justilou1 · 01/12/2021 08:12

*btw… Nobody’s seen her for over a year now

Donebeingitchy · 01/12/2021 08:18

What is so precious about their "history" that is worth sabotaging your or any future relationship. Highly suspicious and obviously there is more than meets the eyes here. Let him continie with this weord sharade op, i know it must seem devastating but until he grows over this immature set up and sees reason he will end up alone.

As pissed off as you are at her you have to remember someone only has as much control over you as you let them. He is liking this and entertaining it. He could of easily put his foot down and said enough but at the moment in his life he is in a weird toxic situation that no girl in their right mind would stay in. He is just if not more so to blame than her. She loves having wrapped around her little finger and he loves being there.

He will end up forever alone.

But that is no longer your problem. Well done for having boundaries and standards op and sticking to them. You knew this would only get worse and end up being a dead end for you. There is no future in something like this. As cliche as it sounds you know you deserve far FAR better op. I really hope in your next relationship you experience someone that puts you first and prioritises your relationship like any normal person would and should.

Stay strong. Block delete and move on from this mess Flowers

jay55 · 01/12/2021 08:21

Well done for valuing yourself.

Why does her husband put up with it? If my partner was putting so much effort into destroying someone else's relationship, I don't think I could stick around.

AliceAldridge · 01/12/2021 08:29

You did the right thing. He enjoyed having women fight over him

This. He is absolutely not the right person for you and she feels ownership over him as part of some weird game. I had a relationship where there was a 'friend' like this and I am so relieved I walked away. It was only by doing this that I found my completely normal husband.

I should also say that I have been the 'friend' albeit in my student days, it was fucked up and I regretted being such an idiot when I grew up. I embarrassed myself. But I was only about 19. It was definitely a 'weird game' we both enjoyed playing

ittakes2 · 01/12/2021 08:36

You have just spent two years with him - don't waste anymore time. Irs natural you feel sad but he is emotional unavailable as he is having an emotional affair with her.

HereticFanjo · 01/12/2021 08:42

Don't even contemplate going back. You've done the right thing.

Didimum · 01/12/2021 08:44

You should always be your partner’s number 1 (other than your kids of course). If your not then you should be gone. Good luck to him, his arsehole friend and her poor husband. What a shit show.

Momijin · 01/12/2021 08:47

You absolutely did the right thing, well done. Some people are very possessive of other people. I have a friend who didn't really like some of my other friends who I am close to. Not very obviously, but you can tell. And she has been put of order about my boyfriend, only meeting him once and he was perfectly lovely with her. And getting pissy about me never being around now that I have a boyfriend (bs because I only see him when I don't have my kids and not all of the time) and her turning down coming round for dinner with him 'because she doesn't know him' even though she's super sociable and knows lots of people and is quite at ease with new people.

Anyway, i haven't cut her out of my life but i can't betrothed seeing her much now as i don't want to be made feel guilty when noone has done anything wrong and she hasn't given him a chance. All my other friends who have met him think he is lovely.

dottiedodah · 01/12/2021 08:59

I think there is some sexual tension between them .She obv has feelings for him .He enjoys having 2 women "fight" for him! I think you are well out of it TBH.I think her husband is being used as well,most men would be unhappy with this kind of dynamic I think

dottiedodah · 01/12/2021 09:04

Also honestly who needs this shit? She is a Drama Queen and you are well rid of the pair of them! I wonder how your BF would have felt had the roles been reversed ? Life is too short to be involved in crap like this

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