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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

Issues with my girlfriend

19 replies

Asimpleman111 · 23/12/2021 05:31

Hi all,

So I’ve been with his girlfriend for about four years now, and I really love her and she loves me a lot and I can feel it. A bit of a background with me and my girlfriend is that she lives in a country that I used to live when I moved out study to another country where we kept communications open online. We got together online and I was committed since then to travel to her country and see her for about a couple of months every year. Although difficult we managed to stay together even if we had a couple of years without seeing each other.

However the problem with her is that where she went to college two years ago she met a guy who they became very good friends with. She told me that they were eating, walking together within school alone and this kind of stuff. Despite she is not going to the same college as before where she met him, they still keeping a very good friendship and they talk every single day on messages and on the phone very frequently.

To be honest I didn’t really worry about her and him, until five months ago when she began comparing me and him and telling me how good of a relationship this guy had with his own girlfriend although there now broken up. She was comparing me because I wasn’t talking to my girlfriend a lot on the phone because I was super stressed with my studies and I had so much work with Uni and I always was trying to explain to her that this is the case and not the fact that I don’t love her though I really love her so much. I was pretty down this time with my studies in general about myself and the last thing I wanted to hear was her comparing me with him, how disgusting was that. You can’t imagine how badly and worried this made me feel. This guy and his girlfriend were not in the best situation. They will break up and get back together after a few days when they had an argument. You imagine what this brings to my mind. His girlfriend would even be jealous that this guy was talking to my girlfriend so frequently.

Over the last five months there were many times that I was arguing to her on how much worried I was the fact that she and him were talking every single day, because the fact that she compared me with him makes me think that she was getting jealous of how good of a boyfriend he was and how bad of a boyfriend I was there was a time four months ago when I sent her a very long message apologising to her that I wasn’t talking to her too much and I wasn’t paying too much attention to her and I promised to her that from now on, I will do The best to talk to you every single day and have very frequent calls on the phone so you won’t have to be worried that I may leave you a whatever because I really love you. I also mentioned to her that this is my very first serious relationship lasting for many years and so I made so many mistakes but now that you told me you told me in a very harsh way and although it wasn’t a good way me to understand that way I finally understood and I took your needs seriously.

when she visited me yesterday, I caught her talking to him on the messages and out of my worry, I grabbed her phone and started scrolling her messages with him and while I was doing that she kept resisting as she was trying To grab her phone so I can stop reading her messages. I have to be honest that I didn’t read the messages in details. If you ask me I barely remember anything. However when I briefly read them I saw that she sent him so many photos and videos in the last 4 months period. I saw that she sent him videos of her talking and photos of her lying on the bed other cute photos of her. I counted about eight videos in about 16 or 18 very cute photos of her. she didn’t show any of her private stuff but again the way that she spoke on the videos was very similar to the way the she spoke to me when she would send me a video on the chat. I also saw her sending him quite a good amount of hearts face emojis with hearts like this (❤️🥰😍) also added an extra layer in an extra reason for me to be worried.

We also had an argument yesterday the fact that she wants to see him without anyone else. So it will be him and her only. I told her that I wanna come in and she said no because I’m gonna cause trouble and he’ll be very awkward. My girlfriend really loves her brother and after arguing for about An hour she did say that he will bring her brother not me. The problem is the way she said that her friend will be worried and awkward. The way I took this was like her visiting her boyfriend and me being just a very good friend.

I have tried to explain five times already that the way that she talks to him every single day and the fact that she sent him photos and videos and he does that much less often is crossing the boundaries of a friendship and she never understood that and she actually ignored me although she acted like she understood. Like what had to happen for her to understand? Me taking her phone and see her messages? It doesn’t make sense. I told her that I made mistakes too. I recently sent her the whole conversation that I had with another girl that I like her before we got together and I sent her the conversation that we had with that girl since I got together with my girlfriend. My girlfriend saw that I was sending hearts to that girl and explained her that since you began to worry I stopped talking to the girl that often. Although she told me that she wouldn’t be worried if I had a female friend, I told her that this is not gonna happen because you’re the only one that this is the correct thing. Why should I go with another girl and go out with another girl while you are my girlfriend? Doesn’t make sense right? She defended herself and said that these messages that I was sending him were nothing, I’m not much of a big deal.

I now begin thinking about her and him every single day. What if they go out together behind my back? What if they do something that is not considered as friendly? She’s overly way too friendly with him that she just can’t understand it even if I tell her every single time. I tried telling her in a very calm tone I tried telling her through an argument and she still doesn’t understand.

I really need help and see what I’m gonna do with her. I don’t think I’m overreacting because I know that she would not feel confident if I was in her shoes and she was on my shoes. I have to keep reminding her that we are not in an open relationship and I will not accept an open relationship but we are on a close relationship and se fully agrees. I also have to emphasise that I am her first boyfriend.

What are your thoughts on these guys? What can I tell her so she finally understands my concerns? I’m not trying to be controlling on anything and that’s the last thing I wanna do but I need to get her to understand that the way this is talking to him and the way they exchange messages it’s like her not having a boyfriend. She also told him that she loves me so much and that’s probably why he backed down on sending too many photos and videos as he did 2 years ago, but now she is doing the same thing sending so many photos and videos.

Oh this makes me worried every single day and I need help.

Sorry for the very long thread. Even if you read part of it you’ll make my day.

Thank you in advance and I hope you stay safe and healthy.

OP posts:
arcof · 23/12/2021 07:07

If she doesnt respect your boundaries, you dump her. This is a non negotiable for you, thus you are not compatible and should break up so you are free to find someone who makes you happy.

Lovelydiscusfish · 23/12/2021 08:13

I think the fact that you physically grabbed her phone off her against her permission and started reading her messages is really bad.

Perhaps you have reason to be jealous - from the sounds of it you probably do. But physically taking someone’s private property off them against their will is still totally unjustified.

Sounds like the two of you should split up to me.

Asimpleman111 · 23/12/2021 08:29

@Lovelydiscusfish

I think the fact that you physically grabbed her phone off her against her permission and started reading her messages is really bad.

Perhaps you have reason to be jealous - from the sounds of it you probably do. But physically taking someone’s private property off them against their will is still totally unjustified.

Sounds like the two of you should split up to me.

How else would I then find out whether she is crossing the boundaries or not? She never told me what she was sending to him. Tbh, I sent her whole conversations of me with other girls to show her that I obey the boundaries and I make sure that I do not do stuff that may make her worry. Even if I had a very good female friend, I still wouldn't cross the boundaries because I have to respect her.
OP posts:
Myotherusernamewastakenagain · 23/12/2021 08:31

She wants the other guy.

OnaBegonia · 23/12/2021 08:33

There's been times when you haven't seen each other for years?
This was never going to work, time to move on.

Mumof3confused · 23/12/2021 08:35

This all sounds really unhealthy, your behaviour as well as hers. It would be a good idea for you to talk through everything with a counsellor.

Snoopfroggyfrogg · 23/12/2021 08:54

Sorry but you barely get to see each other and it's been the same since the start. She's having conversations you're not happy with, you behaved wrongly by grabbing her phone. I think why not end this gracefully? You know she doesn't want to stop speaking to the other guy and will continue to do so, why put yourself in that position? Boundary keeping is about recognising what you want and will tolerate, and if it doesn't happen, removing yourself from the situation. Not trying to persuade someone else to comply. In my experience, the long distance element needs an end point if the relationship is to progress.

Treacletoots · 23/12/2021 09:02

Please move on. This isn't going to work out. You can't make anyone do anything they don't want to do.

Grabbing her phone was the beginning of the end and you know she wants to be with the other guy. Save yourself some heartache and end it now..

Doyoumind · 23/12/2021 09:06

I couldn't read the whole post but this isn't a healthy relationship for either of you and I guarantee it doesn't have a long term future.

GrandmasCat · 23/12/2021 09:15

So, are you trying to force her to stay in a relationship with you who has not been living locally for years?

In all honesty, what planet are you on? You cannot force her to stay in a relationship with you after you moved, much less so if your “relationship” is plagued with arguments, control and jealousy at the time she has found someone, who she may not be necessarily interested in romantically but who is not giving her the hell you are giving her.

I think you need to back off, end this as it is obviously not working for neither of you, and find someone local to have a better chance to have a healthy and functional relationship

Whatiswrongwithmyknee · 23/12/2021 09:27

You found out whether she is crossing your boundaries by talking to her. If you can't do that, there is no trust in the relationship. She clearly wants to have a boyfriend who she has regular contact with. You live in different countries so that's not really possible. This relationship is not working, possibly because of it being long-distance. You need to end it before you go any further down the line of doing things you shouldn't (grabbing her phone also crosses a boundary and is not acceptable).

ChargingBuck · 23/12/2021 10:15

What can I tell her so she finally understands my concerns?

She understands your concerns just fine.
She simply doesn't want to act on them, because she is very interested in this guy. So much so that she is practically flaunting him at you.

It doesn't sound healthy. You live in different countries, you are young & this is your first long term relationship, you've been apart for years due to the distance, you are insecure about her friendship with this guy, & she is possibly using him to leverage you into 'performing' your role of boyfriend to her satisfaction - e.g. if she doesn't get the volume of phone calls she wants from you, you'd better be aware that this guy is waiting in the wings ...

What's in it for YOU here?
There are millions of datable women. Some might even live within a bus ride of your home. Some of them will be more interested in focusing on you than developing 'special friendships' with other men.

You may need to accept that this relationship could be reaching a natural end. That will hurt for a while, but leave you open to a much more satisfying partnership in the future.

Whatiswrongwithmyknee · 23/12/2021 12:26

I think you equate 'understanding your concerns' with 'doing what you want her to do'. You need to separate those ideas in your head as otherwise you can get onto a very controlling path. She's told you what she's offering in a relationship. Accept it or walk away.

Lovelydiscusfish · 23/12/2021 17:13

I think it’s really concerning that you think it’s fine to use physical force to take something from her if she is not behaving as you would want her to.

No, her behaviour isn’t ok. But how does that sanction you snatching her private property from her hands?

If you don’t trust her you don’t trust her (with fairly good reason I would say). So fine, it’s your right to end it. It’s not your right to take her phone from her by force and go through it against her will.

ANameChangeAgain · 23/12/2021 19:43

How else would I then find out whether she is crossing the boundaries or not? you don't do it by force, you crossed a line there. You believe her or you don't. If you distrust her enough to force her phone off her and go through her private messages then the relationship is over.

Momijin · 23/12/2021 19:54

Drama drama drama...in such a young relationship is absolute bullshit. Just finsih it and both of you can be with people who are geographically and emotionally available. Honestly, no point thinking any further about this

Cloudfrost · 23/12/2021 20:14

you have both behaved awful

the relationship is already dead in the water,

Linguini · 23/12/2021 20:19

Asimpleman111
So I’ve been with his girlfriend for about four years now

Freudian typo there

LaChristmasBella · 24/12/2021 17:41

Oh for goodness sake, this isn't a relationship of any kind. End it and spare yourself the misery.

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