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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 Is He Up To?

238 replies

CognitiveDissolver · 07/03/2022 00:21

Now please don't tell me or my friend we should just ignore this. I think thats something that suits the patriarchy very well but we are both a bit concerned about this although obviously theres nothing we can do. The guy is up to something.

I was dumped by my boyfriend of 2 years a while back very abruptly. I literally saw him at the weekend, everything was great, we parted on great terms a few days later he phoned me to say it was over because he had someone new. He refused to talk about it or meet up, and I have never seen him since.

He has continued to send me the odd text message though, despite his vows that we are to have no contact. Most recently on Friday he sent me one saying he "felt bad" about the way it had ended and suggesting meeting up.

Now, I'd turned into a bit of a private detective after him ending it and had discovered that he got married in September. I found this out because I got in touch with a friend who I'd lost contact with, and it turned out that he had slept with her too, when we were previously together for a few months and he had dumped me before (confusing, I know). She had felt guilty so had stopped being in contact with me.

She suspected from something on FB that he had got married and found out the name of his wife, which was a very unusual one. I checked the public register of marriages, and discovered that he had got married last September, 9 months after dumping me! Basically, my ex had told me such a convoluted set of lies that he pretended to be an entirely different person from who he actually was. I thought he was shy and liked to spend a lot of time on his own and valued his independence. Turns out not.

We also found out some details about his new wife. She is 18 years older than him - he is 41 and she is 59, and she isn't in the best physical condition. She's a little old lady. He is a particularly good looking, young looking 41 too, and my friend showed me some photos from Facebook and it was pretty shocking to see them together as they looked more like grandmother and grandson. She isn't a young looking 59. She's divorced and has been for about the last 20 years and we don't know if she has children, but if she does, since we are in Scotland, if she dies, most of any property she owns would go to him despite what any will said as a wife has legal rights.

So back to the text message. I let him dig his own grave by sending a reply saying yes, it was a shame how it ended, and he then suggested coming round to mine. At which point I told him I knew he had got married in September and to get lost, and blocked him. Looking back, he had also sent me a text just a month or so before he must have got married, and I also told him to get lost then too as by that point I had finally woken up to the fact that although I didn't fully understand what had happened, he was trouble.

He told me so many lies and was completely convincing, from saying we were exclusive and he wouldn't dream of cheating or even looking at another woman, how he preferred me being a bit younger than him and having similar backgrounds and interests in sport (thats how we met) (his wife is from a third world country where women don't have many prospects other than marrying rich western men, and doesn't seem to work or have any social media presence), how he liked how independent I was and how I worked hard and had my own place, and even how in his business he would never meet anyone else as they were "all old ladies" (at this point he made a face of disgust).

The guy is up to something. He is a manipulative liar and very, vey convincing, and if it weren't for my friend telling me, I would have assumed he was single and maybe let him come round to clear the air. He was obviously even trying to cheat on her at the time the marriage license was applied for. I wouldn't even have got together with him again if I'd known he had slept with her when we were together. Worse still, I thought he enjoyed dumping me and my upset at it being so abrupt, and my friend said she had exactly the same feeling.

I know it all sounds really odd, but its really a strange thing to have happen to you. I'm concerned that this 59 year old woman, who while she might be a lovely person, wouldn't have that many romantic options in life and certainly not with a handsome 41 year old. My friend thinks she has met her and says she doesn't speak that great English. At best, he wants her to cook and look after him but I just can't get my head around it. I have no intention of getting in touch with her or anything as I know I wouldn't be believed and would be shot as the messenger but he's likely messaging other women too. I'm worried it might be whats called a predatory marriage.

OP posts:
Flipflopfoodle · 07/03/2022 11:10

Ok, sorry, so the young boyfriend isn't yours.

However your ex's new wife isn't much older than you, and he has already left her?

SallyWD · 07/03/2022 11:12

He sounds horrible OP. It's strange about his new wife. The worst case scenario is he married her expecting her to die fairly soon and he inherits all her money and the house. Even if this is the case there's nothing you can do. It's just a sad state of affairs.

MurmuratingStarling · 07/03/2022 11:13

@OrlandointheWilderness and @ToffeeNotCoffee Thank you! I am waaaay too invested in this thread. Blush

MurmuratingStarling · 07/03/2022 11:14

@SallyWD

He sounds horrible OP. It's strange about his new wife. The worst case scenario is he married her expecting her to die fairly soon and he inherits all her money and the house. Even if this is the case there's nothing you can do. It's just a sad state of affairs.
Why would his new wife DIE soon? She's 59!!! Not 109! Shock
PrinzessinCressida · 07/03/2022 11:19

And the mystery of why some men get away with so much shit deepens. Bravo, sisters.

Takeitonthechin · 07/03/2022 11:20

If you've moved in OP, why waste the time and effort to make a post, get on with your life... it's none of your business what he does, just block him on your phone

MurmuratingStarling · 07/03/2022 11:21

@Takeitonthechin

If you've moved in OP, why waste the time and effort to make a post, get on with your life... it's none of your business what he does, just block him on your phone
Exactly. The OP hasn't moved on at all.
CognitiveDissolver · 07/03/2022 11:27

MurmuratingStarling Why would his new wife DIE soon? She's 59!!! Not 109!

Life expectancy for her age in her own country would have been around 60-61 years old. I don't know how thats affected by migrating. Anyway, its a sombre topic.

And no, I wasn't really that tempted to let him come round to confront him with the fact I knew he had a wife. Best done by text and then blocked. He's trouble. Suspect if I had been gullible enough to let him he would have shagged me and then dumped me again without admitting he's married.

ToffeeNotCoffee Oh, and you and/or your friend trying to strike up conversation whilst she basically ignores you is a bit low. Either of you congratulated her ? No ? Thought not.

I've never met his wife. My friend has but she doesn't really know her. She believes he has been keeping the wedding secret as very few people seem to know about it even amongst his hero worshippers. He is very secretive. She said she didn't respond when she said hello and just sort of stared at her and then walked away.

I really am worried this thread might be outing.

OP posts:
Whatsonmymindgrapes · 07/03/2022 11:27

You clearly haven’t moved on

CognitiveDissolver · 07/03/2022 11:28

@PrinzessinCressida

And the mystery of why some men get away with so much shit deepens. Bravo, sisters.
Well, yes.

But romance is not dead, I suppose...

OP posts:
DropYourSword · 07/03/2022 11:28

Suspect if I had been gullible enough to let him he would have shagged me and then dumped me again without admitting he's married

And yet you wonder why men get away with behaviour like this. It's precisely because YOU LET THEM!!

MurmuratingStarling · 07/03/2022 11:30

@CognitiveDissolver

Life expectancy for her age in her own country would have been around 60-61 years old. I don't know how that's affected by migrating. Anyway, its a sombre topic.

Shock
starfishmummy · 07/03/2022 11:37

Really would appreciate it if the "don't give this man so much headspace" type comment could be avoided. It adds nothing. I have moved on

You may have a new man in your life, but it certainly doesn't sound like you have "moved on" at all.

Why are you so interested in what he is doing, who he is marrying, who will inherit when she dies?? That is not normal "moved on" behaviour!!

Gonnagetgoing · 07/03/2022 11:39

@CognitiveDissolver

MurmuratingStarling Why would his new wife DIE soon? She's 59!!! Not 109!

Life expectancy for her age in her own country would have been around 60-61 years old. I don't know how thats affected by migrating. Anyway, its a sombre topic.

And no, I wasn't really that tempted to let him come round to confront him with the fact I knew he had a wife. Best done by text and then blocked. He's trouble. Suspect if I had been gullible enough to let him he would have shagged me and then dumped me again without admitting he's married.

ToffeeNotCoffee Oh, and you and/or your friend trying to strike up conversation whilst she basically ignores you is a bit low. Either of you congratulated her ? No ? Thought not.

I've never met his wife. My friend has but she doesn't really know her. She believes he has been keeping the wedding secret as very few people seem to know about it even amongst his hero worshippers. He is very secretive. She said she didn't respond when she said hello and just sort of stared at her and then walked away.

I really am worried this thread might be outing.

@CognitiveDissolver - you have NOT moved on even though you state you have.

I'd tell any friends not to relay any information about this man or his wife to you. So what if he kept the wedding secret?

If you know his address maybe you could drop round a note to the wife when he's not in. But just leave it there, at that and nothing else.

If he's still a lying cheating shit then you've kept him away from you and the best thing to do is ignore him.

You really really could do with therapy even if just a short block of it to get your head straight re this man.

Gonnagetgoing · 07/03/2022 11:41

[quote MurmuratingStarling]@CognitiveDissolver

Life expectancy for her age in her own country would have been around 60-61 years old. I don't know how that's affected by migrating. Anyway, its a sombre topic.

Shock[/quote]
@MurmuratingStarling - I'm wondering which country this is.

OP - maybe if you know the country the wife is from - if they have a social group, contact group you could contact them and express your concerns. If they're linked and can get a message to her then this might be useful, e.g. if it's through a church group or something. But after I'd done this I'd back away quickly and fast.

DropYourSword · 07/03/2022 11:45

One of these @Gonnagetgoing!

What Is He Up To?
MissAngorian · 07/03/2022 11:56

@CognitiveDissolver

OK, going to ask for this thread to be deleted due to the comment about me wanting to "out" him.

Thank you for the posters who were supportive. This is obviously a difficult subject to seek support for.

I don't think I believe in the romantic dream or being swept off my feet any more, lets just leave it at that.

What's your motivation for posting then? PPs have suggested that you're not over him and you're adamant you are. You make some spurious claim to be concerned about his new wife whilst simultaneously making derogatory comments about her age, looks and life expectancy.

There's no goodwill involved here - you're hurt and you're lashing out. As I said in my post, I get it: many of us have been there, loving someone who we subsequently learn is not the person we thought they were. It's painful. But that's not his current wife's fault, and as I said in my post, if you were that concerned for her well-being why not report it to someone?

NativityDreaming · 07/03/2022 12:04

Thread doesn’t go OPs way so OP says they will get thread deleted 🙄

lemongreentea · 07/03/2022 12:07

you sound more and more obbsessed with each post OP. try listening to some of the god advice you have been given here instead of being defensive otherwise you will keep making the same mistakes.

LemonTT · 07/03/2022 12:11

The OP is 53, closer to the wife’s age. It is strange to reference someone who is close to your own age as a little old woman. She’s middle aged like the OP.

Basically this man is an outlier in terms of his taste in women. He likes older women. It’s a thing.

Does he use them? Yes, he cheats repeatedly and that would be enough closure for anyone. But a crime it isn’t and he won’t be on a register anytime soon.

Cas112 · 07/03/2022 12:11

I don't think she's rich. I believe she has or had a decent house, possibly she had a divorce settlement. She came over here when she was 19, according to the marriage register.

You really shouldn't know this much about a woman you dont know, its really really wrong you have inspected her private details like this.

Landedonfeet · 07/03/2022 12:14

Op

What is YOUR life like?

I suspect… not very “full”

MurmuratingStarling · 07/03/2022 12:19

@Landedonfeet

Op

What is YOUR life like?

I suspect… not very “full”

FULL of detective work, nosing into other peoples lives!
MurmuratingStarling · 07/03/2022 12:19
Grin
MurmuratingStarling · 07/03/2022 12:20

@Cas112

I don't think she's rich. I believe she has or had a decent house, possibly she had a divorce settlement. She came over here when she was 19, according to the marriage register.

You really shouldn't know this much about a woman you dont know, its really really wrong you have inspected her private details like this.

I'm more perplexed as to how the OP knows such a massive amount about her ex's new wife and her life and her assets? I am no expert, but I don't think the marriage register gives away details of peoples assets and homes they own and the savings they have!!! Shock

I'm also confused as to if the OP thinks he is after HER money or she is after his. If it's the former, and she is from a third world country as the OP claims, how is she rich? Does she own a diamond mine or something?

@Gonnagetgoing

I am wondering what country it is too.

@LemonTT Is this right? That the OP is 53? I never noticed the OP put her age. Sorry to ask. I'm not doubting you, I just never saw it.