Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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

Selfish partner

58 replies

Noideaatall · 10/12/2022 13:45

My DP has always put himself and his job first, ahead of the children and of course, ahead of me. He refused to drop off or collect at nursery, or get up in the night with the children because "work". I also work full time. We both have similar office type jobs.
I didn't realise for many years that this wasn't ok, as my own boundaries are very poor due to an odd upbringing. Since starting the menopause (I think) I am finding his behaviour impossible to cope with.
The latest incident happened yesterday, but there have been many similar. I had told him I was working at home and in meetings until 12.15 but had time to go for lunch. I was looking forward to it since we rarely get any time together since we live apart. He had taken the whole day off at the last minute for a school performance in the morning. I didn't know this until he arrived. I should also say, he has form for not listening properly when I speak and often claims to not have been told things he definitely has been. He also gets very, very angry when tired (I did all the night waking with the children because of this) and he had got up early to come to the performance.
When it got to 12.15 I was still in the meeting (online). It was with work colleagues I am friendly with and we chat in these meetings, though they are still necessary. It overran by 15 minutes as there was a lot to get through.
From midday he began to shout from the other room, are you ready to go yet? Over the top of the meeting. Walking in and out of the room where I was working, he then starts walking around sighing angrily and huffing putting his coat on and shoes. I started feeling panicky as I could see he was getting angry but could not cut the meeting short as it was necessary.
When the meeting finished I immediately stood up and started putting on my shoes to go. I was feeling sick with apprehension as we've been in situations like this so many times and he always gets really angry. I said, what's the big rush? I thought you were off all day? He went and stood with his back to me in front of the door, with his coat and shoes on. He then started shouting about he'd waited for me for two hours and I was just chatting with colleagues and being disrespectful. By this point he'd opened the front door and gone out into the communal hallway while I was still struggling into my coat and shoes. He then shouted that he was really hungry.
He then said, if you don't have time to go then say so. I was really cross by now as I had told him what time I could go, and this was only 15 minutes later which was not my fault. I then said - ok, I don't have time to go then. and went back inside.
I felt there was no point going out and spending money on lunch when he was in such a bad mood. I have done it so

OP posts:
dolor · 10/12/2022 13:47

He belongs in the bin.

Noideaatall · 10/12/2022 13:48

posted too soon! He then sent me a long rant about how disrespectful I am. Was I wrong not to cut my meeting short?

OP posts:
User0ne · 10/12/2022 13:52

Eurgh! Just ditch him, he sounds abusive

PearlclutchersInc · 10/12/2022 13:55

In fairness I think you should have especially if there was chitchat. It's a peeve of mine that people chunter on and the meeting rolls over.

However, he's a sh*t.

amiold · 10/12/2022 13:55

He sounds awful

Why do you live apart op?

dolor · 10/12/2022 13:56

amiold · 10/12/2022 13:55

He sounds awful

Why do you live apart op?

Christ can you imagine what living with him would be like?

😵‍💫

amiold · 10/12/2022 13:57

@dolor yeah... but they must have when they had the kids as op said she got up with them. I'm wondering if this isn't the first instance of his awful behaviour

pictish · 10/12/2022 13:58

He sounds selfish and demanding, yes. Not nice.

AutumnCrow · 10/12/2022 13:58

amiold · 10/12/2022 13:57

@dolor yeah... but they must have when they had the kids as op said she got up with them. I'm wondering if this isn't the first instance of his awful behaviour

Yeah I was wondering if I'd misunderstood that.

TrotOnMinty · 10/12/2022 14:03

You live apart.

He doesn’t father the children.

Doesn’t sound like there’s much of a relationship here to salvage.

Lucyccfc68 · 10/12/2022 14:04

PearlclutchersInc · 10/12/2022 13:55

In fairness I think you should have especially if there was chitchat. It's a peeve of mine that people chunter on and the meeting rolls over.

However, he's a sh*t.

This is absolute bollocks!

If the poster ‘felt sick with apprehension’ at having to face him at the end of a meeting (that over ran slightly) then you can guarantee that he has used his anger to control and abuse her for years. To feel like that he has clearly treated her that badly that the poor woman has little or no confidence left.

@Noideaatall I hope you are able to get some support to help you leave such a horrible man. You deserve so much more.

amiold · 10/12/2022 14:05

@AutumnCrow I bet he has been an arse on a few occasions!

Don't think we have picked it up wrong but you know the mumsnet population never miss an opportunity to jump down anyone's neck

BryceQuinlan · 10/12/2022 14:08

I think your childhood has had a far greater impact than your OP suggests if you can't work this out for yourself. I hope your children don't suffer from having such a horrible man as a father.

Mynoodlesareoodles · 10/12/2022 14:10

OP this sounds dreadful. He is an abusive bully. It's great that you don't live with him. Send him on his way, stop feeling sick with apprehension because you're so frightened of him. Read Lundy Bancroft, contact Women's Aid, have some counselling for yourself and look at your boundaries.

PearlclutchersInc · 10/12/2022 14:17

Lucyccfc68 · 10/12/2022 14:04

This is absolute bollocks!

If the poster ‘felt sick with apprehension’ at having to face him at the end of a meeting (that over ran slightly) then you can guarantee that he has used his anger to control and abuse her for years. To feel like that he has clearly treated her that badly that the poor woman has little or no confidence left.

@Noideaatall I hope you are able to get some support to help you leave such a horrible man. You deserve so much more.

She shouldn't have to be like that, you're quite right. But, she knows what he's like so must have had an idea that he would blow up.

The main point is what the hell is she still doing with him and hopefully this will be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

knittingaddict · 10/12/2022 14:17

Op, can you confirm that you don't live together, but have shared children?

KettrickenSmiled · 10/12/2022 14:20

Excuse me OP am gonna have to come back to this later as ... omg this is so triggering ... that is NOT your problem however! - BUT wanted to say this before I do & distract myself elsewhere for a while.

You don't live together.
For the love of all that's holy, STOP LETTING HIM INTO YOUR HOUSE WHEN YOU ARE WORKING.
I don't care what reasons he gives you, how offended that might make him, or how he huffs & puffs.
He does not act reasonably in your work space, so he no longer gets to occupy it.

Obviously he feels he can act as he chooses, because only HIS work has any value.

Have you posted about him before? This is not a goady question I promise, but the living-apart-togther + DC situation is familiar from another recent post.
He sounds fucking ghastly. Why are you still with him? He seems to bring you nowt but grief, stress, & second-guessing yourself.

Flowers Back soon. Keep your chin up, plenty of PP will give you supportive advice.

Always4Brenner · 10/12/2022 14:22

Get rid before Christmas go into the new year without this selfish dick in your life.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 10/12/2022 14:27

What was your childhood like?. It sounds abusive from the little you have alluded to about this. Your lack of boundaries, already skewed by childhood, are being further eroded and otherwise got at by this man. This man chose you deliberately, he targeted you.

Your own upbringing primed you into accepting such vile treatment from this man now, abuse was familiar to you and this man has given you more of the same. He needs to be out of your life completely; how can you be helped here into leaving your abuser?. Thankfully you and he do not live under the same roof but you need to completely separate from him all the same.

What do you want to teach your children about relationships and what are they learning here?. This is NOT the role model to be showing them.

Imallshoppedout · 10/12/2022 14:29

He is a total and utter cunt.

His full-time work is so important he can’t do any home, child or night care for his children, but your full-time work must be cut short so as to not inconvenience him for made up reasons on his day off? No. He’s appalling.

But all of that aside, the fact that he’s conditioned you to feel that frightened of him is enough of a reason to tell him to go fuck himself and never darken your door again. Unfortunately, he like won’t bother with his children. An already-existing failing of his which he will lay at your door.

As I said, cunt.

emptythelitterbox · 10/12/2022 14:31

You were working and he was being a twat.

Not sure what you're get from this relationship.

KettrickenSmiled · 10/12/2022 14:35

Noideaatall · 10/12/2022 13:48

posted too soon! He then sent me a long rant about how disrespectful I am. Was I wrong not to cut my meeting short?

When a man rants at you about the respect he reckons he is owed & how you are failing to give it to him - DUMP THE NASTY FUCKER.

Elieza · 10/12/2022 14:37

Why are you still with him? What do you need him for? Honestly, couldn’t you manage without him?

I told myself for years that I needed a guy. Until I didn’t have one.And I was totally fine. I was not being honest with myself. I was choosing the easy option because I thought having a man, even one that didn’t love me, was better than being alone.

Turns out that it’s not.

I encourage you to LTB.

Investigate first (on the various benefits calculators) if you can claim anything.

It says if you work up to 16 hours a week you can basically get a lot of help.

You have one life. One day you will look back and think why the hell did I wait so long to leave that prick.

Nobody should be scared in their own home. (Though I’d respectfully suggest letting chat run on when you should have let them know you had “an appointment at 12.15 sorry I have to leave now’, isn’t right but honestly that asshole deserved it but two wrongs and all, so try to be more punctual with other people in future).

KettrickenSmiled · 10/12/2022 14:37

His full-time work is so important he can’t do any home, child or night care for his children, but your full-time work must be cut short so as to not inconvenience him for made up reasons on his day off? No. He’s appalling.

That's it @Imallshoppedout - but luckily for him, his Big Important ManJob can afford to pay child maintenance when OP dumps him & goes to the CMS when he kicks off about how he deserves RESPECT for not parenting his DC ...

layladomino · 10/12/2022 14:45

Why does he think you 'owe' him respect?

I mean, I think as human beings we should all be respectful of each other, but I mean what does he think he does that deserves respect from you?

Because from what I can see, he owes you a lot more than you owe him. You both work full time, but on top of that you seem to have all the responsibility for parenting, and you're also a decent human being whereas he's a selfish, childish, rude, lazy manchild.

And in any case, when he says you don't have enough respect for him, he means you should dance to his tune, put him first, jump when he demands it, do everything he wants, not have your own life and needs. That isn't respect.

A decent person, seeing your meeting was running over, would have found themselves something to do until you were done. They wouldn't have minded waiting 15 minutes under the circumstances. They certainly wouldn't have been rude - and in front of your colleagues! They wouldn't have given you any grief afterwards. You certainly shouldn't ever feel sick with worry about a partner's anger.

Seriously, please get rid of him. Your life would be much easier and happier without him in it.