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

Did I over react and ruin the relationship?

215 replies

Seapearlstar · 23/01/2023 15:49

We’ve been together for 3 years and he has bailed on me a couple of times due to his own insecurities and issues. It was a struggle for me to trust again, but the last 6 months or so have been amazing and it seemed like we were really understanding each other a lot better. I don’t express it, but I am concerned he will leave again. Because it’s been so close and loving I finally fully relaxed inside. The other night I expressed to him how happy I am and secure I feel with him and he said he’s so glad and just wants to show me so much love, and I said he does and I couldn’t ask for more from how things are going. So we live apart at the moment and the conversation ended with me saying “I love you” and he said “I’m glad”. So I said “I’m glad you love me also”, to which he said “I don’t respond for responses sake”

so I said, ok, well let’s sleep honey, rest well. So then he said, “don’t give to get”. I said, well I never do…I express what I feel, so goodnight. So then he said “you love me and I took it. Go to sleep my eyes are gone now”

I literally couldn’t reply, I felt blindsided. This guy said he wants to marry me, and everything’s been amazing between us. I make tons of effort to show my love various ways and am always there for him, so I’m definitely not a taker.

so I went to sleep. The next morning I’d usually text first but left it. I messaged around midday, and said last night felt funny is everything ok?

so he sent me a message at the same time saying “now you’ve decided to not be in contact with me, obviously you’re upset with what I said. The reason I said what I said is I here it all the time, women on there phones saying I love you, and the reason they do it is so they’re told they’re loved back” and it turns my stomach, so I decided to just say I’m glad for once, and see what your response was, but you’ve taken it how you’ll take it”

I said, “It feels a bit like you’re game playing. When I say I love you it means something to me. I didn’t ask you to respond, saying your glad is a response, but why take it further talking about responding fir responses sake”

I was pissed off in my message as I hate game playing and he’s played games before. So I had an angry tone as it was voice message.

so then he responded saying everything’s so good between us, but it’s this, how “one questionable thing he says” and I’m upset. I said actually you say many things and I’m very relaxed ways many wouldn’t be…but this, it felt a bit of a head mess.

it descended into an argument because he then said “it needed to be said”

I started to feel majorly uneasy and insecure and wondering why “it needed to be said” he told me he can’t be with me now because I got angry with him.

so then I said a few nasty things and we haven’t spoken.

I just don’t know how it all happened like that so quickly and wondering if I was totally unreasonable.

OP posts:
Watchkeys · 23/01/2023 17:16

Are you nasty with other people, @Seapearlstar ? Are you regularly nasty, or just with him?

Seapearlstar · 23/01/2023 17:17

It did blindside me, but unfortunately I’m a slow simmer. I try to explain why I’m upset, I get told I’m attacking and nasty and over complicated, and I’m ignored and then I get angry and tell him to fuck off and find someone he cares about etc. specific things that feel like game playing or like he’s going to leave me feel massively triggering now with him.

OP posts:
KillingLoneliness · 23/01/2023 17:17

When you say you got nasty can you give an example of what you said?

KettrickenSmiled · 23/01/2023 17:18

Leomii81 · 23/01/2023 17:10

Has he apologised op

An apology from this man would be worthless.

He says whatever he feels like to keep OP undermined.

An apology would just be another mindgame, to reel her back in so he can keep playing his cat & mouse bullshit on her.

KettrickenSmiled · 23/01/2023 17:19

Seapearlstar · 23/01/2023 17:17

It did blindside me, but unfortunately I’m a slow simmer. I try to explain why I’m upset, I get told I’m attacking and nasty and over complicated, and I’m ignored and then I get angry and tell him to fuck off and find someone he cares about etc. specific things that feel like game playing or like he’s going to leave me feel massively triggering now with him.

If you left this manipulative & cruel man, you would never have to worry about him leaving you, ever again.

How does the thought of that make you feel?

Seapearlstar · 23/01/2023 17:19

No, I get on with everyone, people describe me as gentle. I do have passion in me but I have zero expectations of people anyway, so don’t generally feel affected by others if ever there’s anything nasty, like with my dad for example, just see he’s quite moody and love him through it etc. I’ve never been angry with anyone like with him and I think I’m just scared.

OP posts:
BadBear · 23/01/2023 17:20

Please run, run as fast as you can.

He is bad news. Is this what you want your life to be?

Seapearlstar · 23/01/2023 17:20

I agree. My reaction just makes me feel so awful inside and just makes things so much worse

OP posts:
YouTarzan · 23/01/2023 17:20

Bin him off

KettrickenSmiled · 23/01/2023 17:21

Seapearlstar · 23/01/2023 17:20

I agree. My reaction just makes me feel so awful inside and just makes things so much worse

Do you think he is unaware of that?

This man feeds off your pain.

Seapearlstar · 23/01/2023 17:22

Told him to fuck off and find someone he really cares about. Told him he’s fickle and a game player. Over analysed the “responses for responses sake” comment, and the “it needed to be said” comment

OP posts:
Leomii81 · 23/01/2023 17:23

He does sound like he's messing you about and a lunatic.. it's normal to say i love you in relationship. Is he insecure

Watchkeys · 23/01/2023 17:23

So you've learned with your dad that you can love someone despite their moodiness, and that's how you've been conditioned. Now you think that's what you're meant to do, if you're in a close relationship with someone, and they get changeable. You feel like the right thing to do is to stick around, and keep loving them.

It's not. If someone makes you into a you that you don't like, you stay away from them. And it really is that simple.

TiptoeThroughTheToadstools · 23/01/2023 17:24

OP has he told you he loves you before? It sounds like he is massing with your head, gas lighting. I would put it behind you and block him.

KillingLoneliness · 23/01/2023 17:26

Seapearlstar · 23/01/2023 17:22

Told him to fuck off and find someone he really cares about. Told him he’s fickle and a game player. Over analysed the “responses for responses sake” comment, and the “it needed to be said” comment

That doesn’t sound nasty to me, just frustrated. Trust my OP you’d be much happier without him. You are only feeling this way because of the games he is playing, he will always try to twist it so he is the victim. Don’t let him gaslight you anymore, these relationships never end well and you can often feel like a completely different person by the time you “wake up” and see the manipulation and emotional abuse.

TiptoeThroughTheToadstools · 23/01/2023 17:26

Seapearlstar · 23/01/2023 17:22

Told him to fuck off and find someone he really cares about. Told him he’s fickle and a game player. Over analysed the “responses for responses sake” comment, and the “it needed to be said” comment

I don't think you've over analysed at all, it was designed to evoke a reaction from you.

Ofcourseshecan · 23/01/2023 17:27

Seapearlstar · 23/01/2023 17:15

He hasn’t apologised. The last message I got is that he feels traumatised and is processing nasty things I’ve said and trying to get his head straight

In other words, he's working on the next few episodes of this drama, in which he stars as the honest hero and you may be given the chance to apologise humbly for having 'wronged' him.

Oh god, OP, this man will never do anything but play mind games and bring you down. He will drain the life out of you -- I have known men like this and they are toxic. Get yourself away from him!

Forthelast · 23/01/2023 17:32

Your analysis of him in your responses were accurate. Without realising it perhaps, he is a game player. He has deep seated issues if he can't even hear that he is lived without resenting the onus that this places on him to reciprocate. He also has an unpleasant way of needing to have the last word once he has wrong footed you, then sitting back and blaming you for things going sour. This will never work, I'm sorry.

You're right to expect more. You're foolish if you try to get it from him. It is was particularly inappropriate of him to feel unable to respond in the context of a conversation about how much you love each other. There's something big going on with him if he feels the need to sabotage things between you and retain the distance (and the upper hand). I don't expect he has much awareness of what he's doing so the indignation from him is probably genuine. But it doesn't excuse the fact that he isn't kind.

Let him go and think about how pleasant it would be to be in a relationship without this toxicity. You're ready for that and he's not.

Forthelast · 23/01/2023 17:32

loved

threecupsofteaminimum · 23/01/2023 17:35

Run for the hills from the game playing knobber.

You sound lovely, you deserve a grown up not a manchild.

GoodChat · 23/01/2023 17:37

Seapearlstar · 23/01/2023 17:22

Told him to fuck off and find someone he really cares about. Told him he’s fickle and a game player. Over analysed the “responses for responses sake” comment, and the “it needed to be said” comment

It sounds like this is all the anger you've harboured for a while coming out. Maybe it's time to stop flogging a dead horse.

Flowersintheattic57 · 23/01/2023 17:42

Sounds like you are in love with a man who spends his time slyly casting eggshells for you to tip toe round in case you tread on them, and then jumping on you when you do. You are tying yourself up in knots avoiding the shells. That’s no way to live.

Mama2six · 23/01/2023 17:47

That there would be a hell no for me. The leaving you twice before and now playing mind games when you feel secure? Nah he’s got red flags all over RUN

Jacksfesteringresentment · 23/01/2023 17:49

So he purposefully didn't say I love you back when you said I love you, because he thinks women only say I love you to get a response. He chose to play mind games at the precise moment you were talking about how great you felt the relationship was going and how happy you felt.

This man doesn't love you. He's a dickhead and will continue to fuck with your head any time he feels like it.

Let him go.

Emmamoo89 · 23/01/2023 17:54

You deserve better. X