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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

Do these things look odd to you?

135 replies

AppleWhiskers · 19/10/2024 19:23

A few things have happened recently that make me uncomfortable, but not sure how to get my head around them. In LTR, no children together, things have been a little strained over the past few years but nothing too dramatic.

First incident: About a year ago he began moving his dinner time later into the evening, hour by hour, until we were rarely eating together much at all. I mentioned it a few times and he said he hadn't noticed.
I then begin to notice that he seems silently irritated if I am in the kitchen when he is cooking. Then, last week, whilst making myself a cup of tea whilst he was at the sink, we were just having a laugh, fairly lighthearted vibe, and as I turned around to say something he caught both my upper arms in his hands, squeezing his thumbs into my flesh which really freaking hurt! I actually yelped. He looked puzzled and said nothing until I mentioned it hurt, his reply was he had no idea what I was talking about, but he was sorry if he had hurt me. It was quite out of the ordinary and since he is a big chap, surely he would have known?

Another incident: We had been planning a short break for a while, and he told me to go ahead and book it for any weekend that was free for me. I surprised him last week by booking our favourite place and told him the dates, then he went quiet. After a bit of prodding he told me he had arranged to visit a friend on the day we'd depart. He visits this friend several times per month, only a few miles up the road, and they tend to just listen to music together and chat. It wasn't an important meeting and could have been rescheduled for any day that following week, so seemed a bit out of character.
He was visibly annoyed and said he would come down the following day on a train!

Another: I have noticed that if I don't make conversation, he pretty much doesn't speak to me. He will say practical stuff, offer to make coffee, tell the occasional joke, but no actual conversation whatsoever. I tend to generate most things and never gave it much thought before.
One effect of this is that if I don't ask or instigate a topic, he won't tell me anything about his day, or ask my opinion on things. It seems really strange as I am certain it never used to be like that a few years ago.

There are plenty more odd details that stand out to me, but I don't want to make the post too long. I am wondering if this is common, or has had anyone else baffled in a similar way? There's a lot of things that when questioned, he either denies knowing what I am talking about or acts completely confused.

The day after the arm thing I had two small bruises on my arms. I showed him and he kindly rolled his eyes as if I was being silly. I am sure to god he must have bloody known how they got there.
He has never been particularly violent, apart one or two small incidents many years ago which were during a time of terrible stress. He is also very bothered about being seen as a 'good person', especially in his own eyes. He says a lot but doesn't act on his words. Obviously, I am having doubts, but dont' want to be too hasty.

OP posts:
TeeBee · 19/10/2024 20:52

He's either mentally unwell or abusive. It's as simple as that. I wouldn't be hanging around to be on the end of that behaviour but I have a low tolerance for abusive crap. What are you waiting around for? Do you think things will improve?

DeepRoseFish · 19/10/2024 20:55

Sounds like you’ve been in denial. Can you take some time away from him to clear your head?

Wherehasallthetimegone · 19/10/2024 21:00

I think he is a very frightening man.
He doesn't like you, he doesn't want to spend any time with you and he deliberately hurts you.
I think you should seperate before the violence escalates because he is masking a very cruel nature.

OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 19/10/2024 21:02

Why did he do it - because he can, and did !

do you see yourself with him in your 60's
do you see yourself with him when you are both retired and at home all day every day...

' We have no financial or family ties'

what is your living situation ?
if there are no financial ties, does that mean it is a rented property and if so whose name is it in.

do you work full time, and do you have savings.

AppleWhiskers · 19/10/2024 21:07

I am not happy with what I now feel and am aware of, so no, I don't see myself with him at 60. This is still quite new to me, even though I have felt unhappy for a while. I need to process this as calmly as possible. And no, I can't see him changing now and would not bother to try.

Am very ok financially, thank god, we rent, but I might use this as cue to move far away. Have always wanted to so maybe this is fortuitous.

What puzzles me is if he does feel so unpleasant towards me, why the heck stay with me? True, he might be waiting for me to blow up, but it has been like this for about 5 years so he must have some patience!

OP posts:
DogInATent · 19/10/2024 21:12

Are you certain it couldn't be early onset dementia?

AppleWhiskers · 19/10/2024 21:13

Well this is hilarious, also just realised something else.

Over the years he makes this scraping sound at the back of his nose (sinus issue perhaps) and it has always gone through me like nails on a chalk board. It became a sort of joke between us, where he would make the sound and I would audibly cringe.
I decided to not react when he does it, and lo and behold he has INCREASED it, going like a madman with it. Mmmm, so yes, I am sure many of you are quite correct that a lot of these small things are actually deliberate acts of defiance or something. It reminds me of a power struggle, except I am not trying to take his power Confused

What a waste of his life and time. And mine.

OP posts:
OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 19/10/2024 21:13

why does he stay with you ?

why not ?

I guess you pay bills / towards bills
you provide a bit of company so he isn't lonely
you probably do some/all housework and or laundry
etc.

and if you are in a ' relationship ' there may even be sex sometimes/often/frequently

AppleWhiskers · 19/10/2024 21:18

Ah, no sex for along time. He says he has ED, doesn't like discussing it. Seems angry yet not communicative about that.
I thought I was asexual at one point but think it might be because I have had to go numb in some way.

I do contribute financially but he pays more, he also does most of the housework. He is a (non famous) composer so has odd hours and works form home if not with a larger group or orchestra. I have a much busier life and run y own business so if I am honest he is the one who puts in the extra work domestically.
I will be the worse off financially if I leave, but I will also be just fine. So he doesn't need my money or housemaid skills Grin

If I am honest, I would guess that he doesn't want me but balks at the idea of someone else having me. Yep, that sad. Maybe he is angry with me for his own perceived failures (ED, etc). But he won't let me in, so not a lot I could do.

OP posts:
Thecatthatgotthesouredmilk · 19/10/2024 21:20

He is not a good man. There is a bitterness there that no one can fix. He resents you. Please be careful leaving him. He sounds dangerous.

WearyAuldWumman · 19/10/2024 21:20

This is a worry: "He has never been particularly violent, apart one or two small incidents many years ago which were during a time of terrible stress."

Icanttakethisanymore · 19/10/2024 21:27

I’m sorry OP, he doesn’t sound like he likes you very much. I guess it’s hard to end a relationship after 12 years and perhaps he’s burying his head in the sand about it (but the underlying feelings are showing through)

AppleWhiskers · 19/10/2024 21:30

I need to get my head around it, keep myself calm and sort out a plan. He seems entirely unbothered by the idea of me leaving these days, but I will definitely be mindful in case it's an act.

Those past incidents involved screaming in my face once, and on another occasion throwing a wine bottle across the room, not at me. It wasn't an attack on my person but was very aggressive and inappropriate, but time swallowed it up and nothing quite like that ever happened again.

Not sure why it is all coming out now, I imagine I have been unconsciously hiding from it and can't any longer. There are longish periods of ok-ness, but he does seem so defensive, sour and uninterested the majority of the time now and I am fed up with it all.

The short break plan did piss me off, i had been so looking forward to it and it was my treat. He just seemed somewhat annoyed when it was booked, as if it was an irritant. I am sure someone who cared about me would be excited. He had said he was happy to do it, but when finalised apparently not. Maybe he is all mouth and no action now.

OP posts:
Vannymcvan · 19/10/2024 21:34

He doesn't likes you, he's completely checked out of the relationship and I would imagine he's acting like this to push you to be the one to leave. Honestly, life is short. Why hang around with someone who treats you like sh*t?

Ilovelurchers · 19/10/2024 21:37

The squeezing your arms thing is horrible, and sadly it's quite common for abusers to hurt someone then immediately straight afterwards flat out deny it happened - and yes it's highly confusing and upsetting when you have it done to you, no wonder your head is all over the place!

The eating late and the trip - that stuff is perhaps more just a sign of a normal relationship running it's course....

But please done ignore the violence - he has shown you who he is.

From what you say it sounds like you would both actually be happy with a separation, so if I were you I would start working towards that as quickly as you can. Will there be much to sort out financially? Will you both be able to afford somewhere ok to live?

Good luck. You are at the start of what might feel like a long journey, but actually it may go a lot quicker than you think - and the destination is freedom, happiness, peace and safety!

AppleWhiskers · 19/10/2024 21:41

Ok, I really want to see what people think of this.
It is so intensely private but I have never spoken of it to anyone.

Many years ago I was sexually assaulted on a night out with a friend. It involved the use of a drug and I'd had hardly anything to drink. I certainly don't want to go into detail about that experience here, but something happened a few days later that never sat right with me.

My DP was supportive and I booked into some counselling. It was immensely helpful and helped me to process and move on. But around four days after the assault my DP asked me a really strange question. He asked what position I had been in when it happened, sort of how you might enquire about a sexual act.
I was shocked and told him so, but he didn't seem to think he had said anything untoward. I put it down to being sensitive and vulnerable at the time, but even years later it made no sense.
If I recall correctly he asked about a sexual position whilst looking slightly annoyed/angry with me (to my mind). I can't prove this, even to myself, but that is what flashed through my mind.

I know people here are now primed to see him in a negative light due to this thread, but I can still see it in my memory and have never been fully comfortable with it. I could easily be wrong, but it was over 10 years ago and I still feel weird about it.

OP posts:
pikkumyy77 · 19/10/2024 21:43

AppleWhiskers · 19/10/2024 20:16

Bit why do it?
If we were ok at the time and no tension, it makes no sense. To my knowledge he wasn't angry - It would mean that there's a constant undercurrent of something ugly, wouldn't it? And you could be right.

perhaps I don't know him that well at all. I do think that I have compartmentalised some stuff, that is now rearing it's head.

I think when you have eliminated the possible/rational explanations you really are left with the distinct possibility that you do not understand this man at all. A man who hurts you and then pretends he didn’t is someone whose reason for hurting you may never be known. It might not make sense to you. But the fact is he did it. That is the irreducible reality.

Get out quietly snd quickly and sound some time licking your wounds snd reflecting on the relationship. 12 years is a long time to give someone who is such a headfuck that you are this confused.

AutumnFroglets · 19/10/2024 21:54

Not sure why it is all coming out now, I imagine I have been unconsciously hiding from it and can't any longer.
I'm guessing something has tilted your world for one second which is making you question other things. Probably it's the holiday booking where his excuse is irrational and unexplainable. The little boiled frog has opened one eye, shut it very quickly but is now going hmmmmmm.

Keep opening your eyes. Keep questioning. Eventually you will come to the same conclusion as us. He doesn’t like you enough to be nice but he kinda needs you to share bills with so he keeps you around (it's cheaper to share). He shows his contempt for you in subtle ways by standing in your feet, shouldering you out of the way, breaking your things (not his), not spending time with you at communal events such as eating dinner.

Download a free pdf copy of Lundy Bancroft - Why does he do that? It's quite illuminating.

N4ish · 19/10/2024 21:56

It sounds like he has a lot of contempt and poorly masked dislike of you. I would worry that his abusive behaviour will inevitably escalate. You should definitely make plans to leave, it’s good to hear your finances aren’t too entwined.

PeggyMitchellsCameo · 19/10/2024 22:03

Read Lundy Bancroft’s book about why men abuse - the pinching was to keep you off kilter and not being able to make sense of reality.
He is angry with you.
He resents you.
He is angry he has ED and is giving that anger to you.
You need to get away OP.

AlwaysGinPlease · 19/10/2024 22:06

You really need to end it. He's fucking weird and abusive.

AppleWhiskers · 19/10/2024 22:10

I guess it is difficult to get my head around someone resenting me and being angry with me when I don't know why. Then again, I imagine it isn't something that would ever provide an answer or reason.
yes I do need to tidy things up and make plans now.

Boiled frog!
I know that I make light of things with emoji's and so on but I am actually quite disturbed and feel pretty dark about all of this. At one time I would be trying to talk, work it out, discussing it with him, but now I want to do the exact opposite and give nothing away.

OP posts:
AgileGreenSeal · 19/10/2024 22:14

OP I’m concerned that he has lost respect for you and is hurting you & then gaslighting you that it was clumsiness (standing on your feet) or has no idea what you’re talking about (grabbing your arms).

He’s very concerned to maintain his “good man” persona so maybe is trying to provoke you, or maybe he just enjoys hurting / confusing you.

Either way I would make a plan for how I could get away without confrontation.

Then if you decide to go make sure you take everything you will ever need - passport, birth certificate, driving licence and afterwards never be alone with him again. Something about your story just makes my blood run cold.
Best wishes to you xx

DaisyChain505 · 19/10/2024 22:23

He’s checked out of the relationship yet is too lazy to leave you.

AutumnFroglets · 19/10/2024 22:26

I'm sorry you are going through this. It is quite telling that you have decided not to chat to him like you normally would so something has shifted inside of you. You might never know why it has, or why you never noticed this stuff before, but what you must do is keep going forward, keep opening those eyes. I'll be honest with you - when I started this process in my own marriage my whole world tilted 90 degrees and nothing seemed right. I still feel I had a mini breakdown for several months while I processed it all. But my eyes remained firmly opened and my world eventually righted itself - due to circumstances out of my control we still live together but the end is definitely in sight.