Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

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

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:
AppleWhiskers · 24/10/2024 13:26

Also, considering my exit plans and how to go about it -

Many comments here suggest being careful (which I agree with) due to a suspicion that he won't want me to move on ultimately. That he would change his attitude once he knew I was confident and would not want to let me go or find happiness.

Yet some say he seems to just wants me to leave, that he doesn't want anything to do with me.

Both makes sense to me as I can feel both of these things simultaneously, which isn't logical, really. I will probably plan with the first paragraph in mind, which seems to be the sensible way.

OP posts:
Fraaahnces · 24/10/2024 13:39

I am going to suggest that you use the next time he is visiting his mate to install some hidden cameras in communal parts of your home like your kitchen, lounge, etc where this weirdness is happening. If you can point it at his laptop and maybe get a view of what he’s researching all day, even better. (It could give you a window into what’s going on in there and if you are indeed as unsafe as you think you are, you have evidence.) I know it’s not ethical but this one sounds terrifying. Of course check that he doesn’t already have them hidden around the place first and have them delivered to a friend’s place so he isn’t tipped off. I also think you need to take photos of your bruises and send an email to a trusted friend and let them know your plans, and how you need to move in the shadows for the time being but you are making plans to get away safely.

Time40 · 24/10/2024 14:08

Yet some say he seems to just wants me to leave, that he doesn't want anything to do with me.
Both makes sense to me as I can feel both of these things simultaneously, which isn't logical, really

It makes sense. It's classic dog in the manger behaviour.

I'm like everyone else - I think he sounds dangerous. Get out of there asap, OP. Come back and update - let us know you've done it. Good luck!

DucklingSwimmingInstructress · 24/10/2024 16:26

@Fraaahnces has good ideas but don't let him detect you.

Again.... slowly take the things you value out of the house. Please.

My ex-H honestly didn't mean to have a squashing, intimidating effect on me but he did, to the point that years later I still find it hard to chat easily. I'm glad you're making your plans.

Your H sounds quietly very angry, and if spills over into you. It's the only explanation for the weird provocations and not-quite-so-micro aggressions. Does he not want to think he angry? Because he sounds like there's a controlled pressure cooker inside him, and the seal is starting to leak.

AppleWhiskers · 24/10/2024 19:58

DucklingSwimmingInstructress · 24/10/2024 16:26

@Fraaahnces has good ideas but don't let him detect you.

Again.... slowly take the things you value out of the house. Please.

My ex-H honestly didn't mean to have a squashing, intimidating effect on me but he did, to the point that years later I still find it hard to chat easily. I'm glad you're making your plans.

Your H sounds quietly very angry, and if spills over into you. It's the only explanation for the weird provocations and not-quite-so-micro aggressions. Does he not want to think he angry? Because he sounds like there's a controlled pressure cooker inside him, and the seal is starting to leak.

Almost everything you have said here resonates, although whilst appreciated (and worth some thought) @Fraaahnces suggestions are a bit too much for me, with all due respect.

But everything else in this post feels like it hits the nail on the head, squarely.
Always described him as a coiled spring, and over the years he has almost deadened himself to avoid it. He had issues with his mother long ago, and was hurt by 2 previous relationships, but nowadays I tend to wonder how much of a role he played in that.

he must keep it very much in check because he's generally a good guy, and never uses aggression elsewhere, and doesn't like violence, whether on tv or in real life. He hates the toxic masculinity stuff, and has never been a 'bro' or 'banter' person.
None of this disqualifies his issue with me though of course.
I seem to be the channel through which it thrives, for some reason.

I once asked him what he was most scared of and he said 'failing a woman'.
I was baffled, since he does absolutely nothing whatsoever to prove otherwise.
He has a victim mentality, and whilst he never whinges or complains, you can certainly feel it.
His eyes speak louder than words.

Aaaaand, I have begun to collect info from agents for new places to view. God help me in this economy, but onwards we go!

OP posts:
Talulahalula · 24/10/2024 21:31

Regarding the thing he is most scared of being failing a woman.
That is a bit manipulative. It prompts the response, ‘but you are not failing me, darling’ or ‘I cannot really imagine you failing me’. Then you hold off leaving because he said it was the thing he was most scared of. Like if he said the thing he was most scared of was a snake, you wouldn’t give him a snake. Except to get out of the relationship, you need to give him this metaphorical snake.

DucklingSwimmingInstructress · 24/10/2024 21:57

There's a good chance it comes out against you for one excellent reason: you are closest to him. It sounds to me like he's desperately trying to be,and think of himself, a good guy but whatever rage is penned up inside him is seeping out. Maybe he's shoved it away so long that he doesn't recognise it. When he denies doing something against you or your valued things that you've clearly seen him do, could he go denying it to himself as much or more than to you?

Fraaahnces · 24/10/2024 23:05

A lot of toxic men use their words to attract women who are vulnerable to their most evil behaviours. The really sociopathic ones will set up a “public” pattern of behavior and comments to cover their true thoughts, feelings and plans. It seems like he is testing you to see what he can get away with at the moment. He is trying to make you feel like you are crazy for questioning the motives of a “great guy like him” for constantly deliberately hurting you.

AppleWhiskers · 24/10/2024 23:39

I agree, but at the same time, I am not a passive onlooker. I generally tell him when I am pissed off and when I think he is trolling me. I'm no wallflower! This doesn't persuade him.
I think he is so set in his ways, so utterly on another planet to me that he doesn't take a word that I say seriously. He often rolls his eyes if I mention feeling unwell, as if I am a child with anxiety.
I have high ocular pressure (not glaucoma) and have been told to avoid stuff that can raise it such as heavy strength training, upside-down yoga, etc. He often rolls his eyes when I mention this as if I am exaggerating.
I had a large infection on my tonsil last year that was very visible, he looked in there and said it looked utterly normal and that I was over worrying it. My Dr saw it and gave me medication Confused

He can make any conversation complicated, very often he claims he didn't hear me, as if he is going deaf, but he doesn't have these issues when we are in company. This can happen 20 times per day, as he asks me to repeat myself, yet he has no hearing issues.

I know that working him out is not my problem now, but it still intrigues me. And the mechanics of why I have put up with it for so long are something I am currently working on in my own head.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page