Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

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

Why am I being treated so poorly compared to his ex

22 replies

Blueskiesinjune · 30/01/2025 10:07

Good morning. I know many will say does it matter. But its making me question if I really have handled things terribly.

So I'm finally out of a horrible relationship. There's 2 family members that have held his ex on a pedestal and they've turned on me even though I was treated the same. So I wanted to ask what you thought was different.

With his ex 8 years. He loved into HER house. She was buying it. From what I can establish 2 or 3 happy years then the last 2 years were awful. Middle bit was probably a mixture. She got him a car on a loan. After they split she sold it. She was angry for a while after the split. He owed her £3000 for home improvements he never went halves on. In 8 years he never contributed towards bills etc. He cheated. Was a naughty boy online. Ruined holidays. Walked out of hospital after operations refusing to stay in. Smoked weed. Did coke. Had fights. Became an alcoholic. Got jealous and resentful when she started doing her own thing. She left him after he had sex with an ex school friend and this was the 8th time she had caught him out. After they split. He moved out. Continued to lean on her and she had to save him after an overdose. Cleaned the sick out his house etc. Stayed in touch for almost 4 years after.

I came along 2 years after they split. She remained his friend for the first 2 years of our relationship. I say friends. It was very manipulative. He rubbed her in my face etc. Kept her photos etc. Female relation of his began to tell me he'd never get over her and I needed to accept she will always be important to him. He claimed she was the only one who was ever there when he was ill etc.

In our relationship I ended up giving him £10,000 over 4 years. I paid for all food and shopping. We never moved in together. He was very very clever at playing a victim of life. He began to grind me down. Little digs and put downs. He was caught out lying alot. Caught him on tinder. Caught him on fake profiles. I could physically see on his Facebook he was being inappropriate. He wouldn't put our relationships online. He began taking drugs. Stealing. Loosing jobs. Verbally abusive. He made me feel so low. Then one day I reached out to his cousin who was happy to fill me in on how awful he'd been to his ex and I was better off out of it. I eventually went to his adult daughters when he was off the rails. They were all pleasant. I did contact 2 women in the end regarding him cheating on me. Both Confirmed he was a flirt. A cheat and had chased them and others. He slept with my no longer friend and I eventually had it out with her. I finally finally after 4 years of being miserable got out the relationship in November.

Throughout our time together I know his daughter reached out to his ex sometimes and spoke highly of her. The cousin is allover the place but has fully blamed him on his last relationship. But since we've split up she has been spreading around I'm nuts. I'm pathetic. I'm needy. I'm a mug. I'm a psycho. I'm clinging for someone who doesn't even want me. She has also called me stupid etc. Last summer she rang me whinging he only messages her for help.

What hurts the most is he let's me take the blame. Before I blocked him he listed all the people I contacted and said I cause all the trouble. Even though it was all accurate. His ex also contacted a woman and his cousins regarding his behaviour. So why am I crazy. Why am I disliked. Yet his ex got it right.

I know you all will say who cares. But I really don't deserve the reputation.

OP posts:
SpringBunnyHopHop · 30/01/2025 10:11

He sounds utterly repulsive and a complete using cock lodger. How anyone could be attracted to him is beyond me but it’s likely he’s crawled back up her arse for a roof and money.

Fuck all of them.

Blueskiesinjune · 30/01/2025 10:18

SpringBunnyHopHop · 30/01/2025 10:11

He sounds utterly repulsive and a complete using cock lodger. How anyone could be attracted to him is beyond me but it’s likely he’s crawled back up her arse for a roof and money.

Fuck all of them.

His Ex has moved on and is with a man she seems genuinely happy with. It's just so weird how they empathise with her but I'm so terrible. Weirdly though he seems to want them to think I am crazy. I was very zero bullshit in the end..I saw everything and I think he hated me for it.
It's all been reported to the police and they have referred me to a domestic abuse support team. But as weak as I sound it hurts that I genuinely feel I am as kind and decent as his ex and they don't see that. They never even met me. They met her a couple of times..his daughters met me twice. I dont know. I dont understand how they think his behaviour was victim with me and he was the baddy with her. When our relationships resembled the same pattern of abuse.

OP posts:
TattoedLady · 30/01/2025 10:20

Well done for leaving, he’s treated you appallingly. From the sound of it he lacks any accountability (and a lot more besides), so he’ll never take responsibility for his bad behaviour. Why would he when he can deflect and blame his “crazy ex”.

Put it all behind you and move on.

Blueskiesinjune · 30/01/2025 10:31

When we first met I wasn't working as my son was under 3. He would say to me you need to get a job and get mixing with people. Stay at home mums are like children !

I remember him saying when he met his ex she had nothing. He built her up. Helped her turn her house around. Did her garden. He said she was messy etc. Then he said but when we had been together a while she was all look at me and look what I've got. He said I turned her like that but I don't like what she's become.

A few weeks before Christmas as I now have been working 2 years! I went Into town with 2 women I work with for breakfast and to finish shopping. He said I knew when you got working and stuff you would change. You'd start going out and making friends. I knew this is how it would be. Then he continued to grumble that he'd always tried to help me and build me up. When we met he claims u had no confidence etc.

Can see the manipulation can't you

OP posts:
PeggyMitchellsCameo · 30/01/2025 10:37

Have you posted about him before @Blueskiesinjune ?
While posters can say move on or get over it, it seems there is a lot going on here. The experience with this man has left you clearly very distressed and upset.
His ex was just a person, just as you are.
His opinion, or his cousin’s, seem part of a family system which is very, very unhealthy. I love my adult cousins but in no way would I be getting involved in their romantic lives.
One thing I have learned as I have got older is that other people’s opinions are just that, and often life isn’t fair.
You clearly tried to help this man but he is beyond help. He treats people like dirt. He’s an addict and a liar.
So I have a question - what is your opinion of yourself? Because you seem to have an awful lot of good qualities.
That is where your future lies - with you! Not with other people who are clearly toxic and cause chaos.
Spend time with people you like - and who like you. Start doing things for yourself, go calmly to start with.
Your brain is stuck in a groove trying to work all this out, and it’s a waste of your precious life.
Building up your self esteem is the most important thing you can do. And relationships with people who care about you and vice versa.

Blueskiesinjune · 30/01/2025 10:44

PeggyMitchellsCameo · 30/01/2025 10:37

Have you posted about him before @Blueskiesinjune ?
While posters can say move on or get over it, it seems there is a lot going on here. The experience with this man has left you clearly very distressed and upset.
His ex was just a person, just as you are.
His opinion, or his cousin’s, seem part of a family system which is very, very unhealthy. I love my adult cousins but in no way would I be getting involved in their romantic lives.
One thing I have learned as I have got older is that other people’s opinions are just that, and often life isn’t fair.
You clearly tried to help this man but he is beyond help. He treats people like dirt. He’s an addict and a liar.
So I have a question - what is your opinion of yourself? Because you seem to have an awful lot of good qualities.
That is where your future lies - with you! Not with other people who are clearly toxic and cause chaos.
Spend time with people you like - and who like you. Start doing things for yourself, go calmly to start with.
Your brain is stuck in a groove trying to work all this out, and it’s a waste of your precious life.
Building up your self esteem is the most important thing you can do. And relationships with people who care about you and vice versa.

Yeah I have posted before. Its been a long old slog. But since speaking with the police my mind set has changed. I'm moving forward and away from it all now. Just making sense of different things at the moment. I had a huge mouthful of his family member 2 weeks ago and its triggered me. Luckily it also pushed me to block the lot of them.

OP posts:
PeggyMitchellsCameo · 30/01/2025 10:51

I don’t want to confuse you with another poster as lots of the details are similar.
Is this the man whose care you took over, who was hard to contact, lost his flat and kept going missing?
Told you he was going to live with his cousin but had been hiding in your property?

Bibi12 · 30/01/2025 10:54

OP the questions you're asking and the obsession with what he does and why are the reason why you got involved in this unhealthy relationship in a first place.

The man is a waste of space. He didn't treat any of his exes well and has history of cheating and messy relationships.

Sounds like he's not a mentally healthy, functional person and you should be focusing only on red flags you missed and how to prevent it in the future.

You need therapy OP .

Blueskiesinjune · 30/01/2025 10:55

PeggyMitchellsCameo · 30/01/2025 10:51

I don’t want to confuse you with another poster as lots of the details are similar.
Is this the man whose care you took over, who was hard to contact, lost his flat and kept going missing?
Told you he was going to live with his cousin but had been hiding in your property?

Yeah. He lied about moving in with her. I had to get the police involved in the end.

OP posts:
PeggyMitchellsCameo · 30/01/2025 10:57

Think I’ve replied before to previous posts so don’t want to repeat myself @Blueskiesinjune
The longer you stay anywhere near this situation and ruminate over it, you will never have any peace.
I hope you are able to move forward but I get it’s not easy.

Completelyjo · 30/01/2025 10:58

Who gives a fuck what his family think?? You need to move on and have nothing to do with any of them. Stop trying to drag out this drama

Nothatgingerpirate · 30/01/2025 11:10

SpringBunnyHopHop · 30/01/2025 10:11

He sounds utterly repulsive and a complete using cock lodger. How anyone could be attracted to him is beyond me but it’s likely he’s crawled back up her arse for a roof and money.

Fuck all of them.

Brilliant and realistic.

PeggyMitchellsCameo · 30/01/2025 16:51

How are things with your child, OP?
How has he been through all of this?
Hope you can concentrate on quality time with him ✔️

Spooky2000 · 30/01/2025 19:48

It gets bandied about a lot, but he sounds like a narc to me - what with the triangulating, verbal and emotional abuse. It takes a lot to fully break free and perhaps you're not really there yet. Some of what I read there happened to me, too. I would look into trauma bonds on YT for a start - Kim Saeed is good, as is H G Tudor.

kellysjowls · 30/01/2025 22:56

Your concern with why other people behave how they do is an avoidance into examining why you behave as you have/do.

Why on earth did you even entertain a friendship or 'relationship' with this car-crash of a man?

PeggyMitchellsCameo · 31/01/2025 06:40

How are you @Blueskiesinjune ?

IlooklikeNigella · 31/01/2025 06:53

He's a bad man. He is now manipulating his cousin. You have no control over that. These people's opinions don't matter. You have a child of your own, a home, a job and friends.

Go and live your life. Look forward.

Blueskiesinjune · 01/02/2025 20:05

I'm OK. I am 9 days no contact. 10 tomorrow. I'm just ruminating. He probably is narcisstic because he genuinely has really disturbing behaviours that all come back to lying.

At times in the past when he was in my house and I was a work (when I thought I could trust him) I'd find strange stuff. Like one day a screw stuck in my foot out the edging in my kitchen. Then I noted 5 of the screws were gone. He insisted I was going mad. But that screw didn't come out on its own.. my hammer went missing and he tried to tell me I was loosing the plot. He placed it in my wardrobe all scratched up and told me I must have put it there. I found a top I loved with 3 holes in it in the wash basket. I genuinely couldn't figure how it had holes in. Money going missing.

One day he pleaded with me to help him as he'd got into a financial mess buying drugs. He was asking asking asking for £200. Asking to come to get my keys from work etc. He then let me know he'd sit in my shed and wait. I got home and he was asleep in my shed shivering.

I have a million stories like this.

As for the person asking why I allowed it. Abuse happens to all types of people. It's not weak people. You can be strong to start with and broken by the end.

OP posts:
TooBigForMyBoots · 01/02/2025 20:29

Why Does He Do That? by Lundy Bancroft is available for free as a pdf. You may find it helpful.

As for why are his family like that? They have learnt to not get close to his girlfriends because the relationship won't last. They are not your friends and he will always be their family.

PeggyMitchellsCameo · 02/02/2025 10:39

I have a million stories like this.

Where is he now OP and how has he managed to come back into your life? Because you made the break in November I think.

Ruminating is like an addiction. None of the information flying around your mind makes sense.

Your only choice is to completely remove this person, any trace of him, and his family, from your life. Otherwise you could spend months and years like this.

You and your child matter now - could you do something together today? Because they deserve to be with their mum, and you both deserve to be free of this man.

As for other people being put on pedestals and what other people think of them, or you, we are all human and we are all equal. You deserve to be well and happy.

Go back to a self care routine. Yes, he was absolutely awful and he was gaslighting you. But you handed him over to the care of his family and that was brave.

You and your child are a family and they deserve a mum whose focus is them. And you deserve to have a family life of your own.

Take it a day at a time and take care of yourself.

PeggyMitchellsCameo · 11/03/2025 16:30

How are you doing @Blueskiesinjune

Coconutter24 · 11/03/2025 18:14

Why am I being treated so poorly compared to his ex

I’m confused because you think you were treated so poorly compared to his ex? He didn’t exactly treat her well. Sounds like you were both treated like shit and used

New posts on this thread. Refresh page