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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

A message out of the blue

270 replies

WhatTheHellsGoingOn · 30/01/2026 05:07

NC’d.

I had a pretty weird experience yesterday evening.

Someone I deleted from my fb friends sent me a message in the morning, which I realised was a scam and not sent by her, then in the early evening I received a message request by a deleted ex BF.

This person dumped me over a decade and a half ago via voicemail (long distance relationship) then blocked me and deleted me from fb. I then got an email a few weeks later apologising for how he went about it etc, which I replied to, but he made no attempt to u-turn or rekindle the relationship, which was short, around 6 months.

Within a year or 2 I got random message requests on another platform which I would accept, then nothing. I felt like he wanted me to make the first move communication wise, which I was not prepared to do as I’d already accepted the requests, but then he’d do nothing. I suspected he was too cowardly to initiate conversation at the time in case I was angry, but who knows. He’d also done that weird poking thing on fb a couple of times, I can’t remember if he tried to request being friends again, like I say it was a long time ago.

A year or two after we split I noticed he’d put an ultrasound up as his profile picture on fb (back when that was a thing) and assumed he’d obviously happily moved on.

Anyway, no communication attempts for over 15 years. Then I received a message on fb today asking if I still have the same email address, saying he still had his and giving me his phone number and asking if we could talk on something other than fb. It was a short message but sounded like it may be urgent. I wasn’t sure if it was another scam but after speaking with a friend and wondering whether this was a cry for help I said yes I was using the same email and he replied straight away asking me to check my messages.

He’d written me an email a few hours earlier apologising for how he’d ended things and said that he’d written this message a hundred time over the last x amount of years etc. That he wanted to make sure I was ok and when you care about someone, that’s important. I mean ?

He said he just wanted to make sure I was ok and gave me his number again.

I’ve had messages by ppl who have dumped me before, (admittedly not almost 20 years after the event!) but this was seriously weird. I was going to ignore, but then I thought maybe it was one of several scenarios -
he had an STI he’d been told he needed to inform his exes about (I know this was unlikely and it hadn’t affected me),
he was newly single and looking up ppl from his past,
he had a daughter who was being treated shittily by a bf which had finally made him reflect and feel ashamed,
he or a close relative was dying or seriously ill and he wanted to make peace with events from his past,
or, as my friend suggested, he was drunk or high. But he’d first emailed at half 5 in the afternoon.

I also thought maybe he was suffering from MH issues and was at risk of self harm or suicide so I responded by text message to ask if something had happened. He’d suggested text or WhatsApp and I didn’t want him knowing when I was online etc so text seemed the better option.

He messaged straight away again, thanking me for responding. He then sent me a series of short messages saying he must have drafted the email a hundred times over the last x amount of years, he knew it seemed sudden to me but it wasn’t for him. He then asked me for ten minutes of my time - THIS WEEKEND! He asked if I still lived in the same place I did when we were going out and that he was available Saturday evening or the whole of Sunday.

He said he’d really appreciate 10 minutes to explain and afterwards I could walk away, yell at him etc. anything. But he said he’d waited 15+ years, he couldn’t wait another weekend and he didn’t want to say it over text.

I didn’t reply and 20 minutes later he sent a longer message asking me to pick a spot I’d feel comfortable and saying that if I’m in another country he’d buy a plane ticket, on another planet he’d build a rocket, that he’s dying to speak to me for ten minutes anywhere.

He signed off saying he’d buy me a coffee, a three course meal or the whole damn cafe. Wherever and however I wish.

I mean WTAF?

OP posts:
Tablesandchairs23 · 30/01/2026 05:14

Block and ignore. Why are you wasting your time.

WhatTheHellsGoingOn · 30/01/2026 05:17

Good question. My first reaction was to be pissed off. But then I had a bad feeling that he needed some kind of help as his whole tone sounded desperate/urgent. Like he was in crisis.

OP posts:
Motnight · 30/01/2026 05:27

Why do you feel that you owe him anything?

WhatTheHellsGoingOn · 30/01/2026 05:37

I don’t feel I owe him. I knew him before we went out, not well but was around him a lot so longer than the 6 months we were together. If someone is struggling and I can help them I try to. I don’t have to know them very well to be concerned. He ended this hs badly which he apologised for shortly after and is obviously dwelling ok it now for some reason. He was a self-absorbed arse at times but he wasn’t evil. He sounds like he’s struggling

OP posts:
2026willbebetter · 30/01/2026 05:39

He has split up his partner and is fishing around for an easy shag shag or a replacement without the effort of dating.

WhatTheHellsGoingOn · 30/01/2026 05:51

I think you’re right, or it’s some kind of midlife crisis

OP posts:
LittleLapwing · 30/01/2026 05:54

2026willbebetter · 30/01/2026 05:39

He has split up his partner and is fishing around for an easy shag shag or a replacement without the effort of dating.

This was my first thought too.

pinkfondu · 30/01/2026 06:05

He’s apologised there's really nothing more to say.

Unless you are interested in rekindling something with him, don’t bother wasting anymore time.

Beatriz85 · 30/01/2026 06:07

Wouldn't a phone call suffice? Why does he have to have a face to face meeting?
I dunno, I would be suspicious of his intentions but also curious of what he wants.
What do you want to do?

LittleLapwing · 30/01/2026 06:10

I definitely wouldn’t meet him in person, it all/he sounds a bit strange.

It is probably just to proposition you though. Ugh, men are just so predictable and useless. AAMALT (almost all men are like this..)

BitOutOfPractice · 30/01/2026 06:10

Typing all that must’ve taken longer than the relationship lasted. Why are you giving this so much headspace?

Dolamroth · 30/01/2026 06:14

He's hoping for a shag. Block the idiot.

WhatTheHellsGoingOn · 30/01/2026 06:21

pinkfondu · 30/01/2026 06:05

He’s apologised there's really nothing more to say.

Unless you are interested in rekindling something with him, don’t bother wasting anymore time.

Exactly, and I think he apologised at the time too, he’s dwelling on it for some reason. I can only assume he’s newly single and maybe the relationship after me developed quicker than he anticipated and she got pregnant and now he’s going back to what his life was like before. Or trying to

OP posts:
WhatTheHellsGoingOn · 30/01/2026 06:23

Beatriz85 · 30/01/2026 06:07

Wouldn't a phone call suffice? Why does he have to have a face to face meeting?
I dunno, I would be suspicious of his intentions but also curious of what he wants.
What do you want to do?

Exactly this. He lived hundreds of miles away and I think he still does so would be a monumental effort to see me ‘for ten minutes’. What on earth is the point? But like you say it’s natural to be curious about such a random message

OP posts:
2026willbebetter · 30/01/2026 06:24

Nope, you’re putting more thought than him into this. He just wantsva shag and is looking back at past sexual encounters.

BlueskiesandPoppies · 30/01/2026 06:26

Gently asking, do you still hold a soft spot for him OP? And that's why you're putting so much thought into this? It was a very long time ago.
If you want to chat or meet, go ahead. But be realistic about things

Rubinia · 30/01/2026 06:27

don’t meet him! He’s either bonkers or looking for a shag.

Just reply: thanks for your long email and apology.
i have moved on and suggest you do the same. Wishing you well for the future.

WhatTheHellsGoingOn · 30/01/2026 06:27

BitOutOfPractice · 30/01/2026 06:10

Typing all that must’ve taken longer than the relationship lasted. Why are you giving this so much headspace?

lol you’re right. I guess bc at the time I really liked him, far more than I think he did me and it devastated me when he ended it, and in such a casual way. I knew he was capable of reflecting on things and feeling bad about them and do think he’s genuinely sorry but I guess bc I know nothing of his life after we were together I’m curious as to what’s triggered this.

OP posts:
Bubblegum9114 · 30/01/2026 06:31

He’s looking for a shag, and you’re probably not the only previous partner or hook up he’s messaged or messaging. You might be the only one who’s responded though which is why he’s pushing to meet for ‘ten minutes’ 🙄. Don’t give him any more time, unless you want something more but it all sounds very odd. I wouldn’t give him any more headspace.

Kidsgotothatschool · 30/01/2026 06:33

He’s the scum of the dating pool, not having any luck and is now fishing in his past to find someone to take the bait.

Or married still but bored (highly possible too)

That would be my take.

I’m guessing you’re single, so you’re free to meet him, but seriously why would you want to?

pilates · 30/01/2026 06:33

Block and delete

BitOutOfPractice · 30/01/2026 06:37

WhatTheHellsGoingOn · 30/01/2026 06:27

lol you’re right. I guess bc at the time I really liked him, far more than I think he did me and it devastated me when he ended it, and in such a casual way. I knew he was capable of reflecting on things and feeling bad about them and do think he’s genuinely sorry but I guess bc I know nothing of his life after we were together I’m curious as to what’s triggered this.

Well my guess is he’s recently single and hoping for a bunk up. I don’t think a man who considered it acceptable to dump you by voice note wil be any less vapid now.

WhatTheHellsGoingOn · 30/01/2026 06:37

BlueskiesandPoppies · 30/01/2026 06:26

Gently asking, do you still hold a soft spot for him OP? And that's why you're putting so much thought into this? It was a very long time ago.
If you want to chat or meet, go ahead. But be realistic about things

I can see why you’d think that but I feel nothing for him romantically, I’ve been in a relationship for almost the duration I split from this guy and I told him about the messages. He knows I’m not interested, if anything I felt pissed off and cringed when I read them, but I did feel strongly about him at the time and I never thought I’d hear from him again, so I’m wondering why not only has he reached out now, but in such an intense and urgent way.

Most ppl would drop a casual ‘hey, how you doing?’ type of message, but it sounds like he’s desperate to meet me in an extreme way, which is odd, and the fact he’s suggesting this weekend is mad. If he’d written at 2am it would make more sense, or around Xmas or NYE.

He’s not asked if I’m single so if he is after a shag it would be a wasted very long journey. It’s just weird and I was after peoples thoughts.

OP posts:
LittleLapwing · 30/01/2026 06:40

WhatTheHellsGoingOn · 30/01/2026 06:37

I can see why you’d think that but I feel nothing for him romantically, I’ve been in a relationship for almost the duration I split from this guy and I told him about the messages. He knows I’m not interested, if anything I felt pissed off and cringed when I read them, but I did feel strongly about him at the time and I never thought I’d hear from him again, so I’m wondering why not only has he reached out now, but in such an intense and urgent way.

Most ppl would drop a casual ‘hey, how you doing?’ type of message, but it sounds like he’s desperate to meet me in an extreme way, which is odd, and the fact he’s suggesting this weekend is mad. If he’d written at 2am it would make more sense, or around Xmas or NYE.

He’s not asked if I’m single so if he is after a shag it would be a wasted very long journey. It’s just weird and I was after peoples thoughts.

It is very clear why he’s messaging.

  • massaging his ego with you replying
  • to guilt you into meeting with the intense messages
  • then ultimately to lead to sex.

There’s nothing special or different about what he’s doing, and I would bet you’re not the only old flame getting this treatment.

Do yourself and your self esteem a favour, thank him for the apology and say you’ve moved on, then suggest he does the same. No further replies are needed.

LittleLapwing · 30/01/2026 06:42

AND I would bet that every time he’s added you on SM over the years would coincide with some sort of relationship or lack of sex issue.

He just wanted to know that you’d accept, just stoking that back burner a bit.

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