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What is going on here

589 replies

Bunkbed80 · 19/10/2026 04:36

I have been with my BF for about 9m now. Both in our 40’s. I usually stay over at his for a few days a week and recently he gave me a spare key and I brought clothes round and he cleared me a space on his wardrobe.

Generally things have been going well, supposedly in love and everyone I meet around him tells me he seems a lot happier than he used to be, and he’s said he’s happy.

It’s become a regular thing that he wants to go out drinking locally, and when we do, we often get into some kind of disagreement. This is always about something I have said or done that’s apparently embarrassed him when he says I’m drunk.

A few times I’ve apologised for whatever it is I’ve allegedly done, and a few times he’s apologised for me for being unreasonable and we have let it go.

I’ve had a few acne spots lately and when I do, he will keep asking me why I have a spot and asking me if I’ve picked the spot and will keep pointing out the spot until it goes away. I’ve explained they are hormonal and they make me feel a bit self conscious. Last weekend I picked him up from the pub (I was sober) and I had a spot on my face. He kept pressing the spot and laughing. I asked him to stop and got visibly irritated and the next day he said I was beautiful even with spots and hadn’t mentioned it again.

We had a good day together yesterday after a bit of a shit week where we have both felt unwell. He wanted to go out to the pub so we popped out for a few drinks yesterday.

He likes to go to a bit of an old man type pub, the football was on and other old men at the bar so it’s not exactly fun all the time. A guy in the pub sitting behind us had a big dog with him - I love dogs - so I got chatting to him and ended up stroking the dog. The dog wanted to play fight, it was gentle and fun, so I crouched with the dog for 5 mins or so, play fighting, dog rolled over and I tickled their belly etc, and BF turned round from the bar and said ‘ok get up now’. I got up and went back to the bar and he snatched my vape out of my hand and said ‘you vape too much’.

At this point if felt irritated but didn’t want to cause a scene so I went a bit quiet and he said look let’s not fall out and gave me a hug and a kiss.

We walk home and get food and get a bit amorous iykwim, and then later he asks me why I got irritated earlier. I said look sometimes you can pick on me a bit and sometimes it hurts my feelings.

This suddenly escalated wildly. He told me that he was going to get the CCTV from the pub as basically everyone in the pub was tutting and staring at me when I was ‘basically shagging the dog on the floor’ and it was embarrassing which is why he asked me to get up. He then did an impression of me which I can only liken to someone with cerebral palsy, and when got upset about this he called me a ‘spastic’ and Harvey Price and told me to get out of his house and our relationship was over. I wasn’t able to drive at that point so I went to the spare room.

He came to bed and slammed his door so I went in to try to talk to him and make peace, this made it all worse he asked if I was ‘bipolar’ as I had ruined his lovely day and was always ruining things, said he wasn’t coming on our planned weekend away (to meet my family for the first time) and told me to get all my stuff out. He said he had asked for space and I hadn’t given it to him and we should talk about it tomorrow.

I packed my bags with all my stuff from his room while we kind of shouted at each other, me saying I didn’t understand why he was being so mean, and him saying he didn’t tolerate ‘this kind of thing’. I said I should be able to raise an issue without getting shouted down and he said he didn’t want an embarrassing girlfriend, I said he seems to care more about everyone else but me.

I went to the spare room and I am here alone now until morning when I will get ready for work and take my stuff and leave as I don’t think I have much other choice? I’ve had a few glasses of wine so can’t drive, but I don’t believe was particularly drunk. I’ve seen him absolutely paralytic before and it wasn’t a nice sight. I’m not sure even with drink this behaviour is forgivable, and I would make myself look desperate to try to talk this through with him tomorrow.

I feel so sad it’s come to this ☹️

OP posts:
Bunkbed80 · 19/10/2026 08:15

So yes I see now this is on me and my self esteem as I was still trying to fix things last night, despite it being plainly obvious that isn’t what he wanted.

OP posts:
Dozer · 19/10/2026 08:16

Who says that? Men like him: inadequate losers who hurt women. It’s a continuation and escalation of his treatment of and words to you before.

FckThisShit · 19/10/2026 08:16

Bunkbed80 · 19/10/2026 07:30

I genuinely don’t think he will be back I think he knows he’s gone too far.

He will be back, this is what they do. He's testing your boundaries and seeing what he can get away with and then every time he'll push you a bit further than that. This is why his ex left over and over again, it's a cycle and a predictable one.

He WILL give you the chat about how he's sorry, he's changed, he won't do it again, you're amazing, he's lost without you etc etc. please do not listen to him, he is an abuser and it will absolutely get worse.

MummyofTw0 · 19/10/2026 08:16

I had a boyfriend like this, he was a complete gaslighter and would turn when he drank. I urge you to get out. No good can come from this.

AlgaeDreams · 19/10/2026 08:20

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 19/10/2026 08:05

This

I got to This is always about something I have said or done that’s apparently embarrassed him when he says I’m drunk and didn't need to read the rest, because I could have predicted what was coming.

Yes, unfortunately like another poster I lived it for years, had my daughter with him.

He'd carry on going out and I'd stay home because there would always be something.

I had zero confidence. I was 10 years younger than him and in my mid 20s when we met - I was healthy, pretty, bubbly...

He liked the fact that I sat home, piled on weight and was depressed and miserable.
It was a horrible horrible time.

Please don't be me!

khakipant · 19/10/2026 08:21

Bunkbed80 · 19/10/2026 08:15

So yes I see now this is on me and my self esteem as I was still trying to fix things last night, despite it being plainly obvious that isn’t what he wanted.

Please OP - you’re talking about a man who called you a “spastic” for being kind to a dog - gently, why do you give an F what he wants? Why is that even relevant here?

Bunkbed80 · 19/10/2026 08:21

@FckThisShit no he’s totally on board with being rid of me, and it’s only in hindsight I think he’s been getting sick of me for a while now. He started off being amazing. All the put downs, he withholds sex from me too, doesn’t like kissing much anymore, ignores me when I’m in his company. I don’t even think it’s to get me to he more compliant in all honesty, I think it’s what he wanted for a while but he’s a coward. He’s obviously had doubts but didn’t talk to me like an adult about them

OP posts:
RageBates · 19/10/2026 08:23

You're putting a lot of onus on what he wanted...and lots of negative self-talk about how he didn't fight for you etc.

How about ..you don't want an abusive boring dick with a drink problem, that constantly criticises you and is cruel enough to say you're embarrassing (which I'm sure you're not, he's just trying to wear you down..abuse tactic)

Girl, hold your head up. Well done for leaving!

khakipant · 19/10/2026 08:23

Bunkbed80 · 19/10/2026 08:11

Yes I am in the sad phase now probably. I had a feeling he would just avoid me, he had so many chances so I just knew he wouldn’t even try. I admit a part of me did want to hear he was sorry for hurting me but his response was even worse - he actually thanked me for ‘giving him his confidence back’ this is a massive gut punch.

He’s being deliberately cruel

Dozer · 19/10/2026 08:23

Doesn’t matter what he now wants or does.

It’d be bad for you to return to dating him when he treated you so badly.

It’d be bad for you to have any further contact with him.

Work on yourself & if you have good friends in RL tell them about what he did & reflect on why you stayed. If you don’t have good friends, use free & low cost self help resources!

OrlandointheWilderness · 19/10/2026 08:24

Wow he’s a complete toaster. Glad you got rid.
ignore what people say about the dog. If I was in a very boring pub and there was a dog I’d be doing the exact same 😂

Nosdacariad · 19/10/2026 08:24

Bunkbed80 · 19/10/2026 08:21

@FckThisShit no he’s totally on board with being rid of me, and it’s only in hindsight I think he’s been getting sick of me for a while now. He started off being amazing. All the put downs, he withholds sex from me too, doesn’t like kissing much anymore, ignores me when I’m in his company. I don’t even think it’s to get me to he more compliant in all honesty, I think it’s what he wanted for a while but he’s a coward. He’s obviously had doubts but didn’t talk to me like an adult about them

Edited

He has gone through the stages of narcissistic abuse.

None of this is your fault and he will not change.

Not a word that comes out of his mouth is true.

Has he asked you to be his "meaningful friend" yet?

Have a look at Dr Ramani on you tube 😁

FckThisShit · 19/10/2026 08:24

Bunkbed80 · 19/10/2026 08:21

@FckThisShit no he’s totally on board with being rid of me, and it’s only in hindsight I think he’s been getting sick of me for a while now. He started off being amazing. All the put downs, he withholds sex from me too, doesn’t like kissing much anymore, ignores me when I’m in his company. I don’t even think it’s to get me to he more compliant in all honesty, I think it’s what he wanted for a while but he’s a coward. He’s obviously had doubts but didn’t talk to me like an adult about them

Edited

If that's the case then that's great but don't be so sure, it's been a few hours and he might not even be awake yet. A lot of us here have experienced abusive relationships and are more than aware of the signs of it. At the minimum he was abusive to his ex, if you get an easy escape then breathe a sigh of relief and keep running. He's a horrible, nasty man.

HowTheLight · 19/10/2026 08:24

Bunkbed80 · 19/10/2026 08:15

So yes I see now this is on me and my self esteem as I was still trying to fix things last night, despite it being plainly obvious that isn’t what he wanted.

It’s not that ‘it wasn’t what he wanted’ but that your self-esteem is so low that you were trying to ‘fix things’ with a man who had just called you a disablist slur for playing with a dog!

Bunkbed80 · 19/10/2026 08:25

In all this I just feel really humiliated and stupid, like he’s been having these doubts, but pretending everything is great, booking stuff in advance with me and making plans, introducing me to his family. Then to not even get an apology for his dreadful behaviour and chalk this up to being ‘incompatible’ just makes me feel more humiliated. I would feel humiliated when he was having a go at me for all the other things but somehow this feels worse.

OP posts:
georgebungleszippy · 19/10/2026 08:27

@Bunkbed80 It shouldn’t matter what he does or says. The only important thing is what you decide. He will try to worm his way back in, because this type always does. It’s part of the game. If you go back there again it will be a mistake. There is nothing you can do to change what he is, which is a manipulative abuser. You can’t polish a turd.

Bunkbed80 · 19/10/2026 08:27

@FckThisShit he is awake, he was awake when I was still there, he avoided me, and he’s replied to my last text.

I think it will just take some time to process that I’ve been discarded so easily.

OP posts:
Starlight7080 · 19/10/2026 08:28

9 months and the relationship sounds bloody awful . It should be in a nice fun stage . He sounds awful.

SkulQuestions · 19/10/2026 08:29

Bunkbed80 · 19/10/2026 08:14

Who does that! Thank a woman who has done so much for giving him his confidence back, what so he can move on to another woman?

He’s apologised to me before, and even last night he was saying I do love you but this isn’t working out, which is fair enough I agreed but he could clearly see I was trying to make things good so he obviously felt like he needed to burn all the bridges to ‘get rid of me’

😆 An abusive man.

During my different turns on the merry-go-round....yes, silly me. I got the "Thank-you for giving me my confidence back', 'Thank-you for helping me realise I need to have strong boundaries', I also got 'Thank-you for proving to me i am a good man'.
His ex had told him he was bad, he was emotionally stunted, he was lacking in boundaries etc.
Any problem we had and i spoke up, he started off straight away by telling me how i am toxic, then how he is sorry he said that, it's because of how his ex treated him and then how much he loves me but I am a red flag!
@Bunkbed80 , let it be. You can't reason this one out.

SixTimesALady · 19/10/2026 08:30

Oh my God, glad to hear you're leaving. Whether you were being embarrassing or not, he is completely out of order. He's messing with your head by asking why YOU got annoyed when it was actually him that got annoyed. He's being cruel and controlling. You don't deserve to suffer the rest of your life like this.

Dozer · 19/10/2026 08:31

his nastiness and use of words now is just more hurtful words. To hurt you.

You don’t have to agree with or internalise it. You can choose what to think about him and yourself.

No humiliation if you internally reject his bullshit and don’t concern yourself with his opinion of you, himself, anything.

Eg ‘He was nasty, he mistreated and hurt me, he said [the things he said], he did [the things he did]. He was bad news as a boyfriend. I will no longer give him any of my time or attention.’

MrsPapillon · 19/10/2026 08:32

Bunkbed80 · 19/10/2026 08:27

@FckThisShit he is awake, he was awake when I was still there, he avoided me, and he’s replied to my last text.

I think it will just take some time to process that I’ve been discarded so easily.

Please stop this.

You don’t need to ponder anything. You haven’t been discarded easily. This is just a stage in his expertly orchestrated playbook. He’s had years of practice with his ex. You’re expecting a nutter to behave like a normal rational human being. That is insane. In the nicest possible way, stop feeling sorry for yourself. You’ve dodged a bullet. That is all you need to know. If you want to think on anything, ponder all the red flags and the reasons why you ignored them.

notacooldad · 19/10/2026 08:33

So much abuse in a nine month relationship!

I think it will just take some time to process that I’ve been discarded so easily.
This is just being melodramatic. There's nothing to process. You were with a twat and now you're not. It was a brief relationship, dont make it bigger than it was.

BellesAndGraces · 19/10/2026 08:33

Well done for ending things. I think you should really consider therapy to untangle why you stayed for so long and have been reluctant to break up with someone who is so obviously and openly abusive.

Cityzen74 · 19/10/2026 08:34

He sounds abusive and it sounds like he is gaslighting you. I hope you are able to leave. Best wishes to you Flowers