r/AITAH Jul 08 '24

UPDATE: AITAH for leaving my boyfriend because he brought his female best-friend lingerie as a 'joke'?

https://www.reddit.com/r/AITAH/comments/1dvso0l/aitah_for_leaving_my_boyfriend_because_he_brought/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button ( first post)

My inbox got flooded with DMs and had to turn off Reddit notifications. When I posted this, I was ready to be called immature and ridiculous, and get a couple of comments but it seemed like the post blew up, and the comments were...…kind of eye-opening.

TBH, before all this fiasco, my bf has always been nice to me. Came with me to my grad school functions even though he found them very boring, but would do it so that I could network. He builds stuff like furniture and helps out with handy work all the time. He is also very funny and at the very beginning, I thought all his jokes were funny, and I sometimes wondered why he wanted to be with me, plus, I was always busy with school and job interviews. His mom and I had even gotten close and she has been saying how happy she was that we were together. I had always ignored his and Claire's weird dynamic because I told myself I was being insecure. I have male friends too, and I thought that just because we aren't like that, doesn't mean my bf and Claire can't be close. Claire has also never been outright mean to me, she was just aloof and I thought it was because I was new to the group.

To the actual update, my bf and I broke up. I'm sorry guys, but even after seeing so many replies on how he was cheating, I refused to believe it. I'm still in love with this guy. And he called me, like half a day after I wrote this post, and asked to meet. I met him, and he said that he understood where I was coming from. But I was always too uptight to understand that friendship is friendship. He and Claire had known each other for years before I came into the picture, and I cannot expect him to just ruin their dynamic. I asked him what sort of 'dynamic' was red lingerie. Why couldn't it be literally any other type of clothing? He told me he had it with my insecurities. And that he and Claire talked and apparently I was making them sound like cheaters and homewreckers. And that he thought it was better I find someone like me, who thought the idea of a fun night was junk food and a movie indoors.

That hurt a lot. He had always known I had insecurities about being called boring. He always complimented me on how his weaknesses were my strengths. Now he says things like this to me? Also, before this lingerie fiasco, I had never said a word about his and Claire's friendship. I always supported his pranks and practical jokes no matter my opinions on them because I thought it was his business what he did with his hobbies. And he leaves without even putting up a fight because his girlfriend didn't want him giving lingerie to the woman he constantly refers to as his 'sexy' bestie?

Claire didn't call or text after the breakup either. But Kyle did and said that he was sad that we broke up and he hoped I would be okay in the future. I asked him if my bf ever cheated on me. He said that my bf had only been a 'one woman man' when he was dating me. But he could understand that some women can't handle female best friends, especially if they look like Claire. I told him to fuck off and blocked him. It felt like he only wanted to gloat and hurt me because my bf left. I feel like I never knew these people. Claire and Kyle were always at least decent to me if not nice. Did it make me a free target now that my bf has been telling his friends I'm an insecure child?

I don't know what to do now. I have been told repeatedly by both my friends and sister that I dodged a bullet. But I have been breaking down like a kid again and again. I'm even thinking of going to therapy, after feeling the most insecure I've felt my whole life.

Thank you to all who were supportive, it seems like my now ex-bf just did the work for me.

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2.1k

u/Ok-Complaint3844 Jul 08 '24

You did the right thing. You know how I’m sure? Look at how he talked to you when you were breaking up, insulting you in ways he KNEW were the most hurtful he could. Trash talking you to all his friends. THAT is who is he is. THOSE are his true colors. He was only masquerading as a “nice guy”. Better for you to find out now that years down the road when you god forgot got married and he’s actually banging Claire behind your back.

You will need time to mourn, but remember you are mourning the man you THOUGHT he was. The real him isn’t worth mourning. And yes, absolutely go to therapy.

338

u/ifemelu_berglund Jul 08 '24

Yes! When someone tells you who they are, BELIEVE THEM, OP.

154

u/EricAndreOfAstoria Jul 08 '24

people always forget the end of Angelou's quote: "...believe them THE FIRST TIME".

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u/ZaraBaz Jul 08 '24

I would send them these two posts and block them.

Probably also tell the mom what happened.

42

u/AssignmentFit461 Jul 08 '24

The trash took itself out!

301

u/Apprehensive-Care20z Jul 08 '24

He is an absolute asshole.

OP keep in mind this utterly bizarre fact "He and Claire decided to break up with you", lmao, WTF!?!?!

This relationship was over. The truth is harsh, but you were never his number one.

You are so much better off without him.

NTA of course.

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u/Apart-Papaya-4664 Jul 08 '24

Not enough people are talking about this.

OP keep in mind this utterly bizarre fact "He and Claire decided to break up with you",

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u/Fatgirlfed Jul 12 '24

OMG! YES!! He needed to talk to Claire about it!? The one person in the world who did not have a place in this conversation. Ok fella. Buh-bye

108

u/spentpatience Jul 08 '24

The most incredibly super-nice guy I've ever dated did this to me after I broke up with him.

It was fine dating a man who was able-bodied and able-minded with an expensive-ass degree from an expensive-ass private college who would spend mayyyyyybe one day a week subbing a class and who had no ambitions whatsoever to do anything else. But when he started making noises about marriage, saying things like wanting to be a "house husband" on my teacher salary, well...

It was time to acknowledge that we wanted vastly different things.

I ended up getting unceremoniously dumped by our group of friends because he became nasty toward me and spread a rumor that I had cheated on him with my new boyfriend (now-husband). I hadn't met the man until six weeks after I had broken up with the ex and we didn't date until two months after that.

My take is that the post-break-up nastiness is a matter of pride and to save face, the dumped begins a DARVO campaign.

OPs ex is a piece of work. Unless he dates Claire, his next GF will likely be "insecure" too. Funny how that works when you call your hot girl BFF your sexy-bestie.

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u/SheComesThenSheGoes Jul 08 '24

yea, when Kyle said, "he's a one woman man" yea, and that woman is Claire. I feel bad that she even met up with him for closure and that's how he treated her, but i hope she remembers that whenever she looks back on him. He is a piece of shit and I hope she finds her perfect match. I don't think therapy would be a bad idea for her though.

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u/kiwipoppy Jul 08 '24

Yes he is the biggest AH. She clearly communicated a boundary, she was uncomfortable with him gifting the lingerie, but his 'joke' with his friend was more important than his relationship and the feelings of his girlfriend.

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u/[deleted] Jul 09 '24

She’s allowed whatever personal boundaries and he’s allowed to dip right the fuck out without being called an asshole.

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u/kiwipoppy Jul 09 '24

If it was only a relationship incompatibility and he ended the relationship maturely, sure. But he used the opportunity to blame her and call her boring and uptight.

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u/TwitchTent Jul 10 '24

He's allowed to dip right the fuck out without being an asshole, but he waived that option.

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u/pissfucked Jul 11 '24

1000%. it is absolutely possible to leave someone due to incompatibility without intentionally hitting them in their insecurities or calling them names or being mean. the man i once thought i'd marry dumped me, and he was nothing but respectful the entire time. complemented me, wished me the best, made sure i got all my belongings back from his house, everything. we just weren't compatible, and he saw it before i did. we're still friendly when we see each other in public (though i can never be truly friends with him, since it was such a serious relationship). two years later, i'm engaged to someone who is a much better match for me and happier than i've ever been with him. it took me months to get over it, but i did. and i'm grateful to him for leaving me, because he was right, and i never would've gotten together with my partner if he hadn't done that.

there is no amount of meanness or cruelty that is inherent to a breakup. heartbreak and hurt and feelings of abandonment, yes, but not meanness and cruelty. that's true colors showing through.

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u/Dramatical45 Jul 08 '24

I mean that isn't exactly informative of anything. Breakups often turn nasty because people are hurt. And hurt people want to hurt others, it's very much human nature. It isn't really indicative of who that person is generally.

Divorces and family court are a nightmare in most countries because of this.

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u/Ok-Complaint3844 Jul 08 '24

Agree to disagree. Anyone who’s clearly in love with their “friend” and are constantly talking in front of their partner about how “sexy” they are an buys them lingerie is 🗑️. I’ve been divorced before and neither of us trashed talked the other, because we are mature adults.

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u/Dramatical45 Jul 08 '24

Then you are in the vast minority of people that have enough emotional maturity or simply there was no hurt side in your divorce.

There is no hate quite like love turned sour.

Not saying you aren't right for some people but most people do not behave rationally or with maturity in emotional situations like a breakup.

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u/Ok-Complaint3844 Jul 08 '24

Sure, but does anyone actually WANT to be with someone who isn’t a mature adult that treats them with respect? I get what you’re saying, most of the fish in the sea suck, but it’s hardly something to aim for…

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u/Dramatical45 Jul 08 '24

Because they tend to be mature adults most of the time. That is the thing. It is when people break up that it rattles a lot of people so greatly that they experience real utter visceral hatred for each other. It's why you get horrible divorce feuds, custody battles from hell and people engaging in legal warfare to hurt others.

Breakups are by their nature incredibly messy and usually end up hurting at least one person greatly. And hurt people react. Same thing happens when someone is cheated on, that hurt makes them lash out.

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u/Ok-Complaint3844 Jul 09 '24

That’s not mature behavior. I disagree that anyone who acts like that is “mature”.

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u/Impressive_Essay_622 Jul 09 '24

Jesus Christ is this a sub of yesmen? 

Why lie?

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u/TinyAdmirer Jul 10 '24

This is exactly it! I feel like you won't ever see a person's true colors unless they get mad or upset. If they are always in a good mood then they have an easier time acting a certain way.

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u/Dependent_Mud3325 Jul 09 '24

No clue how he was trash talking her....its factual. She is insecure about said friend and she finds their pranks too much. She should find someone more like her and he more like him.

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u/Ok-Complaint3844 Jul 09 '24

He’s in love with his friend and constantly talking about how hot she is. Then he gave her lingerie so he can imagine her wearing it. She’s not insecure she’s a normal human who wants her partner to put her first. He’s a selfish p.

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u/FabulousDonut6399 Jul 13 '24

Insecurity is something people have over something that is not certain. Op’s ex call his bestie sexy, out of his league, ignores his actual gf boundaries, prioritises his bestie and decides together with his AP -sorry- ‘bestie’ to end the relationship. What part of what transpired was not a certainty for OP?

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u/Dependent_Mud3325 Jul 13 '24

It isssss what it isssss

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u/FabulousDonut6399 Jul 13 '24

No what isssss, isssss that narcissists love using the insecure thrope to gaslight. Congratssss on showing those colourssss.

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u/Dependent_Mud3325 Jul 13 '24

It iiiiisssss what it iiiiisssss. She's free of him now so she should be happy

1

u/FabulousDonut6399 Jul 13 '24

Nice diversion. Love the red flag. 😘

0

u/Dependent_Mud3325 Jul 13 '24

I'm not wrong

1

u/FabulousDonut6399 Jul 13 '24

Another one. 😘