LaurenJJJ

Does it really have to be explained that someone might be disgusted that they were sleeping with a man who was in a relationship with another woman? I would never have consented had I known that. Now theres articles in my local newspaper about him and his "soulmate". That article is what has brought this up again, not the fact that I hadn't got over it. Have you ever had an ex get an article published in a newspaper, all about how he met his wife, with photographs of them together, videos, dates and details of when and how they met and everything? You must admit it is quite unusual. I suppose its sort of funny in a crazy kind of way. I wish I'd never met this guy. He is an absolute nightmare. I turned down so many decent guys for him.

Your posts are actually making me feel so uncomfortable that I had a look through just one page of your (extremely extensive) posting history. It seems that you regularly try to tell posters (i.e. random people off the internet) what words they can and cannot use. You particularly have an aversion to the word "gaslighting", probably because your responses tend to be classic gaslighting themselves, and you don't like being called out on it. I'm not going to sit here and answer you like an obedient little schoolchild. I can use whatever words I choose. Unless you have something constructive to say, please stop responding.

I'm not angry. What is this about me posting videos online? There was a video attached to the newspaper article on the online version. Nothing to do with me. Its in the public domain. I suppose you think my friend who is so creeped out by this so much that she has stopped going to the classes is wrong as well? There are literally 2 likes on that article online. All of the other articles on the page have got loads of likes and positive responses. I'm sorry about what happened to you. I'm really glad I'm no longer with this man as he has so many red flags about him that he is almost puce. I always had concerns about his behaviour and secrecy if I'm honest but I conditioned myself to ignore them. Men make awful comments about womens' appearance all the time and no-one says a thing, but don't dare to be a woman and say anything about anyone's appearance!

No, you actually made up a little fantasy about me only being attracted to my ex's good looks and told me I was shallow because of your own little made up theory. You deliberately ignored a post where I had described many of the other reasons only a few posts above mine to run with your little narrative. What is your motive here?

You're actually trying to bully me now. Do you usually do this thing of trying to walk all over people and deliberately be unkind? Have you thought about therapy to help you with this tendency? Do you actually realise you are replying to a human being here and it might be a good idea to moderate your words before calling people names and throwing around accusations?

But you also think that being physically attracted to the person you are in a relationship is "shallow", so I think you might possibly not be the best judge of what a health relationship is.

I didn't respond to your particular comment because this post isn't about older people. Its about a specific older person. You are not going to get me to repeat words that you want me to say to make you feel better about something. It is nothing to do with "attractiveness". Its about infirmity, vulnerability and possible exploitation. There are many people of that age and older who are not like that.

She's not an entrepreneur. He seems to have roped her in to do the catering. I am concerned that it might be a predatory marriage and I think raising awareness that this can happen is a good idea. I don't know which country you live in, but in my country, if you have a disabled partner, you actually get paid a reasonable wage by the state for caring for them. You can also get a free car, renewed every 3 years. reduced public transport, and other generous allowances too. The lady likely has her own house, which according to the laws of my country, her spouse will inherit when she passes away, and if she has any children, they will miss out. These are the hard facts. He was also cheating on her with me for around a year when they first met. A friend used to go to his classes and has stopped because she phoned me up to say how creepy the newspaper article and attached photos looked. The woman looks confused, not sparky, and she is unsmiling, while he is grinning away. Given that he was very dismissive and rude about older women when I asked him if there was a chance he might be attracted to one of them, I find it surprising that he's done such a turn around. Of course it may all be wonderful and a great love affair but from what I can see is that he has chosen to do something which puts him in contact with a large number of older single and likely lonely women, for whom a young, handsome man is clearly going to dazzle them. He admitted to me that the business barely makes any money. In the photos attached to the article, I saw that he had also started wearing the clothes that men in from her country would typically wear. It looks really strange because he is the complete physical opposite of men from her native country. He is doing the mirroring thing again and it really draws you in and binds you that person, I speak from experience as he did it with me. I also didn't really appreciate what cultural appropriation meant before I saw that, its really strange. I think some male posters have on here have had bad experiences with being rejected by women and are maybe enjoying a little too much hearing about a woman who has been rejected. I can't believe that a poster criticised me for being attracted to a former partner and called me shallow, making up a story that it was the only reason I was in a relationship. What are you meant to do? Have relationships with people you aren't attracted to? Date them for their money or the lifestyle they can provide you with? Women have to be very careful of men who prey on their loneliness or vulnerability. I have no idea whether that is or is not the case with my ex, but I think I'm uniquely placed to be suspicsious. I'd be very concerned if I were one of her children, lets just put it that way. Basically, I've got a bad instinct about all of this, its like a gut feeling that something is deeply wrong somewhere. Nothing I can do about it but don't shoot the messenger!

As I explained just a couple of posts above, as is normal in relationships, physical attraction formed part of it but he also shared all of my hobbies and interests and seemed very similar to me in many ways with similar ambitions, motivations and approach to life. Why would you assume the worst of someone in the way you have done? Don't you realise this sort of thing can happen? Lucky you if you've never met someone like this in your life so far. I was completely taken in by him at one time because he was presenting himself as the perfect man to me based on my interests and hobbies. He told me complete lies and presented himself as a completely different person than the one he actually is. And yes, my description of the woman is factual. Its very unusual for a man of that age to be attracted to a woman old enough to be their mother and who is physically not in the best of health when they already have a girlfriend. Its clear from her appearance that she is not a healthy 60 year old. She is struggling to stand up and he is supporting her and she looks really quite unwell otherwise. I'm concerned he has ulterior motives, based on his being highly manipulative. The best case scenario is that he has mummy issues and is trying to replicate the relationship he had with his mother, who latterly spent years dying slowly of a serious disease. Its also really easy to control someone like that, of course.

It was actually based on shared interests and he seemed to sort of mould himself to whatever I was into somehow (its very hard to describe) so I felt like he was my psychic twin or something. He even started adopting phrases I use. I actually have a new boyfriend, but could I just correct you to point out that I'm free to do whatever I want, not just to "meet a man". My life and self worth doesn't revolve around meeting men and having boyfriends. But thank you for your comment, I know you are only trying to be helpful.

Well, he worked full time when we first got together. He had a good degree level job which it would have been relatively easy to do part time or less intensively if he found his then job stressful. Then he stopped and didn't tell me and seemed embarrassed by it. And then because he seemed embarrassed by it, I didn't make an issue of it. His father is wealthy but doesn't give him all that much money. Maybe he's counting on inheriting some of it one day. Anyway, I see now that my boundaries were gradually eroded and I got drawn into not asking awkward questions because I didn't want to upset him. I was too easy going. but also because my normal boundaries were weaker than usual with him because we came originally from the same small town, I kind of knew his parents, we shared a mutual group of friends (whom he has now all dropped). I have much stronger boundaries in place now.

He is very charming and good looking, comes across as very caring and sincere. In retrospect it was fake and exaggerated. But its difficult to explain how good he was at convincing he was. But you are right. A young healthy man not holding down a job is a bit of a red flag.

Nearly every weekend, holidays and other times we were free. It was a 3 hour drive. I don't know how he fitted in seeing another woman (and from the dates given in the newspaper article there was a long overlap) except that he doesn't work (his father gives him money). His business doesn't really make much money but it keeps him occupied although its nowhere near full time. So I suppose that gave him time but she certainly wasn't seeing him at weekends!

Well, the fact that I was totally duped by someone who was lying to me. I trusted him because I knew his family from way back and had known him for 15 years in total through a mutual hobby and mutual friends (whom he has also all dropped now). The fact that I ignored many red flags and couldn't quite put my finger on why I didn't fully trust him I think I had slightly weak boundaries where he was concerned because he is extremely good looking and charming and a very plausible liar. He lied a number of times to me. The fact that I would never have consented to sex if he hadn't lied and told me were were in a committed, exclusive relationship. I think the guy gets a kick out of ending relationships coldly and abruptly and I let him do that twice. The fact he was having sex with another woman during our relationship and I suspect he has deliberately picked a wife from a culture that practises polygamy who might put up with his cheating as long as treats her well at home. All of that makes me feel sick. The guy is a manipulative liar.

"Not even sure why you brought up his living arrangement. Or why you guys were living apart if you really wanted to be with this person." Work. I have to work to earn money. After we split up the first time, I ended up getting a job in another city 3 hours drive away. We had plans to move in together when I found another job back in the original city. I didn't have time to put it all in the original post. It was a normal relationship. I wouldn't immediately move in with someone and give up my job the minute I start dating them. The living arrangement relates to me replying to a point raised by a previous poster. I don't know about over-estimating my looks. I can't exactly change my skin colour or age. Its not as if I can make myself be born 25 years earlier. I do the best with what I have. I don't want this guy, he presented a completely different personality to me with different interests which appealed to me. None of us are Hollywood actors and I don't think they are really a very good representation of normal, healthy relationships. Keanu's on-off girlfriend isn't the best example of stability. I don't care about him any more, my question is how do I get over the feeling of disgust I have that he was lying to me and was almost certainly having sex with me and this other woman at the same time (for between 12 and 18 months as far as I can work it out)? I feel sickened by it.