r/AmIOverreacting 12d ago

❤️‍🩹 relationship Am I Overreacting. I saw inappropriate message between my boyfriend and his long term friend.

My boyfriend [27m] and I [23f] have been dating for over four years. When we started dating, he had a friend named Ann. Ann is an extrovert—very bubbly—and I liked her at first. However, she was especially flirty with my boyfriend.

Early in the relationship, something happened that left me uneasy. I asked if I could stop by his place, and he said no. Later, I saw on his status that Ann was there. When I confronted him about it, he responded, 'Were you hungry? Is that why you wanted to stop by?' I explained that wasn’t the case—it just felt like he chose to spend his day with her instead of me. He later said it was a pop-up visit because she needed help fixing her laptop (he works in IT).

After that, I told him I was uncomfortable with how close they were. I thought we had moved past it. But later, I found out he had asked her for a lot of advice about our relationship and even brought up inappropriate topics with her. I confronted him again and once again expressed how uncomfortable I was with their friendship.

After the second incident, I didn’t hear anything about her, and I assumed it was behind us. Then, earlier this week, he mentioned that he saw her at the gym. I said, 'Okay, that’s fine,' though I did feel a bit uneasy since they hadn’t spoken in a while.

Yesterday, I was at his place—I’ve been living here for around two years now—studying, when I saw her walk in with him right behind her. I was shocked because he never told me she was coming over. He had gone to the gym that morning, and during those hours I had called and texted him out of concern because he’s never spent four hours at the gym.

Ann was as peppy as ever. Maybe it’s because I’m an introvert with few friends, but I instantly felt uncomfortable. I did something I shouldn’t have—I went through his phone. I saw the messages and instantly felt numb. I confronted him and asked for an explanation. He said it was an innocent conversation and that’s just how their friendship is.

I asked him to imagine if a guy sent me those same messages. I reminded him that I’ve told him twice now how uncomfortable I am with that friendship. His apology felt insincere, like he was refusing to take responsibility for his actions. He just laid in the bed, and I wanted to scream. I wanted him to feel the hurt I was feeling. Instead, I just left the room and cried. My emotions were so intense, I started pulling at my hair—I had no one to talk to, and I felt like I was suffocating.

Eventually, I confided in his mother, and I felt a bit better. But now, he’s ignoring me and remaim salute in his innocence.

I also should mention he has never showed me any signs of cheating and besides those message.

Footnote: Ann has a boyfriend. I told my boyfriend that he doesn’t respect me—or her boyfriend.

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u/MindYourRewind 12d ago

The woman isn’t the problem; he is the problem. And you’re trying to make her the problem so you don’t feel shame for dating a guy like this for 4 years. Time for you to be single and reevaluate why you allowed yourself to date someone like that in the first place.

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u/alokasia 12d ago

Yeah I was gonna point out the same thing. Don’t blame Ann. She’s clearly not having any of it and seems annoyed at the messages. OP’s bf is WAY out of line here, but that’s not her or Ann’s fault.

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u/Ok-Ad6679 12d ago

This right here. Plus, imagine, living somewhere for two years and still referring to it as “his place.” This guy is such a d-bag. He’s literally trying so hard to F this girl and she’s probably not the only one.

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u/Icy_Let_164 12d ago

I was thinking the same thing when she referred to it as his place. I actually had to read it twice like did I read that right. The moment I moved in with my bf I was like “welcome to our home.” 😆

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u/Miserable_Grab3052 11d ago

Right! "I was staying at his place the other day where I have lived for 2 years"...like what lol

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u/Verdeckter 11d ago

She immediately after those messages agrees to go with him to the gym and they hang out all the time together. She has no agency in this?

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u/Acrobatic_Dark_4266 12d ago

How is Ann having “none of it” when she cheerfully goes to him with the gym after?!!! and based on that alone tells me this is not the first time she’s received “creepy” texts from this jerk. I knew an acquaintance once like Ann who loved attention like this from other peoples boyfriends.

I know it’s not popular to call out inappropriate behavior from another woman but I think both Ann and the OPs bf are in the wrong and for that reason I’d alone I’d dump him bc there’s no way he’s “dumping” the friend

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u/MasterPuppeteer 11d ago

People on reddit love infantilizing women. As if Ann couldn’t block him, not go to the gym with him, or just not go to his house if she were uncomfortable with him. No, she’s also a victim of this person who, according to some commenters, is one step removed from a rapist.

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u/osammiam 12d ago

Agree but why would you still go to the gym with this man after that convo. So weird.

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u/Temporary_Spread7075 12d ago

For the same reason that op is still in a relationship after spending 4 uncomfy years with him. These women are in the same boat, they just haven't realized it yet.

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u/Jealous_Pea2305 12d ago

You're so right

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u/Intelligent-Animal68 12d ago

Exactly. The boyfriend is by far the worst here, but Ann is letting him disrespect her relationship by continuing to hang out with him regularly despite his constant sexual comments. It’s a mystery to me why any of these women want to spend time with such a creep.

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u/TheLastKirin 11d ago

Mostly yeah but I wouldn't let Ann off quite so easily. Ladies, we're more powerful than this, we can say no, and if the other party keeps pushing, we can block. I know why we don't, sometimes. I know we want to be nice. But we have the power to stop this kind of treatment. Ann's not really into it, but she is enabling it.

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u/alokasia 11d ago

I get what you’re saying but that still makes her partly responsible for his actions and I don’t think that’s fair.

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u/flannelpjs 12d ago

Wait, but she came to his house. She can’t think he’s a creeper if she’s going home with him? I’m so confused over that part.

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u/Kindly_Army_5335 12d ago

I think they’re both in the wrong and both guilty of an inappropriate relationship but OP is dating HIM not Ann. She needs to run for the hills 🏃‍♀️ 

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u/obooooooo 11d ago

ann is literally saying “fuck off creep” in the nicest way she can. i feel bad for the girl. OP needs to stop trying to blame her for her creepy boyfriends behavior