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He Wanted to Commit Then Dumped Me?

CleopatraElizabethI February 29th, 2016
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My guy and I have been casually dating for a year now. We are co-workers. He says he loves me and I love him, but most of the time he has been seeing two other women as well; one of them is also a co-worker. At first I tried to be okay with it and go on dates with other guys, but recently I realized that I did not want to be an option to him anymore. I did not like 'sharing' him. And so I told him I couldn't handle things the way they were; he's always saying he loves me very much and can't be without me. I told him I wanted to be exclusive. He said he didn't want to be, even though he had ended things with one of the women and was planning to with the other. I said, okay, fine, good luck with life.

A few days later, he approached me and said he had thought and knew what he wanted, he wanted to be exclusive with me. I was still wary, especially given that he said, in regard to his break-up with the second woman, the co-worker, that it would "occur at the proper time." What did that mean? He said he did not like big blow-up confrontational breakups, but preferred slow withdrawals as it hurt both sides less. And he said he would end things with her in no more than two months. He has also said, since he started seeing her, that there was no future there, that he didn't see her as long-term, and didn't trust her. Naturally I was still skeptical and kept up my guard.

I should also add, right before he said he wanted to commit to me, that I met his kids. It was very casual, but they absolutely loved me and kept asking him when I could come over again after our first visit together.

This past week, I had some time off from work and so he asked if I would stay with him a few days and could play with the kids. I did and thought everything was fine, aside from a misunderstanding that we cleared up that night (misunderstanding being he had some work to do online and told me it would only take a few minutes when in actuality it took several hours, and I got annoyed with him).

Day after the misunderstanding, he had to go to work. He was distant most of the day and I asked him what was going on. He said he wasn't sure if we were compatible in some areas, and he thought I had needs he couldn't meet. Out of the blue, after saying for weeks on end he wanted to commit and be with me and seeing how well his kids and I got along. I asked him to explain and he wouldn't. When he got home, he said he was just tired and would explain the following day. We had a nice evening in spite of this.

Next day, same thing happened-distance. When he got home from work, he said he had some work to do online, and this time I was aware it would take some time and so I kept to myself. I wanted to ask him to explain the previous day, but did not want to fight, either. I thought things were peaceful.

Day after, he seemed distant when leaving for work. I texted him later in the day to ask what was going on. He said he thought our needs and temperaments were out of sync and that we weren't compatible and that we should end things. He said he was sad and his heart was heavy, and he promised he was not ending things to be with someone else (read: co-worker).

The next day, we had to work together. I had planned to be calm and not say anything, but when I saw him and the co-worker together (I didn't actually see them kissing, but they both acted so flustered when they saw me I feel sure they were doing such) I made a snarky remark about him having a good morning. He promptly told me to shut up and we went at it.

In addition to the previous remarks (not compatible), he said all week that I had been at this house he had felt tense and thought I was unhappy, and that I stressed him out and it shouldn't have to be that way. He also said I wasn't as mature as he'd thought, and I asked him how he went from wanting commitment to incompatibility and if he'd had a problem, why didn't he say something earlier in the week. He didn't exactly explain it too well. He said he had hoped things were going to work out, but he didn't think they would.

For the sake of professionalism, he said we could talk more later and I agreed since we were both at work. We stuck to neutral conversation the rest of the day and when I asked him when we could talk, he said the next time we worked together. I could ask questions, he said. I have not seen or heard from him since.

We are supposed to see/work together/talk in a few days. My question is, how could he go from wanting to commit to suddenly dumping me and blaming me for it all? He flat out said he didn't let just anyone spend time with his kids, that that should have told me he was serious about things. So if that's true, how could he so quickly go from that mindset and wanting me to distance and saying we're incompatible?

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Nails February 29th, 2016
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First of all Cleo, glad you're here. Please take anything I say as a question for you to think about rather than real advice, because you know the situation and I don't.

Did he really want an exclusive relationship, or did you want an exclusive relationship and he went along with that for a while just to keep you in his life? Do you think that when he realized he couldn't string you along anymore, he decided to reveal his true feelings?

I really encourage you to look out for number one here - that's you. Have you tried a 1-on-1 talk with a listener who specializes in relationship issues?

Good luck.

CleopatraElizabethI OP February 29th, 2016
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@Nails

I asked him why he suddenly wanted to be exclusive. I said, guys don't change because a girl wants them to. They have to want to change. And he said he did, and I flat out told him I would believe that he wanted to be exclusive when I saw it- in other words, the other women out of his life. Until then I was guarding myself. It would seem that wasn't entirely a bad idea.

CleopatraElizabethI OP February 29th, 2016
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@Nails

I should also add that all of this has only occurred within a span of a few weeks. So it's all very recent, which is what gets me about his abrupt mindset change. I would think you don't just go from wanting to commitment to dumping someone if you really love them and mean it, which is why 1)I'm here, 2)I think there's more to it than he's willing to tell me.

Nails March 1st, 2016
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@CleopatraElizabethI Okay, I know this has you all torn up and you need support and kindness. That's why I really encourage you to talk to a listener - preferably female - who can talk to this from your point of view. I'm a guy, and my perspective on this is going to be rather blunt.

You haven't done anything wrong, and there's nothing wrong with you. Confronting him on this was something you needed to do if the relationship isn't going the way you think it should.

I don't think there's a mindset change here. I don't think there's more to it. I think he only told you he wanted an exclusive relationship so he could keep the relationship with you that he had. I think he's trying to be a player and he's trying to play you. Simple as that. If you have to work with him, you'll need to keep things cordial at work and avoid drama. If the relationship is not what you want, you can just drop it by not going out with him again.

The good news is that you're bringing the matter to the point where you can make a clear decision about what's happened and what needs to happen in the future. I really hope you don't let this bug you too much. You can learn from this and move on.

You must have some attractive qualities, or this guy wouldn't have bothered with you in the first place. Those same attractive qualities will attract other guys and you will meet someone who wants what you want. Be patient and take care of yourself. Good luck.