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Confrontation with another couple. Did i do the right thing?

 
 
haps6
 
Reply Fri 19 Dec, 2014 03:24 pm
Hi all,

I came here for other peoples take on a situation i have found myself in. I went to college with this girl and over the years we stayed in touch every now and then but never got together, although we kept saying we would. Eventually one day we made plans, and by this point we were both married and had spouses, so we arranged a double dinner date.

Our spouses got on well, and for the best part of the next 8 or 9 months we would get together a lot. Her spouse even got my spouse a job at his company, and it was a great opportunity for my husband. However, a few months after this I noticed certain aspects of their personalities starting to show that i hadn't seen before. For example, they were very keen to constantly get together, and say after a night at their place until 4am in the morning on a friday, they asked us to hang out again on saturday night, and this was every weekend.

My husband and i starting to get a little burnt out on hanging out every weekend and we started to say politely that we had plans, or wanted to have a night in. I do love to get together with friends, but no matter who you are i do find every weekend a little relentless. They also like to drink a lot. Nothing wrong with that, but when we would go to their place for the evening the husband would constantly be like oh why aren't you drinking? Why don't you drink much seems i am not much of a drinker, and this started to bother me. I didn't understand what the big deal was if i don't drink like they do, and at times he could be pretty aggressive about it in his approach. It also got to the point where if they were going out for the evening somewhere and we didn't have the money to go seems we have rent etc, and can't be spending every weekend they would say oh it is only this much, or we will pay for you. I know people will probably read this and think that sounds very nice of them and it is, but it started to become across very pushy and smothering.

So we distanced ourself a little from them, and one particular night after not seeing them for a few months we went to one of their house parties they invited us to. The girls husband got totally wasted and started to act like a complete idiot. He made a few comments during the night about how i don't drink much, and it upset me that my husband heard a few and didn't say anything. I know it sounds really petty for me to get so upset about it, but it makes me feel uncomfortable when i am in someone else's house and they are constantly getting onto me about something i don't do which they do and don't understand. It starts to feel like an interrogation rather than a good time, and i instantly thought to myself i wish we had never come, and i should of stuck with my gut feeling of distancing ourself from this couple.

So i went outside and started to cry, i know this sounds petty, but it just upset me, and another guy who had been at the party who i had never met before came out and said what is wrong, and i guess seeing a girl crying hugged me. One of the other guys saw this, and told everyone else inside the party the guy was coming onto me, and of course the girls spouse was at the forefront telling the guy it was messed up he hugged me etc....and basically made the guy feel so uncomfortable that he left. I really think the husband thrives on drama.

So as it came to the end of the night, one of the couples who were leaving were looking for their keys. They came into the kitchen and said have you seen a set of keys, and the only other people in the kitchen were the husband as he was making a drink, and me as i was grabbing another drink. Her husband said "Oh (my name) probably took them, she can be an ******** and a ***** sometimes." I just glared at him and looked at the couple who looked confused as to why he said it and felt awkward, and then they left." It took everything in me not to say something, but being the person i am i do not like making scenes or bad feeling, it is just who i am.

So the next day i text the girl and said it was not okay what he did and the names he called me, and my husband spoke to him at work also saying he had upset me. He said to my husband well i don't call other girls on the phone but tell her i am sorry. (Him and his spouse have this agreement where they do everything together, and he isn't allowed to go to bars with other guys). I thought this was a complete cop out. He isn't allowed to call YOUR friend an apologize for his behaviour because i am a girl? I just find it all very school like behaviour. She also kind of played off his behaviour like it was nothing. She said the name calling is just his personality and sense of humour. Am i the only person who thinks this is totally disrespectful? It may be different in another situation, but it wasn't a friendly joke, his tone and everything was very arrogant.

After this i said that is it, i am not going to their house again for parties and putting myself in those situations anymore. I think we had one time after this where we went to pictures with them, but me and him didn't really speak, and it just seemed awkward. After that, they extended invites to us most weekends for parties, which we politely declined or said we were busy.

I remember one time i sent her a text message explaining to her that i just miscarried (sadly this happened to me around christmas time last year) and we were just getting over this and didn't feel like going out. She never even bothered to reply to it. I couldn't believe it. Wouldn't a true friend ask if they could do anything for you/ask if you want to talk about it? Not ignore you because you couldn't make it to their house party?

So since last christmas we haven't seen them at all, and have barely spoken to them. We are still friends on Facebook, and my husband seems her husband at work, and on the rare occasions she has commented on Facebook i will reply to her or like it to be courteous, but that is about it. It has gotten to the point now where sometimes when she has text about parties (although they don't invite us much anymore), i haven't replied or have said we are busy. They just moved house recently, and are having a housewarming party this weekend. They invited us via one of those event creator pages on Facebook, but our husbands work requires a lot of travel, and on wednesday i went on the page and said i don't think we could make it seems he is away for work.

Her husband works at the same company, and obviously knows all the guys schedules and where they are, and my husband just got told yesterday that the job is over and is coming home today and will be back this afternoon. Now bearing in mind her husband never says a word to me (unless it appears to be a snarky comment), he also has liked a few things i have said on Facebook and then unlikes them right away (very odd), he comes on the page and says "Who is away for work, i thought they were back today," i guess he was trying to make a point that we could go to the party seems my husband isn't away anymore. So i went back and said "I wrote that post on wednesday, and they just found out yesterday the job is over, but i can't make it as i have other plans, but i hope you have fun." So then he comes back and says "Is (my husbands name) still coming though, i will text him and ask him," with a smiley face at the end. So i went back and said "Yeah go ahead and ask him," and also put a smiley face at the end of my comment. Now obviously his wife is going to stick by him, so she doesn't make direct comments like he does, but she will like comments he makes.

I know this all sounds very petty, and it really is if you read the story, but i am so sick and tired of this, we are in our mid 20's for christ sakes, and I am not the kind of person to instigate drama, and i don't like confrontation, but i am so sick of people who seem to be out to cause trouble and stir up things. I wasn't going to respond to him because i usually just think you obviously have a problem and just ignore him, but i am so tired of everyone saying whatever the hell they want while i try and keep the peace. I have also felt awkward seems my husband works with him, and i don't want work drama starting between them, but i guess i am at the point now where i think life is too short to have people in it that are not real friends and constantly make comments and drama. So with that, i took him off my Facebook. Do you think i made the right decision in this situation? I have left his wife on my friends list seems she hasn't really said anything directly to me. I know most people think it is Facebook who cares, but seems these comments happened on Facebook i figured if i removed him as my friend they could never occur again in the future, and i guess his wife can remove me if she feels she needs to.

So my question is do you think i made the right decision by trying to cut out the negativity, or do you think i have made the situation worse unfriending him? I just want genuine grown up friends, not all the drama!
 
Pearlylustre
 
  1  
Reply Fri 19 Dec, 2014 03:44 pm
@haps6,
It's unfortunate that your husband has to see this man at work but life's too short to spend time with people you don't like. The husband's been continually rude to you and the wife didn't even comment let alone comfort you when you said you'd had a miscarriage. You don't need these people. Continue distancing yourself and get busy with your own life.
0 Replies
 
chai2
 
  3  
Reply Fri 19 Dec, 2014 03:46 pm
I think you're contributing to the continuance of the drama by maintaining contact with them.

They aren't friends, the guy just works with your spouse.

Just stop responding to them. You don't owe anyone an explanation for why you want or don't want to do something.

0 Replies
 
haps6
 
  1  
Reply Fri 19 Dec, 2014 03:52 pm
I think you are right. I guess i just wondered if i was being oversensitive and caused the problem seems he could of meant nothing by the comments, but somehow i doubt that. Gonna go with my gut on this one. She hasn't directly said anything to me, although she has liked some of his comments. I am not sure whether to just let her unfriend me or get rid of her too. I am also friends on fb with some of their friends who have not said anything directly to me, but i kind of get the feeling they have played the whole "I don't know why but she just doesn't like us, i don't know what we did" card. On saying that, they haven't done anything to me, so not sure how to play that side of things.
jespah
 
  1  
Reply Fri 19 Dec, 2014 04:25 pm
@haps6,
You owe them nothing. And your husband certainly doesn't need to tell them his schedule. If the job ends, then so what? People get tired or they want to reconnect with their loved ones or do laundry. Who the hell cares? If these people truly give a damn then that says a lot about their boundaries and their own inner resources.

You unfriended him. Good. You can unfriend her, or not, as you choose.

And that's that.
0 Replies
 
haps6
 
  1  
Reply Fri 19 Dec, 2014 04:30 pm
Well i wondered if i had read into his behaviour, although i am not sure how one could read into rude comments. I really don't wish to socialize with the couple with how they behave, but i just don't want to make things awkward for my husband. You are right though, i don't owe them anything, and if they feel the way to act how they do with so little regard why should i care?

I guess the difference is i am a nice person who tries to avoid drama and confrontation at all costs. These people always have a good way of making you feel like you did something and are to blame also.

What really bugs me with people like this is it appears that everyone thinks they are wonderful people, and i am the problem. I can hear it now at work, 'i don't know what her issue is, but she just doesn't like us, i don't know what we did."

Also i have been conscious of the fact that there may be a work party at some point, which will most likely be awkward. I am friends on Facebook with a few of their friends also, who haven't said or done anything to me personally, but i just have a feeling they have made it look like we stopped hanging out with them and i am the one with the problem, i just kind of get that vibe.
jespah
 
  1  
Reply Fri 19 Dec, 2014 04:33 pm
@haps6,
Your real friends won't care. Your not so real friends will out themselves, and then you'll know.

PS Yeah, blaming you, that's lovely. But, y'know, people do that, they play little schoolyard games sometimes. I doubt this guy has been totally hiding his behavior at work. Others will know what a jerk he can be.
0 Replies
 
chai2
 
  1  
Reply Fri 19 Dec, 2014 05:06 pm
@haps6,
haps6 wrote:


I guess the difference is i am a nice person who tries to avoid drama and confrontation at all costs.



You know, people who avoid drama and confrontation "at all costs" are not necessarily nice people. Whatever a "nice person" means.

I don't care for drama either, but I'm not afraid, in fact I welcome, when someone is direct with me about a problem.

I don't think it's a nice quality to be unwilling to address issues. In your case it has meant over a year of discomfort and/or anguish for you.

In fact, it's a very annoying quality to have, if you ask me.

How would they know what the problem is that you have with them, if you've never said anything? Is that being nice?
0 Replies
 
haps6
 
  1  
Reply Fri 19 Dec, 2014 05:11 pm
So are people who constantly are rude and make snarky comments without addressing their issues with you, because they clearly have a problem. It works both ways.
chai2
 
  1  
Reply Fri 19 Dec, 2014 05:58 pm
@haps6,
haps6 wrote:

So are people who constantly are rude and make snarky comments without addressing their issues with you, because they clearly have a problem. It works both ways.


But you can control your actions, not theirs.

You're the person who has been through a year or more of aggitation over this, not them.

You can't change them, but you can get rid of your problem by just not communicating with them at all.

Why are you waiting for them to address something that you've been unable to? Because you're the nice one?
chai2
 
  1  
Reply Fri 19 Dec, 2014 06:18 pm
@chai2,
BTW, I'm not advocating confronting them about anything at this point. The horse has been out of the barn too long.

Just take them out of your life.
0 Replies
 
haps6
 
  1  
Reply Sat 20 Dec, 2014 02:09 am
I haven't had a year of anguish over it? We haven't hung out with them for a year and there was no confrontation in that time until the comments today, hence why i am asking this now. All the info i gave was just past stuff that happened to give more perspective of things, but regardless of all of that they aren't real friends and i am going to remove them from all social media.
0 Replies
 
PUNKEY
 
  2  
Reply Sat 20 Dec, 2014 10:08 am
You don't have to answer every barking dog.

Look - these people are dysfunctional, in fact he sounds like an alcoholic who is very threatened by anyone who won't drink with him. In his mind, you are elevating yourself and being judgmental about drinking. You throw a wet blanket on all his "fun.' This is a very common reaction from problem drinkers.

She's passive/aggressive (not even responding to your miscarriage, WTF is that?) yet goes along with this aggressiveness towards you.

So the issue is : WHY are you continue to be so involved with all this?
Learn to DETACH. That means to NOT respond to their actions. They ENJOY, yeah, feed off - all this drama. So stop "feeding" them.

You and your husband "owe" them nothing. Stop letting them manipulate you. Stop trying to reason with them. STOP everything with them. UNfriend them in your mind.

I hope your husband feels the same way. He can be cordial at work, but he is not obligated to this guy's antics.

Smile - and carry on.
0 Replies
 
 

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