1 00:00:12,850 --> 00:00:19,290 Speaker 1: You're listening to Amma Mia podcast. Mamma Mia acknowledges the 2 00:00:19,330 --> 00:00:22,250 Speaker 1: traditional owners of the land and waters. This podcast is 3 00:00:22,290 --> 00:00:33,090 Speaker 1: recorded on the blind side, a simple term, but it 4 00:00:33,090 --> 00:00:36,810 Speaker 1: can mean so much. It comes in many forms. There's, 5 00:00:36,850 --> 00:00:40,170 Speaker 1: of course, the good sort, where the unexpected is a welcome, 6 00:00:40,250 --> 00:00:41,090 Speaker 1: happy surprise. 7 00:00:41,890 --> 00:00:46,810 Speaker 2: I think because I was planning to move to Melbourne 8 00:00:47,010 --> 00:00:50,130 Speaker 2: and he had children, like all the things that were 9 00:00:50,170 --> 00:00:52,370 Speaker 2: big nos for me, I think I let my guard 10 00:00:52,450 --> 00:00:55,210 Speaker 2: down as well, big time, and I just didn't see 11 00:00:55,250 --> 00:00:58,810 Speaker 2: it coming. But yeah, here I was when you know, 12 00:00:58,970 --> 00:01:00,650 Speaker 2: you know, yeah, mushy. 13 00:01:01,570 --> 00:01:04,370 Speaker 1: But it can be a bad thing too. And for 14 00:01:04,490 --> 00:01:07,650 Speaker 1: Sarah there were other things she didn't see coming, that 15 00:01:07,850 --> 00:01:12,050 Speaker 1: other type of blindside that only other people experience, one 16 00:01:12,050 --> 00:01:16,610 Speaker 1: that turns a seemingly dreamy life together into a complete nightmare. 17 00:01:17,290 --> 00:01:20,810 Speaker 2: I wanted to warn women about him, for one, but 18 00:01:20,930 --> 00:01:24,370 Speaker 2: secondly I was curious what else has he done. I've 19 00:01:24,370 --> 00:01:26,970 Speaker 2: had at least forty women come forward with their own 20 00:01:27,010 --> 00:01:37,530 Speaker 2: stories about him. 21 00:01:37,690 --> 00:01:40,530 Speaker 1: I'm Georgia Love and this is everyone has an ex 22 00:01:40,810 --> 00:01:43,290 Speaker 1: Come with me as we dive into a collection of 23 00:01:43,530 --> 00:01:48,210 Speaker 1: unconventional stories about relationships past through the eyes and the 24 00:01:48,250 --> 00:01:52,370 Speaker 1: hearts of the very people who lived them. Sarah was 25 00:01:52,450 --> 00:01:56,130 Speaker 1: thirty three when she moved from Melbourne to London. We 26 00:01:56,210 --> 00:01:58,850 Speaker 1: all know someone who's done it. Life seems a little 27 00:01:58,970 --> 00:02:01,810 Speaker 1: dull at home and the pool to the UK is strong, 28 00:02:02,450 --> 00:02:06,250 Speaker 1: endless pub dinners, meeting new people, weekends and summers spent 29 00:02:06,330 --> 00:02:10,650 Speaker 1: in different European cities. Yes please. Plus she didn't really 30 00:02:10,650 --> 00:02:13,930 Speaker 1: have anything or any keeping her at home, so she 31 00:02:14,050 --> 00:02:16,170 Speaker 1: packed her bags and off she went for a couple 32 00:02:16,210 --> 00:02:18,530 Speaker 1: of years of good old English bun. 33 00:02:19,490 --> 00:02:23,690 Speaker 2: I was there for a couple of years and dated 34 00:02:23,690 --> 00:02:26,690 Speaker 2: a lot. I hadn't really dated in Melbourne at all, 35 00:02:27,490 --> 00:02:30,410 Speaker 2: and at one stage I was going on three dates 36 00:02:30,410 --> 00:02:32,370 Speaker 2: a week just for something to do. I didn't have 37 00:02:32,410 --> 00:02:35,130 Speaker 2: a job. It was fun and yeah, I spent a 38 00:02:35,130 --> 00:02:37,450 Speaker 2: couple of years there having a great time. I loved 39 00:02:37,490 --> 00:02:40,890 Speaker 2: it there, but I think two three years in I 40 00:02:40,970 --> 00:02:44,810 Speaker 2: decided it's probably time to move home and meet someone 41 00:02:44,890 --> 00:02:48,210 Speaker 2: back in Melbourne and settle down. And one morning I 42 00:02:48,250 --> 00:02:52,050 Speaker 2: deleted dating apps so many times in disgust. But one 43 00:02:52,170 --> 00:02:55,170 Speaker 2: Sunday morning, I was lying in bed, really hungover, feeling 44 00:02:55,410 --> 00:02:58,650 Speaker 2: sorry for myself, and I redownloaded Bumble for the hundredth 45 00:02:58,810 --> 00:03:01,730 Speaker 2: time and straight away this guy comes up and he 46 00:03:01,890 --> 00:03:06,130 Speaker 2: was just really handsome. His name was Phil. He was 47 00:03:06,690 --> 00:03:11,050 Speaker 2: so I think I was thirty five. He was thirty nine, 48 00:03:11,770 --> 00:03:15,610 Speaker 2: dark hair, beard, very much my type, really good photos, 49 00:03:16,210 --> 00:03:19,930 Speaker 2: six foot three. I matched him and we started chatting 50 00:03:19,930 --> 00:03:22,290 Speaker 2: straight away. So it was a Sunday morning, and he 51 00:03:22,330 --> 00:03:24,410 Speaker 2: said that he lived in Belfast, but he was just 52 00:03:24,450 --> 00:03:27,410 Speaker 2: in London for work. He had an office there. So 53 00:03:27,770 --> 00:03:30,490 Speaker 2: we sort of flirted and the banter was really really good, 54 00:03:30,610 --> 00:03:33,850 Speaker 2: like really really good. And I asked for his Instagram 55 00:03:33,890 --> 00:03:35,770 Speaker 2: and I can remember like he gave it to me 56 00:03:35,810 --> 00:03:37,610 Speaker 2: and he's like, oh, now you'll see why I'm single. 57 00:03:38,250 --> 00:03:40,730 Speaker 2: So I looked him up and he had two children, 58 00:03:40,810 --> 00:03:43,170 Speaker 2: and I was like, oh, okay, and I just said, look, 59 00:03:43,170 --> 00:03:46,770 Speaker 2: I'll be honest, I'm not planning on staying in the UK. 60 00:03:47,250 --> 00:03:49,650 Speaker 2: I don't want to date someone who's got children because 61 00:03:50,410 --> 00:03:52,730 Speaker 2: I don't want that. As a rule, I didn't date 62 00:03:52,730 --> 00:03:55,450 Speaker 2: anyone with children because I didn't see myself their long 63 00:03:55,530 --> 00:03:58,170 Speaker 2: term and if I met someone, I wanted them to 64 00:03:58,210 --> 00:04:01,090 Speaker 2: have the flexibility to move to Australia with me, so 65 00:04:01,210 --> 00:04:03,770 Speaker 2: it couldn't be someone that already had children. So this 66 00:04:03,970 --> 00:04:08,650 Speaker 2: was the start of June. Twenty eighteen. I also had 67 00:04:08,770 --> 00:04:10,970 Speaker 2: quit my job because I planned to do a europe 68 00:04:11,010 --> 00:04:12,970 Speaker 2: summer having a good time, like I was finishing my 69 00:04:13,090 --> 00:04:15,690 Speaker 2: role at the end of June and then just to 70 00:04:15,730 --> 00:04:19,570 Speaker 2: take some time off and move back to Australia. So 71 00:04:19,650 --> 00:04:21,770 Speaker 2: I said to him, oh, well, it doesn't matter. Like 72 00:04:21,890 --> 00:04:23,530 Speaker 2: when I saw her children, I just said, look, I'll 73 00:04:23,530 --> 00:04:26,290 Speaker 2: be honest, I'm moving back to Australia in October. I've 74 00:04:26,370 --> 00:04:28,410 Speaker 2: quit my job and I'm just going to enjoy one 75 00:04:28,410 --> 00:04:30,490 Speaker 2: more europe summer and then I'm going to get head home. 76 00:04:30,530 --> 00:04:33,450 Speaker 2: And he was like, yeah, absolutely, I'd love to take 77 00:04:33,490 --> 00:04:37,410 Speaker 2: you out, so I chose we went the following week 78 00:04:37,650 --> 00:04:40,170 Speaker 2: he was back for work again and we went to 79 00:04:40,210 --> 00:04:43,770 Speaker 2: my favorite pub in notting Hill, the Cockham Bottle, and 80 00:04:43,970 --> 00:04:47,010 Speaker 2: I was really surprised when I was waiting for him 81 00:04:47,050 --> 00:04:49,850 Speaker 2: at the front. I still remember being really shocked because 82 00:04:49,850 --> 00:04:53,490 Speaker 2: he didn't really look like his photos. He wasn't quite 83 00:04:53,850 --> 00:04:57,530 Speaker 2: as tall as expected. I don't know, he just didn't 84 00:04:57,530 --> 00:05:00,050 Speaker 2: look the same, but then kind of looked the same, 85 00:05:00,850 --> 00:05:03,930 Speaker 2: just looked different and I didn't find him very attractive 86 00:05:04,050 --> 00:05:07,410 Speaker 2: on site, but then we started talking and he was 87 00:05:07,450 --> 00:05:10,450 Speaker 2: just so funny and so charming. I had the greatest night. 88 00:05:10,450 --> 00:05:13,730 Speaker 2: We got really, really, really drunk, and it was probably 89 00:05:13,890 --> 00:05:16,290 Speaker 2: one of the best first dates of my life. We 90 00:05:16,450 --> 00:05:20,970 Speaker 2: come from completely different countries, backgrounds, we'd work in different industries, 91 00:05:21,010 --> 00:05:23,450 Speaker 2: but we got along so well and had so much 92 00:05:23,450 --> 00:05:25,210 Speaker 2: to talk about, which I think is quite rare. 93 00:05:26,210 --> 00:05:26,410 Speaker 1: Yeah. 94 00:05:26,450 --> 00:05:28,210 Speaker 2: So that was the first day, and the next day 95 00:05:28,250 --> 00:05:30,730 Speaker 2: he was supposed to be flying to Portugal for work 96 00:05:31,130 --> 00:05:33,650 Speaker 2: and I just said to him he should just stay 97 00:05:33,650 --> 00:05:35,930 Speaker 2: another night, and he was like, really should I and 98 00:05:36,050 --> 00:05:38,170 Speaker 2: was like, yeah, you should, So he changed his flights, 99 00:05:38,170 --> 00:05:41,170 Speaker 2: he stayed another night, we went out again, and then 100 00:05:41,210 --> 00:05:44,130 Speaker 2: from there it was just really full on. He just said, 101 00:05:44,170 --> 00:05:46,410 Speaker 2: you know, I really like you. I want to hang 102 00:05:46,450 --> 00:05:48,370 Speaker 2: out with you with whatever time you've got left. 103 00:05:49,330 --> 00:05:52,570 Speaker 1: Isn't that always the case you meet the great guy 104 00:05:52,970 --> 00:05:55,930 Speaker 1: just as you're about to leave. But for Sarah that 105 00:05:56,010 --> 00:05:58,810 Speaker 1: didn't matter. She was just interested in having fun for 106 00:05:58,850 --> 00:06:01,690 Speaker 1: the last couple of months overseas and might not have 107 00:06:01,730 --> 00:06:03,250 Speaker 1: said fun with a great guy. 108 00:06:03,850 --> 00:06:06,010 Speaker 2: I think two weeks in he said, you know, I 109 00:06:06,050 --> 00:06:08,290 Speaker 2: want to plan a trip for us. Is that too soon? 110 00:06:08,410 --> 00:06:10,490 Speaker 2: Is that weird? And I was like, well, what are 111 00:06:10,490 --> 00:06:12,730 Speaker 2: you thinking? And he took in Paris for a week 112 00:06:12,890 --> 00:06:16,210 Speaker 2: and booked tickets to a music festival. We saw The Killers, 113 00:06:16,250 --> 00:06:18,330 Speaker 2: one of my favorite bands, and you know, we just 114 00:06:18,530 --> 00:06:20,650 Speaker 2: liked all the same things and it was fun and easy. 115 00:06:21,250 --> 00:06:25,010 Speaker 2: So we spent that week in Paris, just eating, drinking, 116 00:06:25,170 --> 00:06:28,050 Speaker 2: just drunk every day. It was really, really fun. I 117 00:06:28,170 --> 00:06:30,370 Speaker 2: wasn't in a headspace where I thought we would be 118 00:06:30,450 --> 00:06:32,930 Speaker 2: dating long term or anything. I was just enjoying his 119 00:06:33,010 --> 00:06:36,330 Speaker 2: company for what it was. I was kind of butterflies, 120 00:06:36,570 --> 00:06:39,650 Speaker 2: that kind of cliche. Yeah, I was quite giddy about it, 121 00:06:39,690 --> 00:06:43,050 Speaker 2: and I definitely know I was because I had all 122 00:06:43,050 --> 00:06:45,570 Speaker 2: these Europe trip plans with my friends. I was in 123 00:06:45,650 --> 00:06:49,810 Speaker 2: Mikinos with some friends, and I flew back and met 124 00:06:49,850 --> 00:06:53,410 Speaker 2: him in Dublin for two nights before flying back to 125 00:06:53,610 --> 00:06:55,690 Speaker 2: Obitha for another thing. So I made the f to 126 00:06:55,730 --> 00:06:57,570 Speaker 2: go back, so I knew I really liked him when 127 00:06:57,570 --> 00:07:01,210 Speaker 2: I did. That interrupted my trip. If I wasn't in 128 00:07:01,250 --> 00:07:04,010 Speaker 2: Europe with friends, doing all the travel plans with friends 129 00:07:04,010 --> 00:07:08,130 Speaker 2: coming over from Melbourne, I was in London, and London 130 00:07:08,170 --> 00:07:10,290 Speaker 2: summer is so much fun. And he was just always 131 00:07:10,290 --> 00:07:13,370 Speaker 2: there and always available, and he never spoke about his children. 132 00:07:13,490 --> 00:07:16,610 Speaker 2: I must say, like he you know if I asked 133 00:07:16,690 --> 00:07:19,610 Speaker 2: him questions, he would answer the questions about his children, 134 00:07:19,690 --> 00:07:22,450 Speaker 2: but he didn't ever bring them up ever. And he 135 00:07:22,570 --> 00:07:25,050 Speaker 2: was always available anytime he'd say, what do you want 136 00:07:25,090 --> 00:07:27,650 Speaker 2: to if I had free time, he was just available 137 00:07:27,650 --> 00:07:29,570 Speaker 2: and he's like, oh, work is quite at the moment, 138 00:07:29,610 --> 00:07:31,330 Speaker 2: I can take time off. So it was kind of 139 00:07:31,890 --> 00:07:33,890 Speaker 2: anytime I said that I had time, he would just 140 00:07:33,890 --> 00:07:37,890 Speaker 2: magically appear. And I had no responsibilities, I had no job. 141 00:07:38,170 --> 00:07:41,210 Speaker 2: I was just enjoying London life, just going to the pub, 142 00:07:41,250 --> 00:07:44,010 Speaker 2: having a boozy lunch and just yeah, that was just 143 00:07:44,410 --> 00:07:46,290 Speaker 2: the whole summer. And he joined me for the whole 144 00:07:46,290 --> 00:07:48,770 Speaker 2: thing and it was just so much fun. He booked 145 00:07:48,770 --> 00:07:51,690 Speaker 2: another trip in between the other trips that I was 146 00:07:51,690 --> 00:07:55,170 Speaker 2: doing with my friends to Auntie in France. We just 147 00:07:55,210 --> 00:07:59,530 Speaker 2: spent every day on the beach, drinking champagne, just enjoying 148 00:07:59,570 --> 00:08:02,490 Speaker 2: the sun. It was just so much fun. And one 149 00:08:02,490 --> 00:08:04,330 Speaker 2: of those days there he told me he loved me. 150 00:08:04,570 --> 00:08:08,290 Speaker 2: And I don't know if it was the googa or 151 00:08:08,970 --> 00:08:13,090 Speaker 2: the alcohol in my blood system, but cried. I remember 152 00:08:13,090 --> 00:08:15,290 Speaker 2: I cried and I said I love you too, which 153 00:08:15,370 --> 00:08:17,290 Speaker 2: is just very I don't think i've ever told a 154 00:08:17,290 --> 00:08:20,090 Speaker 2: guy that I love him before in my life, actually 155 00:08:20,130 --> 00:08:22,450 Speaker 2: I haven't, so there you go. That was the first time, 156 00:08:22,850 --> 00:08:27,690 Speaker 2: at thirty five years of age, and I can remember 157 00:08:27,690 --> 00:08:30,250 Speaker 2: I said to him, well, it took you long enough. 158 00:08:30,250 --> 00:08:32,970 Speaker 2: And that is just so cheesy and so silly in 159 00:08:33,090 --> 00:08:35,450 Speaker 2: honsight because it had been two months, but we had 160 00:08:35,490 --> 00:08:38,610 Speaker 2: been quite inseparable for those two months. I do trips, 161 00:08:38,650 --> 00:08:40,810 Speaker 2: i'd come back, and he was just always there and 162 00:08:40,850 --> 00:08:44,250 Speaker 2: there was big chunks of time spent together. And I 163 00:08:44,290 --> 00:08:47,730 Speaker 2: just did not see this coming. And I think because 164 00:08:48,050 --> 00:08:52,130 Speaker 2: I was planning to move home to Melbourne and he 165 00:08:52,210 --> 00:08:54,850 Speaker 2: had children, like all the things that were big nos 166 00:08:54,930 --> 00:08:57,530 Speaker 2: for me, I think I let my guard down as well, 167 00:08:57,850 --> 00:08:59,970 Speaker 2: big time. I know, I just didn't see it coming. 168 00:09:00,530 --> 00:09:03,650 Speaker 2: But yeah, here I was when you know, you know, 169 00:09:04,130 --> 00:09:07,970 Speaker 2: yeah mushy. So from then on we had the conversation. 170 00:09:08,210 --> 00:09:11,570 Speaker 2: We had some more serious conversations. I had told him 171 00:09:11,730 --> 00:09:13,930 Speaker 2: prior to this that I wanted to move back to 172 00:09:13,930 --> 00:09:15,770 Speaker 2: Australia because I wanted to meet someone, I wanted to 173 00:09:15,770 --> 00:09:18,730 Speaker 2: have a child and everything. So he brought it up. 174 00:09:18,770 --> 00:09:21,370 Speaker 2: He said, you know, I would love another child. I 175 00:09:21,450 --> 00:09:24,490 Speaker 2: really want a girl. He already had two sons, one 176 00:09:24,530 --> 00:09:26,930 Speaker 2: was three, one was eight, and he said, but I 177 00:09:26,930 --> 00:09:28,890 Speaker 2: really want a daughter. I've got two sons. I'd love 178 00:09:28,890 --> 00:09:30,890 Speaker 2: a daughter. And I said, I'd love to have a girl, 179 00:09:30,930 --> 00:09:33,410 Speaker 2: you know. And he said, okay, look, I have to 180 00:09:33,490 --> 00:09:36,690 Speaker 2: stay in the UK until my sons are old enough 181 00:09:37,290 --> 00:09:39,370 Speaker 2: to travel back and forth to Australia. But I want 182 00:09:39,370 --> 00:09:41,650 Speaker 2: to live in Australia, like it's my dream to live 183 00:09:41,650 --> 00:09:44,010 Speaker 2: in Australia, like I would love it so much. So 184 00:09:44,650 --> 00:09:47,050 Speaker 2: he said, just five more years here and then they'd 185 00:09:47,050 --> 00:09:49,770 Speaker 2: be old enough to travel together back to Australia. So 186 00:09:50,570 --> 00:09:53,690 Speaker 2: I thought, okay, excellent, I'm in love. He wants to 187 00:09:53,690 --> 00:09:56,690 Speaker 2: have a child, and I love life in London. I 188 00:09:56,690 --> 00:09:58,370 Speaker 2: get to spend another five years here and then I 189 00:09:58,410 --> 00:10:00,250 Speaker 2: get to go home and I have everything I want. 190 00:10:00,850 --> 00:10:04,290 Speaker 2: It was just all blissful and happy. And I said, well, 191 00:10:04,290 --> 00:10:05,810 Speaker 2: if this is going to work, you need to move 192 00:10:05,850 --> 00:10:08,690 Speaker 2: to London. So this was all the conversation we had 193 00:10:08,690 --> 00:10:11,650 Speaker 2: two months in and I didn't want to do back 194 00:10:11,810 --> 00:10:15,530 Speaker 2: and forward. I wanted a relationship with someone who was 195 00:10:15,530 --> 00:10:18,610 Speaker 2: going to be there most of the time. So he did. 196 00:10:18,690 --> 00:10:21,970 Speaker 2: He moved in with me and I was living with 197 00:10:22,010 --> 00:10:24,810 Speaker 2: a friend and after a trial period of three months. 198 00:10:24,890 --> 00:10:27,770 Speaker 2: Then we got our own place, so he had his 199 00:10:27,810 --> 00:10:30,370 Speaker 2: sons two days a week, so he was in London 200 00:10:30,410 --> 00:10:32,370 Speaker 2: with me five nights a week, and then he would 201 00:10:32,410 --> 00:10:35,730 Speaker 2: fly back and spend two nights a week with his sons. 202 00:10:36,450 --> 00:10:38,770 Speaker 2: And I just thought he was just such a fantastic 203 00:10:38,810 --> 00:10:41,290 Speaker 2: father because no matter what was happening in London, he 204 00:10:41,450 --> 00:10:46,130 Speaker 2: always went back. He never shirked his responsibilities, and he 205 00:10:46,210 --> 00:10:50,450 Speaker 2: was always so respectful of his ex wife. He spoke 206 00:10:50,490 --> 00:10:54,570 Speaker 2: about her respectfully. But he also like when I questioned 207 00:10:54,610 --> 00:10:57,970 Speaker 2: him because his youngest son was three, I said, you 208 00:10:57,970 --> 00:11:01,490 Speaker 2: know what happened. You know, he's still quite little. And 209 00:11:01,650 --> 00:11:06,450 Speaker 2: he said that his wife was quite cold and that 210 00:11:06,570 --> 00:11:09,010 Speaker 2: he got married too young because he just thought it 211 00:11:09,050 --> 00:11:10,410 Speaker 2: was the right thing to do, and that's what they 212 00:11:10,530 --> 00:11:13,010 Speaker 2: do in Belfast. If you're dating a nice girl, you 213 00:11:13,130 --> 00:11:15,930 Speaker 2: just you marry her and you have children. He didn't 214 00:11:15,930 --> 00:11:17,570 Speaker 2: say this all at once, but the story that came 215 00:11:17,610 --> 00:11:20,170 Speaker 2: out over a bit of time that he felt she 216 00:11:20,290 --> 00:11:22,130 Speaker 2: used him to have children because she was a bit 217 00:11:22,170 --> 00:11:25,730 Speaker 2: older and saw him as a good father and everything, 218 00:11:25,890 --> 00:11:28,650 Speaker 2: and that it was a loveless marriage. So he said, 219 00:11:28,690 --> 00:11:31,450 Speaker 2: when he said, you know, I'm leaving this isn't working. 220 00:11:31,490 --> 00:11:33,890 Speaker 2: She said, yeah, I agree, and she said he said, 221 00:11:33,890 --> 00:11:37,530 Speaker 2: it's all very amicable. And when he told her about me, 222 00:11:37,810 --> 00:11:40,530 Speaker 2: I think it was the two month mark because he 223 00:11:40,570 --> 00:11:42,010 Speaker 2: wanted me to meet his children. 224 00:11:42,690 --> 00:11:45,930 Speaker 1: This suited Sarah just fine. She wasn't super keen to 225 00:11:45,970 --> 00:11:48,410 Speaker 1: be flying back and forth to Ireland either, as it 226 00:11:48,450 --> 00:11:51,450 Speaker 1: was life in London she'd set up first on her 227 00:11:51,450 --> 00:11:54,210 Speaker 1: own and now with Phil. This was where her friends 228 00:11:54,250 --> 00:11:57,690 Speaker 1: were too, who soon of course became his friends as well. 229 00:11:58,210 --> 00:12:03,290 Speaker 2: He was just so funny and charismatic and charming, and 230 00:12:04,010 --> 00:12:08,410 Speaker 2: he's just absolutely hilarious, always engaging everybody in the room, 231 00:12:08,650 --> 00:12:11,610 Speaker 2: instant friends with everybody. My friends were just so through 232 00:12:11,930 --> 00:12:16,450 Speaker 2: for me. Everybody loved him so because he had moved 233 00:12:16,570 --> 00:12:18,410 Speaker 2: to London for me, I kind of felt like I 234 00:12:18,450 --> 00:12:21,810 Speaker 2: had to take him everywhere with me because he didn't 235 00:12:21,850 --> 00:12:24,810 Speaker 2: have his own friends. But I was a bit concerned 236 00:12:24,890 --> 00:12:27,490 Speaker 2: about that in the beginning. But he just fit in 237 00:12:27,570 --> 00:12:30,530 Speaker 2: so well with my friends. Everybody loved him. Everybody that 238 00:12:30,650 --> 00:12:33,170 Speaker 2: met him loved him, and I found him even building 239 00:12:33,170 --> 00:12:35,770 Speaker 2: friendships with some of my friend's partners and going out 240 00:12:35,810 --> 00:12:38,450 Speaker 2: with them, and it just could not have been more perfect. 241 00:12:39,610 --> 00:12:44,890 Speaker 2: I think It was around October, four months in started 242 00:12:44,930 --> 00:12:47,450 Speaker 2: asking me questions about what kind of engagement ring I 243 00:12:47,490 --> 00:12:51,130 Speaker 2: would like, and this is actually really embarrassing. So I 244 00:12:51,170 --> 00:12:54,530 Speaker 2: was taken aback by the comment, but then obviously went 245 00:12:54,570 --> 00:12:57,050 Speaker 2: back to my girl chat and was talking about it, 246 00:12:57,090 --> 00:13:00,210 Speaker 2: and I was super excited. This is embarrassing. I started 247 00:13:00,370 --> 00:13:03,250 Speaker 2: a Pinterest. I'd never been on Pinterest, and I started 248 00:13:03,930 --> 00:13:08,210 Speaker 2: for engagement rings. And my sister called me and she said, Sarah, 249 00:13:08,330 --> 00:13:13,170 Speaker 2: you do realize that your Pinterest is on Facebook. And 250 00:13:13,250 --> 00:13:16,050 Speaker 2: it was in the newsfeed of me adding all these 251 00:13:16,130 --> 00:13:23,330 Speaker 2: engagement reads to my Pinterest. I was so embarrassed. Oh 252 00:13:23,330 --> 00:13:28,610 Speaker 2: my god. She couldn't stop laughing. So I promptly deleted that. 253 00:13:28,690 --> 00:13:32,770 Speaker 2: But we had such a good, fun relationship where I 254 00:13:32,770 --> 00:13:35,290 Speaker 2: didn't have to actually feel that awkwardness because he had 255 00:13:35,290 --> 00:13:37,170 Speaker 2: brought it up and asked me what kind of ring 256 00:13:37,210 --> 00:13:40,010 Speaker 2: I wanted, and I just there was no question that 257 00:13:40,050 --> 00:13:43,930 Speaker 2: we were headed in that direction very soon. So I 258 00:13:44,010 --> 00:13:46,490 Speaker 2: told him about the Pinterest and we both laughed about it. 259 00:13:46,530 --> 00:13:49,370 Speaker 2: So I think I felt just so comfortable with him 260 00:13:49,370 --> 00:13:51,650 Speaker 2: I could tell him and we both really laughed about it, 261 00:13:52,250 --> 00:13:57,130 Speaker 2: and I showed him, I showed my Pinterest page, so yeah, 262 00:13:57,210 --> 00:14:00,490 Speaker 2: that was quite funny, and we were talking about babies 263 00:14:00,650 --> 00:14:03,570 Speaker 2: and I had one of my best friends in London. 264 00:14:04,250 --> 00:14:08,970 Speaker 2: She is a gynecologist and an obstetrician, and she said, well, 265 00:14:09,010 --> 00:14:11,490 Speaker 2: you need to go and get some fertility testing right 266 00:14:11,490 --> 00:14:14,330 Speaker 2: now out so you just know how long you guys have. 267 00:14:14,410 --> 00:14:16,010 Speaker 2: Of course you don't want to rush into it, but 268 00:14:16,170 --> 00:14:19,090 Speaker 2: you also you might need to. So he and I 269 00:14:19,170 --> 00:14:24,490 Speaker 2: attended fertility testing together and yeah, quite a few appointments. 270 00:14:24,530 --> 00:14:26,570 Speaker 2: We went down that road and decided we wanted to 271 00:14:26,570 --> 00:14:31,610 Speaker 2: start trying straight away. I had the AMH level of 272 00:14:31,730 --> 00:14:34,730 Speaker 2: a twenty six year old, which was fantastic. Plenty of 273 00:14:34,770 --> 00:14:37,530 Speaker 2: eggs so it wasn't an issue, but I had some 274 00:14:37,570 --> 00:14:40,170 Speaker 2: other things that they couldn't figure out why it wasn't happening. 275 00:14:40,210 --> 00:14:44,050 Speaker 2: I wasn't ovulating, so we just decided to get started 276 00:14:44,090 --> 00:14:44,610 Speaker 2: straight away. 277 00:14:46,530 --> 00:14:49,770 Speaker 1: Everything was perfect, our girl Sarah was not only in 278 00:14:49,810 --> 00:14:53,250 Speaker 1: love but trying for a family. So of course we 279 00:14:53,330 --> 00:14:56,770 Speaker 1: all know in any good X story, this is just 280 00:14:56,890 --> 00:14:59,970 Speaker 1: about exactly when the ifs and bats start to re 281 00:15:00,170 --> 00:15:01,650 Speaker 1: up their ugly heads. 282 00:15:02,490 --> 00:15:04,650 Speaker 2: So a little over the twelfth month mark, we were 283 00:15:04,690 --> 00:15:09,090 Speaker 2: on a holiday in Italy with friends and someone was 284 00:15:09,130 --> 00:15:11,530 Speaker 2: talking about who had just gotten engaged or something like that, 285 00:15:11,810 --> 00:15:14,810 Speaker 2: and so it had been six months since he dangled 286 00:15:14,810 --> 00:15:17,290 Speaker 2: the carrot to me, like he said, you know, what 287 00:15:17,330 --> 00:15:19,490 Speaker 2: sort of ring do you want? Whatever, and it hadn't 288 00:15:19,530 --> 00:15:22,370 Speaker 2: been brought up again really, So he went full pace, 289 00:15:22,530 --> 00:15:25,210 Speaker 2: but then sort of pulled back, and I was kind 290 00:15:25,210 --> 00:15:27,730 Speaker 2: of wondering when it was happening, because we were trying 291 00:15:27,730 --> 00:15:30,690 Speaker 2: to have a baby. Things were fantastic, we were living together, 292 00:15:30,930 --> 00:15:33,490 Speaker 2: We had the most beautiful apartment on a Hyde Park. 293 00:15:34,170 --> 00:15:36,930 Speaker 2: Life was just perfect. And I just wanted to know, like, 294 00:15:37,010 --> 00:15:39,970 Speaker 2: because he really wanted a child, if we were doing that, 295 00:15:40,090 --> 00:15:43,210 Speaker 2: when's this engagement happening? And I just kept kind of wondering, 296 00:15:43,290 --> 00:15:45,330 Speaker 2: and he brought it up. I remember we were him 297 00:15:45,370 --> 00:15:47,970 Speaker 2: Pullier and we were overlooking the ocean one night and 298 00:15:48,010 --> 00:15:49,450 Speaker 2: it was just the two of us. Our friends had 299 00:15:49,450 --> 00:15:52,770 Speaker 2: walked ahead a little and he said, oh, baby, you know, 300 00:15:52,810 --> 00:15:56,410 Speaker 2: I know you're probably wondering when that is, and it's coming, 301 00:15:56,850 --> 00:16:00,690 Speaker 2: Like the engagement, it's coming. I just when I get 302 00:16:00,730 --> 00:16:03,010 Speaker 2: my bonus, that's what I want to spend it on, 303 00:16:03,210 --> 00:16:05,530 Speaker 2: you know, when I get my bonus. And I was like, oh, yeah, 304 00:16:05,650 --> 00:16:07,730 Speaker 2: of course of course, like it kind of had become 305 00:16:07,730 --> 00:16:10,970 Speaker 2: a bit of an uncomfortable discussion for me, because you know, 306 00:16:11,010 --> 00:16:13,530 Speaker 2: that's awkward. Someone sort of brings up a conversation, Oh, 307 00:16:13,530 --> 00:16:15,490 Speaker 2: I know that I did ask you about this ring 308 00:16:15,690 --> 00:16:18,010 Speaker 2: six months ago. We're trying to have a baby, all 309 00:16:18,010 --> 00:16:21,930 Speaker 2: these things, and then they're saying, oh, by the way, 310 00:16:21,930 --> 00:16:23,730 Speaker 2: I can't really afford it. That was kind of a 311 00:16:23,730 --> 00:16:24,730 Speaker 2: bit uncomfortable for me. 312 00:16:25,930 --> 00:16:28,650 Speaker 1: It wasn't a big thing, But it turns out it 313 00:16:28,690 --> 00:16:31,650 Speaker 1: wasn't the first time money talks had made things a 314 00:16:31,690 --> 00:16:32,730 Speaker 1: little uncomfortable. 315 00:16:33,330 --> 00:16:36,130 Speaker 2: The first fight we had was a huge fight, a 316 00:16:36,250 --> 00:16:39,330 Speaker 2: huge fight, and it was we had signed the lease 317 00:16:39,570 --> 00:16:41,890 Speaker 2: on our new apartment that we were moving in together. 318 00:16:42,210 --> 00:16:44,250 Speaker 2: We were already living together, but with a friend of 319 00:16:44,290 --> 00:16:47,170 Speaker 2: mine where I had already. He just moved into where 320 00:16:47,170 --> 00:16:50,690 Speaker 2: I was living, and we had been apartment hunting. I 321 00:16:50,730 --> 00:16:52,770 Speaker 2: had done all the hunting because he was in Belfast 322 00:16:52,810 --> 00:16:55,490 Speaker 2: with his sons, So I was looking every weekend and 323 00:16:55,690 --> 00:16:59,450 Speaker 2: inspections and everything I looked at. He was like, it's 324 00:16:59,490 --> 00:17:03,730 Speaker 2: too small. The budget kept increasing because he was like, 325 00:17:03,770 --> 00:17:06,050 Speaker 2: I work from home, so I was looking at a 326 00:17:06,050 --> 00:17:08,410 Speaker 2: lot of places and I'd finally found the perfect place, 327 00:17:09,210 --> 00:17:13,050 Speaker 2: and once we sort of signed the least in everything, 328 00:17:13,810 --> 00:17:16,010 Speaker 2: I guess there must have been a few hints of 329 00:17:16,690 --> 00:17:21,410 Speaker 2: financial stuff then, because I do remember saying to him, look, 330 00:17:22,170 --> 00:17:25,330 Speaker 2: I think how our rent was eighteen hundred pounds plus 331 00:17:25,370 --> 00:17:30,210 Speaker 2: bills and I was already paying eleven hundred or something 332 00:17:30,250 --> 00:17:32,250 Speaker 2: like that where I was, And I said, well, I'm 333 00:17:32,250 --> 00:17:34,570 Speaker 2: already paying this, so I'll pay that and you just 334 00:17:34,610 --> 00:17:39,130 Speaker 2: pay the difference, and he was like, yep, fantastic, fantastic. 335 00:17:39,130 --> 00:17:42,730 Speaker 2: But then he kept complaining about finances. And it's from 336 00:17:42,770 --> 00:17:45,010 Speaker 2: when we met. He was always very generous. He was 337 00:17:45,050 --> 00:17:47,290 Speaker 2: a gentleman, like paying if I went out for dinner 338 00:17:47,290 --> 00:17:50,370 Speaker 2: with my friends, he would insist on paying for everybody 339 00:17:51,010 --> 00:17:53,530 Speaker 2: he wanted, you know, the best department in the best area. 340 00:17:54,290 --> 00:17:57,290 Speaker 2: And money wasn't a problem, and I was on a 341 00:17:57,330 --> 00:18:00,090 Speaker 2: really good salary, so that was fine. But then when 342 00:18:00,130 --> 00:18:04,050 Speaker 2: it came to actually getting the deposit together, so paying 343 00:18:04,050 --> 00:18:07,690 Speaker 2: the security bond and the rent upfront, he was like, oh, well, actually, 344 00:18:07,810 --> 00:18:10,970 Speaker 2: oh I can't. You know, I've just paid school fees. 345 00:18:11,690 --> 00:18:14,170 Speaker 2: And I went, oh, don't worry, I'll do it. And 346 00:18:14,490 --> 00:18:16,490 Speaker 2: so I'd done that first offer to pay the bulk 347 00:18:16,530 --> 00:18:19,930 Speaker 2: and him just pay the difference. But then he was 348 00:18:20,530 --> 00:18:24,930 Speaker 2: talking about other expenses and being a little bit stressed. Sorry, honey, 349 00:18:24,970 --> 00:18:26,770 Speaker 2: I'm a little bit stressed about money at the moment. 350 00:18:26,810 --> 00:18:29,330 Speaker 2: So I said, look, I'll pay the rent. Like you're 351 00:18:29,370 --> 00:18:32,530 Speaker 2: the one traveling back and forward, so I'll pay the rent. 352 00:18:33,090 --> 00:18:35,930 Speaker 2: He's got a house back in Belfast, which he told 353 00:18:35,930 --> 00:18:37,810 Speaker 2: me he'd nearly paid off. He said he bought it 354 00:18:37,810 --> 00:18:40,690 Speaker 2: out of UNI. So he's got a tiny mortgage with 355 00:18:40,850 --> 00:18:43,250 Speaker 2: not much left on it. Because he was such a 356 00:18:43,290 --> 00:18:45,610 Speaker 2: gentleman who loved to pay for the table and everything, 357 00:18:45,730 --> 00:18:47,650 Speaker 2: I didn't want him to feel he couldn't do that 358 00:18:47,690 --> 00:18:50,850 Speaker 2: anymore be himself. I didn't want our relationship to put 359 00:18:50,890 --> 00:18:53,050 Speaker 2: any financial pressure on him. So I just went, you 360 00:18:53,090 --> 00:18:55,850 Speaker 2: know what, I'll pay the rent. You just pay the bills. 361 00:18:56,330 --> 00:19:00,050 Speaker 2: I just remember seeing like the water bill constantly like 362 00:19:00,130 --> 00:19:01,810 Speaker 2: coming in the mail, and I didn't open it because 363 00:19:01,850 --> 00:19:06,690 Speaker 2: it was in his name, but yeah, there was just overdue, overdue, overdue, 364 00:19:06,970 --> 00:19:10,290 Speaker 2: And I mentioned him, oh the water bill came, and 365 00:19:10,410 --> 00:19:12,250 Speaker 2: you know, yeah, yeah, kind of like just brush off. 366 00:19:12,250 --> 00:19:14,450 Speaker 2: He didn't even open it, just sat there unopened. And 367 00:19:14,450 --> 00:19:16,450 Speaker 2: there was several of them. So eventually I opened it 368 00:19:16,490 --> 00:19:19,050 Speaker 2: myself and it was three hundred and thirty pounds, which 369 00:19:19,090 --> 00:19:21,210 Speaker 2: is like six hundred dollars. So I just paid it. 370 00:19:22,210 --> 00:19:24,810 Speaker 2: And that's just the first of many things. There would 371 00:19:24,810 --> 00:19:27,570 Speaker 2: just be bills and he would just kind of just 372 00:19:27,610 --> 00:19:31,170 Speaker 2: ignore things. And I am an accountant and I don't 373 00:19:31,250 --> 00:19:33,570 Speaker 2: like having any kind of debt. I pay things on time. 374 00:19:34,330 --> 00:19:37,730 Speaker 2: I can't remember exactly how it came up, but I 375 00:19:37,770 --> 00:19:40,090 Speaker 2: had an AMEX and I got lots of points on it, 376 00:19:40,130 --> 00:19:43,450 Speaker 2: and I used it for free flights. I'd get companion 377 00:19:43,490 --> 00:19:46,370 Speaker 2: vouchers for free flights, like you'd only buy one ticket. 378 00:19:46,410 --> 00:19:50,090 Speaker 2: And I've always like worked the points system. And he 379 00:19:50,170 --> 00:19:52,250 Speaker 2: just used a debit card. So he was like, oh, well, 380 00:19:52,290 --> 00:19:55,090 Speaker 2: maybe I should get a card, Like I said, get 381 00:19:55,130 --> 00:19:56,650 Speaker 2: one of these, and he's like, I could just get 382 00:19:56,650 --> 00:19:59,890 Speaker 2: a secondary card to yours and then we could get 383 00:19:59,930 --> 00:20:01,930 Speaker 2: lots of points. And I was like, oh, okay, fantastic, 384 00:20:02,010 --> 00:20:04,530 Speaker 2: So I just got him a supplementary card. I trusted 385 00:20:04,610 --> 00:20:07,650 Speaker 2: him completely, and we used the AMEX for everything, and 386 00:20:07,730 --> 00:20:10,130 Speaker 2: then when the bill came, it was idemized of his 387 00:20:10,210 --> 00:20:14,370 Speaker 2: spend and my spend, yeah, separate statements, and I would 388 00:20:14,410 --> 00:20:16,010 Speaker 2: just let him know how much it was, and he 389 00:20:16,050 --> 00:20:18,650 Speaker 2: would transfer it to me. So I was in New 390 00:20:18,730 --> 00:20:22,850 Speaker 2: York for work, and I think this is around maybe 391 00:20:22,890 --> 00:20:27,290 Speaker 2: eight months, no month mark I had got the credit, 392 00:20:27,330 --> 00:20:29,650 Speaker 2: I'd be while I was in New York. I emailed 393 00:20:29,730 --> 00:20:32,330 Speaker 2: him his statement and so, could you just send it 394 00:20:32,370 --> 00:20:35,050 Speaker 2: to me before the fifth because I have to pay it? 395 00:20:35,650 --> 00:20:38,090 Speaker 2: And he was like, oh, well I can't afford that, 396 00:20:38,290 --> 00:20:41,730 Speaker 2: like the boiler has busted and I need to pay 397 00:20:41,730 --> 00:20:44,410 Speaker 2: to get it done, and oh, I'm so stressed. Like 398 00:20:44,650 --> 00:20:46,610 Speaker 2: his messages was kind of a radic in coming through. 399 00:20:46,730 --> 00:20:48,810 Speaker 2: I'm stressed about this. How am I going to pay 400 00:20:48,850 --> 00:20:51,730 Speaker 2: for that? And I was like, oh, well, you've got 401 00:20:51,810 --> 00:20:54,050 Speaker 2: till next week, you know, and he's like, oh, like 402 00:20:54,130 --> 00:20:56,890 Speaker 2: I just don't get paid till this day whatever. Like 403 00:20:57,290 --> 00:20:59,130 Speaker 2: I was like, oh, can you pay me? He's like, oh, 404 00:20:59,130 --> 00:21:01,050 Speaker 2: I've got the money, but I need to fix my 405 00:21:01,290 --> 00:21:04,650 Speaker 2: boiler because otherwise the boys will be cold, Like when 406 00:21:04,690 --> 00:21:06,410 Speaker 2: the Good Boys are at my house, there's no heating. 407 00:21:06,410 --> 00:21:09,010 Speaker 2: It's winter. He was booking a lot of his work 408 00:21:09,250 --> 00:21:12,250 Speaker 2: expenses on there, and I just said, do your reinvestment 409 00:21:12,290 --> 00:21:15,490 Speaker 2: for work, so that's what you usually do, and he said, oh, 410 00:21:15,730 --> 00:21:17,810 Speaker 2: I've done it, but there's just like a delay. There's 411 00:21:17,810 --> 00:21:21,850 Speaker 2: a delay and getting the money. Okay, fine, I guess 412 00:21:21,850 --> 00:21:24,930 Speaker 2: my boys will have to be cold. I'll transfer it 413 00:21:24,970 --> 00:21:28,090 Speaker 2: to you now. But yeah, So there was that, like 414 00:21:28,090 --> 00:21:31,050 Speaker 2: that big guilt trip, the icky feeling that it gave me. 415 00:21:31,370 --> 00:21:34,490 Speaker 2: I don't like talking about money in that kind of way. 416 00:21:34,530 --> 00:21:36,770 Speaker 2: I just like things to be easy. When I got 417 00:21:36,770 --> 00:21:40,130 Speaker 2: those messages like talking about the him getting annoyed with 418 00:21:40,170 --> 00:21:43,090 Speaker 2: me about the money and bringing his kids into it 419 00:21:43,130 --> 00:21:45,290 Speaker 2: to kind of killed me. Like it just felt really 420 00:21:45,330 --> 00:21:47,810 Speaker 2: gross and it wasn't a conversation I wanted to have. 421 00:21:48,330 --> 00:21:50,650 Speaker 1: She did her best to ignore what she thought was 422 00:21:50,770 --> 00:21:54,690 Speaker 1: just a niggling issue about managing their finances, but it 423 00:21:54,730 --> 00:21:57,250 Speaker 1: wasn't the only issue in the relationship, if she was 424 00:21:57,330 --> 00:21:58,410 Speaker 1: really being honest. 425 00:21:59,210 --> 00:22:01,730 Speaker 2: We wake up one morning and he was just really 426 00:22:01,730 --> 00:22:04,370 Speaker 2: cold to me. He was lying in bed and he 427 00:22:04,570 --> 00:22:07,610 Speaker 2: was just giving me like a weird cold stare and 428 00:22:07,650 --> 00:22:10,650 Speaker 2: looking away from me, and I just keep saying to him, 429 00:22:10,770 --> 00:22:13,450 Speaker 2: is everything okay? He was just in a really, really 430 00:22:13,530 --> 00:22:15,730 Speaker 2: horrible mood. I'd never seen it. So I went to 431 00:22:15,810 --> 00:22:19,050 Speaker 2: work and it was probably my third or fourth stat 432 00:22:19,130 --> 00:22:22,130 Speaker 2: a new job, and then my phone just blew up 433 00:22:22,490 --> 00:22:26,130 Speaker 2: like it started with text. I get a text from 434 00:22:26,170 --> 00:22:28,730 Speaker 2: him saying how many people have you slept with? And 435 00:22:29,530 --> 00:22:32,170 Speaker 2: I went, I beg your pardon, and he's like, I 436 00:22:32,210 --> 00:22:34,610 Speaker 2: want to know how many people? And I was like, 437 00:22:35,290 --> 00:22:38,250 Speaker 2: what are you talking about? Like it was so left 438 00:22:38,250 --> 00:22:42,130 Speaker 2: a field, Like I've heard of guys speaking to girlfriends 439 00:22:42,170 --> 00:22:45,010 Speaker 2: and whatever, like in a fight like this before, but 440 00:22:45,090 --> 00:22:47,650 Speaker 2: usually there's a build up, you know. He'd been angry 441 00:22:47,730 --> 00:22:49,890 Speaker 2: that morning, but he'd never spoken to me like this before. 442 00:22:50,450 --> 00:22:53,330 Speaker 2: So he said how many people have you slept with? 443 00:22:53,530 --> 00:22:56,290 Speaker 2: And I was like, that's none of your business. What 444 00:22:56,330 --> 00:22:58,970 Speaker 2: are you talking about? And he just kept on asking 445 00:22:58,970 --> 00:23:02,850 Speaker 2: me all these weird questions and then he just unleashed 446 00:23:02,890 --> 00:23:05,810 Speaker 2: on me. And it turns out while I had been 447 00:23:05,850 --> 00:23:09,370 Speaker 2: going into the office those couple of days, I had 448 00:23:09,530 --> 00:23:11,930 Speaker 2: my Max sitting at home and my WhatsApp plugged in 449 00:23:11,930 --> 00:23:14,610 Speaker 2: to the deaktop. He'd just been reading all my messages 450 00:23:14,890 --> 00:23:18,770 Speaker 2: and he'd found this message from when we had been 451 00:23:18,890 --> 00:23:21,410 Speaker 2: dating for two weeks. So in that time, we've been 452 00:23:21,450 --> 00:23:24,530 Speaker 2: on I think three dates, and he read messages that 453 00:23:24,810 --> 00:23:27,450 Speaker 2: I had been at the pub with a couple of 454 00:23:27,450 --> 00:23:30,170 Speaker 2: my girlfriends and we were all talking about how hot 455 00:23:30,210 --> 00:23:32,530 Speaker 2: the bartender was and that he was flirting with me, 456 00:23:33,050 --> 00:23:35,210 Speaker 2: and one of my girlfriends was like, you should go there, 457 00:23:35,370 --> 00:23:38,730 Speaker 2: like he's so hot, he really likes you, and you know, 458 00:23:38,810 --> 00:23:41,410 Speaker 2: we were all joking about it, but nothing happened, and 459 00:23:41,450 --> 00:23:44,050 Speaker 2: he just went ballistic over it. So he was just 460 00:23:44,050 --> 00:23:47,010 Speaker 2: blowing up my phone and he said, I'm packing up 461 00:23:47,010 --> 00:23:51,810 Speaker 2: and leaving. I can't trust you, and I was like, 462 00:23:51,850 --> 00:23:54,650 Speaker 2: I'm coming home. So I made an excuse at work, 463 00:23:54,810 --> 00:23:57,410 Speaker 2: my brand new job, to say, look, I have to go. 464 00:23:57,570 --> 00:24:00,010 Speaker 2: I think I said that he had locked himself out 465 00:24:00,050 --> 00:24:01,530 Speaker 2: of the house, my partner had I had to go 466 00:24:01,650 --> 00:24:04,610 Speaker 2: let him in. And I get there and he'd literally 467 00:24:04,850 --> 00:24:07,930 Speaker 2: just moved over, you know, a couple of months before 468 00:24:08,050 --> 00:24:11,050 Speaker 2: to be with me, and he just packed up his stuff. 469 00:24:11,210 --> 00:24:14,090 Speaker 2: He'd packed up his suitcases and was sitting out the 470 00:24:14,130 --> 00:24:17,570 Speaker 2: front and when I got there, he was crying and 471 00:24:17,850 --> 00:24:21,370 Speaker 2: I was crying too. I was so upset, and he's like, 472 00:24:21,650 --> 00:24:23,770 Speaker 2: I can't believe this, Like I was just so in 473 00:24:23,770 --> 00:24:25,330 Speaker 2: love with you. I should have known it was too 474 00:24:25,370 --> 00:24:28,530 Speaker 2: good to be true. And I was so panicked at 475 00:24:28,530 --> 00:24:32,930 Speaker 2: the thought of losing him that I was apologizing. He 476 00:24:32,970 --> 00:24:35,970 Speaker 2: then agreed, like he said, yeah, I'm sorry, like, I'm 477 00:24:35,970 --> 00:24:39,370 Speaker 2: just so upset. I don't want to lose you. Backtracked 478 00:24:39,770 --> 00:24:41,850 Speaker 2: all by the time I got there, and I said, look, 479 00:24:41,970 --> 00:24:44,210 Speaker 2: I have to go back to work, but you know, 480 00:24:44,290 --> 00:24:47,850 Speaker 2: we'll talk about this tonight. So I went back to work, 481 00:24:47,850 --> 00:24:49,970 Speaker 2: and then that night he was just very sad and sorry, 482 00:24:50,010 --> 00:24:53,130 Speaker 2: but also cuddling me and saying, I'm so sorry. I 483 00:24:53,170 --> 00:24:54,970 Speaker 2: got so upset. I'm just so scared of losing you. 484 00:24:55,570 --> 00:24:59,090 Speaker 2: There was another incident, I think it was actually before 485 00:24:59,130 --> 00:25:01,370 Speaker 2: the big blow up, where he caught me looking at 486 00:25:01,370 --> 00:25:03,650 Speaker 2: a guy in a bar. I was standing at the 487 00:25:03,690 --> 00:25:06,410 Speaker 2: bar and this sort of silver fox, like a good 488 00:25:06,450 --> 00:25:09,490 Speaker 2: looking guy with gray hair, caught my eye and Phil 489 00:25:09,530 --> 00:25:12,970 Speaker 2: was staring at me and he was like, who's that guy? 490 00:25:13,210 --> 00:25:15,770 Speaker 2: And I said, I don't know, and he's like, you 491 00:25:15,850 --> 00:25:18,930 Speaker 2: were staring at each other, and I honestly was not staring. 492 00:25:18,970 --> 00:25:21,290 Speaker 2: I did look at him and look back again, like 493 00:25:21,370 --> 00:25:23,930 Speaker 2: I did a double take, because there was something about him. 494 00:25:24,210 --> 00:25:26,610 Speaker 2: He was harsh, but it's not like I was staring 495 00:25:26,650 --> 00:25:28,250 Speaker 2: at him and drooling over him. We were there with 496 00:25:28,250 --> 00:25:30,890 Speaker 2: a group of friends and the mood just changed. He 497 00:25:30,930 --> 00:25:34,290 Speaker 2: was just he was furious. He was bristling. It was 498 00:25:34,370 --> 00:25:38,610 Speaker 2: really awkward and I just instantly felt sick and uncomfortable. 499 00:25:39,490 --> 00:25:45,010 Speaker 2: He brought that up. That was his lamp post of 500 00:25:45,210 --> 00:25:47,410 Speaker 2: like this is an example that he would bring up 501 00:25:47,450 --> 00:25:50,210 Speaker 2: anytime something was wrong. He would say, I just can't 502 00:25:50,250 --> 00:25:53,690 Speaker 2: trust you. And I'd remember walking around Paddington and if 503 00:25:53,730 --> 00:25:55,570 Speaker 2: I saw a good looking guy coming our way on 504 00:25:55,610 --> 00:25:58,170 Speaker 2: the path, I would look at the ground because I 505 00:25:58,290 --> 00:26:02,490 Speaker 2: was so aware of him picking a fight with me 506 00:26:02,490 --> 00:26:05,290 Speaker 2: over jealousy. I'd go out with my friends and he 507 00:26:05,290 --> 00:26:07,210 Speaker 2: would blow up my phone, like he'd be back in 508 00:26:07,290 --> 00:26:10,290 Speaker 2: Belfast with his boys two nights a week, pretty much 509 00:26:10,330 --> 00:26:12,010 Speaker 2: from the first time he got really mad at me 510 00:26:12,050 --> 00:26:15,210 Speaker 2: about looking at that guy. Every week when he was 511 00:26:15,250 --> 00:26:18,610 Speaker 2: back in Belfast, he would just be constantly online and 512 00:26:18,690 --> 00:26:20,410 Speaker 2: he'd say, at the start of the night, have frun 513 00:26:20,450 --> 00:26:22,170 Speaker 2: with your friend's baby, Like, what are you doing tonight? 514 00:26:22,210 --> 00:26:24,330 Speaker 2: I'd be going up for dinner and drinks with my girls. 515 00:26:24,770 --> 00:26:27,210 Speaker 2: He would see on one of their Instagram stories that 516 00:26:27,250 --> 00:26:29,210 Speaker 2: there were guys at our table at a bar. All 517 00:26:29,250 --> 00:26:32,570 Speaker 2: my girlfriends were single, and he would just start blowing 518 00:26:32,650 --> 00:26:34,410 Speaker 2: up my phone, who is that guy? There's a guy 519 00:26:34,410 --> 00:26:37,690 Speaker 2: sitting beside you, so I would put my phone in 520 00:26:37,730 --> 00:26:40,490 Speaker 2: the end on aeroplane mode because he would just be 521 00:26:40,530 --> 00:26:42,170 Speaker 2: blowing up my phone. And he would then go to 522 00:26:42,290 --> 00:26:48,370 Speaker 2: Instagram when things weren't delivering, he would go I messages, WhatsApps, Instagram, Facebook, everything, 523 00:26:48,410 --> 00:26:51,730 Speaker 2: and he would also delete and block me from social media. 524 00:26:51,890 --> 00:26:54,330 Speaker 2: When they brought in the feature that you could unsend messages, 525 00:26:54,410 --> 00:26:58,090 Speaker 2: I would wake up to fifty unsent messages. But that 526 00:26:58,290 --> 00:27:01,530 Speaker 2: was I would say. At least once a month, there'd 527 00:27:01,570 --> 00:27:04,210 Speaker 2: be a huge blow up like that, and it would 528 00:27:04,210 --> 00:27:06,850 Speaker 2: all come down to I'm sorry, I just don't trust you. 529 00:27:06,970 --> 00:27:08,850 Speaker 2: After he lied about that guy you were looking at, 530 00:27:09,610 --> 00:27:12,890 Speaker 2: I don't trust you that I kind of it just 531 00:27:12,930 --> 00:27:15,650 Speaker 2: became the norm that I put up with it. But 532 00:27:15,690 --> 00:27:18,010 Speaker 2: then there was just so much good. The things that 533 00:27:18,050 --> 00:27:21,730 Speaker 2: worried me were really tiny in comparison to how many 534 00:27:21,770 --> 00:27:24,050 Speaker 2: good things like he was just amazing. And I had 535 00:27:24,090 --> 00:27:26,650 Speaker 2: my concerns about his jealousy that I spoke to my 536 00:27:26,690 --> 00:27:30,810 Speaker 2: friends about, but my friends were champion him. Everybody loved him. 537 00:27:31,410 --> 00:27:33,930 Speaker 1: But even those friends could see what was happening in 538 00:27:34,050 --> 00:27:34,690 Speaker 1: plain sight. 539 00:27:35,650 --> 00:27:37,610 Speaker 2: I was on this trip to Italy with some friends. 540 00:27:38,290 --> 00:27:40,370 Speaker 2: I don't know what his problem was, but he was 541 00:27:40,410 --> 00:27:43,290 Speaker 2: so angry with me and cold with me, and still 542 00:27:43,330 --> 00:27:46,290 Speaker 2: mister charming by the pool with our friends, but then 543 00:27:47,210 --> 00:27:50,810 Speaker 2: really cold in how he addressed me in every way. 544 00:27:51,010 --> 00:27:55,330 Speaker 2: And it was just very tense, very tense. And at 545 00:27:55,330 --> 00:27:57,450 Speaker 2: the end of the trip, I had one of my 546 00:27:57,490 --> 00:27:59,610 Speaker 2: best friends that was on the trip with us, who's 547 00:27:59,610 --> 00:28:03,010 Speaker 2: a guy, and they got along really really well. He 548 00:28:03,170 --> 00:28:06,250 Speaker 2: was like, Sarah, look, I like him, but he's not 549 00:28:06,250 --> 00:28:09,410 Speaker 2: the guy for you. And I was like, what do 550 00:28:09,450 --> 00:28:11,850 Speaker 2: you mean, And he's like, he doesn't treat you well, 551 00:28:11,970 --> 00:28:15,010 Speaker 2: Like I'm just watching this and there's just something not 552 00:28:15,090 --> 00:28:17,450 Speaker 2: quite right. And I like him. I really like the 553 00:28:17,490 --> 00:28:20,730 Speaker 2: guy separate as a person, but I don't like how 554 00:28:20,770 --> 00:28:26,930 Speaker 2: he's treating you and you're not happy. And I knewish 555 00:28:27,130 --> 00:28:30,890 Speaker 2: this is just fourteen months in. I knew it then, 556 00:28:31,530 --> 00:28:35,850 Speaker 2: but I loved him so much, but I couldn't handle 557 00:28:36,450 --> 00:28:38,810 Speaker 2: the mountdowns anymore. It was at least once a month 558 00:28:38,930 --> 00:28:42,090 Speaker 2: at least, and they were big, and it was over nothing, 559 00:28:42,450 --> 00:28:45,970 Speaker 2: and it was really controlling. And I had said to 560 00:28:46,010 --> 00:28:47,810 Speaker 2: him that I thought he needed to speak to a 561 00:28:47,850 --> 00:28:50,930 Speaker 2: counselor or something. He would always bring it back to 562 00:28:51,050 --> 00:28:53,330 Speaker 2: I'm just so sorry, and he would say, you know, 563 00:28:53,370 --> 00:28:55,970 Speaker 2: I'm just so scared of losing you. After that trip, 564 00:28:56,810 --> 00:29:00,730 Speaker 2: I tried to break up with him because of my 565 00:29:00,810 --> 00:29:03,330 Speaker 2: friend seeing it and putting it back in my face 566 00:29:03,370 --> 00:29:06,010 Speaker 2: of what it really is in a kind way. So 567 00:29:06,050 --> 00:29:07,650 Speaker 2: I tried to break up with him, and he broke 568 00:29:07,690 --> 00:29:10,130 Speaker 2: down in tears and he begged me. He said, I'll 569 00:29:10,130 --> 00:29:13,570 Speaker 2: do whatever it takes. You can't leave me. I love you, 570 00:29:14,010 --> 00:29:15,490 Speaker 2: I want to be with you. I want a life 571 00:29:15,570 --> 00:29:18,970 Speaker 2: with you. I don't like myself like this. I've never 572 00:29:19,050 --> 00:29:21,890 Speaker 2: been like this with anyone before. I've never been in 573 00:29:21,930 --> 00:29:24,610 Speaker 2: love before, and I don't know how to handle it 574 00:29:24,650 --> 00:29:26,570 Speaker 2: because it always came back to you're going to move 575 00:29:26,690 --> 00:29:28,490 Speaker 2: back to Melbourne. You're going to move back to Melbourne, 576 00:29:28,490 --> 00:29:30,690 Speaker 2: and you're going to leave me. So I agreed to 577 00:29:30,690 --> 00:29:34,970 Speaker 2: give it another go, because you know, he beat and 578 00:29:35,010 --> 00:29:35,610 Speaker 2: I loved him. 579 00:29:37,490 --> 00:29:39,850 Speaker 1: The whole time this was going on, Sarah was going 580 00:29:39,850 --> 00:29:43,690 Speaker 1: through fertility tests. She hadn't fallen pregnant naturally, so doctors 581 00:29:43,690 --> 00:29:45,690 Speaker 1: had run a bunch of tests just to see what 582 00:29:45,770 --> 00:29:48,530 Speaker 1: was going on. Now. Getting pregnant at this time was 583 00:29:48,570 --> 00:29:51,530 Speaker 1: the last thing on Sarah's mind. She just tried to 584 00:29:51,570 --> 00:29:54,290 Speaker 1: break up with Phil she definitely knew she should not 585 00:29:54,370 --> 00:29:57,090 Speaker 1: be having a baby with him now and maybe not ever. 586 00:29:57,730 --> 00:30:01,130 Speaker 1: But dear listener, what always seems to happen when you're 587 00:30:01,130 --> 00:30:01,770 Speaker 1: not trying. 588 00:30:02,690 --> 00:30:05,050 Speaker 2: Three weeks later, I was pregnant. I think shocked and 589 00:30:05,050 --> 00:30:08,170 Speaker 2: scared more than anything, because even though I had wanted 590 00:30:08,170 --> 00:30:13,170 Speaker 2: it so badly prior and had worried I was infertile, 591 00:30:14,530 --> 00:30:16,530 Speaker 2: I was like, what the hell am I going to do? Like, 592 00:30:16,770 --> 00:30:18,850 Speaker 2: I'm not in a relationship where I should be pregnant. 593 00:30:19,530 --> 00:30:22,050 Speaker 2: How do you know? We're not in a good place. 594 00:30:22,890 --> 00:30:26,690 Speaker 2: And he was over the moon. And then from the 595 00:30:26,730 --> 00:30:29,890 Speaker 2: moment that, like I told him I was pregnant, it 596 00:30:30,010 --> 00:30:32,410 Speaker 2: was kind of like I had the old feelback. 597 00:30:33,290 --> 00:30:35,890 Speaker 1: From the moment Phil found out she was pregnant, that 598 00:30:35,970 --> 00:30:38,810 Speaker 1: he was going to be a dad again, everything calmed down. 599 00:30:39,290 --> 00:30:41,970 Speaker 1: It was like a weight had been lifted, a cloud 600 00:30:42,010 --> 00:30:45,370 Speaker 1: around them cleared, and everything looked bright again. The weeks 601 00:30:45,410 --> 00:30:48,250 Speaker 1: went on and it stayed this way. Phil was attentive 602 00:30:48,330 --> 00:30:52,050 Speaker 1: and caring and supportive. And the best part they found 603 00:30:52,090 --> 00:30:53,610 Speaker 1: out they were having a girl. 604 00:30:54,330 --> 00:30:57,490 Speaker 2: I cried, He cried, It's what he wanted. It was 605 00:30:57,530 --> 00:31:00,770 Speaker 2: a girl. So we were just thrilled and I can 606 00:31:00,810 --> 00:31:05,010 Speaker 2: remember afterwards. We were meeting some friends at a restaurant 607 00:31:05,050 --> 00:31:08,010 Speaker 2: for lunch, and as we're walking in, he was just 608 00:31:08,090 --> 00:31:10,250 Speaker 2: so excited. He was just in such a good mood, 609 00:31:10,930 --> 00:31:13,330 Speaker 2: and he said, I really love the name Imagen for 610 00:31:13,450 --> 00:31:16,170 Speaker 2: a girl, Like what do you think? And I was 611 00:31:16,250 --> 00:31:18,890 Speaker 2: kind of taken it back that he was suggesting names 612 00:31:18,890 --> 00:31:20,930 Speaker 2: to me because we had agreed if it was a boy, 613 00:31:20,970 --> 00:31:22,210 Speaker 2: he could choose and if it was a girl, I 614 00:31:22,210 --> 00:31:24,690 Speaker 2: could choose because we'd sort of narrow down our list. 615 00:31:24,730 --> 00:31:27,530 Speaker 2: But we disagreed on names, and I was sort of 616 00:31:27,530 --> 00:31:30,170 Speaker 2: taken aback and I went, oh, okay, like I'll have 617 00:31:30,210 --> 00:31:32,530 Speaker 2: a think about it. It'll grow on me. I had 618 00:31:32,570 --> 00:31:34,650 Speaker 2: brought it up with my friends, what do you think 619 00:31:34,650 --> 00:31:38,650 Speaker 2: of the name Imagen? And then later on he was like, oh, 620 00:31:38,890 --> 00:31:40,610 Speaker 2: actually I've gone off for a bit and sort of 621 00:31:40,730 --> 00:31:43,210 Speaker 2: decided to kind of change his mind. But I was like, no, 622 00:31:43,290 --> 00:31:45,290 Speaker 2: it's growing on me. I really like the name image 623 00:31:45,290 --> 00:31:48,530 Speaker 2: and it's quite cute, and you know, it's pretty. We 624 00:31:48,610 --> 00:31:51,410 Speaker 2: decided that we would keep it quiet because I wanted 625 00:31:51,410 --> 00:31:53,730 Speaker 2: to tell my mum in person. So I found out 626 00:31:53,810 --> 00:31:58,010 Speaker 2: I was pregnant the start of December, and my next 627 00:31:58,010 --> 00:32:00,930 Speaker 2: trip back to Australia was booked in the March, so 628 00:32:01,010 --> 00:32:04,090 Speaker 2: I was four months pregnant by this stage. I told 629 00:32:04,090 --> 00:32:06,850 Speaker 2: a few friends, and the male friend i'd been on 630 00:32:06,850 --> 00:32:09,770 Speaker 2: the Italy trip with that had said to me, Sarah, 631 00:32:09,850 --> 00:32:12,810 Speaker 2: he's not the guy for you. He got along really 632 00:32:12,850 --> 00:32:15,290 Speaker 2: well with Phil, like they had a separate friendship, a 633 00:32:15,290 --> 00:32:18,050 Speaker 2: bit of a bromance. So I was talking to Alex 634 00:32:18,650 --> 00:32:21,210 Speaker 2: and I told him and he was happy for me, 635 00:32:21,410 --> 00:32:23,330 Speaker 2: but also a little bit worried because he knew where 636 00:32:23,410 --> 00:32:28,290 Speaker 2: things were. And then that night I can remember getting home, 637 00:32:28,370 --> 00:32:31,810 Speaker 2: getting ready for bed, and Phil was like, I'm so 638 00:32:32,010 --> 00:32:36,970 Speaker 2: excited to tell Alex. Let's tell him together. And in 639 00:32:37,010 --> 00:32:39,810 Speaker 2: that moment I had a panic, the sheer panic I 640 00:32:39,850 --> 00:32:43,890 Speaker 2: would get any time there was something he would get 641 00:32:43,890 --> 00:32:46,730 Speaker 2: annoyed with me about, because his temple was just so bad. 642 00:32:47,170 --> 00:32:50,490 Speaker 2: I remember panicking and I went, yeah, yeah, so I 643 00:32:50,490 --> 00:32:52,970 Speaker 2: should have in that instant said I actually told him today. 644 00:32:52,970 --> 00:32:56,130 Speaker 2: I couldn't help myself, but because it was just easier, 645 00:32:56,170 --> 00:33:00,490 Speaker 2: I thought, fuck, I'll tell Alex to say he doesn't know, 646 00:33:00,650 --> 00:33:04,490 Speaker 2: to pretend he doesn't know. So we go back to 647 00:33:04,490 --> 00:33:09,770 Speaker 2: Australia and told all of our friends as we saw them, 648 00:33:10,050 --> 00:33:13,570 Speaker 2: and Alex pretended to be surprised, and then we had 649 00:33:13,570 --> 00:33:15,850 Speaker 2: dinner one night with my best friend and her husband. 650 00:33:16,450 --> 00:33:19,770 Speaker 2: She said, and then, you know, we are like excited 651 00:33:19,810 --> 00:33:22,570 Speaker 2: about the baby. And Alex was round at our place 652 00:33:22,770 --> 00:33:26,410 Speaker 2: a couple of months ago. He said, oh, you guys know, yeah, 653 00:33:26,410 --> 00:33:28,650 Speaker 2: I know, and we were all like so excited for you, 654 00:33:28,730 --> 00:33:31,690 Speaker 2: and I could just feel feel tense up beside me, 655 00:33:31,970 --> 00:33:35,690 Speaker 2: and I thought, oh God, here we go. So at 656 00:33:35,690 --> 00:33:40,130 Speaker 2: this stage, I think I was twenty weeks pregnant. And 657 00:33:40,170 --> 00:33:42,730 Speaker 2: that night we got back to my friend's place where 658 00:33:42,730 --> 00:33:44,890 Speaker 2: we were staying, and he was so furious with me 659 00:33:45,250 --> 00:33:50,290 Speaker 2: and cold, like the stony treatment like you would expect 660 00:33:50,370 --> 00:33:52,650 Speaker 2: with silent treatment. But then he was also saying horrible 661 00:33:52,650 --> 00:33:56,530 Speaker 2: things to me. So I was exhausted. And the next 662 00:33:56,610 --> 00:33:59,370 Speaker 2: day I had my best friend's engagement party. He kept 663 00:33:59,410 --> 00:34:02,730 Speaker 2: me up all night fighting with me. I was just exhausted. 664 00:34:02,890 --> 00:34:06,290 Speaker 2: My eyes were puffy. The next day he said he 665 00:34:06,410 --> 00:34:09,690 Speaker 2: wasn't going. He refused to go. I'm a liar. Why 666 00:34:09,730 --> 00:34:12,330 Speaker 2: would he want to be here with a liar? I 667 00:34:12,370 --> 00:34:15,050 Speaker 2: can't be trusted. It was like I stared at that 668 00:34:15,090 --> 00:34:17,530 Speaker 2: guy that time. I just can't help myself. I'm just 669 00:34:17,570 --> 00:34:19,650 Speaker 2: a liar, and he doesn't even know if he wants 670 00:34:19,650 --> 00:34:23,050 Speaker 2: to have a child with a liar. And so I 671 00:34:23,130 --> 00:34:28,050 Speaker 2: went to my friend's engagement on my own. He called 672 00:34:28,130 --> 00:34:33,290 Speaker 2: Quantus and separated our flight bookings, canceled Hughes, and changed 673 00:34:33,290 --> 00:34:36,250 Speaker 2: it to fly home the next day. So while I 674 00:34:36,290 --> 00:34:38,570 Speaker 2: was at my friend's engagement party and just leave me, 675 00:34:38,690 --> 00:34:45,010 Speaker 2: they're pregnant. I was devastated. We had booked a holiday 676 00:34:45,050 --> 00:34:48,530 Speaker 2: house down in Sorrento with my family for me to 677 00:34:48,570 --> 00:34:50,170 Speaker 2: spend some time with my family. I said, well, I'm 678 00:34:50,210 --> 00:34:54,210 Speaker 2: still going. I'm going to that, and then he changed 679 00:34:54,210 --> 00:34:58,010 Speaker 2: his tune as he did the rollercoaster of Phil. Sorry, 680 00:34:58,130 --> 00:35:00,090 Speaker 2: I love you. I'm just really upset. How could you 681 00:35:00,130 --> 00:35:02,770 Speaker 2: do this? I feel really betrayed. You know, I'm worried 682 00:35:02,770 --> 00:35:05,530 Speaker 2: about your I'm just really worried about your dishonesty. Sarah. 683 00:35:05,650 --> 00:35:08,250 Speaker 2: You have a problem with lying, and would just bring 684 00:35:08,330 --> 00:35:10,130 Speaker 2: up the two lies that I had ever told him, 685 00:35:10,850 --> 00:35:14,170 Speaker 2: and he up changing his flight again so he could 686 00:35:14,770 --> 00:35:17,250 Speaker 2: stay and go down the coast with my family. But 687 00:35:17,290 --> 00:35:19,330 Speaker 2: then he spent his whole time hold up in a 688 00:35:19,410 --> 00:35:22,370 Speaker 2: room and not even mixing with my family, and they 689 00:35:22,410 --> 00:35:25,730 Speaker 2: were like, is everything okay? It was just really really 690 00:35:25,770 --> 00:35:28,450 Speaker 2: tense and awkward. So I don't know why he decided 691 00:35:28,490 --> 00:35:31,170 Speaker 2: to stay. Things got really bad while we were there 692 00:35:31,170 --> 00:35:34,170 Speaker 2: with COVID, so it became clear that we needed to 693 00:35:34,170 --> 00:35:36,850 Speaker 2: get back straight away. Our flights actually just got canceled, 694 00:35:36,970 --> 00:35:40,330 Speaker 2: so we had to just book the next available that 695 00:35:40,370 --> 00:35:44,330 Speaker 2: we could get. Most airlines had shut down. We have 696 00:35:44,530 --> 00:35:48,850 Speaker 2: to get this urgent flight back and it was probably 697 00:35:48,970 --> 00:35:51,330 Speaker 2: one of the last ones you could get. And when 698 00:35:51,330 --> 00:35:56,610 Speaker 2: we're in transit, I saw like because it was just hectic. 699 00:35:56,810 --> 00:36:01,050 Speaker 2: It was just absolute chaos. We're in masks, rushed, panicky, stressed, 700 00:36:01,170 --> 00:36:03,130 Speaker 2: and I can remember looking at my phone when we're 701 00:36:03,210 --> 00:36:06,570 Speaker 2: changing flights that it must have been Hong Kong or something, 702 00:36:07,370 --> 00:36:10,850 Speaker 2: and I had a pop up Facebook notification and it 703 00:36:10,970 --> 00:36:14,850 Speaker 2: said Imogen. I can't remember so her name wants to 704 00:36:14,850 --> 00:36:17,050 Speaker 2: send you a message, and I screenshot it because I thought, 705 00:36:17,050 --> 00:36:20,250 Speaker 2: so I've got that screenshot. How funny, Like I've never 706 00:36:20,290 --> 00:36:24,370 Speaker 2: heard that name before and now it's a name that 707 00:36:24,410 --> 00:36:26,730 Speaker 2: he likes. Now this is one messaging me. I didn't 708 00:36:26,770 --> 00:36:27,730 Speaker 2: think anything of it. 709 00:36:29,170 --> 00:36:32,570 Speaker 1: Chaos and random messages aside. They got back to the UK, 710 00:36:33,170 --> 00:36:36,010 Speaker 1: but what they didn't realize was the chaos was only 711 00:36:36,250 --> 00:36:37,090 Speaker 1: just beginning. 712 00:36:37,850 --> 00:36:40,810 Speaker 2: Because the world was shutting down and there was limited travel. 713 00:36:41,130 --> 00:36:43,210 Speaker 2: We had to go back to Belfast to the house 714 00:36:43,250 --> 00:36:45,290 Speaker 2: that he had there to be near his kids in 715 00:36:45,330 --> 00:36:48,490 Speaker 2: case we got stuck in London. So we went back 716 00:36:48,490 --> 00:36:51,290 Speaker 2: to Belfast. I got a phone call from my boss 717 00:36:51,810 --> 00:36:53,850 Speaker 2: saying I was put on furlough, which is kind of 718 00:36:53,850 --> 00:36:57,090 Speaker 2: like job keeper, which is a small payment would barely 719 00:36:57,130 --> 00:36:59,330 Speaker 2: cover rent. So we had to give up our apartment 720 00:36:59,370 --> 00:37:01,770 Speaker 2: in London, which meant we had to be full time 721 00:37:01,810 --> 00:37:05,250 Speaker 2: in Belfast, which was kind of a bit of a crash. 722 00:37:05,250 --> 00:37:10,010 Speaker 2: It's not somewhere I really I really enjoyed. I think 723 00:37:10,050 --> 00:37:12,410 Speaker 2: that's perhaps because of the area that Phil had a 724 00:37:12,410 --> 00:37:15,290 Speaker 2: house in. It was not very nice. It was about 725 00:37:15,330 --> 00:37:18,690 Speaker 2: twenty minutes out of the city proper and yeah, so 726 00:37:18,770 --> 00:37:22,250 Speaker 2: quite isolated. So I found out. Yeah, the day that 727 00:37:22,290 --> 00:37:25,010 Speaker 2: we got back to Belfast, I found out I was 728 00:37:25,050 --> 00:37:27,970 Speaker 2: being put on furlough, that we would have to be 729 00:37:28,010 --> 00:37:29,890 Speaker 2: in Belfast full time, had to give notice on the 730 00:37:29,930 --> 00:37:32,770 Speaker 2: apartment in London. And then a couple of days later 731 00:37:32,970 --> 00:37:34,970 Speaker 2: I was lying on the couch. Phil was in the 732 00:37:35,010 --> 00:37:39,090 Speaker 2: kitchen making lunch and I was really pregnant by that time. 733 00:37:39,090 --> 00:37:43,050 Speaker 2: I can still remember laying there and looking at my 734 00:37:43,130 --> 00:37:47,370 Speaker 2: phone scrolling through Instagram. Then I had a look at Facebook, 735 00:37:47,370 --> 00:37:50,370 Speaker 2: which I very rarely do. No one really uses Facebook anymore, 736 00:37:50,930 --> 00:37:53,210 Speaker 2: and I saw the red message request that there was 737 00:37:53,570 --> 00:37:55,330 Speaker 2: other messages, so I opened it up. 738 00:37:56,330 --> 00:37:58,970 Speaker 1: It was the message from someone called image It. 739 00:38:00,330 --> 00:38:02,210 Speaker 2: Hi. I didn't want to be the one to tell 740 00:38:02,290 --> 00:38:04,970 Speaker 2: you this, but Phil has cheated on you. I've seen 741 00:38:05,050 --> 00:38:06,970 Speaker 2: him on Tinder hear on and off for the last 742 00:38:06,970 --> 00:38:10,410 Speaker 2: two years, but I was the last person. I asked 743 00:38:10,450 --> 00:38:12,530 Speaker 2: from the get go if he was single. And I'm 744 00:38:12,530 --> 00:38:14,930 Speaker 2: really sorry, but I just can't let this go, especially 745 00:38:14,970 --> 00:38:21,250 Speaker 2: after what he said. Sorry. I didn't believe it at all. 746 00:38:21,650 --> 00:38:24,130 Speaker 2: So I don't know how to describe how that makes sense, 747 00:38:24,250 --> 00:38:28,090 Speaker 2: because I remember feeling sick to my stomach and feeling 748 00:38:28,170 --> 00:38:32,090 Speaker 2: like I've been punched, but I didn't believe it. I 749 00:38:32,130 --> 00:38:33,810 Speaker 2: just showed it to him straight away and I was like, 750 00:38:33,810 --> 00:38:36,690 Speaker 2: what is this and he looked at me call as 751 00:38:36,690 --> 00:38:40,290 Speaker 2: a cucumber. He said, I don't know, just block them, 752 00:38:41,130 --> 00:38:44,930 Speaker 2: and I was like, but like, I don't understand. Maybe 753 00:38:44,970 --> 00:38:48,250 Speaker 2: someone's used your pictures for a profile, like there was 754 00:38:48,330 --> 00:38:51,650 Speaker 2: just no way that I could ever believe that he 755 00:38:51,650 --> 00:38:54,490 Speaker 2: would do that. So he's like, oh, I'm sorry, and 756 00:38:55,010 --> 00:38:57,810 Speaker 2: just just ignore it like whatever, and he changed the subject. 757 00:38:58,530 --> 00:39:00,890 Speaker 2: And I think that didn't sit well with me because 758 00:39:00,930 --> 00:39:03,530 Speaker 2: I think, like, but I was still kind of I 759 00:39:03,570 --> 00:39:06,730 Speaker 2: don't know, it was just upsetting and I laid there 760 00:39:07,330 --> 00:39:09,330 Speaker 2: and I just burst into tears like half an hour later, 761 00:39:09,330 --> 00:39:11,650 Speaker 2: and he's like, oh, honey, what's wrong, Like, oh my god, 762 00:39:11,970 --> 00:39:14,850 Speaker 2: just just block them, don't listen, and I just said, 763 00:39:14,930 --> 00:39:17,690 Speaker 2: I'm just upset, like I know it's not true, but 764 00:39:17,850 --> 00:39:20,970 Speaker 2: like why this now? You know, I've just lost my job, 765 00:39:21,010 --> 00:39:24,290 Speaker 2: why this now? I just everything's shit. I just had 766 00:39:24,290 --> 00:39:26,810 Speaker 2: to leave my family really abruptly. I don't know when 767 00:39:26,810 --> 00:39:29,570 Speaker 2: I'm going to see them again. I'm here in Belfast. 768 00:39:29,610 --> 00:39:31,610 Speaker 2: I don't know anyone. And I just like I cried 769 00:39:32,330 --> 00:39:35,610 Speaker 2: and he was like, you know, comforting me, and all 770 00:39:35,770 --> 00:39:37,450 Speaker 2: was fine. We went to bed later that night and 771 00:39:37,490 --> 00:39:39,850 Speaker 2: I just tossed and turned. I just could not sleep, 772 00:39:40,610 --> 00:39:43,010 Speaker 2: and I think it got to like five o'clock in 773 00:39:43,050 --> 00:39:47,010 Speaker 2: the morning or something, and I text a screenshot of 774 00:39:47,050 --> 00:39:50,090 Speaker 2: it to my best friend back in Melbourne. She was like, 775 00:39:50,610 --> 00:39:53,410 Speaker 2: oh my god, like what did you reply? And I said, oh, well, 776 00:39:53,450 --> 00:39:55,690 Speaker 2: I haven't replied. I mean, it's not true. I looked 777 00:39:55,690 --> 00:39:58,610 Speaker 2: to this girl up on Instagram. She's twenty two years old. 778 00:39:59,610 --> 00:40:02,690 Speaker 2: She looks even younger than that, like there's emojis all 779 00:40:02,730 --> 00:40:05,730 Speaker 2: over her profile, like she's a young girl. Phil is 780 00:40:06,130 --> 00:40:08,850 Speaker 2: forty five, Like there's no way. Plus he would never 781 00:40:08,890 --> 00:40:12,850 Speaker 2: do that. I don't question him whatsoever. But you know, 782 00:40:12,850 --> 00:40:15,370 Speaker 2: I can't sleep. And my friend said, look, why don't 783 00:40:15,370 --> 00:40:18,490 Speaker 2: you just say prove it? So I wrote back and 784 00:40:18,530 --> 00:40:20,170 Speaker 2: I just said, thanks for letting us know it's a 785 00:40:20,210 --> 00:40:22,890 Speaker 2: fake profile. Could you please report it? My friend said, 786 00:40:22,970 --> 00:40:25,850 Speaker 2: us for proof, So I did, and she sent proof. 787 00:40:26,210 --> 00:40:29,730 Speaker 2: She sent so many screenshots. He had matched with her 788 00:40:29,770 --> 00:40:32,730 Speaker 2: on Tinder, deleted Tinder really quickly, come back and spend 789 00:40:32,770 --> 00:40:34,810 Speaker 2: a couple of days in London with me, then went 790 00:40:34,890 --> 00:40:37,370 Speaker 2: back to look after his boys the next week for 791 00:40:37,370 --> 00:40:40,170 Speaker 2: the two days. At eleven thirty am on a Friday, 792 00:40:40,210 --> 00:40:42,610 Speaker 2: while his kids were at school, the first time he 793 00:40:42,650 --> 00:40:45,610 Speaker 2: met Imogen was by showing up to her house do 794 00:40:45,650 --> 00:40:47,930 Speaker 2: you have sex with her? For forty five minutes and 795 00:40:47,970 --> 00:40:51,170 Speaker 2: then leaving again? And I know the timeline because the 796 00:40:51,210 --> 00:40:54,450 Speaker 2: screenshots that she sent me he said, I'm here, and 797 00:40:54,490 --> 00:40:58,410 Speaker 2: then afterwards he said that was amazing. The filth that 798 00:40:59,050 --> 00:41:01,690 Speaker 2: Phil sent to her. I just couldn't believe what I 799 00:41:01,730 --> 00:41:03,530 Speaker 2: was reading. It wasn't the guy that I was in 800 00:41:03,570 --> 00:41:07,770 Speaker 2: a relationship with. He had never been so disgusting with me. 801 00:41:08,010 --> 00:41:12,050 Speaker 2: I was just sickened, absolutely sickened. I'm not a rude 802 00:41:12,050 --> 00:41:14,770 Speaker 2: by any means, but the things that he said to 803 00:41:14,810 --> 00:41:17,890 Speaker 2: her were just filth. The whole time that we were 804 00:41:17,930 --> 00:41:23,650 Speaker 2: in Australia with my family, he was texting her, making 805 00:41:23,690 --> 00:41:27,690 Speaker 2: plans with her, but then canceling the plants. We're in Australia, 806 00:41:27,730 --> 00:41:29,170 Speaker 2: like he's not going to see her. So he would 807 00:41:29,210 --> 00:41:31,490 Speaker 2: be making plans with her and then say sorry. 808 00:41:31,170 --> 00:41:31,570 Speaker 1: My love. 809 00:41:32,010 --> 00:41:35,130 Speaker 2: He would say, my love, I can't come. I'm stuck 810 00:41:35,210 --> 00:41:39,050 Speaker 2: doing this. Yeah, he was leading her on. He was saying, 811 00:41:39,090 --> 00:41:42,010 Speaker 2: you know, I'm daydreaming about a life with you. He 812 00:41:42,050 --> 00:41:45,210 Speaker 2: told her loved her. It was crazy, It was absolutely crazy, 813 00:41:45,730 --> 00:41:49,570 Speaker 2: and I was just in shock, in shock. I just 814 00:41:49,770 --> 00:41:53,090 Speaker 2: laid there reading the screenshots. It was just a sample 815 00:41:53,130 --> 00:41:55,850 Speaker 2: to start with, and he was asleep beside me in bed, 816 00:41:55,890 --> 00:41:57,850 Speaker 2: and I turn around and I just started punching him 817 00:41:58,490 --> 00:42:03,770 Speaker 2: and screaming I was so furious, but absolutely in shock, 818 00:42:04,450 --> 00:42:08,930 Speaker 2: and I feel so stupid because I just never believed 819 00:42:09,370 --> 00:42:11,610 Speaker 2: that he would do something like this to me. Was 820 00:42:11,810 --> 00:42:15,210 Speaker 2: naked photos that he was sending her from my parents' house, 821 00:42:15,770 --> 00:42:17,890 Speaker 2: from the holiday house when he was hold up in 822 00:42:17,890 --> 00:42:19,770 Speaker 2: his room refusing to speak twenty one because he was 823 00:42:19,770 --> 00:42:22,450 Speaker 2: so angry with me from my friend's place the day 824 00:42:22,530 --> 00:42:24,650 Speaker 2: of the engagement party that he refused to come to 825 00:42:24,730 --> 00:42:27,330 Speaker 2: that he blew up my phone all day saying that 826 00:42:27,770 --> 00:42:29,210 Speaker 2: he didn't know if he could be with someone who 827 00:42:29,290 --> 00:42:35,210 Speaker 2: is dishonest. He was sending her naked photos. And in 828 00:42:35,250 --> 00:42:38,330 Speaker 2: case you missed it, the real kicker is that he 829 00:42:38,410 --> 00:42:40,770 Speaker 2: suggested her name when we found out we were having 830 00:42:40,810 --> 00:42:43,530 Speaker 2: a girl. This twenty two year old girl. 831 00:42:44,850 --> 00:42:48,530 Speaker 1: Sarah was living a nightmare. All this time. She'd been 832 00:42:48,570 --> 00:42:52,290 Speaker 1: the one for giving him, making excuses for him, apologizing 833 00:42:52,330 --> 00:42:55,890 Speaker 1: to him, and he'd been cheating on her. Now she 834 00:42:56,050 --> 00:42:58,650 Speaker 1: was here in his space, in a country where she 835 00:42:58,770 --> 00:43:01,410 Speaker 1: knew no one else, in the middle of COVID. 836 00:43:01,890 --> 00:43:08,210 Speaker 2: Pregnant bellfirst was in full lockdown. I had my lifeline 837 00:43:08,410 --> 00:43:11,050 Speaker 2: best friend in Australia like talking to her in all 838 00:43:11,050 --> 00:43:14,490 Speaker 2: her waking hours about what the hell I was going 839 00:43:14,530 --> 00:43:17,170 Speaker 2: to do. I just knew I needed to get away 840 00:43:17,210 --> 00:43:21,330 Speaker 2: from him. He was just busy trying to smooth thing. 841 00:43:21,370 --> 00:43:25,610 Speaker 2: So I love you, begging me, crying, I'll kill myself 842 00:43:25,690 --> 00:43:28,130 Speaker 2: if you leave me. I can't live without you. I 843 00:43:28,170 --> 00:43:31,130 Speaker 2: can't live without you, all that sort of usual stuff, 844 00:43:31,770 --> 00:43:34,050 Speaker 2: and I just knew I needed some space from him. 845 00:43:34,130 --> 00:43:37,090 Speaker 2: So I got a flight back to London. I still 846 00:43:37,130 --> 00:43:39,730 Speaker 2: had my apartment there for another month, so I spent 847 00:43:40,010 --> 00:43:43,970 Speaker 2: some time there without him. Was really isolating and depressing, 848 00:43:44,050 --> 00:43:46,650 Speaker 2: to be completely honest. I would grab a baguett I'd 849 00:43:46,690 --> 00:43:49,050 Speaker 2: go to a hyde park and sit down to have 850 00:43:49,170 --> 00:43:51,010 Speaker 2: something to eat, and the police would come along and 851 00:43:51,010 --> 00:43:52,690 Speaker 2: tell me to get up and keep moving. But I 852 00:43:52,770 --> 00:43:55,570 Speaker 2: was really questioning myself and what to do because I 853 00:43:55,610 --> 00:43:58,650 Speaker 2: was bringing a child into the world and I just 854 00:43:58,650 --> 00:44:00,810 Speaker 2: didn't know what the best thing to do was. And 855 00:44:00,850 --> 00:44:03,410 Speaker 2: I was so scared of doing it alone. But I 856 00:44:03,450 --> 00:44:07,250 Speaker 2: felt so unsafe with him, and I was just really scared. 857 00:44:07,250 --> 00:44:10,450 Speaker 2: I felt like I didn't know him anymore. The cheating 858 00:44:10,570 --> 00:44:13,410 Speaker 2: obviously is up setting, but I think the most upsetting 859 00:44:13,450 --> 00:44:15,450 Speaker 2: thing was that I felt like I didn't know him 860 00:44:15,610 --> 00:44:18,290 Speaker 2: at all. This is the person that I had wanted 861 00:44:18,330 --> 00:44:21,290 Speaker 2: to spend the rest of my life with and he 862 00:44:21,330 --> 00:44:24,010 Speaker 2: was a stranger to me because it was like a 863 00:44:24,010 --> 00:44:27,050 Speaker 2: whole different person the way he spoke to her. I 864 00:44:27,130 --> 00:44:31,170 Speaker 2: called another close friend who was a barrister, and I 865 00:44:31,210 --> 00:44:33,290 Speaker 2: told her the situation and I said, I don't know 866 00:44:33,330 --> 00:44:34,970 Speaker 2: what to do, and she said, you need to come 867 00:44:35,010 --> 00:44:37,370 Speaker 2: back to Australia and you need to have the baby 868 00:44:37,410 --> 00:44:41,090 Speaker 2: here that will protect you. So okay, I have to 869 00:44:41,130 --> 00:44:44,690 Speaker 2: do that. So in the meantime he comes back, I'm 870 00:44:44,730 --> 00:44:47,290 Speaker 2: still in love with him. I'm so torn, I'm so upset. 871 00:44:47,810 --> 00:44:51,170 Speaker 2: There's just daily fights and discussions. Like when I say fights, 872 00:44:51,250 --> 00:44:54,890 Speaker 2: now the tables have turned. It's me angry with him, him, 873 00:44:54,890 --> 00:44:57,970 Speaker 2: begging him, trying to smooth things over. There was the 874 00:44:58,010 --> 00:45:00,490 Speaker 2: possibility that I wouldn't be able to get back to Australia. 875 00:45:00,530 --> 00:45:02,530 Speaker 2: There was no flights. I was trying to get on 876 00:45:02,530 --> 00:45:04,970 Speaker 2: one of the ones to get the Australian citizens back, 877 00:45:05,850 --> 00:45:07,890 Speaker 2: So in the mix, I had to register at a 878 00:45:07,890 --> 00:45:10,050 Speaker 2: hospital in Belfast in case I had to give Bertha, 879 00:45:10,930 --> 00:45:13,730 Speaker 2: and I can remember going to the registration appointment. He 880 00:45:13,770 --> 00:45:17,250 Speaker 2: wasn't allowed to go in because of COVID rules and 881 00:45:17,490 --> 00:45:20,090 Speaker 2: I'm sitting in there with the midwife. They're doing all 882 00:45:20,090 --> 00:45:22,850 Speaker 2: the registration for me and going through all the questions 883 00:45:23,170 --> 00:45:25,730 Speaker 2: and I can't remember what the question was, but I 884 00:45:25,730 --> 00:45:28,570 Speaker 2: burst into tears and she was like, are you're okay? 885 00:45:28,730 --> 00:45:30,570 Speaker 2: And now that's when she said she asked me if 886 00:45:30,610 --> 00:45:33,090 Speaker 2: I was okay, and I burst into tears and told 887 00:45:33,130 --> 00:45:36,730 Speaker 2: her everything. So they kept me longer, got in a counselor. 888 00:45:37,490 --> 00:45:39,770 Speaker 2: It did full blood work to do an STD check, 889 00:45:39,810 --> 00:45:42,170 Speaker 2: which is something that had not even crossed my mind. 890 00:45:42,650 --> 00:45:44,730 Speaker 2: I just had so much stuff going on. I just 891 00:45:44,770 --> 00:45:46,530 Speaker 2: did not even think of that, but they were like, 892 00:45:46,570 --> 00:45:49,570 Speaker 2: it could be a concern for your unborn baby, and 893 00:45:50,050 --> 00:45:52,330 Speaker 2: I was just bawling the whole time. When I finished 894 00:45:52,330 --> 00:45:54,370 Speaker 2: that appointment, I text him and I said, look, I've 895 00:45:54,410 --> 00:45:57,970 Speaker 2: gotten really upset in this apartment. I'm barely keeping it together, 896 00:45:58,010 --> 00:46:00,010 Speaker 2: so when I come out side, I don't want to 897 00:46:00,050 --> 00:46:04,130 Speaker 2: talk about it, okay. And it was his eldest boy's birthday, 898 00:46:04,250 --> 00:46:07,290 Speaker 2: so I come out and he demanded to know what 899 00:46:07,330 --> 00:46:10,370 Speaker 2: was wrong, demanded to know. So I told him and 900 00:46:10,490 --> 00:46:13,170 Speaker 2: he was so angry. He said, well, I hope you're 901 00:46:13,210 --> 00:46:18,570 Speaker 2: happy with yourself. They're going to send child protective services around, 902 00:46:18,890 --> 00:46:21,810 Speaker 2: probably because you've done that, because you've told them about this. 903 00:46:22,570 --> 00:46:25,490 Speaker 2: And I can remember sitting there in the car and 904 00:46:25,570 --> 00:46:27,850 Speaker 2: I was like, how are you putting this back on me? 905 00:46:28,050 --> 00:46:30,610 Speaker 2: Like he still had a way of trying to beat 906 00:46:30,650 --> 00:46:33,570 Speaker 2: me down and try to make me feel guilty about things. 907 00:46:33,610 --> 00:46:35,770 Speaker 2: He said, they might take my boys away from me 908 00:46:35,890 --> 00:46:39,370 Speaker 2: because this is like domestic abuse, da da da da da, 909 00:46:39,530 --> 00:46:42,690 Speaker 2: and somehow that was my fault. So yeah, I was 910 00:46:42,810 --> 00:46:46,410 Speaker 2: really scared. I guess I was scared of him. I 911 00:46:46,450 --> 00:46:48,610 Speaker 2: was frantically looking for flights, but I had to keep 912 00:46:48,650 --> 00:46:50,450 Speaker 2: the peace. I might be stuck there, So I was 913 00:46:50,490 --> 00:46:55,450 Speaker 2: sort of trapped between trying to keep things smooth, trying 914 00:46:55,450 --> 00:46:58,450 Speaker 2: to work out my broken heart, and all my confusion, 915 00:46:58,570 --> 00:47:01,810 Speaker 2: like what I was going to do. Because also, I mean, 916 00:47:01,890 --> 00:47:04,890 Speaker 2: even though I planned to live in Australia eventually, I 917 00:47:05,010 --> 00:47:08,690 Speaker 2: definitely did not plan to come crashing back without a 918 00:47:08,770 --> 00:47:14,490 Speaker 2: job and with a baby on my own. I didn't 919 00:47:14,530 --> 00:47:18,170 Speaker 2: know if our relationship was going to continue. I couldn't 920 00:47:18,210 --> 00:47:22,730 Speaker 2: really think too far ahead. I was just focusing on 921 00:47:23,810 --> 00:47:27,130 Speaker 2: getting this baby into the world safely. I sort of 922 00:47:27,170 --> 00:47:29,370 Speaker 2: had that as my goalpost, and I just didn't know 923 00:47:29,370 --> 00:47:30,730 Speaker 2: what I was going to do. But I was still 924 00:47:30,850 --> 00:47:33,730 Speaker 2: so in love with him the way I felt being 925 00:47:33,770 --> 00:47:37,850 Speaker 2: back in Australia really pregnant. I loved him so much. 926 00:47:38,730 --> 00:47:40,570 Speaker 2: I didn't know if I could trust him. The thing 927 00:47:40,610 --> 00:47:42,730 Speaker 2: that I couldn't get past it wasn't the cheating again. 928 00:47:42,770 --> 00:47:45,050 Speaker 2: It was just that it was like he was another 929 00:47:45,130 --> 00:47:48,530 Speaker 2: person and I just didn't the trust was gone for me, 930 00:47:48,690 --> 00:47:51,330 Speaker 2: and I didn't know what to believe. So I just 931 00:47:51,330 --> 00:47:53,370 Speaker 2: didn't know what the right thing was to do. I 932 00:47:53,410 --> 00:47:58,130 Speaker 2: was really really confused. So I was back here. He 933 00:47:58,290 --> 00:48:03,890 Speaker 2: flew here for the birth. I had Emily, a perfect 934 00:48:04,290 --> 00:48:08,130 Speaker 2: baby girl. She's absolutely adorable. She was a very cute baby, 935 00:48:08,730 --> 00:48:12,250 Speaker 2: and he spent the first three weeks of her life 936 00:48:12,690 --> 00:48:14,650 Speaker 2: here with me in Australia, and then he had to 937 00:48:14,690 --> 00:48:19,730 Speaker 2: fly back to Belfast. But he's got two kids, and 938 00:48:20,010 --> 00:48:21,810 Speaker 2: you know, I thought he would sort of really take charge. 939 00:48:21,850 --> 00:48:23,850 Speaker 2: I didn't know what the hell I was doing. I 940 00:48:23,930 --> 00:48:25,370 Speaker 2: knew i'd know, and I really wanted a kid, but 941 00:48:25,410 --> 00:48:27,410 Speaker 2: it was such a weird thing. I loved being pregnant, 942 00:48:27,410 --> 00:48:29,690 Speaker 2: and then it's just all of a sudden, Oh Gold, 943 00:48:29,730 --> 00:48:31,490 Speaker 2: she's here, and now I have to look after her 944 00:48:31,490 --> 00:48:35,610 Speaker 2: and keep her alive. It's actually quite stressful. And she 945 00:48:35,810 --> 00:48:38,410 Speaker 2: was a baby who needed to be held to sleep, 946 00:48:39,050 --> 00:48:42,730 Speaker 2: so I had a c section. I was so exhausted. 947 00:48:42,770 --> 00:48:45,970 Speaker 2: I was breastfeeding and during the night I had to 948 00:48:46,050 --> 00:48:50,010 Speaker 2: sleep with I ended up having all these pillows around 949 00:48:50,130 --> 00:48:53,010 Speaker 2: me to sleep upright, holding her with my head like 950 00:48:53,170 --> 00:48:55,810 Speaker 2: uncomfortable to the side, like with a travel pillow on, 951 00:48:56,530 --> 00:48:59,130 Speaker 2: because if I put her down, she would just lose it. 952 00:48:59,730 --> 00:49:02,410 Speaker 2: And Phil didn't take any turns on that. He was 953 00:49:02,410 --> 00:49:04,610 Speaker 2: actually getting frustrated every time I put her down when 954 00:49:04,650 --> 00:49:06,810 Speaker 2: she cried. He'd be like, oh, like I can still 955 00:49:06,890 --> 00:49:10,450 Speaker 2: remember his impatience. But then by day, in front of 956 00:49:10,490 --> 00:49:14,170 Speaker 2: everybody else, he was just missed a charming, attentive dad. 957 00:49:14,210 --> 00:49:16,530 Speaker 2: Wanted to give her the baths, wanted me to record everything, 958 00:49:16,810 --> 00:49:22,010 Speaker 2: lots of photos. So he goes back And because I 959 00:49:22,050 --> 00:49:25,770 Speaker 2: think it was just that fear I just being a 960 00:49:25,810 --> 00:49:30,090 Speaker 2: single mother isn't something I even wanted to Like, that 961 00:49:30,250 --> 00:49:32,650 Speaker 2: was just the most daunting thing I could you could 962 00:49:32,730 --> 00:49:35,650 Speaker 2: think of. And I think as well, like it's just 963 00:49:35,770 --> 00:49:39,650 Speaker 2: I had my whole life ripped away in a week. 964 00:49:40,290 --> 00:49:44,370 Speaker 2: I'd lost my job, my apartment, everything, and now I'm 965 00:49:44,570 --> 00:49:47,130 Speaker 2: back at home and my parents live in regional Victoria. 966 00:49:47,650 --> 00:49:49,970 Speaker 2: I'm back at home in my old bedroom with a 967 00:49:50,010 --> 00:49:52,170 Speaker 2: cot shoved in the side, and I just knew it. 968 00:49:52,170 --> 00:49:55,970 Speaker 2: I was just so depressed it COVID meant I couldn't 969 00:49:56,250 --> 00:49:58,930 Speaker 2: come to visit my friends. I didn't know anyone back 970 00:49:59,650 --> 00:50:02,570 Speaker 2: around my parents' place. I just had My sister eventually 971 00:50:02,650 --> 00:50:06,570 Speaker 2: told my parents what had happened. They were shocked and 972 00:50:06,770 --> 00:50:08,530 Speaker 2: upset and furious. 973 00:50:09,210 --> 00:50:12,330 Speaker 1: Everything within Sarah was telling her not to go back 974 00:50:12,370 --> 00:50:15,250 Speaker 1: to Phil. Her friends and family were telling her that too, 975 00:50:15,810 --> 00:50:19,250 Speaker 1: but she just couldn't let go. This was her baby's father. 976 00:50:19,770 --> 00:50:22,130 Speaker 1: So she got her lawyer friend back on the phone, 977 00:50:22,210 --> 00:50:24,250 Speaker 1: who said the only way she would allow her to 978 00:50:24,290 --> 00:50:26,930 Speaker 1: go back to Belfast was if she put legal documents 979 00:50:26,930 --> 00:50:30,010 Speaker 1: in place, called a parenting plan, so Phil couldn't turn 980 00:50:30,050 --> 00:50:33,370 Speaker 1: around and prevent her from bringing baby Emily back to Australia. 981 00:50:33,810 --> 00:50:37,250 Speaker 2: I was really really scared. I started the process though, 982 00:50:37,250 --> 00:50:40,050 Speaker 2: because in my head I wasn't ready to let go 983 00:50:40,130 --> 00:50:42,490 Speaker 2: of him, I guess, and I didn't want her to 984 00:50:42,490 --> 00:50:45,170 Speaker 2: be without a father. I felt really guilty. So I 985 00:50:45,210 --> 00:50:48,250 Speaker 2: was looking at rental places in Belfast. I said, if 986 00:50:48,290 --> 00:50:51,090 Speaker 2: I come back there, I'm not living in that house. 987 00:50:51,290 --> 00:50:52,690 Speaker 2: I don't want to live in that house, Like it 988 00:50:52,770 --> 00:50:55,210 Speaker 2: just had awful memories for me. The time I spent 989 00:50:55,250 --> 00:50:59,890 Speaker 2: there fighting with him was just so depressing. Anyway, So 990 00:51:00,530 --> 00:51:03,130 Speaker 2: I write this parenting plan and I read it back 991 00:51:03,170 --> 00:51:05,690 Speaker 2: to myself. It was just an a four page I 992 00:51:05,730 --> 00:51:08,810 Speaker 2: read back to myself about like reading it in black 993 00:51:08,850 --> 00:51:13,970 Speaker 2: and white. When I summarized our relationship the abuse, I went, 994 00:51:14,210 --> 00:51:16,370 Speaker 2: what the fuck am I doing? What the fuck am 995 00:51:16,410 --> 00:51:19,770 Speaker 2: I doing? What am I doing? I paid three grand 996 00:51:19,930 --> 00:51:23,690 Speaker 2: to write this page that made me. It was just 997 00:51:23,890 --> 00:51:26,850 Speaker 2: in black and white, like pretty much, Sarah, You're an idiot. 998 00:51:27,090 --> 00:51:29,650 Speaker 2: It's crazy, I guess, because there was just so much 999 00:51:29,690 --> 00:51:32,810 Speaker 2: good there, which doesn't really sound like it does it. 1000 00:51:32,890 --> 00:51:34,890 Speaker 2: But he was charming, He was funny, and he just 1001 00:51:35,010 --> 00:51:37,250 Speaker 2: doted on me. I got a foot massage every night. 1002 00:51:37,530 --> 00:51:41,570 Speaker 2: He hooked me dinner every night. He was the partner 1003 00:51:41,730 --> 00:51:44,210 Speaker 2: who would walk me to work in the morning, have 1004 00:51:44,250 --> 00:51:46,250 Speaker 2: a coffee with me, and then I'd go to the 1005 00:51:46,290 --> 00:51:48,410 Speaker 2: office and then he'd meet me for lunch as well. 1006 00:51:48,450 --> 00:51:50,610 Speaker 2: Like he was just always wanted to be around me 1007 00:51:50,690 --> 00:51:54,330 Speaker 2: and do nice things for me. The abuse aside. So 1008 00:51:54,370 --> 00:51:56,410 Speaker 2: when I read this page about the things that he 1009 00:51:56,450 --> 00:52:00,370 Speaker 2: had done. It was the emotional abuse more than the cheating. 1010 00:52:00,690 --> 00:52:03,530 Speaker 2: It was just and the secrets and the lies, and 1011 00:52:03,570 --> 00:52:05,690 Speaker 2: I just I couldn't. I was just in shock and 1012 00:52:05,730 --> 00:52:07,250 Speaker 2: I just said, there's no way. And that was in 1013 00:52:07,290 --> 00:52:11,450 Speaker 2: October twenty twenty. I said to him, not coming back. 1014 00:52:11,850 --> 00:52:13,690 Speaker 2: I'm staying in Australia. If you want to work on 1015 00:52:13,690 --> 00:52:16,570 Speaker 2: this relationship, you can come back here. I'm not coming back. 1016 00:52:16,770 --> 00:52:21,250 Speaker 2: So I made that decision then, and yeah, the next 1017 00:52:21,330 --> 00:52:24,410 Speaker 2: couple of months were just fights, just that roller coaster 1018 00:52:24,530 --> 00:52:28,410 Speaker 2: of him first agreeing like he would agree, going yep, yep, 1019 00:52:28,530 --> 00:52:30,130 Speaker 2: like I want to make it work with you. I 1020 00:52:30,130 --> 00:52:31,570 Speaker 2: love you so much. But then he would be like, 1021 00:52:31,610 --> 00:52:34,090 Speaker 2: you know what, I'm going to start dating again because 1022 00:52:34,170 --> 00:52:36,170 Speaker 2: you're never going to come back, and that thread of it, 1023 00:52:36,210 --> 00:52:38,330 Speaker 2: and I would be like, are you fucking kidding me? 1024 00:52:38,730 --> 00:52:41,090 Speaker 2: I looked back over the messages recently and it's just 1025 00:52:41,170 --> 00:52:45,810 Speaker 2: an absolute rollercoaster of him at first meaning that I 1026 00:52:45,890 --> 00:52:47,570 Speaker 2: love you, I want to come back, I want to 1027 00:52:47,570 --> 00:52:50,170 Speaker 2: live in Australia. How do I come back? Like like 1028 00:52:50,210 --> 00:52:53,650 Speaker 2: where some kind of Romeo and Juliet torn apart by COVID, 1029 00:52:54,290 --> 00:52:58,450 Speaker 2: But then getting abusive with me as well, threatening to 1030 00:52:58,530 --> 00:53:01,930 Speaker 2: kill himself. Yeah, all that kind of stuff, up and down, 1031 00:53:02,090 --> 00:53:02,690 Speaker 2: up and down. 1032 00:53:04,610 --> 00:53:07,890 Speaker 1: It went on like this for months. Sarah had finally 1033 00:53:07,890 --> 00:53:09,730 Speaker 1: put her foot down and wasn't going to bend over 1034 00:53:09,770 --> 00:53:13,050 Speaker 1: backwards for this man anymore, and he seemed to respond. 1035 00:53:13,490 --> 00:53:15,570 Speaker 1: After a few months, he booked to come and see 1036 00:53:15,570 --> 00:53:17,850 Speaker 1: them whether he and Sarah were going to work as 1037 00:53:17,850 --> 00:53:20,330 Speaker 1: a couple aside they still had a daughter. 1038 00:53:21,090 --> 00:53:23,490 Speaker 2: He was supposed to come out here for a holiday 1039 00:53:23,770 --> 00:53:26,810 Speaker 2: because some states were open. I booked a trip to 1040 00:53:26,850 --> 00:53:28,770 Speaker 2: Port Douglas, and I thought you could barry a reef. 1041 00:53:28,810 --> 00:53:30,570 Speaker 2: I still wanted to make it nice for him while 1042 00:53:30,570 --> 00:53:34,090 Speaker 2: he was here. He canceled a week before. I was 1043 00:53:34,170 --> 00:53:36,530 Speaker 2: just beyond furious because I had paid for everything as 1044 00:53:36,610 --> 00:53:39,370 Speaker 2: usual and had to cancel. I was looking forward to 1045 00:53:39,450 --> 00:53:44,850 Speaker 2: having time with another parent, sharing the nice things about 1046 00:53:44,850 --> 00:53:48,490 Speaker 2: our child. She's growing quick, she's adorable, and I was 1047 00:53:48,530 --> 00:53:52,090 Speaker 2: just really looking forward to sharing that experience with someone else. 1048 00:53:52,810 --> 00:53:55,010 Speaker 2: And yeah, he just canceled. I was just so angry. 1049 00:53:55,130 --> 00:53:58,210 Speaker 2: And then if flipped again like he couldn't afford it. 1050 00:53:58,250 --> 00:54:01,130 Speaker 2: That's what it was about. Then two weeks later, he 1051 00:54:01,290 --> 00:54:05,650 Speaker 2: was desperately trying to book that. Now, Oh, shock, horror, 1052 00:54:05,770 --> 00:54:08,210 Speaker 2: there's no flights. Yeah, the world is pretty much shut down. 1053 00:54:08,290 --> 00:54:11,210 Speaker 2: Like I planned all those for you months in the making. 1054 00:54:11,250 --> 00:54:11,450 Speaker 1: I did. 1055 00:54:11,490 --> 00:54:15,490 Speaker 2: He is application for the waiver to get into Australia 1056 00:54:15,530 --> 00:54:17,730 Speaker 2: because he wasn't a citizen. I did all of that. 1057 00:54:17,770 --> 00:54:22,050 Speaker 2: I organized everything, and he just canceled a week out. 1058 00:54:22,330 --> 00:54:24,730 Speaker 2: So then that whole process starts again, and now it's 1059 00:54:24,770 --> 00:54:27,570 Speaker 2: just all, yeah, desperation and what am I going to 1060 00:54:27,650 --> 00:54:29,610 Speaker 2: do now, I'm desperate to come. I miss you, I 1061 00:54:29,650 --> 00:54:32,610 Speaker 2: love you, I love her, blah blah blah. So he 1062 00:54:32,650 --> 00:54:39,010 Speaker 2: comes out and he gets here in June. Emily was 1063 00:54:39,090 --> 00:54:42,570 Speaker 2: about to turn one, so her birthday is in August. 1064 00:54:42,610 --> 00:54:44,330 Speaker 2: So he said to me, well, at least you know, 1065 00:54:44,490 --> 00:54:46,570 Speaker 2: like trying to smooth things over with me after the 1066 00:54:46,610 --> 00:54:49,930 Speaker 2: canceled made trip. Because this is the trip, by the way, 1067 00:54:50,090 --> 00:54:52,010 Speaker 2: where I said to him that I'm not coming back. 1068 00:54:52,250 --> 00:54:54,770 Speaker 2: He works from home anyway, He said, I can just 1069 00:54:54,930 --> 00:54:58,410 Speaker 2: do European hours in Australia. It'll be tough, but it's 1070 00:54:58,450 --> 00:55:00,370 Speaker 2: worth it. It's worth it because I want to be with 1071 00:55:00,410 --> 00:55:04,770 Speaker 2: you and Emily. We were sleeping in separate bedrooms because 1072 00:55:04,810 --> 00:55:07,410 Speaker 2: I co sleep with Emily. But it was just so 1073 00:55:07,530 --> 00:55:10,690 Speaker 2: nice having someone to parent with. There were no fights, 1074 00:55:10,730 --> 00:55:13,330 Speaker 2: like everything was great. And he had said, you know, 1075 00:55:13,370 --> 00:55:15,890 Speaker 2: at least I'll be here for Emily's first birthday now, 1076 00:55:15,930 --> 00:55:17,530 Speaker 2: like you know, I can stay a couple of months. 1077 00:55:17,970 --> 00:55:21,290 Speaker 2: Two weeks, ten days before her birthday, he sent me 1078 00:55:21,330 --> 00:55:24,170 Speaker 2: a screenshot of an email from his boss saying that 1079 00:55:24,210 --> 00:55:26,210 Speaker 2: he had to go to a conference in Dublin, and 1080 00:55:26,290 --> 00:55:29,410 Speaker 2: I'm like, I just remember feeling sick. I was just 1081 00:55:29,530 --> 00:55:33,450 Speaker 2: so furious ten days shy of Emily's first birthday. So 1082 00:55:34,210 --> 00:55:37,370 Speaker 2: he goes back, I have her first birthday without him. 1083 00:55:37,930 --> 00:55:41,210 Speaker 1: She couldn't keep doing this, but she still did want 1084 00:55:41,250 --> 00:55:44,450 Speaker 1: Emily to have her father in her life. So Sarah 1085 00:55:44,530 --> 00:55:46,730 Speaker 1: took it into her own hands and took their little 1086 00:55:46,730 --> 00:55:49,450 Speaker 1: girl to visit her dad back in Belfast. 1087 00:55:50,090 --> 00:55:52,650 Speaker 2: I said to his mom, like, I'll come and visit 1088 00:55:52,650 --> 00:55:55,090 Speaker 2: you while Peel's working one day and so you can 1089 00:55:55,090 --> 00:55:57,650 Speaker 2: have some time with Emily. And I went over and 1090 00:55:57,690 --> 00:56:01,250 Speaker 2: I told them everything. I said, well, hasn't Phil told 1091 00:56:01,290 --> 00:56:05,970 Speaker 2: you anything? And she said no, he doesn't tell us anything. 1092 00:56:06,650 --> 00:56:09,810 Speaker 2: And I said, well, this is what happened. And she 1093 00:56:09,850 --> 00:56:11,570 Speaker 2: burst into tears and she said I can't believe this 1094 00:56:11,730 --> 00:56:17,010 Speaker 2: is all happening again. And yeah, so he had cheated 1095 00:56:17,090 --> 00:56:20,650 Speaker 2: on his wife the whole marriage. She'd thrown him out, 1096 00:56:20,850 --> 00:56:23,770 Speaker 2: finally took him back, accepted all his excuses. They had 1097 00:56:23,770 --> 00:56:26,410 Speaker 2: a second child. He did it again, like she was 1098 00:56:26,450 --> 00:56:28,370 Speaker 2: holding a newborn and he was having an affair with 1099 00:56:28,410 --> 00:56:30,970 Speaker 2: another woman. There was photos on social media of them, 1100 00:56:31,090 --> 00:56:34,090 Speaker 2: like having his romantic trip to Paris while his wife 1101 00:56:34,170 --> 00:56:36,890 Speaker 2: is at home with their six week old baby. He 1102 00:56:37,010 --> 00:56:40,530 Speaker 2: left her in debt, He maxed her credit cards out, 1103 00:56:40,770 --> 00:56:44,930 Speaker 2: he left their shared account in overdraft. Her credit rating 1104 00:56:44,930 --> 00:56:49,010 Speaker 2: hasn't recovered from being with him. And I'm finding out 1105 00:56:49,050 --> 00:56:52,130 Speaker 2: all of this years later, years in, I've got a 1106 00:56:52,130 --> 00:56:54,850 Speaker 2: one year old child with him. That he's a really 1107 00:56:54,890 --> 00:56:56,570 Speaker 2: bad guy. He's a bad. 1108 00:56:56,370 --> 00:57:00,090 Speaker 1: Guy, And it turned out it wasn't just relationships he 1109 00:57:00,210 --> 00:57:00,770 Speaker 1: lied about. 1110 00:57:01,210 --> 00:57:03,850 Speaker 2: While I was in Belfast, there was a giant stack 1111 00:57:03,890 --> 00:57:07,890 Speaker 2: of like I'm talking thirty centimeters high of you know, 1112 00:57:07,970 --> 00:57:10,450 Speaker 2: bills and whatever its sitting in the kitchen. I hate clutter. 1113 00:57:11,170 --> 00:57:13,810 Speaker 2: I went through it. There was so many mortgage statements. 1114 00:57:13,890 --> 00:57:16,850 Speaker 2: I picked up one that was open and read it. 1115 00:57:17,530 --> 00:57:19,290 Speaker 2: The house that he'd nearly paid off that didn't cost 1116 00:57:19,370 --> 00:57:22,210 Speaker 2: him anything. He hasn't paid it off at all, and 1117 00:57:22,210 --> 00:57:25,050 Speaker 2: he's paying a huge, huge interest rate, which means that 1118 00:57:25,050 --> 00:57:29,810 Speaker 2: he's borrowed against it many times his income statement as well, 1119 00:57:30,010 --> 00:57:33,090 Speaker 2: he lied to me about how much he earned huge 1120 00:57:33,090 --> 00:57:36,170 Speaker 2: council tax bills. He hasn't paid them since twenty fifteen, 1121 00:57:36,170 --> 00:57:40,530 Speaker 2: twenty sixteen, credit card debt, all totally as much as 1122 00:57:40,610 --> 00:57:44,370 Speaker 2: I could see in the bills, mortgage aside twenty thousand 1123 00:57:44,370 --> 00:57:48,410 Speaker 2: pounds twenty thousand pounds, So it was all just coming down, 1124 00:57:48,450 --> 00:57:50,930 Speaker 2: falling down around me. I could no longer make excuses 1125 00:57:50,970 --> 00:57:56,050 Speaker 2: for this man. The moment that I snapped was I 1126 00:57:56,130 --> 00:57:59,690 Speaker 2: went to London for a couple of days with Emily 1127 00:58:00,050 --> 00:58:03,610 Speaker 2: in December twenty twenty one, and he was coming over 1128 00:58:03,650 --> 00:58:05,170 Speaker 2: in a couple of days to join me, and we 1129 00:58:05,250 --> 00:58:09,530 Speaker 2: had plans with friends over there, and I messaged him 1130 00:58:09,530 --> 00:58:11,050 Speaker 2: and I said, one of my best friends lives in 1131 00:58:11,050 --> 00:58:13,050 Speaker 2: Paris and some friends from Australia are going to be 1132 00:58:13,130 --> 00:58:16,490 Speaker 2: there between Christmas in years how would you feel about 1133 00:58:16,530 --> 00:58:18,930 Speaker 2: having Emily for a night of two on your own 1134 00:58:19,090 --> 00:58:21,330 Speaker 2: so I can go? And he said, I was waiting 1135 00:58:21,370 --> 00:58:24,570 Speaker 2: for this. You didn't come here to spend time with me. 1136 00:58:25,170 --> 00:58:28,250 Speaker 2: You came here because you wanted to party with your friends. 1137 00:58:28,570 --> 00:58:32,650 Speaker 2: And I snapped. I said, yeah right, Phil, I've just 1138 00:58:32,730 --> 00:58:36,210 Speaker 2: spent six weeks in your shithole of a house in Belfast, 1139 00:58:36,610 --> 00:58:39,690 Speaker 2: just for two nights off. It's not babysitking, she is 1140 00:58:39,730 --> 00:58:41,850 Speaker 2: your child. And I snapped and I told him to 1141 00:58:41,890 --> 00:58:45,290 Speaker 2: go fuck himself. My flight had been booked to stay 1142 00:58:45,330 --> 00:58:48,210 Speaker 2: there till February the next year, and I changed it 1143 00:58:48,290 --> 00:58:51,210 Speaker 2: to Christmas Day and I said, you've got two weeks 1144 00:58:51,210 --> 00:58:53,890 Speaker 2: to come to London if you'd like to say goodbye 1145 00:58:53,930 --> 00:58:55,810 Speaker 2: to Emily, but I'm going back to Australia. You can 1146 00:58:55,850 --> 00:58:59,450 Speaker 2: go fuck yourself. And he didn't come. He said good 1147 00:58:59,570 --> 00:59:03,730 Speaker 2: safe flight. He didn't care I get back now, I 1148 00:59:03,810 --> 00:59:06,530 Speaker 2: mean business. I'm done with him. I'm furious. I found 1149 00:59:06,530 --> 00:59:08,250 Speaker 2: out what he did to his wife. I found out 1150 00:59:08,290 --> 00:59:10,730 Speaker 2: that the guy that I was with does not exist. 1151 00:59:10,970 --> 00:59:14,090 Speaker 2: He just read me. He read me like a book. 1152 00:59:14,930 --> 00:59:17,570 Speaker 2: He just sort of married me and tried to be 1153 00:59:17,610 --> 00:59:19,370 Speaker 2: everything that I wanted, and he did a very good 1154 00:59:19,410 --> 00:59:23,490 Speaker 2: job of it. I mean abuse aside. But yeah, I 1155 00:59:23,610 --> 00:59:26,050 Speaker 2: was done, and I applied for child support. So far, 1156 00:59:26,090 --> 00:59:28,730 Speaker 2: I'd just been doing everything myself. I was made redundant 1157 00:59:28,770 --> 00:59:30,650 Speaker 2: to by the way, during all this, I didn't have 1158 00:59:30,650 --> 00:59:31,050 Speaker 2: a job. 1159 00:59:31,690 --> 00:59:34,650 Speaker 1: I think we know feel well enough by now. Do 1160 00:59:34,730 --> 00:59:37,610 Speaker 1: you think he made the child support process easy? Of 1161 00:59:37,850 --> 00:59:41,810 Speaker 1: course not. He cried poor, he refused to provide his income, 1162 00:59:41,890 --> 00:59:43,570 Speaker 1: and he tried to get away with leaving it all 1163 00:59:43,610 --> 00:59:47,770 Speaker 1: to Sarah yet again. But we also know Sarah well 1164 00:59:47,890 --> 00:59:50,450 Speaker 1: enough by now too to know she was not going 1165 00:59:50,490 --> 00:59:51,490 Speaker 1: to let this slide. 1166 00:59:53,330 --> 00:59:56,130 Speaker 2: So I was back. I'd applied for child support. I 1167 00:59:56,210 --> 00:59:57,890 Speaker 2: was moving on with my life. I got a place 1168 00:59:57,890 --> 01:00:00,970 Speaker 2: in Melbourne, COVID was over, got Emily into a great 1169 01:00:01,050 --> 01:00:05,210 Speaker 2: daycare center, and yeah, getting my life back again. And 1170 01:00:05,770 --> 01:00:07,850 Speaker 2: he would just do anything to try and get my attention. 1171 01:00:08,130 --> 01:00:10,450 Speaker 2: I had him blocked. He was just talking to himself 1172 01:00:10,450 --> 01:00:14,370 Speaker 2: and my spam folder. At one stage it was once, 1173 01:00:14,690 --> 01:00:17,090 Speaker 2: sometimes more a day he was viewing my LinkedIn. We 1174 01:00:17,130 --> 01:00:20,090 Speaker 2: had never been connected on LinkedIn, We're in different industries, 1175 01:00:20,210 --> 01:00:24,050 Speaker 2: no need. He just kept viewing my LinkedIn profile. Finally, 1176 01:00:24,130 --> 01:00:26,290 Speaker 2: one night I just got fed up. I'd had a 1177 01:00:26,330 --> 01:00:29,570 Speaker 2: few drinks and open it up and it was just 1178 01:00:29,650 --> 01:00:30,890 Speaker 2: like he wanted me to see that he's got this 1179 01:00:30,970 --> 01:00:35,650 Speaker 2: fancy new job, and I felt rage. I felt rage 1180 01:00:35,690 --> 01:00:39,050 Speaker 2: beyond belief. I went and he worked for a rather 1181 01:00:39,170 --> 01:00:42,250 Speaker 2: large company, an American company. I just went and on 1182 01:00:42,450 --> 01:00:46,170 Speaker 2: every post where someone had written congratulations mate, la da 1183 01:00:46,250 --> 01:00:50,770 Speaker 2: da da da. I commented on any colleague, neural company, 1184 01:00:50,770 --> 01:00:53,970 Speaker 2: and any friend that I knew his friends. Yeah, isn't 1185 01:00:54,010 --> 01:00:57,770 Speaker 2: it great? Hopefully now he'll start paying child support hopefully now, Yeah, 1186 01:00:57,930 --> 01:01:01,330 Speaker 2: great work Phil. Hopefully now you might start contributing to 1187 01:01:01,490 --> 01:01:04,370 Speaker 2: your daughter, who's now two or three at the time. 1188 01:01:05,010 --> 01:01:07,050 Speaker 2: Good to see you advancing in your career. Now can 1189 01:01:07,090 --> 01:01:09,770 Speaker 2: you start paying child support? I commented on every post, 1190 01:01:09,850 --> 01:01:12,490 Speaker 2: and he emailed me and he said you better stop 1191 01:01:12,530 --> 01:01:15,210 Speaker 2: that or I'll get a restraining order. And I wrote 1192 01:01:15,290 --> 01:01:17,850 Speaker 2: back and I said, mate, you've been asking for this 1193 01:01:17,890 --> 01:01:23,090 Speaker 2: for three weeks. Go ahead, go ahead. So time goes on, 1194 01:01:23,410 --> 01:01:26,130 Speaker 2: and I'm feeling good. I've moved on. He doesn't consume 1195 01:01:26,130 --> 01:01:28,010 Speaker 2: my thoughts at all. I don't even check my spam 1196 01:01:28,050 --> 01:01:31,490 Speaker 2: folder anymore. And I hear about this page on Facebook 1197 01:01:31,530 --> 01:01:34,090 Speaker 2: called are We Dating the same guy? And it's by location. 1198 01:01:34,250 --> 01:01:36,370 Speaker 2: There's a Melbourne one, there's a Sydney one. There is 1199 01:01:36,410 --> 01:01:39,890 Speaker 2: a London, Belfast and Dublin one. I posted him on 1200 01:01:40,010 --> 01:01:44,010 Speaker 2: all three London, Belfast and Dublin pictures of his dating profile. 1201 01:01:44,610 --> 01:01:49,530 Speaker 2: I posted him because I wanted to warn women about him, 1202 01:01:49,650 --> 01:01:52,610 Speaker 2: for one, but secondly, I was curious, what else has 1203 01:01:52,610 --> 01:01:55,570 Speaker 2: he done because Imagen said to me he'd been on 1204 01:01:55,650 --> 01:01:58,170 Speaker 2: tender on and off for two years. He always swore 1205 01:01:58,170 --> 01:01:59,930 Speaker 2: to me she was the only one. There was just 1206 01:01:59,930 --> 01:02:03,450 Speaker 2: never anyone else, So I was still a bit curious. 1207 01:02:03,570 --> 01:02:06,770 Speaker 2: Plus I wanted to warn women because he's charming, he's 1208 01:02:06,810 --> 01:02:09,890 Speaker 2: a good liar. So I post him on this and 1209 01:02:10,250 --> 01:02:14,930 Speaker 2: oh my god, I could never have been prepared for 1210 01:02:15,170 --> 01:02:19,010 Speaker 2: the stories that have come forward. It is unbelievable. He 1211 01:02:19,290 --> 01:02:22,410 Speaker 2: cheated on me several times I know of now. He 1212 01:02:22,610 --> 01:02:26,210 Speaker 2: cheated on his wife NonStop. There's just so many, so 1213 01:02:26,290 --> 01:02:30,130 Speaker 2: many stories. Girls go, oh my god, shook that this 1214 01:02:30,170 --> 01:02:33,970 Speaker 2: guy is still doing this fifteen years ago, twenty years ago. 1215 01:02:34,250 --> 01:02:36,610 Speaker 2: He lied about his name, he lied about his age. 1216 01:02:36,770 --> 01:02:40,250 Speaker 2: He's just the talented mister. Really, he just keeps creating 1217 01:02:40,290 --> 01:02:43,890 Speaker 2: these fake lives and lying to women. And I connected 1218 01:02:43,930 --> 01:02:48,450 Speaker 2: with his ex girlfriend before me, who he had told 1219 01:02:48,530 --> 01:02:51,010 Speaker 2: me about her, not that they were in a relationship. 1220 01:02:51,010 --> 01:02:53,810 Speaker 2: He talked about her and said I dated this lovely girl. 1221 01:02:53,810 --> 01:02:55,650 Speaker 2: But she had a lot of problems, so I couldn't 1222 01:02:55,890 --> 01:02:57,490 Speaker 2: take it seriously when they went on a few dates 1223 01:02:57,490 --> 01:02:59,690 Speaker 2: and then I more was her friend and taking care 1224 01:02:59,730 --> 01:03:01,330 Speaker 2: of her. I thought he was such a nice guy 1225 01:03:01,330 --> 01:03:05,130 Speaker 2: because she had anorexia and some mental health problems. Well, 1226 01:03:05,210 --> 01:03:08,410 Speaker 2: Olivia reaches out to me. It turns out that they 1227 01:03:08,450 --> 01:03:11,210 Speaker 2: were together on and off for a year and a half. 1228 01:03:11,370 --> 01:03:13,850 Speaker 2: They tried to have a baby together, she actually did. 1229 01:03:14,250 --> 01:03:16,610 Speaker 2: He wanted a little girl that actually got pregnant, but 1230 01:03:16,730 --> 01:03:20,330 Speaker 2: she had a miscarriage. He tormented her so badly she 1231 01:03:20,530 --> 01:03:22,930 Speaker 2: ended up in a mental health institution for a month. 1232 01:03:23,530 --> 01:03:28,010 Speaker 2: So the stress. She sent me screenshots. He harassed her, 1233 01:03:28,170 --> 01:03:32,370 Speaker 2: he stalked her, he abused her. The way he spoke 1234 01:03:32,410 --> 01:03:37,170 Speaker 2: to her was scary and disgusting, and I was just 1235 01:03:37,210 --> 01:03:41,170 Speaker 2: an absolute shock seeing it all in black and white, 1236 01:03:41,450 --> 01:03:44,370 Speaker 2: from his phone number, from his email address. It was 1237 01:03:44,450 --> 01:03:47,690 Speaker 2: just another person again. You know, there was the disgusting 1238 01:03:47,730 --> 01:03:50,490 Speaker 2: guy that had the foul affair with a young girl, 1239 01:03:50,530 --> 01:03:55,530 Speaker 2: but then there's this absolutely psychotic, threatening, scary guy, and 1240 01:03:55,770 --> 01:03:58,530 Speaker 2: both of them. I still couldn't compute with the guy 1241 01:03:58,570 --> 01:04:04,170 Speaker 2: I knew so on the pages, particularly the Dublin and 1242 01:04:04,250 --> 01:04:06,770 Speaker 2: Belfast one, there's a lot of activity. There's a lot 1243 01:04:06,770 --> 01:04:10,210 Speaker 2: of women commenting. Women that he's promised the world and ghosted, 1244 01:04:10,770 --> 01:04:15,050 Speaker 2: women that he's mormented. One girl that he started dating 1245 01:04:15,170 --> 01:04:18,410 Speaker 2: when Emily was her newborn babut and we were doing 1246 01:04:18,690 --> 01:04:21,290 Speaker 2: skype counseling sessions because he was trying to convince me 1247 01:04:21,330 --> 01:04:25,210 Speaker 2: to come back to Belfast. He had another girlfriend, you know, 1248 01:04:25,290 --> 01:04:28,130 Speaker 2: when he blew up at me one of the first times, 1249 01:04:28,650 --> 01:04:31,410 Speaker 2: just before we moved into our apartment together. Well, that 1250 01:04:31,490 --> 01:04:35,570 Speaker 2: week he also had slept with another woman, so she 1251 01:04:35,690 --> 01:04:38,210 Speaker 2: reached out to me. He had said. I went back 1252 01:04:38,210 --> 01:04:40,130 Speaker 2: and I checked the messages. He had said to me, 1253 01:04:40,170 --> 01:04:42,130 Speaker 2: I'm so sorry, baby, I need to get back to 1254 01:04:42,130 --> 01:04:44,770 Speaker 2: Belfast early this week. I'm going back tomorrow and I 1255 01:04:44,810 --> 01:04:46,890 Speaker 2: went no problems. I didn't even ask why. I just 1256 01:04:46,930 --> 01:04:49,610 Speaker 2: assumed it was something for his children. He went back 1257 01:04:49,650 --> 01:04:53,010 Speaker 2: to have sex with her. He was on fab Swingers, 1258 01:04:53,610 --> 01:04:59,170 Speaker 2: sugar Daddy dot Com, Hinge, Bumble, Tinder, you name it. 1259 01:04:59,690 --> 01:05:02,770 Speaker 2: I first posted on that site eighteen months ago, and 1260 01:05:02,930 --> 01:05:05,690 Speaker 2: I'm still getting women come forward. I've had at least 1261 01:05:05,970 --> 01:05:08,810 Speaker 2: forty women come forward with their own stories about him. 1262 01:05:10,210 --> 01:05:15,010 Speaker 2: In the beginning, it was shock, it was still painful, 1263 01:05:15,290 --> 01:05:20,010 Speaker 2: still hurtful, because this man pretended that he loved me, 1264 01:05:20,490 --> 01:05:23,010 Speaker 2: so that you know, that's hard. It's also a lot 1265 01:05:23,010 --> 01:05:26,090 Speaker 2: of disgust, and it sickens me that I didn't make 1266 01:05:26,090 --> 01:05:30,770 Speaker 2: a better choice for my daughter Emily, because she doesn't 1267 01:05:30,770 --> 01:05:33,170 Speaker 2: have a father in her life, and she definitely lacks it. 1268 01:05:33,650 --> 01:05:35,890 Speaker 2: When I say lacks it, she wants for nothing. But 1269 01:05:36,530 --> 01:05:39,530 Speaker 2: she compares herself to her friends and asks me why. 1270 01:05:39,690 --> 01:05:40,970 Speaker 2: I don't know what to say to her, so I 1271 01:05:41,050 --> 01:05:43,490 Speaker 2: just say, well, you do have a father. His name's Phil. 1272 01:05:43,610 --> 01:05:45,650 Speaker 2: Here's a picture of him holding you when you're a baby. 1273 01:05:45,690 --> 01:05:48,410 Speaker 2: He lives in another country. So the rest of it 1274 01:05:48,450 --> 01:05:50,890 Speaker 2: I'll work out down the track. But that's enough for 1275 01:05:50,930 --> 01:05:54,290 Speaker 2: her for now. Now. When I still hear from new women, 1276 01:05:54,330 --> 01:05:57,690 Speaker 2: which I do, I find myself telling them what they 1277 01:05:57,730 --> 01:06:00,850 Speaker 2: need to know, warning them, you know, having a private conversation, 1278 01:06:01,130 --> 01:06:04,690 Speaker 2: but also counseling them kind of because I'm so far 1279 01:06:04,810 --> 01:06:07,450 Speaker 2: down the road of healing where I'm okay and it 1280 01:06:07,490 --> 01:06:09,530 Speaker 2: doesn't hurt me anymore. It did in the beginning, but 1281 01:06:09,650 --> 01:06:12,610 Speaker 2: it does not hurt me at all, and helping them 1282 01:06:12,850 --> 01:06:17,010 Speaker 2: through that process of disbelief, I will believe it here's 1283 01:06:17,050 --> 01:06:20,370 Speaker 2: the evidence. And in a weird way, I've made some 1284 01:06:20,410 --> 01:06:22,730 Speaker 2: friends out of it. Two of the girls in particular, 1285 01:06:22,770 --> 01:06:24,890 Speaker 2: they're just so great and we kind of chat from 1286 01:06:24,890 --> 01:06:28,090 Speaker 2: time to time, even about other things going on. Bizarrely, 1287 01:06:28,130 --> 01:06:32,490 Speaker 2: it's become sort of a safe space for me. I'm 1288 01:06:32,770 --> 01:06:38,490 Speaker 2: great now. Life is fantastic. My daughter Emily is amazing. 1289 01:06:38,650 --> 01:06:41,090 Speaker 2: I think everyone's a little bit biased about their own child, 1290 01:06:41,130 --> 01:06:45,490 Speaker 2: but in my case, she is amazing. Everybody tells me. 1291 01:06:45,570 --> 01:06:48,250 Speaker 2: So we have a very happy little life together. I'm 1292 01:06:48,410 --> 01:06:51,530 Speaker 2: very settled in Melbourne. I've got all my old friends, 1293 01:06:51,610 --> 01:06:54,210 Speaker 2: I've got new friends. I've met a great group of 1294 01:06:54,290 --> 01:06:58,370 Speaker 2: mums I've met through her daycare center. And yeah, life 1295 01:06:58,450 --> 01:07:03,610 Speaker 2: is really really good. I have no desire whatsoever to date. 1296 01:07:03,930 --> 01:07:06,970 Speaker 2: I think having an almost four year old takes enough 1297 01:07:07,090 --> 01:07:10,890 Speaker 2: energy as it is, and I know enough about it, 1298 01:07:11,210 --> 01:07:14,610 Speaker 2: and I a realist enough to know that it's just 1299 01:07:15,410 --> 01:07:20,050 Speaker 2: recovering from narcissism abuse. I now realize very much struggled 1300 01:07:20,090 --> 01:07:22,170 Speaker 2: to believe because I thought, no, he has empathy, he's 1301 01:07:22,170 --> 01:07:24,490 Speaker 2: got all these things, but he just he's faking it. 1302 01:07:24,930 --> 01:07:29,210 Speaker 2: He is a textbook narcissist, and I now recognize that 1303 01:07:29,810 --> 01:07:32,930 Speaker 2: I'm just recovering from that narcissistic abuse. Even though I'm fine, 1304 01:07:33,010 --> 01:07:35,970 Speaker 2: I don't want to date and that's why. So actually, 1305 01:07:36,050 --> 01:07:38,370 Speaker 2: one of the girls I've connected with that he dated 1306 01:07:38,770 --> 01:07:41,370 Speaker 2: one of my friends. She's recommended a fantastic book I'm 1307 01:07:41,370 --> 01:07:44,170 Speaker 2: reading at the moment on healing from that, so we'll 1308 01:07:44,170 --> 01:07:48,770 Speaker 2: see where that goes. I couldn't change anything because then 1309 01:07:48,770 --> 01:07:51,730 Speaker 2: I wouldn't have Emily and she wouldn't be her. So 1310 01:07:52,130 --> 01:07:54,730 Speaker 2: it killed me how much she looked like him as 1311 01:07:54,770 --> 01:07:57,490 Speaker 2: a baby, But now she doesn't. She just looks like her, 1312 01:07:57,650 --> 01:08:01,170 Speaker 2: so it's okay. So yeah, I wouldn't change the thing 1313 01:08:01,170 --> 01:08:02,850 Speaker 2: because I wouldn't have her. 1314 01:08:07,530 --> 01:08:10,290 Speaker 1: Everyone has an Eggs is a Minti Media production and 1315 01:08:10,370 --> 01:08:13,930 Speaker 1: proudly You're part of the network. Is written and narrated 1316 01:08:13,970 --> 01:08:17,490 Speaker 1: by me Georgia Love and produced by Linda Scott. If 1317 01:08:17,530 --> 01:08:20,130 Speaker 1: you have a story you'd like to share, email podcast 1318 01:08:20,210 --> 01:08:23,570 Speaker 1: at momamea dot com dot au. You can support us 1319 01:08:23,610 --> 01:08:26,090 Speaker 1: by following the show in your favorite podcast app and 1320 01:08:26,170 --> 01:08:28,730 Speaker 1: leaving a five star review. We'll see you for the 1321 01:08:28,770 --> 01:08:31,290 Speaker 1: next episode.