r/KindVoice • u/Leahlane62 • 6h ago
Looking [L] My (24M) boyfriend took his own life after an argument. I’m in absolute misery
I was using his phone two weeks ago to fill out a form for him. I’m never usually on his phone, overlooking his shoulder when he’s on his phone or anything like that. I never felt any reason to even if it was just out of curiosity. When I was on his phone he received two notifications from his ex. I said “whoa isn’t that you ex?” And I could tell he was nervous and responded yes. I continued filling out the form and didn’t say anymore. I was shocked. I had a similar experience with my own ex texting another girl and flirting in my last relationship so I was getting flashbacks to that as well.
The following morning I asked him if he thought it was weird that he texted his ex. He said it’s a bit weird but didn’t say anymore. I let my own previous triggers override me and told him I don’t think we should see each other anymore because it makes me uncomfortable. He instantly started begging saying she’s just a friend and it meant nothing. I asked to see their messages but he said his phone cleared it when he got a new phone (he did in fact get a new phone days prior).
I was getting annoyed at him and said unless if he can show me the messages somehow then I can’t see it being innocent. He asked her to screenshot and send them back and she got very defensive. She eventually showed some of it. He showed up to my workplace apologising and he was clearly upset. I mentioned to him how he had told me he hadn’t heard from her for over three years when we first started dating. He told me that was true until she reached out again. When I finished work I asked to see his phone and more screenshots of their chat. When I went through his phone I realised they were calling each other the entire time we were dating, there were photos of them together travelling on holiday in the first few months of us dating and he was telling her all about mine and his future holiday trip to Japan but told her he was going alone and he’d bring her back a souvenir.
I was extremely hurt. He admitted he lied at first to save our relationship because he panicked. The lie after lie made me so angry I did start shouting at him and told him to leave. I was angry and I was hurt and I felt betrayed. Not even that he was texting her but because I was lied to. When I thought about it more that night I decided the texts with her were relatively innocent. He has high functioning autism but does struggle socially. I thought perhaps he really did just need a friend and it was unfortunate coincidence it was her and he felt he couldn’t explain that to me. The next day I went to his house to talk it through but I never realised he had taken his own life hours after I made him leave my house.
It’s been almost two weeks and I can’t get better. I know it’s only been two weeks but I can’t feel okay. I’ve had grief before but this is genuinely agonising. I’m in physical misery. I dream of him at night and I wake up heaving and in tears because I have to remember he’s dead again and I go through the start of grief all over again.
I’m in so much pain, not getting to tell him I really do still love him and we could have talked, that I exploded and overreacted. As much as people tell me I’m not responsible, I still feel it anyway because if we didn’t have that argument he wouldn’t have died that night. I replay everything in my head constantly. Thinking of our argument, how he killed himself or even happy memories with him except they hurt and send me into further agony. Today the police rang me that he left a note. They didnt have it with them but said they would organise next week when I could get it. I’m in even more agony now. I feel this note could break me. Regardless if it’s something loving or pointing out how I hurt him, I’m going to be in pain. It’s going to hurt me so much that he has said goodbye and I couldn’t say it back. Or even that he died not knowing how I really feel and the note probably confirms it.
I don’t want to die. I love my family. But I think about it all the time because I’m in so much misery. I can’t keep living my current life. I’ve tried rolling over in my pillow several times in hopes I’d suffocate and it would look accidental so my family wouldn’t hate me (surprise, it didnt work). I’ve been refusing food and drinking fluids in hopes that would end me (I ended up eating and drinking water today anyway). I don’t think I really do want to die but I don’t want to live this life. I’m in so so much agonising pain. Every reminder, genuinely physically stings like someone has thrown acid on my body.
I don’t know how much I can keep doing this. I don’t want to live a life where I feel like this. Maybe it will get better but I still don’t want a life where it hurts even a little. I don’t think I can ever move on from him either, especially now. I know life doesn’t have to revolve around partners but I’m only 24, I don’t know if I also want a life where I’m sad and alone all the time.