**TW - mentions of suicide**
TL;DR at the bottom.
Last week, I was sending memes to an old colleague of mine (I'll call him Andrew) and joking around about how bad the workplace had become. After we exchanged a few messages, it became apparent to me that we were not on the same page and things were more serious than Andrew was letting on. That's when Andrew called me and let me know that one of our other colleagues had left work early, gone home, and taken his life. Andrew and my old boss had found him. The details are tragic (as you can imagine) so I will spare all the readers from going into it.
My now ex (I'll call him Matt) insisted I let him know how I was going, that grief was insidious and it could hit me right when I least expect it. He said all the right things and appeared to empathise with me. For context - Matt lives in the next city over, about 1.5 hours drive away - so we weren't exactly long distance but we interacted mostly through text and the occasional phone call.
Well, the grief did hit hard. The next morning after the shock had worn away, I was hit with a wall of complicated feelings of sadness and guilt - guilt that I hadn't done more for my late colleague, guilt that I wasn't there for my friends, sadness for Andrew and my boss who had to deal with the situation, sadness that I hadn't kept in touch. I showed up to work in tears and was promptly sent home and given the next two days off.
Matt knew I was having a rough week, but his texts became more dry. We had previously had arguments about his lack of warmth where I'd explained to him that I needed more affection (you know, basic relationship stuff). He said he "didn't know how to be a boyfriend" and to "be patient" as he was doing his best. However - on Friday last week - Matt seemed especially distant. I called to see if he needed to chat, and that's when he decided to tell me he was frustrated by his workplace and that he felt as if he was being punished by his new promotion. Looking back on this, I'm starting to wonder if Matt was bringing this up in order to draw attention back onto him, given that *I* was the one in need of extra emotional support last week.
Two days ago, I found out details about my late colleagues funeral. His family lives in the same city as Matt, so I made arrangements with work to attend. After submitting my leave request and booking my dogs into a kennel, I asked Matt if I could stay at his house so that I didn't have to find a hotel. I figured it would be no imposition as Matt had given me a key to his place and given me half of the cupboard and bathroom to keep my things. Wrong. Matt told me that he had a boys night on that Friday and that he was planning to "get on it" so it would only be convenient for me to stay on the Thursday. He said he'd invite me but "no offence, it's just a boys night". At first, he did attempt to compromise - he said he could try and reschedule it, or he could just skip out early and come back so that he could be there. But I was still furious that he even considered his boys night as being a limiting factor to me staying with him that weekend - of ALL weekends. I told him that I was beyond done with him not listening to me and that I didn't feel like a priority at all.
I didn't hear from him for three hours, and when he finally got back to me he broke up with me. He said he couldn't be what I needed, that he found himself having to "try" in our relationship (something he's apparently never had to do before) and that he wasn't attracted to me anymore because of it. He said he just wanted to be my friend and doesn't want to lose me from his life. Naturally, I pointed out that I don't like being a nag, that I was upset about my friend's passing, and that the BARE MINIMUM I would have expected was for him to just let me use his place to crash. As a result of all this, I said I didn't want to be his friend. He was genuinely SHOCKED by this - ladies, if I wasn't so mad, I'd laugh. It really is a joke.
He was so upset at the thought of this that he told me the conversation was too hard and that he needed to talk to his dad. He asked if we could reopen the conversation in a few days and promptly hung up.
Obviously, this 28 year old child will not be reopening any conversation with me. I've told him that he will be the one to make the 1.5 hour trip out to collect his key and exchange things. I also gave him my bank details and told him I wanted the full amount back for all of the stuff I'd bought for his place. While dealing with him, I've been short but polite (why let him know he's gotten to me?), but he will be coming over on Sunday to give me back my stuff and collect his key. So I need advice on how to handle Sunday - I'm toying with the idea of leaving his key in my letterbox and going out to lunch with friends. I obviously don't want to see him and don't want to allow him an opportunity to come inside for a "chat". I thought about having one of my male colleagues come over to mediate the interaction, but I just think that will cause more harm than good.
Any input is welcome as to how I should deal with this.
TL;DR one of my previous colleagues took his life and my boyfriend broke up with me when I asked if I could stay at his house during the weekend of the funeral because I got mad that he was prioritising a boy's night over being there for me. I want to know how to deal with exchanging our stuff on Sunday this week.
How does you staying the night at his house while he is out with friends interfere with his night out? He was 100% planning on bringing a fuck home. Gross. He broke up with you before you could dump him for cheating. Id say there's no real loss here but wasted time.
Since he cant be trusted out with friends I wouldn't trust him to not steal or damage your property. Id have a male or multiple women when he comes, and keep them right near you so there's no chance of a private talk. If he asks for one just say no.
I'm thinking he doesn't have a key to your place - if he does then you need to be there.
The FDS answer is to do what's in your best interest. Right now you have to take care of you, whatever that looks like.
Going out with friends is a great idea if your belongings won't be damaged. You could also stay at home with the same friends and have lunch there. One of them could exchange things for you IF you trust that friend and know them to be HV. Let them know their role and your boundaries - ie to exchange only and he is not to stay for a conversation.
Just prioritise yourself. You owe him nothing.
I'd suggest having 2 or 3 HV female friends there with you and explain to them prior to his visit that you want to keep it as short as possible. If needed, agree on a non-verbal code to signal when he's crossing the line so they can help you end the interaction quicker.
I also think he's a cheater. There's no reason you can't stay there while he's out, but given the circumstances why wouldn't he reschedule? It's not like he can't trust you, and if he didn't why would he even date you.
When he said he didn’t know how to be your boyfriend was enough because all of his actions aligned with that. My advice- ask him to send your stuff by post and you can send his key that way too. Block, delete, heal and grief in peace.
I don't have any additional advice (i think the prev. comments' advice is good) but just wanna say that I'm sorry you're going thru this and I hope you're able to heal and be able to grief in peace. Any reasonable person would understand that situation is difficult. Millennial men these days really selfish and lack emotional empathy smh. Definitely have your friends around for support.
You could get a friend or relative to be home when he arrives to drop off your stuff. "Oh hi, you're here to drop of Noteaforme's stuff ? Thanks, I'll make sure she gets it".
Or just be really brusque--hi, thanks for the stuff, all the best. Bye. No, I don't want to talk, or invite you in". You don't owe this guy A MINUTE of your time. He's no longer your boyfriend.