I can sort of see how/why my ex did it/it happened. I'm well-liked, and her timing (the break-up coming at a time in my life when things were already bad), being dumped for a good mate, the fact that she tried to leave me with all the bills and rent, and then started saying that Lee should be paying all that, even though Lee didn't live there and was only turning up to make sure I was ok - it all made her look like an utter fucking bitch who was dumping someone the moment life wasn't perfect. Now that wasn't strictly true, but it certainly looked that way.

So, she wanted to not look like the bad guy.

She dropped around a few times to sort stuff out, obviously hated doing it, was guilty and angry because of it. Now I wasn't angry, or nasty, I was hurt and depressed and I kept fairly quiet about what had gone on so as not to have our friends alienate her.

It was after that she started using the phrase "Feeling like a battered housewife" liberally around people, in relation to her interactions with me. I have no doubt that she then gots lots of sympathy. She may not have even realised the effect her words were having, but she would have been aware that people were now siding with her, and courted that.

She had no idea the sort of pain and terror a battered housewife can go through, she had a cushy life. The sad thing. It sometimes makes me wish I had hit her, after all, I was treated as though I had.

But she can still always deny that she ever said I beat her. She just never said I didn't when people were led that way.