Boyfriend (now ex) told me that I ruined his life and his birthday - I just called to say happy birthday. Do I need to apologize?

I called my boyfriend yesterday (30m) saying happy birthday and had a little chat as it was getting late and I wanted to go to bed, I said well I just called to say happy birthday and I'll dry my hair and go to bed now. He said what the fuck and called that transactional and why can't he be on the line. I was tired, it was 1 am, and I wanted to sleep. He had asked for us to be on the phone throughout the night for the past 2 nights, which I had agreed to, but I didn't think it was going to be a precedent for something we do every night now. The night before, he showed up unexpected to my apartment and while it was a nice surprise I was in the middle of a call catching up with a friend. I hung up on my friend and he was questioning who I was on the phone with. We spent the whole evening together and he stayed over and left early in the morning. I think he expects me to drop everything for him because I'm currently more free than he is - I'm currently in between jobs while he is working. He frames it as I have all the time during the day to do whatever I want and when he wants time in the evening he doesn't get that time and he's entitled to that time because he's my boyfriend. Then he started getting angry and shouting and swearing at me, to which I raised my voice back and told him it's unacceptable to speak to me in that way. He got angrier and the fight got out of hand - he spiralled and said how I think he should be grateful to me for calling him to say happy birthday and that he thinks I hate him. I said I obviously don't hate him and I called because I was excited that it was his birthday. Everything - my good intentions, actions, got turned on its head. And then he likened me to Trump and Krsiti Noem which was completely random and absolutely bonkers. I'm so confused. It's his birthday today but given that we had that ugly fight last night I'm not sure what to do. I feel guilty that he said I ruined his life but I'm so confused. I literally only called to say happy birthday.

Posted Mar 6, 2026, 8:40 PM UTC

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