Reddit Stories - Betrayal Amidst Family Unveiling Hidden Secrets ( Over 3 Hour Compilation ) - Episode 59

Episode Date: March 30, 2026

#redditstories #askreddit #aita #betrayal #familysecrets #hiddentruths #drama #emotionaljourney  Summary: In Episode 59, "Betrayal Amidst Family," a gripping compilation reveals hidden secrets that shake familial bonds. As stories unfold over three hours, listeners are drawn into the emotional turmoil and complex relationships, exploring themes of trust, loyalty, and the impact of revelations on family dynamics.  Tags: redditstories, askreddit, reddit, aita, betrayal, familydrama, secrets, emotionalstories, storytelling, podcast, relationships, trustissues, familyconflict, hiddensecrets, personalnarratives, lifeadvice, emotionalturmoil, familybonding, drama, revelationsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/reddit-stories--6816713/support.This episode includes AI-generated content.

Relax and enjoy the following compilation of stories. I hope you enjoy this story. My spouse confessed that he requires the presence of two women to feel whole and has been involved in a secret relationship with another person for several months. They have been sharing kisses and intimate moments, but he only revealed this to me. Today, because our son noticed a bracelet she gave him. New to Reddit and just created this to get some advice. I hope I am in the right community.

Okay, so my husband, 43M, and I, 43F, have been married for 23 years. We have never dated or even kissed anyone else. Our story is long with ups and downs. I will try and make this short. But feel free to ask any cue as there's a lot of backstory. Okay, so as we have gotten older we have become more open-minded. For me in particular, just learning and breaking free of what society and religion have boxed as acceptable relationships. My husband has always felt like something was missing in his

heart and mind, our whole marriage. There have been about five times in our relationship where he has met someone that helps a little bit of this whole. But as we were both clearly monogamous, I was very upset to the point of not being able to function, and we would take a break. And in the end we would always come back together. Nothing physical was ever done, but the emotional cheating was heartbreaking for me. I now have my. I now have my. more of an open mind, however. He said after doing some research and soul searching that he feels like he needs more than one woman to be in a relationship with. But not in general, specifically a woman from five years ago who he had one of the connections with. She had cut it off because

she wanted a physical relationship with him but he couldn't cross that line and because she was so upset her husband found out and they cut ties. But now he wants to date her and stay married to me, he said eventually he wants us both to be in equal types of relationship with him. And okay, I can think about this and see if it's something I would be comfortable with. The problem is things started back up with them seriously about four months ago. About a month ago they started making out and kissing, and he just told me about this today. He wasn't even going to mention the kissing I had to ask him specifically. He said that he plans on having a full relationship with her, Seggs and all.

His want is to be with me like we have been and have her, as a girlfriend too. I am not sure how I feel about that. Polly is already something I had been pondering for myself, so I am wondering if maybe I had someone else as well, we could keep what we have and both be happier for it. So I am thinking on it. But it's really hard for me not to feel hurt over him already having someone, dating someone, and them making out cuddling and kissing. All doing that without talking to me first. I am so furious and also sad. To make matters worse, A year ago I fell really ill and have been on disability ever since. So I am having a really hard time trying to figure out what I want while trying to disregard if we aren't together anymore.

How would I live and survive? He told me that he 100% will not stop seeing her and moving forward. But that he does want things to stay the same with us and I can decide if that is what I want and to let him know. Am I putting too much importance on the kiss and overreacting on what he's done already? I also asked him, would this be where we are. all together, like knowing each other and around each other. But he said he doesn't see that working, that he wants his relationship with her totally separate and us not having anything to do with each other, knowing each of us he doesn't think it would work well. I need advice, please.

I don't really have anyone to talk to. And I know Polly needs a lot of honesty and openness, but I can't help but feel like he's already broken that. IDK. Any advice or thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thanks. Comments where OP has replied, comment one, I'm so sorry. This is heartbreaking, and as others have mentioned, it is cheating. It is painful, it is scary, it is infuriating. All your feelings, they are completely valid. It might be additionally disorienting because you haven't been with anyone else, I imagine, plus the disability. What does this whole thing also say about the woman who is with him. She either doesn't know the full context of your story with your husband, or she does not

care. Either way, staying with him would keep you in a vulnerable and unfair position, and the lying will not stop there. You don't need to face this alone. Please reach for additional support and do not, for a moment, feel that you are the bad guy here. Your husband messed up big time. Boop. Yeah, I have never been with another person, haven't even kissed or held hands with anyone I do feel alone. This last year with my health and losing all the plans I've had for my life, I've been dealing with depression on and off. And when I'm depressed, I curl up inside myself and draw away from my loved ones. So I'm feeling like I have no one to turn to for support. Hence coming to the internet. L.O.L. I'm hopeful I can be brave enough to reach out to a loved

one soon. Comment two. Unfortunately Polly is based on on communication and being on the same page, etc., and I'm doing all that behind her back and only telling you BC you said something first shows he would have went further and not told you. He cheated on you, honey, I'm sorry, but it's only Polly if you know about it, OOP. I told him this, that it's based on trust and communication. And he broke my trust and I'd give I can get over it or not. Because I am curious if Polly is something that I would like or not. I'm trying to be understanding of his needs and what would make him happy. He said he was for sure going to tell me within a few months, waiting for the right time,

but he came home wearing a bracelet that our son saw and asked him where it was from and my spouse wouldn't answer so I got suspicious. And the fact that he has still been with me in every way and was going to not say anything to me for so long is very hurtful. He was going to keep seeing her and making out with her without telling me. He only told me now because of the bracelet thing. Update 1 So, I have learned a lot about how he feels about

and with this other woman. And I have done some soul-searching. This is what I ended up doing. He claimed he wanted us both, separate but equal partners. And I sat with that for a bit. Then after some talks I realized I only had won every important cue. If he had to chose now, who would it be? I gave him an example.

I she came to him and said it was too hard on her to continue the open relationship and that she couldn't do it anymore. What would you do? Who would you stay with? And he wouldn't say the words, but he had the look on his face that said he would pick her. I told him that isn't a balanced relationship. That it isn't Polly. That she holds all the power. That he will do whatever it is she wants because he has to be with her so he will do anything she wants, including leaving me. So then I told him it wasn't fair to me. That his proposal would put me at the very bottom of importance, below both of them. I told him that's not fair to me. That I don't deserve to be someone's second, someone's back burner.

And so I told him I couldn't stay with him. I packed a suitcase and stayed the night with my sister down the road. We met a couple times after that to go over logistics. I set a reasonable timeline for him to get stuff out of the house. I set the boundaries that I didn't want to want to see him and I didn't want any communication unless it was logistics like bills or rides for the kids. I haven't seen him since. It's been a very rollercoaster time for me. We were together for 25 years. I found one person that he actually told the woman's name to. My ex never told me or anyone he thought might tell me. So his brother told me, I found her on IG and FB two days ago. man that was really hard to see who my spouse was dating.

Seeing her adult daughter do a post that talks about how good a person she is. And I wanted so bad to say that her mom is the type of person who dates married men. I'm not going to. But I really, really want to message the girlfriend, thinking I might spend some time crafting it over the next week and send it. I have quite the journey ahead of me. To all those who saw through his BS and called it what it was, cheating, and who encouraged me to leave him, and who were upset on my behalf. Thank you.

It was really eye-opening to have such a unanimous response to my post and helped give me the courage I needed. If anyone has any cue, feel free to ask. I just hope someday I can find someone who treats me as an equal, a partner who would chose me over others. Comment where O.P. has replied. Comment that is such heartbreak. He sounds selfish, immature, and selfish. Did I already say that? I am sorry. He gave no thought to you at all. Should be a huge red flag for her, but Godspeed, lady.

You take care of you, now, and when he comes crawling back to you, in six months to a year, remember, he showed you who he is. Oop, oh, I'll remember. L-O-L. His brother actually told me if I ever consider getting back with his own brother, he will kidnap me and lock me up until I remember all the shit my ex put me through and tell him I won't do it. L.O.L. Also, you mentioned he gave no thought to me at all. The heartbreaking thing is my ex has been very clear he did think about me. He said he felt like he was between a rock and a hard place. That his girlfriend kept wanting more and more and if he didn't give it to her she would leave.

So he weighed what it would do to me, he weighed that he would be breaking his strict moral code, and he weighed how he would feel if she left. And he chose her, which to me is a hell of a lot worse than not thinking of me at all. Update 2. It has been over seven months since my first post and there were so many people who saw my post. I wanted to share an update with everyone.

Reading back on my first post from the day after he told me he wanted to keep both his girlfriend and myself, I am both embarrassed and glad I can see how far I have truly come. As I said in my first update, I ended things in mid-March. I have been doing a lot of learning and growing since then. I have learned a lot about covert narcissistic behaviors, I have learned about communication and relationships, about setting healthy boundaries. I can see so clearly what was unhealthy, and honestly toxic about our relationship and the cycle I was stuck in.

I learned that how I thought and felt about things and our relationship are valid, and I don't have to accept his verbiage and his gaslighting as fact. In my original post I never called it cheating. And that was because he never considered it was cheating since he, supposedly, didn't actually sleep with them. And in the past if I called it cheating he would get upset, explain why it wasn't cheating and I would just believe he was right. I read a book about covert narcissists and there was a lot in there that was exactly my experiences.

Sometimes it was an exact quote of things I have thought before. I have stopped allowing his thoughts and feelings to override my own and it feels so good. After the affair three years ago, with a different lady, we were far apart for long enough that I started to see what was wrong with how he treated me. I learned who I was without him. And even though I believed his words and promises when he persuaded me to give him another chance, I never lost all of that progress I made. So because of that and the amazing support that I ended up having, I was able to finally break

the cycle and be free. That's not to say it's been easy. But we officially filed for divorce almost two weeks ago as co-petitioners. My state is a no-fault divorce state and he didn't object to anything I presented. So the paperwork aspect was relatively easy. The emotions were kind of all over the place. Sometimes I get angry thinking about his cheating partner girlfriend being welcomed by family and friends.

While the majority of the fault is his, it's not like she had zero to do with it. I know I can't control how anyone decides to treat her. If they are immediately welcoming and bringing her into the fold, it makes me feel like I didn't matter to them. Didn't matter enough to be upset on my behalf. Like her actions in what hurt me greatly don't matter. The anger of the betrayal hits hard sometimes. About two months after me telling him I deserve better and to get out, we had a couple long conversations.

I could tell he was miserable. He did say it was the worst thing he has ever. experienced in his life. He feels ashamed of himself and his actions and said he will never forgive himself. He apologized many times, for different things he realized he was doing wrong when we were together. Having fully and forever lost me, he sees clearly just how much of his foundation I was. I say all of this not fully trusting it since his actions never matched his words and I wish I could have seen the manipulation years ago. I am really proud of myself for how I have dealt with this whole thing, and for how far I have come. This time was so different from the

others. I didn't have the phase of who am I without him or the morning of 25 years. I did those things with the affair three years ago. Breaking free of the love bombing, devaluing, and discard narcissistic cycle is very, very difficult. I wish I was strong enough to do it any of the other six times before, but at least it wasn't another six times down the road. But now I am free and strong and know my own value. While I do not want to settle down with someone new for the rest of my life right now, I've been thinking about starting to date again. I think it would be fun and honestly help in my healing journey. Wish me luck. And don't worry, no red flags will be ignored. Thanks everyone. Next story, daughter has a trust fund from her late father's settlement that will

cover college, but my husband wants me to split it between all three kids so his daughter won't graduate with loans. When I refused, he tried to guilt my kid into giving up her money. When my 42F daughter, 17F was 7, we lost her father to an avoidable accident. Due to that in the subsequent settlement, my daughter was able to have a trust fund of sorts that provided for college, grad school if she wanted, and even some leftover for whatever life might bring. It is money that, managed wisely, would enable her to have a head start in life. She knows about this and has never taken for granted given where the money came from. After all, we'd both rather have her father around than the money.

That said, life moves on and I remarried six years after my former husband's passing to a lovely man who has two children of his own, 17F, 13M. All of the children live with us primarily with his children seeing their mother on vacations as she lives across the country. This year, both our girls are graduating and should be headed to college. My daughter was admitted Ed to her dream school last year and is ecstatic about it. Her father is an alumnus and she has this old sweatshirt of his that she kept to remind her of him. She cried so much when she got in and both her stepfather and I were proud of her because

she worked hard to get in. My stepdaughter will also be attending a wonderful school that has won the top-ranked schools for her interests. The problem now arises with the money to pay for SD's school. Because her parents cannot afford to pay the tuition in its entirety, S.D. will have to take some loans. All told, she will graduate with about $40,000 in loans, which I think is still quite modest for the school she's attending and her earning prospects post-graduation. But my daughter will graduate debt-free and for my husband this is suddenly a problem. He wants us to split up my daughter's fund between all three kids because then they could all, probably, have college fully paid for. My daughter won't have

much left over and will definitely need to borrow for grad school, which she has expressed interest in attending, but, according to my husband, that's okay because everyone will start off on an equal footing post-college. I think this is unfair to my daughter because, one, her father had to die for this money and two, this is like her inheritance from him. My husband thinks that they are all siblings and she should be happy to share the money with them if it means giving her siblings a head start in life. I absolutely do not want to put her in the position of being guilt into saying yes if she doesn't want to. I have expressed all of this to my husband and he thinks that I'm being selfish, that I'm teaching my daughter to be selfish, and I obviously don't consider my

S-Ks the same as my daughter. Ida for wanting to protect my daughter's trust for her as it was intended? Edit. Since I've seen this a few times already, both kids do have college funds but somewhat smaller because my husband and his ex got their finances together later in life. So there is some money but with the caliber slash COA of the school that SD will be attending, she will still need some loans to cover costs. I haven't brought up going to a cheaper school because that will be a fresh set of problems given where my daughter will be matriculating. Comments where op has replied, comment one.

NTA. That settlement was for your deceased husband's children, not your future children, and certainly not someone else's. NTA. No way. He needs to put it. provide for his kids. You have, tragically, provided for your kid. This is her money. Why hasn't he been saving for his kids' education all along? He can co-sign on his kids' loans and pay them off.

These are his kids and he and his ex-wife need to provide their educational expenses. Op, to be fair, he did save for his kids, but it won't fully cover. S.D. will need to take about $10,000 to $15,000 give or take per year, although it could be less if she managed to get paid work during summers, etc. We would also be happy to help her out here and there if needs be. Downvoted comment too. Info, this is a difficult situation to judge as written. My question for you is this, who has paid for your daughter's need since you and your husband married? Has he contributed at all to her food, clothing, shelter, school-related expenses, extracurriculars, family trips, etc?

Or were those expenses born solely by you and or the fund? Because if your current husband has contributed to his stepdaughter's expenses, I can see how he might think, I've spent thousands supporting this young woman over the years. Money that could have come from her fund. Op, both my husband and I paid for things because we both have careers and didn't nickel and dime one another about who was buying what for whose kid. Some information from OOP on this trust,

when the settlement was awarded, it was awarded to me. I then split the money and put most of it in a trust for her since we weren't struggling because I work and made enough for our little family. Update, I'd forgotten about this account some time after I posted until I saw my original post. I logged in and found a lot of message requests demanding an update, some nicely and some not to nicely. I almost deleted the account, but I figured why not. So here we are. My daughter is now a junior at her father's alma mater and her dream school is planned. She's doing exceptionally well to her surprise, but not mine.

I always knew she was capable. I'm happy that she's starting to understand what I've always known. She's told me that she plans to start studying for her L-SAT because she wants to apply to law school senior year. I'm so immensely proud of the woman that she is becoming. I've never quite been able to get over that stab of grief that hits when I see her shining and know that her father will never be able to see her being an adult that we can be proud of. As for the money, it stayed hers.

That part one never wavered on but that was also the very thing that ended my marriage. Things fell apart even before the girls went to college. My ex-husband went to my daughter, against my explicit wishes, and tried to guilt her into sharing the money. She came to me upset and that was it for me. Going behind my back and trying to pressure my teenage daughter into doing something that I had stated would not be happening? Unconscionable. We separated that fall, and the actual divorce was finalized this past summer. My stepdaughter is also a junior at the school she was excited

about, but we have not spoken since the separation. I don't know if she blames me and my daughter or is trying to distance herself from the whole thing, but it still hurts. My stepson still contacts me frequently, so that's something. I moved after the divorce was finalized, so now I'm in a new city with a new job and a new house. It's been an adjustment but it feels good to start fresh in a completely new city for the first time in my adult life. So that's it. I'm doing well, as is my kid, and we're moving on with life which is all you can do these days. I am grateful to the thousands of people who didn't make me feel like a monster because I stood firm on protecting what was my daughters.

She and I are both grateful that we took that stance, especially now that we know that grad school is firmly in the future and the economy around that. This will obviously be my last update. So cheers. Be well. I hope you enjoy this story. I evicted my unfaithful spouse after he requested me to care for the hidden child he had with his lover who is no longer alive. I declined to take on that responsibility, so my decision was final. Is calling me the villain now? So I, 26F, have been married for almost two years. My husband, Kyle, 26M, and I met around the time that we graduated from college at a frat party. We were in different departments and I had seen him around college, but we didn't really interact much.

Our friends had dragged us to the party because it was one of the last before the semester ended, and both of us were having a terrible time there as both of us are kind of introverted and parties are not really our things, especially once people were getting drunk and throwing up all over the place. So I kept insisting that I wanted to leave, and my friends didn't. But they saw Kyle was leaving and asked him to walk with me instead because I also wanted to leave. So we ended up living together and we started talking on the walk back to campus and it was nice so we exchanged numbers at the end of it. Then we started texting and soon after graduation, we started dating. We were in a relationship, we were in a relationship for almost four years before he finally popped the question and we ended up getting

married. We have had our ups and downs, but most of it has been really petty and unimportant. There have been no big fights, not when we were dating, and not even after we got married. I never suspected him of cheating or anything of the sort, because it just never occurred to me and his behavior around me was always perfectly normal. I thought he was in love with me, and he insists that he still is, but clearly, that was not the case. That was not the case. because otherwise he would not have cheated on me. About three weeks ago, Kyle came back home with a little girl in his arms who I had seen very few times before, but I realized that it was the daughter of one of his friends. He didn't offer up any explanation himself when he

walked into the house after work with a child in his arms, so I had to ask him what this was all about. He didn't tell me anything until he had said the girl down on the couch with his phone and put on something and then he had taken me aside to the bedroom. The way of the way of way he was behaving was really freaking me out, and I could tell that something bad was about to happen. I just had a sixth sense telling me that something was very off. Once we were inside the bedroom, he sat me down and told me that he had something that he had to tell me. He started off by telling me that he still loved me more than anything in this world and that what he was about to tell me might make me feel otherwise, but I needed to remember that

we were meant to be together. Instantly, I knew that the child was his, but I still let him because I was hoping against all odds that there would be some innocent explanation for the little girl sitting in our living room. However, when he started talking, I knew that it was all over. He told me that it had all started a week before we were supposed to get married because that's when it had started really hitting him that he was getting married and now, he had to spend the rest of his life with one person. Like most guys do, he got cold feet and was about to make a run for it the night before the wedding, but one of his friends caught him in the act. Now this friend of his who passed away recently, let's call her Nikki, had been smoking in the parking lot and was apparently on a phone call outside because that was the only place she could get a signal, which is why she had been able to catch him before he got into his car.

She had noticed the duffel bag that he had packed for the quick getaway and figured out what was going on, so she tried to calm him down and tell him that it would all be fine. She even got into the car with him and tried to talk him out of it, but they ended up making out in the car. He and Nikki had known each other for a really long time since they went to high school together and I had always suspected that Nikki had a thing for him, but there was no proof of it, so I never said anything about it. She would always be nice to me as well, so I had no reason to bring it up and make a big deal out of it. But I always had a gut feeling that she thought of Kyle as more than a friend and had I not been part of the equation, she probably would have tried to get with him. Anyway, Kyle told me that he ended up spending the night before our wedding with her and

they slept together because he was nervous and she was the only person who had been around. He said that he hadn't been thinking straight and that as soon as he realized what he had done, he decided to apologize to her and leave so he could come back to his own room and get married to me because I was the one person he actually loved. He left her room at around four in the morning and came back to his own room immediately so nobody saw him leave at any point and so, he had been able to keep this a secret for quite a long time. Nikki also didn't bring it up later and they decided that whatever had happened on the night before our wedding had been nothing but a huge mistake and so, they were never going to talk about

it ever again because she knew that he was happy with me and he had made up his mind that he wanted to be with me. I wish I could say that that was it, but unfortunately, a few weeks later, Nikki reached out to Kyle yet again because she was pregnant. That's when everything started going topsy-turvy because they hadn't accounted for this happening at all and both of them had been caught off guard by the news. But Nikki decided that she was going to keep the baby and had given Kyle the chance to either walk away from having a relationship with the child or he could choose to be an active part of the baby's life. And Kyle chose to co-parent their child together. He didn't sign the parental rights that he had and was there for Nikki every step of the way.

He would attend most of the appointments that she had with her OBGYN, and even on the day of her birth, he was with her all along. It was quite easy to fool me because every time he had to be with Nikki, he would just tell me that he had to go on a work trip, and he would be gone. I knew that she was pregnant, I had also congratulated her, and even on the day of our first anniversary together, she had been invited to the party, but little did I know that the baby she brought to the party was my husband's. The story that Nikki told everyone was that she got pregnant while hooking up with a dating app match, and the guy didn't want to be a part of the pregnancy and the child's life, so she was a single

mom now. The story was believable enough, so nobody questioned it and her daughter had very normal features so it never occurred to me that she looked similar to Kyle. Kyle and Nikki had been in touch even after the wedding and she had even been to our house several times after that on many occasions. I never noticed anything off about the way they behaved around each other, so it was quite easy for them to fool me. Nikki rarely ever brought her daughter along, so I would only see her in pictures, which is why I hadn't been able to recognize her when my husband brought her in last time. He told me that he had been supporting them and would

visit them every chance he got, just to be close to his daughter. He promised me that there was nothing between him and Nikki, and they had ended their affair after that night before the wedding. They had never been anything before or after it, it had just been one night, but he had continued to stay in touch with her because they had a parental agreement and shared custody of their daughter. He also had to pay child support, and he really wanted to be a part of his daughter's life, so he couldn't walk away from her. Unfortunately, Nikki passed away a month ago in a deadly car accident because a drunk truck driver had collided with her car. Their daughter had been living with her parents for the past few weeks, but now,

Kyle had decided that it was finally time to tell me the truth and he wanted me to accept him and his daughter so she could have a mother and we could be a family together. After I had heard his entire story and processed it, I had no idea what he was going to tell me next because I was in shock. But the second he told me that he expected me to actually raise his daughter as my own after he just told me that he had cheated on me and slept with his friend the day before we were supposed to get married, I flipped out. I started screaming at him mysterically and told him that I was never going to accept him or his daughter because what he had done to me was something that I could never forgive. I told him that the fact that he had even asked me and expected

me to say yes showed me just how entitled he was and how tone deaf and insensitive he could be. I had a total breakdown and I remember cursing him out while throwing everything in the room here and there. I had a full-blown meltdown, and once it was over, I decided that I was not going to let him live here anymore. While I had been having my episode, Kyle was just standing around and trying to calm me down by saying meaningless things so that we could work out and that he knew I didn't mean anything I was saying because I was just angry. He told me that, even though his daughter was partly Nicky's, it was also partly his, and he knew that I would come to accept her time. So I told him that I had nothing against the little girl because,

none of this was her fault, but he should have known better, and he shouldn't have cheated. I told him that he had to pack his stuff and leave because I was not going to let a cheater like him live with me in this house and my decision was final. I also told him that he had to take his daughter with him and go, because no matter what, I was never going to accept the two of them in this family. What's done was done, he couldn't change it, but I wasn't going to put up with it either. He tried to guilt-trip me by saying that I had made promises to him when I got married to him and I had to be there for him in his bad times. But I told him that all those promises went out of the window as soon as he told me that he had cheated on me right before making the same

promises to me. I had signed up for a husband, not for this. He kept trying to talk me out of it, but I told him that I had already made up my mind and he couldn't even disagree because the deed of our house was under my name since it had been a wedding gift from my dad, and I had every right to kick him out. So after a lot of arguing and back and forth, he finally decided to start packing his things so he could leave. I had made it abundantly clear that I didn't want him or his daughter in my house anymore. He was very upset as well, and he thought that I would have a heart and be understanding about this, but I told him that I didn't really care. He had betrayed me and had continued to betray me for two years by not telling me the truth. If Nikki hadn't passed away

in that terrible accident, he probably wouldn't even have told me the truth at any point. And I would have just spent my life with a cheater, never getting to know about his daughter or his affair. And I didn't even know if he was telling me the truth about it being just one night that he had spent with Nikki. For all I know, it could have been a long-drawn affair, but now I would never know about it, because she was gone, and nobody else knew about it. And nobody else them either. So there were a lot of loose ends in the story and unfortunately, nobody would ever be able to tie them up for me, but it was fine because I didn't want to be a part of the story anyway. I was done with him the second he told me that he had cheated. Even while he was leaving,

he told me that I was being heartless by kicking him out along with his daughter. And it did make me feel a little guilty because his daughter had no idea what was happening and she was just a little girl so she didn't really deserve any of this, but I knew that she would be taken care of. Kyle was by no means poor or anything so once he got kicked out, he would probably either just go to a hotel, or live with his parents. So I knew that she would be safe and sound with him, she just wouldn't be living with me. And I don't think there was anything heartless about it. Before he left, I told him that this might teach him a lesson about honesty, and if he ever got married again, he would know better than to lie to her about something so big.

Then I slammed the door shut in his face as he waited for a cab outside. Once I had made sure that he had left, I finally allowed myself to actually cry, and I think I sobbed for hours that day. I also called my parents after he left and told them everything and they told me that I could come live with them or they could come live with me, just so I would have company and I wouldn't have to go through this all on my own. So they had been living with me for the past few days. It's been almost two weeks, and I still haven't filed for divorce yet because I don't have the courage to do it, but Kyle is trying to get me back. He has been texting me almost every day to apologize to me for everything and he insists that I don't let this minor hiccup in our

marriage ruin what we have. I don't understand how he can refer to this other minor hiccup, because as far as I am concerned, he lied to me for years and it wasn't really a small lie. It was a pretty big one, and it shook up the literal foundation of our marriage. And I don't think anybody in my place would treat this as something minor or petty like he is trying to convince me. He's trying to downplay the impact of what has happened. So I don't leave him, I can understand that. But what his parents are trying to do is worse because they are trying to vilify me, just because I stood up for myself, and refused to let Kyle stay with me after he told me that he had had an affair with Nikki.

They sent me a long email a couple of days ago and they had a lot to say about all of this. Of course, there was the usual, calling me, selfish and cold-hearted, and whatnot. They also said that, since Nikki was no longer in this world, there was no reason for me to be so upset about it, because it wasn't as if they would rekindle the affair at any cost. So I had no reason to feel so insecure and go to such lengths. And moreover, since she was dead, it was all the way. the more reason for me to adopt her daughter and live as a family. It was the right thing to do. Long story short, they went all out in their email to make me the bad guy and called me the

villain because of the way I was acting. And I seriously don't understand how I am in the wrong here. For a really long time, I have done everything that a good wife would and tried my best to be a good partner to Kyle. But this is something that I cannot accept or forgive, knowing that he cheated on me with someone who visited us several times after that. Knowing that she had been under my roof and we had so many conversations, it makes my skin crawl. The disrespect is astounding, and yet, he expected me to accept him and his daughter. The most I can do is feel bad for him, but I cannot let my pride go and adopt his daughter. At the same time, that email has made me rethink a lot of things. I can't really deal with the fact that my in-laws are calling me the villain

over something like this. They have always been nice to me, even while I was dating Kyle, and as far as I know, they were not aware of the fact that they had a granddaughter, so it was a surprise to them as well. They mentioned in the mail as well, that if they could accept it, then I shouldn't have any problems doing the same. It's not really the same thing, though, since I was cheated on, so I don't know what they are going on about. But anyway, coming back to the issue at hand, I just want to keep my conscience clear and I can't talk to my friends about this. Not yet, anyway. So Ida for kicking my husband out of the house after he brought home his secret daughter because his affair partner passed away? Update 1,

thank you so much, you guys, for the overwhelming response. I'm staying strong, thanks to you guys and the support of my parents. I told them about the affair and the child and what Kyle had expected of me, and they were nothing but supportive of me. They told me that I had done the right thing by kicking him out because he needed to be taught a lesson and taken down a peg. They told me that it was outrageous, that he had even expected that I would accept the two of them and live happily ever after. It was just stupid of him. My father, especially, was really upset because he hadn't really liked Kyle in the first place, because he thought that my husband was a little too flighty for his taste. The reason for that was that he had switched careers

many times but with very little success. He had a lot of money, but he had barely ever accomplished something because he just kept jumping from one job to one another, without bothering to stay at one for long enough to find out about his future with the company. And I had always defended him, saying that there was nothing of the sort, but as it turns out, my dad was right about everything. So they're trying to look for good divorce attorneys and then, I can file for divorce because I don't think there is any point in waiting around anymore. He can keep apologizing, but that doesn't mean I'll have to forgive him at any point. And in my heart, I don't think that I can ever forgive him after what he has done.

Some things are just never going to be fine, no matter how much you try to make them be. Update 2, hey, so it's been two weeks since I last posted on Reddit. About four days ago, I filed for divorce, and my dad found me one of the best attorneys in town, something that I am grateful for because now the divorce will mostly be in my favor unless he finds someone better. But that is unlikely because even if he does find the best lawyer in the country, he still cheated. Anyway, that's not the point right now. This morning, Kyle was served with the divorce papers and he was not pleased about it. Since he got kicked out, he has been texting me every day to try and win me over, but I guess today, he realized that I was never coming back.

and that did not sit right with him so instead of just gracefully accepting it and letting go with dignity, he decided to make a scene in front of my house. I guess he has been living with his parents, there's no other explanation because today when he showed up in front of my house, his daughter was not with him. And I am thankful that she wasn't because I don't think any kid would have liked to see what went down next. He started screaming at me from the street and called me a bunch of names. He said that I was the worst and that he regretted ever marrying me. He should have just called off the wedding after that one night with Nikki and married her instead. And then, he even started blaming me for her demise. It was just absurd because he was saying that had I not been his wife,

he would have married her and they would have been together and maybe she still would have been alive today and his daughter would have a mother. I don't even know how he came to that conclusion, because, as far as I knew, her car was plowed into by a drunken truck driver. I had absolutely nothing to do with it, so blaming me for something as big as that, that's just psychotic, and I knew that he was having a breakdown of some sort, so I didn't say anything but I did call the cops because wanted him away from me. And then they also started to call, asking for an explanation about what was going on because they knew us and they could recognize Kyle's voice.

It was a whole mess. The cops arrived within 15 minutes and had him escorted off my property because while screaming, he had set foot into the garden. And I could have him arrested or have pressed charges against him, but I didn't because I didn't want the drama. I knew that my in-laws would have a lot to say if I did something like that, it just didn't seem worth it, so I let it go. He was let off with a warning, and he seemed reasonably ashamed of himself while he was walking away. It was honestly a really weird day and I just want it to be over. I really wish that he does not pull off stuff like this during the divorce because it's all really painful and stressful as it is, I don't need more.

Update 3, hello, so I finally announced my divorce today on social media because a couple of friends were asking about me and Kyle and how we were doing because we had not posted anything together in a really long time. Nobody knows, apart from my parents and his parents, what we are going through. And I decided that today, I was going to tell everybody that we were getting divorced. They don't need to know the reason why, but it's going to be awkward in the long run, so I think it was important to announce it to people. And I'm so lucky that I did because when I posted it, Nikki's parents reached out to me. They told me that apparently, they had been waiting for a post like this after the demise of their daughter, and had been checking my profile every day through

Nikki's account, and it had finally come through the news that the coast was clear, and they could finally tell me the whole truth. They texted me from Nikki's phone, so it was quite freaky because it was like she was texting me or something but of course, that was not the case. They told me apparently whatever Kyle had told me about them ending the affair after just one night of hooking up before the wedding, was all a big fat lie. Kyle had actually been cheating on me until the day that Nikki passed away. They said that he would come over all. almost every other weekend, and promised Nikki that he would leave me because she was in love with him, and he claimed that he was in love with her as well. The affair had never ended,

he just lied to me about it being just one night. Apparently, he had even taken her on weekend getaways a couple of times in the past two years. So I guess I was right to file for divorce. He was just trying to make a fool out of me yet again. And this time, it might have even been easier for him, since Nikki was not here anymore to deny or confirm the story. It makes me sick to think that he was going to take advantage of the fact that Nikki had passed away, and I hadn't posted about the divorce. Her parents never would have reached out to me and I probably wouldn't have ever found out the truth. It's so scary to think that I could have spent my whole life believing in a lie like this. I'm really happy that I made that post. I also asked them if they would be able to

testify against him if it really came down to it, and they agreed readily. They told me that they had never approved of Kyle and Nikki's relationship, just because of the fact that he had been cheating on me. If he had refused to marry me once he realized that he had feelings for Nikki and broken off the marriage, it would have been moderately respectable, but instead of doing that, he continued to meet Nikki behind my back because he wasn't ready to give up on me either. They told me that they tested him because he was miserable throughout the pregnancy and even afterward because he would always promise that he would leave me, but everybody knew that was not going to happen because he cared too much about what other people thought of him

to actually leave me. If he left me, and then he started going out with Nikki, he would immediately become the bad guy, and he didn't want that. So he was ready to cheat on me and betray my trust, and do the same to Nikki and put us both through so much pain because he cared about his reputation. It was just disgusting and I am really happy that I decided to file for a divorce because he doesn't deserve to be with me. In fact, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that he doesn't deserve to be with anyone. Or rather, I cannot imagine a woman so horrible that she would deserve to be with him, because he is the worst man on earth. I know that Nikki loved him, I had always known it because it was just so evident. And I know that she had been part of an affair with a married man,

but for some reason, I just feel bad for her. Now, it might be the fact that she's gone, but she didn't deserve this. The way her parents put it, she would cry day and night and the only respite from all the pain was her daughter. She had even been begging him to leave me because she couldn't do this anymore, and even until a week before she passed away, he had promised her that he would leave me soon enough. But these were all false promises and now, there's no need for him to live up to any of it. So I bet he must be very relieved.

The only reason he even came clean to me recently was because Nikki's parents were threatening to tell him if he didn't tell me the truth himself, so that's what drove him. And he realized that if he came to me with the truth, he would have more of a chance to manipulate it to suit him and his narrative, which is why he did it himself. He's just a nasty piece of work. I'm going to make sure that I destroy him in the divorce because he doesn't deserve to get away with what he did, both to me and Nicky's. I've already told my lawyer everything and he thinks it's good stuff.

Let's see how it goes. I hope you enjoy this story. I went to my child's supper, but she presented her second mother as the lady who brought her up to her relatives and expelled me, claiming I was an insignificant individual she disregarded. Ashamed of. I, 48F, need some outside perspective on what happened at my daughter's, 25F, rehearsal dinner and the events that followed. This has been eating me up, and I'm questioning whether I was wrong and how I handled things. A little background, my ex-husband, 50M, and I divorced when my daughter was 10. He remarried a year later, and his new wife, my daughter's stepmom, let's call her S,

has always tried to insert herself into my daughter's life as some kind of supermom. I did my best to co-parent peacefully, but things were always a little tense. Her dad is significantly more well-off than I am, and he made sure. to show her that. Because of that, my daughter always favored her father and her stepmother and resented me for not providing for her in the same way. To say we've had a rocky relationship would be an understatement. It's been tough, but I've tried to stay in her life and show her love. Now, fast forward to the wedding rehearsal dinner. I was genuinely excited to be there. I thought we were in a good place, especially since I'd helped her with the wedding planning and some of the

expenses. However, as the day of the wedding came closer, my daughter began to pull herself away from me. She would ignore my calls and messages for days, and when she finally got back to me, she'd sound really disinterested. I thought the rehearsal dinner would be a great chance for us to reconnect, and possibly work out whatever had been bothering her. I hoped that this event would bring us closer and that the wedding might be a fresh start for us. But boy, was I wrong? During the dinner, My daughter stood up to introduce everyone to her soon-to-be in-laws. When she got to her stepmom, she said, This is S, the woman who raised me.

She didn't look at me even once and instead beamed with pride and happiness as she raised her glass to her stepmother. It felt like a slap in the face, especially because I did raise her, or at least I thought I did. I just sat there, stunned, while everyone else smiled and raised their glasses to her stepmother as well. It was as if I didn't exist. I stayed quiet and tried to hold back my tears because I didn't want to ruin the evening for her. I kept telling myself that this was her night and that my feelings didn't matter.

My daughter came up to me after dinner and asked if we could talk privately. I was actually kind of happy that she was pulled aside because I thought that she wanted to either apologize or explain what she said earlier. That wasn't the case. Instead, she really laid into me and told me that she never wanted to invite me to her wedding in the first place. She told me that I was a pathetic nobody who she was ashamed of. She then told me to leave and kicked me out. I can't even begin to explain the level of pain I felt. I never expected my own daughter to speak to me like that, I mean, there was so much disgust in her

voice that I actually felt really bad about myself. I had spent years trying to be there for her, even when it felt like she didn't want me around. Once again, I did not want to cause a scene or argue with her in front of her future in-laws, so I quietly went back to my hotel room. I was beyond heartbroken. I didn't sleep that night. Instead, I just replayed the whole evening over and over in my head. I also couldn't help but remember all the other times that my daughter was rude to me. She was never someone to shy away from speaking her mind, regardless of how hurtful her words were. The only difference was usually, I could brush off her words as something that teenagers would say. This time? This time was very different. She was a full-grown adult, talking to me completely sober,

which meant she meant every word she said. I couldn't wrap my head around why she hated me so much. I cried a bunch and felt so pathetic that I decided it would be best for both of us if I went back home. I packed my bags and decided that I would drive back home as soon as the sun was up. The next morning, I checked out of the hotel and loaded my bags into my car. Just as I sat in my car and got ready to drive, I got a call from my daughter. She was hysterical. She told me that her dad and stepmom had betrayed her. Apparently, they had presented her with some documents that morning essentially they stated

that since my daughter was no longer a part of their family, she would be disinherited from their wealth. Basically, they were severing all financial ties with her. The thing is, my daughter chose to go to a very expensive university for a degree that she hasn't used ever. When it came time to select her university, she was clueless and had no interest in pursuing further education in one particular subject. I suggested that she go to community college for a couple of years so she could expand her horizons and then pick a better university based on something she was passionate about. However, her stepmother was adamant

that my daughter go to college as soon as she graduated high school and told her that she would pay for any university as long as my daughter got a degree. S. even went out of her way to show my daughter brochures of very, very expensive universities so she could convince my daughter to get a degree. Now, I didn't have that kind of money, and I explained that to my daughter as best as I could. The original plan was for my husband and I to pay for my daughter's college tuition together, but I would not have been able to do that if my daughter chose to go to the universities that S was showing her. My daughter took my financial difficulties to mean that I did not want her to go to university at all. She told me countless times that if I really wanted her to have a good

life, I would have made things happen for her, the way S always did. She thought that I was too consumed by my jealousy for S to actually provide for her. Obviously, that was never true. The money S was spending was not hers but my ex-husbands which was money I did not have. I tried my best to explain this to my daughter, but she refused to listen to me and decided to go to one of the expensive universities that S had shown her. She chose one that was far away from our home state so she could be away from me. She took out a student loan, at the advice of her father, and cut all contact with me for four years. Her father and stepmother promised her that they would take care of her student loans, and apparently only advised her to take that loan because they did not have

that amount in liquid. They had slowly but steadily been giving her the funds to pay off her loan, but now that they decided to cut her off financially, they pushed that loan fully onto her. My daughter has never worked a day in her life, and she has absolutely no money of her own. Her father had been giving her a monthly allowance, which is how she managed to live. She has absolutely no way to pay off that loan without actually getting a job because her fiancé does not have that kind of money either. She kept crying about how betrayed she felt and even told me that I was the only one who could help her out. She first begged me to talk to her father and stepmother, but I refused to do that.

She tried to reason with me and tried to guilt me into talking to her father. She told me that if I didn't talk to him, she and her husband would be left struggling for years just to pay off her loan. She told me that her husband had student loans of his own and that she couldn't make his life worse with her loan. She begged me to talk to her father and change his mind, but I saw no good reason to talk to my ex-husband when he did nothing but make him. my life miserable. I told my daughter that if she didn't want to make her husband's life miserable, she could get a job and help him out. I tried to tell her that what was happening to her was in no way the end of the world. But that only made her angrier with me. My daughter lashed out at me

and demanded I'd pay off her debt because she thought I was the reason for her father cutting her off. I will admit that by this point, I was furious. I asked her if she really thought that she could live on her father's money for the rest of her life. I reminded her of how I had advised her not to choose an expensive university because she would struggle later on, especially when her father told her to take out a student loan instead of paying it off himself. I reminded her how whenever I tried to tell her passively about how amazing it would be for her to get a job and put her degree to use, she lashed out at me and stopped talking to me for a week or at least until I apologized and did everything I could to be on good terms with her again. Keep in mind, this happened

after she finally let me talk to her once she graduated from university. I told her that she was a grown woman and that it was time for her to finally start acting like it. I also reminded her that considering I was a pathetic nobody, I had no way to actually help her out. She called me selfish and petty for bringing up something that happened the night before. I hung up the phone after that and drove home. I skipped the wedding and I turned my phone off because I did not want her to call me again. I know I was pretty harsh with my words, but saying all of that made me feel a whole lot lighter. I mean, those were words that I had been bottling up inside me because she was my daughter,

and I never wanted to say a mean word to her. Every time she insulted me or treated me wrong, I never got angry with her. Maybe that was a mistake in hindsight, but I still did my absolute best to show her that she meant the absolute world to me and that I would always be there for her. I did not like the way that she treated me especially since she had the nerve to call me the morning after she called me a pathetic nobody and didn't even think once to apologize. Instead, she somehow found a way to turn her words into my fault. I switched my phone on the next day, and I had hundreds of messages from my daughter,

and other family members most of whom knew about the difficulties I had raising my daughter. My daughter thought I was very selfish for not only refusing to help her out, but also for skipping her wedding and ruining her important day. Our relatives are divided. Relatives on my side of the family supported me when I explained the situation to them. However, all our other relatives berated me and told me I was heartless for abandoning my daughter when she needed me the most. I feel so torn.

On one hand, I feel so relieved that I put myself first for the first time, and on the other, I feel terrible that I made my daughter upset and that I can't help her out. I swear, I want to help her out. It hurt to hear the pain in her voice when she called me that day, but I barely make $40,000 a year. I really don't have the kind of money to help my daughter pay off her loan. I feel like I should just bite the bullet and talk to my ex-husband. I could maybe ask him to be a little more understanding of our daughter's situation,

and perhaps be a little more gracious towards her. I don't think that will necessarily work out, but I will do anything if that means my daughter gets to be happy I just don't know what to do or feel. I need help. I feel trapped and like a failure. I tried reaching out to my daughter earlier today, but she hasn't picked up any of my calls or replied to any of my texts.

I'm beginning to feel like a real monster thanks to the way I behaved and the words I said. I'd for putting my foot down with my daughter and skipping her wedding. If there's anyone out there who reads this and leaves me some advice, I want to thank you in advance. Update 1. Hello. First of all, I want to thank everyone who commented on this post. I did not think that my post would get so much attention, but I'm grateful it did. I got so many nice and validating comments, and trust me, I have not felt so seen and cared for in a really long time,

so I really am super grateful for all the comments. I do want to address a few questions that popped up in the comments before I move on to my update. One, am I aware of how spoiled my daughter is? Yes. I unfortunately am aware of how spoiled she is. I get how infuriating it is to read my post and while I appreciate all the advice to cut off my daughter, I'm afraid it's a lot more complicated than that. She is my daughter. I carried her for nine months and gave her the life she has.

She's my pride and joy. I can't simply cut her out of my life. I can acknowledge the fact that she isn't the best person, but I cannot abandon her. Two, why did I divorce my ex-husband? A lot of comments were asking if my ex-husband and I got divorced because he cheated on me or if I did something to him. I don't think it's necessary to discuss my personal life here, but I will tell you that we had a nasty divorce. My daughter's father wasn't the best husband to me, and when I'd finally had enough, I filed for divorce. He resented me for that and took it upon himself to make me regret making that decision.

He fought for full custody of my daughter for years. He scrutinized everything I did so he could use it in court against me. He got married to a model shortly after our divorce so he could rub it in my face that he was better off without me. While he never explicitly told my daughter anything against me, his actions spoke louder than any words could have. Three, do I hate my daughter's stepmother? No. I just have a very complicated relationship with her. She's been nice to me whenever I've met her but only out of pity. Again, I don't have a problem with that at all.

I couldn't care less about my ex-husband's new relationship, and I was glad that he was finally happy. What I did have a problem with was how my daughter's stepmother took it upon herself to parent my daughter. For years, she tried to convince me to waive my parental rights for my daughter so she could adopt my daughter and be her legal parent. While she never got upset with me for saying no, she did tell my daughter that, she did tell my daughter that I did not want her to be my daughter's mother. That ruined my relationship with my

daughter for a good while. Of course, her stepmother corrected what she meant and my daughter understood, but the damage was already done. Other than that, whenever I did anything for my daughter, she would do her best to one-up me. Whenever I told my daughter that she wasn't allowed to do something, or even if I tried to discipline my daughter by grounding her, my daughter's stepmother would but in and tell my daughter that she was allowed to do whatever she wanted. My ex-husband obviously did not care that his wife was undermining my role as our daughter's mother. He found it very amusing and told me that his wife was as much a mother to our daughter as I was. So yeah, my daughter's stepmother was never overtly rude or mean to me, but she did make raising my daughter difficult.

I don't have any negative feelings towards her yes even when she was the reason my daughter cut off all contact with me for four years. I never held any negative feelings towards her. If there's one person I blame for all of this, it's obviously my ex-husband. This entire situation was a ploy for him to get back at me for ruining his perfect family. I just wish my daughter could see that. Now, on to the update. It took a week for my daughter to finally get back to me. I can't even tell you how happy I was that she picked up my call.

Obviously, she was very angry with me, and initially, she barely responded to me. But after I told her that I would talk to her father, she perked up immediately. I know a lot of the comments told me to stand my ground and not talk to my husband. But I realized I could put my ego aside and help my daughter out instead. Don't get me wrong, I love that I put my foot down with my daughter for the first time, but she still needed the help. I explained that to my daughter as well. I told her that the only reason I would talk to her father was because I cared for her.

I told her that I didn't care about her debt or any of that. I only cared about how unhappy she was and I wanted to make that right. She broke down and told me she was sorry for treating me poorly. She then revealed to me that her marriage was on the rocks. I was shocked. I mean, it had barely been two weeks. She revealed that her husband was not okay with the huge loan that she had. had. They had apparently made a lot of plans about what they were going to do after marriage,

like buying a home and starting a family. All of those plans would be delayed by a lot because of her loan, and her husband was considering leaving her because he didn't want to be stuck paying off her loan instead of doing the things he'd been dreaming of doing. I felt horrible for her. I couldn't imagine how she must have been feeling when every important person in her life turned their backs on her. I told her that I would do my best to help her out, but I also told her that there was a huge chance that her father wouldn't listen to a word I said. She tried to argue about that, but I quickly shut her down with a few examples of all the times her father completely disregarded me. She was really upset, but I promised her that I

would help her get back on her feet no matter what. All I wanted in return was for her to actually make an effort to get the thing she wants. Thankfully, my daughter seemed to see the the light and told me that she would do whatever I wanted of her if things with her father did not pan out. She thanked me at the end of the call, and as sad as it is, that was the most sincere she'd ever been with her gratefulness. It made me even more resolute in my decision to help her out. That leads me to today. I called her father and we decided to meet at his place this weekend so we could talk. I don't have much hope for this to work out in my daughter's favor, but at the very least this has been a very eye-opening moment for my daughter.

I know that no matter what happens from here on she'll be a changed person, and I hope that she'll include me in her life a lot more. Wish me luck. I'll update you after this weekend. Update 2, I'm back. The weekend was yesterday, and I was too emotionally drained to update yesterday. Anyway, let me get to it. On the day that I was going to visit my ex-husband, my daughter insisted that she come along as well.

I wasn't so sure about that idea being good. but I decided that it would be good for her to be there, so she could hear everything that was said. I picked my daughter up from her place and we went over to her father's house together. When we got there, my ex-husband barely acknowledged us because he knew what we were there to talk about. His wife walked in and greeted us as nicely as she could, but the atmosphere was pretty tense. I addressed the topic and did my best to reason with them to help my daughter out with her loan. I thought I could at least negotiate with them to stop sending her a monthly allowance and simply help her pay off her loan, but they refused to agree to what I was saying.

At some point, my daughter also joined in to try to convince her father, but that only seemed to make her stepmother angrier. Eventually, her stepmother burst out and told her that she regretted ever being kind to her. She told my daughter that she was the worst thing that ever happened to her and my ex-husband. She told my daughter that she was spoiled and a menace to her father. She also said that the only reason she was ever kind to my daughter was because of my ex-husband and because she pitted my ex-husband.

She told my daughter that she purposely flashed those brochures for expensive universities because she knew they were far away from home and she thought that would be the greatest present for my ex-husband. And she also revealed that she told my ex-husband that she would treat my daughter nicely only until she got married. After my daughter got married, she told my ex-husband that he'd have to cut off all financial ties to my daughter and let her deal with things by herself. My ex-husband agreed to those terms, and for some reason never thought of it when he agreed to help my daughter out with her student loan. Obviously, my daughter's crushed and I feel horrible for her.

My daughter and I quickly left after her stepmother's outburst. My ex-husband did not have any remorse on his face actually, he even looked relieved and that made me furious. I didn't say anything, though, because I was too focused on consoling my daughter. When I thought she was calmer and doing better, I dropped her off back at her place. Just a few hours later, I got a call from her and she was hysterical. I finally managed to calm her down before she told me that her husband was going to file for a nullment of their marriage because he didn't want to be tied down to someone with her kind of debt. My heart broke for my little girl. I quickly went over to her place and I did my best to be with her. We were up until 4 a.m. just talking and crying. I think we healed our relationship quite a lot.

While I wish my daughter never had to go through such a painful experience, I'm glad that at the very least, she's come out a better person. And yes, I know that it's too early to be the judge of that, but I truly think that she's on the path to becoming a better person. That's it for now. I'm going to do my best to be there for my daughter and help her out to the best of my abilities. Thanks for all the concern and well wishes. I'll be back if there are other major updates. Update 3, so it's been around four months since I last came here. A lot has happened and if I'm being honest I completely forgot about this post, but I finally got some downtime today and I happened to remember it. I promised you guys an update, so here it is. After my daughter's husband told

her that he would file for annulment of their marriage, I went over to help her out and just be there for her in general. Her husband stayed at a hotel the entire time and he actually did go through with what he said. Yeah, my daughter was an absolute wreck. It got scary after a certain point. My daughter would not eat, would rarely get out of bed and she couldn't stop crying. Of course, I stayed with her the entire time and helped her out as best as I could. Eventually, it was beginning to affect me as well, so I managed to convince her to get therapy. I figured that other than her husband leaving her and finding out that her stepmother never loved her, she also had other issues to resolve, so therapy was her best bet.

Thankfully, I was right. I began to see a vast improvement in my daughter. She even suggested that both of us go to family therapy so we can properly work out our relationship. I cannot even describe how happy that made me. But, yes, we did start therapy together and our relationship has grown quite a bit. Don't get me wrong, I'm still wary about how everything could quickly change, and that is something I'm working on with my daughter. But after she started to actually feel better, I helped her find a good job. It was nothing fancy and she'd have to work really hard to live a decent life,

but I feel like that starting point is better than no starting point. I'm glad that my daughter has at least taken a step in the right direction. I do feel bad that she's exhausted every single day and that she's not living the life that she was so used to, but this is the best she can do with her circumstances. Other than that, my daughter and I have gotten a lot closer. After everything that happened, I stayed with her for three months, and this has been the first month that I haven't seen her face every day. Of course, we do still meet up once a week and we make it a point to call each other every single day. My daughter has been very apologetic for the way she treated me growing up, and I appreciate those apologies a lot. As for my trashy ex-husband and his wife, I have no

idea what they're up to. Last I heard from a few family members on his side, they've been fighting a lot and they're currently not living together. I think my ex-husband feels a little guilty for the way he treated my daughter, but has chosen to take that guilt out on the one person closest to him. Oh well. I can't. can't say I feel bad for him, and neither can my daughter. She's cut off all contact with her father and refuses to even be associated with him. There's still a long way to go for my daughter and me, but I'm beyond happy that I finally have my daughter back. I'm so happy that she's a much better person than she was, and I'm even happier that she's managed to pick herself up and make a

better life for herself. That's it for me. Thank you to everyone who took the time to read my story and give me their advice. I truly am grateful for all of you. I hope you enjoy this story. My sibling left his hidden relationship child with me 15 years back and later attempted to reclaim her following the death of his spouse, so I am utilizing proof of his rage issues. To force him to pay for her college.

Hello, so recently, my older brother Ricky, 44M, lost his wife. She had been diagnosed with stomach cancer about three years ago and finally, about two weeks back, she succumbed. It's quite tragic because just four months back, Ricky and I also lost our grandmother. She is the one who had practically raised us because when we were kids, we lost our parents in a car accident. In the same accident, she also lost her husband. I guess you guys could say that our lives have been marked by tragedy all along and Ricky hasn't ever done anything to make the situation better.

About 15 years ago, he had shown up at my house with a baby and told me that he needed me to take care of her and raise her. It was something straight out of a film and obviously, I said no. Because, unlike films, this is real life, and people judge you here for even the smallest of things. Fifteen years ago, I was a single woman in my twenties, still struggling to find my footing in my career. I was just starting out, working in finance, and let alone the money to raise a child, I did not have the emotional capacity to do that either. But somehow, Ricky convinced me to take care of her for at least a couple of months. He told me the story, and apparently, he had hooked up with one of his old friends from

high school at the reunion and that's how he had ended up with a baby on his hands. With great difficulty, he had managed to keep it a secret from his wife. But now that the baby was here, neither he nor the baby's biological mother wanted to raise her. They couldn't keep the baby with themselves because Ricky obviously lived with his wife and having a baby around randomly would raise a lot of questions. And for the mother, she lived quite close to her family and she didn't want them to get to know about the affair and the baby. So that's how Ricky ended up approaching me, and when he begged me to take care of her for a couple of months, just until they were able to find a willing couple so she could get adopted, I hesitantly agreed. I was obviously not comfortable with the idea of raising a baby and neither was I happy about keeping a huge secret.

Like the fact that my brother had had an extramarital affair and now, he even had a baby. But I did keep it a secret because back then, Ricky and I were pretty close. Looking back, of course, I do regret it now and my sister-in-law deserved better. I should have been honest with her and let her leave instead of covering up for my brother, but well, everyone makes mistakes and that was my biggest mistake. For 15 years, I covered up for him like a fool, and I raised my niece as my own. And to thank me, he decided to come after me as soon as my sister-in-law passed away and started threatening me with a lawsuit on the grounds that I was unfit to take care of

his daughter anymore, and now, I needed to hand over her custody to him. A couple of days after his wife's funeral, Ricky showed up at my house and started asking about Mia, my niece. I thought that we were having a casual conversation until he suddenly told me that now since his wife had passed away, he believed that it was about time that he took Mia back in with him so she could spend some time with her father and actually get to know him. I was quite shocked when he said that because even though Mia was my niece, I have been raising her for 15 years as my daughter so naturally, we have developed a close bond.

and I was not ready to let her go. So I told him that I would be willing to let her stay with him for a couple of days, but then, I wanted her to come back home. At that point, he started arguing with me, he told me that since he was her biological father, it should be his decision about where she should stay. For 15 years, he had allowed her to stay with me because of personal reasons, but now that things were falling into place, he wanted his daughter back.

I'm not exaggerating, these were the words that he used. So I had to remind him that he did not allow her to stay with me, he had to beg me to raise his daughter because he did not want his wife to find out about his extramarital affair and the baby. That led to a huge fight and automatically, he started telling me that he still had the emails that I had sent to him 15 years back, during the first few months that I was taking care of Mia and he was definitely going to be using that against me. So for context, during the first few months, I had found it really difficult to explain

to people why I had a baby living with me and so, I just kept emailing him about when he was going to take the baby back because I was scared of being judged by everyone for being a single mother. In those emails, it was very visible that I was not ready to be a mother to anyone, let alone somebody else's baby. And of course, if he produced that in court or something, it would not look good for me. But weighing that against the fact that I have been raising myself up for the past 15 years, that did not make sense at all. I told him that I wasn't scared and then,

he went really personal and he told me that either way, he was going to get his daughter's custody back because he was not going to let an alcoholic ruin her life. That was an incredibly low blow and honestly, it didn't even make sense because I'm not the alcohol he was referring to anyway. I'm actually a T-totaler but my on and off for the past couple of years, Nick, has a bit of a problem, and I thought that it was really nasty to bring that up

because he knows that I really love him and that's why Nick is going through rehab right now. A couple of months ago, he got into an accident and that's when I put my foot down and I told him that if he did not get rid of his drinking habits, we would not be able to build a future together. I have already waited for almost six years to get married to him but it's this addiction that's holding me back because I don't want to introduce that to me is life. She knows Nick, but she doesn't know about his problems. and I have made sure that my relationship has, in no way, affected her life. So for Ricky to have brought that up, it was really stupid and insensitive.

I immediately asked him to get out of my house and even though he had been threatening me with a lawsuit, I wasn't really scared. Because I know for a fact that I had legally adopted Mia when she was just a year old. At the time, her parents had been talking to a couple who were willing to adopt her and Ricky had even shared the news with me. But then, after months of waiting for her to get adopted, when I actually started thinking about my life without her, I couldn't imagine it. So I told him that he could call off the adoption for the other couple because I was ready to take care of her now and I wanted to raise her as my daughter. I didn't care about what people would think about me as a single mother and I didn't even care about the money. Ricky had made it very clear to me that he was not going to be able to support us financially, that's why he had been planning on putting Mia up for adoption anyway. But I told him I didn't care about any of that.

I was way too attached to Mia by then to let her go and that's how it's been ever since. I had never even told her that she was not my biological daughter, because at heart, she is more than that. And neither did I ever get married or have kids of my own because, for me, she was enough. But in spite of everything, Ricky thought that he could scare me with the lawsuit and I would just give up custody of Mia out of fear. Obviously I was not going to back down, but my only concern was about how I was going to break this to me because so far, even though she had met her uncle Ricky a couple of times, she had no idea that he was actually her father. However, I recently learned that

I was the one who had no idea that she knew. As a matter of fact, she has known for the past three years now. Because apparently, a couple of months after his wife was diagnosed, Ricky decided to visit our grandmother and started telling her about how he was planning on trying to get custody of Mia after his wife passed away. His wife had a lot of struggles with fertility, so eventually, they decided not to have any children of their own. But he claimed that he had always felt very empty without a child and now, seeing how he was going to lose his wife as well, he needed somebody and he actually thought that demanding that I return his daughter to him was a valid proposition that I would accept. Anyway, obviously my grandma had been quite against that idea,

and she had voiced her opinions against it in him. She had told him that he was crazy if he thought that was going to work out in his favor, and they had a huge fight, but later on, he apologized to her and told her to keep this a secret. So while she did not tell me anything about this interaction, she did speak to Mia about it and that's how she finally got to know that I was not her mother and Ricky was her biological father. It was really difficult for her to process that, along with the fact that Ricky had been planning on trying to take back her custody for me after he lost his wife. My grandmother told her not to worry about it or let me know about any of this but just be on the safe side. She wanted Mia to know the truth so she wouldn't be taken by surprise

if this actually ended up happening. I don't know why she didn't want me to know about it. and I don't think I'll ever be able to find out anymore, but whatever. My grandma actually handed some documents to Mia and told her that in case Ricky actually went through with what he had said, these documents would help us out. She had forbidden Mia from checking out what those documents contained and she was quite obedient, so she didn't ever try to see what was in it either. In fact, she had forgotten about it until recently. She told me about it when I started talking to her about what Ricky was planning to do

and she told me that she had already been prepared for a scenario like this by my grandma. Then, she brought out those documents from under her bed, and we went through them together. And let me just tell you guys, we have this in the bag. We don't need to be worried about any sort of lawsuit anymore because all those documents contain proof of his anger problem. Calling them documents would actually be wrong, they are basically just screenshots of messages, emails, and stuff like that from so many people that I've actually lost count now. Most of them are from his wife, but from those papers, I could also tell that she had reached out

to a couple of his friends and co-workers, and even they said that he did deal with severe anger issues. They had talked about a couple of incidents as well, that had taken place at work, at parties, and most of them had been triggered by really petty and minor stuff. But they had been escalated into full-blown fights or even physical brawls by him for no. apparent reason. It was crazy to find out about all of this because whenever we would meet him, Ricky seemed pretty normal and even his wife did not seem to be somebody who was suffering because of his anger issues or whatever.

But in the messages and emails that she had sent to my grandma, it was very evident that she was suffering and even though those messages were from three years back, I could tell that it had been going on for a really long time. And that's why, finally, she had decided to reach out to my grandma and talk to somebody about it because she probably just couldn't do it alone anymore. Even then, I couldn't figure out exactly why she had all these papers and proof against her because she couldn't possibly have known that he would someday start planning on trying to take me aback. I couldn't ask the only people who would know about it, since both of them were gone now. So I decided to take a shot in the dark

and called up my grandma's lawyer and the executor of her will. Luckily, he knew what this was about, and apparently, he even had a copy of all the documents. Apparently, around five years back, my sister-in-law had been planning on leaving Ricky because for years, he had been treating her terribly and we are not sure just how far that went, but what we do know is that she had enough at one point and that's why she had approached my grandma and told her everything. As a woman, she wanted her help in getting a divorce from her grandson. My sister-in-law's own parents had refused to help her and told her that she would have to deal

with this one on her own. And since she had been a housewife, she didn't really have any money for a lawyer, which is why she had approached my grandma. My grandma being the person she is, she decided to help my sister-in-law out because it was clear that she was going through a lot. So she spoke to a bunch of people and found out about how Ricky behaved with others and it was established that he had an anger problem at the time. She had tried very hard to make sure that nobody blabbed about it to Ricky, but someone must have ratted them out. After he found out, he started begging his wife and my grandma not to go through with this and promised them that he would do whatever it took to fix his problems, but he just didn't want

his wife to leave her. After a couple of weeks of discussion, they decided that my sister-in-law wouldn't leave him, but only if he sought professional help. I'm guessing that he did because she didn't end up leaving him and my grandma's lawyer told me that they never ended up actually filing for divorce. It was shocking that I didn't know so much about my own family, and I felt kind of betrayed but her lawyer reassured me that it was for my own good because my grandma apparently believed that I was way too sensitive when it came to things like this and she didn't want me to get

worried for everyone. I don't know if it was the right thing to do or not, but it's done, so I'm not going to think about that. Anyway, knowing all of this, I decided to send Ricky an email about everything that I knew, and I told him that if he wanted to take me to court, he was free to. to do so, but then, even I would make sure that everyone knew that he was the one who would anger problems. At least I'm not the one who was an alcoholic, it was my partner, and he was in rehab right now. I also told him that I would not just take this to court, I would also publicize it to

everybody and make sure that literally every person that he knew found out how he had given up his own daughter after having an affair and now, he wants her back because he feels his life is empty. A couple of hours after I sent that email, he started flooding me. with apologies and told me that he had no idea that I had all of this. He had assumed that after the whole fiasco with his wife had led nowhere in the past, they probably would have gotten rid of the proof as well, but he didn't count on our grandma to have kept it all safe with her so she could use it against him if the need arose again. He started telling me that his reputation would be ruined and he took everything back, that I could keep Mia, but he just wanted to be involved in her life more.

I gave him the perfect opportunity to do that and told him that so far, I have been supporting Mia financially without any complaints because I had signed up for it. But in a couple of years, she would be headed out for college and then, I wanted him to bear the expenses. Now, we have been arguing about it back and forth for the past couple of days because he says that I'm asking for too much. Obviously sending a kid to college is an expensive thing and even though it's happening in three years, he is still not sure about it.

I don't understand what he's confused about or what's holding him back because he is the one who suggested being more involved in Mia's life and that's what I'm giving him a chance to do. I don't intend on backing down and I made it very clear to him that if he doesn't pay for her college expenses, I'm going to tell everybody what has been going on. I don't even care about his reputation or anything anymore. I don't even care about the family's reputation because I've been betrayed by pretty much everyone I know at this point. Mia deserves a great future and until now, we have been planning on taking out a student loan for her. She's a good student, but I'm not sure if she's going to get a scholarship or not and she plans on going to college out of state for the experience. It's all going to be really expensive and I do have some money saved up, but now that I have Ricky in a corner, I want him to bear the

expenses. However, he thinks that I'm being way too harsh on him, which seems ironic because for the past couple of weeks, he was the one who had been completely heartless with me and no amount of reasoning or fighting with him had led to a conclusion. So now, I'm behaving exactly the way he was behaving with me when he had me in a corner. Even though I was well aware of the fact that even if this situation did go to court, Mia would obviously say that she wanted to stay with me and that would count for something. Besides, I've already had custody of her ever since she was one year old. And the emails from the past and the whole thing with my boyfriend didn't really count for much, I was still really scared because lawyers cost a lot and I really didn't want to go to court.

So I had still been trying to find an amicable solution for all of us, but now I don't care. He's not happy about it at all and lately, he's been referring to this as blackmail, even though I really don't think that's what it is. I look at it as more of a tit-for-tat situation because he'd been doing the exact same thing to me a couple of weeks back, either I give up my custody of Mia and let her stay with her father, or he takes this to court and wastes my time and money. Which is another weird thing, he has the money to take me to court, but not to pay for Mia's college expenses. Anyway, Ida for telling my brother that he needs to bear the expenses for his daughter to go to college or I will tell everyone all about his

well-protected secrets. Update 1, hey, so I guess I forgot to talk about a lot of things in my first post. I'll mention it here since a lot of you are curious about how Mia is doing right now. Honestly, when I had told her that I am not her biological mother and that Ricky, her uncle, is actually her biological father, and he had given her up to me when he had had an affair and did not want his wife to find out and I had been covering up for him for all these years, but now he wants to take her back in, I expected her to be surprised. But she wasn't and then I realized that she had known all along because of my grandmother. I didn't know what to make of it, if I should be thankful to my grandmother or not, but honestly, I don't want to think about it either.

I have had good memories of her and now that she's gone, I don't want to ruin it. She has always done her best to protect me and my brother and raise us to the best of her abilities. So even if I don't fully approve of whatever she chose to do in the past, I can't exactly fix it. Mia told me that she had been extremely shocked and had found it very difficult not to talk to me about it in the beginning, but then she didn't want to hurt me and create drama, so she chose to stay until recently. And then she told me that she took a couple of weeks to think about it, and then she ultimately realized that it made no difference because in reality, I was always going to be her mother. Whether I was biologically related to her or not was secondary, in fact, it didn't even matter to her. Because all her life, I was the one who had taken care of her, I was the one who had always been there for her and Ricky had mostly just been her uncle. She did not have a father-daughter kind of relationship with him in the slightest and to be honest, they were not even close.

And even recently, she told me that it was shocking that he thought his life was empty and that he could make it right by trying to take away her custody. She herself wouldn't have ever allowed it to happen and she would have made sure that even if this did go to court, she made it clear. that she wanted to stay with me, her mom. So that was a huge reassurance for me and honestly, I'm pretty sure that even if this situation had gone to court, Ricky would have lost. The cards were stacked against him from the beginning, and I don't understand why he was ready to throw money on a court case, or maybe he was just bluffing. Either way, even if this did go to court, he would have wasted a ton of money so I don't understand why he isn't willing to pay for Mia to go to college right now. Something's definitely wrong with him, but I don't care about that. I just want

him to start setting up a college fund for Mia if he wants to make it up to us. I've already told him not to contact me unless it is to come to a conclusion about this. And I've given him until the end of the month to think about it and reach out to me, then I blocked him. I will only unblock him at the end of the month and if he doesn't agree to set up a college fund for Mia, I'm going to make sure that I post about what he was trying to do. I'm not going to keep him. I'm not going to keep him. I'm not going to keep covering for him anymore, he definitely does not deserve it. Update 2, so the month ends in nine days. Until now, Ricky had not tried to personally contact us, but today, he showed up at my house. Thankfully, Mia was not at home, she was out with her friends, so she did not have to suffer

through it. Anyway, when he showed up, I did not want to let him in, but he started begging at my doorstep, and it was really embarrassing to have that happen in public, so then I asked him him to come in, so at least the neighbors wouldn't get to see what was going on. Once he was inside, he started telling me that the only reason he had even wanted to build a relationship with Mia was because for so many years, just because of his wife, he hadn't been able to tell his own daughter that he was her father, and it had been eating away at him. That's why he had been bluffing about taking me to court, he wouldn't have done it anyway because it cost a lot of money, he knew he was going to lose. He had only threatened me with the

whole email situation and the thing about my boyfriend because he knew that it would scare me into at least agreeing to his terms, and then we could work our way forward. I told him that it was a really stupid idea for him to start off on the wrong foot with me, and I told him that whatever he had done, it had already caused enough damage and now I don't want to hear his excuses. So then he started telling me that he was planning on starting his own business and he couldn't just commit that he would take care of me as college expenses in the future because he still had to wait and watch how the business was going to do. If it didn't go well, he was going to go broke trying to live up to his promises and he needed me to understand that. He said that he had already spoken to his seniors

at work and they were ready to bet on him and his business, which is why they were coming on board as investors. And suddenly, it all made sense why he did not want any negative stuff about him coming out in public. Of course, he wouldn't have wanted that anyway, but now that he had money riding on him and his business, it was more necessary than ever for him to have a very pristine image and reputation because the firm that he worked in and his seniors, they were pretty serious about this kind of stuff and the kind of money that they were investing in him was also not an amount to be laughed at. He was pretty much begging me to understand the situation and take back what I had said. It was getting pretty annoying for me to deal with him, so I just told

him that I didn't care what he did, I just wanted him to leave. I told him that if he couldn't promise me that he would take care of me as college education, he did not need to have a relationship with her anyway. It was he who had said that he would just like to be more involved in her life, I had given him the opportunity to do that, and he had rejected it. After everything that had happened, I did not want to give him any more chances to hurt us. So I began to ask him to leave, but he wasn't even okay with that. He started telling me that this stuff was complicated and he had just made a mistake, but he was not a bad guy. I told him that I honestly didn't care about the kind of person he was, whatever he had done was stupid and insane and I did not want him around anymore.

I was actually pretty glad that he had decided not to agree to my terms because then, we would have to keep in touch with him and that would have been a total nightmare. He was refusing to leave initially, so then I had to force him and actually push him out. But, thankfully, he did leave after basically getting kicked out of my house. Now, I just hope that he doesn't try to contact us anymore after today. Update 3, so it has been three months since my last update and so far, Ricky hasn't tried to get in touch with us. And I'm really grateful for that because Mia and I have been working on our relationship. I mean, everything was fine between us, but then, we realized that we have both been through a lot and we need to make sure that we communicate more often and more openly.

So that after this, there are no more secrets between us and it's been going well so far. I even told her all about the episode with Ricky and she seemed to understand my anger, but he told me that she was glad that we are not in touch with him anymore. She agreed that after what had happened, she would never be able to take any money from him or even perceive him the same way. To be fair, she had stopped perceiving him in the same way that he used to as she was younger as soon as she had found out that she was actually his affair daughter, and then, once again, the perception had gotten worse after she found out about his anger issues in the documents that my

grandma had left. Either way, it doesn't matter because we are not on speaking terms anymore and we are happy on our own now. I hope you enjoy this story. Became pregnant while in a casual arrangement and had no desire for children, but his relatives pushed me to have the baby. Now I struggle to feel any affection for my daughter and want to give up my parental rights. I know this will make me seem bad in all, but above all I really just need a place to vent. I can't talk about it with my friends or family nor do I really want to. I'm 27 and I've had a FWB situation with a guy I went to college with. Let's call him Mark. We were both young and not ready for a relationship. Then I got pregnant. I told Mark about it since I wanted to discuss our options. Abortion, adoption, or even

giving him custody if he wanted to. I never wanted kids, so I'd be fine with any compromise. However, Mark didn't take it well. I remember him insisting we could make it work, especially since we were both in our last year old college. He wanted to get married and for us to be a family. I refused. He got his family involved. They called and texted me all the time, even showing up at my part-time job. I know I have no one to blame but myself, but I gave up. I had too many things going on at that time like the loss of my mother, the stress with the rest of the family and some stuff going on with my best friend that I won't get into.

I remember feeling horrible, but I relented and agreed to keep the baby although I still refused to get married to Mark. Now we have a five-year-old daughter together. I'm a mess. I never wanted kids and although I'm trying, I can't feel any motherly love for her. What makes it worse is that she's genuinely a good kid. She doesn't throw much tantrums, she's always kind and she doesn't expect much. I feel guilty for hating her.

I feel bad all the time. I only get to have her on the weekends and Mark has her every other day, but that doesn't make me feel better. She talks about wanting to see me and her dad together, but I just can't. I screamed at her once when she drew a little picture of me and Mark holding hands. I apologized after, but I still felt so guilty. I don't know what I'm doing. I just needed to write everything down and get it off my chest. I know I'm a bad mother, I know it.

But I don't know how to be better. I don't even know if I want to be better. I just want to give up my parental rights, but even the thought makes me feel even worse. I'm stuck in a hell of my own making. I know I should have fought harder and probably just abort her. Damn me for being weak, I guess. Update 1. Some things have happened and I need to write them down, maybe even get some insight. I'll call my daughter Abby for the sake of this post.

I ended up telling Mark about my desire to change the custody arrangement and maybe even removing my parental rights. Many people here agreed that it's the best choice, both for me and for Abby. He didn't take it well and actually texted me about it. it through the week. He insisted we could work out whatever was bothering me. We agreed a while ago that texting is okay, but calls are for emergencies only. So when he called me on Friday evening and pleaded with me to come see Abby, I agreed. This is what I really need to talk about. I've seen Abby cry before, but this was something else. She had a complete meltdown,

screaming and crying once I got there. She just clung to my leg and screamed at me not to leave. her. Why did I want to leave her? What did she do wrong? I cried. I was honestly horrified with how badly she reacted. Mark's mom ended up telling Abby that I was planning on leaving her and she's not going to go to my house this weekend. I had to take Abby to my place sooner than expected and Mark actually spent the night over as well. He said he's too concerned with Abby and with me to leave us alone. I'm completely lost. Even with the way I said that I want to give up my parents, rental rights, I just can't do it now. The image of Abby crying and pleading with me not to leave is just stuck in my mind. I feel hopeless about the entire situation. Currently, I'm laying

with Abby on the couch and she's watching TV. She hasn't really left my side since yesterday. I'm used to her pointing at the TV while talking about her favorite characters of whatever cartoon is on. Right now, she's just laying by my side and staying quiet. I can hear Mark moving around in the kitchen. He called in sick to work and said he's staying here for the weekend. I have no idea what to do. And I'm sorry, but I no longer want to leave Abby. That's not an option anymore. Update 2. I'm not sure if people are still interested in what's going on here, but here goes. Writing everything down helps me keep track of things and I also want to hear people's thoughts. For anyone wondering how Abby is doing, she seems to be doing okay. She's still a little

clingy with me, but she's back to her happy self. We've been observing her behavior closely and Mark decided that a therapist isn't needed. I'm not sure I agree with that, but Abby really does seem to be feeling all right. And for anyone wondering about Mark's mom, she's had no contact with Abby since what happened, though Mark has been talking with her. I've been trying to read all the comments people left on my last posts. What was written about Mark got me thinking? I haven't actually mentioned it before since I didn't think it was important, but back in college we were both using protection with me also being on birth control. I do believe the pregnancy was a genuine accident, though I became a bit paranoid after some of the things people wrote. Mark has dated

some girls for the past few years as far as I'm aware. We haven't had too much contact though. We would mostly talk about Abby when we did text. Still, the past month had been more than weird for me. We've been talking more. He apologized to me a lot. I can't tell if those apologies were real or not. My best friend told me to keep Mark at arm's length, but it's been hard to do that with him coming over more often on the weekends to spend time with Abby and me.

He's been inviting me to his home too and I went a few times when Abby really begged me too. I'm trying to make sense of the situation, but it's hard. I'll be having my first therapy session tomorrow, so there's that too. Online? I guess I'm hoping for some. help in the comments? I don't know. I don't know what to expect. I'll try to answer any questions people might have for me. I know this post is probably kind of a mess. Update 3, hi. I don't know if anyone is going to read this, but I have been getting some private messages with people asking about

me, so I figured I could make an update. I've been going to therapy. It's been difficult. Everything was all right at first to be honest. Me and my therapist got to grow comfortable around each other. I think she's nice. We've been talking about my issues way more recently. Safe to say, it's kind of sad to realize how shitty my life has really been since the start. I've been taking my new medication for a few weeks, but I'm not sure it's making a difference. For anyone wondering, yes, Abby has been seeing a therapist for about two months now.

I put my foot down about it for once. Felt weird. Abby's been happier, I think. Me and her therapist occasionally chat about her progress and he's been giving me some tips about what Abby wants. We've been spending more time together. I have alternative weekends with her now. She's good at solving puzzles.

She likes octopuses for some reason. When I walk around the house, she'd attempt to trip me by walking around my legs. Like a cat. I think. It doesn't work, but she keeps trying. I'm doing the same thing with her that my mom did with me. Cooking is an important skill. For now, she gets to watch me in the kitchen and see how I prepare things. I think I'll let her start giving suggestions and start asking what the proper steps are to making a meal. We're going to wait a bit before she starts helping around. I'm sure that some people

wonder what happened with Mark. Nothing, to be honest. stopped opening the door when he came by. He hasn't really been bothering me. We only really talked when we changed the custody arrangement a bit. We text mainly about Abby again. From what Abby says, Mark's mom has been around again. But I think she's on her best behavior around my daughter since Abby hasn't been asking any weird questions. I'm not sure what else to say.

Things are fine otherwise. Maybe I'll update again if anything interesting happens or to tell people. how things changed. Thank you for the people that have been reaching out. Comment where OP has replied. Comment, I've thought about you a lot, really happy to see an update. I'm glad you and Abby started therapy, the best decision that could have been made. I'd like to ask, how are you feeling right now about Abby after starting to get professional help for the both of you? How is she feeling now, that you can tell? Hugs, Opie, I wish you and her the best. Oop. I'm sorry. Oop. I wish you and her the best. Oop, my therapist explained that I don't hate Abby, not really.

I've had a lot of resentment bubbled up inside due to the circumstances and timing of her birth. I've been officially diagnosed with PPD, so that certainly didn't make things better. She encouraged me to take things slow and not feel pressured into immediately becoming an attentive and loving mother. I've been spending time with Abby now more out of my own choice and not because I didn't see any other option. It's been helping. And as far as I can tell, Abby's doing mostly all right. From what her therapist told me, she feels like my protector.

She's been seeing for years that I'm sad all the time. When she was being taken care of by my best friend, he'd tell her I'm just having a really bad day slash week. She's never really seen me truly happy, so she decided to be the hero that makes me happy. Apparently, she was scared of losing me and the opportunity of making me happy when her grandma told her I was going to abandon her. Still can't really wrap my head around it. Her therapist has been working with her to let go of that mentality and it seems to be going all right. Update 4, I've thought a lot about whether or not I should write another update here.

My best friend said that Reddit is the reason my life took a different course, so this feels important in a way. I don't know if anyone is going to see this, but it doesn't really matter. Writing here feels like screaming into a black hole. Abby is six now. She's had her birthday only two months ago. She's happy. I'm happy she's happy. I got her an octopus plush.

She's been sleeping with it every night and carrying it everywhere she goes. There's been an incident of her losing it at her grandparents, but she cried a lot and her grandpa found it and gave it back to her. Feels like a part of me might be with her for as long as, as she keeps that plush. I'm pregnant again. This can come across as a shock to people. It did to me too. I know that anyone who reads this will be disappointed with me. Me and Mark ended up sleeping together again. I don't remember it. Abby had her birthday party while staying with Mark. We had a few drinks and talked a lot that night. I don't remember drinking enough to black out, but it's what happened.

We haven't talked about it since. I haven't told him I'm pregnant. My best friend says I need to get an abortion ASAP. But I got to be honest. I don't even care anymore. It's one bad thing after another in my life. Since I started therapy, so many things started clicking into place for me. There's so many things I've repressed just because of how terrible they were.

My meds aren't making a difference. They just numb the urge to scratch my skin raw. That's all. The urge is still there. Hopefully, this is the last update I ever make on this account. It may not have meant anything to anyone here, but some comments really felt like a lifeline for me. I have read everything and I hope all those people live happily.

A goodbye here feels very grim. So maybe this is a see-you-later kind of thing? Who even knows? Next story, Girlfriend Never Gives Me Real Feedback on my music even though I keep asking for honest criticism, so I tricked her into listening to one of my songs without telling her I made it and she called it boring garbage. So let me start off by saying that I know this was slightly manipulative. I deceived her my omission, and it speaks volumes about my communication skills. I understand that, and I actually feel really guilty about it. But here's what happened.

I, 28M, and my girlfriend, 28F, is very critical about music. I make music on my own, but I never felt like she ever gave me real criticism of my music, despite me pleading with her to give me something blunt and real. She always said it was great, and never had anything to say about it. But when she would critique other music, she would get extremely detailed with it, critiquing music down to the very last detail. I really admire her thoughts on music, and all I really wanted was for her to do that for my music as well. But she would always just say it was great without saying much else, and I never believed her

due to the stark differences in how she would frame these opinions. So one day, I had her listen to some music, without telling her it was mine. I just said, hey, check out this track, without saying it was mine. She went in. She said it was the work of someone who had no idea what they were doing. The composition was all over the place, and it didn't flow together. Sections of the song were much too long, there was a rise without a climax, and she said it was all around just a boring song. When I told her it was my song, she got really, extremely upset. She said I was an asshole for lying to her,

I manipulated her, and that she can never trust me again. She took a bunch of things and stayed at her parents' house last night. I feel terrible, but at the same time, I also feel a bit vindicated. Also, I feel like she's overreacting. I don't really know where to go from here, because I don't want to lie to her about how I feel about what I did, feel sort of bad, but then again not really. Did I do the right thing? Comments where OP has replied, comment one. Regardless of the specifics, she very clearly told you I don't want to do this thing, and you tricked her into doing the thing she clearly told you she didn't want to do. If you want to get it all mixed up in feelings around music criticism, that's your business, but the plain facts are as above.

And people are allowed to feel that's it not cool to A, not have their own decisions about what they don't want to do be respected and B, be tricked by someone they trusted. If the vindication about her opinion is worth doing A and B to her, then I guess it was worth it and you'll just need to live with the fallout from it. Oop, she didn't tell me she didn't want to critique my music. While I agree with most people here that I did something manipulative, and I feel horrible about it, I think it highlights a bigger issue of communication in this relationship. I value blunt honesty, and she knows this about me, yet continue to placate me and tell me it's great with no real comment.

I felt that was condescending. I totally regret not grilling her on this kind of thing, but I didn't think it was fair for me to force her to tell me something she obviously didn't want to tell me, but I also don't think it's fair that she kept lying to me, telling me that my music is great when I have to manipulate her into admitting she was lying the whole time. This was a breakdown in communication in a huge way, and while neither of US are saints, I don't believe I was the only bad guy in this situation. Comment two, one, I hope you don't feel bad. She's your girlfriend not someone who's expected to love everything you create. You do appreciate her criticism and she gave it to you.

You should be glad if you respect her opinion. Apologize for manipulating her and thank her for her honest feedback. Let her know that her opinion of your song does not hurt your feelings and then in the future, you don't have to play games like that to get her opinion. Good luck. Oop, I really do appreciate the actual opinion she gave me, but I lost respect for her as a person, just because I frankly feel infantilized by her desire to lie to me in order to protect my feelings when I was bluntly trying to tell her that I really want her real, blunt opinions on my music.

Comment three, good people don't enjoy insulting or hurting their partners. It's not fun, it's painful. If you so is anything like me, then critiquing the creative work of someone you love is bad as the same as insulting that person. It's taking something she knows you worked hard on and telling you your effort was worthless. That is not an enjoyable experience. It's painful and it's extremely unkind of you to put her in the position. She wants to keep your relationship positive. You've ruined that and it will be very hard for her to forgive you for that.

Update, hi everyone. I didn't get a whole lot of well-wishing words for me on my last post. Most people felt that I was manipulative, took away her agency of choice by deceiving her, and that I deserve to have my relationship fall apart. Well, you guys were right. You win. She hadn't officially broken up with me, but I could tell the relationship had been in its final stages. Long story short, the day after I wrote my post, i.e. the day I responded to most of the comments, a few hours later, I called her, told her to stay at her mom's place, that we

were fundamentally incompatible, and that this obviously wasn't going to work out. I wanted to provide some background to our relationship, to clarify what I believe to be a few misunderstandings in the responses to my previous post. I had been asking her for a long time to provide me with honest critique to my music. I've approached her before about why her answers are so vague and placate why when it comes to my music. I told her I can obviously see the contrast between that and how she critiques all music, whether she likes it or not. She outright denied that she was just placating me, and that there's nothing to worry about,

and all my music is great, and that I'm being crazy about it. The last time her and I talked about this, I was not subtle in my communication. I directly told her that I would value her critiques and take it to heart, whether the critique was positive or negative. I just really wanted her opinion, particularly considering that she's been a primary inspiration to some of my best work. I had made it clear that I really just didn't want to be placated, because music is so, so important to me, and the same goes for her, and I'm not in it to get people to suck me off

and tell me how great I am. I want to be the best possible musician I can be. And I also feel incredibly disrespected by being placated, like I'm some child who can't take criticism. I've never given anyone, let alone her, reason to believe that I would need placation. Beyond this, she still denied it all, but I could tell it was pretty much BS, and it was driving me crazy. So months and months later, I've gotten nowhere with communicating with her,

and I still have the nagging suspicion, to the point where I'm not even asking her opinion anymore, because it just makes me mad. A few days ago, it just popped in my mind like it was no big deal to play her one of my pretty okay, pretty me emo, but still had pretty okay responses from the general public songs. Basically just throw away instrumental I did when I was bored and kind of dug it at the time. And I didn't tell her it was me. We finished listening, and I asked her what she thought of that tune. She goes off on it, basically hating it. See, previous post. I said, okay, thanks so much, I'm so glad I could finally get it out of you, I agree with a lot of what you said. She goes, wait, that's your song. I said, yeah,

it's an old one. And she gets mad and says, what the fuck, and we get into an argument about it. She thinks I went out of my way to manipulate her, like it was sociopathic and premeditated. I'm telling her, it's not even that big of a deal, why were you lying to me and you? in the first place. And she said, because I just don't like your music. Are you happy? And we continue to fight. It escalated to the point where we started swearing, so she said, you know what? I don't need this, and walked out. She's been there ever since. Fast forward to the breakup conversation. She said she felt guilty about not liking my music for two reasons. one because she thinks it was fucked up that she simply didn't like her so's art, and she was

ashamed of that. The other reason is that, a lot of the time, she feels like she doesn't know what she's talking about, and didn't want to rip my music apart like she does with most songs, because she could totally be wrong, and then she'd be an asshole. I was really upset by this. I feel like I called her out on her lying months ago, and she kept lying to me, instead of, just saying that. I tried so hard to tell her months ago that it's okay if she doesn't like it, but she just clammed up, thinking I was going to fly off the handle and end our relationship over it. After months and months of telling her that I didn't want to be placated, she kept trying to placate me and wouldn't communicate the real reasons. How am I supposed to expect her to be an adult

and communicate what she really feels, instead of lying to avert imagined conflict when we have relationship issues in the future? Music is such a huge and important piece of our lives. together, and this situation probably wouldn't have gotten to where it is if it weren't. It may seem silly to those of you on the outside that what appears to be just a stupid, petty argument lead to the complete breakdown of a relationship. And now I'm just left confused, and lonely. She was also my best friend in the entire world, and there's a void inside of me, and a voice telling me I'm making a huge mistake.

And I'm confused, and pulled in multiple directions. Thanks for taking the time read this. I hope you enjoy this story. Former spouse demanded my presence at her nuptials for reconciliation. However, she lamented the dismal state of our past union. The bridegroom departed in anger and now blamed falls on my shoulders for the fallout. Wedding was called off. Two days ago, I attended my ex-wife's wedding which got called off and everyone believes that it's kind of my fault.

My ex-wife Taylor, 29F, and I, 30M, got together a couple of years after we graduated. We were interning at the same place and became friends that way. She was cute and funny so I asked her out and we were in a relationship for two years before she started hinting that she wanted to get married. I must have been around 24 at the time so I wasn't ready to get married yet but she started getting impatient and I proposed to her because she was pressuring me. That was my fault. I shouldn't have given into it but I didn't think things through.

I was young and I made a mistake. So anyway, we got married and then things started getting even worse because just a couple of months into our marriage, she started talking about having kids. I was okay with getting married but the idea of having kids at 24 just freaked me out. Plus, we were not even financially stable enough to be able to afford kids. I was just starting out and I could afford a nice lifestyle. for the two of us, but kids would just be way too much for us to handle. And Taylor wasn't exactly a hard worker, she was switching jobs a little too often

because she was very laid back and her employers didn't appreciate it. Even if we were somehow able to keep the financial aspect of it aside, I still wasn't mentally prepared to become a father because I was feeling pretty young and not responsible enough for kids. I didn't think that it was the right time for us and I tried explaining that to her several times, but she wouldn't stop bringing it up and insisted that if we just had a baby, it would solve everything and lay all of my worries to rest. I would learn to be a father and we could always borrow money

from our parents and pay them back later. She said that she was ready to be a mother and didn't want to wait until she was in her late 20s. Because this was apparently the peak of her youth in childbearing years and she wanted to make the most of it. I didn't agree with that and that led to a lot of fights, which just got worse with time. After almost two years, we called it quits. She wanted something that I was not going to be ready for, maybe ever. And I didn't want to give her false hopes by staying with her and wasting her time. So I filed for divorce after a particularly nasty fight,

where she said that she wished that she had never married me and I found myself wishing the same. Clearly, we were not right for each other and a divorce was the only way to go ahead. but she ended up taking the divorce hard and was pretty much inconsolable when she was served. I had already moved out and was living with a friend of mine when I filed for divorce and she called me and sobbed for hours, begging me to take her back and cancel the proceedings on the day that she was served. It was incredibly difficult for me and a tough call to make, but I had to stick to my decision because I knew that if I backed down then I would regret it. It was definitely not easy, but I had to go through with the divorce. Because those two years that I was married to her were pretty much hell for me and I didn't want to go back to that life again.

She didn't contest the divorce after our conversation that day and didn't even speak to me afterward until the negotiation for the settlement and division of property came up. She and her lawyer were absolutely vicious and the divorce was a bad one but, thankfully, I didn't lose much. but I started hating her during the proceedings because she and her lawyer were going above and beyond to make me look like the bad guy when I had been nothing but great to her. Despite her crazy, psychotic behavior and her insistence that I do things that I didn't want to. After our divorce was finalized, I never spoke to her again and I blocked her on every platform. I also told all our common friends that I never wished to hear from her or about her because I hated her. That was almost three or four years ago and we didn't speak for a really long time until she reached out to me a few months ago to invite me to her wedding.

She reached out to me personally after she sent me the invite and sent me an email saying that she would love to have me at her wedding and reconcile because she regretted the way that we ended things. In her email, she told me that she had resented me for a long time after our divorce. But now that she had finally moved on, she wanted to make amends with me because she knew the divorce. had been particularly hard on me since she and her lawyer really hadn't held back. She wanted to make things right by reconnecting with me and she wanted to do it at her wedding, so she could embark on this new journey with a clear conscience. At first, I didn't respond to that email because I was still out on the fence about whether I wanted to reconnect with Taylor or not.

But then, a few weeks after the first email, she sent me another one saying that she wanted to meet me and make everything right with me because she didn't want this on her conscience anymore. She requested me to attend the ceremony and be there for her because before we got married, we were good friends and that made me reconsider, so I agreed to attend her wedding. I guess it was really stupid of me but her second email was really heartfelt and I couldn't bring myself to decline. I unblocked her on social media and we were doing all right. We were on talking terms until the day of her wedding.

On the day of the event, I showed up at the venue and was pretty surprised to see the exact same arrangements as my wedding. It was a little off-putting but I didn't think much of it, even though I was having insane deja vu because of how similar everything was to our wedding. I thought that maybe she just didn't want to put an extra effort to make this different from her first wedding and just went with whatever she liked and forced myself into believing that this had nothing to do with me. Then, once I went in, I took my seat and after a while, it was time for Taylor to walk down the aisle. Everybody present was quite surprised to see me there and I realized that they didn't expect me to actually attend. And later on, I found out that most of them didn't even know that I would be invited.

Including the groom, which is something I found out way later than I should have. Anyway, Taylor walked down the aisle and got to the aisle, and everybody's eyes were on her and not on me, which was a relief. When it was time for the vows, her fiancé went first and it was beautiful, I could sense that he really loved her. And then it all went downhill as soon as Taylor started speaking because as it turns out, this was her big plan. She didn't care about peace or making things right with me since her vows were all about me. She went on to talk about how terrible her first marriage had been and said that she was

thrilled that her second marriage was not going to be as bad. Because she was with Q much better man now. She then went on to say a couple of more things to insult me and after that, she even pointed at me and waved like she was performing a stand-up routine. It was ridiculous and insane, but I just remained frozen in my place because I was in shock. What made me snap out of it was when her fiancé said that he had seen enough. And it was clear to him that Taylor had obviously not moved on for me entirely. He looked crestfallen and I couldn't help but feel bad for the guy because this was supposed to be a day to celebrate their relationship. And yet Taylor was up there,

talking about me and her vows. Her fiancé speaking up probably made her snap out of her insanity as well, and she came back to her senses when he started walking away from the altar. The guy was crying and as soon as he started walking away, Taylor chased after him which was difficult because she was wearing a really heavy dress. After that, it was pretty much chaos and nobody had a clue what to do because the bride and groom had left. I tried to leave and made it to my car in the parking lot before I was cornered.

by my ex-in-laws. They confronted me and asked me why I had shown up, so I told them that it was Taylor who had invited me and I genuinely didn't know that she was going to do this. They told me that regardless, I shouldn't have turned up because this was supposed to be my ex-wife's wedding and any man with even an ounce of common sense would know better than to actually show up. I didn't think it was fair for them to blame me because I'd just done what she had asked me to. She was the one who specifically requested me to attend her wedding and that's why I did so, for peace. I even showed those two emails to her parents, hoping that it would make them realize that this was her fault and not mine. But they told me that apparently,

I had always known that Taylor had feelings for me even during the divorce and it had been hard for her to move on, I didn't know that. And by responding to her invitation and then talking to her, I distracted her from her relationship, which is why she got off track today, and now her wedding was ruined because of me. I thought it was crazy that they were even blaming me for this, so I got into my car as soon as I could and went back home. Afterward, I learned that the wedding had to be called off because her fiancé wasn't ready to get married to her anymore.

A common friend told me that apparently, she hadn't even told her fiancé that he was going to invite me. So he had been completely blindsided when he saw me sitting among the guests. They didn't know much about what had happened later, but all that they did know is that their families got into a really bad argument and her fiancé and his parents stormed out because they thought that Taylor was still not over me. She was forcing this wedding because she wanted to make me jealous, which is why she had invited me and had made it a point to talk about me during the ceremony because she wanted me to

feel bad and regret leaving her. Honestly, that theory makes a lot of sense and I'm pretty sure that that's exactly what happened. because if she had moved on for me, she wouldn't have cared about me being present there or not. Taylor insisted that she only made that speech because she saw me sitting there and her plan was to humiliate me and then move on to talking about how great she had it with her man now, and so everybody would realize just how over me she was. I think it was a terrible idea on her part and I really don't by what she said in her defense. If she was truly over me, she wouldn't feel the need to talk about me or to prove to anybody,

that she was over me. She just wouldn't care. It's sad that her wedding had to fall apart, but what's even sadder is that our friends are blaming me for this. They think that I should have just rejected her invitation and blocked her because I'd always known that she had a soft corner for me. And they agreed with Taylor's parents that my being involved in her life again is what distracted her and that's why she went crazy and wrote that stupid little speech, which is what ended up ruining her wedding. Everybody has been blaming me for what happened. and they believe that I shouldn't have shown up at all, even after I told them that she is the one who invited me and even requested me to attend so that we could make peace with our past. Ida for attending my ex-wife's wedding.

Update 1. One week has passed since the wedding and I have stopped speaking to all our common friends. I don't think it was fair for them to blame me and make me feel bad about what happened at the wedding because it wasn't my fault. Most of you agreed in a comment section that I had nothing to do with what happened and I barely even said. spoke to her in the months leading up to the wedding. I couldn't have possibly known that she still had a thing for me and even if I knew that I couldn't have predicted the speech that she was going to make during her vows and make it all about me. To be honest, I kind of believe that whatever happened was for the best. This way, some innocent guy doesn't get hurt just because Taylor wanted to show off how over me she was. I feel bad that our friends are not on my side here

because it feels really unfair and the blame feels completely misplaced. But this has happened before and I can't say that I'm surprised because I always knew that if it came down to it, they would definitely pick Taylor over me. Even during the divorce, it was Taylor and her lawyer who were really coming for me during the negotiations. When I used to complain about that to our friends, they would say that she was just doing it because she was hurt and that I needed to understand that this divorce was harder for her than it was for me and cut her some slack. So most of them had always been on her side and this

really doesn't come as a surprise. But I guess it's just a little hurtful that even in a situation like this, where I'm obviously not in the wrong, they still want to take her side. I'll get over it, but I'm not going to speak to our friends again. I don't really know what happened with Taylor and her fiancé. I know the wedding is off, but I'm also curious to know more. She hasn't reached out to me yet or anything, but I have a feeling that she might. Since her parents also believe that this was my fault and they will most certainly talk to her and then she will come and blame me and it'll be a whole fight. Even just thinking about it makes me feel uneasy.

Update 2, hi, so this is coming just a day after my last update here. I said here that I stopped talking to our mutual friends because all of them were siding with Taylor. I didn't block them but I just stopped replying to them. I didn't think that they would notice it so soon but they did and they decided to confront me about it. We have a group text, without Taylor, of course. They have a separate one with her. And today, one of our friends confronted me in the group and asked me why I was ignoring all of them. So I decided to be honest with them and I told them that I didn't like the fact that they were choosing to blame me even now, knowing that this was not my fault.

I told them that it had been really difficult for me, even during the divorce, because Taylor and her lawyer were really trying their best to make me look like a bad guy and it was a very emotionally tough time for me. But even then, they took her side and completely invalidated my feelings. This time, they were doing the same thing yet again, and funnily enough, this time I didn't even do anything except just attend a wedding that I was invited to. and I was requested to attend, as a matter of fact. I told them that it was very clear that no matter what happened they would always be on her side.

And it might sound petty and immature, but that's what I was upset about. So I didn't want to speak to them because then, they would just keep on blaming me and I didn't need that sort of negativity right now. And just as I had expected, as soon as I said that, everybody in the group started telling me that I was overreacting and that I really needed to calm down. They tried to convince me that this was not a big deal and that they were just telling me their honest opinions. It had nothing to do with taking sides because they valued both Taylor and me equally. I didn't buy it and so I told them that I knew that Taylor was the fan favorite here and always would be. And I was cool with it now but I just needed some space and time away from this group because it was becoming really toxic for me. I regretted using the word toxic because that pissed them off.

They immediately turned on me and called me the toxic one because I was the one who ruined her wedding and now, I was the one playing the victim according to them. I got really bored with that conversation because it all just felt like a bunch of high school juvenile BS, so I left that group and finally blocked all of them. They didn't even have anything to do with the wedding. If Taylor called me toxic, I would accept it gladly because at least she was involved in some capacity. It would be ridiculous but at least not as ridiculous as our friends trying to create drama with me out of nothing. They're probably just bored with their own lives and want somebody to hate on, which is me. They can go on hating, it hardly matters to me anymore. They suck.

Update 3, 10 days since the wedding and today, Taylor finally called me. I didn't answer because I was at work so that was followed by a bunch of texts, demanding that I answer her call and talk to her right this instant. So during lunch, I decided to call her back and prepared myself for a really terrible argument, which is what I was expecting. But strangely enough, that's not what she was calling me for. She sounded quieter and even kind of sad, while I expected her to be furious. She went on to tell me that she wanted to apologize for everything and she wanted to do it in person. Apparently, in the days after the wedding got called off, she had been feeling terrible about everything. And even though her friends and family were doing all they could to make me

the villain here and pin all the blame on me, it didn't make her feel any better because she knew that it was not the truth. In her head, she knew that this was her own fault. And she could try to make it seem like mine for just being there, but the truth was that she wanted it to happen. She didn't anticipate her fiancé leaving her because of whatever she said, but she agreed that if she was still talking about me at her second wedding, then she probably wasn't over me at all. It felt weird to hear all of this from her, but I also felt relieved that she was finally owning up to everything. She didn't want to discuss this further on the phone and said that she wanted to meet me. So we set a date in a couple of days and we'll get together for lunch and just get some

closure, I guess. Update 4, hi, everybody, I just came back home for my lunch date with my ex-wife. That's a sentence I never thought that I would say but here we are. It was quite pleasant, even though there were a lot of uncomfortable truths that we had to get out of the way before we even started with lunch. We actually hugged each other when we met and it felt comfortable and familiar. After that, we got to talking and she confessed to me that she really only invited me because she wanted to talk about me and show me that she didn't miss me anymore. But the truth was that she missed me every single day. And the guy she was about to marry was just somebody that she was trying to use to forget me, but it wasn't working. And she completely deserved to be humiliated in front of all her friends and family on the day of her wedding because she was lying to him and herself.

It was a horrible thing that she did to him and she held no grudges against them. For whatever he said on the day of the wedding and the things that his family said to her. Because at the end of the day, it was all true and there was no denying it. I felt a little embarrassed by that because she was essentially talking about still being in love with me. And I knew that I wasn't. But this was a conversation that needed to be had, no matter how uncomfortable or uneasy it made us feel. So we powered through it and she told me that she was still in love with me and had always been. There was nothing that she could do about it, so she accepted it instead of trying to show the world that she had moved on.

I acknowledged her feelings and told her that even though I was. I didn't reciprocated, I was still happy that she had love for me in her heart. It's always nice to know that you're loved. I said to her that while I couldn't bring myself to love her in the same way maybe, I still wanted her to be happy and I wished the best for her. She cried and when I saw her crying, I couldn't hold back the tears myself because it was just extremely emotional and cathartic for both of us. We wasted a lot of time hating each other and I don't think we wanted to continue that

anymore now that both of us were getting older. We just wanted things to be peaceful, that's it. So we promised to keep in touch and that's how we parted ways. I can't say that it wasn't difficult for me, it was. But I'm sure that it was more difficult for her to let go of me, knowing that I would probably never love her the same as she loved me. It made me feel horrible about myself. But I know that this is not my fault and this is for the best. She deserves some somebody who can give her everything that she wants and make her truly happy and unfortunately, I don't think I'm that guy. I tried to be that guy while we were married, but we all know how that ended. And since then I haven't exactly been with anyone. I've been out on a couple of dates here

and there, but I just don't think that I'm a relationship kind of guy. And there's nothing wrong with that. But I just wish that Taylor finds somebody who wants the exact same things as her. It will be a lot easier for me to forget about her if I know that she is with somebody who is good for her. I hope you enjoy this story. My child requested the ring that belonged to my deceased spouse for her upcoming wedding. When I declined her request, my sibling convinced her that I was being self-centered, so I stopped providing financial support for the wedding. Money

Hello, Reddit. I need help and advice for a sticky situation that I'm currently in with my daughter and mill, I will be using fake names for privacy. So my daughter is Leah and she is 25 and my mother-in-law is Alice and she is 72. I am, 48F, I lost my husband to a cardiac arrest four years ago. We were high school sweethearts. Together for 28 years and married for 22. And I had never imagined a life without him but life goes on.

Right now, the issue that I'm dealing with, it's about the wedding ring that he had bought for me all those years ago. My daughter, Leah, recently got engaged to her boyfriend of three years and she wants me to let her have my wedding ring. She thinks that it's really beautiful, which it is, and she thinks that it should be treated as a family heirloom. However, I don't agree, I think that it should stay with me because it has only been four years since her father passed away and I'm not ready to let it go. If I'm being honest, I don't even think I would be willing to let go of my wedding banned even if it had been a really long time since my husband's demise. For me, it's not about the time that has passed, but what the ring signifies and I don't think that my daughter understands any of that

because now, the ring has become a bone of contention between the two of us. She believes that I'm being selfish by refusing to give up the ring for her wedding and even Alice agrees with her and is backing her up on this. We have been fighting about this for quite a few weeks, ever since they got engaged and Leah decided to ask me if I would be willing to let her have the ring and I declined. She threw a huge temper tantrum that day and then later on, she even got Alice involved and since then, things had been really rough. A couple of days ago, I had had enough, so I decided that I was not going to be financing the wedding at all. Earlier, I had promised that whatever costs had to be borne by the bride, would be covering it all. But now, since I felt like I was being

disrespected by Leah and Alice. I decided that I was going to back out altogether and since Alice has been really horrible to me so far, I decided to call her up, tell her that I was not going to be paying for anything and since she was trying to show off how supportive she was of Leah. She could pay for everything herself now. A few days have passed since then and I did not have any contact with either Leah or Alice but yesterday. Leah showed up at my house and she was pretty desperate to get me back on board because the venue that she and her husband had selected requires them to pay a certain amount in advance and they need my help for it, or else they might lose the venue. So Wibta, if I refuse to help them out with the cost of the venue? Edit. So for those of you

who are asking, I usually just wear my wedding ring on special occasions. I am a baker by profession and have my own bakery business, which means that I am constantly using my hands. Even back when my husband was alive, I would mostly keep my ring away because I did not want it to get dirty or worse, lose it. It's a beautiful diamond ring with a platinum band and is worth quite a lot. So I generally just keep it away, store it carefully, and save it for special days. And that's part of the reason why Leah thinks that I should give it away to her because I hardly ever wear it anyway. I have tried very hard to explain to her that it's not about the ring itself, it's about what the ring signifies. And I want to keep honoring my marriage by wearing the ring

whenever I can. If I give it away to her, I won't be able to do that anymore and as much as I like the idea of making it a family heirloom, I don't think I'm ready to give it away now. Maybe someday, I will be ready to give up my attachment to that ring but right now is not the time. At least for Leah's argument, I can still understand what she's getting at. What I don't understand is why Alice thinks that I should give up the ring just because she says so. When Alice had been trying to back Leah up, she had said that since the ring had been purchased with her husband's money, she has a say and what happens to it and she believes that the ring would be better off with Leah if she wants it now. And it's true that the ring had actually been purchased with my father-in-law's money

because my husband and I got married really young, so he couldn't afford such an expensive ring back then. But as far as I know, my father-in-law was happy to help him by the ring, and after we got married, the ring has always been mine, so I don't think anybody apart from me gets to have a say in what happens to the ring. However, I'm not surprised that Alice has chosen to take this stance in this situation because she had never liked me. She had put up with me but right from the beginning, ever since we were in high school and started dating, she had never approved of my relationship with her son. And what used to infuriate her even more, more was that my husband did not seem to care about her approval at all and neither did I,

and even my father-in-law never had a problem with us. It was just she who never liked me and now, she's milking this opportunity to create problems between me and Leah because she probably thinks that she can drive a wedge between us. I don't know what she thinks she's going to get out of it, but I know for a fact that she's not making anything easier for herself or for Leah, since ultimately she has had to approach me for help because Alice definitely wasn't going to pay for everything. Anyway, I hope this edit helps. Update 1, Hello, Reddit.

I would like to thank everybody who took the time to comment on my original post and had advice for me on how to go ahead in this situation. This was my first time posting, so thank you for all the kind words. It has been a week since Leah approached me to help her out with the cost of the venue, and I decided to help her out. Most of you guys had told me that I would indeed not be the awe if I decided not to help her out. but I wanted to do so because Leah and I have always had a good relationship. In fact, this has been the only time that we have had such a huge fight

and I don't want to let this petty thing get in the way of our relationship as mother and daughter. That's definitely not what my husband would have advised me to do, so I decided to help her out, but I told her that I did not want her to have any more contact with Alice now. Ordinarily, I wouldn't have set a condition like this because that is not who I am, but it has become very obvious to me that Alice has been trying her best to bring inwash Leah against me. Because like I said, Leah and I have always had a good relationship and like any mother and daughter, we have our fights, but I guess the second Alice realized that this fight about the ring had the potential to turn into something big, she decided to start

interfering so she could try and turn Leah against me. And maybe she would have actually succeeded in doing so if I hadn't decided to withdraw all my funds from the wedding that I had committed. My mother-in-law lives with her older son, my brother-in-law, and his family and they are the ones who are taking care of her, so she doesn't really have any money of her own. And that's why she couldn't help out with the cost of the wedding, or else she probably even would have done that, just so that Leah wouldn't speak to me. Now, obviously, I can't blame Alice for everything because Leah is a grown woman and she should be able to tell right from wrong by herself. But she's also young and impressionable, so I guess I might find it in myself to forgive her. Of course, I do find it sad that

hypothetically, if she wasn't having trouble with covering the cost of the venue by herself, then she might not have reached out to me at all. But I don't want to let something like that get in the way, especially right now, when she's about to get married. Personally, I would like to move on from this and that's what I'm going to try to do. She and her fiancé are good kids, I know that for a fact, and that's why I'm helping them out. Her fiancé's family is not very well off so, they won't be able to contribute, which is why I had offered to help them out with the cost of the wedding and the rest of it, they were going to cover it themselves. So if I need to help them out with the cost of the venue, I'm not going to back off from doing what I had promised. After all, she is my daughter and my

only child and I can forgive one mistake as a mother, but the only thing that I ask of her is that she keeps her distance from her grandmother because that woman is definitely not a good influence. When I told Leah what I wanted her to do, she was a little taken aback, but she told me that she would try to cut down on the time that she spent with Alice. In the past couple of weeks, ever since Alice started taking Leah's side in the fight about the ring, they had started spending more time together. And surprisingly, they had actually managed to bond over how much they missed my husband. But even then, Leah could not ignore the fact that Alice definitely had a huge hand in our fight getting worse because she'd herself admitted that Alice had been trying her to make me look

like the bad guy in this situation and make this a bigger deal than it. Really what? She was the one who had said that I was being selfish, that I had more attachment to that ring than I had with my own daughter, and had even gone to the extent of trying to tell Leah that she needed to cut me out of her life if she wanted a peaceful wedding because I would try my best to control everything. Just like I had done with her son's life. Honestly, none of that is true. I don't know why she would say things like that, but it's very clear to me now that if I want a good relationship with my daughter, I have to make sure that Alice has nothing to do with her anymore. Anyway, this is what has happened so far and if there are any further developments, I will

keep you guys in the loop. Thank you so much for reading. Update 2, Hello, Reddit. So Leah and her fiancé secured the venue by paying for the deposit with my help last week and we're trying to fix things again. I forgot to mention it when my last update, but she has apologized to me several times for being nasty about this entire thing and has told me that she was the one who was being selfish, by not thinking about what the ring actually meant to me.

I'm honestly glad that she had come to the realization because I really did not want to continue fighting with her. I love my daughter and I want to stay on good terms with her. So I, for one, am really happy that the drama came to an end and I'm going to be an active part of the wedding now. But I can't say the same for my mother-in-law because Alice has been very upset that Leah has cut down on her time with her and has in fact, not been seeing her at all ever since I told her that I did not think it was a good idea for her to be spending more time with her grandmother,

since Alice was obviously bent on ruining our relationship, especially after whatever learned in the last update. Regarding the things that Alice had been trying to teach Leah about me, I think it was for the best. Now naturally, she is not happy about the fact that we are getting along well again and she's being sidelined and is trying to make a whole thing out of it. So far, ever since my daughter was born, I have never had an issue with her spending time with Alice because regardless of our personal problems, I did not want to deprive Leah of spending time with her family members, even if it was Alice. And to be fair to her, she had never tried to turn people against me like this so blatantly before, so I really did not have a reason to try and stop Leah from spending time with her grandmother.

But given the circumstances, I really don't see anything wrong with what I did, so I really don't understand why Alice is so upset and is even trying to get her other son involved. Since I blocked Alice, she decided to get my brother-in-law to text me and tell me that I needed to unblock her so we could clear the air and discuss what was going on because I had no right to try and ruin the relationship she had with her granddaughter. She even played the My Son Wouldn't have wanted this for Us Card, which is ironic because she is the one who started all of this and I'm pretty sure that her son wouldn't have wanted that either.

I don't have bad blood with my brother-in-law and I really don't want to get into a fight with him as well, so I just replied to him saying that I really respect him and that. that's why I don't think it's a good idea for him to be involving himself in this petty feud because I'm pretty sure even he knows that his mother is in the wrong here. And he replied to that message saying that he really did not want to get involved either. But his mother was getting very upset about what was going on, and she was constantly complaining about how I was responsible for ruining the relationship that she had been trying to build with Leah. And since he hadn't even had the slightest clue what was actually happening

with our family, he had just followed whatever instructions had been given to him and texted me whatever Alice had told him to. He said he had a lot of respect for me as well and did not want to get into a fight with me either, which is why he advised me to block his mother so that he wouldn't unnecessarily get dragged into this drama. I kind of understand where he's coming from because his mother stays with him and I'm sure that it can't be easy for him, having to deal with her constant complaining all the time. He can't even kick her out or anything is his mother after all, and no matter how she is right now, I'm sure that they had a good relationship at some point. Or maybe they even do right now, which is why he bothered to text me when Alice said that he needed to.

Because of that, I decided to unblock Alice so I could have it out with her once and for all because I really didn't want any unnecessary fights anymore. I had tried to keep everything peaceful for many years because I didn't want to make my husband choose between his wife and his mother. Besides, it had only been taunts and pot shots in the past, but now, she had taken things to another level by trying to insert herself into situations where she was not required at all and creating more drama and making me the bad guy in my daughter's eyes. And since she really wanted to fight this bad, I thought that I would give it to her. So I unblocked her,

and I immediately called her up and when she answered, I did not waste a second before launching into my rant against her. I had already prepared a speech of sorts in my head, and I got into it as soon as she picked it up so that she wouldn't even have the opportunity to say anything and mess with me. It was easy for me to get into it as well because honestly, I had been saving up all of this for ages and it all just started coming out at once. She tried to interrupt me several times, but I just kept talking over her until she went silent because I was not going to let her steamroll me. I basically just let it all out. I told her that she had misbehaved with me for years, and I had put up with it for the sake of my husband, and then for the sake of my daughter

because I really did not want to cause any trouble in the family. And I am a generally non-confrontational person as well so that also worked in her favor. I also brought up how it was she who had started bad-mouthing me in front of Leah and trying to turn her against me just because we were having trouble about the ring and stuff. She was the one who had acted like a total opportunist and wanted to take advantage of our situation and make me the bad guy here. All I had done was expose what she was trying to do to Leah and then, my daughter had made the right decision by cutting her off herself. Like I said, Leah is a grown woman, she can make her own decisions, and the only thing I had done was not her in that direction, but ultimately, it had been her

call not to keep in touch with her grandmother anymore. So if she really wanted somebody to blame in the situation, she should have taken a good look at what she was trying to do and realized that it was her plan that had backfired horribly. After I was done talking, Alice started to tell me that she had no such intentions of trying to ruin my relationship with my daughter, which was obviously a blatant lie because I had already heard from Leah what she had told her while we were not speaking. And then, she told me that the only reason she had never liked me was because I was controlling and always tried to get my husband to be my puppet and obviously as his mother, she wanted the best for him, which wasn't me. Honestly, it was such a low blow because, firstly,

it was not true, and more importantly, even if it was, I didn't like the fact that she kept bringing up my late husband to justify her own nasty behavior. So I decided not to dignify that by arguing with her and I just told her that it was fair enough that she was trying to look out for her son and that's why she never liked me so she should probably realize that I'm trying to do the same for my daughter and that's why I think it's better for them not to have a relationship anymore. After that, she was probably stumped because she just started fumbling her words and then eventually resorted to cursing at me. At that point, I knew that I was done because if she had started cursing, it meant that she had nothing more to say. Now, she couldn't even

say that I hadn't given her a chance, she had her chance and she blew it because she couldn't come up with a single valid argument in her favor. So I disconnected the call and I blocked her again and now, I really hope that she doesn't bother me again because it's very exhausting to deal with this nonsense. Update 3. Hello. So it has been a couple of weeks since I had my last conversation or rather fight with my mother-in-law and since then, Alice hadn't bothered me. But today, she decided to show up at my place and it came at a rather inconvenient time because we were having dinner together. And by we, I don't mean just my daughter and me, but her fiancé and his family had also come over. We are officially just six months away from the wedding, so to commemorate that, we were all having dinner together, and I don't know how.

I guess somehow Alice must have had some sort of intuition, but she showed upright as we were about to get dessert. When the doorbell started ringing, and I saw her outside, I immediately knew that inviting her it would lead to a lot of problems. So I tried to open the door as lightly as I could and I told her that I was busy right now if she cared about the family and reputation, she would go away and not create a scene here. But she went on to show me exactly how much she did not care about any sort of reputation by taking the opportunity to scream in my face about how I was alienating her from her granddaughter on purpose, and how this had been my plan all along. She told me that she had waited long enough and that if in the past weeks, I had not felt

even a little bit guilty about what I was doing, then she knew that she had been right about everything she had believed about me from the beginning. I was incredibly controlling and manipulative and had done it to her son and now, I was going to do the same to my daughter, and she was not going to allow Leah to go through the kind of emotional distress that her son had been through because of me. That's when I really started to lose my temper because this was probably the hundredth time that she was bringing up my husband to take jives at me and I was not fine with it. My husband was really happy with me and I don't know why she just refused to believe it, but she had no right to try and make me seem like the villain here over and over again, especially when I knew that

my daughter and her fiancé family could hear everything because of how loudly she was shouting at me from outside the door. So I decided to fully open the door, invited her in and I told her that if she really wanted to do this now, then we had to do it right in front of Leah. Everyone in the room was visibly uncomfortable, but I didn't care. I was sick of being made the bad guy constantly by Alice. So right in front of Leah, I told Alice that I had indeed asked Leah to maintain her distance from her grandmother, but that was only because I knew for a fact that she had been trying to influence her and turn her against me by using our fight to her advantage. But that was just a condition that I had set forth. Leah could have easily disagreed,

but the only reason she decided to actually follow what I was saying was because she herself believed the same thing, that Alice was trying to take advantage of our fight. Then, I didn't want Leah to back me up, and she did, she said that she had realized it a little late, but it was true, Alice had definitely been trying to turn her against me, and she even brought up whatever she had been saying about me to her during that time. And since Leah herself was was saying it, Alice couldn't even deny any of it so she just went back to saying that she was only trying to save Leah from being controlled for the rest of her life. But if that's what Leah wanted, then she had nothing more to say. That is when I chose to tell her that my husband had been quite

happy with me, I had never felt the need to control him, and if she felt like I was controlling and manipulative, it was only because she refused to believe that my husband was actually happy with me. She refused to accept the fact that her son could be happy with somebody whom she did not approve of, and that was the truth. But unfortunately for her, this was the reality and she could either face it or she could just shut up and leave us all alone. Because I was sick of having to deal with her and her drama, and now that my husband was gone, she had no reason to keep in touch with me either. If she wanted to, she could have kept in touch with Leah but Leah herself did not want to keep in touch with her, because of her own fault. Her plan had failed her and

backfired, so now she had to live with the consequences instead of trying to make me the bad guy. She opened her mouth to argue again, but then Leah told her that she was just embarrassing herself at this point, and if there was anybody who was actually controlling and manipulative in this family, it would be her. I guess that was the last straw for Alice because after that, she started screaming at all of us, calling us all sorts of derogatory names and cursing. And I had to call my brother-in-law to have her taken away. He showed up within a couple of minutes and for those few minutes, we had to tolerate her screaming at us incessantly. Leah just kept arguing with her because I guess she had finally seen this terrible side of her grandmother, and she couldn't believe that she

had almost let this woman manipulate her against me. When my brother-in-law finally arrived, we realized that she hadn't even told anybody at home that she was coming over here. She had said that she was visiting a friend because she knew that if she had told them that he was visiting us to create drama, they never would have allowed her to leave and would have talked her into staying. My brother-in-law apologized to me and my daughter on her behalf and we could see that he was visibly upset, which I totally understand because even after she has embarrassed him like this, he's still going to have to put up with her. Well, I only wish him luck because I know he's going to need it. Anyway, that's what happened today and it was not a good day, to be honest, but at least

we got a lot of things out of the way. And the most important thing was that now that Leah had personally witnessed this side of her grandmother, she was more apologetic than ever that she ever tried to go against me in the first place because of whatever nonsensical rubbish Alice had been feeding her against me. While they were leaving after dinner, she decided to stay for a couple of minutes more and speak to me in private and that's when she told me that she was really sorry about everything that had gone wrong recently and she knew that an apology was not going to fix everything. But she wanted me to know that she would try to be a better daughter in the future and wouldn't get carried away like this. She admitted that she had been acting like a total bright assilla and

it was actually her friends and fiancé who got her back on the right track and made her apologize to me. She also acknowledged the fact that part of the reason she came running to me was that she did not want to lose the venue and needed money for the deposit, but even apart from that, she had been planning on apologizing to me nevertheless. We had a heart-to-heart conversation before she left and I'm pretty glad that it happened because we cleared the air better than we had before. Now, all I hope is that the wedding goes smoothly. Update 4. Hello, Reddit. So my daughter got married this week and I haven't felt so happy in a really long time. Leah was really beautiful as a bride, and just as a token of love, I decided to let her use my ring for

the wedding. That was her something borrowed, and she has returned it to me, but when I feel ready to let it go, I'm going to let her take it back and it's going to be a family heirloom. The The wedding was fantastic, I had a lot of fun and it was quite emotional as well. And of course, Alice was not in attendance. She hasn't been in touch with us ever since that last fight that we had about six months ago and I couldn't have been happier about it. My brother-in-law did end up attending, though, along with his family because we don't have a problem with him.

He told me that Alice was quite upset that she was not going to be attending since she hadn't received an invitation, but of course. She still blames me for everything and thinks that I am the horrible woman who turned her granddaughter against her and is controlling her, which is why she wasn't invited but the truth was that Leah herself did not want her grandmother at her wedding. However, I don't think there is any force in the world that will be able to convince Alice that she herself is the problem. Well, she can continue to believe whatever she wants to, it's not affecting me anymore.

I'm just happy that the wedding went well and my daughter and I are on good terms again. I hope you enjoy this story. Insane new mother tried to sabotage my wedding by alleging my partner was unfaithful with another woman. However, it failed. Just seven days ago, Kyle and I got hitched. Not, surrounded by the people we hold dear. The wedding unfolded just as we had hoped, with the presence of our loved ones turning our day into a beautiful celebration. Our close family and friends had gathered to witness our union, creating an atmosphere of warm,

and happiness. It was a day filled with shared laughter, joyous embraces, and the simple pleasures of togetherness. Everything had gone perfectly except for one hiccup. My dumb stepmother tried to ruin my wedding. My parents split when I was a kid, but they've been great at co-parenting ever since, making sure I always had both of them in my life. These days, my mom's seeing a guy named Holt, and my dad's happily married to Gigi. Even though I was pretty young when my dad tied the knot again, I never felt weird about it. In fact, I was pretty stoked that our family was getting bigger. Gigi has a daughter from her previous marriage, called Naomi, just a year older than me. When dad introduced me to her, I thought we could

become good friends. But turns out Naomi was only sweet when dad was around. Behind his back, she used to pick on me quite a bit. I am not one to back down easily, so when Naomi teased me about my hair or clothes, I would give it right back to her. Our arguments sometimes escalated, like any typical kid, and occasionally turned physical. Gigi would rush in at the sound of Naomi's tears, always quick to separate us. Naomi, cleverly pretending that I had slapped or punched her, managed to turn Gigi against me. No matter how hard I tried to explain that Naomi was the instigator, Gigi never bought it. She would then wait for my dad to return home to unlawful. unload her complaints about me. My dad, thankfully never took sides and would just be upset that

Naomi and I fought. As the years passed, our relationship continued to sour. Mom started to notice how Gigi and Naomi treated me when Dad wasn't around, so she talked to him about it. Since then, dad started taking me out on these weekend outings, just the two of us, creating a space where we could spend quality time together. I have grown to cherish these moments. appreciating the undivided attention and the chance to share all my thoughts and concerns with him. When Gigi discovered this, she wasn't pleased at all. She insisted that Dad should include Naomi in these outings, but fortunately, Dad stood his ground and refused. Before tying the knot with Kyle, we spent six wonderful years dating. During that time, I introduced him to my parents during numerous

family dinners. On one occasion, amidst the cheerful atmosphere, while we shared stories and enjoyed the meal, Gigi suddenly stopped eating and looked at the both of us intently. I looked at her curiously and she then boldly remarked that Kyle was too good looking for me. The room fell into an uncomfortable silence, prompting my mother to inquire angrily about her remark. Gigi attempted to brush it off as a compliment to Kyle. However, Kyle was just as upset and stood up for me. expressing that she should not talk about us this way. He continued to tell her how fortunate he felt to be with someone like me. His words brought a smile to my face, and I felt grateful for his support. The dinner continued after that, though Gigi's failed attempt at humor

lingered like an uninvited guest. Returning home, her words continued to sting, lingering in my mind. It was undeniable that Kyle, standing at six feet two inches with a well-built physique from regular workouts, fit conventional standards of attractiveness. In contrast, I stood at five feet five inches and carried a bit of weight. Surprisingly, Kyle had never made me feel insecure about my body, our love life was healthy, and he never uttered a word about my weight. Despite this, my self-esteem sometimes took a hit, particularly when I noticed other girls admiring him. Gigi's comment that night hit close to home, yet the knowledge that Kyle had immediately defended our relationship relationship reassured me. Over the years, Gigi continued to make subtle yet hurtful comments

about my appearance whenever we were left alone during my dinners with my dad at his place. Whether it was a remark on my choice of clothing or a sly comment about how I should consider hitting the gym more often, her words chipped away at my confidence. These comments, often disguised as concern or casual observations, created a persistent undercurrent of self-doubt. Kyle, whenever he overheard her remarks, always defended me. Besides Gigi, Naomi wasn't exactly friendly towards me either. She often acted overly familiar with Kyle, getting uncomfortably close and making him uneasy. Despite Kyle expressing his discomfort to her multiple times, she continued to behave inappropriately

with him whenever she got a chance. On one Thanksgiving celebration with family and friends, during a truth and dare game, someone dared Naomi to sit on the person she liked the most. We assumed she would sit on her mother's lap, but she boldly walked up to my fiancé, pointing at him to indicate that she intended to sit on him. Kyle promptly stood up, refusing her request. I watched Naomi's face turn red in embarrassment as she knew everyone was watching her get turned down.

I couldn't help but burst into laughter, realizing that Kyle would never reciprocate her interest, no matter how desperately she wanted it. During the remainder of the Thanksgiving gathering, Naomi seemed visibly embarrassed by the ordeal. The atmosphere became a bit awkward, but Kyle and I brushed it off and continued enjoying the celebration with our friends and family. Now coming on to the story, as our big day drew nearer, I was filled with excitement and joy. Kyle and I were head over heels in love, eagerly anticipating the journey ahead. Despite my reservations, I extended an invitation to Gigi and Naomi at my dad's insistence. He assured me that if they caused any trouble, he would swiftly

show them the door. Reluctantly, I agreed to my dad's request, hoping for the best on our special day. On the day we were set to exchange our vows, the atmosphere was electric with anticipation. Surrounded by the love of friends and family, I was in the midst of getting ready my dress adorned, and my hair gracefully braided. My bridesmaids were all set to accompany me down the aisle. Yet, just when everything seemed perfect, Gigi barged into my dressing room, asking if she could talk to me privately. My mother told her to leave me alone as I needed time to be ready before it was time to walk down the aisle. Despite my efforts to maintain composure, Gigi persisted, emphasizing that she needed to share something crucial before what she perceived as a

huge mistake. Growing weary of her persistence, I requested everyone to give us some privacy. My mother looked at me with a raised eyebrow and I assured her that I would handle the situation with Gigi swiftly so that I could return to the preparations. My mother nodded understandingly and walked out, leaving Gigi and me alone. I turned to Gigi and told her she had two minutes to explain herself before I kicked her out of the room. Gigi, with an air of faux concern, conspiratorially pulled out multiple pictures and put them down on the table. She claimed that these pictures would change everything I knew about Kyle. I was shocked.

I glanced at the photos, only to see Tom innocently chatting with a distant cousin at a restaurant. Gigi told me that she had found Kyle talking to this mysterious woman while she was out for dinner last week and had snapped these pictures so that I wouldn't be surprised later to find out about his alleged infidelity. With an air of false concern, she urged me to reconsider the wedding, making it sound like I was about to make a huge mistake. I calmly took a deep breath and decided to play along with her games. Determined not to let her turn my wedding day into a nightmare, I opened the door and

requested my mother to bring Kyle and my dad to my room. Gigi, under the impression that I was about to confront Kyle regarding his alleged affair, reassured me that everything would be fine once I confronted him. Little did she know, a different kind of confrontation awaited her. Kyle was a bit hesitant to enter my room as he didn't want to see me in my wedding dress. But at this point, I didn't care about traditions anymore and urged him to come inside. As Kyle stepped into the room, Gigi wore a triumphant smirk, anticipating a confrontation. I gestured toward the picture she had spread across the table and calmly asked Kyle if he could

explain the images. He looked at the photos, a puzzled expression on his face. I could see Gigi reveling in the drama she had orchestrated. Kyle, maintaining his composure, explained that the woman in the pictures was his cousin, whom he had met for dinner last week. He clarified the context of each image, pointing out the family resemblance and the innocent nature of their conversation. Gigi's confident demeanor began to waver as Kyle's explanation dismantled her scheme. My dad, who had joined us by then, listened intently.

I could sense the frustration building in Gigi as her plan unraveled. In a moment of triumph, I turned to Gigi, revealing that the woman in the photos was indeed Kyle's distant cousin, who I had in fact met at one of his family events. I couldn't help but smirk as her face faltered, realizing that her attempt to ruin my wedding had failed miserably. My dad, who was listening to us silently, caught on to Gigi's deceit. He looked at me and asked if Gigi was the one who brought those. pictures to me. I nodded and explained how she disrupted my wedding preparations, attempting

to claim that the man I was about to marry was having an affair. My dad, visibly upset, turned to Gigi and questioned why she would even consider pulling such a stunt. Gigi looked defeated and embarrassed at this point. My dad sternly demanded an explanation, and that's when she revealed her true intentions. Gigi claimed that I didn't deserve to marry someone like Kyle and claimed that we we would never be happy together. She asserted that her daughter, Naomi, had fallen in love with Kyle over the years. We stared at her in disbelief as Gigi went on, insisting that Naomi, being more beautiful than me, deserved to marry Kyle instead. She went on to explain that, over the years, she had attempted to plant negative thoughts about our relationship and our

minds, but it had not worked. But when she saw Kyle with a mysterious woman, she saw an opportunity to finally break us up. At this point, we all stared at her as if she had completely lost her mind. My mom, already upset with her behavior, told my dad that this was unacceptable. In turn, my dad immediately agreed and sternly asked Gigi to leave immediately. She tried to protest, but my mother dragged her out of the room. Naomi stormed into the room, demanding answers as she sensed something was wrong. My dad then explained the deceitful action of Gigi. Hearing this, Naomi then turned her attention to me and without a moment's pause started yelling at me. She launched into a barrage of accusations, blaming me for tearing

her family apart. I remained calm, trying to explain the gravity of Gigi's deceit, but Naomi's anger only kept intensifying. Naomi sneered, saying my relationship with Kyle was a sham, built on lies and her mother was right to try to break it off. While I tried to defend our love, she laughed it off, telling me that I was deluding myself. She reiterated that she deserved to be with Kyle, and he was only with me because he thought I was richer than her, given that I had a fancier job. At this point, Kyle, unable to contain his anger any longer, stepped in. He sternly confronted her, setting the record straight. His words carried a mix of disappointment and firmness as he rebuffed Naomi's advances. In no uncertain terms, he conveyed that he would never be interested in her

and he thought he had made it very clear to her publicly several times. He pointed out that we were getting married and she and Gigi had no right to spoil our day. Naomi, now faced with opposition, hesitated for a moment, realizing that her attempts to sow discord were falling flat. Throughout this confrontation, my father tried to act as a mediator, attempting to bring reason into the chaotic exchange. Despite Naomi's relentless accusations, he stood by my side, and eventually realizing that Naomi was not going to give up, he asked her to leave our wedding with Gigi. Naomi appeared taken aback by this unexpected turn, and a sense of satisfaction spread across my face. After their embarrassing exit, I turned to Kyle, a mix of frustration and amusement on my face.

We shared a knowing glance and he burst into laughter, looking at the innocent images that Gigi had twisted into something so devious. We were grateful that our relationship had weathered this bizarre storm. The wedding continued, unaffected by Gigi's ill-conceived interference. Our vows were exchanged, and the celebration with our loved ones resumed. It turned out to be a day filled with joy and laughter, just as we had dreamed about. As the festivities continued, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. Gigi's plan had backfired, and her her attempt to cast out on my relationship had only strengthened the bond between Kyle and me. Kyle and I had a wonderful honeymoon. Since returning back home, I have been hearing from my dad

that all is not well between Gigi and him. She thinks we were too harsh and kicking her out and blames me for embarrassing her in front of Kyle, mom and dad. Naomi, too, has sent me several messages, claiming I am sick for embarrassing her mother, and continues to warn me that I would never be happy with Kyle. This is starting to get to me so I would like to know Ida for exposing my dumb stepmother's allegations and then kicking her out of my wedding? Update 1, it's been a few days since my last update. Apparently one of my bridesmaids, who was my cousin, Fiona, had overheard the entire conversation with Gigi and Naomi that day. She couldn't keep the shocking revelation to herself. Disterbed by what she had heard during the confrontation with

Gigi and Naomi, she felt compelled to share it with a few close family members. As the news slowly spread, the collective disapproval grew, creating a ripple effect that reached the ears of other relatives. The story of their disruptive actions during my wedding became a topic of conversation within the family, triggering a cascade of disapproval and disappointment. All of our relatives were as shocked as we were when we first found out about their deceitful scheme. The unanimous sentiment within the family is one of agreement that what Gigi and Naomi did to me was undeniably wrong. Gossip and shared indignation worked swiftly, causing the family to collectively shun Gigi and Naomi. I have received several concerned phone calls and messages

from relatives, who were previously unaware of the disruptive events that unfolded during my wedding. Today, I invited my dad over dinner. as I hadn't seen him since the wedding. When he arrived, I noticed how visibly different he looked, not like his usual self. During our meal, my dad opened up about how Gigi and Naomi were making his life increasingly difficult. They were insistent that I owe them an apology for kicking them out. Kyle and I were shocked listening to how entitled they felt to get an apology from me when they had tried to ruin my wedding in the first place. It was a surreal moment, trying to comprehend their audacity. My dad sensing my frustration, expressed he was equally disappointed in their behavior.

He assured me that I owed no apology for protecting my wedding against their disruptive actions. It worried me to see Dad dealing with all the toxicity, so I shared my concerns with him. We both acknowledged that the constant conflicts with Gigi were taking a toll on his mental well-being. Dad also went on to reveal that Naomi was threatening us with legal actions, claiming emotional distress from the wedding incident. It sounded absurd, and I couldn't help but laugh, but beneath the laughter, I recognized the strain their demands were putting on our family dynamics. I plan on confronting Naomi and Gigi regarding this and hopefully resolve it once and for all.

Update 2 today I met up with Naomi and Gigi as I had mentioned earlier. I invited them both out for lunch at a cafe instead of my place. Kyle wanted to go with me but I insisted that this was something I needed to do on my own. As we sat down, the air was thick with tension. I calmly expressed my concerns about their actions during the wedding, emphasizing the hurt they caused. Gigi, however, remained defensive, insisting that she stood by everything she had told me. She insisted that she was acting in Naomi's best interest. This really pissed me off and I retorted that Kyle was my husband now.

and I won't stand by their persistent disregard for our relationship. I pointed out that, at the very least, she could have apologized to me for how she interrupted my wedding day. The conversation quickly escalated into a heated exchange. Gigi, with a stubborn demeanor, refused to admit any wrongdoing, claiming she was only looking out for her daughter. Naomi, on the other hand, started accusing me of being insecure, suggesting that my reaction was fueled by my jealousy of her. This made me laugh in her face. I couldn't help but laugh, clarifying that I had never seen her as a competition. I reminded her of my academic achievements, securing a scholarship, graduating from my dream college, and landing a job that

provided financial comfort. I expressed my frustration, emphasizing that, unlike her, I had a partner who genuinely loved me, and I didn't need to go behind someone's back to try and and steal them. Naomi's face twisted with anger as she retorted, spewing hurtful words in my direction. She claimed that I was living in a fantasy if I thought Kyle truly loved me. She insinuated that he was only with me out of pity or convenience and that he deserves someone better. Her words were venomous, but I tried to maintain composure, refusing to let her undermine my relationship or tarnish my happiness. Gigi, standing beside Naomi, couldn't resist adding her own bitter remarks. With a condescending tone, she questioned my ability to handle a marriage,

implying that I was naive and inexperienced. If I remember her exact words were, Honey, I don't know what Kyle sees in you. I mean, come on, a man like him with a woman like you? It's laughable. You might have a good job, but can you really keep a man like him satisfied? In the face of Gigi's spiteful remarks, I took a moment to collect myself, suppressing the anger bubbling within. I then responded that her opinions about my marriage were irrelevant. Kyle and I shared a deep connection that went beyond her shallow judgments so if she couldn't respect that, then it's best for us to part ways. Naomi, fueled by a mix of anger and frustration, also accused me of being selfish,

claiming that I had ruined her chance at happiness by marrying Kyle. As the argument intensified, Gigi played the victim card, asserting that my decision to kick them out was an overreaction. Despite my attempts to reason with them, it became evident that reasoning with them was futile. Their refusal to acknowledge their mistakes and the depth of their actions only fueled the intensity of our argument. It became clear that maintaining a relationship with individuals so hellbent on causing harm was untenable. The meeting ended on a sour note, with unresolved issues and lingering tension. leaving me with the realization that some conflicts are irreparable. Returning home, the weight of the confrontation pressed heavily on my shoulders, and I broke down in tears.

The emotional toll of the encounter left me drained, both physically and mentally. It wasn't just about Gigi and Naomi's disdain for me, it was also the understanding that my father was likely enduring a similar, if not more intense, emotional storm at his end. I have since talked with my mother and made the difficult decision to personally. permanently cut ties with Gigi and Naomi. She was shocked hearing how much they had hurt me and wanted to go off on them. I stopped her emphasizing that they weren't worth our time or emotional energy. The toxicity they brought into our lives was not worth the emotional toll it took. I am choosing to prioritize my mental well-being and the stability of my marriage over their

relentless negativity. It is a painful but necessary step toward a healthier, happier life. Update 3. Thank you for everyone's comments since my post. It's been two months since my last update and a lot has changed in our lives. Firstly, my dad and Gigi are now separated. As many foresaw, Gigi's refusal to acknowledge her mistakes, coupled with constant pressure and conflicts, took a toll on my dad. Consequently, he moved out of their place and is consulting with lawyers to initiate divorce proceedings. After dad her on all fronts, Gigi attempted to reach out to me, but I also blocked her, prompting her to call Kyle. He didn't pick up her calls knowingly so she sent a long message to him

about how her daughter, Naomi, was heartbroken. Gigi blamed me for orchestrating their separation and accused me of turning my dad against her. Kyle and I read the message together, shaking our heads at her attempt to shift blame. We didn't bother to reply to her and Kyle blocked her as well. As for my dad, since his separation, he seems lighter and happier. He's gradually finding peace away from the constant turmoil with Gigi and Naomi. Kyle and I have been there to support him through this challenging time. We have encouraged him to focus on his well-being and pursue activities that bring him joy. Despite the difficulties, it's heartening to see my dad rediscovering himself and embracing the freedom from toxic dynamics.

A month ago, I went on a vacation. with my mom to spend some time with her. Since the incident, she has been really worried about me and fuming at how they treated me. This beach vacation was much needed as we strolled along the serene beaches, reminiscing about our joyful memories and discussing plans for the future. In the quiet moments of our vacation, surrounded by the comforting presence of my mother, I felt so much peace. It was a therapeutic reset, allowing us to strengthen our bond and cherish the moments of

piece away from the chaos that Gigi and Naomi had brought into our lives. As I am writing this, I find myself feeling overwhelmed with gratitude for the love Kyle and I share. His unwavering support and understanding have been the pillars that have held me up through the storms. If I didn't have a supportive and loyal partner like him, I don't know what I would do. As I reflect on our journey, I am immensely thankful for the joy he brings, the laughter we share, and the strength he provides in the face of challenges. Looking ahead, I look forward to embracing the prospect of spending the rest of my life with Kyle. I hope you enjoy this story. Spouse demands I utilize a monitoring device to track my activities and warns of separation if I betray trust. Thus, I covertly gather

my belongings when they are absent and take legal action. Own divorce papers, and ran before he returns. I, 29 F, have been married to my husband, 30M, who I'll call Alex. Alex and I met in college during our freshman year. We started off as just friends, and got married seven months ago. I've gotten along with his family, but we aren't super close but we're friendly enough. The problem is that Alex has begun to make me incredibly uncomfortable. Firstly, he's begun to ask me who I'm meeting with, where, what we plan is on doing how long every single time I leave the house without him. At first, I just thought he was being protective and a good partner just in case something happened, but then he started

checking my phone after the visits, vetting and researching each of my friends as well. He also has been pursuing me to link my bank account to his, as he's in charge of the finances when he was perfectly fine with keeping them separate before. We fight about it almost every day. Finally, yesterday when he was preparing to go on a work trip for two weeks in California, he demanded I were a tracker so he could keep an eye on me while he's gone. I can't do this anymore, I feel like I'm suffocating and his family who I've spoken to about his worrying behavior just said he's being careful and protective as a good husband should. I need to gather my things together and find a way to be gone before he gets home without tipping him off.

He's always threatened that if he ever found me cheating on him, he'd turn in divorce. papers the same day. He keeps a filled out copy in his desk. I'm going to submit those the day I leave. But there's so much to do, Bergen finding a new place to live, seeing if my job has any transfers available, packing and moving in two weeks. His return flight May 11, so I need to move quickly. I'm posting here because I don't have any close family, and I can't risk dragging my friends into this as we share the same friends. I just needed a place to vent, and ask if anyone has any advice on the easiest and safest way to do this. Edit, oh my God, you guys are amazing. I never even thought to not use his divorce papers. I'll check for cameras before I start

any packing or prepping. I may also shred his divorce papers just in case and look into getting a lawyer for myself. I'm in a no-fault divorce state, that much I so remember. which will help. I'll update again when I know more. The tracker he wants me to use is a small clip to put on the belt or waistband. I'll wear it unless I'm going or doing something related to me leaving. No pets yet, thankfully. Update 1, so I've gotten a lot of support and helpful advice along with questions I thought I should clarify before I proceed with the update. Some asked why I'd be hiding things from Alex regarding going out and who I'm meeting with. I don't, and I have nothing to hide. However, when he begins to then double-check everything I tell him

with the other people there right down to each person I talk to and what I said. Did I send any text MSGS, did I order food, how much did I eat, that's when it started to feel like I was slowly being pushed into a corner. It didn't start that bad, but gradually grew worse over time. All of the Reddit subs my in-laws families are part of our related gardening and DIY so I highly doubt they'll see this, if so by the time they do, I'll hopefully be gone. I talk to my job and explain things to my manager. And they promised to look into openings in other states to see if they could get me into one. They'll have an update on that in three days. I trust that my bank account is secured, considering he's tried to get into it before and failed. I found one camera in the

kitchen, another in the living room and one in our bedroom. As such, I've left them. I've left them, in place for now and done all other planning, either in the bathroom pretending I'm taking a bath. I'm honestly staying away from the domestic violence services as my sister-in-law is unfortunately higher up in those considering she volunteers there and I have a feeling if I did show up there, they would know in a heartbeat. I can't look for apartments until I get the update from my work, but either or I'm still going to be leaving the state. The day before I do I will be changing my number carrier and wiping my laptop and all of his electronics before I do. I've met with two lawyers so far and had them look over the paperwork.

My husband had prepared and both said that it didn't have some clauses in it. That could have caused me some trouble down the line. What alarmed all of us close to fact that several of those clauses dealt with future children, and not as a hypothetical. Like several hair suggested I have a feeling he fully intended on getting me pregnant to keep me trapped and tied to him. There are three other locations. My job could send me to one I have. As a precaution begun looking into all three cities and housing in the areas,

just in case one of those, this is the one they send me to. Even if they don't have an opening that they can push me into then I will just have to quit, move, and figure things out on my own. I have enough money to live and survive for a few months until I can pick up another job. Unfortunately, all of our friends are mutuals and would likely be unaware of the consequences of saying or sharing anything I do or say with my husband. I don't have any surviving close family and obviously my in-laws are not a good resource to rely on. I am on my own, unfortunately, other than the wonderful bonds I've begun to make here.

I will update again if I get more information or something else happens. Otherwise I'll update when my work gets back to me. I do plan on leaving before he returns, though, just to make sure that I'm not anywhere near here at that time. Update 2. Good news. My work has an opening I qualify for that will not only shift me across the country, but also comes with a salary increase as well. I've started telling my in-laws and friends that I'm planning a surprise outing for when my husband gets back for just the two of us. This way, people don't give me odd looks if they see me out and about. I've even gone as far as asking Mill to show me his favorite recipes. Meanwhile, I found out. I found out. a moving company that while small is willing to work in a storm. The reason is in five days, we're supposed to get hit with a large storm front. I plan to shut off the breaker and say we lost power if he asks just as several people here suggested and even send him a short clip of the storm. I will have all of my stuff moved that afternoon. And I will be flying out once the weather has

cleared enough to do so. I have a lawyer who will push my divorce through, and I've filled out the necessary paperwork so that I don't have to be here for it. I'm not suing for assets or alimony and I've shredded his divorce papers as well. I've set up a cheap payphone plan through cricket until this is all said and done at which point I will find a new carrier, number and phone. This one is being wiped and left behind. My laptop is provided by my work, and the IT department inspected it thoroughly and it was clean, thankfully. No other electronic aside for my laptop and new phone will be coming with me. If Alex needs to talk to me, he can do it through my lawyer.

Not sure if anything else will happen, my fingers are crossed that he doesn't think anything's amiss until after I leave and I'm not turning the breaker back on when I do. He can when he gets home. My work is covering the plane ticket, so that at least is one expense I don't have to finagle in. Update 3, it's been a busy week, but I've gotten so much done. Firstly, I am now out of the house and am currently in a hotel while I look for an apartment.

It's a big city, bustling with people no matter where you look. We had a pretty bad storm system hit back home, that actually lasted two days. High winds, thunder, lightning and even hail everywhere. I didn't take much from the house, my documents, clothes and important sentimental items. I left all of the furniture and electronics behind. I cleaned the house top to bottom and took pictures on my phone so he couldn't claim I damaged anything when I left. My lawyer has already started divorce proceedings, and my husband will be served on the 8th. His plane is due to land early morning, and the sheriff will be there at the house waiting for him.

He is very much about public appearances and reputation. My lawyer will be calling him as well to inform him that I am more than willing to air out everything to the public about his actions if it means securing my phone. freedom from him. I will go to court as long as I must to get this pushed through. I haven't told our friends or his in-laws yet, I will do that while he is on the flight to prevent him from getting wind of it before he's handed the divorce papers. I will be calling around and explaining why we're getting divorced, to try and prevent him from twisting this into somehow being my fault. I don't want him trying to claim I had an affair or something so I want to get the truth out before he can twist this. I'm doing okay. I'm doing okay. I'm

tired, but yet I feel almost jittery and off-kilter. I keep looking over my shoulder and monitoring what I say even when I don't really need to anymore. Hopefully that will fade soon. My work is covering the cost of the hotel, and I'm working on getting my other things in order. I also need to find a new GP as I want to get a full test just to make sure everything is okay. I don't know when my next update will be, probably when the divorce papers are filed or if we have to go to court to push them through. I will try to keep my head up, but it feels like I'm in a whirlwind or something with so many things to do and think about. I kind of thought it would be easier once I got out of the house, but while the fear is smaller, somehow the number of tasks only seems to have grown. Update 4. Sorry I haven't updated for a while, things got hectic and a bit chaotic honestly.

Firstly, I'm working on getting an apartment still and have applications in at three different places and will hopefully hear back from them soon. I'm still going into work here at the new location, so I don't have to worry about burning through my emergency savings completely. I've gotten a lot of emails from Alex, his family, and our old friend group asking question after question. I have only sent one return email to Alex, explaining that I don't believe we are truly compatible, and it is best we separate now. That his treatment of me when I'd done nothing to deserve as such was just as much of a deal-breaker

as cheating was for him. I ended the email with the statement that I would not be contacting him further and anything else he needed to pass on to me or vice versa would be done through my lawyer. For his family and friends, I just typed up one email outlining everything that had happened and why I left. I told them I wished them no ill will, but that such treatment of his wife and partner was not acceptable. That should Alex get remarried in the future, I wish they would help support both partners and not just Alex. Alex, from what my lawyer told me, was livid when he was served.

The sheriff actually ended up booking him for assault on an officer and menacing due to the threats he was shouting. His father bailed him out in a few hours, but with the testimony of the sheriff, my lawyer believes I have a very good chance at getting a restraining order. Alex, upon returning to the house, apparently lost his temper again, breaking the dining table into pieces as well as the TV, and putting several holes in the wall. walls. At least that's what one of the emails from one of our friends reported as Alex called him to help him clean up the mess. My lawyer already has pictures of the house I took, with timestamps as evidence nothing had been damaged by me. My friend reported that Alex tried to claim I'd been the one to trash the house but the holes in the wall were at head height. Alex is six feet three inches. And I'm five feet four inches, so he knew that was false. Either way, taking the picture

pictures definitely will help me so again. Thank you everyone here for the advice because I never would have thought of that on my own. My work won't share details of where I am, as I do work with some higher-end clientele who value security and that information won't be gossiped about and no, I'm not some stripper or escort. I deal with contracts, notary and business management. As such, even if Alex tried to use my work to find me, he wouldn't succeed. Now on to the next story. Story 2 Caught wife cheating on a dating app while acting distant and always on her phone. So I tricked her BF into coming to Christmas dinner and exposed their affair to our whole family.

My wife and I were married for two years before I discovered she had been fooling me. First, I'll admit that I loved my wife so much, and even when I noticed signs that she was acting edgy or dressing extra, I didn't consider most of it. My wife and I first met at a mutual friends housewarming party and clicked instantly. We had a couple of conversations, talked about regular things, what she loved and what I loved, and she was very free-spirited. She laughed at almost every joke, which I found beautiful and attractive. I also loved that she was not acting like she was out of my league like the rest of her friends did, and after we had a great time together, we went our separate ways.

But before we did, we exchanged contacts, and I called her as soon as I got home that evening. We didn't talk much that first night because she went to a different location to hang out with her friends, but the next day, we talked and flowed like old-time friends. I won't lie. I wasn't single when I met my wife, my relationship was complicated, and I was going through so much with my then-girlfriend. I was tired of her lies, her deception, and always playing the victim in the same. situations she made, which was exhausting for me. So, when my then-girlfriend asked that we break up, I didn't argue with her. I did this because I was already close friends with my wife,

and she looked like the kind of woman that would give me the long-lasting peace I wanted, and I was right. My wife gave me the kind of peace, love, and respect I wanted, but it was short-lived. After I officially broke up, my wife was there to comfort me and spend time with me whenever she wanted to. She was a freelance graphic designer, and this gave her the flexibility to work from anywhere. I'd even invite her for the weekends, and she would work for my place, and whenever she was taking a break, we'd go out and have fun. As of that time, she was single and was looking to have fun. Aside from her two friends I met at the housewarming party, she didn't have other friends and didn't have much of a social life, so we became best friends, and in no time, we were

madly in love with each other. Even without officially asking her out, we were almost inseparable and went everywhere together all the time. You all might call it obsession, but it wasn't. I had been yearning for a woman I could connect with and not feel insecure, and I found that in my wife. We introduced each other to our parents, and my parents loved her. She was my maternal grandmother's namesake, creating a beautiful bond between her and my mother. I had a great job, and the pay was great, but as a freelancer, she earned more than me, and I was cool with that. Despite her earning more than I did, I still took care of her. We dated for two years, those were the most memorable moments we had together.

We traveled to different countries, mainly for sightseeing, and took two proper vacations within those two years. While we dated, my love for her and my gifting increased. On our first anniversary, I felt we were ready to take things. to the next level, so I asked her to move in with me, and she was glad too. Her parents even suggested that she move in with me at the early stage of our relationship so we could get to know each other, but she refused and said she didn't want to rush things. I literally did not hold back anything from my wife.

Nothing at all. I loved her wholeheartedly and did everything to make her happy. Her happiness was my priority, and I adored everything about her. I believed we were on our way to the happily ever after life, but I was very mistaken. After two years of dating and one year of living together, I popped the question, and she said yes. We had a small wedding, invited our friends and family, and had a great time. We didn't need to move into a bigger apartment, so we stayed at my old house. We didn't do 50 to 50 responsibility, but she contributed to it. I took care of rent, gas,

and utility bills, and she took care of groceries. Remember that I mentioned at the beginning of my story that there was a time I noticed some things were off with my wife, but I didn't pay much attention to it. Well, that started after a year in our marriage. She just changed, and I could not explain why. On some days, she would be happy and all nice. The next day, she would be so cold and ignore me like we didn't live in the same house. Then she started going out more and more from being someone who didn't have friends and a solid social life.

I would often return from work, and she would leave a note that said she was out to see her friends or hang out with other freelancers that lived in our city. The truth is, I was happy that she was even socializing more, and I didn't really ask detailed questions whenever she returned from her meetings. As time passed, I noticed she started caring more about her looks, applying makeup, and wearing skin type. skimpy clothes. I was a bit concerned about the skimpy clothes she wore, and each time I talked about it, she would say I was being insecure, and I didn't like that she was exploring different options. I didn't like it when she said that, so I stopped mentioning it and allowed her to do her thing. She even started staying late whenever she went out in the evenings, and I felt she needed to unwind after sitting in front of her laptop for hours. Our bond as husband and wife also became

weaker as all of this continued, and most times, she wouldn't let me touch her because she claimed she was always tired, and I tried to be an understanding husband, not knowing that my wife was cheating on me. It was until one day. We were both sitting in the living room, and she mentioned something about having insufficient space on her phone, and I advised her to clear slash clean her phone. As she was doing that, in a short glance at her screen, I noticed she recently deleted a dating app, and I was curious. I tried to hold myself together and pretended I did not see everything. Later that evening, after giving her a hot dose of my husband's duties, she slept off, and I used her fingerprint to unlock her phone as she slept. I re-downloaded the app,

and because her details were registered with Google, I got signed in immediately. I didn't even dig deep when I found out that my wife had been dating one not-so-fine guy for almost a year, and he had seen me a couple of times. I read all of their romantic conversations, and I was heartbroken to see that they mocked me whenever they talked and said many nasty things about me. I was so enraged and even thought of giving my wife a peaceful sleep, but I didn't want to spend the rest of my life in jail. So, I pretended to chat with him like it was my wife and invited her boyfriend to join us for Christmas dinner in a few days so he could meet my family, still pretending to be my wife.

I told him I would travel, so we would have the whole evening to ourselves. After he agreed, I deleted the app, charged my wife's phone, and pretended all was well. In fact, I acted happier than I was the previous days, and she believed I was excited about Christmas. Long story short, on Christmas Eve, he arrived at my in-law's home, and it was my turn to make a fool out of them. I knew the exact time he would come and open the door for him. The shock on his face was worth framing, and I pretended I didn't know him. When my wife saw him, she dropped the tray of food she was holding, and her parents suspected something was wrong.

Her parents didn't know him either, but he was invited to the table to eat with us. As I ate, I began talking about a friend who recently found out his wife was cheating on him on a dating app, and he was mad and divorced her. I made the story so emotional, her parents even said the lady did not deserve a second chance, and her husband did the right thing by divorcing her. While I told the story, it was evident that my wife was finding it difficult to chew and swallow the food in her mouth, and she was sweating profusely. Her boyfriend kept touching the collar of his shirt, and it was evident that he was uncomfortable too. After beating around the bush, I told her parents that their daughter was cheating on me with the man she invited for dinner,

and her parents questioned her, and they were so furious when they confirmed it. They embarrassed her boyfriend without wasting time and kicked him out of their house. Then they reigned abuse on my wife, and they expressed their disappointment. I'm glad she will have to live with her parents' disappointment for the rest of her life, and she has no place in my life anymore. She tried to defend herself and said she did it because I was getting boring, I did everything she wanted without complaints. Hearing this made her parents more furious, and they asked her to find somewhere else to sleep that

day. I was so shattered that she could repay me that way, and I left their house. Later on, we divorced, and I have not seen her since. It's funny how you pour your heart out for a woman, care for her, and love her unconditionally, in the end, she takes advantage of that. Right now, I'm not ready for a relationship, and it might be able to. take a while to heal. I hope you enjoy this story. Found out that my spouse of seven years was having an affair with a new colleague. In response, I sought vengeance by sharing evidence with all their

friends and family, and surprising him with divorce documents, ultimately ending our marriage. Getting him fired. I, 35F, have been married to my husband, 34M, for seven years. We've never really had any problems beyond regular couple issues in our relationship and we were able to establish a really strong foundation of trust by telling each other pretty much everything that is happening in our lives. If a guy comes up to me and asks for my number at the supermarket, I'd tell him. If a female friend is being really touchy with him, he'll let me know as soon as he gets home. This has been our arrangement for years and it's worked great for both of us. The issue started when I was putting his clothes into the laundry and emptying out the pockets,

all of us should do, not just to prevent money or valuables from being ruined, but because this was what set the entire thing into motion for me. I found a receipt from a relatively fancy restaurant in our area and based on what was ordered, it was clear that it was a dinner for two. My husband hadn't told me anything about this, so while my first instinct was suspicion, I felt that there must have been an explanation of some sort for it. I confronted him with what I had found, and he actually did have a pretty good explanation for it. My husband is a corporate guy, the kind of person who wears a suit to work every day. His job also calls pretty frequently for him to try and sugar up potential clients, so according to him, that receipt was from a client that he took to dinner

to discuss things a bit further with. I asked him why he didn't tell me about it like he usually does, but he said it was simply because it slipped his mind by the time he got back home and that the deal wasn't closed in the end. He didn't seem to be. He didn't seem to be. He didn't seem to be. He didn't to have to think much before telling me all of this, so I believed it right away. The only gripe I had with him then was that we hadn't gone to that restaurant together, since we had been wanting to. Anyway, I trusted my husband, as I've said, so I never really thought anything else of what had happened. There really wasn't a reason to just based on seeing a receipt. Things went back to normal pretty quickly after that, and we didn't have any issues with each other for quite a few

months. However, things boiled up again between us about a month later when a friend of mine called me one evening and said that she bumped into my husband with a woman on his arm. She just happened to be in a part of the city that was a bit far off and spotted him across the road. I asked her if she was sure it was him, but she said she actually crossed the road and spoke to him. When he saw her, he let go of the woman but seemed to act normal beyond that. He didn't seem too flustered, she said. Her only regret was she didn't ask him what he was doing in that part of town and they went their separate ways soon after. Right before they turned the corner, she saw the woman clasp onto his arm again.

At this point, all the alarms in my head started to blare. I thought briefly about the receipt I had found in his pocket, but honestly, I didn't make too much of a connection because it still could have been a business dinner. But this on its own was enough for him to have a lot of explaining to do. As soon as he got back home, which was around 11 p.m., he could tell that something was off with my mood and he asked me what was wrong right away. Considering my friend hadn't hidden herself, I think he already knew what it was about, but he waited for me to say it. When I told him and asked him to explain himself, he just chuckled and shook his head lightly. According to him, that woman was one of his co-workers and there was nothing going on between them. They had gone

for a business dinner with some clients that the company was trying to get on board, so about four people from his company had attended with him. The female co-worker that my friends saw had too much to drink and that was why she was supporting herself on him. Here's the thing, I realized that my husband had time to think of a story because he knew my friend would have told me, but for some reason, I believed him. Maybe it was because I had always trusted him or because I was in denial and I didn't want the mess that would come about from this being what I hoped it wasn't. But it was so easy for me to believe him and that was what I chose to do. He even hugged me afterward, saying that he would have told my friend if she had asked so that

I wouldn't have had to worry myself. He apologized for stressing me out and told me that I really had nothing to worry about, that he was mine and mine alone. At that point, all my suspicions dissolved. At this point, things went fine for about six months straight. No accounts of anyone's seeing him traipsing around town with women, no stray and unexplained receipts in suit pockets. Things seemed normal and I honestly didn't find myself dwelling on whether my husband was cheating on me or not. However, this peace of mind really only lasted that long, and it was after the third event that everything started to crumble. My husband came back home pretty late one night. It was nearly midnight, and he had texted me at some point during the night that he was doing

the usual whining and dining for one of the clients that his company was trying to win over. Again, it wasn't the first time in the six-month period, so I didn't think too much of it. He came back, a little tipsy, and it was when I went in to hug him that I smelt what was distinctly feminine perfume. I immediately asked him why he smelt like a woman's perfume, but I tell you that this man told me straight to my face that it was his usual perfume. He's been wearing the same Tom Ford fragrance to work for the last two years, so I don't think it is ridiculous for me to be able to tell when he smells like something different. I told him it was a different fragrance, but he only maintained that it was his usual scent

and he told me I was acting delusional, which was an out-of-character thing for him to say to me. He gently pushed past me and went upstairs. I think this was the first time that I really knew something was wrong. Because I started to feel like I was being gaslight. It was then that the thing with the receipt and what my friend had seen came back to me, and suddenly, I was extremely suspicious. I was halfway up the stairs, wanting to confront him, but I actually realized that he would probably gaslight me again until I felt like I was losing my mind or being an emotional

woman or something. I still went upstairs, though, because I knew he was in the shower. He had undressed, with his clothes lying on the bed and his phone beside it. I had to smell his suit in his shirt again, because I needed to be sure I wasn't actually losing it, and sure enough, I was 100% certain that wasn't his Tom Ford perfume that I was smelling on it. At that point, I went straight into his phone. I went into the gallery app first and right there were the pictures taken that night.

It was him at some kind of lounge, with the young woman, she looked like she was 23 or something, cozied up to him. There was even a picture of them kissing while she held the phone for a selfie. I felt like I was going to explode. I took a video with my own phone, swiping through all the pictures. I was about to enter his messaging app, but I could hear him rounding up in the bathroom, so I let it go. Honestly, I wanted to confront him so badly, but I needed to know more because I felt like he'd find

a stupid way to explain away the kiss and I might actually fall for it. I know, I hate how much I wanted to trust him. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep, so I grabbed his phone and jumped into the messaging app. The first two messages were people from work, but the last one was someone called Sabrina, and I hadn't heard anything about her before, so I assumed this was the mystery girl and I was right. I went through the messages and I really can't tell you when tears started streaming down my face. He had told her he loved her, called me all sorts of names, they had reminisced about nights they had just had, there were nudes exchanged. And I don't know when I had

gone far enough to see him sending pictures from the night that they had at the same restaurant I had seen the receipt of. I really hope that nobody here has to go through what I went through, because in that moment, I actually felt like there was nothing left for me. I felt absolutely broken. Some pretty dark thoughts went through my mind as I looked over at him sleeping. After seven years of marriage. I know better now, but I remember thinking about how I do my best to look good, eat healthy, and go to the gym. I know for a fact that I look good for my age, but it destroyed my self-esteem thinking about some of the comments that he made about me and my body, and they both laughed about it. I think it was exactly that that radicalized me and made me realize that I needed

to make sure that this man hurt badly. I had to take videos of the entire chat, slowing down for the parts where he took her to restaurants, hotels, and shopping. He seemed to enjoy sending her pictures. I drank myself to sleep that night. In the morning, I tried to be my usual self so that he wouldn't suspect anything. I don't think I did a great job of it, but he didn't seem to notice much. He was a completely different person to me now. I am not shy to say that I resented him. Once he was out of the house, I knew that I had to find out who this woman was.

I didn't know her last name, but when I searched for Sabrina in the list of my husband's friends on Facebook, there she was. was. It was the same face that I had seen kissing him, so I was sure it was her. The real shocker was me finding out that they worked at the same company and going by her job title. She was likely one of his junior colleagues. At this point, I knew her name and I had evidence that they were doing things together, and I wanted to make sure that I hurt them both. Looking back, I think I became unhealthily obsessed with that idea, but ultimately, I was simply seeking closure and revenge in my own way and I'm happy that I found what I was looking for. Honestly, that's all that really matters to me.

The first thing that I did was get in contact with a divorce lawyer. Ironically, the same friend of mine who had seen my husband with who I assume was Sabrina, I eventually confirmed from my friend that it was her, had gotten divorced about two years earlier and she was a big fan of her lawyer, so I hit her up, gave her a long update on everything that had happened since we last spoke. and she sent me the number of the lawyer. Right after we ended the call, I was talking to the lawyer to set up an appointment.

It was about a few days later when I went to see the lawyer. I showed him all the evidence that I had and told him as much as I knew about my husband's affair. It was funny to me when he had the biggest smile on his face, because according to him, this is as sweet as a divorce case can get. He said that I had evidence of my husband's cheating, I had evidence of our marital funds that had been spent on his affair, with the shopping, restaurants, and fancy hotels, and I even had a potential issue with his workplace considering

the fact that his affair partner was a junior employee who might potentially be directly under his influence. Though I wasn't too certain about this part. Either way, speaking to the lawyer actually had me feeling great. One thing I might not have mentioned earlier is that my husband always wanted me to be a housewife. He said his income was great enough for the both of us, and all he needed was for me to keep the home in order, especially ahead of us potentially having children. I have a lot of things that I volunteer for, so that's usually what takes up my time, but besides that, I've been his lovely

obedient housewife all these years while he was cheating on me with who knows how many women. About two weeks after meeting with the divorce lawyer, my husband had to go on a business trip in another state. This isn't the first time he's had to do this. but it was definitely the first time that I felt like he was going to be sleeping with other women or Sabrina. I had lost all trust for the man and it was actually rather shocking that I had managed to stay in the house with him for as long as I had without going at his throat. It was after he told me he had landed that I decided to get things going. Now, I'm changing Sabrina's last name here. Let's say it's Mueller. That's not a super common last name, so I assumed that everyone in her friends list on Facebook

was a relative of hers. I composed a pretty long message talking about how Sabrina had been sleeping with my husband, knowing that he was a married man, and I even put some screenshots of the nastiest parts of their text conversations, minus the raunchy photos and videos, of course. I sent it to every single one of them and then put my phone on D&D. A few hours later, some people had replied in shock and apologizing, some had cursed me out and most had said nothing at all, but I wasn't doing any of this for their responses. My husband had also called me about 15 times, which means he knew I knew. To be honest, I hadn't really planned out what I was going to do at this point, but I

hoped that he would have to go through with the business trip, continue to stew as I refused to pick his phone calls, and then when he got back, I'd serve him with the papers. While waiting for this to happen, though, I made sure to pack as much of his stuff as possible into the suitcases that we had. I wasn't going to be thrown out of the house for being the faithful one. I also called over my brother because I realized I didn't know my husband

the way I thought I did, and honestly, I was fearful that he could come back in some kind of a rage, especially if I was to serve him with so. My brother stayed over for the next two days, until my soon-to-be ex-husband came back from his business trip. As soon as he opened the door and saw me,

he started cursing and shouting, calling me all sorts of names. Fortunately, my brother stepped between us and handed him the papers. He looked shocked for just about a second, but it seemed it didn't take long for it to sink and that that was a logical progression of events. From behind my brother, I told him that I had packed his bags and he wasn't going to sleep in our house that night.

That was the scariest that I had ever seen him look, but he couldn't do anything about it. Instead, he just stood there, fists clenched, and eventually took the divorce papers in his suitcases and left. I didn't see him again until it was time for the divorce proceedings to start, and so that I won't bore you with the lengthy details. I'm glad to say that things went extremely well for me. It's hard to fight against such obvious evidence of infidelity.

Plus, the judge didn't take kindly to the fact that he and his affair partner seemed very unremorseful about the entire thing. Our money being spent to fund his affair too. Another nail in the coffin. I got the house in a very handsome alimony arrangement since I basically did not work, so he'd need to be supporting me from wherever he was. Honestly, he could be with Sabrina for all I cared, but I felt like I had one. I didn't care who got a cheating man.

It just hurt that I had loved him for so many years and this is how things ultimately turned out. Now, the story is almost done, but I honestly had one final piece of my plan. Once the divorce was finalized, I wrote to his workplace about the allegations of a senior employee having a very inappropriate relationship with someone junior to him in the workplace. I sent all the evidence I had, once again, being sure to blur out the explicit content. I was not going to allow myself to be hit with some kind of revenge porn charge. It took a couple of days, but I got a response talking about how the situation was being investigated as my claims were very serious as Sabrina Mueller was a direct subordinate to my ex-husband.

About two weeks later, I got twofold confirmation that my ex-husband had lost his job. The first one was him calling me to curse me out and scream every expletive in the book, and the second one was an email from the company informing me that the investigation had been concluded and the necessary action had been taken against my ex-husband. Honestly, I think once I read that, it was like a sudden relief came over me. I think that was closure. I don't consider myself to be an evil or vindictive person, but I think that realizing that someone you loved and thought you could trust wholeheartedly had no issues cheating or gaslighting

you is enough to change a person. All I'll say to the women out there is to beware. You can trust a man, but don't trust too deeply, because I learned that you can never truly know who someone is, 100%. Now on to the next story. Story 2. tried to help my alcoholic wife after she lost her whole family. Instead, she cheated on me with her rehab coach and wanted to leave me, so I decided to take revenge.

I was married to my wife for four years, but due to her alcohol problem, our marriage was rocky. Before my wife and I were married, I knew she had a thing for alcohol, but I didn't think it would become a problem in the future. She was the type of woman who loved to drink and party. The first time we met each other was at a close. The moment I saw her, I liked her instantly, and I approached her in her group of friends. She and her friends had come to the club to celebrate a birthday that night, and that was how we talked and spent the rest of the evening at the club together. After meeting each other for the first time that night, we went home together because she

asked if she could come home with me, and on the first night, we got intimate. My wife said she thought I was one of those men who wanted to tap her honeypot, and that would be the end. But for me, it was different. I liked her so much, and getting intimate with her intensified my feelings for her. In the following weeks, we met at least twice a week, and after three months of spending time together, we started dating. I this time, she was freshly out of college and did one of those small pay hourly jobs

until she could get the kind of job she wanted. As I mentioned earlier, I knew my wife had a drinking problem from the first few weeks we met, but I didn't think it would get to the point of seeking help from rehab. After a year in some months of dating, my wife and I married and officially moved and together. Unfortunately, a year after we got married, she lost her parents and only sibling in a ghastly motor accident, and this was when things got worse. Losing her parents and only sibling in one day took its metal toll on her, and she resorted to drinking to help her deal with the pain. When her drinking got extreme, I thought it would only be for the morning period, but it wasn't. After the burial,

months passed, and my wife did not get over her family's demise. She became a shadow of herself, and I tried to comfort her. I understood that she was in a very dark place mentally, but I tried my best to support her in every area she needed support. Unfortunately, around that same time, she got pregnant but miscarried the baby, which added to her agony. She also stopped working and caring for us fell on me. On the days she wasn't drinking, she would be aggressive and get mad over things that didn't require such anger. Tantz walked in on her making out with one of my neighbors, and I was furious. She was high on alcohol, and he seemed sober. I kicked the neighbor out of my house and reported him to his wife, but I couldn't do anything to my wife because I

believed she wasn't in her right senses. Well, I was wrong, because a couple of days later, I saw her talking to the same neighbor and when she saw me coming, she walked away from him immediately. Meanwhile, by this time, her drinking got worse. If I gave her money, she would spend all of it on alcohol, and it got to the point where she couldn't go a day without drinking. I got so frustrated, and I was tired too. I was tired of tolerating her, paying the bills alone, and still caring for her. It was already choking me, and I decided to get her help. When I had no other option, I told her I was taking her to rehab, but she was hesitant to go until after a series of persuasion. For the first three months, she went to rehab, I noticed

a significant improvement, and I was glad I was getting my wife back. As the concerned husband I was, I was finally at peace that she had broken out of her bad habit and was finally getting her life together, but I was wrong. One day, I was at home enjoying some YouTube content on my phone when my wife came home to tell me that she was getting married to the love of her life. When she said this, I didn't pay much attention to her, and I just laughed it off, but when she mentioned her rehab coach's name, my ears raised, and I asked her to repeat what she said. According to my wife, her rehab coach, Ryan, was the one for her, and she told me they were in love with each other. She also said that she loved Ryan because he treated her like a queen,

talked to her nicely, and blah, blah, and they would get married. I was shocked when I heard that and knew she was going nuts. The Ryan she was talking about was already a married man with two kids, so it didn't make any sense. I was also sure she did not come up with the whole marriage thing on her own. So I was forced to confront Ryan on her next meeting day. When I told him everything my wife had said and how they were planning to get married, Ryan said she was delusional, and somehow, my wife heard all of his responses. She had been eavesdropping on our conversation, and the moment she heard him, she came out of her hiding place with her eyes filled with tears. She literally sobbed like a baby, and at the same time, she showed me a video of her and Ryan together

in bed and in the bathroom naked. She had Ryan record the video of the last time they were together in a hotel, and he sent it to her. She even said Ryan promised to divorce his wife so they could get married. When she showed me the video, Ryan was so pissed, and he called her names for being dumb enough to believe that he would leave his wife to be with an unstable woman like her, and his words broke her heart. After losing her family, I had never seen my wife cry like that, and at that point, I understood that she loved Ryan as she claimed.

She even planned to divorce me so she could be with Ryan, which was heartbreaking for me. I was so mad at Ryan for taking advantage of his cousin. client, my wife. And to give him a taste of his medicine, I pressed charges. Using the video my wife showed me as evidence in court. Sharing this here is easy because the hurt and heartbreak I felt almost shattered me. Despite all the tough times my wife had given me, I still loved her, and I tried to get her help so that things could go back to normal, but she cheated on me in return and even planned to divorce me to be with her rehab coach. Anyways, I still felt pity for her she was utterly heartbroken after she found out Ryan was using her, and she nearly fell into

depression. Out of pity, I had to submit her to a mental hospital for more watchful care, and after she was admitted, I divorced her. Even though it seemed like she was not in her right state of mind, she was in the right state of mind to think of divorcing me. Honestly, our relationship was a serious waste of my time, resources, and emotions. But I'll consider it as one of the lessons of life. I'll give a piece of free advice. Some women are not worth all the sacrifices most men make. Even if you give them the universe, they will still have an excuse to cheat. As for Ryan, I won the court case, and he got a jail term for taking advantage of his mentally unstable client, and the government shut his business down. I often miss my wife, but I cannot use her

problem as an excuse for her to break our marital vows and cheat on me. forward slash forward slash I hope you enjoy this story. Deceitful former spouse shared images of his commitment celebration to provoke envy in me, but upon noticing an individual in the distant view, I inadvertently disrupted his existence. Approximately a year ago, my ex-husband Sam, 32M, decided to leave me, 30F, for his younger coworker who he had been having an affair with for almost eight months. At the time, we had been together for four.

four years and married for two. We were just a week away from celebrating our second marriage anniversary when he told me that he couldn't do this anymore and that he had been cheating on me co-worker for the past eight months. A few weeks before that, the two of them had confessed that they loved each other and wanted to spend their future with one another. So he couldn't continue pretending to be happy with me and said that he was going to leave. I was completely blindsided by that because even though he had been acting a little strange in the months leading up to that, I just thought that he was stressed out because of work. Never in my life would I have imagined that he was cheating on me with a 23-year-old who had just started working with him. But after

that, everything started making sense, why he had been acting a little off for the past few months and why he had been spending so much time at work. He had not actually been stressed from work, he had been stressed because of me and the efforts that it took to hide his affair from me. He had indeed been spending a lot of time at work too, but not because he was working over time but because of Nikki. After he told me the truth, I immediately asked him to get out of the house and he left, presumably because he had already had a discussion with Nikki since. After that, he started living with her. The divorce was rough because I was really angry and I wanted to really mess him up. I don't think anyone can blame me for that because we had been together for four years at the time

and he knew that I had been cheated on earlier as well, so I had a lot of trust issues, but he had broken down my walls and got me to trust him, only to break it once again. That had really shattered me and I had been going through a rough patch at the time. Now I'm doing better though, thankfully. The divorce came through a few months ago and I'd been pretty happy about it because it was finalized on my terms. I got the house, got to keep the car and I also walked away with a substantial amount of settlement. I wouldn't say that it helped in healing me or anything of the but it brought me some peace, knowing that at least I got something out of the divorce. And the fact that he was very upset about giving up the house was also something that brought me

great joy. Anyway, for the past couple of months, I have only been trying to move on since I don't have to see him anymore and neither do I have to interact with him. I had blocked him everywhere after I found out about his affair and I also told my friends that I didn't want to hear about him. The only thing that I had known so far was that right after I had kicked him out, he had living with Nikki and they had probably been living together ever since, but that did not matter to me anymore. This week, we would have celebrated our third marriage anniversary together if we had stayed together and I had been feeling quite low on the day of our anniversary. He decided to make it worse by reaching out to me through email and sending me a bunch of photos of his engagement

party since he and Nikki had apparently gotten engaged recently. There was also a message along with it, I'll just paste it here. He said, it's almost been a year since we broke up an initial I was really sorry that I ended up cheating on you but now, I don't feel that way anymore. I think it was destiny that brought Nikki into my life and you were just a placeholder. I know you could not have ever been my soulmate, even if you tried, because you are vindictive, mean, and heartless. I know that you were the one who turned all our friends against me by telling them that it was gross that I was dating a 23-year-old, as if that's illegal. We are in love and I wish you could realize how wonderful of a feeling it is.

and how age doesn't matter when you're in love. You're closer to my age and yet what Nikki and I share, you will never have that with anyone. Do you know why? It's because you're not worthy of it. You were the one who tried to make it look ugly when Nikki and I got together, and I will admit, it was wrong of me to cheat,

but the nasty ways that you chose to retaliate just makes me grateful that I decided to go along with Nikki because she's the perfect woman and you'll never be her. I thank God every day that we got a divorce and I didn't have to end up with you. So you might have won the divorce and gotten away with your demands, but I want it life. I'm sharing a couple of photos from our engagement party. Hopefully, you'll see this and realize what true love looks like and find it in yourself

to be able to move on. Happy anniversary. This is what he sent to me along with the photos of the engagement party and it really boiled my blood when I read that message because he kept harping on about one thing, that I had turned our friends against him by making it seem gross that he was dating 23, year old while being literally almost a decade older than her. Let me just make it clear, I was not the one who turned our friends against him. So Sam and I had known each other since we were in college and we did have a common circle, but I kind of drifted apart from most of my friends after college since

I had to move out of state for work. Six years ago, I finally came back and started working here and that's how I ended up reconnecting with my old friends. And that included Sam and we ended up spending more time together when I returned. He and I had a very tight-knit group of friends and they were all very supportive of our relationship. We were all very close until he cheated and I told our friends about it because obviously, why would I hide it? And I never said that it was gross of him to date Nikki when she was so much younger than him, even though I do believe that it was gross. But I didn't have to say anything to our friends to make them cut him off. They made that choice for themselves. Yet he has always believed that I was the one who forced them to pick and I manipulated

them into picking me, and he still holds a grudge against me for that. However, even more than that, he didn't like the fact that I got the divorce to be finalized on my terms. So all these reasons combined, I guess he just wanted to rub it in my face that he was getting engaged to the woman that he had cheated on me with just so that I would feel bad, and well, he had succeeded because I felt terrible, especially because of what he had said, about how he had won at life and the fact that he even wished me a happy anniversary, showing off that he remembered that it was our anniversary and he was doing this on purpose, that was simply diabolical. I was actually about to delete the email because it was so upsetting, but before I did that,

something in the photos caught my eye. In the background of some of the photos, I could see a very familiar person, and when I zoomed in, I realized that it happened to be one of my very distant relatives. This person, let's call him Jonathan, isn't exactly related to me by blood, but there's still some relation there, so I could use that to my advantage. To be more precise, he is married to my mother's third cousin and we have occasionally seen and met each other at some family get-togethers, but since they're not very closely related, my mother isn't exactly friends with them and neither are we. I've only seen him a couple of times, but I recognized him in the background of those pictures and I instantly sent those pictures to my mother and

her to confirm if it was actually him. I explained the entire situation to her and she decided to call her cousin and ask her what was going on. After the phone call, my mother and I were able to find out that Jonathan was attending that engagement party because he was about to invest in the business that Sam was starting. Sam had used his father's connections to get Jonathan on board, since apparently, my ex-father-in-law had been quite close to Jonathan's brother. Yeah, it's pretty complicated, but anyway, that's how they knew each other and they had been in the talks for a couple of months and Sam had invited Jonathan to the party so they could get to know each other better before he invested in his business. I requested my mother to pass on her cousin's contact

information to me because I had a lot to talk to her about. I had mentioned earlier as well, that my mother isn't exactly close to these people, so they had no idea about my life and they definitely didn't know about my divorce from Sam and the other side of him. I hadn't actually been hoping to achieve anything, because I didn't think that Jonathan would give up on a business opportunity just because a distant relative had been cheated by the guy that he was about to invest in. So I hadn't actually been hoping for anything when I reached out to my aunt and asked her to put me in touch with her husband because I had to talk to him about Sam. However, when I spoke to them, I realized that they were really warm and quite willing to hear me out.

So I explained everything about my divorce to them and then, I even forwarded the email that Sam had sent to me, telling them that I felt like it was my duty to warn them about the kind of guy that they were dealing with because he was not a good person. And just as I had expected, both Jonathan and his wife were quite surprised because apparently Sam had been very sweet to them the entire time that they had been talking about investing in his business, and he had been quite charming and kind. That was not surprising for me because Sam actually was quite the charmer when he wanted to be, that's how he got me and he's very good at pretending, which is how he was able to hide his affair for so long. Anyway, after I told them the truth about him, they told me that they were really thankful that

I had reached out to them and they were going to think about what they wanted to do after this. Even then, I hadn't actually been expecting anything to happen. I just thought that I had the satisfaction of knowing that at least I had done something real and not just sat back and let things happen. Surprisingly, though, today I received another email from my dear ex-husband, and the tone of this one was quite different from his last. Apparently, after speaking to me, Jonathan had decided to rescind his offer of investing in the business since that one conversation with me had completely changed his opinion of Sam.

Jonathan had started to ghost him personally and had his secretary informed Sam that he was no longer interested in the business anymore and wished him the best, but he couldn't go further on with him owing to special circumstances after his talk with me. And his secretary made sure to mention me, so Sam would know exactly what's going on. Sam couldn't contact me in any other way, so he had to send me an email again and tell me that he was quite desperate because he had already quit his job and had started recruiting people for his business. Without Jonathan's investment, he would have to shut down and go back to working and he just wasn't ready for that. He was practically begging me to make things right and even

tried to bribe me by telling me that he was ready to make me a partner in his company, only if I got Jonathan to come back on board and he knew that I could do it. I was actually quite happy reading that email because it made me realize that he had really screwed things up for himself by sending me that horrible message and trying to rub it in my face. His plan had totally backfired and now, he was the one who was in a terrible position and needed me to bail him out. I was feeling like I was on top of the world and was relishing the experience until, out of nowhere, I started feeling guilty about what was happening. I don't even know why but a couple of hours ago, I started feeling like I was a terrible person for doing this and that I'm no different from Sam if I'm actually

relishing it. I've spoken to my parents about it, I've spoken to my friends as well, and all of them have told me that the only reason I'm feeling guilty is because I'm a decent human being, but that doesn't mean that what I did was wrong. But that's not helped me because I know that they are on my side and they are going to be biased because they love me. I guess what I'm saying is that I need some unbiased people to validate my decision because I've just realized that I am literally ruining somebody's career right now and I've been enjoying it so far, but that realization has made it a little less fun. It's complicated but I really need somebody to put things into perspective for me right now and I need it to be completely free of any bias. So I'd have for getting an

investor to back out of my cheating ex-husband's business and ruining his career? Edit, I guess there has been some confusion about my statement regarding how it was gross for my ex-husband to be dating a 23-year-old. Yes, it's legal and I am aware of that, but that doesn't make it all fine all of a sudden. Just to put things into perspective, she has just graduated two years ago and has very little real-world experience and when she started working with him, it was only her second job. Meanwhile, Sam has been working for the past 10 years, and even at this job, he was supposed to be her senior so it's quite obvious that he has had a lot more experience than her and the power dynamics between the two of them are obviously not going to be

the same had it been a woman of his own age. And I'm sure that a lot of other people agree with what I'm saying because if everyone had thought that it was completely fine for them to be dating, they wouldn't have had to quit their jobs and start working elsewhere after the news of my divorce and their affair started spreading. So I know for a fact that Nikki is an adult and can make her own decisions and I'm not judging her, not for that at least, but I think I'm allowed to judge my ex-husband, who cheated on me with somebody so much younger than him. Anyway, it's my personal opinion that it was gross of him, and I'm going to stand by that. I think that he was taking advantage of her immaturity and I think it's weird and unethical, but that's just me.

People don't have to agree with me or anything, I'm fine with it. But there's no reason to be so hateful to me just because I called it a gross relationship. The man cheated on me, I think I've earned the right to criticize him. As for saying it to my friends, I had already mentioned in my original post that I did not say it to them. They were the ones who had been saying it and I just agreed but didn't harp on about it. Neither did I tell my friends to cut them out of their lives because of this. That was their own choice as well. What I'm trying to say is that I have tried my best to deal with all of this as maturely as I possibly can because I don't want to indulge in any sort of drama. I just wanted to get out of that marriage as quickly as possible

and get the divorce finalized. So I would really appreciate it if people did not hate it. If people did not hate on me in the comments because it's really not necessary and I don't think it's fair either. Thank you to the ones who were kind enough to me and everyone else who was polite and civil. The rest of you guys, I don't know what's wrong with you people, but it's not okay to hate on other people like this. Update 1, I finally responded to the email that Sam had sent me and I told him that I really appreciated his offer of wanting to make me a partner in this company, but I was just not interested. After all, he had cheated on me once. I didn't want to be cheated on once again. And I also told him that I had spoken to Jonathan,

but I hadn't told him that he had to opt out of investing in the business. That had been completely Jonathan's personal choice, I had only warned him about Sam, and well, it's not like he can blame me for that because he was the one who sent me those photos and that's how I found out about the connection. Anyway, I made it very clear to him that I hadn't told Jonathan not to invest in his business. And since I couldn't have influenced that decision, I don't think I can go up to him and tell him to invest in Sam since that's not my place either. Plus, even if I could, I'm not sure I would want to do that to anyone because I know him as a person and I know how petty and vindictive he is, so I don't think it's a good idea for anyone to be investing in his business

right now. Had he been a changed person and not sent me that email at all, maybe none of this would have happened, but he is still a horrible human being, so he totally deserves this. I also told him that he needs to move on, not me because I'm not the one still whining about the fact that our friends are not speaking to me anymore. That was also his own fault. He cheated on me and that ruined his friendship with a lot of people because it was a horrible thing to do. But now, what's done is done. He could have just chosen to move on, but for some reason, he just keeps trying to find ways to blame me for all of this. In the email that I wrote back to him, I told him that the real villain in his life is him and not me.

He is the one who keeps screwing up everything for himself, and then when he has nobody else to blame, he turns to me. I entered the email by telling him that he has a very sad existence and that I really hope things get better for him because right now, I don't think he's winning at life at all. People who win at life don't feel the need to announce it to the people they don't like anymore. And then I blocked that email address so that he wouldn't be able to contact me again because that's the last thing that I need.

Of course, he can always just make a new one and try to reach out to me but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. But for now, I'm just grateful that my family, no matter how distant they are from me, decided to take my side. So yesterday, I called Jonathan up, and I thanked him for not investing in Sam. And he went on to me and told me that I was the one who had saved him from investing in somebody who was obviously not reliable or trustworthy.

If he could cheat on me and then treat me like crap, then he's obviously not a good person and he wouldn't want to invest in somebody like that. He also told me that at the end of the day, we are family, even though we haven't interacted much and blood is always thicker than water. So I was very grateful for that and I even invited them over for dinner this weekend because this is a pretty big deal for me. I've also invited my parents so we can all bond and I think an experience like this is going to bring us together, even though we haven't been close before. And regarding everything that has happened with Sam, I've spoken to my friends about it, and they have told me that I really don't need to feel guilty about ruining his career.

I had mentioned this in my original post as well, towards the end, but I want to bring it up again because apparently there were certain things that I didn't know since my friends had wanted to protect my feelings and so they hadn't spoken to me about it earlier. But apparently, while we were getting divorced, he had tried to do every everything in his power to turn them against me and make me look like the villain so they would testify against me that would sway the divorce terms. He was pretty desperate, so he had tried to make it seem like I had been the one who had driven him to cheat because I used to act like a psycho and apparently I was very insecure

and petty. He had even tried to tell our friends that apparently I had severe anger issues and I would go out of my way to make life difficult for him. But nobody had bought any of that and everyone has stayed by my side, which is probably why he is so upset. They hadn't told me about any of this in the past because they wanted to spare my feelings since I had been finding it very difficult to move on and to be fair, even though I had told them that I didn't want to hear anything about him. However, after they told me about it, I started feeling a lot less guilty about screwing things up for him because I think he deserves

it. Actually, let me just say it, I know he deserves it and I refuse to feel sorry for him anymore. Update 2, hi, so it's been two weeks since I blocked Sam and since then, I haven't had any contact with him. The dinner with Jonathan and my aunt was a success and since my parents had come over for dinner as well, even my mother got to bond with her cousin. So it was pretty fun and Jonathan told me that after finding out what had happened, even his brother had cut ties with my ex-father-in-law because I remember my in-laws had supported their son, which was obvious, but it was a good thing to do. I had been feeling quite content with my decision and after what happened this evening, I am pretty sure that I did the right

thing. Because Nikki showed up at my house, I don't know how she found me, but anyway, that doesn't matter anymore. She showed up pretty late, just as I was about to heat up my dinner, and when I saw that it was her outside, I told her to go away because I didn't want anything to do with her. I think anyone in my place would have reacted the same way, but she didn't leave. Instead, She started throwing a tantrum on my doorstep and accused me of being a jealous loser. She told me that I just couldn't stand the fact that my ex-husband was happier with her instead of me and that's why I had taken it upon myself to try and ruin their lives. She called me crazy and told me that there was no reason for me to keep tabs on his life

just to try and ruin him and realize that she probably had no idea I had even found out about Jonathan. Because if she had known about it, she would have known that I found out about Jonathan just because of what Sam had sent to me. So I told her about the email and I told her exactly what he had said to me. But she refused to believe me so I told her that I would gladly send her the email if she wanted me to and that's what she made me do. She stood outside the door and made me forward the email to her and only then did she realize what was going on. After she got that, I'm pretty sure she started feeling like a fool and just walked away without saying anything else. Then, I

went back to my dinner and a few minutes ago, right before I started typing out this update, she sent me an email saying that I was still a horrible human being for going out of my way to ruin my ex-husband's life and career. She called me miserable and petty and just reinforced my belief that I had done the right thing by exposing Sam. Anyway, I told her that she and her husband needed to leave me alone and stop acting like they were obsessed with me because right now, I was just one more incident away from posting all of this on social media, and then, everyone would know what kind of people they were. So that was that and I'm finally going to start with my dinner now

and I really just hope that they have learned the lesson and they're going to leave me alone now. Update 3, hey, everyone. I have some pretty fantastic news to share with you guys. So it has been almost a month since my last update and three days ago. I heard from a couple of my friends that Sam and Nikki had posted that they were breaking up their engagement and going their separate ways due to irreconcilable differences.

I don't know why they use such corporate language just to announce their breakup, because it's not like they were getting divorced. But anyway, they also mentioned that they would continue to remain cordial and hope that people would give them privacy they needed at this time. I don't know why they were talking about privacy at all

because from what I've heard, Sam himself has been bad-mouting Nikki to all his friends and has been talking crap about her relentlessly. My friend and I managed to read between the lines from all the gossip that we have heard about it and we think that she decided to leave him a couple of weeks ago, probably after I told her about the email and stuff and she decided that she couldn't be with somebody who was still reaching out to his axe on purpose. Even if it was just to make me feel bad. I guess it was also bad that he had lied to her

and didn't mention the email to her while talking about why the deal with Jonathan had fallen through. Sam's ego couldn't handle this, so he started bad-mouthing Nikki and told a bunch of his friends that she was only with him for the money and the stability because ever since he had moved in with her, he had been covering all their expenses, and she barely had to spend a dollar on anything. It was gross how he had switched up his attitude toward Nikki so quickly, just because she was not willing to put up with him and his lies anymore. Anyway, I think it's fantastic news because right now, neither does he have a job and his fiancé also left him so he's pretty much at rock bottom. I don't feel bad for him at all because he deserves all of this. He brought him. He brought

it all onto himself. I'm doing a lot better and I don't even care about him or what he's going through anymore. My work is great. I have my friends and family by my side and that's pretty much all I need. So far, I had even been holding back on getting a cat because he's allergic, but I think it's about time that I got a cat as well. But even right now, I feel pretty fulfilled.