Reddit Stories - BETRAYED_ Forced to Quit by Ex, Left for ASSISTANT - A Parent's HEARTBREAK_

Episode Date: August 21, 2025

#redditstories #askreddit #aita #betrayed #forcedtoquit #heartbreak #relationships #dramaSummary:In a heart-wrenching tale of betrayal, a parent is forced to quit by their ex who leaves them for their assistant, causing immense heartbreak and turmoil in their life.Tags:redditstories, askreddit, reddit, aita, tifu, betrayed, forcedtoquit, heartbreak, relationships, drama, parenting, family, breakup, betrayal, work, assistant, love, emotionalpain, devastating, heartacheBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/reddit-stories--6237355/support.

I hope you enjoy this story. Former spouse compelled me to resign from my position and subsequently abandoned me for his administrative assistant. During our child's birthday celebration, he arrived with his paramour to humiliate me. Front of everyone. This happened with my ex-husband, Kevin, 38M, a little less than a week ago. Kevin is a textbook narcissist, and he hides these traits really well, covering them up brilliantly, so I fell for it. I, 36F, have known him for the past 14 years. He was on the same

team as me at my first job, and he was kind of a mentor to me initially. He taught me the ropes of the work and was there to help me out whenever I felt stuck, but he never tried to hit on me at work. He was never indecent, never made any sort of advances, or behaved in a way that made me feel something was up. Two years later, when I was 24 and he was 26, he switched to jobs. On his last day at the office, he pulled me aside and told me that he liked me a lot and had wanted to date me but never said anything because he didn't want to make things awkward between us at work. More than me liking him, I was floored by his honesty, and I had always known that he was a kind and good man, so I said yes. We dated for a short while before we made

things official, and we had been together ever since. We faced life together, but last year, he left me for his personal secretary, Emma, and it's as though he became a new man altogether. At first, I thought this was some weird sort of midlife crisis, given how he was behaving and how abruptly things went south, but it was like he had become a completely different person. The fact that he would throw away 11 years of being together was shocking to me, and in the initial weeks after he told me he wanted a divorce, I couldn't fathom exactly why something like this would happen. But I've been to therapy ever since the divorce, and there are a I learned that beneath all that nice guy exterior lay the biggest A-hole and gaslighter, who would

make sure you lose your friends, your sanity, and your self-confidence before giving you the biggest blow of your life. And all of this happened so gradually that you don't even realize it, but you've changed into a shell of your former that's exactly what happened to me. He didn't show me a single red flag at first, but revealed his true colors gradually. Kevin and I got married three years into dating. I was 27, and he was 29. Both of us were working at the time, and I had never told him or even indicated that I wanted to leave work and stay at home. That was just not me. I had worked very hard to be where I was, and I had never imagined that one day I wouldn't be working. However, a few months after we got married, there was a management

change at my company, and I was laid off. I was devastated because I hadn't seen it coming. I was actually the top performer at the firm and had never anticipated they would let me go. I'd tried applying for jobs, but I didn't receive many callbacks. The ones I did get severely underpaid me. I asked Kevin to help me out with applications and to refer me to some places. He said he would, but he never did. He was very vague about the entire situation, and to be honest, that should have been my first sign to run, but I trusted and loved him too much to even comprehend that he'd pull something

like this. Surprisingly, during the whole job hunting ordeal, I got pregnant. It was very unusual because we'd always been careful, and I was on birth control, but I guess those things fail sometimes. Kevin told me that it was best if I stopped looking for jobs for now because we had a baby on the way. This was immediately after the doctor's appointment, maybe seven to eight weeks into my pregnancy. I told him that the baby still had a long way to go, and I wasn't stopping my career. He said he agreed with me, ha-ha, liar, but he just felt all this stress about the job and the baby would be detrimental to me and that at this point, I should take one thing at a time. He was so nice and sensible about it that I was convinced.

He told me he was earning enough to support both of us and that finances should be the least of my concerns. That felt very reassuring, so I decided to halt the job search. And that's exactly what he wanted. I hope that once I felt better, I'd start looking for jobs. again, but somehow that never happened. When I broached the subject again, I was already four months pregnant, and he said I should wait a bit longer. Then, my second trimester was hell. I was in constant pain, throwing up almost every day. It was a disaster, and it ended in disaster

too, because a month later, I lost the baby. It was probably the darkest period of my life, and I never wish for anyone to go through that grief. And through it all, I didn't feel as supported as I should have. I had a mental health spiral for a couple of months, and it was a while before I felt better or like myself again. When I decided I wanted to apply for jobs again, Kevin seemed pretty against the idea. He didn't say anything directly, but he wasn't enthusiastic. He subtly implied that I had been out of the workforce for too long and that it would be hard

for me to land a job and explain the hiatus. I felt very discouraged. Gradually, I stopped believing in myself and stopped applying for jobs. He showed support, saying that I didn't need to worry, we should focus on starting a family, and that finances were his concern. I believed him and I felt like I'd never fit into the office space again, so I focused on the house and family. This was exactly what he wanted.

He had completely transformed me, bit by bit, eroded my sense of self, and made me lose all belief in myself. It happened so gradually that I didn't even realize it. And I don't just blame him. I should have been smarter, no doubt about that. But when the one person you trust so completely tries to tear you down, you begin to believe their version of things, and that's what happened. I focused on the family, and six years ago, we conceived again. I was overjoyed and very careful this time around. I could not bear to face what I had before. Five years ago, we had our son, Jeremiah, Jerry. Kevin doted on but he and I grew apart.

I chalked it up to us both having new responsibilities and not being able to make as much time for each other. It wasn't something that would crumble the marriage. We discussed it a few times, so I thought everything was fine. There were hiccups here and there, but that's all there were hiccups. Everything came crashing down a year and a half ago when I found out Kevin was cheating on me. I found chats and photos on his phone, and there was not much left to the imagination. Instead of playing it smart and planning my exit, I acted impulsively and smashed his phone in his face. Things went downhill immediately.

He tried defending himself in all sorts of ways. First, he said it was nothing, then he said all men do it, and finally, he said I was neglecting him, forcing him to seek company elsewhere. He went through the typical abuser cycle, deny it happen. minimize what happened, deflect blame, and finally accuse the other person of overreacting because it isn't a big deal anyway. Well, it was a big deal to me, and I went ahead with the divorce. Kevin was shocked because he never thought I'd actually go all out and leave him. He probably thought that since I was financially dependent on him, I wouldn't leave and would

try to patch things up, especially since we had a child together. I won't lie, I had thought about forgiving him because all these things crossed my mind. But somehow, good sense prevailed, and I realized I couldn't deal with this disrespect. I also knew that if I gave him a chance, he'd just do it all over again. He's not the kind of person to feel guilty and fix his mistakes. He's the kind of guy who tests how much one can tolerate and keeps pushing that boundary until the person collapses. I don't know what kind of sick pleasure he gets from this, but I wasn't going to give him

that satisfaction. He resisted the divorce, and I was forced to involve his family. To my surprise, and his shock, all of them supported me during the divorce. His father went so far as to disown him, and they still don't speak. But both my Mill and Phil are actively involved in Jerry's in my life, and I'm so grateful for that. Not once did they suggest that I try to get back together with him and work things out. They were clear and unwavering in their support. I was never asked to keep the peace, and they said they'd support me and their grandson all the way. Even my sill, Simone, who I'd never been close with before, was incredibly supportive

during the divorce and has stood by me like a rock since. Kevin never anticipated his own family would turn on him and take my side, and by the time he realized what he was losing, it was too late. Now, I live with Jerry, and I have full custody of him. Kevin is a loud visitation, and that suits me because I don't want my son near his new girlfriend, who, in my eyes, is practically still a kid. She's just 22, while Kevin is 38, and I don't want my son around such a problematic dynamic. Things came to a head a few days ago. I had thrown Jerry a birthday party. His friends and some close family were invited, including my in-laws, Phil, Sil, Mill, and Phil's widowed sister. I had invited Kevin too, but I had made it clear that it was only for him

and I didn't want him to bring anyone with him. By that, I meant I didn't. I didn't want Lilith, the girlfriend, and I hoped he would respect my wishes. But I was very wrong. He waltzed in with his girlfriend an hour late. By that point, Jerry had lost hope of Kevin coming, and he looked so sullen it broke my heart. When Kevin walked in, it was obvious what his real motive was. He didn't come for his son, he came to make his relationship public. And Lilith was dressed completely inappropriately for a kid's party, like she was on her way to a nightclub. I wanted to slap her right there, but I kept my composure because I didn't want to ruin Jerry's birthday. My Phil was furious and asked me if I wanted him to throw them out, but I told him I didn't

want to cause a scene. He took Kevin aside and said something, and I'm sure he gave him an earful, but the damage was done. There was other family and some friends there, and all of them were looking at me with pity. I hated that feeling. I wanted to run to my room and break down, but I didn't because I knew this was exactly what Kevin wanted. All this drama was only to make me break down, nothing else. And I couldn't, under any circumstances, let him win. The mood of the party soured in an instant, and anyone with a functioning brain and nervous system could sense it,

but apparently, that didn't include my ex-husband. He paraded around like everything was normal, trying to strike up conversations with people. The most comforting part for me was that no one was even trying to be courteous or polite to him. They didn't even pretend to like him. He might have hoped that this little stun of his would emotionally maim me, but he didn't think that far ahead. Everyone there was either looking at him with rage or disgust or avoiding him like the plague. This included his own family. As for Lilith, she was clinging to Kevin like her life depended on it, and I don't think

anyone but me even spoke to her. It was getting quite embarrassing for her, and she began to realize it, So, she wasn't as dumb as I thought. She tried engaging with people, but most of them ignored her or spoke past her. These moments of micro-support from people who were, at best, acquaintances warmed my heart. It felt good knowing the people around me wouldn't tolerate this kind of behavior. Things were getting awkward, and Kevin wasn't getting the desired effect, so he did something downright mean. He knew I was within earshot and, while talking to another parent, had the audacity to say,

he was glad he was with an ambitious woman now, not a mere housewife like me. I didn't react, which frustrated him, so he pressed the issue. He said Lilith was so full of potential that he felt lucky she chose him, and it was such a contrast from being with me that well, he didn't get to finish his sentence because someone slapped him. I turned around, and it was she had slapped her own brother in front of everyone. There was pin drop silence, and some of the parents left with their children in a few minutes. I rushed to Jerry, but he looked fine. He was with Mill, distracted, so thankfully, he didn't see his dad getting slapped by his favorite aunt. I heard some arguing between Kevin and Simone but couldn't make out what they were saying.

When I went over, Simone was laughing hysterically, and Kevin and Lilith looked like they'd just been humiliated beyond repair. I had no idea what Simone had said to make them react that way. All I knew was that it was serious because the formerly smug and arrogant couple was now red-faced with embarrassment. It didn't take them long to leave. What broke my heart was that Kevin was so wrapped up in his own head that he didn't even say goodbye to Jerry. I had to come up with a story to explain it to Jerry, and thankfully, Mill and Phil were there to salvage the situation. Later, when everything was done, and I had some time to myself, I asked Simone what had happened because I missed the best part of the drama.

She told me she was sick and tired of Kevin belittling me and parading his little girlfriend around like she was someone great. She said she knew Kevin had influenced me into staying home, which made his comments even more infuriating. She tried to keep quiet, but she knew she had to do something to wipe the smirks off their faces. That's when she decided to strike below the belt, just like they'd been doing all along.

Then, she smirked and told me that she knew something about Lilith that even Kevin didn't know and used that information to embarrass them at the party, just like they were trying to embarrass me. A few months ago, Simone had been out with a friend at a store and had seen Lilith there alone. Simone and Lilith don't get along well, so she didn't approach her, but she noticed her presence. About half an hour later, Simone saw Lilith arguing with the store manager, and Lilith looked on the verge of tears. Simone intervened, and what she found out shocked her. Lilith had been caught shoplifting, trying to steal hundreds of dollars worth of makeup products. The manager was furious and on the verge of calling the cops.

Simone didn't know what came over her, but she helped Lilith out. She told me she didn't want me to be mad, but she bought the products and escalated the situation. She took a bawling Lilith out for coffee, where Lilith confided in her that she had always struggled with shoplifting. She started doing it as a kid, and while it was under control for a while, she had relapsed and found it harder to control the urges. Lillith thanked Simone for helping her out, or it would have been a disaster. Simone told me that was the last time they'd spoken, and she hadn't seen Lillith since. But when she saw her acting like a little bitch at the party, she knew she had to do something. Simone said she tried staying quiet for

a while, glaring at Lillith the whole time, giving her a chance to shut up and not be obnoxious because she didn't want to stoop to that level. But when the glares didn't work, she knew spilling the beans was the only way to get Lilith to stop. That's what caused such a commotion. Lilith probably never thought Simone would actually tell everyone about her secret. Maybe Lilith assumed that because Simone was Kevin's sister, her loyalty lay with Kevin and her, not with me, but she was very wrong.

I don't know what gave her the impression that Simone and I weren't close maybe she assumed it, or maybe Kevin oversold his relationship with Simone. Whatever the reason, Lilith acted smart and ended up paying for it because, according to Simone, everyone at the party heard what she said, and there were audible gasps. Kevin was taken aback when Simone exposed her, and that's when I came over to see what was happening. Even though Lilith's dirty laundry was aired in public, and it probably humiliated her, it might make me a bad person, but I'm kind of glad it happened because she honestly deserved it. I don't say this because she stole my husband Kevin is the one majorly at fault for what

happened between us. But Lilith is still an a-hole because she chose to get involved with a married man and now act smug about it, like she won some prize. Maybe, to her, Kevin is a prize, but her morals are pretty questionable. That's why I don't feel bad for her. In fact, I think it's hilarious that she was called out publicly, and I can only thank Simone for standing up for me because I know I would have stayed quiet and kept the peace for Jerry's sake. It feels good to have someone who supports you so unconditionally. I may have lost a husband in the past year, good riddance in hindsight, but I've gained a friend for life, and that holds so much more value.

Update 1, it's been a few days since I last updated, and a lot has happened in that time. For the first four to five days after Jerry's party and the whole fiasco, there was radio silence from both Kevin and Lilith. I honestly didn't think they would contact me at all because I wasn't there when Simone exposed Lilith. I figured the most they'd do was call Simone and harass her, but nothing more. Simone didn't mention anything, so I assumed the drama was over. Jerry kept asking why Kevin left so abruptly, and I had to keep making excuses because Kevin wasn't talking to Jerry either. I don't understand how the humiliation was so bad it made him forget he was a father, he had a duty to his son, whom he loved more than life itself a year ago. The resentment

inside me was building, but then Kevin dropped me a text. It was at 2 a.m. on a Saturday, and from the way he typed, I knew he was drunk. The messages were, well, unhinged. It started out very normal like he wanted to catch up with an old friend. It was so casual I thought he might have meant to send it to someone else. Then he sent me a barrage of texts about how sorry he was for leaving me, how cheating was the worst mistake of his life, and how he missed me and the family so much it broke his heart every day. This went on until 5 a.m. I didn't respond because, frankly, I didn't know what to say. At 5.30, he sent me a voice note, and to be honest, it sounded sincere. It made me tear up a little, but I know better than to believe him.

My life has improved since he left, so there's no chance I'd ever consider taking him back. but he was so heartfelt, it made me sad and nostalgic. In the voice note, he confessed that he had never thought I'd actually go through with the divorce. He said his fling with Lilith was meaningless and went on for far too long. He claimed he had meant to end it but never did, and when I caught him, he still thought there was a chance things would be okay between us. He said the fact that we had a son made him more secure because he believed I wouldn't toss away the whole family just like that.

He thought I would forgive him, and when I reacted the way I did, he thought I was acting on impulse. That's why he put up the act. When he finally understood I was serious about the divorce, it was too late. He said he had always thought I wouldn't leave him and, if he knew it would end this way, he never would have started anything at all. He hasn't sent any texts since, and I haven't responded because I don't know what to say. It's a weird feeling.

therapeutic, in a sense, because now I can see that all his bravado was just a facade, and he is genuinely affected by the loss of his family. I also feel sad that this is how we ended up, especially since now I know he didn't want this either. Update 2, I've gone through all the comments here, and most of you were right to call me out. Thanks for all the scathing comments because I was spiraling back into my old patterns, and it would have just ended badly for me. I should have been furious after his voice note.

That was not an admission of guilt or a desire for repentance on his part. It was just a confession that the reason we're here is because I took a stand for myself, and he was actually counting on me not doing anything about it. The nostalgia momentarily snapped all my sensible abilities, but now I see my ex-husband as a scumbag through and through. For those of you who suggested I send all this to Lilith to break them up, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I did nothing of the sort. I'm not going to involve myself in their mess. It took me a lot of time and effort to get away from all this, and I'd be a fool

to jump back into it. From what I've heard, Lilith and Kevin are breaking up. She was his secretary, but somehow, management found out about her shoplifting issue, and she's being terminated. This is apparently too much for Kevin to handle, as she's now not good enough for his image, so they're breaking up or have already broken up. I couldn't care less. He hasn't tried reaching out again, and he hasn't come to visit Jerry even once, which is infuriating, but I can't force him to be apparent. He's been trying to rebuild bridges with Phil and Mill, but they haven't been responsive. They're still siding with me, and I can't express how thankful I am for their support. Simone has gone completely no contact with him, saying she can't deal with his ST anymore,

and I totally understand where she's coming from. It's funny how the tables have turned. Kevin wanted to break me down and isolate me, and now, he's the one with no family and no partner. I know I shouldn't find comfort in this, but I do. It soothes me to see that he's suffering the same fate he wanted me to suffer. If this isn't poetic justice, I don't know what is. I'm just glad I had the guts to leave him,

and that's Simone exposed Lilith. She wiped the smirk off his face, and I know it'll be a long time before he gathers the courage or confidence to be smug about anything again.