Reddit Stories - Episode #2 - Secrets Lies and AITA Stories for Sleep ( Over 9 Hour Compilation )

Episode Date: September 18, 2025

#redditstories #sleep #sleepstories #bedtimestories #fallasleep #aita #secrets #lies #longstories Summary:Episode 2 explores secrets, lies, and AITA stories woven into a soothing 9-hour compilation designed for bedtime. Relax as dramatic confessions and family dilemmas unfold, helping you disconnect from the day. This calming narration blends storytelling with comfort, perfect for winding down, drifting off, and achieving restful deep sleep. Tags:redditstories, sleepstories, fallasleep, bedtimestories, relaxingconfessions, secretsandlies, aitastories, longcompilation, bedtimeaudiobook, 9hourstory, soothingnarration, sleeplistening, dramaandconfessions, calmingstories, nightcompilation, deeprestaudio, relaxbeforebed, peacefulstorytime, familydrama, sleepbetterBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/reddit-stories--6237355/support.

I hope you enjoy this story. Sibling slept with my partner months before our marriage, mother was aware, and remained silent. Presently, she appeared expecting a child and in tears over online criticism when I revealed the truth. Age 30. Year old woman here. I have a sister who's just a year older than me. We've always had such a good relationship so finding out about this one hurt.

She might as well have just stabbed me in my heart. On top of that, I've been with my fiancé since high school and we've always been with each other through thick and thin. We were going to get married in a few months. I have no idea why on earth they did this to me. What's even worse was that our mom knew and out of fear of getting involved. My sister apparently begged her not to say a word, she didn't tell me anything. Thankfully, my dad wasn't having it and he spilled the beans to me. I've never been so angry in my life.

Not only did I kick my fiancé out and throw out his stuff, some of it in the trash, but I decided to hurt my sister in another way. Why not do the same for my fiancé? Simple, she's my sister. We've always had a good relationship until she decided to ruin it months before my big day, which I allowed her to be a bridesmaid in. You don't do that to anyone, let alone your sister. Your blood.

My sister's big on gardening so when she lost her dog, she made a garden for him. I knocked on her door, she didn't know that I knew, and of course I played nice. I moved on to what she did with my fiancé and I slightly damaged her garden. I honestly just crushed a couple flowers. Am I sorry? No. Her excuse sent me over the edge. What just happened isn't a reason. Sleeping with my fiancé just happened like that, I guess. I told her I didn't want her speaking to me anymore and that I also didn't want our mom to speak to me. My fiancé won't say a word since I threatened to call the police if he ever went near me again. Yay, I made my sister cry and scream at me, but I genuinely feel like I should be the one crying. She knew how important getting married was to me

and now I can't experience that. Pair that with the fact that I had to hear this from my dad, not my bum excuse of a sister or fiancé. Hell, even my own mother didn't say a word to me. It's like she lets my sister run her. Fuck you, Tia. Fuck you, Logan. If they ever see this, I'd be absolutely delighted. Edit one since many people keep bringing this up. I'm upset that I lost the relationship I've always put 100% into.

I was excited to get married, of course, but then this news came out. It really hurt me. I didn't want to believe it at first. I almost thought my dad was pulling my leg. Later turned out to be true. I swear I have trust issues now. Edit 2 thanks again for all the suggestions, y'all. It's helping me feel more confident in exposing them. I'm just a bundle of nerves right now because I know shit's going to hit the fan again.

When I do so, I'll try my best to come with an update. I mean, it's the least y'all deserve, ha-ha. Last edit when I say I decided to hurt her, it's because I kind of ruined something so meaningful to her. I feel like for most people, besides on here, that would be a bit far. It's just how I feel, though, I understand it's not what you guys wanted LOL. Clearly worked a bit though since she thought I was so damn psychotic for that. Like I said, I don't feel sorry about hurting her that way. Forgive my terrible mood, I definitely plan on exposing them sometime today.

Comments where Op has replied, comment her, expose them to everyone and ruin them. Oop, I've actually debated on doing this after I got done dealing with my sister, but if anything, I can unblock her Jews to show her what other people in the world think about her trashy-ha. Seriously, though, I still can't believe she did me like this. Comment her, expose them. They will try and spin it differently and make you look like the bad guy. Tell all his family your extended family and mutual friends. Tell them that you have cut all contact with them and you wish not to be around them ever again. Boop, so far, his sister was the only one who reached out to me about this.

She was in hysterics. Asking me WTF happened. She fully supports me in this. Not sure about the rest of the family but as of now, the only person I can even trust is my father. Probably her too. Comment her, this is horrible. When did this happen? I can't believe your mother.

Boop, I actually found out over the previous week. weekend. Under another comment, I wrote how my dad explained it to me. Supposedly, my sister decided to tell my mom. She obviously asked her to keep her lips closed about it. My mom apparently told my dad over the weekend, not right away, and then he told me. The thing is I have no idea when the hell they even had sex. That wasn't made known to me or my parents, it seems. My sister could have kept this secret for God knows how long until she finally decided to come clean to my mother. For all we know, they could have done it months ago. Maybe even several times. My fiancé denied even sleeping with her more than once, but I'm finding it hard to believe him. A small part of me keeps trying

to justify my mom's actions, but I can't seem to understand. She clearly didn't care. Boop on everyone knowing about the wedding being canceled via social media. Boop, huh, I did make a post apologizing for canceling the wedding but I've turned off notifications because I kept getting a flood of messages asking what happened. So far, only his sister and my cousin know. I couldn't bear to even say anything else to other people. At the time, I felt so sick. These comments are giving me ideas, though, and they're very tempting.

Update 1, August 28, 2024. Hey everyone. Things like my other post has been deleted. Thanks again for the comments and support. I found out quite a bit. To start off, I did expose her and my ex on my story. I unblocked them both to tag them. Shout out to one of the commenters who wrote down what I should say.

I saved it and wrote it but added some other words of my own. My ex actually blocked me after he saw my story. I sent my Reddit post to my sister after. At the time, she didn't see but I got a call from my ex's mom. She was furious about everything but she asked me how I was holding up and if I've heard the news. My heart sank a little because I honestly couldn't bear to hear any more bad news. I asked her what she was talking about. She said, so you haven't?

I said no and asked her to tell me. My sister's pregnant. Apparently, Logan told her in an attempt to make her chill out on my sister. I didn't want to hear anymore, so I told her I needed to hang up the phone. Thankfully, she accepted because I literally burst into tears two seconds later. After five minutes of crying, my sister responded to my story and text with the Reddit post link. She was texting me in all caps begging me to take it down. If I wasn't so upset, I would have laughed a little, but I just sat there watching her blow up my phone.

I got even angrier when she said I'm coming over and I'm telling Mom that you're spreading my business online, All right, you big baby. Still never responded, though. I felt, frozen. 30 minutes later, she's trying to break my door down, so I opened it in a fit of rage and I started screaming all kinds of shit at her. She kept screaming at me to take it down and I told her that's going to stay up for as long as I want it to. She kept telling me she didn't deserve online hate and she even tried telling me that she's always been there for me through everything

and that she would have forgiven me if it was the other way around. That's when I punched her. A small part of me felt guilty, I'm not the fighting type, and that was probably evident in my last post, ha, but she retaliated by saying it's not my fault Logan was tired of you and that's when I told her that I hope she ends up like her dog and that she deserves every bit of hate she's getting for ruining my relationship. I even apologize for not ruining her entire garden and her stupid face at first. I know I'm wrong for saying this but the entire time, she was playing the victim. She called me evil and told me to rot in hell. Kept saying I was punishing her over a mistake. I said you have no idea what you've put me through

and I know you would have done the same thing if you were the victim. She kept crying and insulting me because all she's ever done was support me through everything and I had the nerve to punch her in the face and allow strangers to bash her on the internet. I told her she deserved it and I don't want her talking to me ever again and if she comes near me, I'm calling the police. She kept saying I was being extremely unfair and that she said she was sorry in her texts, but I wasn't having it. I told her to tell Mom I'm not talking to her again either. She asked me if I was really going to cut her off like that and I just wished her good luck with her unwanted child and told her to go home. That was the last time she walked off my

porch. Anyway, I had to clean up my favorite base, but it doesn't even matter. At least they're out of my life. However, it's weird how sad I feel now. It's for my own good but damn, I'll never experience the bond we had again. On the bright side, seems like I've dodged two bullets. Thanks again, though, everyone, maybe I do need therapy. Last edit to say that my dad called not too long ago asking me to take every post down because according to my mother, my bitch sister is bawling her eyes out over mean people on the internet. As if I'm taking anything down. My dad's pissed about her pregnancy, but my mom continues to defend her by saying we need to chill out on her a little bit. This is why I'm not talking to her. Thanks again, though, everyone.

I'm exhausted and I need to worry about other things. Update 2, August 31st, 2024. I've officially decided to go LC with my dad today. Surprisingly, he wasn't that upset about it. However, he's still on team take down the posts and that's why. I made my decision. My mom wants nothing to do with me because if I wasn't going to respect the family, there's no point in trying to get to you. Wow, it's almost like that's what I wanted. My cousin and my ex's sister have been supporting me. Apparently, my sister has had meltdown

after meltdown because more people are slowly finding out about the affair not only in person but on the internet. She actually got into it with my cousin online and according to my cousin, my sister keeps asking her to tell me to take down the posts because she's sorry and she felt pressured into doing what she did. First I even heard about my ex was from his sister. She told me that they did speak and although he's not ready for a child, he doesn't feel comfortable leaving my pregnant sister on her own. He also wants me to stop what I'm doing but oh well, they're made for each other. Anyway, I've surprisingly been feeling a bit better thanks to my cousin and my new sister, as I like to call my ex's sister now, ha.

I've actually gotten some good sleep. Still considering therapy too. A very tiny part of me feels pretty bad for exposing my sister and ex and I'll always miss the relationship I've had with them, even despite my last encounter with my sister. But they've hurt me and it's what they deserve. If they're not taking it well, that's their problem. Thanks everyone once again.

Next story, brother called me a whore at a barbecue so my husband knocked him out and my parents want me to divorce him or cut me off. But turns out brother was jealous of my happy marriage. Hello everyone. This past weekend me and my husband were over at my parents' house for a barbecue, the day my brother for some reason started to have a go at me, calling me names and belittling me. My husband pulled my brother aside and had a talk with him and the insult stopped.

An hour or so later we were standing around talking with some friends and family members and my brother came up to me and told me I'm a whore. His exact word were, You know you are a fucking whore right. He said it loud enough for almost everyone at the party to hear. All I saw was my husband next to me look at me, then I felt a push to the side my husband stepping in front of me, and the next thing was my brother out cold on the ground with blood on his face.

All I heard is my mother yelling and my husband saying you don't talk to my wife like that I warned you already. Before I continue, my husband didn't hurt me, he didn't push me hard or anything like that. Don't know how to describe it, but it was like a push that someone will give you when they are trying to pass. I went like one step back, that is all. I am not mad at my husband. I'm mad at my brother the whole day he was demeaning me, insulting me, belittling me don't know where this came from as he has never talked to me like that or to anyone that I know of.

The bigger problem I have it that I have to chose. Either my husband or my parents. My parents are pissed and have given me an ultimatum. I either leave my husband and divorce him or they cut me off completely. My husband doesn't give a crap that they are mad, the only thing he is mad about it that he only got one punch in his words. I love my husband and don't want to lose him, but I also don't want to lose my parents. They have supported me through a lot and have always been there for me. I know they are serious as this is the first time they have ever issued me with an ultimatum.

They also threaten my husband with an assault charge, but he doesn't care and welcome them to do it. I'm stuck between a decision that will change my life forever and I'm panicking. I have received messages for friends and other family members that have given me support and condemned my husband, but they are leaning more on the support side. Any advice will be appreciated? Edit to clarify, I am to choosing my husband. I have never questioned that, but I also don't want to lose my family. I am very family oriented and family to me is everything. I want to find a solution where I can keep both.

Comments where Op has replied, commenter one. Info, why do your parents think it's okay that your brother called you names? What is their excuse? Boop, they haven't excused his actions but they are condemning my husband for resorting to violence. Commenter two. What kind of family does this stuff? It sounds very dysfunctional. What were the circumstances whereby your brother goes off on you like that?

Now your parents issue an ultimatum? I appreciate that your husband stuck up for you, but that was a terrible political move. Oop. One thing about my husband he is sweet and gentle, but he has never cared what someone else thinks about him other than me, and his own mother. Update, November 5, 2024. First, I would like to thank everyone and I want to apologize as well for the way I worded my post. It's no excuse but my emotional state isn't the best. My husband is my choice and I have no intentions of leaving him at all, never had. I know it's early for an update but I'm more confused now about what is going on.

My parents invited me over to have a talk with them but they wanted me to come alone as they didn't want my husband at their house. My husband refused to let me go alone and said if he isn't going then he won't allow me to. He basically said with you alone there they will just pile on you and that I won't let happen. So we went together. My parents wasn't happy to see him and my mother wanted to say something until my husband told her he isn't there for them but me and if he is forced to leave I will leave with him, I agreed with him. Deluctantly they agreed, my brother was there as well. He has a broken nose and chipped teeth and refused to look at me or my husband he just kept

looking at the ground even while talking. Apparently what happened with my brother is that he broke up with his girlfriend a month ago. It's more like she broke up with him don't know the reason don't care. I wasn't aware of this as we aren't close like that. According to him the reason he had a go at me this weekend is because my life according to him my perfect life with my husband kept popping up on his feeds and he got jealous. Everything on my social media is with my husband. I don't really use it for anything else but his feed was full of my posts and that set him off as I had something that he didn't.

It got worse when he overheard me and my mother talking when I had a discussion with her over children. me and my husband is currently trying to have a baby and that just made everything worse in his head. His life was falling apart and mine was going perfectly and I had and was trying for have what he wanted with his ex. He said he didn't take my husband seriously when he pulled him aside and my husband warned him. I seriously don't know why he went after me as nothing he said was true in any sense and I did ask him why he said those things. He refused to answer me. I asked him why the comment because he knows my husband was my first in everything and it has only been him all these years he refused to answer. I asked him if trying to have a baby with my husband makes me a

whore as it involves sex and he just left the room. I asked my parents why they didn't step in and tell my brother to leave or stop my dad said he wanted to but my mother told him to leave my brother as he is not actually hurting anyone. The same with the ultimatum, the wanted to protect my brother, I asked what about me and they were silent. All my father said was the ultimate. All my father said was the ultimatum was my mother's idea and he went along with it. This is basically where we are at the moment. A lot more was said, but I don't think it's matters. My husband did apologize to my parents for what happened but refused to apologize to my brother. When my mother asked him to apologize to my brother, he outright said no. He won't apologize for standing up for me and my brother got what

he deserved. He was warned and didn't listen. My mother said it still doesn't excuse him for hitting my brother. My husband asked my dad what will he do if someone called his wife a whore. My father said I will have a talk with that person, but will never hit someone. My husband laughed and told my dad he is a weak-willed, spineless man if he allows someone to demean his wife like that. That got my mom red in the face I could see her get angry. That is when I told my husband it's time to leave. I told my parents that I will be going low contact with them and the ultimatum they gave me broke the trust one had in them. I understand they wanted to protect my brother but in doing that they hurt me.

This seemed to take all the anger out of my mother. They asked if I will be cutting them out completely and I told them that is up to them. I don't want anything to do with my brother at the moment as he can't even apologize for what he said to me. I told them if they can respect my wishes we will see. When we got up to leave my husband went over to my parents and actually still greeted them politely but told my dad it's time grow a backbone. I don't know what I saw, but I think it was shame in my mother's face because my dad looked at my mother and she looked away from him. This is where we are at the moment. My husband on

the way back home apologized for possibly escalating things but told me it was time someone told my dad the truth. He said whatever punishment comes he will take and deal with any fallout. I don't need to worry or stress about anything. Edit, brothers ex cheated on him and apparently he begged her to fix things but she choose the other guy and now he is just pissed and angry at every woman and believe we will all do that eventually. Got a message from my cousin the family had a go at my parents for allowing my brother he did and they came clean as to why he did what he did but couldn't do it when I was over and we talked. They couldn't be honest with me and just refused to answer. Additional information from Oop, Oop, honestly, really thinking about it. The only person I have felt

genuine unconditional love and support from is my husband. There are a lot of thing I just swept under the rug and thought it was siblings things, but looking back whenever my brother had a difficult time at what taken out on me in some way and my parents have never stuck up for me. My husband has had my back around every corner and had never thrown things in my face like my parent or brother has. Oop on her parents' relationship and why they are not hearing her out. Oop, my father just follows what my mother said.

On my 26 years of life I have never seen my dad go against my mother with anything anything she says or want to do it fine with him no matter the cost. For instance my dad basically has no friends as my mother didn't like them so he gave them up and hasn't made new friends because when he tried my mother find something she doesn't and he agrees Upp should have gone alone to talk with her parents and brother about her husbands. Behavior Oop, so I should take the way he worded it over the fact that he wanted to be there and make sure I'm not getting gaslight. I took it as he want to ensure I'm safe and what happens doesn't happen again.

My wording is bad as my emotional state isn't the best that is on me and I should have probably double-checked everything before posting but his emotional state can't be any better than mine. He is dealing with everything and on top of that he is trying his best to keep my mood up. I know it sounded bad but I took what he said with all the other actions he took so far to keep me safe. I hope you enjoy this story. precious offspring sibling who disconnected from me appeared alleging that her spouse was harmful, so I welcomed her into my home and assisted her in initiating legal proceedings for separation, yet subsequently I discovered she was the cheater, so I testified against her.

One year ago, my younger sister Hannah, 27F, got married to her boyfriend of two years, Jacob, 30M. I'm two years older than my sister, and we used to be close when we were kids, but after that, we just sort of drifted apart. After I moved out for college, we started speaking less and by the time both of us had graduated and had our own jobs, we led very different and separate lives so we didn't have much to talk about. On top of that, we had a stupid fight about something six years back, so we have pretty much had no contact since then. In the recent past, we would get together when our family would meet for holidays and stuff but wouldn't exactly talk to each other. To be quite frank, I don't even remember what the fight was about, I just know that it was over something really small.

It wasn't like we were out to get each other but just didn't interact. And last year, after my dad passed away, I pretty much had nothing to do with my family. My mom was always closer to my sister, so they had their own thing going on and whenever I tried to visit her, I would always feel very out of place so I just started keeping to myself. I was also very busy with work, so I wasn't really connected with either of them. And then, two weeks ago, Hannah showed up at my place in the middle of the night and she begged me to let her stay with me because apparently, her husband had turned out to be abusive and she desperately needed somewhere to go.

Even though we hadn't been particularly close for the last couple of years, I allowed her to stay with me. This seemed to be quite serious and as a woman and her sister, I did not want to turn her away when she was asking me to help her out with something like this. She had shown up at my place with absolutely nothing, just some money, and her cards, and kept apologizing for springing this on me, but she didn't have anybody else to rely on. I had just moved into a new apartment, so she knew that Jacob would not be able to find her here and that she was safe from him. So I instructed everybody in the family not to give my address out

without my approval to anybody in case they asked, since I did not want her to be found. She told me that apparently Jacob had been controlling and manipulative right from the beginning, but after they got married, she had thought that he would stop doubting her every now and then but he had gotten worse instead. He had forced her to cut her friends off because he did not like them and thought they were not the right kind of company for her.

Recently, he had started pressuring her to even quit her job and stay at home because he thought that she needed to pay more attention to the household, and her job was distracting her from doing that. But at this point, she had put her foot down and they had been fighting about it for the last couple of weeks and the night that she had run away, he had come home drunk and was yelling at her about the dishes and the sink that hadn't been done yet. She had said that she had been very exhausted after coming back home from work, so she hadn't found the time to do it yet. Usually, he would just argue with her, but this time, he decided to shove her and that was the last straw. After he fell asleep, she decided to make a run for it and came straight to my place because she couldn't even think about any other place to go.

I was a bit confused because I thought that she was close to our mother, so she could have gone to her instead. But Hannah told me that apparently, she had already talked to our mother about this and her advice had been shocking. She had told her that sometimes some men act this way, and she just has to deal with it because that's what married couples do. Every time they're going through stuff, she can't. just admit defeat and leave because that's the easier way out and trying to make the marriage work,

it's difficult, but it's also the right thing to do according to her. And since they're married, not just dating, it's a very serious commitment and divorce is very complicated so she should just stick it out with him. If things get bad, she can try marriage counseling, but my mother's advice, ultimately, was to stay with him, in spite of whatever she was going through. I thought that was very bad advice to give to somebody who was being treated like this on a daily basis and I told her that she didn't need to listen to our mother. This was not the way to behave and Jacob needed to realize that. And if he hadn't realized that even after so many years of being together, there was no way he was going to change. So I told her that I would put her in touch with a friend of mine, whose dad is a divorce

attorney and they could go ahead and do something about this. So two days after she came to my house, she filed for a divorce and he was served within a couple of days. Both of us had blocked Jacob right after she came to my house so he couldn't contact us. She had also spoken to my mother on the phone and while she had been against the idea of leaving initially, after she learned that he had actually shoved her the previous night, she agreed that it was taking things way too far and she needed to leave. So we got her to block Jacob as well and eventually, nobody had any ties with him. So for almost one week, I had no clue about what the reality of the situation was and I was

gladly helping Hannah out, thinking that maybe this would finally help us bond and this situation would bring us closer together as a family. However, after one week of no contact with Jacob, I accidentally ran into him at a restaurant near my workplace. He was there with some of his colleagues, and I was there to grab lunch. I had absolutely forgotten that his office was quite close to mine, and when I spotted him, I started to leave, but he saw me there too, and he literally chased after me to catch up to me because I was trying to run away from him. But once I realized that I would not be able to outrun him and that he just kept calling my name and asking me to stop so he could speak to me, I decided to turn around and told him that I would call the cops if he tried

to do anything funny. He seemed shocked by that reaction and told me that he just wanted to speak to me about the divorce. I told him that this was final and I was not going to allow Hannah to go back to him and he started looking even more confused because he told me that apparently, the divorce had been his idea. Then, it was my turn to be shocked because that was not what I had been expecting. Anyway, after a conversation with him, I realized that Hannah had fed me a bunch of lies, and my mother had probably been in on it. He said the night that Hannah had run away from home without telling him. He had actually suggested that they get a divorce because he had found out that she had apparently been having an affair with one of her co-workers. He had spotted them together

after work when he had gone to surprise her at her office and, after that, there was no way that he could stay with her. So he was the one who had suggested the divorce and she had been very against it and they had ended up in a fight. She wanted to work things out and said that she was willing to end the relationship with the other guy and give their marriage a second chance, but Jacob just wanted to leave because he did not think he could trust her ever again. He said that he had been suspecting that she had been having an affair for quite some time and he had just been proven right that day. He had wanted to speak to her about it the next day and had even thought that he was going to offer to move out of the house so she could live there on her own, but when he woke up the next day,

she was nowhere to be found. When he tried to contact her, she blocked him. And he couldn't get through to her in any other way either. I had also blocked him and so had our mother. And all her friends had also blocked him, so he literally couldn't talk to anybody else. And then, he received the divorce papers, and the terms of the petition shocked him because she was demanding a lot of things that he did not think she was entitled to. She was demanding an insane amount of settlement and alimony, and he thought that it was bizarre that she felt she was entitled to any of this since they had pretty much been making the same kind of money. Besides, she had been cheating on him so that disqualified her from getting anything out of the divorce at all, and she should just count herself lucky that he was

willing to move out while they were getting divorced, even though he had paid the rent for the entire month. Now, to be fair, I did not know about the terms of the petition because I had just put Hannah in touch with the attorney, but I hadn't actually bothered to go over the papers with her. I figured that she was in good hands, I didn't need to worry about any of that. And even if I had known about the terms of the petition, and what she was demanding, I probably wouldn't have found anything wrong with it because I had believed that Hannah was the one being abused by Jacob and so, she was entitled to whatever she demanded. But after finding out what was really going on with Jacob, I started thinking differently. Initially, I refused to believe him, but then, he showed me a bunch

of screenshots and a lot of proof. Hannah had left her laptop back at home. Which is so incredibly stupid because that allowed Jacob to get access to all the messages that she had been hiding from him so far and I could see months and months of messages between her and the guy she had been having an affair with, and that proved Jacob's story to be true. So I was pretty confused about what to do after finding out the truth and I just apologize to Jacob for making him run after me and embarrassing himself like that.

But he told me that he just wanted to talk to me so I could explain to Hannah that he did not want anything out of the divorce, and it would only be fair if she changed the terms of the petition to be more reasonable as well because he did not want any trouble and just wanted this to be over as soon as possible. So I agreed, and then when I went back home, I confronted Hannah about this, and she literally denied everything. Even after I told her that I had run into Jacob, and he had shown me all the proof that confirmed his story, she started accusing me of trusting some random stranger over me. Except that Jacob is not some random stranger, we had interacted quite a few times, and when she had first come to me, it did seem quite out of character for him because he was a very soft-spoken and gentle guy. Even though Hannah wouldn't speak to me at any family gatherings or parties, he would always be polite to me and I just thought that it was really nice of him. I'm not saying that guys like that cannot be abusive, but from whatever conversations we have had so far over the years, it seemed unlikely that he would turn out to be like. this. I really wanted to believe her, but I knew she had a pension for manipulation and lying

because that's how she used to get out of trouble in high school. So honestly, even though she is my sister, I wouldn't put it past her. And the way she got so defensive when I confronted her, it just made me even more sure what Jacob was saying was the truth, and she had been lying to me through her teeth. So I told her to leave and after a lot of fighting, she finally left. After she left, she probably went to our mother's house. Half an hour later, I received a phone call from my mother, and I could hear her crying in the background. My mother was berating me for trusting Jacob over her,

but I told her that I didn't want to argue about this anymore since I was pretty exhausted, and my mother said that she did not want to speak to me anymore. I told her that I was fine with that, and since then, we haven't spoken. About two days back, Jacob reached out to me since I had unblocked him and told me that he was collecting testimonials from everybody who knew the two of them to prove that

none of the claims that Hannah was making against him were true in the slightest and he said that my testimonial would hold a lot of value because I was literally her sister and if even I was speaking out in his favor, it would be great. He said that there was no pressure, but I wanted to do this because I wanted to stand up for the right thing. Since apparently, Hannah had refused to change the terms of the petition, and since my friend's dad had refused to work with her, they switched to another lawyer and demanded the same things, and even went on to claim that apparently, Jacob had indeed been abusive, and that was why she had resorted to cheating. So technically, according to her, this was all his fault and it was just so convenient for her. It was

incredibly infuriating and I hated the fact that she had played me for a fool in the beginning. And that was why I agreed to testify against Hannah so yesterday. I finally spoke up in his favor while they were in their mediation session and once that was done, I felt pretty relieved. I knew that I had done what was right, but evidently, my mother and Hannah do not share my sentiments because they were more than pissed today. My mother actually called me up in the morning and asked me what I was thinking, testifying against Hannah, my biological sister. I told her very plainly that I did what I knew was the right thing to do and now that it was done, there was no point in trying to fight with me over this. But my mother was not going to see.

sense, so she just kept yelling at me and actually even threatened me, saying that she was now going to ruin my life. It's interesting how she said that, but I know that she literally has no way to do it. And I said that she could try, but she really couldn't ruin my life, even if she tried too. That's when she started crying and said that I deserved it because I had sabotaged my sister when I could have just kept my mouth shut instead of going out of my way to speak up against her. She seemed to be really upset and I could even hear Hannah in the background, screaming at my mother to hang up because apparently, it was hopeless to speak to me since I couldn't think about anybody apart from myself and my false sense of superiority.

Hannah was saying that apparently, the only reason I had done this was to appease my overinflated sense of ego, and I thought that it was a bit extreme. So why did I for testifying against my sister and her divorce case? Edit. A lot of people have been asking me why Hannah had come to stay with me when she could have gone to her mother and honestly, I don't know. I guess she was telling the truth about that bit, that maybe our mother had really given her bad advice and told her to stick it out with Jacob. Or maybe she wanted me on her side during the divorce or something? That would be my other case since I can't think of any other reason for her to want to come live with me after six years of barely even speaking to each other. Either way,

I'm pretty sure it was not for no reason. She and my mother are the kind of people who do things for no reason, so I'm sure that she was either here to have me on her side during the divorce. Maybe she was trying to get financial help from me and being with me would be the best way to reconnect. I'm not sure about their reasons right now, but I'll find out eventually. Update 1. It has been eight days since I last spoke to my mother and Hannah. After the phone call, I blocked them because the things that they had said were very upsetting, and I didn't want to interact with them any further. And most of the comments said that blocking them would be the best way to go. So I took the advice that you guys gave me. But after a couple of days of that

phone call, I started receiving a lot of hate mail from weird email addresses, and I figured out that this had to be them. They were ultra-specific about everything as well. They called me egoistic and selfish and said that I did not deserve to be happy. And they also said that my father would have hated me today. I think that was taking a tad bit too far, but honestly, I'm not even surprised that they are doing such things. I just don't understand what is the point of doing all this. It's not like sending me hate mail as somehow going to help them in the course of the divorce. I think it might even make it worse for her in case I decide to send it to and then he can use it

against her, just to show the kind of person that she is. The anger is just getting to their head and making them make bad decisions, but the comment about my dad really got to me. I had been ignoring their emails, but after that one, I decided to reach out to Hannah on her work email and tell her that if she didn't stop doing this, I would make things much worse for her than I already had. And I was serious about it. So she responded to me by telling me to unblock her if I had the guts to do it, instead of acting like such a coward.

I don't understand what was so cowardly about blocking her, I just don't want to speak to either of them. And after what they said, I think it was perfectly fair. Anyway, I did unblock her and we got on a phone call, she told me that they had indeed been the ones behind the mail, but apparently, they had their reasons for it. When I asked her what these so-called reasons were, she told me that she knew that I would get flustered and reach out to her and one conversation with me is all that she needed. Because now she said that, apparently I had a chance to make it up to her since the divorce negotiations were still ongoing. All I had to do was testify for her this time and say that Jacob had me into testifying against her the first time around, taking advantage of our strained relationship and manipulating me with his lies. I was dumbstruck that she thought I would even consider this. For starters, for the past six years, we have not been on good terms, and even when I thought I would be her friend and welcome her into my home, she decided to tell me such disgusting lies about her

marriage and herself. I reminded her of these things and said that if she had just not even bothered to drag me into any of this, I probably wouldn't even have testified against her. I would have just stayed out of it and not said anything, but because she lied to me, I decided to help Jacob out. And this is all her own fault, so I was not in the wrong anywhere. Since I wasn't even wrong, I did not need to make it up to her. Then I told her that she had been right about those emails bothering me, and she had been right that I would get flustered and unblock her to talk to her about it. I'll have to give her that, she was able to predict correctly what was going to happen. But then, I told her that after this, she tried anything with me then I would not hesitate in going

to Jacob with these emails and helping him out even more to prove that Hannah was not a woman of strong character, like she was trying to portray herself but was a sly, manipulative, and cunning piece of work. Hannah then started screaming at me and said that I was not going to do any such things, and if I did, she was going to make sure that I paid for it. Again, I don't think she and my mother have the power to ruin my life or make me pay for it like they claim they do. They haven't even known me properly so it's not like they can find any dirt on me. I've had a very normal life and unlike them, I never do anything that can get me into trouble later. I like to be honest and have a clear conscience, so even if they try to dig something up,

they won't be able to find any dirt on me. So all their threats, they really don't scare me. I just wished her the best of luck, ended the phone call. while she was still trying to talk to me, and blocked her yet again. And this time, I have made up my mind that I am not unblocking this woman to speak to her under any circumstances. I'll go see them in person and speak to them if need be, but I'm definitely not unblocking them, not after this. Update 2 so it's been a couple of days since I last spoke to my sister and I guess, if you can't find dirt on somebody, you can just make something up and then post it online.

I received word from several relatives that apparently, my mother and Hannah had been posting multiple stories about me to defame me. All falsified stories back from high school, so nobody could prove it either. Apparently, back when we were in high school, I was a total jerk to Hannah, and I was always jealous of the fact that she was more popular than me, so I would constantly talk crap about her and try to pull her down when she was at home while Hannah always tried to be friends with me. They made me out to be some villain and said a lot of cruel things that I don't even want to get into because it's not worth it. But I received screenshots of those posts and as soon as I saw them, my blood literally started

boiling. I can't even file a defamation lawsuit against them because it's just their word against mine right now and I'm not even sure if this actually counts as defamation but I sure feel pretty annoyed. I'm pretty sure I have to lose something tangible to take action against them, I think. Until that happens, it's just them talking crap about me online. I did send them a warning from my email because I had them blocked everywhere else and said that if they didn't take it down, I would be forced to take action. They haven't taken it down yet because I guess they're not scared enough.

But I have been in talks with an attorney and I think if we do send them a legal notice, they might stop. Anyway, I was also able to figure out exactly why Hannah had come to me all those days ago instead of going to live with mom. I had to talk with Jacob about all of this since he had reached out to tell me that the the proceedings were going in his favor so far and he wanted to thank me for testifying against Hannah. I took that opportunity to ask him if he had any idea why Hannah had come to me and he told me that in spite of the fact that we were not on good terms for a really long time, she always seems to speak highly of me when it comes to work. She was not wrong about that. I do have a great career ahead of me and I don't mean to sound boastful but I make more money

than most people my age. Apparently, Jacob told me that she had been planning on starting a business and the reason she chose to come to me might have been because she wanted to win me over the course of the divorce and then have me fund her after it was all finalized. He was guessing the only reason that she was hungry for so much money out of the divorce was because she wanted to fund her lifestyle. The guy that she had been having an affair with earlier

was a pretty rich guy, since he was a senior in her workplace and he only found out about it recently. After finding this out, everything makes sense. Of course, she's after the money, I should have known right from the beginning. Anyway, everything is finally adding up now. And if she and my mom don't take down the posts as soon as possible, I'm going to have to send them a notice and actually take action against them.

Whether I win the lawsuit or not, or if it has even been valid, that doesn't make a difference to me. But I'm going to try my best to get them to take it down. Update 3, hey, so it has been one week since my last update, and luckily, one legal notice from my lawyer was all it took for them to take it down. I guess with the way that the divorce was going in Jacob's favor, Hannah did not want to risk anything else. So they took it all down. Also, after the last update, a lot of you had asked me what exactly they had said in those posts, and at the time, I did not want to get into them.

But anyway, they had basically tried to make me out to be the villain of Hannah's life. They said that apparently, I had bullied her throughout her life, and I would speak about her body negatively and shame her for the way she looked. For the record, would never do that to anybody else since I have had it happen to me, and it's not very nice. I guess that's the reason they even said that because they knew I'm a huge advocate for body positivity and saying that about me would ruin my image. Not only that, they also said that apparently had tried to hit on all of her boyfriends back

when we were living together because I couldn't stand the fact that she was getting male attention and I wasn't. And apparently, that has not changed since I'm still trying to get Jacob on my side. It's so ridiculous and disgusting for them to even say that, I can't even imagine them thinking such things, and then believing that it's okay to post it. Anyway, it was mostly such nasty things about me and now they've taken it all down, so I'm okay. I was a little disappointed that they took it down so easily since I really wanted to fight it out and teach them a lesson. But oh well, I'm glad that I don't have to get into the drama now. I can just focus on my own life now and move on from all of this.

Both of them are still blocked, and they are going to remain blocked for a really long time. That's the way it should be, and I know if my dad was alive today, this is the exact advice he would have given me as well. I hope you enjoy this story. Guardians declined to cover their daughter's university fees but support their nephew's schooling instead. Subsequently, grandparents disinherit them due to me. I, a 17-year-old female, am approaching my 18th birthday. in a short while. Weeks and I'm supposed to start college in two months. I got accepted into my first choice about a month ago and I was thrilled about it. They have a great microbiology program which is

what I'm interested in. Unfortunately, my excitement only lasted until my parents told me that they couldn't afford to send me there and I had to pick my safety school instead because that was closer to home and would cost them a lot less. I got into an argument with them over it because it felt really awful that they told me to apply to whichever college I wanted to, but now that it was time to talk about the tuition, they were singing a different tune and were claiming not to have enough money to be able to afford the college I wanted to go to. My dad's a software engineer and my mom's the head of sales at a company and we live comfortably, so I didn't understand why exactly they were being such misers when it came to my education. I didn't even have any siblings that they

had to worry about and to be fair, the tuition was well within their budget. It just seemed unfair to me, insisted that they'd go broke paying my tuition and wouldn't be able to save enough to retire. My parents are just in their early 40s, so I don't know what retirement they're talking about because they still have a good 20 or even more years to go. I argued with them over this for several days and I tried everything, from anger to begging and even bargaining because I said that if they funded my education at the college of my choice, then I'd pay the full amount back to them eventually and they wouldn't have to suffer any losses. They didn't give a damn and instead told me to start looking into student loans instead of wasting my time by arguing with them or simply give up and go to my safety school instead.

I wasn't too keen on the idea of taking a loan because of the risk involved but after arguing for about a week, I realized that my parents were determined not to give me the money for some reason and fighting for it would be futile. So I could either go to my safety school and give up on my dream college or else I could take out a loan and then end up with a ton of debt like so many others and both. the possibilities seemed super bleak to me. I kept researching loans and their pros and cons and I also applied for a scholarship, but I didn't give up hope. I did give up talking to my parents after our fight though because they were being selfish and I just couldn't bring myself to forgive them for it. My parents and I have always had a strained relationship at best because both of them were working individuals and were the kind of people who brought their work home with them.

It was mostly my grandparents, my dad's parents, my mom's parents passed away before I was born. looking after me and taking care of me while I was a child and once I was old enough to be home by myself, they'd leave me alone for hours while they were out for work. Even when they came back home, they weren't particularly interested in me and would only do the bare minimum. They'd talk to me at meal sometimes and asked me about school and my friends, but I could always tell they weren't interested and I wouldn't try to talk to them either because it just seemed pointless. I'm going to be blunt and just say it, to me my parents were nothing more than people who paid for things

that I needed and would let me live with them. It sounds harsh and makes me seem like a total selfish brat, but you can't really blame me because it was my parents who never really bothered to make an emotional bond with me. And as a kid, I tried to get their attention and win them over but I never could so I gave up trying after a while since it was clearly pointless. As long as I had a roof over my head, clothes to wear, and food to eat, I was good. They'd sent me to a decent school, I had good grades and now I wanted to go to a reputed college so I could land a well-paying job after it. They were going to pay for it because I knew they had that sort of money and that was the way it was supposed to be. That's the way it has always been. I didn't expect my parents to

shower me with love and affection or even tell me that they were proud of me because of what I'd achieved but I did expect them to fund my education at the very least because that's the one area where they hadn't let me down yet. But unfortunately, now they'd failed as parents there as well. I'm not saying this because they refused to pay for my education but because about two weeks ago, I found out that they were paying for my cousin's education instead. My dad has an older brother and they have a son who's the same age as I am. He's starting college around the same time and we do have a couple of friends in common. One of these common friends sent me a picture that my cousin had posted a picture with my parents

who were smiling broadly while hugging him. In the caption of that picture, he thanked my parents for agreeing to sponsor his education and pushing him to chase after his dreams. My cousin had probably blocked me at my parents' request since I couldn't see his profile at all. I hadn't even noticed because he and I weren't close. My friend wasn't aware of my situation and had just sent that screenshot to me to tell me how kind and generous my parents were. She had no clue that they were also really horrible and were putting their own daughter's dreams and ambitions aside just to be able to fuel someone else's. On one hand, they claimed that they couldn't afford to send me to the college of my choice,

but they had absolutely no issues sponsoring my cousin's education. And he was attending a college that was a lot more expensive than mine, so the things they'd told me just didn't add up at all. It also made no sense that his father wasn't paying for his tuition because my uncle was a high school teacher at a private school and made enough money to be able to provide for his son. Or at least I think he does because judging by their house, they don't live too shabble. They don't live too shabble. and I'm sure they can afford it if they want to. His mom's not in the picture anymore, but they do co-parent him and she's a journalist, as far as I know.

So it's definitely not about the money for them. My parents weren't at home when I found out, as usual, and I wanted to confront them about it, but I was so pissed off that I decided to go to my grandparents first instead. I share a good relationship with my grandparents, but I hadn't told them anything about what I was going through because my grandma was kind of sick and I didn't want to be a burden on them. They were reasonably well off and have retired a couple of years back after handing over the reins of their textile business to my great-uncle.

It had been the three of them running the business earlier, but my grandparents chose to retire once they hit 60. My great-uncle was still in his mid-50s and had no intention of retiring for a while since he had no family and only wanted to work and travel. All of them still earned well from the business they'd set up together, but my parents had never relied on them for money and had taught me never to take money from them either. I never needed to anyway, so I was okay with it and didn't question it back then. My grandparents had always been very kind to me and had made me feel loved, which was a nice change of pace from the kind of treatment I was used to at my parents' place so I'd visit them frequently in the past. Unfortunately, about a year ago, my grandmother was diagnosed with Parkinson's and then it became

kind of difficult for her to do the things she always used to do. So I stopped visiting as much as I used to because, like I already said, I didn't want to be a burden on them. This time, though, I couldn't just sit back and take this sort of bull crap from my parents and my cousin because it was very obvious that they'd all teamed up against me for some reason. They were sabotaging my chances of going to the college I wanted to on purpose, or at least that's what it looked like to me and I couldn't just let that happen to me. So I headed over to my grandparents' place within an hour of finding out and they welcomed me quite happily. I'd gone back to visit them after almost two months and seeing them again

made me regret not keeping in touch with them because both of them looked like they'd missed having me around. They looked thrilled to have me back and that felt reassuring so without wasting much time, I told them about what I'd found out. Even while narrating what had happened to them, I could feel the anger surging because it was all just so unfair. My cousin's grades weren't even as good as mine and yet, for some reason, they'd chosen to sponsor him over their own daughter and they'd even tried to cover it up. So had it not been for that one friend of mine, I might have never found out about their lies at all and they would have been totally fine with it as well. After I was done telling my grandparents what had happened, they comforted me because I'd started crying

while telling them about what I'd been going through. Both of them looked grim and just told me to go home, pack my clothes and any other important belongings, and then come back here. I was puzzled at their instructions but honestly, I was sick of living in a house where I wouldn't speak to my parents and they wouldn't speak to me either, so I agreed without another word. At least earlier my parents would try to talk to me, even if it was meaningless small talk, but now that was all over and we just pretended that we were invisible to one another, which was awful. So I went back home, got my things, and came back to my grandparents' place where they told me that my tuition would be taken care of by them and that I had nothing to worry

about. I didn't understand what they'd done at the time, but I was just relieved that they'd found out a way to cover the expenses because I really would have been devastated had I not been able to attend the college of my choice. I was worried about my grandparents' financial state, though, because they were both retired and since my grandmother would have to go to the hospital for medical checkups quite frequently, the hospital bills were bound to be quite high. I didn't want to cause them unnecessary trouble in any way, so I offered to work my way through and they'd only need to cover half of my expenses that way, but they laughed it off and dismissed it saying that they had enough money and that I didn't need to worry about them. I wanted to know how exactly they'd pay

for everything when they were retired, but I didn't want to push any further and I didn't ask more. I hadn't told my parents anything before I left, so I had expected to hear from them when they found out that I wasn't at home. So I had indeed been expecting a call from them once they'd come back home from work and just as I'd predicted, they reached out to me a little after dinner time. I'll be honest, I'd expected them to be upset with me because I'd left without telling them anything and had wanted them to be worried for me. It's petty and makes me sound like an attention seeker, but I just really wanted them to call me out of concern

and ask me about my whereabouts so I could finally tell them off about what kind of horrible parents they'd been to me and then they'd finally feel sorry about what they'd done. Unfortunately, none of it materialized because instead of a phone call from my concerned parents, all I received was a text from them telling me how incredibly disappointed they were in me

and that they never even wanted to see me again, much less speak to me. Those were the very first lines of the message and that threw me off because I hadn't been expecting it at all but it got even worse as I continued reading their message. Apparently, my uncle had lost his teaching job a couple of weeks ago for insubordination. They didn't elaborate more but I'm guessing it must have been something big enough for him to get fired since he was a pretty qualified man. His ex-wife is getting remarried in a few months so she wasn't willing to cover the cost of her son's college tuition either and with all the bills and other household expenses. My uncle just couldn't afford to send my cousin to the college he wanted to go to. There had been a lot of outrage on my cousin's part when he got to know this and had been threatening to run away from home,

so my parents had stepped in and offered to sponsor him instead. He was planning to major in art and so it was even more risky for my uncle to invest in his degree because it was unlikely that he'd be able to repay him soon after college. I'm not throwing shade at art majors, but just being realistic and that was why my father believed that it would be better for them to pay for his education. instead. They said that the reason they'd chosen to sponsor him over me was because he was more in need of it while I could still get by with loans and such. He couldn't. I don't know how much of that was true, but that was what they told me. And the reason they were texting me to let me know was because earlier that day, presumably around the time that I'd left to collect my belongings and bring

them to my grandparents' house. My grandparents had called my parents and told them that they were cutting all of them out of their will and all of it would go to me instead since the same. they decided to choose my cousin over me. That was why my parents were furious at me for telling my grandparents what they'd done instead of discussing it with them first, which, I guess, might be a fair point. I don't know if they have a point or not to be really honest, but I do think that what they did was still kind of messed up. I understand that this was coming from a place of concern for my cousin, but even then,

I should have been their first choice and not my cousin. That just really hurt me and I think anyone else in my place would have felt the same way so when I received the text from my parents, I didn't respond to it because I didn't know what they'd expected me to say. I believe they wanted me to apologize to them and my cousin and then prevent my grandparents from changing their will, but I didn't think it would be fair to me at all

because if anything, I'd been the one who had been wronged by them and not the other way around. A week has passed since I received that message and I still haven't heard back from anyone in my family. I'm still living with my grandparents and it's relatively more pleasant than living with my parents, but that text just keeps bugging me because I feel like I might have messed things up a little for everyone involved.

It's true that I could have gotten by with student loans, but even my cousin could have gone that way and yet he'd chosen not to, but I was expected to, just because he was being an immature brat who thought running away from home was a reasonable solution to his problems. I'd always know my cousin to be kind of bratty and downright annoying when he wouldn't get his way, but I'd thought he'd grown out of that behavior. Unfortunately, he hasn't and now I've had to bear the brunt of that. I don't know if I should talk to my grandparents about the inheritance thing though because that's really their decision.

At the same time, I don't need all that money and I guess my parents and my uncle would need it in the future. I feel like I'm hoarding it and being cruel to them by depriving them of their inheritance and hogging it all to myself and that I maybe should have at least talked to my parents before I came running to my grandparents to complain about. What they'd done. So I'd have for telling my grandparents that my parents were funding my cousin's education over mine, and then taking over their entire inheritance? Update 1. Before I say anything, I'd just like to thank everyone who commented on my original post. It means the world to me since apparently now literal strangers on the internet have more compassion for me than my own family does. You guys are just really sweet to be so supportive of me.

I'd also like to say that since I drew some flack for what I said about me considering my parents my source of money and nothing else, What else was I supposed to think of them when they raised me like that? I already discussed that ever since I was a kid, they'd leave me all by myself at home for hours for work and there was barely any emotional relationship between us. So, of course, I couldn't see them as anything except my source of money and that's all. And of course, I still expected them to be concerned about me and worried about me when I left because they're still my parents and despite everything,

I still want some effect and validation from them like literally any other kid does. I've had a complicated childhood and I don't expect everyone to understand my feelings or be empathetic towards me but some of you people need to tone down the hate. Anyway, I decided not to talk to my parents again and even blocked them after speaking to my grandparents regarding their text. I just couldn't keep it in anymore and ended up telling them all about it like most of you had advised me to. And they told me that it was ridiculous of them to expect that I'd be okay with them paying for my cousin for whatever reason and if my uncle needed money then he should. should have come to his parents instead of his brother. But for some reason, both my dad and his brother have an insanely high ego and refuse to take any sort of money from my grandparents at all.

My grandpa believes that it's because they'd had to live really frugally while growing up because their business was still in its beginning stages and they weren't making much so their kids couldn't afford the kind of life that their friends were used to which made them resent my grandparents because according to them. Had they just stuck to their regular jobs instead of quitting and establishing their own business, then they wouldn't have had to give up any luxuries that they'd been used to. And that in turn made them really weird about taking money from their parents. My grandma believes that the real reason that they were so uptight about borrowing money from them

was because both of them were just too proud and too arrogant to admit that they needed help and would rather suffer and make their kids suffer than just ask their parents for money. Both of those theories are plausible, in my opinion. And it's not even like my grandparents would have said no if their sons had ever asked for help because they still made decent money from their business which was up and running really well. They could now afford to stay home and relax and let my great-uncle handle it all at work, which means it's all going well for them right now and will continue to do well in the foreseeable future. They just have no real excuse as to why they picked my cousin over me and that's the bottom line.

Update 2. It's been almost two weeks since I moved out of my parents' house and today, after two whole weeks, my parents finally showed up at my grandparents' place and demanded that I come back with them. I obviously said no right away and told them that I didn't want to go back with them at all, but they refused to listen and said that they'd call the cops and have my grandparents arrested for abduction if they didn't let me go back with them. That was what made me fly off the handle entirely and I started screaming at them at the top of my lungs about how they're the ones who should have been arrested because they're the ones who neglected me my entire childhood. They were the ones who were still putting their own brotherhood above me and couldn't be bothered to think about me just because they felt that my idiot of a cousin was going to run away for real and that was something that justified what they did to me.

I felt a lot lighter after my tirade against my parents because it felt like years and years of anger, bitterness, pain, and resentment were making their way out of my body and it honestly felt like I was spewing poison. My mother started to cry at some point, but they didn't leave and waited for me to stop yelling before my dad told me that he was super disappointed. in the way I'd turned out and that he wished he'd never come back to take me with him and make things right. When I demanded an explanation as to what he meant by make things right, he told me that he'd been planning to put me in touch with a friend of his who worked at a bank and would make it easier for me to get a loan and that I wouldn't have to worry about my tuition anymore. At that moment, I was so furious that I felt like pushing my parents out of the house. His idea of making amends wasn't giving me what was rightfully mine, my college fund.

But instead he believed that putting me in touch with a banker would make it all okay for me that I couldn't believe that he'd even had the audacity to say that and I could feel another fit of rage coming on but luckily, my grandparents asked them to leave me alone and not come back. I'd be 18 in a couple of weeks anyway and I really didn't need their consent to live with whoever I wanted to anymore. And even if I wasn't 18, I would rather go to prison than go back to living with my parents. Their emotional unavailability and arrogance almost ruined my life once. I wasn't about to let it happen once again. They're gone now and just to make sure they can't take any legal action against my grandparents for letting me stay here. We're also in talks with an attorney.

My grandparents were sweet enough to apologize to me for not taking me away from my irresponsible parents back when I was a kid so I wouldn't have had to face all of this in the first place, but I don't think that's their fault anyway. I'm disappointed that my parents turned out to be like this, but I can't say I'm surprised. This was always going to happen at some point, it was just a matter of when. They've let me down countless times, but now I'm not letting them do this to me anymore. We're done and I'm finally going to be free from them now. Update 3, just experienced my first day of college and boy, was it a great day?

My parents are no longer in the picture so it's just my grandparents, a couple of friends, and you guys who get to hear about it. Well, at least until I make a couple of new friends. I just hope that the next couple of months treat me just as well as today did. My grandparents are very proud of me and I feel so thankful that I have such an amazing support system to back me up. I hope you enjoy this story. Spouse stayed in a lodging with a youthful unmarried lady during his bowling excursion. He failed to inform me until I stumbled upon it unintentionally.

Is it possible that he was unfaithful? Me, 36F Husband, 42M, is currently in Las Vegas for a national bowling tournament. He is there with his mom and her friends slash folks from their bowling league. He is an avid bowler, bowls in a Tuesday night league, often in state tournaments and sometimes in national tournaments. Typically I go with and sometimes bowl myself. This year, we decided I would not go, but stay home with our three boys. ages 4, 8, 10, due to heat and smoke in Vegas in July. My husband and I have been married for 11 years. This is his second marriage. His first marriage failed because he walked in on his wife

cheating on him with another man. I have never, not once, thought that he would ever be intimate with another woman while he was with me. He's just not that type. So, on to this trip. Typically when he goes on a trip without me, at least one a year given my job and time off requirements, he stays in a hotel room with his mom or our boys. Three nights ago, I was on FaceTime with him while he was in his hotel room. It was really nice and he was talking about possibly taking a nap for lack of sleep. I asked if he had his room to himself, because that would have been awesome, and he said, Oh no? Is sharing with me? I asked him who that was, and he said something, I don't remember, from she. I said, wait what? And then he went on to explain that he was supposed to share the room

with his mom's boyfriend. But plans changed and now he is sharing the room with another woman on the trip. He told me that I played cornhole with her last month at a get-together. I reminded him who I had played cornhole with, him and a girl, but not one with the name he was giving me, I have no idea who this woman is, at which point he got very confused. He did not understand why I was upset or frustrated, so I dropped it because I did not want to deter from his time and his bowling. I know I should have asked how he would have felt if the roles were reversed, but I didn't. Partly because I didn't want to fight, we hardly ever fight, while the kids were up, and partly because I didn't want to hear him chalk it up to my imagination.

I have hardly slept since that night, and my dreams have been chocked full of worst-case scenarios, and still I have not really brought it up again. There have been a few occasions in which he has talked about taking naps and how lame he is in Vegas. I have mentioned a few times, sort of sarcastically as a side, that he would be having more fun if he were sharing a room with me, or if I was there instead of his present company, but he has brushed it all aside. So here we are, he has spent the last three nights in a hotel room with a woman that is not me or his mother edited to get rid of some names, husband is coming home tonight and we will talk. I'm hoping its 82-year-old Grandma's Smile Update 1. Okay, so I took some advice and grew a backbone.

I texted him a little while ago instead of waiting until he got home. He and our boys are leaving for another trip tomorrow morning. I could not get the time off of work, so I wanted to make sure we had the conversation fully before he left again. Before I give the update, I wanted to make a couple of things clear. I do trust my husband. He has never shown he would be the kind of person to cheat, and that is not what truly concerned me. Even though I did have some pretty unpleasant dreams. My issue was that he was not up front and honest with me. If I had done the same thing, he would have lost his mind, understandably. This is why I started the original post with he's just not that type. We do generally have great communication. The issue here is that I like to have

this kind of conversation face-to-face rather than over the phone. It's just not something I like to hash out while we are not in the same space. Obviously, in this situation, should have made the exception and have now done so. Now, for the update, I texted him today to tell him that this situation has been bothering me for the last three days. I had questions and we needed to have this conversation. I asked who the woman was, how old she was and why didn't he tell me about the situation before I found out by accident. There was a mix up with the rooms, something about someone not going so people were shuffled. He was paired with a woman about my age. He said he didn't think it would be a big deal and didn't want to inconvenience everyone else on the

trip. He also said he did not want to upset me, which is why he didn't write out tell me about it. He did tell me that I never had anything to worry about and he made sure they weren't in the room alone together aside from when they were sleeping. I know, I know, but I really do believe him on this. I was honest with him and told him that if roles were reversed, out of respect for him, I would have called him right away to make sure he was okay with it. I told him that while I trust him implicitly, I should not have found out the way that I did. And he should not have blown off my concern. I told him that the lack of upfront communication felt suspicious, regardless of intention

or what actually happened. As for not upsetting me, I told him I would have understood and not been upset if he had just been honest. He has apologized profusely. I told him next time to just communicate. He is adamant there will not be a next time. So, call me naive if you want, but I am dropping it at this point. He will be home this evening and I intend on having a nice evening with him before I don't see him again for another two weeks. Thank you for the advice. I cried it out when I found out her age, but getting this off my chest has been very relieving. Update 2, July 25, 2020. I am not handling this as well as I thought I was.

I had decided to let it go. I know he wasn't doing anything with this other woman. You can disagree and call me crazy if you'd like, but I do know that. However, as much as I have tried, I can't get past the fact that he made the decision to do something he knew I wouldn't be okay with and not tell me about it. It all feels, just so messed up. I have talked to a few of my coworkers. I don't have really any. friends that aren't friends of his that I talk to on a regular basis, and there is no way I will talk to my family because that is a shit storm I can't handle right now, and they are all shocked and more angry for me than I have let myself be, most of them know him. The kind of person he is and what

ended his first marriage, he used to work at the same company. We had less than 24 hours together before he, his mom and all three of my children took their trip to the other side of the United States. I have been sitting in my fields and will continue to do so until they get back, almost another week from now. I was on the phone with them this evening before they went to bed, and one of the first things my husband said to me was, I'm sharing a bed with a redhead tonight. And I almost came unglued before I realized he was talking about one of our boys. We have three sons. After a very long pause, I said you better be talking about Dash and I was so angry I don't understand how he didn't pick up on that. Every conversation we have had has been short and to the

point because I'm really just not interested in talking to him. I have been calling my oldest son and talking with my boys instead. His mom hasn't really said much to me, which makes me think he has said something to her, which is fine. Of course, I really don't care about that. Bottom line is, I don't know what to do. It is midnight at home, I tried to go to bed two hours ago and just could not stop sobbing. So I got up and let it go. It felt good to get it out, but I know I need to talk to someone. I have support lines through work I can call, but won't tonight. Far too many drinks and I don't want to bring that into it as well, but I will call tomorrow. I know I should be upset and angry and not let it go. But I am afraid when I do talk to a professional they will say I'm blowing it out of

proportion. I will still call, but I need to get my head straight first. He's a lot. He's a He is bicycling for seven days, over 400 miles. So as much as I want to tear him a new one right now, especially after his completely insensitive and clueless joke this evening, I have not. Because I want him home safe and sound. Regardless of my feelings in this moment. The most important thing is that my children's dad comes home safe so we can hash this out at least in the same city and not while he is 1,000 miles away.

with his mom and my children. Update 3, August 8th, 2024 I am sorry it has been a bit since I have updated. Things have been, a lot. I am also sorry this post is very long. My family came home a day early, so I took two extra days off of work to see them and figure things out with my husband. After we had unloaded and put everything away, we had dinner and watched the show. After putting the boys to bed, my husband and I went to our room.

It was pretty clear he thought he was going to get lucky, because he was very confused when I turned the light on. I told him that I had questions and I needed him to answer them. He was hesitant but agreed. I asked him who this woman is, how old and is she married? I still don't know who she is, but he did confirm she is younger than me, and not married. I then asked who made the decision he would be sharing a room with her. He said that his mom said it would be really great if they should. shared so she could spend the three nights with her boyfriend slash not boyfriend. I asked him

why he didn't tell me about it. He said he was just so tired and it had such a long day he didn't think about it. Conflicting with his earlier, I didn't want to upset you. He said that he didn't think I would ever question his intentions, so why would he think he would have to tell me? I told him it wasn't about questioning his intentions or fidelity, it's that what they did was completely inappropriate and disrespectful to me and our marriage. And at the absolute very least, he should have sent me a quick text explaining the situation. I also told him that his mom is not always right. He apologized profusely, said he shouldn't have put his mom before me, he didn't think it would be a thing because he would never try to hurt me and he thought I knew that. All the things.

And we honestly talked it out and worked through things for a solid few hours. We came to a really good place and connected for the first time in a long while. Then he went to work the next day, which hurt because I didn't really have the time to be calling in. I am severely behind at work, but I did anyway because I wanted to do the right thing for us and to take care of us. But because he just spent two weeks going all over the country doing something super fun and now he is super behind in his job, he couldn't afford to take any more time off. So that really hurt, but I let it go because he really was behind and I at least had the boys that I got to catch up with. That day my mom called to see what we were doing for my birthday, which was two days

away. I had honestly forgotten about it with everything, so I told her I didn't know and asked if my husband had called her. She said he had not. So I told her I would let her know when we came up with a plan. That night, I asked him if he had a plan, and he said, oh, I don't know, what do you want to do? And that really, really hurt, but I let it go because we have had so much going on. I told him it would be great if we had a barbecue and he invited people and got the groceries and he agreed. I specifically asked if he would call my mom. He did get some of the groceries, but not all of them.

And he did surprise me with a cake. But that was it. I ended up inviting everyone last minute, having to apologize along the way, and had to go to the store twice to get the rest of the things we needed. At the party, he started showing our friends the pictures from his trip, pictures I haven't even seen yet. I was so mad, upset, frustrated. He didn't catch on. So then it came time for gifts, his was a card game and a back rub. I felt like I was just slapped in the face. To be clear, I don't place a high value on gifts, if you get me something great, if you don't,

that's fine. But he didn't get me anything for Mother's Day, but I got him a whole slew of things for Father's Day for his trip and an Xbox game he wanted. I also planned each of those days by myself. And he just went to the other side of the country, and all he thought to grab for me was a card game? I didn't want to fight in front of our friends, so I let it be. I didn't really expect more than that anyway, but it's still hurt. Then I went back to work and things were, May, anything he did irritated me.

Anything his mom did irritated me. I was getting so frustrated and, sad and angry and just not myself. Then I had a medical issue, something that pokes its little head back up every five years like clockwork, but I had been ignoring because of everything going on. Come back and I went to our urgent care to take care of it. But I had to take care of all sorts of things first so that me going to the doctor didn't hamper my husband's day, so I was really irritated in the morning. It didn't help that his mom came over and I just can't handle her right now. It also didn't help that he told me that morning about all the plans he had come up with for our son's birthday in a few weeks.

I was mad at myself for being upset. I should be stoked my husband is thinking about our son and wanting to give him a great birthday party, but I was so deflated and sad and angry in that moment. But he had to go to work so I left it alone. So before I went, I sent him a text apologizing for being irritated. I told him that I'm not in a good place mentally or physically and I'm not in a good place mentally or physically and I'm really struggling. He asked how he could help, and I responded that I really didn't know. And then I saw the doctor and he referred me to surgery. This will be the third time I have had

surgery for this. I was so frustrated and sad and hurt. I decided to just put it all out there. And since he can't seem to find the time to actually talk to me, I texted him a novel, laying out everything that is on my mind. The trip, my birthday, him not taking him not taking time, my son's birthday, all of it. After an hour he had not responded, so I sent him another text saying that maybe he could just tell me I'm not crazy and we will get through this together, or something like that at least. He responded to that saying that he loves me and has lots to say but can't say it over the phone. So then I went to work and did the things. I felt a little better he didn't discredit all of my frustration so things were okay. That night he called to tell me he loved

me and was going to take the next day off to spend with me, it was also my day off. I was pretty darn stoked. The next day I asked him what were the things he wanted to say. And he said he didn't want to say it in front of the kids. So then that night I asked him again. And he said that we have been having such a great day, he didn't want to ruin it and me get all emotional so he wasn't going to say it then. I felt like I had just been punched in the gut. So wait, you have been so nice since I texted you, but now I'm going to be sad and upset. What is going on? It is now the next day, and I just asked him again. He completely blew me off and went to town to pick up our son from camp. I am at a loss. I don't know what to do. I can only ask him to talk to me so many times.

He doesn't share his thoughts or emotions often, but I would think he would do it now, right? I don't know what to do. Comments. Clu-lulu-roo, holy shit, you're not even an afterthought to this guy. You don't have any importance in his life. You're just there. He'll just tell you stuff to get you off his case and then just keep ignoring you. Boop, that is definitely how I feel Upp responds to multiple comments on seeking for a professional counselor to help navigate the next steps and find a thing to do that helps Upp feel happy,

Oop. Oh my gosh, thank you so much for your kind and understanding reply. I have made a few calls with no responses yet and quite a few say they are not taking new clients. Keeping my fingers crossed though, I do agree, I need an outside perspective other than Reddit. Thank you. I've used our system, but I still have to call. They helped narrow it down, but I have to make an appointment. I get six free sessions, which is great. I just need someone to call me back. Thank you for the advice, I will try. I did get in two chapters of the book I'm reading this week and have taken extra time with my boys.

I needed that lady vid. I think that woman on the trip was more important than he's letting on. His mother would not be welcome in my house again until she apologizes to my face. No more trips alone for any reason for a very long time. He needs to have consequences and you're letting him coast. He's trying to wait you out. Update me, Doxantum 5. I don't know why you just keep letting things go and deluding yourself that you're in a good place.

Your husband was in a hotel room with a younger woman for days. He gaslit you that it's no big deal and acting like you're the crazy one for thinking it's a problem. In what world are things okay after that? How much of a doormat has he made you that one conversation blows that over? Your mills set him up to cheat on you. In no world is him sharing a room with a younger single woman appropriate. He knows that. She knows that. If you think he's a good boy, I don't know what kind of blinders you have on or cool aid you're drinking, but stop. He blew off your birthday. He couldn't even muster going to the grocery store, let alone sending some texts. He was away from you for two weeks and couldn't even bring you some postcards from along the way. My son was on a school trip for four days. He brought me all kinds of little things, because he was a because he was in a gas station and saw this pretty postcard I would like.

Or at this gift shop and thought that keychain was something I would like. So, your husband is less considerate than a teenager on a school trip with all his teenage buddies? He gives you bullshit after bullshit and just pretends things are fine. You lay it all out there via text and again, he blows you off. Gives you some love bombing in the form of family time, and expects to sweep it under the rug. He's hoping to wait you put before you find out what he actually did in that hotel room. Or how many times he's met that woman before? Or just to make sure he can feed you bullshit after betraying your marriage with his mom's help and you'll just ignore it.

At some point, you have to acknowledge you have a shitty husband and a very unhealthy marriage. How many ways does he have to show you you're not a priority? He doesn't respect you, and he could not care less about your feelings before you believe him. Update 4, August 19th, 2024. I apologize for the late update. My health took a pretty drastic turn for the worse for a minute. But no worries, all is good now. And I had a really good talk with my doctor about putting myself first and she is getting me in touch with a counselor.

Now, for the update, it's barely an update, and for that I'm sorry. When I finally did get him to tell me what he wanted to say, he ended up saying it in front of the boys anyway, he only brought up two things I had talked about in the novel I had sent him. The first was that I was going to look for a counselor. He said he loved that idea and that it really helped him when he was talking to one. Then he brought up that I had mentioned how much weight I have gained since the birth of our last child. He said that he still finds me crazy attractive, as should be evident by the fact that he still shows up in bed. Then he started talking about what I shouldn't be doing if I wanted to lose weight, and apologizing for the fact that he

and the boys have ridiculous metabolisms and don't have to worry about it. I asked him to stop trying to give me weight loss advice, that wasn't the point of me telling him. I asked if there was anything else he wanted to say and he said no. Just those two things. So at this point this is where I am at. My husband did not cheat on me. I do know this is true I am still not in a good place because of so many things happening at once, so I am seeking help. Thanks for the advice and support for most of you. But this is my last post on this. I won't be able to actually work on my marriage reading some of these responses. Comments, Anon Throwaway 072023,

Wow, Well, it is your life not anyone else's. His idea of treating you with love and respect and honor, and make up for his many missteps is to try and make you less fat. But don't worry, he still wants to fuck you as is. I really hope for the best for you. Like most following your story I think he treats you like shit and beyond taking you for granted. He won't change because he feels he isn't behaving wrong. You deserve a better happier life, I'm so, so sorry.

Impressive arm 4668 should be evident by the fact that he still shows up in bed is a wild statement to me. I hope you enjoy this story. I discovered my mother spending the evening with my unfaithful former partner on my special day. and he bears an unfortunate resemblance to my father who left us. As a 24-year-old woman, I had been in a relationship with him. Ex-boyfriend, 27M, for almost a year. We broke up two months back because I'd caught him cheating red-handed with a friend of mine. I went to his house unannounced to surprise him with a box of cupcakes on the morning of our first anniversary

and found that the door was already unlocked. I walked in on him lying in bed and cuddling with my friend. That was it. I didn't even give him a chance to explain or apologize and cut him off entirely. He tried to text me from new accounts but I didn't even read those messages and blocked those accounts as well. After two weeks, he gave up and we haven't spoken since then. My mother, 46F, unfortunately, was very attached to my ex-boyfriend and took the news of our

breakup really hard. I think it might be because even my dad had cheated on her and then left her while she was pregnant, but that's my best guess. When I told her that my ex had cheated and so we'd broken up, she started consoling me and told me that we were meant to be and we'd find our way back into each other's lives someday, she was sure of it. I thought that was a weird thing to say to console me because I didn't want him to find his way back into my life. I broke up with him for a reason and that reason was another woman, that's something you can't erase from your mind even if you do try to get back together. So what's the point of even trying to give the cheater a second chance?

You'll never be able to fully trust them ever again. It's better to just stay broken up and away from each other. But my mother didn't share that sentiment and kept insisting that we were meant to be. I got really annoyed by her constant reminders, so I told her that even if we were meant to be, I'd rather be single and on my own for the rest of my life than go back to that cheating scumbag. That seemed to shut her up and she didn't bring it up again. The last time she mentioned my ex was almost a month ago.

A few days ago, I decided to take my family and a few of my friends out for dinner and drinks to celebrate my birthday. I'd been very busy with work lately and hadn't had the time to meet them. I really missed hanging out with people. So today, on my birthday, I finally got all dressed up and headed out after a really long time. A few of my friends were already waiting for me there and I just had to wait for my aunt, my cousins, and my mother to arrive. My aunt and her kids who were around the same age as me arrived a few minutes after I did, but when I asked about my mother, who lives with her, she said that she'd arrive a little later. My aunt told me that my mother had some work to attend to so she was going to be a little late

and she wanted us to start without her. I felt a little upset because it was my birthday today and my own mother wasn't on time. She knows what punctuality means to me, especially on important occasions, so this was a little annoying. I believe that if you're not on time for days that are important to other people, you don't really value their time. And my mother knows this about me. But anyway, we ordered the food and got to talking. I think around half an hour later, my mother finally arrived with a huge smile on her face. She was dressed to the nines and had a full face of makeup on, which was strange because my mother never really used makeup and it was on very rare occasions that she even brought out the mascara.

It almost looked like it was her birthday and not mine, but she's my mom's so I didn't mind. I welcomed her with a hug as soon as she arrived and she kissed me on both cheeks before telling me that she had a gift for me. I was kind of confused since she didn't have any bags with her and was carrying a tiny purse. I don't think anything apart from lipstick and her cards would fit into that so I was sure that whatever my gift was, wasn't in there. I asked her where my gift was then to my surprise. She took her phone out, made a call. and told whoever she'd called to come on in. I think by now, you guys can all guess who she was speaking to then.

Yeah, bingo. It was my ex-boyfriend who walked in moments later in a tux and looked as handsome as ever. My jaw almost dropped open because I hadn't seen the guy since our breakup and here he was, smiling at me as if we were about to get married right here. I didn't even have anything to say and was still processing the news when my mother yelled out surprise. How do you like my gift? She actually looked at me, still smiling, and waited for my response while everyone that I'd invited just looked on, horrified at what was happening. My ex actually had the audacity to mouth answer her at me and that made me snap out of my days.

She wanted to know how I liked her gift. I'll tell her how I liked it. Within seconds, I flared up and told her that she'd not only ruined my birthday with this little surprise of hers, but she'd also failed as a mother. She'd proven that she didn't know me and she didn't understand me in the slightest, or she wouldn't have done what she did today. And then, I told her that if she liked my ex-boyfriend so much then she could have him all to herself since that's clearly what she wanted if I was to go by the way she was dressed and the way she'd done her makeup. My mother's eyes were already looking dangerously watery while I was talking to her and the second I said that, she burst into tears. And then, still crying, walked out of the restaurant.

My ex stood there awkwardly for a few seconds and then left after her. The evening was ruined anyway, so the rest of us decided to make things quick to avoid the uneasiness and awkwardness that had taken over afterwards. I didn't even cut the cake that my aunt had brought for me, she handed it to me for me to take home and it's still in my refrigerator right now, untouched. Dinner was a quick affair and everyone left as fast as they could. I don't even blame them because what else were they supposed to do anyway. I was extremely disappointed and didn't want to stay out for long since I'd wanted this to be a good day, but it had turned out to be pretty awful for me. I got home a few hours ago and I didn't hear from anyone up until half an hour ago when my aunt called me to tell me that my mom still hasn't come home yet and isn't responding to any of her texts or calls. So I decided to call my mom up, more out of obligation than concern, and she answered.

She told me in a very cold voice that she was on the roof of her old apartment, where she used to live for the first few years after my mom. birth and even before that, while she was still with my dad. She told me to tell my aunt not to worry and that she'd be home in an hour and then hung up without even a goodbye or thanks for checking up on her. I know she only goes there when she's terribly upset about something since she told me about it a couple of years ago so what happened today must have hurt her bad. My mom has always been very forgiving but today, the way she spoke to me on the phone just now, was very curt and not like her at all. It felt really out of character and now I'm worried. that I might have crossed a line with that comment about her wanting my ex for herself.

But it was her own fault for inviting my ex to my birthday dinner without even bothering to ask me if I was okay with it or not first. I'd already told her several times before this that I had absolutely no interest in getting back with my ex and if she doesn't understand that then that's not on me. So I'd offer telling my mom that she can have my ex if she wants him so badly after she brought him with her to my birthday dinner without asking me first. Update 1, a lot of you have been asking about my dad and my relationship with him, so I think I'll explain that part of my life even though I didn't think it was relevant, but I guess it is. So my mom met my dad in college and they dated for a couple of years on and off, but my dad was never serious about her. My mom, though, was fully committed to him in her head and would cry

every time he even spoke to another girl. Then, a few years after they graduated, they got together properly and moved and together. My mom got pregnant accidentally a few months later, but my dad didn't want her to have the baby. She insisted on keeping the baby and they started fighting quite frequently because they were both really young and he didn't feel ready to be a dad in any way at all, emotionally or financially. My mother was stubborn about it and decided to continue the pregnancy and even told him that he could leave if he wanted to. He didn't leave, probably because his parents knew about the pregnancy as well and wanted him to stay with her. But then when she was six months pregnant, she spotted him cozying up at a restaurant near their apartment with a co-worker

of his whom he swore he didn't have a thing for. That was the end of their relationship and my dad terminated his parental rights and left even before I was born. So no, I don't have a relationship with my dad. I haven't ever seen him. In fact, my mother was careful enough to make sure that she erased every single trace of him from her life, so I haven't even seen any photos of him, let alone see him in person. I know close to nothing about him and whatever I do know was what my aunt told me when I turned 18 and I persuaded her to tell me what really happened to my dad. I didn't buy my mother's story that my dad had passed away before I was born because then wouldn't she want to remember him? Instead, she always seemed to want to forget about him and would get all weird and misty-eyed

whenever I'd talk about him. My aunt finally told me what had really happened and out of respect for my mother. I stopped talking about my dad after that. Something that she should have done out of respect for me as well after I told her in very clear words that I didn't want to get back with my ex. A few years after I was born, my mother decided to move in with her sister. My aunt's husband actually had passed away in an accident so my mom moved in with her to help her and she'd also save a fortune on rent. So to me, my family always met my mom, my aunt, and my cousins. It's been a whole day and I still haven't spoken to my mother, but my aunt did tell me that she came back home really late last night.

So I don't know what she was up to. I don't feel like apologizing to her at all because what she did was quite messed up and just unnecessary. Update 2. My ex just texted me from a new number to explain what had happened. He told me that my mother got in touch with me a week ago, around the time. that I'd invited her for dinner, and she'd told him that she wanted to surprise me. She told him that even though I didn't admit it, she knew that I still had feelings for him

and wanted him back so she'd taken it upon herself to reunite us. It had taken some convincing, but she'd finally managed to persuade him a few days before my birthday to come along with her and he'd agreed, hoping to apologize for whatever he'd done and win me over once more. They'd been late because he'd picked up a cake for me with my mother. He told me that it was my mom who'd said that I would love surprise and I'd take him back in a heartbeat if he showed up in a tux, which might have been true if we'd fought about something petty but he'd literally cheated on me. That was the first part of his text and then, he said a couple of things that I'm still just trying to make sense of.

He told me that after my mother left the restaurant, crying, she asked him to drive her home since she'd come with him and he agreed but midway. She changed her mind and had him drive her to a different building, her old apartment. And then, she invited him to come up with her. He felt bad for her so he agreed to accompany her and they ended up talking through the night. Long story short, my mother and my ex were friends now. Yeah, it's actually freaking sickening. I feel like I'm going to lose my mind if she keeps this up because this is just not okay. I mean, hello?

He cheated on me after a year of being together. My mother, of all people, should know how that feels but instead of siding with me, she's having midnight chats on the roof of a building with the guy who cheated on me. It's literally disgusting and I think she's taking what I said to heart. Maybe she does intend on having my ex all to herself, I don't know. It sucks to say this about my own mother but given the circumstances, I don't know what else to think. I know my ex believes that they're friends but he doesn't know my mother's past. Or I'm assuming he doesn't since I don't know if that came up while they were talking the other night.

It's so disgusting to think that when I'd called her up that night, she'd actually been talking to my ex. The same ex whom I'd been ranting about to her for weeks when we broke up. I can't imagine how deranged someone has to be to do something like this to their own daughter. And this isn't even the worst part of today. No, my ex's text got even worse somehow. He actually had the audacity to say to me that what I'd said to my mother at the restaurant wasn't okay and that I should apologize to her because she'd been hurt by my comment. She'd faced a lot of struggles and hardships as a single mother

and I needed to respect her more instead of berating her in front of my friends and family. He even suggested ideas for me to apologize to my mother. It's not his place to tell me how to deal with my family's issues and it most certainly isn't his place to tell me that I need to respect my mother's struggle. Who the heck does he even think he is? I couldn't believe my eyes when I was reading his texts because it was just crazy. for me to even think that people could be this delusional. He really thinks that he has the right to be talking to me about things like respect and morals.

Like dude, you were sleeping with my friend behind my back. You're the last person I'm going to tolerate a lesson on morality from. I can't even believe that he typed all that out and then thought that it was good to go. What exactly did he think was going to happen anyway? I'll just go and apologize to my mother immediately afterward because my cheating X thinks that's the right thing to do. do? L.O.L. Fat chance of that happening. As for all the struggles and hardships she had to face while raising me, it really wasn't all that bad. My mother was and still is a working woman and earns quite well. And so does my aunt since they work in the same field so growing up, my cousins

and I had full-time nannies and they never had to worry about us more than other parents do. So I really don't know what struggles she was talking about. I might not know what emotional turmoil she was going through but other than that, she honestly didn't have to struggle harder than other parents. And if I'm being honest, had my ex not told me whatever he told me today, then I might even have considered apologizing to my mother but now? There's literally no chance of me apologizing to her now. I don't feel bad about that comment I made anymore because she's out there proving me right. She spent the entire night talking to my ex so it's very obvious that whatever I'd said wasn't that untrue either. I just can't believe that my own mother would do this to me.

Yujich, I feel sick to my stomach right now. Update 3. Okay, I talked to my aunt today and well, things are getting messy a by the second. She'd visited me just to check how I was doing since I hadn't spoken to my mother for almost a week now. She also seemed really nervous and jittery so I could tell that something was bothering her and after a while, I convinced her to spill the beans on whatever she'd actually come to talk to me about. So she did and I'm still trying to process everything because it's all just so weird and off-putting. My aunt told me that there's a lot more to the friendship between my mother and my ex than what meets the eye and she'd been trying to keep this a secret because she didn't want to put any ideas into my head but now, she no longer felt like she could hide it from me because my mother had told her about the night she spent on the roof with my ex. She said that everything went back to my dad and I was obviously lost when she said that so then, she pulled out a bunch of pictures from her purse and handed them to me.

And oh, my God. My ex is literally a carbon copy of my father. They look so similar that I did a freaking double take when I saw those pictures and even thought, for one fleeting second, that these were actually pictures of my ex because there was just no way that two people could look so similar that I don't know how to explain it, but the resemblance really is creepy and uncanny. They have the same facial structure, the same deep-set eyes, and a long nose. Only my dad had dark hair and my ex's hair is a much lighter shade of brown, but they look very, very similar otherwise. I was speechless when I saw those photos and didn't know what to say even when my aunt was explaining that back when I brought my ex home to meet my family for the first time, she'd noticed the similarities instantly and so had my mother.

They'd even discussed it at length after I'd left that day and even while talking about my ex, my mother seemed happy and it did feel a bit weird to see her sister talk about her daughter's boyfriend like that but she didn't think much of it and didn't bring it up again. But now, she thought that it was about time that she came clean to me about everything because she believes that my mother's obsession with my ex has reached a level where it can be referred to as unhealthy and I do agree with her. I have no idea if my ex knows about any of this or not and I don't even know if I should tell him. I haven't responded to the texts he sent me a couple of days ago and neither do I intend to because it all. feels irrelevant. Now that I know what I do know, I don't even know what to make of my mother anymore. All my life, I believe that she was the one person I could always count on. I obviously love my aunt but she's not my mom. Now I'm just lost because obviously there's a lot more to my mother. This is just concerning, to say the least, and while I was mad at her earlier and still am, I also think she needs help. Because going after your daughter's cheating X only because he looks like

your own cheating ex is just psychotic on so many levels. She hasn't dealt with my father leaving as well as she pretends she has and she needs to speak to a mental health professional about this because this is all just absolutely unacceptable. It's gross. Update 4. Hey, everyone. It's been a few weeks and a lot has happened so buckle up, I guess. So right after the last update, I told my aunt that we needed to confront my mother and she'd been unwilling at first but when I told her that whatever she was up to have,

had to be nipped in the butt or else my mom would become the woman who ran away with her daughter's ex and we had to prevent that somehow. I think the thought of her sister doing something as crazy as that is what convinced my aunt to step in and take matters into her own hands. That day itself, we confronted my mother and even though she was very defensive initially and didn't want to admit anything, she eventually did break down and confess that she had been trying to get together with my ex because of the exact reasons that we'd suspected. She said that she felt like she had a shot with my dad once more and it actually broke my heart to hear her say that. She had a total meltdown when we talked to her about it and it was just so sad.

So we made her block my ex everywhere because she'd been talking to him even when I arrived and told her that she needed therapy, to which she agreed. She's already started therapy and I'm hoping this leads to something good for her. I'm still going to keep my distance though. I also informed my ex about the real reason that my mother had been so friendly with him and just as I'd expected, he had no idea about my mother's past. The only reason I even told him any of this was to make sure that he doesn't try to reestablish contact with either me or my mother and I guess it worked because I haven't heard from him since and I pray that I won't in the future either.

I hope you enjoy this story. Discovered my partner and closest companion betraying me at her marriage ceremony and our entire social circle was aware. Consequently, I revealed their deceit during the wedding address, leading to her betrothed departing. Her at the altar. So when I was in college, I was a part of a pretty tight-knit group of friends from my department and over the years, we have stayed in touch. There are seven of us, four guys and three girls. One of the girls, let's call her Elaine, was my college roommate, and we were literally inseparable. She's been my best friend since our college days and recently, I attended her wedding, which is where everything went wrong.

out of this group, I've also been dating one of the guys for the past eight years, let's call him Nick. For context, it was Nick who was originally closer to these people, but after we started dating, I kind of became a part of the group as well and along with me, so did Elaine. We started dating when we were in our second year. I was 20 back then and for the past eight years, we have grown together. We've had a few rough patches, but we've always managed to make it through and for the past year, I've been talking to him about getting married, but he has been telling me that he isn't ready yet. I find it really bizarre because both of us are pretty sorted on the work front and we have even been living

together for the past four years, so I really don't understand why it's such a big deal to get married. I value my professional life, but I also want to get married and start a family and Nick and I have been bickering a lot over that in the past few months. He thinks that I'm rushing it, which doesn't even make sense because we've literally been together for eight years and he's also been claiming that I need to focus more on my work, which also doesn't make sense because I make more money than anyone else I know and have been running my dad's office supplies company for the past two years. Lots of women do extremely well career-wise while being married with kids and I'm ready to do it, so I really didn't think that he had a point and I knew that he was just refusing to get married

because he didn't want to commit to me in spite of being with me for eight years and I was very upset about that. So we have been fighting about this quite frequent. for the past few months, but even then we haven't broken up in spite of the problems we had been having in our relationship and given his behavior, it didn't even occur to me that he might have been cheating on me because he had been completely normal. Otherwise, either he would apologize to me or I would, but at the end of the day, I thought that we would always find our way back to each other, but I don't think that's the case anymore because at Elaine's wedding. I realized that he had probably been cheating on me for God knows how long and the cherry on top was that he had been cheating on me with my best friend and the bride or her. I found out about it just a couple of days ago when I saw them for myself, making out in the parking lot in my car, of all the places they could have picked. But instead of just confronting them then and there, I decided to go the theatrical way and humiliated her publicly. So for context, Nick and I had driven to the hotel where Elaine was getting married the day before the wedding, and in the evening, we were supposed to attend the rehearsal dinner, but I was really tired

from the journey and I also got really bad migraines sometimes, so I decided to skip it. Later in the evening, my migraine started to get worse, and since I had forgotten my meds while packing, I had to go out to buy some. That's how I ended up in the parking lot, because I didn't want to walk, and saw them going at it. I think I was there for about 45 seconds and as soon as I figured out what was going on in the car, I just turned around and started walking away because I had no idea what to do about what I had just seen. I don't think. they have spotted me because they were too busy with each other and I got lucky. By then, the rehearsal dinner was already over, so I decided to go to one of my friend's rooms so I could

at least talk to them about what I had just seen, hoping that maybe they would be able to comfort me and I would find the courage to confront Elaine and Nick when they finally came back. But instead, when I made my way to my friend's room, I heard a bunch of voices from the inside and I realized that our group was sitting inside anyway and coincidentally, they were already talking about Nick and Elaine. Not only were they talking about them, they were all actually laughing behind my back about how clueless I was about all of this. So they had known, they had known all along, and they had been covering up for two of them. The only other girl in the group, my friend Kate, made some joke about how they were going to get caught one of these days because of all

the sneaking around that they had been doing even during the wedding prep. And apparently, they had even hooked up when I had gone home early at the engagement party. All of them found, this very fun to talk about and I was horrified at how casually they were discussing everything, as if my feelings did not matter to them at all. So I just walked away from the door and luckily, they hadn't noticed me lurking either, probably because they had all had a little too much to drink. I think that day was pretty much the worst one of my life, but even then, after I went back to my room and cried for about 15 minutes, I decided not to let anything show because I had already started formulating my plan and I knew that I was going to teach these people a lesson of a lifetime.

So when Nick finally came back to the room, I pretended like everything was normal and we went to sleep without any discussion. The next day, the day of the wedding, I greeted everybody normally and everything was going fine until I decided to stand upright before the ceremony was supposed to start and in front of all the guests. I said that I wanted to make a speech in my friend's honor. That's not how traditionally things are done, so obviously there were some strange looks but I guess Elaine thought I was going to make some heartfelt speech about how I was going to miss her or whatever. so she allowed it. It was a pretty big mistake on her part because then, I went on to talk about whatever I had seen the previous evening, and also brought up what I had overheard our friends talking about in their room later, about the events at the engagement party, while they were chilling and talking behind my back. At least, at that point, all of them had the good sense to

look ashamed. But I don't care about them that much, I only cared about how Nick and Elaine were going to react to my speech, and of course, as soon as they realized what was going on, they tried to get me to stop. It was much easier for Nick since he was right beside me, and he started trying to get me to sit down and shut up, as if that was going to help the situation. And Elaine totally flipped out and just started accusing me of being jealous of her, telling me that I was trying to ruin her wedding on purpose because my boyfriend wouldn't propose to me so I was trying to steal her thunder, but I guess she oversold that whole act and got a little too defensive. So her fiancé ended up actually believing me, and then he walked off from the stage.

When she realized that she had been left at the altar, she started running after him and the whole situation descended into pandemonium, but I couldn't care less about any of that. I just shook Nick off of me, made my way to the parking lot where I already packed my stuff and stash my bags before the ceremony and then, I drove back home. Three days have passed since then and for the first two days. I didn't hear from anyone but yesterday, Nick told me that he and Elaine had been wrong, but what I had done was just downright psychotic. Because apparently, I didn't just ruin the wedding but I also destroyed her life. Now, her parents don't want anything to do with her and her fiance

has already dumped her, so she's just broken homeless because apparently, she had been counting on this wedding to help her out financially, if you catch my drift. For a less subtle explanation, let me just say that she's a total gold digger and this wedding had been a total sham right from the beginning. She and her fiancé didn't meet through their parents earlier this year, like they had been telling everyone, but actually met each other on a dating app. Her fiance is six whole years older than her and had an ultimatum from his parents, that he could either get married and settle down or he could continue fooling around with a new woman every week in that way, he could count on getting himself disinherited by his parents and everything would go to his

brother instead. So for that reason, he was willing to find somebody but in reality, he had no in getting married and so far, he had been looking for somebody who would be okay with the idea of an open marriage but had been unlucky. That was until he met Elaine on the dating app and she figured out a way that this could work for both of them. She wasn't too keen on the idea of getting married either, but she had been unemployed for about a year and she had tried her hand at a bunch of stuff, but she just couldn't find anything to keep herself interested for more than two to three months. All she really wanted was to marry somebody rich and be done with it and lucky for her. Her fiancé's family was pretty rich.

I guess you guys can understand where I'm going with this. After a couple of dates, they realized that this would be the best way to solve both their problems and for a while, everything was sorted. But then, I made that speech, exposing her at the wedding, and of course. Since their parents had no idea about their personal arrangement, her fiancé had to leave. Because there was no way that his parents were going to approve of him marrying a woman like that, especially after her friend had humiliated the entire family in front of so many people. So even if their arrangement had been convenient,

it wasn't going to work anymore and they had to call the whole thing off. She had been staying with her fiancé for the past couple of months and hadn't been doing anything productive, since she had even quit the last sales job that she had in now, after the whole fiasco wedding, even her parents won't take her back in. So she has nowhere to go and it's not like it's going to be easy for her to find a job either because she's not really qualified and even if she does find something, it's probably going to be something very low paying.

So now I'm being accused of ruining her life by being insensitive because Nick thinks I should have just confronted them in person instead of publicly humiliating the two of them and creating so much trouble for her. Even our friends don't want to speak to either of them anymore and she's in big trouble right now and for some reason, he expects me to feel bad about all this right now. Anyway, I don't really particularly feel bad for Elaine

and neither do I think that her life has been destroyed. All she has to do is just find a job and stick to it and do something for herself. Instead of relying on other people, I don't think it's a bad thing. If anything, I've probably done her a favor, but whatever. What I don't feel kind of iffy is about humiliating both families publicly because I'm sure that the kind of speech that I made did not reflect too well on either of them and I've met Elaine's parents and they're really nice people. So that's the only part of whatever Nick told me that,

really stuck with me and I feel kind of bad about that part. I feel like I could have just done away with the whole public humiliation thing and confronted them privately, broken up with Nick and let all of this go in a healthy way. But now, I've created all this drama and I feel weird about it. So I'd offer publicly humiliating my best friend and her family at her wedding because she and my boyfriend had been hooking up with each other? Edit, I truly have no idea how long this has been going on. The only information I have is whatever I overheard when I was lurking outside the room where my friends were talking about this whole thing. They were mostly just making jokes and saying stupid stuff about the only thing of note that they said was that thing about the engagement party.

I had left early because again, I had a migraine and it's not surprising. It usually does happen if I spend too long in a really loud environment. It's just a thing that I have and I've seen a lot of doctors about it and I'm on meds for it, but I do need a lot of rest, so I do have to go home early quite often. And since a lot of our friends are usually there, I've never thought that it would be fair to ask Nick to come back home with me so he comes back later. Until recently, I never had a reason to be suspicious of how late he would come back home, but now, I'm beginning to think that this whole thing had probably been going on for a long time and I just had no idea. It's fine, though, it's over now and they can keep hooking up to

their hearts content. Although I don't think that Nick is the kind of guy that Elaine would genuinely want to spend the rest of her life with because for starters, he's not even as rich as she wants her men to be and if they end up together. He's definitely going to expect her to work because he's not fine with being the primary breadwinner since that's a lot of pressure for him. His words, not mine, and I used to think that it was quite an admirable quality. But I don't think Elaine will feel the same way and then, I don't think Nick is going to be able to tolerate her because she's a much bigger drama queen than me. Anyway, that's their problem now.

Update 1, hi. It's been two days since I posted and I haven't replied to Nick's message about whatever happened with Elaine. I'm not sorry, I don't have to feel bad about anything because I was upset about something, I reacted in a harsh way and that's it. If that reflects badly on other people, that's hardly my problem. It must have hurt her parents, but honestly, I can't say that I'm too sorry about that because even though they were good people, Elaine was obviously not a good person and she

totally deserved what I did. And I'm not in the mood to apologize to anyone, not even her parents, so I'm staying out of it for now. I did text Nick back though, but that was only to tell him that he needs to come by soon and collect all his things so he can get the heck out of here. Obviously, now that we are no longer together, I don't want him staying in my house anymore and I really couldn't stand the side of all his things just lying about so I gathered all of it, packed it into some boxes and I have kept it aside. So when he does come by, he can just grab those boxes and get out and we don't end up wasting any time. He is the only person I haven't blocked yet because I need to know when he's going to come by. After that's done, I'm going to block him

as well. But the rest of my friends have already been blocked and of course, Elaine was the first one that I blocked. Now that some time has passed since the incident, all the emotions have started to hit me and I've been feeling really upset about everything. I wasn't just betrayed by one person, I was betrayed by my boyfriend, my best friend and all these people who I thought were my family, since that's just how close our group was. Naturally, I've been very emotional about that, but thankfully, my biological family has been by my side and they have been very supportive. They've been dropping by for the past couple of days to take care of me and more importantly, make sure that I'm taking care of myself. I'm really grateful for that because at least,

least I have some people who are looking out for me. Update two, hi, so today, almost nine days after the incident, Nick texted me in the morning and told me that he would be coming by in the evening to collect his things. I was fine with that, and since he hadn't made any attempts to contact me in the past nine days, I had assumed that when he showed up, he would probably just take his things and leave. But instead, when he came by and I started handing over the boxes to him, he told me that he wanted to look through the house in case I had missed anything. I was a bit skeptical about that because for that, I would have to let him in and it sounded like it was going to be a tedious process.

But then again, I couldn't refuse because I might have missed something and I wanted to finish this task in one go itself. So I allowed him to come in, he looked through the house and took a few more things that I had missed, and I thought that was going to be it, that he would just take those things, put them in the boxes, and leave. But instead, he started loitering in the living room, holding those things and it was getting really awkward. So I had to ask him if he was going to leave or not. And then he told me that he really wanted to talk to me and he had hoped that this time around, I would be more open to addressing the problem since quite some time had passed. It was quite

infuriating because he was speaking to me as if several years had passed since the incident when in reality, it hadn't even been two weeks. Also, I don't feel like I had to address any problems with him. He cheated on me with my best friend who was about to get married, and that was it. They were the problems, not me. So I told him that I had been very clear with him when I had texted him, and I had told him that he was only welcome here as long as he needed to collect his things. Now that he had done that, there was no need for him to talk to me or stay around anymore.

But he started arguing with me, telling me that even though he had cheated, it wasn't like I was completely perfect, and I needed to stop acting as if this was entirely his fault. Until then, I had been curt with him, but I had still been trying to keep my cool, even though I was getting more irritated with every passing second. Then finally, when he said that, I totally lost it at him, and I started screaming at him because I couldn't believe that he had the audacity to imply that any of this might have been my fault. I'm ready to acknowledge the fact that I'm not a perfect person, not by any means, but the way he said it.

I knew he was implying that I had somehow driven him to cheat on me. And even before he started arguing back, I knew what he was going to say. Like I had mentioned in my original post, we had already been having some problems because I wanted to settle down, I wanted to get married and start a family soon but he was not ready for that. I knew that he was going to bring that up because I had been thinking about it myself for a couple of days already, although in a different way, one where I was the victim. But in his opinion, he was the real victim and he was not ready to commit since it was a pretty big deal and he thought that it was going to be a bad decision for him because he wanted to

live his life a little before he got married and started a family. For the past eight years, he has only ever been with me, we have only ever done things with each other in mind and apparently, he felt like he doesn't even know who he is, which is somehow supposed to be my fault. I couldn't believe that he thought that these were valid points because if he had really had such a huge problem with committing to me even after eight years of being together, then clearly, we had very different opinions and we wanted very different things from life. So the only two ways to have dealt with that were to either keep talking about it and try to come to a common ground

or just break up. But he chose to cheat on me, so he could have the best of both options, so he could do whatever he wanted to while keeping me around as backup. And somehow, I was a terrible person for not being okay with something like that. The whole victim playing thing and and pretending as if we were both equally at fault here made me so mad that I ended up screaming myself hoarse at him but even then, he just kept arguing and trying to defend himself. Saying that he was under a lot of stress because of me and Elaine apparently just got him somehow in a way that I never did. I even kept asking him to leave, but he wouldn't go away, and he kept saying that I needed to understand that I was not a perfect person, and I had been

just as toxic as he had. I would have called the cops on him, but unfortunately, I was so worked up that it didn't even occur to me. But anyway, after a while, I was so totally done with the conversation that I went to the door, opened it, and just stood beside it silently while he still kept trying to defend himself. It took him several minutes to get the hint and it was really difficult for me not to say anything while he was coming up with nonsensical arguments to defend himself, but I just stayed silent and stood beside the open door, waiting for him to get out. Finally, he did go, but even then, he told me that I could pretend to be a saint all I wanted to, but deep down, both of us knew that it took two people to ruin this relationship. And I totally agree, it did take two people,

it took him in a lane. But I didn't say that, it would have just started up another whole thing, and I didn't have the time or energy for that. So he walked out, I shut the door and finally started trying to calm down because talking to him had really riled me up. Even when we were together, he did have a lot of difficulty in admitting when he was wrong but back then, I used to find a kind of endearing. But today, it was just the worst thing ever and I'm really happy that he left when he did because otherwise, I think I might have thrown something at him. Anyway, that's done now, he's gone and I'm just really relieved. I've blocked him already and now, I'm going to spend more time focusing on myself because I think I really need it. I've already started going to the gym more

often since it really helps me stay distracted, and I'm also journaling. It's going to be baby steps before I finally feel like I'm over everything because after all, regardless of how it ended, it was still an eight-year relationship. So it's definitely going to leave a mark, whether I like it or not. All I can keep trying to do is make sure that this mark doesn't bother me too much, I guess. Update 3, hi, so it's been two years since my last update. I've been thinking about posting here for quite some time, and I finally got around to logging in today. So here's an update on how everything is going. On the work front, everything is amazing, even better than before and I'm very happy. I've also become kind of a fitness freak, and it feels good. I haven't had any contact with those people

from college for the past two years, and I really don't care how any of them are doing. My family has been there for me every step of the way, taking care of me and making sure that I'm doing well and that's all that I need. I have very few friends now, just a couple of folks from school and some coworkers, but at least they are good people who genuinely care about me. And for the past few weeks,

I've also been seeing someone. Dating had been completely off the table for me in the past year or so because I was still dealing with the trauma of my last relationship. But then, one of my friends introduced me to his cousin at her birthday party and he's really sweet, really kind

and I don't know why, I just felt really drawn to him right from the first time that we met. My friends set me up on a date with him and we've been going out for a while. I told him everything about my last relationship and how long it went on, so I want to take it kind of slow with him before we get serious. And he totally understands that, he respects me and my opinions, and he's so sweet that he's even told me that he's ready to wait because I seem like the perfect girl for him.

We're also on the same page about marriage and kids. he wants that just as much as I do and I think I've finally found somebody who is right for me. At least I'm much happier than Nick and Elaine, who got married a couple of months after my last update, but they couldn't even make their marriage work for a year. They ended up getting divorced within a year and I found out about it from one of my old acquaintances from college who's a bit of a gossip. I can't say that I feel bad for them at all, since that would be a total and blatant lie. But I do hope that this serves as a good lesson to them, and I don't end up screwing over. over other people in the future as they did to me.

Although, they are pretty horrible, so they might. Anyway, that being said, I feel like I'm truly over whatever happened and yeah, happy. I hope you enjoy this story. I discovered my sibling attempting to wed my spouse and the surprise finale will astonish you on how I sought retribution. I, a woman aged 30, have been united with Mark, a counterfeit.

name, 32M, for three years. We met in high school and reconnected several years later. Once we started dating, there was no looking back and here we are, married for three years and still going strong. Not everyone was happy about our wedding, though, especially my older sister, Nina, 32F. We went to the same high school and Nina had a major crush on my husband back then, but the feelings weren't mutual, as far as I know. In fact, he was. He was a very good. He was a didn't even know that Nina had a thing for him which he told me several months into our relationship. Anyway, Nina didn't attend our wedding and neither has she spoken to me ever since I announced my engagement which was fine by me. She's never liked me, I don't know why. It's not your typical

sibling rivalry where I'm the golden child and she's sidelined by me all the time because our parents always treated us equally and it wasn't even as though I was better than her academically or in sports. Heck, we don't even look different so I literally never understood what. why she disliked me so much. I tried to be her friend growing up, but would always end up getting pushed away, so I just stopped and made my peace with the fact that my older sister just didn't like me and that was that. We weren't close so her not attending my wedding didn't make much of a difference to me at all. We only meet on the holidays or at family events, but even then she doesn't acknowledge me and neither do I talk to her because it's pretty pointless to try and

befriend a person who hates you for no reason. Our relatives are also well aware of our strained relationship so there aren't many who question it either. It's just established that we don't cross each other's ways at all. But around half a year ago, she did cross me and it was just so pathetic. Six months back, my husband received a drunken phone call from Nina where she went on to speak at length about how he'd married the wrong sister and that she would be a much better wife for him than I was. She didn't know that she was on speaker and I was sitting right beside him, giggling through a rant. She eventually ended it by a that she was going to marry him one way or another, and she'd even be willing to be his mistress

if it came down to it. I was really surprised by that because it was so low. I'm going to be honest, I did think it was funny and pathetic, but I was also angry that she'd even dared to pull something like this even though I hadn't even done anything to her. So I decided that I'd had enough, and if she was allowed to mess with me then, so was I. I encouraged my husband to flirt with her and give her false hopes. It was cruel, but it was also much needed. and well deserved. He told her to come over to our house so they could get married now and she agreed readily, sounding like she'd won the lottery. Marcus and I set up a hidden camera in our living room the next day and I personally decorated our room to look as dreamy as possible.

Fit for a wedding. Then, I sat in the next room when she arrived and watched the drama unfold. It was way too funny to watch her try and flirt with my husband while he just tried to be as stiff as possible and after a quick exchange of vows and rings, he told her to go away and keep this a secret until he told her that it was safe to tell people. He didn't even kiss her after the vows and even then, the idiot didn't seem to think that something was off. After the mock ceremony, Marcus and I ended up laughing at the video for around half an hour because of how delusional this woman seemed. It was just sad that she was ready to go so low just because she hated me and one of my husband. sucks for her that my husband doesn't love anyone other than me.

We thought we'd send the video to my parents but decided that we'd wait for the right time. She would definitely try to pull some crap on us again and that's when we'd send this to them so that they realize what a trashy person she really is, who was willing to hit on someone else's husband just to get back at her sister. My parents treated us equally but they were also way too supportive of my sister even though she didn't deserve it. For instance, they paid for my sister's to Spain a few months before I was supposed to get married because apparently she was very affected by this wedding and wanted some time away. I hated that they were falling for her victim act but they were also paying for my wedding venue so I couldn't complain that they were

being unfair, they really weren't. And then again, they let my sister stay with them when I was on my honeymoon because she was feeling lonely. I hated that she would try to use my marriage to her high school crush as a way to gain sympathy from our parents and they would fall for it again and again. I needed them to know that she was a terrible person and that they didn't have to sympathize with her anymore. So for that, if I had to do something sly and backhanded then I was ready to do that as well. I just didn't want my parents falling for my sister's act anymore. We had to wait for the right time to send it to my parents, though. Because I knew that if I told them we'd pulled this off just because of a drunk phone call,

they'd tell me that I was being just as bad as her and it would lead nowhere. So I had to wait for her to mess up somehow. A few days back, my sister finally publicly announced that she's been married to Marcus for half a year now, and even though they've been keeping it under wraps up until now, she's finally ready to own up to it. She also added that she was giving me one day to vacate the house and hand over all my jewelry since now, as Marcus' wife, she owned everything that once used to be mine. Marcus and I were at home that day in our inbox was instantly flooded with messages while our

phones rang off the hook with nosy relatives asking about what was going on. After their fake wedding, Nina would often text Marcus and tell him that she loved him and would constantly ask about when exactly they'd announce their love to the world. Marcus would probably reply once a month and would always tell her that they'd do it when the time was right. The last time she'd texted was three weeks ago and I guess she just couldn't wait anymore. I was surprised that she'd actually gone ahead and done something so crazy but well, I knew this was bound to happen someday. She was always going to snap and do something insanely stupid and ridiculous and this was it. Marcus decided to call her up and even recorded the call so that I'd have more proof to show to my

parents. Even on the phone call, she was pretty confident in spite of the fact that Marcus had immediately handed over his phone to me. For whatever reason, she genuinely believed that she and Marcus were still actually married. She told me that begging her or pleading with her wasn't going to change the reality so I could just save my breath. and instead, use my energy to think about what I would do now that I didn't have anything. It was so ridiculous that I actually ended up laughing in her face before I told her the truth about what had happened six months ago. Of course, she refused to believe me and told me to put her on the phone with her husband so I handed Marcus's phone and after that, he had to convince Nina

for like ten minutes before she actually realized that she'd been played for a fool. I don't know why exactly she'd even fallen for any of this since there was no priest officiating the wedding, no paperwork, and even her own so-called husband wasn't willing to speak to her more than once a month. I think anyone with even half a brain cell would have realized that this was all fake and she'd been screwed over if there were so many hints, but she's too delusional. Once she did realize, though, she totally snapped and started screaming at us about how we just ruined her reputation and life and that we were downright evil and immoral for doing this to her. She was even sobbing about how I destroyed her life, but I really think that it was she who did this

to herself. She wanted my husband and my life so badly that she was willing to do anything for it. I really don't understand how that's my fault. Even after that, when I sent my parents the wedding video and explained to them everything that had happened since they'd been getting a lot of calls regarding Nina's post and since they weren't too active on social media, they had no idea what was going on. So Marcus and I explained everything and came clean to them, hoping that they'd see that Nina was a terrible person and she was willing to wreck my home just so she could be with Marcus and steal my life from me. But the only thing that my parents cared about was the fact that I'd been a cruel person and my husband and I had played a nasty prank on Nina for absolutely no reason.

They told me that they were truly embarrassed by the antics that their fully grown daughters were up to and even threatened to cut us both out of their will if we didn't grow the hell up and issue a public apology to each other. I got into an argument with my parents over this because they just couldn't make me apologize to the woman who was trying to steal not only my husband but also my husband from me. It was just not fair and yes, maybe I'd been a bit too cruel and had taken things too far, but that didn't just magically make Nina's actions right. My parents are just stuck on the fact that what we did to Nina was messed up on a psychological level and instead of creating so much drama. We could have just blocked her after that phone

call and made sure that we told them that day itself instead of waiting so long just so that Nina would inevitably end up creating a public spectacle of our family. They think that both of us are too self-involved and believe that we need to introspect a little. My mother told me that Nina might be a jealous homewrecker, but I'm no less since what I'd done was actually psychotic and she couldn't believe that she'd raise two daughters who hated each other so much that they were willing to stoop to any level just for revenge even at our age. I'll admit that it really did sting. A lot. It's been two whole days and I still can't bring myself to forget that comment even though

my husband thinks that my parents were way too harsh on us. I don't know what to think right now. I'd offer making a fool out of my sister for six months by making her believe that my husband actually loved her back. Update 1. Hi, guys. I know I messed up. I do realize that now so everyone can ease up on the hatred. I'm a human being and I made a huge.

mistake, I get that now. What I did was cruel and unnecessary, just to force my parents to cut my sister off. I didn't realize it back when I was writing that post, but I guess I'd grown to hate her just as much as she hated me and didn't even realize it. Nothing justifies what I did since it caused someone an unbearable amount of shame and trauma. A few days after the whole fiasco, my parents got in touch with me and told me a lot of things that I didn't know about my sister and I just didn't know what to say anymore. I'm ashamed of myself right now and I wish I could go back in time to fix things. We should have just blocked her number that day and let it go.

Mina is actually in rehab right now because while I wasn't aware of it, she had a crippling alcohol addiction and was struggling with that all along. I don't blame myself for the addiction, of course, but I do think that she relapsed because of what I'd done. Six months ago, she'd relapsed once but my parents had managed to keep an eye on her for the next few months so that she wouldn't give in once more. But then, after Marcus and I told her the truth, she relapsed yet again. Even all the supposed vacations that my parents were sponsoring for her that I'd misunderstood were actually trips to rehab, but since my parents needed an explanation

for her absence at certain events and holidays, they'd use vacations to cover it up. Nina and I had pretty much stopped speaking after she moved out for college, so I had no way to find out what she was going through. My parents told me that they do think they messed up by not telling me the real reason she'd be absent for so long and didn't realize that their lies about where she was would backfire in such a way. They hadn't even considered the possibility that maybe even I'd feel jealous and try to get back at her, which is why this whole situation came to be in the first place. I really just don't understand what to do right now and feel so awfully guilty. Nina had behavioral problems all along growing up, but I'd never known that because

my parents had never told me about any of it. They'd done their best to treat us like equals and I think they did their job well, too. But this was just a consequence of keeping us separate that they hadn't considered. And neither had we, to be very honest. Both of us had lost any compassion we had for each other and had forgotten that this person we hated so much was also a human being. I really do regret whatever happened and I'm planning on paying her a visit as soon as I can so that I can at least apologize for whatever happened. There are still a lot of our relatives and extended family who are trying to gossip about what has happened

and while under usual circumstances I would have grabbed this opportunity to talk crap about Nina. I'm obviously ignoring all those people now and only praying that nothing too serious happens to her since my parents told me that they found her passed out in her house, which was a first. All the other times that she's relapsed she's been able to approach them and ask for help, still conscious.

When my parents didn't hear from her for two days after that post, they decided to go visit her and that's when they realized that she's relapsed yet again. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for my parents to realize that my sister and I had fallen apart so badly that there was no hope of reconciliation. Ugh, I'm just so sorry about whatever has happened. I don't know what else to say. I don't know why I'm saying it here either. But I feel like I have to put it out there in the universe so that somehow Neneyneux. can feel it. I'm truly sorry. Update 2, I finally visited Nina today. She was in really bad shape and it showed on her face. She's been in rehab for a few weeks now and she's slowly recovering

but she wasn't in any state to meet people, least of all me, all these days. She'd finally agreed to see me and it was really weird and horrible for me to see her because she looked bad. Not ugly but bad, in a way that makes you feel like this person has been through something. It was very awkward for me to walk into that room and speak to her initially since we'd barely ever treated each other like family once we reached adulthood, but now we had to put all that behind us or at least try so that we don't keep trying to one up each other and drive one another crazy in the process. So I apologize to her for whatever I'd done and admitted that it was just insane. I'd hated her so much that I'd literally pulled some soap opera-level stunt just to put her

down and gaslight her which was pretty psychotic of me. She agreed and then apologized to me for trying to get with Marcus as well. She told me that she'd always been jealous of me right from when we were kids because once I was born, she felt like I would become her competition. It was all internalized but it still manifested in her behavior and she just couldn't control it so she felt the need to put me down and compete with me so that she could win. When Marcus agreed to marry her, she finally thought that she'd won but that wasn't the case. She said that she was finally done competing and even though this didn't mean that we were friends all of a sudden, but it was certainly a fresh start, to say the least. So that's what happened and I truly am grateful that I got a second chance.

I would have hated myself forever if something awful had happened to Nina and would have forever blamed myself. I feel considerably better now. Update 3, hi, I just wanted to tell you guys that Marcus and I are still together obviously. That goes without saying. I don't know who suggested that Marcus and I had split just because I hadn't mentioned him in my updates. He knows and is well aware of everything that's happened to Nina and he also apologized to her. She didn't want to meet him but she did say that she was over it now and realizes that Marcus was just trying to be a loyal and proactive husband and she isn't going to hold that against him. So that was that.

He obviously felt really guilty about everything as well and was just as sorry as I was, if not more. I have no idea why people were bashing him for being complicit and not doing anything to fix things even though I hadn't even mentioned whether he had apologized or not. So I hope this clears that up and people stop calling us horrible names. We've apologized and Nina forgives us. End of story. And for the people who are blaming my parents and saying that they're responsible for this situation, I don't know why you think that's the case. My parents could have dealt with this better, for sure, but I think they were trying their best to handle everything with sensitivity and kindness. Them hiding my sister's alcoholism for me was probably in both our best interests.

I hated her and she hated me so why would it even matter what the other was going through? Obviously, they didn't know what was going to happen in the future, so I'm not going to blame them for hiding this piece of information from me. They did what they felt was right and honestly, I think it's fine. There's a lot of you guys who still think that my sister is the villain somehow and okay, maybe she is but so was I. What I did was really messed up so if I get a second chance to fix our relationship and have a normal family for once then I'll take that without a question, even if it means forgiving thank you. Update 4 Hi, Everyone. It's been one whole year since I posted last and wow, this feels weird but I think I'm ready to share what's happened since then.

A lot of you warned me that my sister would backstab me again or something. A lot of you said that I need to cut my parents out of my life. And a lot of you thought that I was the only toxic element here and that they'd all be better off without me. I'm thankful that none of those things are true and we're all happy with our respective lives right now. My sister and I made a genuine effort after that to reconnect and build a relationship with each other because both of us were pretty tired of fighting with one another. It just wasn't worth it anymore, especially in our 30s when we had a hundred things to worry about anyway. We just didn't want to spend more of our precious time and energy on something as petty as our rivalry anymore. So we would meet for coffee every

once in a while, not too often, but at least once in three months. We were also actually nice to each other at one of our cousins' weddings and that was quite the shock for the rest of our family. Nina and I aren't the best of friends at all but we're trying to be friends. We're okay with each other now and that's what matters. I don't think we'll ever get to a point where we're very close but we're not going to actively try and hurt each other now, that's for sure. She's also moving a little farther away from home for a better job, and while that does sort of seem risky given her predicament with regards to alcohol, my parents are going to handle that and if they ever need any help, Marcus, and I will always be there for her. It finally feels like I have a somewhat normal

family and I'm really, really happy about it. I never thought that Nina and I would ever have any relationship at all, let alone a good one, but who knows? Maybe even that's going to to happen someday so I'm glad that I didn't give up and speaking of family, they're soon going to be in addition to mine. Marcus and I discovered that we were pregnant just a few weeks ago and everyone is thrilled. I'm a month and already and we announced it to our close friends and family on FaceTime a few days back. I FaceTime my parents and sister in a group and when I told them the news, they seemed really thrilled. Yeah, Nina seemed genuinely happy when I told her and even sent me a bouquet of yellow roses to congratulate me the next day. So life's been pretty great and I guess that's how it is when

you're not constantly filled with hatred and anger. I'm looking forward to pregnancy and motherhood and I hope for the best. I hope you enjoy this story. Decide to prioritize his stepchildren over our kids, then utilize financial assistance for children to cover his stepson's educational expenses. At present, his personal mother settled his financial obligations and his stepson led to his apprehension. Hello, everyone. I'm 33 and have two kids, 12 and 8. I divorced their dad when I discovered he was cheating on me with a mom from our younger son's school group. Despite that betrayal, I agreed to shared custody because I wanted my kids to grow up with their father and their lives. However, since the divorce, he's only been around when he's picking them up for visits.

He often goes out with his stepchildren but rarely includes our kids, claiming those outings spur of the moment and can't always include them. Eventually, I stopped pushing, but I've always thought it was unfair that he keeps his distance from our children's lives. Recently, I decided to upgrade my older son's computer, and he asked if we could give his old one to his cousin, my brother's son. My brother has been a huge support for my kids. He's always available to take them to their school events when I can't and often takes them out to the park or for trips when I'm busy. My ex, on the other hand, is rarely available for them. Anytime I ask him to help with an activity, he has an excuse, he's out of town or swamped with work.

Ironically, though, whenever his stepkids need something, he's there. Once, he even argued with the stepkid's father at a school event, insisting he had the right to be there. When my ex found out I gave the computer to my nephew, he got upset. He complained that if I had money to spare on a gift. gift like that, I should have forgiven two months of child support he'd missed, since his finances were tight with a new baby. He added that if I could give away a computer, should have gifted it to either his kids or his stepkids, who shared just one computer among the three of them.

I told him my finances were none of his business and that I owed nothing to his stepchildren. Then his wife jumped into the conversation, accusing me of spoiling my son by giving him a new computer and of being petty for letting my son bring it to their house, claiming it was just a off in front of his step-siblings. I told her she had no right to speak to me that way or question my decisions. I added that I allow my kids to see their father so they can grow up with him in their lives, not so she can interfere with how I parent. My ex was offended, but I told him this whole situation could have been avoided if his wife hadn't inserted herself where she doesn't belong. After that, things seemed to calm down until last week. I went

to pick up the kids, and my ex was visibly upset. He explained that he tried reading a bedtime story to our youngest. At home, he still likes to be read to before bed, usually by me, his brother, or my brother, and when none of us are around, he listens to audiobooks. Apparently, my ex wanted to make an effort to connect, so he offered to read to him, but our son turned him down, saying he didn't need him for that because he could do it himself. My ex stayed to listen as he searched for a story for eight-year-olds without a dad on his tablet, and it hit him hard. The next day, my ex offered to take our older son to basketball practice, but he replied that he'd be going with his dad. He quickly corrected himself and said, Uncle. That made my ex even angrier, and when I came to pick up the kids, he confronted me about it. I told him that if our kids feel like they don't have a father, he is only himself to blame.

He tried to shift the blame onto me, saying I was the one pushing him away from his role. I told him it's up to him to show up for his kids, not something I can do for him. I reminded him he was the one who broke our family, and he's chosen to be more involved with his stepkids than with his own children. I told him not to kid himself, the kids are growing up, and they're starting to see the reality of who he is as a father. If he keeps this up, he can't expect much from them in the future. After that, His mom called me. While she's always been polite to me, I felt the need to say that I would have appreciated this same concern from her when she supported her son's affair, knowing her grandchildren

were losing their father in the process. She hung up, and we haven't spoken since. My brother advised me that I had every right to express how I feel, but he suggested that maybe this discussion shouldn't have happened in front of the kids. Later, my ex texted me saying that if I weren't so difficult, he'd spend more time with them. I told him his duty as a father doesn't depend on whether I'm easy or not, and he knows I've never prevented him from seeing the kids. The truth is, when he has to choose, he prefers outings with his stepkids over his own children,

and that's something only he can change. Comments where OP has replied, custody agreement. The agreement was to split the time 50 to 50 with the new baby. Now, he says he doesn't have space for both kids and only picks them up on weekends. When they're at his place, he doesn't take them anywhere. The weekend goes by, and he goes out with his stepchildren and his wife.

Even when they used to stay with him half the week, it was the same story. The current custody agreement. The current agreement is that he can have them whenever he wants. To make it clearer, if they want to have breakfast with me on Monday and dinner with him, that's valid. Here's the thing, now that the agreement is like this, He sees them less than when he was supposed to have them half the time. I don't know if this makes it clearer now, and we're not from the United States.

Commenter, downvoted. I'm also a bit suspicious about how O.P. somehow knows all these details about his relationship with the stepkids. That seems suspect. O.P. says at the end of the post that she's been accused of being difficult, fine, her anger is justified. But if she's fought for primary custody, or if the ex has to go through her, her to get things like extracurricular schedules, then she's contributed to this situation as well. O.P., my older son is friends with his father, step-siblings, and stepmother on Facebook. That's how he has seen and shown me things. I've also found out about other outings because

when my mother-in-law called me, she would mention why the kids didn't go to a certain place with their father. She thought I wasn't giving permission and scolded him for lying about me not wanting them to spend time with their step-siblings. Difficult in the sense that I don't want anything more than two parents who respect each other and take care of their children, no favors, no discussions about things that don't concern the kids. There was no custody battle. Commenter, downvoted. Your eight-year-old son, I have an eight-year-old as well, so don't try and lie here, was searching for audiobooks relating to eight-year-olds who don't have a dad? Unprompted on his own. You expect us to believe this? Oh, O-op, I wasn't there, that's just how my ex told me about it. I didn't mean it

literally, more like when you search for kids' stories and see what pops up. That's how I saw it. Why my son searched for it like that, I have no idea. I asked him why he used that title, and he just said he wanted a story. Update 1, November 21st, 2024. These past days have been a bit unusual. Hey, guys. First, I want to thank all of you. I didn't expect to receive so much advice, and I never thought this app would be so useful. It's not very popular in my country. Now, back to the topic. My ex sent me messages saying he wanted to resolve things, stop arguing, and talk to me. I agreed. He came to my house, and we didn't beat around the bush. we went straight to the point. He asked me if I really thought he was a bad father. I replied that,

looking back now, I never would have chosen him to be the father of my children. He said it wasn't easy for him, and I answered that it wasn't easy for me either because I take on both his role and mine. He told me he couldn't leave his stepchildren without a father because he had already broken their family, and I replied that he had left his own children without a father. He started crying and told me it was my fault, saying that when the infidelity happened, I refused to forgive him or go to couples' therapy. I kept telling him things I'll admit they weren't kind, but none of them were lies. He asked me if, given his current state, I didn't feel sorry for him, and I said no. He told me he didn't think I could be so cruel, and I replied that when I changed jobs,

pulled my kids out of school two months before the end of the term, moved houses, and watched him disappoint our kids over and over again, any empathy I might have felt turned into apathy. He left after that. His mother called me and said she knew what I had told her son, that he hadn't stopped crying, and that she didn't understand how I could carry so much hatred to hurt her son like that. She said I should just get over it. I answered, with all due respect, what I said wasn't out of hatred but out of truth. If your son is crying, it's because he's finally facing the consequences of his actions. Maybe instead of worrying about how he feels now,

you should have taught him to take responsibility and treat people with respect. She said I didn't know what it was like to feel a mother's love and see a child suffer, and I replied that I did understand because I have two children who cry over a living father. Two children who see their dad being a father to other kids when he doesn't have time to be their father. She said he was sorry, and I told her not to put words in his mouth, and to stop calling me about anything related to her son. I hung up. I wanted to cry so badly, but I'm a damned mother, and I don't have time for that.

I want my kids to feel safe, loved, and strong enough not to need anyone not even me to be themselves. Last Thursday, I took my kids to their cousin's birthday party, hosted by my ex-sister-in-law. I still have a good relationship with her. She was the one who told me about the infidelity and that her mother was already encouraging it. My ex showed up alone and irritated. My kids kept their distance from him they kissed his hand but then ignored him completely. My ex-mother-in-law told the kids they should show more respect to their father, and my eldest replied that he doesn't show respect for me since he and his partner talked badly about me.

I scolded my son, not for what he said but for how he addressed his grandmother. I told him it was wrong to eavesdrop on private conversations and repeat them. Then I asked him to gather his things because we, were leaving. My ex-mother-in-law asked me not to leave, saying the kids were having fun and we could resolve this as adults. She asked my ex what he had said, and he claimed not to remember. I told her I didn't care, and she said we should be good parents. I replied that to be good parents, you need to be good people first. My ex was getting agitated. My ex-mother-in-law asked why we couldn't have a civilized co-parenting relationship. I told her everything

I've mentioned here about his free will to see the kids and how the second custody agreement isn't working since he only sees them some weekends. My ex didn't want to discuss it, saying he had too many kids at home. My ex-mother-in-law told him the only kids who should feel comfortable are his, and the comfort of the others should be provided by their biological father. My ex wanted to end the conversation because his mother was scolding him for being a careless father. He also said it was my fault. I asked him to clarify how it was my fault. You can see the kids whenever you want. What more do you want? He started yelling, claiming I was only being petty because I didn't really need the money since I earned more than him and had fewer kids to feed. I told him I wouldn't

continue the conversation and that I'd show him what being uncivilized looks like by filing for the overdue child support payments. His mother asked what I meant by overdue payments. I explained that he was three months behind. She was furious, slapped him, and demanded to know what he had done with the money for his children. He answered, I couldn't let junior miss out on attending the same school as my son. I didn't want him to feel inferior. My ex-mother-in-law said she couldn't believe it, and they started arguing. I left, yet for context, my youngest son attends a private school, and my ex-pays for his stepson to attend the same school. Yesterday, my ex-mother-in-law came over and said she would pay the overdue fees. She brought the money in cash. I knew my ex would be furious. Here's some

context. My ex-mother-in-law doesn't work, doesn't own anything herself, and lives with my ex-sister-in-law. However, she does have significant savings from her inheritance. If she pays the tuition, my ex knows there won't be much left for him when she passes, even though she's still healthy. He's been asking her for years to invest some of that money in his business ideas, but she's always refused. My ex's retaliation was not picking up the kids this weekend. Yesterday, my ex-sister-in-law called me. She doesn't know all the details yet, but apparently, my ex's 15-year-old stepson punched him in the mouth. She said she'll let me know exactly what happened once she finds out. And before anyone asks, the new custody agreement will likely

take a year to finalize. The court says the overdue payments are the priority, and the rest can wait. We have more urgent cases. Comments where Op has replied. Mill, she knew about the affair. When I say she wasn't rude to me, it's because she never showed displeasure towards me or was a bad mother-in-law. I was surprised that she was a cover for her son. During the divorce, she didn't take sides and has always been a good grandmother. Commenter, is kissing hands a thing in certain cultures? Never heard of that. Oop, it's not about literally kissing hands.

In my culture, when you see your parents, grandparents, uncles, and godparents, you ask for their blessing. It's like saying shown, short for the word bendition, blessing. It sounds like shown, as in shown, father, or the blessing, father. school, when I found out I was furious. My son goes to that school because the cheating scandal rumors were spreading at his old school and I wanted to keep him away from it. Update 2, November 22, 2024. A promise is a promise. As I mentioned earlier, my ex's stepson had an altercation with him because my ex refused to let him go out.

Now I have more details. My ex's stepson had plans to go bowling with some friends. His biological father had already given him permission and money for the outing. However, when he told his mother, she said he couldn't go because they needed him to stay home and watch his younger siblings. My ex and his wife had planned an outing and needed someone to stay with the kids. This led to an argument. The boy raised his voice to his mother, and my ex stepped in to demand that he respect her. The boy replied that he wasn't his father.

Trying to maintain authority, my ex told him. him that as long as he lived under his roof, he had to follow his rules. The boy ignored him and turned away. My ex followed him and touched his shoulder to get his attention. At that moment, the boy turned around, punched him, and shouted that he wasn't his father and could never compare to him. The mother scolded him for his behavior, but the boy, still angry, shouted back that he hated her. This version was shared by my ex and his wife to my ex-mother-in-law. My sister-in-law later related to me. They went to see my ex-mother-in-law to try to gain her sympathy and convince her to take care of the kids, the two stepchildren and the baby so they could go out.

However, my ex-mother-in-law told them she would not take care of the children. When I spoke to my ex, he mentioned he was dealing with family issues and claimed that the boy's biological father was turning him against him. He didn't give me many details and omitted most of what my sister-in-law had shared. He simply informed me that, due to the situation, he wouldn't be able to pick up our children this weekend. The 15-year-old boy is now staying with his biological father. As for what I mentioned earlier, my ex was two months behind on child support, and that same week, he was supposed to make another payment. He didn't, leaving him three months behind. In the end, his mother was the one who covered the overdue amount.

Regarding the child who attends the same school as my son, it's not the 15-year-old involved in the altercation. It's his younger stepbrother, who is eight years old, the same age as my son. I decided to enroll my son in that school when the affair became public. At the time, I was working as a kindergarten teacher at the same school, and the boy had been one of my students. We all knew each other, and to protect my children from rumors, I transferred them to a private school. This happened two months before the school year ended. Thanks to the circumstances and the support of some kind people, we managed to get them admitted. Update 3, November 26, 2024.

The discussion was about how I could afford private school tuition on a kindergarten teacher's salary. To clarify, I am no longer a kindergarten teacher, I am a high school teacher, and salaries in education vary significantly depending on the country. In my country, salaries in education are, quite competitive compared to other jobs. To clear up any further assumptions, micro-businesses. $280 U.S. dollars. Small businesses. $315 U.S. dollars.

Medium-sized businesses. $350 U.S. dollars. Large businesses. $370 U.S. dollars. My field, education, early education, kindergarten. 800 U.S. dollars. 1,000 U.S. dollars. Primary education.

900 U.S. dollars. 1,100 U.S. dollars. Secondary education. 1,100 U.S. dollars. 1,300 U.S. dollars. Secondary education with five years of experience. 1,300 U.S. dollars. $1,400 U.S. dollars.

Associate Professor, Master's degree. $150 U.S. dollars. $1,400 U.S. dollars. Full professor, doctorate. $1,400 U.S. dollars. $1,750 U.S. dollars. The cost of living here is affordable, and I mentioned that in several comments. I am not from the United States, where life is more

expensive. In my country, this salary is more than enough to live comfortably. I am not rich, but my kids enjoy an excellent quality of life. Private school tuition varies. There are schools as low as $120 U.S. dollars per month or less, and of course, there are elite schools that are much more expensive. We use local currency, not dollars. I also have other sources of income that are irrelevant here. Now, to stop the speculation, people assumed I was from multiple countries, calculated my monthly tuition costs, and even tallied up all my expenses. The only thing you missed was calculating the cost of my divorce. Let me save you some trouble, I didn't pay a single cent, and my ex left with nothing but the clothes on his back. Careful not to choke on that.

As for my kids not being well cared for? My kids are perfectly fine, and as long as I'm breathing, no one will take that away from them. I saw a lot of concern for my children, but here's a question for you. What about your kids? Are they okay? Did you pay what you owe for their care? When was the last time you saw them?

There's no need to worry about my kids. If any of those users want more details, feel free to contact me, and I'll happily send over some bills for you to pay since you're so interested in my finances and expenses. And regarding my divorce, it was far from amicable, not because of custody that was never an issue, but because my ex lied at every turn to delay and obstruct the process. I didn't accept it then, I don't accept it now, and I never will not in a million years. For those still questioning my divorce, here are my words to you, once there's infidelity, there's no family left. This clarification isn't for those who offered

helpful comments or advice on my post. End of the informational break. Now, the actual update. date. The day after my post here, my ex was arrested for domestic violence and child abuse. The father of the boy involved filed a complaint. My ex's wife defended him, claiming that her son was a brat and that this wasn't the first time her son had been violent with him or his younger siblings. This left me surprised because, as far as I know, my ex had never mentioned that the teenager had been beaten. My ex's sister-in-law said that her brother, meaning my ex, never brought it up. I asked my kids if their stepbrother had ever touched them or been violent with them. Both said no. My children are comfortable telling me anything, and their answer was no.

My ex and his wife have since changed their story about the incident. Now, their version is that the boy misbehaved, my ex tried to talk to him, and the boy hid him first, so the mother hit her son to pull him off my ex. Child protection authorities here are usually very strict when a case interests them or when the harms suffered by the child is severe. I haven't seen the teenager myself. The teenager has been placed in a shelter for abused youth. When physical abuse of minors is reported, they are transferred to a safe space until a gazelle chamber interview and a forensic medical evaluation are conducted. Once a safe environment is confirmed, they are returned to the parent. I hope you enjoy this story.

Spouse alleged that I was unfaithful with his sibling and requested a DNA test for our new baby, so I expelled him and initiated legal proceedings to end the marriage. Thus, I, a 29-year-old woman, just gave birth about three weeks ago and my son and I are currently living with my in-laws because of a horrible fight with my husband, Michael, 32, male. Michael said that he wanted me to get a paternity test two weeks after our son was born because he suspected that the child was his brothers. For context, his brother Brian, 29, and I went to college together. Brian and I have been great friends ever since the first day of college and incidentally,

it was through Brian that I met my husband, so I can't understand why he's so insecure all of a sudden. My parents live in Iowa and we went to college in Buffalo. Brian lived nearby and he once invited me home because I had been feeling very homesick in my first year. That's how I met Michael for the first time. Michael and I exchanged numbers but we didn't start talking until after I graduated college. We became friends and after that, we started dating after being in a relationship for almost

four years, we got married three years back. And so far, everything has been perfect. We were great together and Brian and I were still really close as friends. The three of us often hung out together in a group and Michael had never had a problem with it. It was only after I entered the eighth month of my pregnancy that Michael started acting weird around us. He started distancing himself from me and spending more time at work. I chalked it up to him being nervous about the baby and tried to fix the situation by trying to tell him that he would be a great father and that he had nothing to be nervous about. However, even that didn't seem to help so I decided to focus on my health until the baby was born. I believe that after our baby was born, he would start acting

normal again but that didn't happen. He refused to spend any time. with our son and always made up some excuse not to be around us. He would spend most of his day at work and when he came back, he would tell me that he was too tired to be with the baby. I tried to put up with it, but when his behavior didn't change even after two weeks, I decided to confront him about it. One day, when he came back home from work, I sat him down and told him that I needed to talk to him about his strange behavior.

He tried to convince me that he was just tired from work and stuff and that this had nothing to do with me or the baby, but I didn't. by it. I voiced my concerns and told him that if he didn't speak up and tell me what his problem was then I wouldn't be able to stay with him anymore. Because it was really hurting me to have him ignore us like this. So then he finally told me that he didn't believe that the baby was his and he suspected that I'd been having an affair with Brian and the child was actually his so now he wanted me to get a paternity test for our son. He had no reason to accuse me of something so serious because I had never treated Brian as anything more than a good friend, so it felt like a slap on the face when he said that he wanted a paternity test.

I started screaming at him almost immediately because I had already been feeling emotionally unstable, thanks to all the post-pregnancy hormones, and that combined with his strange behavior around us had pushed me to the edge. His accusing me of having an affair with his brother was the last thing that I needed. When I started yelling at him, he told me that this was exactly what he had expected, which is why he hadn't brought it up so. so far and tried to walk out of the room. But that was really big and I wasn't going to let him drop a bomb on me and then walk away, so I demanded an explanation. He then told me that several weeks ago, when I had invited a few of my college friends to our house for dinner, he'd overheard a conversation between Brian and another friend who had stayed with him. Apparently, the two of them had been talking about how everyone had expected me to end up with Brian because we seemed to get along

so well and Brian had just laughed it off instead of saying something to defend Michael. I didn't even understand what he wanted Brian to defend him from because it wasn't as if saying that everyone had expected him to end up with me was an attack on Michael somehow. It isn't odd for people in college to think that friends of opposite genders might get together in the future and they were just gabbing about the past. It was harmless and fun but ultimately, it meant nothing. Because Brian was my friend and Michael was my husband, that should have been enough for him to feel secure. But he took that too hard and he began to believe that maybe Brian and I didn't. did have a thing going on. That's why he had been acting so strange ever since the day of the dinner party. He was suspecting me of having an affair with his brother and being disloyal to him,

over a conversation that I wasn't even a part of. It was insane and I tried to explain to him that he sounded really stupid. But it didn't matter to him and he said that now that everything was out in the open, he wouldn't talk to me until I got a paternity test done and he knew for sure that the baby was his. Under normal circumstances, I never would. would have had an issue with a paternity test, but this just seemed ridiculously stupid. I couldn't believe that he was accusing me of cheating on him with his brother, even after being with me for so long. I was really angry and upset, so I decided to take our son and leave the house. He didn't even try to stop me as I left, but I soon realized that I had messed up because I had

nowhere to go. I didn't want to go to any friend's house because then I would have to explain to them what happened and this was just very personal. I would have gone to Brian's place but that would just reinforce what Michael already believed and I didn't think that it was appropriate under these circumstances anyway. With nobody else to turn to, I decided to go to his parents' house since I was sure that I could count on them. They seemed to like me and they were my best bed after Brian. So the day that I left, after wandering around for a bit, I headed to my in-law's house and they gladly took me in. When I explained to them why Mike and I had been fighting, they seemed really embarrassed and apologized to me on his behalf.

But they also told me that it was really out of character for Michael to be so insecure, especially when it came to Brian. Because the two of them had always been close and never had the kind of crazy sibling rivalry that others do. And I agreed, it really was out of character for Michael to be insecure about his brother. The three of us were a tight-knit group and that's how it had always been. So this sudden change in Michael's behavior made. made no sense to any of us. Nonetheless, his parents told me that I was free to live with them for as long as I wanted to and they would respect whatever decision I made regarding my relationship with their son.

They told me that even if I decided to get divorced, they would support me but in the meantime, they would do their best to make Michael apologize to me and actually mean it. They kept trying to talk sense into him for a while, but on the third day, they informed me that they had decided to cut him off until he stopped acting like an idiot. This would be a problem for him because his parents were supposed to let him take over their family-owned textile business in a few months. His parents were retiring and he had been in the running to inherit their business. But if they cut him off, Brian would end up inheriting it and since he had no interest in running a business, he would probably sell it off, but then Michael would get nothing out of it.

But the truth was that my in-laws only wanted him to reconsider what he was asking of me and accusing me of scaring him into thinking that he was going to lose the business. They didn't really have any intention of letting the business go to Brian because they knew that he would sell it and they had worked hard to build a brand for themselves. They were obviously not going to throw it all away over my fight with Michael. They told me that they were just going to let Michael think that they were cutting him off for good and eventually, he would come around and apologize to me. Then we could sort things out between the two of us, be it by getting back together or getting divorced. Their only goal was to make him apologize to me and talk things through with me and I appreciate it. that they were doing so much for me because I had nobody else to count on.

I couldn't tell any of my friends and I definitely couldn't talk to Brian about any of this because this had a lot to do with him. So Michael's parents were the only ones keeping me sane. After his parents told him that they were going to cut him off, we expected him to reach out to me immediately to sort things out, but he waited for a day before contacting me. When he called me two days ago, I expected him to apologize to me but as soon as I picked up the call, he started screaming at me and accusing me of trying to manipulate his parents into giving Brian control of the business so that the two of us could benefit from it because apparently he was my lover now. I could hear his voice cracking and knew that he had been crying which made me

feel terribly guilty. He told me that he knew what I was trying to do and he couldn't believe that I was cheating him out of a business as well as his baby. He called me heartless and whatnot before I finally told him that his parents were not going to give the business to Brian. They were just trying to scare him into thinking exactly that so he would contact me and talk to me. He went silent for a while after I told him that and then he said that I was just evil incarnate. He said that he couldn't believe that now I was even trying to turn his parents against him, just because he had valid concerns about the true paternity of the baby that he was supposed to be raising for the rest of his life. It was infuriating to hear him talk about how valid his concerns

were when in reality. His only concerns stemmed from a stupid conversation that he had overheard. I tried to argue with him but he told me that instead of wasting both our time by fighting, I could just do the right thing and get a paternity test. He accused me of being manipulative to get my way and told me to keep his parents out of this. I just feel helpless and have no idea what to do anymore. Ida for not wanting to get a paternity test. Update 1, I decided not to go through with the paternity test and instead, filed for divorce. It's been one crazy week since the last update and so.

so much has happened that I don't even know where to start. But first things first, thank you so much for all the comments and the advice. Now, coming to why I have decided to get a divorce from Michael. After that last phone call with him, I confided in his parents and told them that their plan to scare him into apologizing and sorting things out with me had backfired miserably and now things were even worse than before. I also told them how he had accused me of manipulating them but they reassured me that they were happy to have me because I was the mother of their grandchild and even apart from that, they had known me for the longest time and they loved me because I was a part of their family. And since I lived away from my parents for Michael's sake,

it was their duty to take care of me and look out for me when I was going through a rough patch. Hearing his parents say such nice things about me made me feel less lonely and more sure of myself. So after talking to them, I decided to tell my parents and Brian about the situation because my in-laws didn't want their opinion to be the only one that I was taking into consideration, since other people might have a better idea of how to go ahead. When I told my parents about what Michael had said, they told me that they would support me regardless of what decision I made. The only reason nobody was telling me to leave Michael, despite how obviously wrong he was, was because of our son. I hate to say it about my son,

but having a child with Michael is really complicated because I had to think about our kids' future before I made any decision. And then I had the most difficult conversation of them all when I spoke to Brian about what was going on. When I told Brian about what his brother had accused me of and asked him about the conversation that he had overheard, he started looking really uncomfortable and I realized that both of them knew more than what they were letting on.

So I pushed Brian and forced him to tell me what he knew because I was sure that he was hiding something from me and so was Michael, since people don't just start suspecting their wife over something so petty. A lot of you in the comments had also suggested that there might be something that Michael was hiding from me because it just didn't add up. That after years of being okay with my friendship with his brother, he was suddenly not fine with it out of the blue. There had to be more to the story that he wasn't letting me know, but I had been too caught up thinking about the consequences of whatever was going on

at the time, as well as looking after my son, to really consider things like this. But yes, Brian told me the truth and now I hate both brothers because I couldn't even imagine people could be capable of being this stupid and heartless. Apparently, when Michael had overheard the conversation, he had also heard what happened after Brian laughed. Brian had said to that friend that even he had expected that the two of US would get together after college, but life had other plans and his brother got in the way. So Michael was actually mad about that, not just because Brian laughed it off. And that made a lot more since because Michael's version seemed a little too petty and incomplete to me. And the reason I didn't find out about it until now was because Michael had promised his brother

that he wasn't going to tell me what he heard that day. Brian had been discussing this with his friend in the backyard and he hadn't seen Michael standing around but as soon as he heard what Brian had said, Michael went up to him and confronted him about it. That friend went back into the house but even he didn't tell me anything later on, which I can forgive because he and I are not as close as I am to the others, obviously. When Michael confronted Brian and asked him what he had meant when he said that he had expected me to get with him after college, Brian ended up confessing that he had feelings for

me and had been waiting for us to graduate so he could ask me out because he knew that I had a strict no dating policy until I graduated. But I ended up getting together with Michael instead and that had been his first heartbreak, but he dealt with it somehow and tried not to let it show because he wanted us to be happy. And I have to say, he did a pretty good job. Because for so many years I never had a clue that he had feelings for me and neither did Michael. Brian was the one who begged Michael not to tell me about it because that would ruin our friendship and he didn't want that to happen. So Michael stayed true to his word and didn't tell me about what Brian had said that day. But Michael still had second thoughts about me and my

relationship with Brian and began to suspect me. He knew that even if we'd did have a thing together, asking Brian would lead nowhere because he would just lie to him and get away with it. My guess is that he started getting paranoid after the day of the party, but since he had already promised Brian that he wouldn't bring it up with me, he just started distancing himself from us altogether. And over time the paranoia just got worse, which is why he started accusing me of absurd things and demanding a paternity test for no reason. I'm guessing at what happened, but I don't know what exactly was going on in Michael's mind for the past couple of weeks, ever since he found out about Brian and his feelings towards me.

Regardless of what he was thinking, it was ridiculous of him and I was not going to stand for it. It made no sense to me that he would rather cover for his brother than just talk to me and clear the air with all of us. It's actually crazy and I can't think of one rational, logical explanation for any of this. Getting a divorce was the only option that I had because it had become very clear to me that there was no going back from here. I'm not talking to Brian anymore, but I'm still living with you. his parents, who had been kind enough to let me stay with them and even get me a lawyer because

it's their kids who got me into this mess and they feel responsible for everything that's happening to me. They have been really supportive and helpful and I couldn't be more thankful that I have such great in-laws. People like this are truly rare to come by. I have filed for a divorce and soon enough Michael will be served. He and I haven't spoken since that phone call where he told me that getting a paternity test is the only way out of this. I guess he hadn't counted on me to. I guess he hadn't counted on me to file for divorce because I hadn't brought it up, since at the time I still believe that we could work past this. But that was stupid of me, there is no way we can work this out. He is being insane right now, and I don't think that's the kind of energy that I need around me as a new mom, still struggling to

adjust a life with a baby. If he would rather cover for his brother and make me the bad guy by suspecting me of cheating on him with Brian, instead of just doing the normal thing and talking about it, then I don't think he deserves to be a husband or a father. He can stick to being a good brother and a good son. I'll handle the rest since our family doesn't mean as much to him as the one he was born into. Update 2. Hi, guys. So Michael was served with the divorce papers today and he didn't see it coming. I have no clue why. He called me and asked me if I was really going to separate from him rather than just taking the easy way out and getting a paternity test done. So I told him that I knew exactly why he was upset because I had spoken to Brian and he had told me the

truth. I told him that he was acting insane by covering for Brian instead of being transparent with me and telling me exactly why he was suspecting me. He replied saying that he had promised Brian that he wouldn't tell me because that would ruin our friendship and when I asked him if keeping that promise was worth ruining our marriage, he said that it was because apparently he believed that he owed this to Brian. But he couldn't just shake off the feeling that something was going on between us. He said that he couldn't talk to Brian about it since he didn't think he'd get the truth from him because the guy had been hiding his feelings from everyone for so long. It was unlikely that he would be honest now. And neither could he talk to me since he had made a

promise. So he started overthinking stuff and that's how he ended up having a total meltdown on the day that I confronted him and demanded a paternity test to confirm if the baby was his. He said that my reaction just made him feel worse and he started believing that I actually had been having an affair because if I didn't have anything to hide then I would just have got the paternity test done. I tried to explain to him that this wasn't about me wanting to hide the truth, but rather because of how insulting it was to me that he didn't trust me and was suspecting me of something so awful. Even though I had already filed for divorce, I tried to explain to him that keeping that promise to his brother and not being honest with me had cost him his marriage and the

chance of having a happy family. He was also not even speaking to Brian anymore, so what was the point of all of that? But Michael was not ready to listen to sense and kept insisting that this was somehow my fault for not getting that test done when I still had time. He said that I should have been more understanding because he was in a tough position, that I didn't even know of at the time, and he couldn't bring himself to ruin Brian's friendship with me because that was his brother. And neither could he live with the fact that there might have been something brewing between Brian and me and the child might not be even his.

He said that I should have realized there was a lot going on and at least tried to alleviate his worries by getting the paternity test done instead of making such a huge deal about it. It was an extremely frustrating conversation and after a while, I gave up trying to make him see my side of things. He was clearly too hung up on his own insane anxieties to consider that maybe even other people had feelings and he had deeply hurt mine. To him, some promise that he made to his brother was far more important than his wife and child and yet, he suspected this same brother to be the father of his kid? It didn't even make sense and even while I'm typing this out, I feel like I'm going to cry because of how ridiculous this situation. is. If I'm being honest, I think there might be something wrong with Michael because I can't think of any sane human being acting out like this. If I was in his place and I suspected that Brian

had feelings for me, I would never have made any promises because my family would be my number one priority. And by family, I don't mean my brother but the family that I chose for myself, my wife, and my son. And even if I did promise my brother that I wouldn't ruin his relationship with my wife, I still wouldn't let myself go crazy and end up accusing my wife of cheating on me just because I was insecure. The fact that he wanted a paternity test only because he suspected me completely based on his feelings, with nothing to substantiate his fears, is what makes it even worse. Even today, the conversation that we had was completely based on what he was feeling at the moment and he didn't even seem to care that this marriage had two people in it. And a divorce was going

to affect both of us, not just him. He also didn't. He also didn't. ask about our son and how he was doing. Which was very upsetting because when all of this is over, my son might not have a father figure in his life, through no fault of his own. It's these two brothers who messed up and for some reason, the universe is punishing me and my son for it. It isn't fair and most of it doesn't even make sense really, but it is what it is. My parents are flying down in a couple of days to meet me because things are getting really awful. Michael's parents are still not speaking to either of their son. and they have started to consider cutting both of them off permanently because they find all of this

incredibly disappointing. They're considering letting one of their employees take over the business instead of Michael. I definitely think they should cut Michael off, but I don't know about Brian. He hasn't done anything terrible. He was just honest with Michael for once and Michael was the one who let it get to his head and messed up his marriage. That's not on Brian, but it's his parents' decision and I'm not going to interfere there. I'm just grateful that they are standing there. I'm just grateful that they are up for me. It might have something to do with the fact that they do want to see their grandson after the divorce, but regardless of everything, I still love and respect them because they have gone above and beyond in their attempts to make life easier for me right now. I don't think I would

have been able to stand up for myself and file for divorce had it not been for them. It's crazy how supportive they are, even when it's their own son that they have to go up against. Update 3, Michael isn't contesting the divorce and he also doesn't want custody of our son, regardless of paternity. So that's what's happening right now. I'm not surprised but I'm still quite disappointed. But at least I have an explanation for his behavior now. He reached out to his parents a few days back and told them that he had been to see a psychologist a few weeks ago, around three days after I moved out. They did a complete psychological evaluation and medical exam and he had been diagnosed with a severe anxiety disorder very recently. It had taken several sessions with the doctors, but they had finally

concluded that this is what was going on with him. It was shocking news for all of us because he had never exhibited any symptoms of mental illness before, so this had to be a very recent development. Or maybe he had and we had all just missed it. There's been a lot of revelations about Michael and Brian in the past couple of weeks so right now, I'm inclined to believe that maybe I didn't know these people as well as I thought I did. Regardless of the men, I still think that I have no reason to forgive him because he hasn't apologized to me. His mental state can be an explanation for his behavior, at best, but not an excuse to do whatever he pleases and say whatever he wants to. He didn't even have the courtesy to inform me

himself he told his parents and that's how I got to know. Apparently, he has also been fired from his job for not showing up for one week straight after I left and he needs money to cover rent, which is another reason why he contacted his parents. I thought he might be lying about the anxiety disorder, but he had all the legitimate medical documents to prove it, so I guess it's real and this is happening. In a way, I think it's for the best if he doesn't get to be with me or see his son for a while, not until he's better at least.

The divorce proceedings are about to begin in a couple of days. My parents are already here and were all living together in my in-law's house, who have been gracious enough to open their home, even to my parents. I just pray that everything falls into place soon and I can regain some sense of normalcy in my life now. I hope you enjoy this story. Sibling experienced a meltdown and admitted to being intimate with my future spouse three years prior in retaliation against her former partner. My parent was aware of this for several months but chose not to disclose it. Me.

Hi, Reddit. I'm posting here in the hope that someone can give me some advice, share their experiences, I don't know. I'm just completely at a loss. I feel like my heart has been ripped out. My fiancé, let's call him Jake, and I have been together for seven years. I don't know a life without him. I met him at university, we stayed together past graduation, and moved into a flat which we bought together two years ago. He proposed last summer and we were set to wed in July 2017. We have had very few problems until now. My sister, let's call her Sarah, is an extremely volatile person. Growing up, I doted on her completely but she had a lot of personal issues that made

our home life turbulent. Her childhood was very different to mine. My parents had very little money, they were on the brink of a divorce, my dad was physically violent on a number of occasions. Whilst things improved drastically in the years after I was born, she has an abundance of problems that stem back to this. My parents feel a lot of guilt about Sarah's upbringing and used to let her get away with some shocking behavior. Sarah had the same boyfriend for as long as I can remember, they dated from when they were 16, and their relationship was toxic. They habitually broke up and got back together. When they were good, they were crazy in love. But more often than not, she would have these insane. arguments, sometimes physical, with him then take out her frustrations and despair on myself and my

parents. I remember spending many nights lying by her side in bed while she cried so hard she would retch. After their arguments, she would throw plates and glasses at the wall, hit herself. Sometimes she she would hit me and my parents too. It was like he was a drug to her, and she was emotionally stunted and didn't know how to see anything past their relationship. Two months ago, her boyfriend called things off for good. I don't know what gave, but after nearly two decades together, he finally had enough. He booked a one-way ticket to another country,

changed his number, deleted all social media profiles, and essentially disappeared from Sarah's life. To this day, she still won't explain what caused this, but it was long overdue. To say Sarah was devastated is an understatement. She moved out of their shared rented apartment, and in with my parents. I would visit her most days after work, where she would flit in between explosive rage to an almost catatonic silence, staring at the wall with tears streaming down her face.

At one point, we were all extremely worried she might seriously harm herself and organized for her to see a therapist, something I had suggested for years. Of course, she backed out days before her appointment, and there were no consequences. She is, after all, a grown woman. She just hasn't changed emotionally in the entire time I've known her, and still acts like a teenager. Two days ago, I went to visit Sarah, who was in bed in her darkened room. I let myself in and attempted to speak to her, telling her about my day at work. She immediately exploded, screaming at me, throwing her pillows across the room, crying uncontrollably. She told me life was unfair, that I had everything and she was left alone to rot.

that everything wrong in her life was because she was a bad person. She hurt her boyfriend, she drove him away, she's ruined our family, she fucked Jake and didn't even feel guilty at the time. I initially thought I'd misheard her, but then she said it again. It was like she had poured a bucket of ice water over me. I silently left, shaking. When I got home, Jake was there watching TV. It came out of my mouth the second I saw him,

and I could see in his eyes it was true. He broke down and told me it had happened three years ago. Sarah had had another blazing row with her boyfriend and decided to drive round to Jake's looking for me. I was at our parents at the time and Jake attempted to pacify Sarah. He comforted her while she sobbed in his arms, and one thing led to another. They had sex. I packed an overnight bag while he followed me from room to room, sobbing and telling me it was the worst mistake of his life, that he still has no idea how it happened.

That he felt unbelievably guilty the second it was over, that it feels like it wasn't even real. I left him in the doorway begging me not to leave. I've checked into a hotel and have switched my phone off. I don't know what to do, who to tell, where to begin. I feel sick, like this is a bad dream. My heart feels like it's been ripped into a million pieces. For all of Sarah's faults, I love her more than anything.

It's the two people who are more to me than anyone else in the world. How the fuck do I move on from this? I feel like I'm in a bubble. I don't know what's going on in the outside world. All I do is cry and sleep in this room. Someone please help me make sense of Update 1. Hi everyone. I'd like to thank each and every single person who took the time out of their day for me.

I was so overwhelmed that I've not responded to a single one as of yet, but it is truly, truly appreciated. Now on to the update. It has only been a day or so since I made my post, but it feels like I'd been in that hotel room for weeks, crying in the dark buried under the covers. At some point this morning, I decided to draw the curtains open and let the sunlight in. I went and sat on the balcony and switched my phone on for the first time. It started ringing within 30 seconds. It was my mother, who burst into tears as soon as I answered. Her and my parents had obviously been desperately worried. This is the longest I have ever gone without contact, and had even contemplated calling the police had I failed to contact them by this evening.

My mom informed me that as I was walking out of Sarah's room, down the stairs, and out the front door, Sarah was screaming and wailing that she's sorry. Funnily enough, I didn't hear this. I don't know how. I think I was in such a state of shock that I couldn't process anything around me. Honestly, can't even remember the drive home. After I shut the door behind me, my mom, who was the only other person at home, rushed into Sarah's room to find her trashing her room and attempting to slash her wrists with a blunt lino cutter of all instruments. Sarah used to do a lot of art. Obviously, this barely caused a scratch but jump-started my mom into action. She drove Sarah to the hospital, where I understand she underwent some sort of assessment and was kept overnight.

She has, incredibly, agreed to undergo treatment for whatever it is that is wrong with her. My mom was surprised she was so complacent on the drive down, willingly entering the car and saying nothing other than asking where I am. Sarah seems resigned and completely deflated. My mom spoke to me at length for the first time in my life about the hardships they had undergone during Sarah's childhood. I am unwilling to go into detail and am still in shock about some of the things I heard. Sarah is not devoid of responsibility.

She has long surpassed the age where she can blame her childhood for her behavior, but my mom admitted through tears that not sending her to therapy at an early age was the biggest regret of her life so far. I asked my mom if she knew why I had left. She admitted that she had known since Sarah's ex left two months ago. At this point, I had to struggle not to hang up and I suddenly felt myself going back into that pit, but she begged me to listen. After her ex-Herry, I am too drained to invent a name, Hi Harry, left, Sarah told my mom exactly what had happened. It was not the reason for Harry's departure, although he did know about it.

Rather, he had had enough of being Sarah's carer, and years of begging her to seek help had fallen on deaf ears one too many times. When Sarah informed my mom, my mom told Sarah I have to know immediately. Sarah refused to tell me, and I still don't know why she changed her mind in that moment. My dad doesn't know for anyone wondering, and thinks I've left as I've also finally had enough of Sarah's behavior. Now here is where the home truths came out. I asked my mom if she knew the details. She was reluctant to tell me anything, stating that it had happened and that was all I needed to know. But I told her I refused to step foot in the house until I knew everything. She then proceeded to tell me that a few months before they slept together, Sarah and Jake had kissed at my dad's 60th

birthday party. It was a large family gathering with a lot of alcohol involved. I remember Jake getting very drunk with my cousins. Sarah had a crying tantrum prior to arriving as her and Harry had an argument and he refused to come. She called me sobbing before she arrived. At some point during the night, Jake asked her if she was okay and hugged her, and once again one thing led to another and they shared a kiss in the kitchen. Sarah told my mom that they were both immediately remorse for. and vowed never to speak of it again, but Sarah deliberately sought him out the night they slept together knowing he was unlikely to turn her down. She openly admitted she did it to get back at Harry, who had cheated on her during one of their many infamous breaks. I don't think I even entered her

thoughts. At this point, I'd heard enough. We'd spoken on the phone for over four hours and I felt mentally drained and physically sick. Any hope I had of salvaging my relationship with Jake has completely gone. I feel the last three years have been tainted by their betrayal, and the many years before that I wonder, did he like Sarah this whole time? Part of me doesn't even want to know. It's worth noting he has made absolutely no attempt to contact me other than a single text stating I'm sorry. Take as long as you need. As if it's inevitable I will come back to him. Things are still up in the air. I don't feel ready to check out of the hotel as I don't know where I'm going to go next. I feel my relationship with my mom has been rocked by these revelations. I don't know

what's going to become of Sarah. I have no idea what I'm going to do about me and Jake's flat, where I'm going to live. I don't even know if I have a job anymore. I just haven't showed up to work. But I know the truth and the smallest part of me is grateful for that. The rest of me is consumed by a pain I never imagined possible. I guess there's nothing else to do now. I guess there's nothing else to do now, accept wait and see how things unfold. But reading through your comments and messages have been more help than you can imagine. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. And for anyone who has ever experienced symptoms like Sarah's, or has been around someone who is so

visibly troubled, I beg of you, seek help before it's too late. Update 2, Hi Everyone. I thought I would make a final update, to my original post and update, as I received a lot of messages over the last few days wondering how I'm over the holiday period. Once again, I'd like to thank you all for the outpouring of support I've received over the last month. The number of messages, links to help, and offers for a shoulder to cry on were overwhelming and touching. I apologize if I never got round to replying to them all. The last few weeks have been a blur. But I am eternally grateful nonetheless. So, after my conversation with

my mom, where I found out she had known about Jake and Sarah. I went back to square one. I switched my phone off again, and retreated back into my hotel for a further five days. From the comments on my last post, I should clear up one thing. My mom hadn't known about Jake and Sarah from the very beginning. Rather, Sarah had told her about it at the time of Harry's sudden departure, meaning she had known a couple months before I did. Eventually, I decided enough was enough and decided to call work. My boss wasn't angry, or even surprised. to hear from me. My mom had called him after our conversation and told him there had been a family emergency and I would be unavailable for the foreseeable future. He advised I take to the

end of the week, but would have to come to a meeting if I required any more time off work than I had already given myself. So my job was safe-ish and I'm back at work and trying to get on with things. After this, I went back to my parents. Sarah was also home but hold up in her room. I went in to see her and she was up painting. As a number of you guessed, it is likely she is BPD, although my parents are waiting on a second opinion. She is going to counseling weekly, and seems slightly better. She broke down in tears when she saw me and we had a long talk,

where she spoke to me in depth about how truly consumed she was by her and Harry's toxic relationship. She understands it's for the best that it's over, but she describes the pain as unrelenting. It hurt when he was with me, and it hurts now he's. gone. I know a lot of you will feel disappointed that I haven't cut her or my mom out of my life for good. I still feel resentment in the pit of my stomach when I think about it, but truly, I blame Jake more than anyone else. Jake was with me for long enough to see some of Sarah's behavior. She's not well and he still chose to do what he did. It is a slow process, but she's my sister and I can't cut them out of my life forever. It will never be the same again,

but maybe that's a good thing. My dad, who had been newly informed on the proceedings, drove to my apartment and gathered some clothes and an overnight bag. Jake was not home, and my parents have not heard from him since I left. I have no idea where he is, and neither he nor his family have attempted any contact with me since this came out. His social media profiles have disappeared, and I have not attempted any contact with him, his family, or his friends. I began the slow process. of telling my friends last week. I did not explain what happened, other than to say Jake was not the person I thought he was. They have all assumed cheating, but there is no reason for them to know

who was involved. I have switched back and forth between staying with my parents and sleeping at my apartment. I sleep on the sofa bed as the memories are too painful at the moment. I am in the process of looking into selling the place, however, this means contacting Jake at some point in the near future as the apartment is joint-owned. I will cross that bridge when I feel a bit stronger. Christmas Day was a strange and sad one for both myself and Sarah. But we spent it as a family, and for the few hours we were sat around eating and watching movies the pain was dulled even a small bit. As we were flicking through the various movies and TV episodes we'd recorded, I came across a scene that stuck with me, a scene that ended with the words, La Familia S. Toto. I still spend most

days with a hole in my heart, it hurts more than anything I've ever felt in my life, but it's getting better. I know I've got a long way to go, but for the first time I'm confident I'll get there. Thank you for reading. Next story, GF's best friend calls her babe, face-times her at 2 a.m., and she wanted to cancel our anniversary trip for his concert. When I finally had enough, she suddenly changed, and begged me. I, 28M, have been dating my girlfriend, Sarah, 26F for just over a year now, and while I love her, there's one thing that's been eating at me since the very beginning. Her relationship with her male best friend, Jake, 27M. Jake has been Sarah's ride or die since college, and I knew from the start that they were close.

But what I didn't realize was how much it would impact our relationship. I've always tried to be the chill, trusting boyfriend. I don't want to be the guy who's threatened by a platonic friendship. but honestly, it's gotten to the point where I feel like I'm the third will in my own relationship. Jake and Sarah are practically inseparable. They hang out multiple times a week, dinners, movie nights, spontaneous late-night drives, and I'm usually not even invited. If I try to join, it's awkward, like I'm crashing their private joke-filled world that I'm not a part of. It stings, but I tried to let it go for the sake of keeping the peace. But then things started to a line. Jake texts her constantly, even when we're together on dates. It's not just casual

stuff either. He calls her babe and sweetheart, and when I brought this up to Sarah, she laughed and said it was just their thing and that it didn't mean anything. Apparently, they've been calling each other that for years. But to me, it feels like there's more to it. Who calls their best friend babe when they're in a relationship? Then there was the night I stayed over at her place and woke up at 2 a.m. to find Sarah on FaceTime with Jake. She was giggling like a schoolgirl, whispering so she wouldn't wake me. When I asked her about it the next morning, she brushed it off, saying Jake needed someone to talk to. But what about me? Am I just here as background noise while she stays emotionally tethered to this guy? The final straw came last weekend.

Sarah and I had been planning a special weekend getaway for our one-year anniversary, something we'd been looking forward to for months. But, out of nowhere, Jake invites her to a concert the same weekend. Sarah asked me if we could postpone our anniversary trip so she could go with Jake instead because it's a band they both absolutely love. I was floored. Our anniversary, something we'd been planning for months, could just be rescheduled for Jake. It was like I didn't even matter.

I told her that this was too much and asked her to set some clear boundaries with Jake, like no more pet names, no more hanging out one-on-one all the time, and definitely no more prioritizing him over our relationship. She blew up at me, calling me controlling and insecure. She even said, you knew Jake was part of my life when we started dating. Why are you trying to change me now? Things got worse when Jake apparently told her that I was being toxic and trying to manipulate her. Sarah is siding with him, saying I'm overreacting and that nothing has ever happened between them. She's now furious with me for giving her an ultimatum when all I really asked for were some boundaries that would make me feel like I'm her boyfriend, not just a side character

in her life with Jake. Now, Sarah's giving me the silent treatment, and I'm starting to feel like I've somehow become the villain in my own relationship. Am I losing my mind here? I'm not asking her to drop Jake completely, just to prioritize us and respect our relationship. But maybe I've been unreasonable. So, Reddit, I'd offer asking my girlfriend to set boundaries with her male best friend, or is this friendship way too close for comfort? Update, October 6th, 2024. Hey Reddit, I'm back with an update and let me just say, it didn't turn out how I expected at all. I first want to thank you all for the amazing support you all have given me. After reading over the comments and talking to some of you guys, I had made up my mind.

I was done being second place in my own relationship, and I was ready to walk away. But what happened next surprised me. Saturday night Sarah came over to talk. I was prepared to have the breakup conversation, but before I could get a word in, she told me something unexpected. She had canceled the concert plans with Jake. She said that after our last conversation, she realized how serious I was, and it made her think about everything. She told me she had been selfish, that she had been taking our relationship for granted. She said she'd told Jake she couldn't go to the concert, and instead, she wanted to spend the

weekend with me, no distractions, no third wheels, just us. I was honestly shocked. Part of me didn't believe it. For months, I had been asking her to set boundaries with Jake, and suddenly, she was doing it. It felt surreal, like a last-minute effort to save something that was already broken. But she seemed sincere. She apologized, not just for the concert situation, but for all the time she had ignored my feelings, dismissed my concerns, and prioritized Jake over us. She admitted she had been blind to how much it hurt me and said she didn't want to lose me. It was emotional. She was crying, and I could see how much it scared her that I was about to walk away. For the first time in a long time, it felt like she was choosing me.

But here's the thing, as much as I appreciated her apology, it didn't magically fix everything. I told her that while canceling the concert was a good step, it didn't erase all the hurt. I still felt like I had been competing with Jake for too long, and trust once broken is hard to rebuild. We ended up spending the weekend together as planned. We didn't go on the big anniversary trip, but we stayed in, cooked together, and had long conversations about everything, our relationship, Jake, the future. It was a roller coaster of emotions. There were moments where I felt like maybe we could make this work, but also moments where the damage felt too deep to repair.

By today, I was emotionally drained. Sarah seemed to think things were heading in the right direction, but I still wasn't sure. I needed space to think. So, I told her we should take a break, give each other some time to reflect and see if this relationship was something we both wanted to fight for. She didn't take it well.

She cried again, begged me not to go, said she'd prove to me that she was serious about changing. But I needed to be alone, to clear my head without the constant push and pull of emotions. So, I left. I haven't spoken to her since. We agreed to give it a couple of weeks before we decide anything, but to be honest, I'm still leaning toward ending things for good. Could she really have set boundaries with Jake after everything? I find this hard to believe after months of me begging. I feel like I've already checked out of the relationship.

And while her efforts are appreciated, I can't shake the feeling that it's too little, too late. I'll always care about Sarah, but this whole situation has made me realize how important it is to be with someone who values and respects you from the beginning. Someone who doesn't make you feel like you have to compete for their attention. You all think she might have cheated on me with Jake, so redid I asked should I give her another chance or should I go through with the breakup? I hope you enjoy this story. Guardians attempted to deceive my fantastic stepmother who was terminally ill. Then I discovered my father being unfaithful to my birth mother in order to obtain her financial legacy, so I informed my stepmom and she cut them off. My 17F stepmother Jane is a wonderful, wonderful woman.

She and my father got married when I was four, and she's been a rock in my life ever since. My mother was always my primary caregiver, but up until that point her relationship with my father was acrimonious and I basically never saw him. Jane was the reason they developed a stable co-parenting relationship. She encouraged everyone having a good relationship with each other and was always there to support me and my mom when things got rough. Jane was always a really hard worker. When she met my dad, he was living out of a hotel and my mother was doing everything in her

power to keep me away from him because she was petty and angry that their relationship didn't work out. Meanwhile, Jane had a great job, a nice house, helped my dad get back on his feet, negotiated a visitation schedule with my mom, who hated her for a long time, and made sure my dad sent us money every week because neither one of them could afford an attorney to negotiate child support payments. Jane had no reason to do any of these things, but as I got older she made it clear that she loved me as much as she loved my half, brothers who were born a few years later. I even have my own room in her house because at the time we lived with my grandparents, various boyfriends of my mom and Jane felt that I needed a more stable environment than that.

She's like the opposite of the evil stepmom. When I was 15, Jane won a big lawsuit against an airline company and got awarded upwards of a million dollars. She used the money to build sizable trust funds for me and my brothers so that we would be taken care of later in life. Despite having a lot more money she still wanted to live a fairly modest life, so she paid off the house she has been living there ever since with my dad. Sure she bought a new car and they went on a few nice vacations but she didn't blow all her money on stupid things, which I respected. About a year ago, things started getting really weird.

Whenever I saw Jane, she seemed to look sicker and sicker, but no one would tell me or my brothers why even though I know they knew. All we knew is that she was at the same. the hospital a lot. Around the same time, my mom has been coming around my dad a lot more and acting really like she was trying to romance him. Whenever Jane was in the hospital my mother would insist on spending the night at their house and playing mom to my brothers, which was so weird to me because she never liked them or Jane. She'd be the perfect little housewife and my mom is not like that at all. It was super fake. Worst of all, my dad started falling for it. I'm not stupid, I'm pretty sure.

they were sleeping together. I tried to shield my brothers from it, but they're not dumb either. I tried talking to my dad too, but he insisted it wasn't like that. Around a few weeks ago, my mom started talking about all the places she'd like to visit, how she wanted a new car and was looking to invest. Which is weird because my mom has been a bartender her whole life and has lived paycheck to paycheck since before I was born. She was acting like she was about to get a lot of money, which started to make me really suspicious. Between Jane being sick and my mom acting All Nouveau Risch, I had a lot of questions. Finally, I decided to visit Jane in the hospital and ask her about my trust fund. I found out that if anything happened to her, that my dad would

inherit all the money including full control of the trust for me and my brothers. She asked me why I was so interested in the trust fund so I told her what's going on with my parents and how my mom has been acting with my dad. I didn't want to, but after everything she did for me, she deserved the truth. It really hurt me to break her heart like that. Especially once I found out that she was basically in hospice at this point because of irreversible kidney failure. She's only got a few more months. We both cried so much. Then, two days ago, everything came to a head. My mom stormed and furious and started arguing with my dad. Finally, Jane met with her lawyer and changed the trust so that my dad would get nothing and all of the trust would be controlled by my step-aunt.

She demanded to know how Jane found out about their relationship and I came out and told them that I told Jane everything. I told them that if they wanted to play stupid games, they would win stupid prizes and that I wasn't going to let them screw Jane over after all the help she gave my family when she didn't have to. My mom slapped me and my dad just looked so defeated. Then my mom told my dad that she didn't really love him, that she was just pretending to so he would marry her and she could get all of the money. The worst part about it is that my brothers witnessed the whole thing and now on top of their mom dying they have to deal with a cheating dad and his vindictive ex. Our whole family is in ruins and I feel like it's my fault even though I know it's not. Yesterday I visited Jane again and told her about the fallout. She apologized and said that she had to dissolve my trust fund to make sure my mother.

didn't get a hold of the money, but that is her oldest I will inherit the house slash property after she is gone and that's worth more than the other two trust funds combined. My father won't get anything because she's going to divorce him before she dies, and honestly I'm happy for her. She made me promise to take care of my brothers and told me that once I turn 18 this summer I can kick my dad out of the house if I want to. And I fully plan to do that BTW. I haven't talked to my dad since and I can't even look at my mom. I can't believe they would conspire to do this to Jane after all this time. Just proof that they deserve each other and I'm embarrassed that they're my parents.

Once I turn 18 I'm going to cut my dad out as much as I can and cut my mom out completely. I hope she rots. Meanwhile, I'm going to try and be at the hospital as much as I can until Jane passes away. Anyways, I just needed to vent. I'm really messed up about the whole thing and I feel super betrayed, although I can't even begin to imagine how Jane feels. I'm going to be so f-ed-up when she dies. I can't even think about that right now. But at least she's not surrounded by people who just want to bring her down. Thanks for reading. Edit. Some people are asking a lot of the same stuff, so I'll just clarify here. My brothers, my plan is to use some of the estate money fight for guardianship for my twin brothers so that they can live in the house while I kick my dad out.

If I can't get guardianship, then I will have to let my dad stay in the house. However, once I turn 18, I will technically be an adult, so even if my dad leaves, I'm still legally able to be responsible for them. The only thing I won't be able to do is stop him from taking them if he leaves. But they will be 18 in six years, so even if they do have to leave, they will always be able to come back whenever they want. In a perfect world my dad would just leave and let my brothers stay with me, which I'm sure my bio-mom would be very supportive of because right now she hates all of us and I doubt that

will change anytime soon. The trust, from what I understand, my brothers will inherit one-third each of the estate and the remaining one-third will be used to keep the house running until they turn 18. After that it will be up to me if I want to keep the house or sell it. At that point my brothers will still have money left in the trust so they can branch out or do whatever they want, otherwise I will not sell the house and just pass it on to them or keep it and maintain it myself and they can just stay with me as long as they need to. Edit to the edit, so I just spoke to Jane and she told me that the reason she dissolved the trust is because originally it was going to be split 3x between us kids and my dad would inherit

the house. She dissolved my third and switched it over to make it to take care of the house maintenance and instead put the house in my name so my dad wouldn't get it. Plus by doing that at least financially I would be getting a much bigger share. The house is worth about 1.5x the amount of my brother's trusts, I just wouldn't be able to do anything with it until my brothers are 18, which I'm totally cool with. Sorry if I don't have a better answer, but I'm just trying to translate what she told me. My parents, the big fight happened on Sunday and I haven't spoken to either of my parents.

I think they're both at my mom's place right now, but that's fine with us because we're all still mad at them so they can stay gone for all we care. I know technically that's not legal to just leave us alone, but I've been taking care of my brothers for over a year I can handle a few days while he gets his shit together. Screw both of them. Hope that clears some stuff up. Additional info, poop, why isn't Jane on dialysis? I don't remember the exact details, but Jane has a genetic condition where she gets cysts on her kidney. She already had a transplant a few years ago, but now she developed problems with her arteries or something in her legs so she doesn't qualify for dialysis.

She could get another transplant, but she doesn't want to because the last time was so traumatic, rejections, etc., so she decided to just let herself go on to maintenance medications to prolong her death until she gets her affairs in order. She has a few other health problems that make the typical treatments really dangerous and according to her she'd rather die surrounded by loved ones than on an operating table. Dissolving the trust fund, Jane told me she didn't technically have to do it, but she didn't trust my bio-parents not to do something shady and get a hold of the money before I turn 18. Even if my aunt controlled the fund my dad would still be able to collect if something happened to Jane before I turn 18. Her lawyer suggested it's better safe than sorry and I

agreed that it was the best option. I'm not an expert though I don't know the details. How my mom knew, like I said before I'm pretty sure Jane told my dad, who then told my mom and that's how the argument started. I can't think of any other way. and I didn't really care enough to ask. Jane's thoughts on my mom, she didn't know my mom was doing all of that. My mom has her own place and would only come over whenever Jane was in the hospital for a few days at a time. I've been living with my dad for a little over a year so he probably told Jane that my mom

was there to spend time with me, if he told her at all. Besides, she didn't move in until a few months ago, which I guess is when they started hatching their plan. Jane never outright banned my mom from visiting so there really wasn't anything she could do. Hope that helps. Edit for the last part. The remainder of the money belonging to the estate that hasn't been put into trust for my brothers is going to be used to maintain the house, utilities, taxes, etc.

Until my brothers are 18 and then I can either choose to sell the house or keep it and maintain it myself if I'm able to. I plan to go to school in that time and get a better job with the goal of keeping the house. but if I can't then I have the option to sell it. Not that I will but that's how it was explained to me. Oop on her stepmom and their relationship provides thoughts on her bio-mom-oom, honestly it's because she's more of a real mom than my actual mom. My bio-mom is kind of ambiguous about my existence but Jane was always extra involved,

sending me to sports teams and paying for dance classes and just showing interest in my hobbies as I got older. Plus as the only girl I think we bonded on a level she can't with my brothers, so she always made sure to let me know I was on equal terms with them. When I was younger, we would watch movies and have girl time where it was just us one to one, and those are some of my best memories with her. Jane is also really mature and someone I want to be like when I get older, whereas it feels like my mom is a teenager in an adult's body.

She was constantly picking fights with my dad about dumb things, and Jane was always there to smooth things over and keep my best interest at heart over her own feelings. I know my mom made Jane's life really difficult for a long time, but Jane never complained or said anything to me about it, whereas my mom constantly complained about Jane. As I got older, I just always felt more at peace when I was around Jane than when I was around my mom. If you want your stepkids to love you, just be there for them and treat them like your own. Ignore whatever drama you have with your husband's ex and just love your kids.

Trust me if you really care about them, they will know. comments where Oop has replied, Mads 1979. My only advice is make sure you work with a lawyer once she passes so you get your inheritance and your parents can't try to intervene and then you keep your promise to use that money for you and your brother's welfare. Oop. Oh, absolutely. Jane already gave me the lawyer's info and between him and my step and I'm sure I will be able to do what I need to do for them.

I don't even care about the money. Most people don't have trust funds and turn out just fine. I'm actually more glad that she gave me the house because you can be damn sure it's going to be a safe space for my brothers whether I end up getting custody of them or not. My brothers are basically Jane's legacy so my goal is to give them the life and guidance that I got from her and that they won't get because she'll be gone. Oop on the relationship between her father and her stepmom before they got exposed to up. Honestly it hurts a lot because before Jane got sick they seemed to have the perfect relationship. until my birthgiver, I like that, came in and fucked everything up with her toxic personality. Honestly, in a perfect world my mom will end up broken alone and in a shitty nursing home with bed sores.

And when she calls me and begs me for a relationship, because she needs the attention, it'll feel so good to hang up on her over and over again. Oop on Jane, stepmom's health, and if Jane is mentally okay on the whole situation, I think so. Apparently it's a genetic disease so she always knew she was going to get sick she just didn't know when so mentally I think she was prepared for it. I just hope that she can find peace knowing the truth and knowing that I'll be there to make sure her sons don't grow up all fucked up. Update May 8th, 2024 please check my profile for my previous post. Smile hi guys, it's me again.

A lot of you ask me for an update on my situation with Jane and my family so I've things that have happened since I initially posted. I will try to organize this in a way that addresses the major points of last time. Jane is still alive and doing surprisingly well considering the circumstances. She's always been a fighter and although her disease has been progressing, she's keeping a positive attitude with everything that is going on. She says she's grateful that she was able to see everyone's true colors before she passed so she could go into the next life knowing the truth. We have become so unbelievably close in the past few months and it's getting harder and harder to know.

that she's getting close to the end. She doesn't ever talk about it though, and I know it's because she doesn't want to hurt me, but we both know the situation, so we're just making the best of our time. I'm also not being completely transparent about all of the drama at home, but TBAH I don't think she needs to hear all of that.

We did end up having that surprise celebration of life that I planned. A lot more people showed up than I thought, but they all got an Airbnb near the hospital where Jane is, and we were able to take her out and spend some time at the lake near the facility. It was super low-key, which I know Jane preferred, and I was even able to get her old college friend to come after I found him on LinkedIn, LOL.

We had food and there was music and we played games and it was overall a really great time, except Jane started crying at the end, but she promised me it was just because she was grateful. My brothers are also doing okay, my aunt, Jane's sister, is currently paying for them to go to therapy and they'd become a lot more open about talking about the situation. They just turned 13 but a lot of the time it feels like I'm talking to actual adults, L.O.L. They've become really independent lately, in a good way, and aside from me driving them places I don't really have to do much for them anymore. Their grades aren't super great, but they're not failing and considering the circumstances it could be a lot worse.

They still hang out with friends and I'm keeping an eye out for like depression symptoms and stuff. The situation with my mom is as funny as it is embarrassing TBH. She spent a few weeks ignoring us and then she tried to crawl back into my life basically begging me to let her move in because her lease is about to expire and she has nowhere to go. That convo went about as well as you'd think and she ended up calling me an ungrateful bee and that I couldn't just ignore her because she's my mom. I told her to get out of the house before I call the cops and to go back to my dad, who at that point was only coming home every few days to check on us and grab some clothes, after that she tried coming by a few times and when I wouldn't open the door she would lose her. her mind and start yelling through the neighborhood. After three instances of this I finally called the cops, but because I'm 17, they told me there's a possibility that I would have to go home with her since technically I'm a minor and need to be with the custodial parent. I told them no way

because I was the only one watching my brother's ATM. That led to a whole thing where after a few hours my dad basically showed up and I was allowed to stay there because there was finally an adult present and I'd basically lived there for over a year. After that the cops firmly told my mom, that if she keeps showing up and causing drama, my neighbors confirmed that she'd been there a few times screaming that they would arrest her for trespassing since technically it was Jane's house and not hers. She left and hasn't tried coming to the house anymore,

but for a while she would call me constantly telling me I owed her and all kinds of stuff. She's now blocked on everything and anything she needs to say to me gets filtered through my dad. As for my dad. Well, since he's basically required to be here for another two months until I turn 18, we've basically just avoided each other.

It's not too bad, though, because I've been heavily relying on guilting him for everything to get my way. For example, he was going to contest a divorce, but I threatened to kick him out when I turn 18 if he does that. So he just signed all the paperwork for a quickie divorce and is basically doing whatever Jane tells him to do. I don't openly disrespect him or anything. He's still my dad, but I've made it clear that I have no intentions on doing anything he says ever again and he doesn't fight me on it. Most of the time he's just in his room and sometimes he'll go back to my mom's but only for a day or two before they argue and she kicks him out again, L.O.L. I haven't decided whether or not I'll kick him out yet and we haven't talked about it either, so I'm kind of playing it by ear. As for me, I'm handling everything as good as I can. I found a new job where I make a little more money so I've been focusing on saving as much as I can and just being there for my brothers. Between working in school and visiting Jane I've been so busy I have been so busy I have to be. I have been so busy I have. haven't really had time to really stop and think about everything, but I know it'll come. One of my friends has really stepped up and helped me manage everything and I'm super grateful to him for being there for me and my brothers, so we'll see how that goes.

Anyways, I wish I had something more exciting to share, but that's what's happened since my last post smile. Thanks again for all the support on my last post. Comments Oop on the possibility of her stepmom being poisoned from her parents to get Jane's money Up, Hi there. A few people have mentioned this and yes, we are absolutely certain she is not being poisoned. It's a genetic disease causing her kidney failure and we have known about it for a long time but she shielded us from the worst of it hence why her sudden decline in health was such a

shock to us. We thought she had more time. My brothers have also been screened for this disease and thankfully neither of them have it. Edit to add, I'm turning 18 in a few weeks so I don't need to get emancipated and my dad has already agreed that my brothers will stay in the house with me because they have nowhere else to go. Oop on Jane making video clips for her brother's oop. Yes, actually a few people suggested this on my last post and we've been doing this for a few weeks now. Jane has a little digital recorder that she's been putting her thoughts down on and she's

also written a few letters to us for major milestones. My brothers do not know about this as we want to surprise them, but that said they have been coming to the hospital more now that they're in therapy. and able to deal with it. I know they do not want to have any regrets even though it's a difficult situation. Upp on her father after being exposed and her bio-mom trying to manipulate him, I do think he's remorseful, he hasn't said it, but the way he's acting is telling me that he's being really passive when normally he gets a little belligerent if he really feels like he didn't do anything wrong. Also, I know I have every reason to kick him out, but he's still my dad

even though what he did to Jane was terrible. He's just kind of a weak-minded person and my bio-mom really manipulated the crap out of him and continues to manipulate him, but I can tell he's getting tired of her BS because he's spending less time with her. He didn't know she was showing up at the house and when he found out he was super pissed at her,

they've been fighting non-stop and I can tell he's not as much under her spell anymore because he's at home more, but who knows? I hope you enjoy this story. Was I truly at fault for attending the wedding of my former son's X-Y? I, a woman aged 56, have two offspring, Tim, 30, and Sarah, 27. This story revolves around Tim. He was once married to my daughter-in-law Ruth, 28F.

That is until five years ago, Ruth discovered that Bob was cheating on her while she was pregnant with my granddaughter. I was really disappointed in my son. I taught him to be better than this. I am a single mom. My husband died years ago and I have remarried only after my kids were in their late teens. I know for sure my late husband wouldn't approve of Bob's cheating. So, long story short, Bob, Ruth and I had a fight.

I told him I was very disappointed at him. How could he do this to his own wife? Bob yelled at me and said that I am his mother, not Ruth. So I should be taking his side. I said, no, I will not support his infidelity under any circumstances. My daughter also thinks that her brother is wrong, but she is neutral about it. Bob was mad and left the house. I only saw him at the divorce hearings.

I left him messages that if he wants to talk, I would be open to talk, but he didn't respond to my messages. Ruth was an orphan. She didn't have anyone else. So she saw me as her mother, even after the divorce, she would visit me and bring me some gifts, like flowers or cookies. I never stopped her. Ruth also never stopped calling me mom. Even after her divorce, I also loved spending time with her and my granddaughter about three years ago. I set up Ruth with my friend, Patty's son, John, Patty, and I have been close friends since childhood. She knew Ruth really well and loved her too. It was Patty's idea to set her son up with my dill. Ruth and John totally hit it off. John was

also a good father figure to her daughter. Recently John and Ruth got married. Ruth wanted me to be there to walk her down the aisle. She told me she walked down the aisle alone when she was married to my son, but now she wants me to walk her down. I was happy for it. So I said, yes, the news reached to my son. He called me to again yell at me that what I am doing is wrong. I shouldn't be talking to Ruth because she and him are divorced. He forbade me to go. I told him he was being irrational. Even if he is divorced, that doesn't mean I have to cut off Ruth. I reminded him that it was his poor choice that led him to this. I didn't listen to my son and went to the wedding. Anyways, my son got the news and was pissed. He kept cursing me that I am a deadbeat mom who left

her own son for a W.H. Zero re. He called me a hypocrite that I did. He called me a hypocrite that I didn't go to his wedding. He married his mistress, but was gallivanting at Ruth's wedding. My husband is with me, but he says my son has a point, but my daughter says otherwise. Was I wrong to go at her wedding? Edith my son has emailed me to meet him. I guess I will have to meet him now. Where did I go wrong? February 20, 23. I 56F have a son, Bob 30am, along with him. I have a daughter 27. My husband died when my daughter was only five years old. The death of their father came as a shock to Bob.

I tried my best to comfort him. I took him to therapist and trauma experts. They all said he is a good boy and very well behaved. The only father figure Bob had was his uncle, my brother. He was a nice man as well. A man with discipline. Ever since my kids were little, I tried my best to be a good parent. I stopped dating for a long time so that I can focus on my kids.

I gave them important lessons in life. I even told them about their dad. My late husband was a man of dignity and morals. He is the type of person who wouldn't sacrifice his morals to please people around him. I always tried to be both parents, but I guess I wasn't enough. My son started dating my Dill Ruth 28F when he was 20. They met at a restaurant where Ruth was a part-time. worker. I liked Ruth. She was well-mannered and had a good heart. I told my son he picked the right

woman for him. Bob was head over heels for her. They got married two years after dating. Ruth finished her degree early and got a job as a teacher at the age of 22. I noticed that my son didn't like it. He would complain about Ruth sought hours, which I think was irrational because she was a kindergarten teacher. I explained this to my son that Ruth has her own life, a life outside his own. I told him if he had concerns about her time, he should take it up to her. He said he understood things were really calm for a year. A year later, they started having another fight. Ruth said that she wanted to pursue her masters. She is still young and wanted to do something meaningful with her degree. Honestly, I was in support. Ruth was a project. Ruth was a

but my son objected. He thought that it was a bad idea and that it would cause trouble. Now I don't like to mix in their lives. I tried to stay away from their conflict. That is until one day Ruth came to me and said, Bob threatened to leave her. If she ever tried to pursue a master's degree, I did give my son an earful. And honestly, I took it as an offense because I worked jobs to support my family. I worked hard and now I have my own business. It is just so disappointing to me that my son had such backward thinking. Few weeks later, Ruth came to me and said she was pregnant. She forgot all about her masters.

I tried to be there for her as much as possible. Later, Ruth discovered my son was cheating on her with a mutual friend of theirs. Ruth was devastated. I called a family meeting there. Ruth was crying and told Bob, how could he do this to her? Bob said things like Ruth doesn't love him. She doesn't make him feel special. Her friend always fulfills his needs and understands him better.

He realized he was wasting his 20s by playing family with a woman who always fights him. I asked what were the fights. And what did Ruth do to make him so angry? He said her whole existence just bothers me. She cares more about her higher education than me. If she was a good wife, she would be a good wife. a housewife rather than going out. I reminded him that I also had higher educations. He said that's different. They argued a lot. My son just called her a W.H. Zero Re and A.B. H.T.C.H.

the whole time. Moreover, he is an absent father to his own daughter. He pays child support, but barely makes time for his daughter. He went low contact when I stood my ground and told him I will not support his infidelity at any cost. I met his mistress because he insisted I gave her a chance and told me that after meeting her, I would change my mind about Ruth, but he was wrong. His mistress was not a nice person. My gut was telling me she was not a good-hearted either. She made an odd comment that she was saving my son from a potential bad marriage and I should be happy for him. I told him I will not be at his wedding. If me marries the woman who wrecked his home, I know my son is more to blame, but she knew Ruth and Bob. She knew they were married.

Recently, Ruth got married to John, my friend's son. Ruth asked me to walk her down the aisle. It reached my son's ears and he called me all sorts of vile names. He forbade me to go to her wedding and called me a hypocrite because I didn't come to his wedding, but I was going to Ruth's. I just told him to calm down and talk to me when he is not acting like a baby. I just feel like a failure. Like I failed my late husband too. My late husband would be disappointed in my son as well. I don't know where I went wrong. I tried my best to provide. Maybe not having a father made him like this. I sometimes now regret having him as my son, but I still love him, but I don't love the man he turned out to be. I guess being a single mom was a curse after all update Ida for going to my ex-Dill's wedding February 24th, 23.

First of all, thank you for your comments. Although I got some hate comments calling me a bad mom and a failure, it was nice to see people supported me. It gave strength to know I am was not making a bad decision. So now on to the update. My son emailed me and said he wants to talk to me. I thought I should have a long conversation with him, but I made some ground rules. He is not allowed to criticize or call anyone any names like the last time and will be

civil when I am talking. He agreed. He came to my house yesterday during noon. My husband was off to work and my daughter was in her room. He sat down and there were moments of awkward silence. He asked me how I was. And we had small talk. I asked him about his wife and that's when he started to cry, not ugly crying, just few tears. I can tell he is not doing well. I sat beside him and told him he can tell me he tells me everything. He tells me that he is sorry for how he reacted. He understands why I might be ashamed of him. He later tells me his marriage is not going well, that his wife is no way near as good as Ruth was. Ruth took care all of his needs and loved him. Yet he treated Ruth like trash. He is constantly fighting with his new wife. He knew he fucked up a lot. He learned that the last

time he visited his daughter and she kept referring John as her dad. Bob tried to make her say the word dad, and she screamed at him by saying, You are not my dad. He saw how much happy Ruth was with another man, and he realized what he has lost. I asked him, would you have missed Ruth? If your wife did those same things for you, like Ruth did. He was silent. I further told him, it seems to me that he only kept Ruth in his life because he used her to

fulfill his needs. I explained to him about my relationship with his father. We were with each other, not because I fulfilled his needs. We were with each other because we loved each other. And that love didn't stop when one person was at the most vulnerable and weak. But he, my son, left Ruth when she was vulnerable and needed him the most. His needs were fulfilled when Ruth was just a housewife working a small job. But as soon as she has no need, he discarded her. It really hit him hard as he was sobbing. He said that he knows he was a S-H-T-Y person, but he was manipulated by that B, T-C-H. He said that about his wife. To be honest, I lost my cool and yelled, he should stop blaming other people for his mistake. It was his decision to cheat. It was his decision to leave Ruth. It was his decision to abandon his

daughter. He cannot run away from his responsibilities and wonder why nobody is taking his side. Moreover, he hasn't learned anything from his mistakes because he is still calling his wife file names. This is the same girl she claimed is better than Ruth. He had a choice not to cheat. He could have pushed her away when she tried to seduce him, but he didn't because in his mind, he made this fantasy that Ruth doesn't care about him because all she ever wanted was to complete her education. I raised him better than this. He is not just insulting my upbringing. He is also insulting his own father. And he will only cease suffering in his life unless he takes full accountability of his actions. He told me he knows I was disappointed at him and he wants to make

things right. He is trapped in a bad marriage because God is punishing him for how he treated his daughter and ex-wife. I told him if he wants to be a good man, he should start by apologizing to Ruth and become cordial with his daughter. I also gave him a reality check that his daughter already sees John as her dad. So I have doubts she would start calling him dad anytime soon, but he should at least try. I told him to apologize to his sister as well. If he is really miserable in his marriage, he should get a divorce or try counseling. Whatever decision he makes, I will support him, but that does not mean I will forgive his wife because she has also did Ruth wrong. unless she makes an apology to Ruth.

I don't think I can see her as a decent person. Lastly, I told him that even though I am very much disappointed in him, I still love him. I will always guide him to what is right. He will always be my son, but this is his chance to be a better man. I believe in second chances this time. I hope he cleans up his act. I am proud of him that he acknowledges his wrongdoings. comments

Op Do your son a favor, get some therapy recommendations for him and hand him the list on things like this. One doesn't just clean up his act that is vague and doesn't tell him how to do it. We need to do what the pull yourself up by the bootstraps mentality when it comes to stuff like this. If he wants to do the work to improve his relationship with his daughter, she can have two dads, frankly speaking, he has to work on himself. Op replies. I told him he should get therapy if he needs money for that. I will give it to him, but he does need therapy, but about his daughter, I still have hope.

Bob said he has tried to be there for his daughter, but his daughter still wants John as her dad. He has to start with baby steps. He can arrange the custody with Ruth or simply make full use of his visitations. I feel like I am cheating on my now husband with my dead husband, February 27, 2023. This is my throwaway. I will delete it soon. It's been 22 years since my husband died in an accident. I remember in his last moments, he was doing fine. He was too weak to speak, but still managed to say that he loves me and he loves his kids. Me and my late husband have this thing where we would write a letter to each other once a year and it has to be handwritten. In his last letter,

he mentioned death. He said if death comes, then I should remember that he loves me with all his heart and he doesn't have any regrets. I guess he somehow knew this would be his last letter. I still have that letter. I still have a place for him in my heart. He was not just my husband. He is also the father of my kids. How can I forget him? Just like that. I didn't date for a long time, mainly because I focused on raising my two kids. but also because I couldn't find anyone even comparable to my husband. I met my now husband when my daughter was 15. My son was also 18 and in college. He is sweet, kind, gentle and funny.

He always has this positive outlook on life. After a long time, I had this butterfly in my stomach kind of feeling. I fell in love with him. We got married after dating for four years. My husband is also a widower. He also has kids who are a little older than my kids and left the nest early. I have built a second home with my husband. I am happy.

I love this man and I want nothing more than to enjoy his company as much as I can. But lately I've been going through some personal stuff with my son. It made me miss my late husband even more. His stuff is still in my basement. I couldn't have the heart to throw it all out. I still have his camera, his pocket watch, the Rubik's cube he liked to solve, his books, and most importantly, his letters. I miss him so much, but sometimes I feel like I am doing unfair to my husband. He is such a good man.

I feel like I am cheating on him. I know it is not possible, but still. I try my best to not think about him, but I do. It's hard not to. Am I cheating? Is this normal? I don't want to keep my husband in dark. I care about him.

I respect him. He doesn't deserve a wife who cheats. Final update, Ada for going to my ex-Dill's wedding, March 28, 2023. Hello folks. Thanks for showing me a lot of love and support. I am really overwhelmed with it. It has been a month since my last post. Things are fine now.

I will be giving updates from our service. slash marriage post too. Well, first of all, my daughter moved out from my house. She was living with us along with her fiancé to save money to buy their own place. I am happy for her. The house just feels empty without her, but I will get over it. About my post on marriage subreddit. I talked to my husband about my feelings towards my late husband. He was surprisingly fine. He told me he understands that I miss him. Sometimes he misses his dead wife too. He still keeps a picture of her with him. I don't mind it. He further told me that the pain we both went through is something no one would understand and he doesn't feel like I am betraying him by missing my dead husband. He was my family and it is normal to miss family.

I'm glad I had this talk with him. I fell in love with him even more. Ruth and John are doing fine. She announced that they are expecting a child together and Ruth asked me to be the godmother. I am really overwhelmed and happy for them, though I still don't know whether I should be her kid's godmother or not. Now on to my son. He has decided to separate from his wife. I guess his marriage has problems and he is trying to sort it out on his own. He is in therapy.

I support him in his journey. Things between my granddaughter and him are still a bit sour, but I'm helping as a middleman. He talked to Ruth about change in custody, but she said no, because given how he has treated her in past couple of years, she doesn't trust him. I know Bob is sad, but I assured him he shouldn't give up now. He should still fulfill his duty as a dad. He meets my granddaughter at my house. Right now they are playing snakes and ladders in my living room. My son has been really trying to be a better version of himself and I support that. I hope in future things will improve for him. Thank you so much for helping a mother out here. I know if I ever have any issues

I cannot solve, I can always count on the kind people of Reddit. I hope you enjoy this story. My former partner and former close friend were unfaithful and conceived a child 15 years ago, a fact that my relatives concealed from me. I departed from my residence and severed ties with them. Presently, my mother is, wants me to reconcile with them. 15 years ago my, then 18F, best friend, 18F, got pregnant by my boyfriend, 20M, of three years, and my family knew about it but didn't tell me so I ran from home. Now we are back in contact after 15 years in my, 33F, mom, 59F, demands I mend my relationship with the XBF and XBFF.

This is a long story that really started some 15 years ago. It really impacted my, 30s. 23F, life, so please bear with me. When I was 18 and in my senior year of high school I really believed my life was on a good track. I lived with with with my parents and four siblings, 23M, 22m, 20F, 14F, and spent most of my days hanging out with my best friend Ashley, 18F, and or my boyfriend of three years, Kyle, 20M. Both Ashley's and Kyle's parents were best friends with my parent, so I knew both of them since we were in diapers. We spent holidays together, birthdays and visited each other all the time as we lived in the same town. Ashley's been my friend for 18 years and she truly was the person I trusted with everything.

Sometimes our parents would joke that we are connected by the hip as we were together all the time. I've been dating Kyle for the last three years. I believed he was the love of my life and the one I would eventually marry. We were quite serious and even talked about getting married after he finished college. He was a sophomore at that point, although I had every plan on going to university. I was quite content with the idea of being married to Kyle and being a stay-at-home mom. My parents loved Kyle and supported our relationship. I really was happy.

I think I should note here that my sister 20F was also dating Kyle's brother 23M and that all our siblings were very close. One day, at the beginning of the school year, I noticed that Ashley was being very melancholic and detached. After a while of prodding, she told me she was pregnant. I was very surprised because I didn't know she and her boyfriend broke up a while ago and I didn't know she had anyone else like that in her life. I asked her who the father was and she didn't want to talk about it, but in a way implied that the ex was the father. She was absolutely distraught, so I dropped the topic and just consoled her. I was with her when she told her family and while her parents were disappointed, they promised to support her and whatever she decides.

They tried to make her share the dad's name, but she refused and made me promise to stay quiet. They did not know she had a boyfriend at one point. I was there for her for the next nine months. I went with her for an ultrasound, Doc's appointments. I was there for her when she was bullied in school for being pregnant. I helped her set up the nursery. I was there when she was sick or just felt down. I held a baby shower for her, went shopping with her.

I even took some parenting classes with her. We chose names together and she even asked me to be with her in the delivery room. I noticed that the pregnancy was really taking a toll on her emotionally and physically and I tried to support her in every way possible. She was my best friend, always there for me and I loved her. Some two weeks before her due date I went to the mall to run some errands and ran into her ex, although I promised never to contact her. The knowledge of my friend's emotional state sent me. into a fit of anger and I confronted him. I gave him a piece of my mind, told him what a piece

of shit he was for leaving his ex pregnant and alone and not caring for his unborn child. He was shocked and said that he had no idea what I was talking about. Ashley never told him about the pregnancy and when I told him she was nine months pregnant at the time, he said that it was not possible for him to be the father as they broke up over a year ago and had no relations since then. I was confused but apologized for yelling at him in the middle of the mall. After that, he became snarky, said some nasty stuff, and mentioned that maybe I should ask Ashley's friend Kyle if he is the daddy. I didn't really think about his words in any way. Kyle and Ashley have been friends their entire lives, we were always very close, because of our parents' relationship, but they never showed any sign of being anything more.

That evening my younger sister, 14F, and I were preparing to have a movie night. I began ranting to her about confronting Ashley's ex and his words. My sister, who is usually very outspoken, got quiet and didn't really respond to anything I said. After a while, she excused herself and went to the bathroom. I decided to go and get some snack and went downstairs to the kitchen and heard younger sister berating my mother. This part of my memory is really fuzzy as I was dealing with lots of emotions. My sister told my mom about me running into Ashley's exes. X in his words and told my mom she no longer wanted to hide from me the fact that Kyle was

Ashley's baby's father. I was shocked, absolutely shocked. I stumbled into the kitchen and demanded an explanation. Both my mom and my sister became white as a sheet when they saw me and my sister started crying her eyes out. My sister explained to me, some things I also learned from other people later. That appeared during the end of the summer break Kyle and Ashley attended the same house party, got drunk, and slept together. Ashley got pregnant and told Kyle but they were both ashamed and afraid of telling me. They also didn't share this with their parents. Ashley, however, couldn't keep the secret and told her mom and dad, who told Kyle's parents and later to mine as well. This all happened when Ashley was in her first trimester. By her second trimester all of my

siblings, Kyle's and Ashley's siblings knew about this. Everyone, except for me, I have I simply cannot explain the way I felt. I was physically ill for the next three days and I couldn't speak to anyone. My parents were apologetic but explained that they didn't want to see me hurt or ruin everyone's relationship. I did not speak with Kyle or Ashley. Although they bombarded my phone with messages and calls and also came to my house, I refused to see them. At one point Kyle's mom came to our house and my mom allowed her into my room.

While I was lying in my bed still ill and just a moment, emotionally drained from the betrayal she tried to convince me to forgive them and how Ashley and the baby need me, I said nothing. Two weeks later Ashley went into labor. I learned from my parents that she had a hard delivery. She lost a lot of blood and needed an emergency C-section. Kyle apparently was at the birth. I was distraught, inconsolable, because of the betrayal by both, because I planned to be there and now physically and emotionally couldn't, because I was looking forward to this moment for months. Sue many reasons. My older sister immediately went to the hospital to be with her boyfriend. My other siblings weren't at home, so I was left alone with my parents. All I wanted was to lay in my bed or cuddle in my bed with my mom and cry all my feelings out. My mom received a call from Ashley's mom. She came to my room and told me that she and dad were going to the hospital.

Eichen was perplexed and asked her to stay with me. She said that Ashley's parents. need all the support they can get and that we will discuss everything later. I tried to tell her not to go and that I also need their support, but she said not to be selfish and they left. I was left alone at the house and I just couldn't comprehend what happened in the last few weeks. I couldn't believe that my parent would go and support someone who hurt me so much while I was also here suffering.

Am I really selfish to think like that? I don't know when, but my sadness turned into rage, the kind I never experienced before. In a fit of combined emotions and feelings of betrayal, I started packing my bags and decided to leave home. It didn't take a while, but I started having second thoughts and just sat in the living room feeling empty. After a while, I received a text from my sister. The text said that Ashley gave birth to a healthy girl and that they were both okay. She attached a pick of the newborn and told me they named her Sarah, the name Ashley and I chose some month ago.

She sent a second text a while later, telling me that my parents and she were going to join Ashley's and Kyle's parents and going to a bar in the town to celebrate. I don't remember much after that. I think I was just consumed by everything and my memory is very foggy. I left. I took a train and left. I stayed at a hostel in Phoenix for a while. I got a job at a store and planned to finish high school there. My parents, siblings, Kyle, and Ashley tried to contact me.

My mom was sending me a panicked voicemail, demanding me to come back. They also reported me as a missing person, but I don't think it went anywhere as I was 18. Anyway, soon afterward I met Dean, 21M. He also lived in Phoenix and had a complicated relationship with his family. We really connected and became friends soon. He helped me a lot at that time. I struggled. I had no idea how to take care of myself or how to literally be an adult. He introduced me to his group of friends, helped me finish high school, I moved in with him and his friends.

He helped me deal with my pain, I really struggled at one point and also had some regrets. I wanted to see a therapist, but I most definitely couldn't afford it. He was there for me and supported me through everything and I don't think I would have lasted long without him. We began dating after a year. He inherited some money from his grandpa and decided to move across the country to the big city. Although we weren't together for long, he asked me to go with him. I was a bit reluctant because we both had a lot of emotional baggage and I was still very insecure in my situation. But I did go. We moved, got jobs, and tried to survive. Soon after my 21 birthday, we decided to get married. It was a crazy.

spontaneous decision, but we did it. I enrolled in university and Dean helped me pay for it. He himself opened a company that took off and we were able to live more comfortably. I was in uni and also worked a part-time job to contribute. We had our ups and downs but somehow survived. After uni, I started working in his company and we slowly built it up. When I look back now, I don't think I was in love with Dean when we got married. I loved him, But I wasn't in love, but he was there for me, always, unconditionally and today I don't think I could love him more. He is the love of my life. We've been married for 12 years now and we have a two-year-old son and a six-month-old son. Sometimes I regretted leaving my family behind,

but I just couldn't go back. It was very painful. I felt like my parent chose Ashley and Kyle over me. I did go to a therapist when I was 25 and tried to deal with my emotions. Last year, at the beginning of the pandemic I received an email from a 14-year-old girl named Evelyn. She explained that she was my niece, my older sisters and Kyle's brother's kid. She knew about me and wanted to meet me. Although I was reluctant to speak to her, we did exchange some emails. Let me note that she did not know what transpired 15 years ago, so the conversations were pretty innocent. We talked about her school, interest, and she talked about my family.

I learned I had 10 nieces and nephews. I also learned that Kyle married Ashley four years after I left and had two sons beside Sarah. My parents continued to have a friendship with Kyle's and Ashley's family and to me, it really felt like my family continued their normal life, despite me being gone. She tried to talk to me about what happened, but I didn't really think it was my place to explain things to her, so I simply said that relationships change and things happen in life that make us go our separate ways. We continued talking ever so often for almost a year. In her email, this January she expressed how the pandemic had a big effect on her entire family and how my parents were struggling to keep their house and both my brothers lost their jobs and struggled to keep up with the cost. I was surprised at her knowledge of this as she was only 14, but the hardship was also causing tensions between her parents. I started to deal with a lot of guilty feelings and regrets.

I also just had my baby so that was causing me. lots of emotions. I talked to my husband and he was very supportive and told me that he would be there for me for whatever I decide. We are financially stable and the pandemic didn't have a great impact on our finances. We are not rich but are able to live comfortably. After learning some more details and talking with Dean, we decided to help my parent with their house. A week ago we flew back to my home state. I saw my family for the first time in 15 years. I had so many emotions, regrets, pains from the past, feelings of betrayal. My parent was, I think, relieved to see me. It was just such a weird day. We had a lengthy conversation and agreed to try and have some sort

of cordial relationship. It's been so long and I am very awkward with them. Sometimes they feel like strangers. Dean and I spent a week there and we continued to have a conversation and I truly believed that we were on a path to having a friendly yet distant relationship, but that my mom started insisting I have a sit-down conversation with Kyle and Ashley. She explained that she wants to go back to the way things were. I told her I refused to talk to them. Although I moved on, I simply have no ties with them now and don't want to rehash anything with them. I told her I am prepared to try and establish a relationship with them as they are my family. And I truly came to care for my niece, anything to do with Kyle, Ashley, or their family. I never demanded them to cease their relationship

with their friends, but I don't want one. Dean supports me. My mom called me selfishly and said that I simply must try and heal our relationship. I told her I will not negotiate and that it's on her to decide whether or not she wants to have a relationship with me. She said okay. But two days later I received a phone call from Kyle's mom. I did not give her my number, and she demanded, yes, demanded, I talked with Kyle and Ashley as my return caused tensions in their relationship and their emotional health. I hung up. I called my mom and confronted her. Apparently, she gave that woman my number to heal our family bonds. I told her that she is choosing them over me again. She cried and yelled at me that I am selfish and that she just wants her family back. I

hung up. It's been days since I spoke to any of them, although my mom and Kyle's mom keep on calling. Although I think I am right and I believe I should prioritize my well-being and the well-being and happiness of my husband, who has been behind me 100% and even told my mom off, and my sons, I am starting to have some regrets. I don't know if I should listen to my mom and speak to Ashley and Kyle. I question whether I was overreacting 15 years ago. I am questioning whether I am truly being selfish for not actively trying to repair the relationship. I would really appreciate any advice or opinion on what to do in this situation. Suddenly I am questioning the entire course of my life. I am so lost and I don't know what to do. Update two years later April 15, 23.

My gosh, it's been two years since I posted this. A lot of people have been asking me for an update. First of all, I want to thank all of the wonderful people who have been sending me updates and lovely messages. I'm truly grateful. A lot of things have happened in the last few years not all great, without making these 100 pages long. I never mentioned my little sister in my original post. Her relationship with my parents went downhill after I left home, and she went no contact with them when she was 20. I received her number from our older sister and although. It was awkward at first. It's been 15 years. after all, we did start speaking again, she was very angry at me for leaving. A lot has happened in her life, and it wasn't the easiest. She has a toddler and a baby of her own and I have to say that the kids have helped us bond again. She's my best friend and we talk every day. As for my other siblings,

I'm in regular contact with both my brothers, although we aren't close, my older sister and I have a good relationship now, but last year we've had a longer period of not speaking. As she is, she is married to Kyle's brother it was hard for her to deal with all our and their family drama, we are cool now and I have a lovely relationship with my nieces and nephews. I didn't go to my niece's birthday party, it just seemed like it would be too hard for me. Now to my parents. This one is a little painful for me to write and at the time it felt like I was reliving all those shitty emotions I had at 18. My mom didn't let up with her pestering over me not talking with Kyle and Ashley. Her calls for that continued for months, even after I was home

again. It bordered on emotional blackmail. She blamed me for not honoring her wishes for her friendship problems, and health problems and even accused me of keeping her grandbabies from her. Last June I had my daughter and it seems like that sent her completely over the rail. What I mean by that? 100 plus calls a day, messages every 20 minutes to pester me about random things, sending me updates about people I never want to know about when she started pestering Dean. I was done. I was afraid to block her, so I spoke to my father. This was probably the first time in the last 17 years that we had a true heart-to-heart conversation.

I was emotionally drained, tired from caring for three children, and just over everything. I've probably poured all my feeling and emotions onto him that I don't know what happened to them afterward. He doesn't speak much about it. Her calls slowly see stand. Something else must have happened because in August he filed for a divorce. My father and I are in regular contact, although I don't think we'll ever be back to normal. Mom is devastated.

In August her calls became insane and apparently not just with me. I've changed my number since then and as of February, she has not been able to reach me. I've been told by one of my brothers that she has problems with anxiety and depression, and lost a lot of friends. I don't really know whether or not she continues to have a relationship with Kyle and Ashley's family. I don't want to have anything to do with her anymore, nor do I want her near my kids. The thing she said to me, about me and about my husband, whom she really doesn't know, and after 15 years of no contact is crazy, although I regret not having a mom I feel like trying and fighting to repair the little remnants of our relationship would be a waste of my emotional energy and just

pure torture. As for Kyle and Ashley, I've received some calls from Kyle's mom as I mentioned in my original post. I blocked her and no other calls have been received from anyone. I really don't know what they are doing or where they are. I've had no contact with them. The only thing that really happened is that. In August when shit went downhill my bill, Kyle's brother, brought me a letter apparently written by Ashley.

I've not opened it and I really don't know if I want to. I feel like I've moved on from them, but on the other hand, I'm curious as to what she has to say after so many years, that in itself could bring back bad emotions. I'm doing okay now with my babies and Dean, who is a real trooper in all of this. I'm trying to focus on my family, and I really hope that this is all behind me.

To all of you. Thank you, again, if anything, else happens I'll try to update sooner. New update. Update May 2nd, 21, 23. Dear everyone. I have no idea if anyone will. see this, but during the last few months since I posted my update, I have received many messages with advice and words of support. I have no way of thanking you but know that your words truly

mean a lot to me. I try to reply to everyone, but it sometimes takes me a while. A lot of questions have been asked in these messages and I can't answer them all at this time. I plan on updating soon, just to quickly answer the most common ones. I have not read the letter yet, soon after updating, started therapy again and Dean and I decided that it would be best if I gave the letter to my therapist and let him decide when and if I am ever ready to read it. I have not spoken to my mom since the update. I've received messages on Facebook from her and Ashley's mom, which is a first, the latter I didn't even read, I've since deactivated my Facebook for the time being. Neither Kyle nor Ashley tried to contact me via any social media. The only thing I know is that

Kyle was asking my bill for my address or number, but Bill refused them. That's when Ashley him the letter, Bill is in no contact with his family ATM. They are separated as per my bill, but he does not know whether they are divorced or not. Last week my dad was in town, he does not know my address and has never been to my house. For the first time in almost two decades, we had an open, honest conversation, I have to admit it was a lot and I was not good for a few days afterwards, but it was necessary. I learned a lot about my mom. A lot of you tried to imply there must have been something in her past to make her the way she is, and the time between them learning Ashley was pregnant and my return two years ago, it's a lot to unpack and I'll probably

be in therapy for a long time, it's a lot really, so I'll have to write a separate update. Forward slash forward slash also, my little sister, she was not at fault and I never blamed her for hiding the secret from me. She was a teen and she knew it was wrong, but she was put under a lot of pressure by our mom. After I left her life was hell and our mom was insufferable and blamed her for a lot of things. Again, thank you for your words of support and encouragement. Lots of you sent words for Dean as well and he has read them. You are right. He is the best and I probably would not have been where I am today without him. Please appreciate your families. If they are there for you and good and bad of course. Call your parents and sibling and tell them how much you love them.

In moments like this, we realize how much we undervalue the good people in our lives. Thank you and I hope you are all well. Forward slash forward slash. I hope you enjoy this story. Spouse used $25,000 from our joint account to buy a present for his sibling. When I brought it up, he insulted me and suggested I find employment. A fortnight afterward he's begging for my help. My husband Peter, 33M, and I, 30F, have been married for three years and before that, we had been together for three years too.

I've known his family for almost six years and I've gotten along with most of them except for his sister Lucy, 27F. Brad is usually a word reserved for younger kids who tend to act out a lot when they don't get their way, but I think it fits pretty well for Lucy as well. She's the youngest of three kids and the only daughter, so I guess that's why her parents have always spoiled her and to a certain extent, so we have our brothers. But as an adult, her father and my brother-in-law don't really treat her all that differently anymore, but I can't say the same for her mother and my husband. I get along decently with my mother-in-law most of the time and I love my husband, but the two of them are mostly responsible for the spoiled way that she still acts.

When I met her for the first time, she didn't like me right off the bat because I did not treat her any differently from the rest of the family, but I didn't think I should have had to. Anyway, since then, she has never been nice to me and has always had a very weird attitude when she's around me. The sad thing is that it doesn't even bother me because I know that she's a brat and a grown woman who cannot handle not being the center of attention everywhere. I don't think I need her approval in the first place so I've never tried to be her friend. Peter doesn't like this, and he has tried to tell me that I should at least make some effort to befriend her several times, but I've never paid attention to it and after we got married, he stopped trying. But he has always

treated his sister like a princess and I've never had an issue with it until recently. So far, it was only his behavior through which he was spoiling her by validating her all the time, even when she would do something wrong and always prioritizing her over everything else. And occasionally, he would splurge a little on her, but that was a pretty reasonable amount and he would never go overboard. But two weeks ago, at her birthday party, he gave her a present worth $25,000 and that's where I draw the line. It was a stunning jewelry set that she had been talking about for weeks and had told him that she

was saving up money for it. So he decided to give it to her as her older brother to make her day and not even for a second did he consider the fact that financially, we were not in a position to be just giving out such expensive gifts from luxury brands. He hadn't discussed it with me earlier, which I think he really should have because it's a huge amount and what's worse is that he had withdrawn that amount from our joint savings account. After he gave her that gift at her birthday party and everyone started going crazy over it, I had to pull him aside for a second because I was really confused about what was going on since earlier. We had decided that we were just going to give her a normal gift and that's what I had brought along. He explained to me that he had been assigned a pretty big project with an extremely prestigious client at work and that meant a big fat check as an advance and he had deposited that in the joint savings account. But a few days after that, Lucy started talking about the jewelry said that she wanted and he just knew that he had to get it for her. So he decided to make a withdrawal from the account and purchase that set for her so he could give it to her as a present on her birthday and he told me that the rest of the payment for the project that he had taken.

taken on would come through in a couple of months, so it didn't matter that he had splurged a little right now. I thought it was strange that I hadn't received any notifications from the bank since I had alert set up for every transaction and my husband confessed to me that the day that he had deposited the check at the bank, he had come home and while I was sleeping. He had disabled all text alerts from the bank from the app and he knows that I don't really check my email very often, so he knew that he was safe and I wouldn't find out. He told me that he had initially done it because he wanted me to be surprised when he told me about the project, but after that, when he decided to use some of the money from the advance payment to buy that present for Lucy, he thought that it

would be best that I wasn't notified by the bank, so he did not enable those alerts again. I thought that this was very dishonest and disrespectful to me and had been feeling quite annoyed while he was explaining all of this to me. So once he was done talking, I told him that this was absolutely unacceptable behavior and that I did not appreciate the fact that he had purchased such an expensive gift for his sister without even consulting me first. Especially considering the fact that the money that he had withdrawn had been from our joint savings account and it was supposed to be for both our futures, not just him. After marriage, when we had made that account, we had decided that we were not going to touch

any of that money until we had a baby because this was for the future and both of us had honored that agreement until recently. When I confronted him about all of this, and I told him that I was not happy with this decision, he got really nasty with me and he told me that I didn't have any siblings, so he didn't expect me to understand what he was doing. He also said that Lucy was really important to him and as her older brother, he could give her as many expensive gifts as he wanted to, and I had no right to stand in the way of that. I tried to argue with him, telling him that we had already agreed that we were going to start trying for a baby by the end of this year so we had to save money for that, and as his wife, I had every right to talk about our finances if I thought he was going overboard. But then he said something really mean and called me a stupid and irrational housewife who was just jealous of my sister-in-law and told me to get a job so I wouldn't waste his time and energy by creating drama about such petty stuff. Then he went back to the party and left me standing all by myself in a corner and I had to try really hard to hold back my tears while I walked to the car and started driving back home.

Once I was inside the car, I drove a little farther away, and then I finally broke down. While crying, I called my parents up and I asked them if they would be okay with having me stay with them for a couple of days because I just needed to get away from Peter. What he had said about me just being a housewife and needing to get a job really got under my skin because I had only been a sue for the past four months. I had to quit my previous job because I wasn't getting the kind of opportunities that I wanted and I felt like my potential was being wasted there. I had spent quite some time there and had been feeling trapped, so after some discussion with Peter, I decided to quit and he knew that I was going to do this. At the time, he had been very supportive of it and had told me to go for it because he said that I had better employment opportunities in store for me, given my talent and dedication.

I had been looking for job opportunities to my taste for the past four months but hadn't been able to find anything that really appealed to me, so I still kept looking because I didn't want to waste my time at another dead-end job. In the meantime, I had taken over all the household chores because I didn't want to sit at home uselessly so I guess I was a housewife, but just because I was in between jobs at the moment. And I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with being a housewife, but the way that he said it, that was obviously meant to insult me. Even when I had quit my job, we had decided that he was still going to keep putting aside a share of his income for the savings account and once I started working again, I would resume as well.

But, just because I had told him that I didn't appreciate him buying expensive gifts for Lucy, especially when we were not even sure if we could afford them yet or not, he had turned the entire situation around on me and made me feel terrible about things that he himself encouraged initially. The fact that he had insulted me because of money made me feel terrible and after the party, I drove back home, packed some of my things, and moved in with my parents. Since then, I have been living here because he refuses to acknowledge that he did something wrong and apologizes for it. He had reached out to me the day after the party and told me that

he really wanted to make this marriage work, but he's not going to apologize because he didn't think that he did anything wrong by giving his sister a gift. He also told me that the reason he had said all those things was because he was really annoyed with me and he knew that he had taken things too far, but I had been the one provoking him on purpose, especially since I knew that his family was his weakness, but I just kept triggering him. But I didn't care, I told him that I was going to stand my ground, and that I was not coming back home until he apologized, and since then, we had been arguing back and forth for quite some time. Two weeks have passed since then and I've been miserable, but at least my parents have been by my side. He hadn't even been here to see me,

we had only been talking on the phone and through texts. However, last evening, he showed up in person and told me that it was an emergency and that he absolutely needed to talk to me. My parents were not exactly happy to see him, but they still allowed him to enter and we had a chat in the living room, where he told me that I was right about everything and he had been a total jerk. So he had come to apologize to me for it and also to ask for my help because something happened at work and now, he needed to return all the money that he had received. Apparently, his company had lost the project and the client had made a deal with another company. So now, according to the contract, they had to return any advance payment that they had received in full, and as we all know, he had already spent $25,000 of that payment on a gift for his sister. While he had been at work, his boss had told him all about it and demanded that he clear the payment

by the end of the week. He was in big trouble now because before he came to me, he had gone to his sister's house and told Lucy about the situation that he was in. And with a heavy heart, he had to ask her to return the gift to him and since he still had the receipt, he could get his money back. She hadn't had any occasion to wear it yet, so it was still unused but in true Lucy fashion, she refused. I don't think anybody who has known her is going to be surprised by this because she has always been a spoiled and selfish brat and this was exactly what I expected from her. But for whatever reason, Peter was surprised, and while telling me what Lucy had said, I could see that he really hadn't seen this coming, which just speaks volume.

about how naive and blind he had been. Apparently, Lucy had told him that she already felt very emotionally attached to that gift and she was really sorry. But she couldn't return it to him and even when Peter requested her to understand his situation, she started throwing a temper tantrum and told him that once he had already gifted her something, he couldn't take it back and asked him to go away after they got into an argument over this. Then, he decided to call his parents, and while his father was at least sympathetic with him, his mother told him outright that he had no business asking for his gift back, and that Lucy was

right, she was not obliged to return it to him. They told him to figure out another solution on his own and left it at that. After that, he even reached out to his younger brother out of desperation, but my brother-in-law straight up refused to get involved. So when nobody from his family had come to his rescue, he had decided to come to me with nowhere else to go. All of a sudden, he had a conscience and he felt like he needed to talk to me, which he obviously did because he had nobody else on his side right now. He told me that now, he would have to dip into our savings for another $25,000 so he could clear the payment by the end of the week or else he would be in big trouble at work and might even get fired and he couldn't afford that. Peter also said that he could have easily

withdrawn the money beforehand and then told me about it after it was already done, but because he wanted to be honest with me and show me how sincere he was about his apology. He had decided to approach me before he did any of that so he would have my consent since it was money that belonged to both of us. I could tell that he was just grasping at straws because he didn't want to lose me, but he also didn't want to lose his money so, he had come to me, pretending as if he was really sorry about what had happened. So I told him that since he had screwed up personally, the $25,000 that he needed to return would have to come out of his own pockets and not from our joint savings. I also told him that he hadn't been doing me a favor by coming to me and

telling me about his intentions of withdrawing another huge sum of money from our joint account just so he could cover up his own mistakes. I would have found out about it eventually because this time, the bank would definitely notify me since I had enabled the alerts again and I was not staying with him, so he couldn't disable it without my knowledge. The only reason he was even apologizing to me right now was because he felt guilty since I had been right about everything, especially about Lucy, and since nobody from his family was on his side. He needed me to be there for him. I told him that he was an extremely selfish man and that I did not have any intention of agreeing to his plan of withdrawing the money from our savings. He had to use his personal savings

for it because he was the one who had messed up. And if he was really sorry, then he would not argue with me, but he still continued to fight with me and told me that he was the one who had been saving money all on his own for the past couple of months and I hadn't been able to make a single contribution because I hadn't even been working. So just to make things fair, I should have agreed to his terms, but I was being unreasonable and he told me that as his wife, I should stand by him in such difficult time since he had ended up in a fight with his family and has also lost a huge project on the same day. I just reminded him of what he had said to me and he had insulted me on purpose the other day at the party and then I told him that I had behaved with him in the same way

and put him down like that. He wouldn't have thought twice before filing for a divorce, but at least I was still trying to make it work and giving him a chance to fix things because I loved him. And to defend himself, he couldn't come up with anything valid so he just started yelling about how money isn't everything and that I should think about his feelings in a situation right now as well instead of being just as selfish as his family. I literally laughed out loud when he said that money wasn't everything because if it wasn't, then why not sacrifice your own money instead of our joint savings? He had no answer for that so I told him that ultimately, it was his call what he wanted to do since technically, I couldn't stop him from using the money from our savings account.

But I had made up my mind about what I wanted to do when I was going to speak to a lawyer the next day and put an end to all of this. I was done being pushed around and made to feel bad about myself, so I told him that I was no longer willing to fight for our marriage anymore. When I implied that I was going to speak to a lawyer and file for divorce, he completely lost it and started screaming at me, telling me that I was being selfish and unreasonable. Then, From yelling at me, he went to just screaming in general about how everything was unfair and how everyone was letting him down in ways that he didn't even know were possible. At that point, I felt kind of bad for him because he had lost a huge project at work that day, then his family had let him down, and after that, when he came to me to feel better, I also told him that I was not going to be there for him anymore. Needless to say, his day was not going very well, and he started having a breakdown in the living room.

At that moment, I really didn't know what to say or do for him because on one hand, I felt terrible, but on the other hand, I couldn't forget the insult. So I just ended up standing there quietly for a few minutes before going to his side, patting him on the back, and telling him that everything was going to be fine eventually, but he needed to pull himself together. I tried to be as kind as possible, but in my head, I had already made up my mind that I was going to leave him, and I was firm about it. A couple of minutes later, once he was done having a breakdown, he just abruptly got up and left without even saying goodbye.

After he left, I called up our family lawyer and explained the situation to him and he put me in touch with a divorce attorney late at night and on the phone call itself, we decided to meet today and within this week, we are going to file for a divorce. I was pretty sure about everything until this morning, but then I received a text from Peter, saying that he was sorry about everything and that he was going to pay the $25,000 out of a divorce. his own pocket and not use our savings. He told me that he hadn't been thinking straight last evening and he had been a complete mess because he had lost a big project, which is why he had ended up acting out like that. But he really wanted to make it work with me and he knew that I loved him and he loved me too, so he wanted to give us one final chance and wanted me to consider it as well. So now, I'm suddenly having second thoughts about getting a divorce from him because I do love him, but I know that right now, leaving him would be the best choice for me.

But for him, it might lead to another breakdown and I don't know what to do. I defer wanting to leave my husband when he's already going through a rough patch. Update 1. For days have passed since I posted and I decided to go through with the divorce and told my lawyer that I wanted to file the petition. It was not an easy decision to make for me because I genuinely used to think that Peter was my soulmate. But in light of recent events, I don't think I can go on pretending to believe that because it's obviously not true. If it had been, he never would have said the things that he said, and no matter how hard I try, I just can't get it out of my head. His behavior recently has been

terrible and I'm not the kind of woman who is going to put up with this just because I love him and he needs to realize that. Maybe there are better people than me with bigger hearts who would be willing to forgive in such situations, but that is not me and I feel really sorry for us, both of us, since neither of us had wanted things to end this way, but it is what it is. After the message that Peter had sent me a few days ago, I didn't reply to it for a couple of days but yesterday, I told him that I was really sorry, but I had decided that I was going to go through with the divorce because I couldn't be with him anymore. Even if I wanted to, things would never go back to the same way that they were before all of this took place. And maybe it was better for both of us to try and move on because clearly, neither of us were happy with each other anymore. I told him that I hoped that he would understand and then I blocked him because I didn't want to.

hear back from him again because this is quite difficult for me as it is. I didn't want it to get worse. I've been miserable but, thankfully, my parents have been very supportive and they think that I'm doing the right thing for myself. I don't know if it's the right thing for Peter, but that's his lookout now. Update 2 so Peter was served with the divorce papers today, almost five days after we filed the petition and he came over in the evening. He had a bunch of bags with him and when I opened the door to him, he told me that he had packed all my things that I had left behind in the house and brought them all to me because I would probably be needing them. I could tell that he was very upset and had probably been crying in the car before he came here, but I didn't want to discuss it because that would just make things unnecessarily awkward and difficult.

But he wanted to talk about it, so while I was bringing the bags inside, he asked me how we managed to go from planning a baby a couple of weeks ago to getting divorced now and I honestly did not know how to answer that. I still tried, though, and I told him that he had been quite unkind to me, and by the time he realized that I was right, it was way too late for us to fix things. He tried telling me that it was not too late, since the divorce had only been filed, and it hadn't actually been finalized. We could still try couples counseling and try to make it work, but I shut it down instantly. For couples counseling to work, both of us would have to be willing to try and make it work and I wasn't willing to do that anymore. I had kept my dignity and self-respect several times in the past, but I wasn't willing to do that anymore because, at some point, you just started feeling like a push over and a complete doormat. And just because I loved him, it did not give him the right to walk all over me and not expect me to stand up against it. So while it was really sad that we had gone from planning a family to getting a divorce in just a couple of months, I think it was for the best that we hadn't actually gotten pregnant because that would have only complicated things even more.

Then once all the bags had been brought inside, I tried to wish him the best for the future and say goodbye to him, but he had already turned around and started to leave. So I ended up saying nothing and just shut the door after he left. I don't think he realizes that this is just as difficult for me as it is for him and has only been thinking about himself, which I think is pretty selfish. It just makes me believe that I'm doing the right thing by getting a divorce because if I had actually decided to have a baby with him, I'm pretty sure he would have been just as self-centered and my personal life and mental health would have gone for a toss.

I know that he was trying to kind of emotionally manipulate me into coming back by bringing up the topic of starting a family, believing that maybe that would make me reconsider everything, but it had the opposite effect and now, I'm even more determined to end this marriage as soon as possible. Update 3, so two months have passed since I filed for a divorce and today, we finally managed to get it finalized. We don't really have a waiting period here in my state, so things were wrapped up relatively quickly. I'm very grateful for all the help from my lawyer to make the mediation sessions as easy and

peaceful for me as possible because I had been having a very hard time coming to terms with the divorce emotionally and was on the verge of crying every time I would have to see him. As much as I want to deny it, I can't say that I don't love him anymore. But ultimately, that didn't matter because I think everyone knows that you need more than just love to make a marriage work. I know for a fact that even he loves me because he handed me a love. letter today and told me to read it once I got home and I did. In the letter, he basically just apologized for everything that he had put me through and told me that idea served way better and he

was too late to realize it. But now that he knew, he was going to try and become a better man so maybe in the future, if I wanted to, then we could give this another shot since he can't imagine his life with anybody else apart from me. He told me that he would love to be friends and at least be a part of my life in any capacity that he could because he didn't want to completely lose me. but he would understand if I was not open to it right now. He just wanted me to keep an open mind and think about it for the future and I guess I will do that. But right now, I need my space and I need to be away from him to move on and heal. I'm hopeful that maybe something in the future when circumstances are better and he is a changed man,

we might be able to make it work, but for now, I just want to focus on my new business and be free for a while. All our assets and money have been divided and I'm pretty sad, but I'm trying to cope with it. I'm taking one day at a time, like most people have advised me too, and I don't know how things are going to turn out in the future, but I know that right now, I have done what was best for me and I'm going to try and not have any regrets. I'm going to start this new chapter of my life by channeling all my energy into my business which I started because I hadn't been able to find anything that I liked in the job market, so I created a job for myself and fingers crossed. Life will go well now. I hope you enjoy this story. Father deceived my mother into transferring ownership of her company while she was under the influence of medication, and subsequently bestowed it upon my sister's slaying significant other rather than me, despite my employment there. Twenty years. Five years ago, my mother passed away after a long battle with ovarian cancer.

She was an incredible woman who built a successful interior design business from scratch, turning it into one of the most respected firms in our city. Throughout my childhood and early adulthood, I worked alongside her whenever I could, learning every aspect of the business. It was always understood that I would take over someday, not just because I was the eldest daughter, but because I had dedicated myself to learning the craft and building relationships with our clients. My mother started this business in our garage when I was just five years old. I remember watching her work late into the night, sketching designs, and making phone calls while still making time to help me with my homework. She built her client base one project at a time, often taking on small jobs that other designers wouldn't consider, treating each client with the same level of respect and dedication whether they were renovating a mansion or just redecorating a bedroom. By the time I was in high school, she had moved into a beautiful downtown office and had a team of talented designers working for her.

I literally grew up in that business. After school, I would do my homework in her office, listening to her client meetings and absorbing everything I could. about design and business. By 16, I was helping with administrative tasks, and by 18, I was accompanying her to client sites and design shows. She made sure I learned every aspect of the business, from the creative side to the financial management. When I went to college, I majored in business with a minor in interior design, taking summer internships with other firms to broaden my experience, but always coming back to work with mom during breaks. My younger sister, Rachel, never showed any interest in the business. She was more focused on her social life and eventually married James, a okay man from a wealthy family who had never worked a day in his life. While I was spending weekends

at client sites and attending design shows with mom, Rachel was planning elaborate parties and posting about her luxurious lifestyle on social media. She would occasionally drop by the office to borrow money from mom or show off her latest shopping sprees, but she never once asked about the business or showed any interest in learning what we did. Even before she met James, Rachel had always been Dad's favorite. He loved her carefree attitude and social butterfly personality,

while my more serious, business-focused approach reminded him too much of Mom's independence, which I think secretly threatened him. When Rachel married James, dad was pretty happy. He saw James as the son he never had, completely buying into James's grandiose talks

about his business ambitions despite his track record of failed ventures and squandered opportunities. When Mom was diagnosed with cancer, I reduced my hours at my intern job to help her manage the business while she underwent treatment. I watched her fight through chemotherapy sessions, still insisting on reviewing designs and meeting with important clients whenever she had the strength.

Even on her worst days, she would speak with longtime clients. The business wasn't just a company to her, it was her life's work, and she was determined to ensure it would continue to thrive after she was gone. In her final months, she made it clear to everyone, including my father, that she wanted me to take over the business. She even had her lawyer draw up paperwork to transfer ownership to me upon her death. I remember sitting with her in the hospital as she went over every detail of the business with me, sharing client relationships, supplier contacts, and her vision for the future.

She made me promise to maintain the company's reputation for integrity, saying that she knew I was the only one who truly understood what she had built. The day before she passed away, Mom called me to her hospital room alone. She was weak but determined to tell me something important. She revealed that James had been visiting her when I wasn't there, pressuring her to change her will and give him control of the business. He had even brought papers for her to sign, telling her it would take the burden off her daughter. Mom was furious and had him thrown out of her room. She made me promise that no matter what happened, I wouldn't let James anywhere near her life's work.

Mom also confided in me about her concerns regarding Dad and Rachel. She worried that they might try to interfere with her wishes, knowing how Dad had always favored Rachel and how James had been trying to get involved in the business. She made sure all the legal documents were in order and even spoke to her key employees about supporting me through the transition. Everything was set for a smooth transfer of leadership. What I didn't know then was that dad had already betrayed mom's trust.

While she was still fighting for her life in the hospital, he had been secretly meeting with lawyers to find ways to contest her will. He even went through her office after hours, taking documents and making copies of contracts. Rachel helped him, using her spare key to the office. The one mom had given her for emergencies only. They were literally plotting behind Mom's back while she was on her deathbed. The day after Mom's funeral, literally the day after we buried her, Dad called a meeting with the company's lawyers. He hadn't even waited for the flowers on her grave to wilt.

That's when I discovered the full extent of his deception. It turns out that while Mom had properly documented her wishes to transfer the business to me, Dad had been building a legal case based on the company's original incorporation documents from 25 years ago. When Mom first started the business, she had listed Dad as a 50% owner for tax purposes, even though he never contributed anything beyond basic bookkeeping. This was common practice for married couples at the time, and Mom had trusted him completely. She had attempted to update these documents during her illness, but Dad had deliberately delayed signing them, claiming he was too overwhelmed with her medical care to deal with paperwork.

Meanwhile, he was secretly meeting with corporate lawyers who specialized in hostile takeoff. What broke me completely was finding out about what happened during mom's final days in the hospital. Dad had waited until she was at her weakest just two days before she passed, when the doctors had increased her morphine to manage her pain. He came to her room alone, after visiting hours, using his status as her husband to get past the nurses. Mom's regular nurse later told me she had protested his visit, saying mom needed rest, but dad insisted it couldn't wait. He brought a step, of documents, telling Mom there were urgent insurance forms needed to cover her final round of treatments. Mom could barely hold the pen, but she signed multiple pages. Mom was on heavy pain

medication at the time and trusted her husband of 30 years. The night nurse, who witnessed the signing because she thought they were medical documents, said Mom kept asking questions but dad just rushed her through it, saying there wasn't time to read everything because the insurance office needed them first thing in the morning. Those papers turned out to be a complete transfer of her shares to Dad, along with documents giving him power of attorney. The signatures were barely legible, just wobbly lines that looked nothing like Mom's signature that I had seen on hundreds of client contracts. But Dad had been clever, he got the nurse to sign as a witness and had brought a notary with him who didn't know Mom's regular signature. Everything was technically legal.

I only discovered this because the nurse felt guilty and reached out to me after Mom passed. She had realized something was wrong. I tried to fight it, of course. I spent over $50,000 of my own savings on lawyers, who all agreed that what Dad did was ethically reprehensible but technically legal. The fact that he was listed as an original owner, combined with the documents he'd tricked mom into signing, gave him just enough legal standing to take control. When I brought up mom's recent will and transfer documents, Dad's lawyers argued that she wasn't of sound mind during her final months due to her medication, while conveniently defending the validity of the papers she'd signed under the same conditions.

Then Dad announced that he was giving control of the business to James, my sister's husband. His reasoning? The business needs a man's touch and James has an MBA. Never mind that James's business experience consisted solely of losing his trust fund in various fail. ventures, or that I had practically grown up in this company and knew every aspect of its operation. The announcement was made at a company-wide meeting where I had to sit there, humiliated in front of employees who had watched me grow up in the business, as Dad praised James's fresh perspective and modern business acumen. James actually had the nerve to say, I know some of you might be concerned about the changes ahead, but I promised to honor Sarah's legacy not only had they gone

against mom's explicit wishes, but they had done it in a way that completely dismissed my years of dedication and experience. Dad didn't even have the courtesy to discuss it with me beforehand. I found out at the same time as everyone else. The look of smug satisfaction on Rachel's face during the announcement told me everything I needed to know about her role in this decision. What made it even worse was discovering later that James had already promised several of mom's long-term employees that they would be taken care of if they supported his takeover. He had been secretly meeting with them, offering promotions and raises if they would back him instead of me. Most of them refused and came to tell me about it, but a few actually took his side.

These were people who had worked with Mom for decades, people who had watched me grow up, now suddenly acting like James was the second coming of Steve Jobs. I was devastated. Not just because of the betrayal of Mom's wishes, but because I knew James would run the company into the ground. He had no understanding of design, no relationships with our clients, and no respect for the legacy mom had built. During the transition meetings, he kept talking about his plans to modernize and disrupt the business, showing complete disregard for the reputation and relationships mom had spent decades building. Rachel supported her husband completely, telling me I was being dramatic and

that I should be happy for their success. I couldn't bear to watch them dismantle everything mom had created, so I resigned immediately. Several key employees followed me out the door, but I convinced them to stay, knowing they had families to support. Some of them cried when I told them I was leaving, and a few even offered to quit in solidarity, but I knew mom would have wanted me to protect their jobs if I could. I moved to another city and started over, building my own design consultation business from scratch. It was hard work, but I had learned from the best. For three years, I had minimal contact with my family. Dad would occasionally call to complain about how ungrateful I was being, while Rachel would send passive aggressive messages about how I had abandoned the family. I focused on my

work, gradually building a strong client base and reputation in my new city. Some of Mom's old clients sought me out, having heard through that I had started my own firm, and their support helped me establish myself more quickly than I had expected. Then last month, I received a frantic call from Rachel. It turns out that James had run mom's company into the ground, just as I had predicted. He had taken out massive loans to fund unnecessary expansions, alienated our long-term clients with his arrogant attitude, and eventually started embezzling money to cover his gambling debts. The business was facing bankruptcy, and James was potentially facing criminal charges. The worst part was learning that he had been using the company's reputation to secure loans and contracts,

then failing to deliver on the promises made to clients who had trusted Mom's name. What really got me was their response to this crisis. Instead of taking responsibility, they're now claiming that this is somehow my fault. Dad called me crying, saying that if I had stayed to help James learn the business, none of this would have happened. Rachel insists that I have an obligation to come back and fix things because Mom would have wanted you to save her company. They seemed to have conveniently forgotten that they were the ones who pushed

me out in the first place. The audacity of their request is stunning. They want me to leave my successful business, move back home, and use my connections and expertise to save the company they stole from me. James even had the nerve to suggest that I could work under him as a senior consultant while he maintains control of the company. I refused outright. I told them that they made their choice three years ago when they dismissed mom's wishes and my expertise. I've built something new now, something that's entirely mine, and I won't abandon it to clean up their mess. The irony is that many of Mom's former clients have already reached out to me, seeking to work with someone who maintains the standards and integrity she was known for. This has caused a huge

rift in the family. My father is telling everyone who will listen that I'm letting my mother's legacy die out of spite. Rachel has been posting on social media about how I've betrayed the family and abandoned Mom's dream. Even some love. longtime family friends have reached out to suggest that I should put aside my pride for the sake of preserving what mom built. So I'd offer refusing to help Reddit. I'll update if anything significant happens with the situation, though I doubt they'll stop trying to guilt me into fixing their mess. Update 1, after my last post, things have escalated significantly. I found out that James has been doing far worse than just mismanaging the company. He's been actively stealing from clients.

Several of Mom's longtime clients contacted me directly after discovering that James had taken their project deposits but never started the work. We're talking about hundreds of thousands in missing funds, including a $250,000 deposit from Mom's very first client 25 years ago. I also learned from Lisa, Mom's former assistant who still works there, that James has been forging client signatures on contracts and inflating project costs, then pocketing the difference. He's been using Mom's old signature stamps on documents, which she had specifically told me to destroy after her death because she was worried about exactly this kind of fraud. Then Mr. Chen from the bank called me. He's been handling Mom's business accounts since she started the company, and he's known our family forever.

He asked to meet me for coffee, looking really uncomfortable about breaking client confidentiality, but said he felt morally obligated to warn me about what was happening. Turns out Dad did something incredibly stupid. Remember our family dad remorgeted it. Not just a small loan either, he took out nearly $800,000 against it to cover what he called emergency business expenses for James. Mr. Chin discovered where that money actually went

when the bank was reviewing some suspicious transactions. James had gotten himself deep into some seriously sketchy gambling debts at these underground poker games. Not casino poker, we're talking about. about those illegal games run out of warehouse basements where people get hurt if they don't pay up. James had apparently been going to these games for months, losing more and more money, and telling these people he'd pay them back with his company's money. Dad never told Rachel about remortgaging the house.

She has no idea they could lose her childhood home because her husband needed to pay off illegal gambling debts. The monthly payments are insane, like $6,000, and James blew through all that money in less than two months. He didn't put a single cent toward actual business expenses. Mr. Chin only told me because he's worried about dad's safety. Apparently, James has been hanging around with some really dangerous people, and the bank has noticed some concerning patterns in the withdrawals. He even suggested I might want to hire security for my own office, just in case.

I was still trying to process all this information when Rachel showed up unannounced at my office. She looked terrible, eyes all red and red. and puffy from crying, like she hadn't slept in days. Then she said she just found out she's pregnant with their third child. She broke down completely in my office, sobbing about how they're totally broke. They've already sold all her designer stuff. The whole time she was talking, I kept thinking about how she has no idea about the gambling or the dangerous people James is mixed up with. All she knows is that they're struggling to pay bills. Then, in typical Rachel fashion, she switched from crying to demanding. She had the nerve to suggest I could loan them money

from my business since I'm doing so well now. When I refused, pointing out that I'd worked hard to build my company from scratch after they took moms from me, she completely lost it. Started screaming about how I was enjoying watching them suffer and that mom would be ashamed of me for not helping family. Rich coming from her, considering everything they've done. What Rachel doesn't know is that three major design firms have already contacted me about buying out what's left of mom's company. They've heard about the financial troubles and are circling like vultures. I could probably arrange a deal that would save the company's name and protect the remaining employees, but it would mean James and Dad would face consequences for their financial misdeeds. I've been sitting on these

offers, not sure what to do. Part of me wants to watch them crash and burn, but I keep thinking about the loyal employees who've stuck around. I was actually reviewing one of these buyout proposals when Dad called this morning. He was crying, which is something I've only heard twice before, at Mom's diagnosis and at her funeral. He kept going on about how he should have listened to Mom about James, how he made a terrible mistake, how everything was falling apart. But you know what really got me? Through all his sobbing and apologizing, he never once actually acknowledged what he did to me. He's not sorry he hurt me, he's just sorry his plan failed. Then he started talking about how to fix everything. Even now, with everything literally crumbling around them, he still thinks

James should stay in charge. He actually suggested that I should come back and mentor James to be a better businessman. Can you believe that? As if the problem is just that James need some business coaching, not that he's literally committing fraud and gambling with company money. Dad, kept saying things like we're still family and we need to stick together. But where was all this family loyalty when they were stealing mom's company from me? After everything I learned from Mr. Chaun and Lisa, I went to see my lawyer. She suggested I document everything to protect myself, since James's fraud might eventually lead to investigations that could splash back on anyone who ever worked there. While we were talking, she mentioned that one of her other clients,

a forensic accountant, had actually been hired by some of mom's old clients to investigate where their deposit money went. Turns out these clients hired her after they couldn't get straight answers from James about their projects. She's already found evidence of at least six cases of clear fraud. Lisa has been secretly sending her copies of paperwork showing how James has been misusing company funds, including documentation of a business trip to Paris that was actually a vacation with some woman who definitely wasn't Rachel. I'm keeping quiet about the mistress thing for now, but honestly, the way things are going, Rachel's going to find out soon enough. I'm documenting everything but staying firmly out of the mess. My own business is thriving. I just landed a major

contract that mom had always dreamed of getting, and I did it on my own merits. Several of her former clients have sought me out, saying they see in me the same integrity and attention to detail that made Mom special. I'll update again if anything significant happens, but for now, I'm focused on growing my own business and honoring Mom's legacy my own way. Let them deal with the consequences of their choices. Final update, it's been six months since my last post, and everything finally came to a head. Those clients who hired the forensic accountant ended up filing a lawsuit against James and the company. Once that happened, everything else started tumbling out,

the gambling debts, the misused funds, all of it. James tried to run, but apparently those guys he owed money to caught up with him before he could leave town. He ended up in the hospital with a broken arm and some bruised ribs. Rachel showed up at my door at 2 a.m. that night, crying and pregnant and finally knowing the whole truth. She'd found papers in their house about the remortgage, the gambling debts.

even receipts from his trips with the mistress. I let her stay with me for a few days while she figured things out. She kept alternating between being angry at James and being angry at herself for not seeing what was happening. Dad had a minor heart attack when everything came out. He's okay now, but seeing him in the hospital really brought home how old and broken he looks. The doctors say stress was a major factor. He tried to apologize to me again, and this time it felt real. He actually acknowledged what he'd done wrong, not just the recent stuff with James, but how he'd betrayed both me and mom by going against her wishes.

Too little too late maybe, but at least it was honest. The company is being sold. Not to any of those design firms I mentioned before, they all backed out when they realized how bad the financial situation was. Instead, one of Mom's old employees put together a group of investors. They're buying what's left and money. rebuilding under a new name. They asked me to come on as a partner, but I declined. I did agree to act as a consultant, though, and I'm helping them reconnect with some of mom's old clients. Rachel filed for divorce. She's moved back in with dad for now,

turns out losing the house isn't a sure thing anymore. The bank is working with them to restructure the mortgage since they can prove James committed fraud. She's due any day now. Despite everything, I've been helping her get the nursery ready. Mom would have wanted that. James is facing criminal charges for fraud. His lawyer is trying to work out a plea deal, but he's definitely doing some time. The evidence was just too clear, especially after Lisa turned over all the documentation she'd been quietly collecting. Turns out she'd been keeping copies of everything since the day James took over, like she knew this would happen eventually.

As for me, my business is doing great. I just bought a beautiful old building downtown that I'm renovating into my company's new headquarters. I probably won't update again. This chapter of my life is closing and I'm ready to focus on writing my own story now. I hope you enjoy this story. Established a business with my closest companion and subsequently had to terminate my sibling for embezzling from us. However, it emerged that our guard. coerced him into doing so, was giving them all the money. Hi, so I, 33F, run a company of my own with a friend of mine. We deal in wooden furniture and have a fairly successful business. We started this business eight years ago from scratch when the two of us were just 25 and quit our jobs together to start something of our own. That turned out to be pretty much the best idea of our lives and we are very proud of what we have accomplished.

My friend, Patty, and I both went to business school, and while she had her parents take care of her tuition, I had to make my own way, because my parents had always made it very clear to me that they could only support me. A high school was over, but after that, I was on my own. My mom was a kindergarten teacher and my dad was a car mechanic, so it wasn't exactly like we were rich, but they did their best. From a very young age, it had been drilled into my head that I had to be successful, and I had to make my own money because that was the most important thing. So I worked very hard and thankfully, I managed to get a scholarship before college, so 75% of my tuition was waived off and what I actually had to pay. I took out a student loan to get it covered and recently finished paying it

off a couple of years ago. My brother also followed in my footsteps and went to the same business school a few months after I had graduated. My brother, Finn, 29M, unfortunately, did not get a scholarship so he had to rely entirely on student loans and racked up a much bigger death than I did. Lucky for him, though, by the time he graduated, Patty and I had already started on our business journey, and we invited him to work with us. For a year or two, we were struggling financially, and it was difficult for us to not give up, but then all of a sudden our sales started shooting up because one of our products had gone viral on social media. So we finally became profitable and started expanding our range.

Finn was responsible for handling our finances because he was great at math, much better than the two of us and we also trusted him because he was family. We were doing great and everything was going well for a certain period of time but then, I started noticing discrepancies in financial books that Finn would show me, and he would pretend it was not there until I pointed it out and then he would claim that it was just a mistake and he would have it corrected immediately. but I knew he didn't make mistakes. I started suspecting that something was going on, so I decided to go through the books myself and I found out that somebody had been stealing money from the company. I talked to Patty about it and she said that she had also noticed the same, but had been scared to bring it up with me because it was not something nice

that she was going to be saying about my brother, but she suspected that it was him. It almost felt like my bolt had been turned upside down when we came to that realization because Finn and I were incredibly close, and I couldn't believe that my baby brother was stealing from me. Patty and I worked really late one night and ran through the financial accounts with a fine-toothed comb and found that he had been guilty of misallocation of funds and had been getting away with it for a few months, and there was no denying it anymore.

I was disheartened and I almost pressed charges against him because I was so disappointed in him, but Patty was the one who talked me out of it and told me that regardless of what he had done, he was still my brother. So she told me that I would regret pressing charges against him in the law. long run or suing him, and there was no need for it at all. We could just deal with it ourselves and have him fired while making sure it's all hush-hush. I decided to go with that because she was right. I loved Finn and I didn't want to hurt him in a way that would be irreversible, but I knew that I had to cut ties with him because this was just unacceptable behavior. The next day,

we confronted him about it, and to my surprise, he didn't even try to deny it. He just accepted it all and said that he would resign himself, he didn't have to fire him. When I asked him why he had stolen from the company, he refused to give me an answer and just walked away. That was the last time I spoke to him after that, I pretty much cut him out of my life entirely. He had broken my heart and betrayed my trust, and I couldn't forgive him for it. I already let him off the hook easily by not suing him for what he had done. That's the most that I could do for him. I couldn't forgive him, because that was not something I thought that he deserved because he had not even given me an answer as to why he had done it in the first place. He had apologized, but it was not enough for me.

I did talk to my parents about it as well and they said that they were shocked by his conduct. They said that they had known about it, and had they known anything, they would have cut ties with him long ago. They said that they found the entire affair quite shocking because Finn was not the kind of guy to be dishonest or steal, but they said that maybe he was just struggling with money and couldn't bring himself to ask me because I was. Already so successful and he was working for me anyway, so his pride didn't allow him to fall even further. At the time, I thought it might have been a legitimate theory but with time, it started seeming

more and more unlikely. Because Finn and I had a great relationship, and he never envied me. He always just asked me for whatever he needed and even when he needed a job when he had graduated, I was the first person that he approached. We didn't have any competition or rivalry going on and even I didn't look down on him for any reason. But that was the only theory that I had at the time, so I never questioned it, and it was better than not knowing why he did it at all. So for years, I believed that he had been stealing from the company because he was too proud to ask me for help. He got paid a handsome salary, but it's never enough for anyone and maybe he just

got greedy. That's what I kept telling myself for yours until a few days ago, when Finn reached out to me, after almost five years of not speaking to each other. I hadn't heard from him after he was let go from the company and since then, we have grown exponentially, and we're doing quite well now. The last that I had heard, he was working in a much smaller law firm and had moved away from everyone, and was living in the suburbs. He didn't keep in touch with anybody, not even our parents, and it was hurtful because I thought that my brother and I were really close and he would never do anything to ruin our relationship, but I was wrong. For a long time, I held a grudge against him because I couldn't come to terms with the fact that he had wronged me so badly. But then,

he sent me an email a couple of days ago and that explained everything. In that email, he mentioned that he had stayed away and kept secret for five long years, but now that things have changed for him significantly and he is about to get married, he wants me to be there for him and doesn't think that he can continue this act anymore. I was confused by what that meant until I read the rest of the email. He went on to tell me that not only had my parents been in on the fact that he had been stealing from the company, but he had, in fact, been stealing for their sake. I couldn't make sense of what he was saying, and I thought that he was lying, but then he attached proof of him, sending large amounts of money from his bank account to my mom's account and they had all the right

dates and looked legit enough. Besides, five years had already passed and there was no reason for him to be lying about anything now because he didn't stand against this. He told me that a couple of months before he had started stealing, my mom had come to him and said that they needed his help because they were struggling financially and my dad's car repair business wasn't doing too well because now, people just relied on bigger names, and the locals like him had been forgotten for the most part. And, my mother was also considering quitting her job because she was too old to continue running around after little kids for very little money. But they still had bills to pay and food that they needed to eat to sustain themselves, so they were asking my brother for help.

They could have just asked me directly, but they were asking for such a huge amount of money that they were afraid of asking me because they felt like I would say no. They lied to my brother and manipulated him into thinking that they had apparently already asked me for help a couple of times before they had come to him, and I had said no to even making any little contributions, and that is why they were asking him for help now. They had lied to him and made up a lot of stories about me, about how arrogant I had become and how I had refused to help them out several times, and even insulted them when they asked and called them beggars. I had not done any of those things, and I never would because it's just not me, but I guess my parents were the ones who were too

proud to ask me for help and they thought that manipulating my brother to steal from the company was a much better idea than just coming to me for help directly and requesting me to take care of their expenses. And my brother, bless his heart, as smart as he is with numbers, he's just as stupid when it comes to matters of personal life. It was all our parents' idea for him to be dishonest while working for him, and even though he felt guilty about it, he continued to do it because he believed that he was going to return the money to me eventually anyway, and was going to make sure that he got the means to return all the money to me and come clean to me before it all went too far. He was just about to tell me the truth because he wasn't comfortable stealing from us

anymore when we found out on our own, and he was fired. He couldn't bring himself to expose our parents because they had made him promise not to ever say a word about this to me. He figured that he had been fired, he would go to our parents and tell them about it and they would fix the situation by telling me the truth, but instead, they threw him under the bus, and said that they had nothing to do with this anymore. They did a complete 180 and said that if he said anything to me, they were just going to deny everything and say that it was his idea, and then it would just be his word against theirs. He fought with them a lot, but they were not ready to take responsibility and he was so depressed at the time that he didn't even think it was worth it to go back to me

and tell me the truth because he had lost faith in everything. So, instead of coming to me with the truth, he just decided to disappear from us. He found out later that I was still in terms. He found out later that I was still with our parents and I was still supporting them financially but now, the only difference was that the middleman had been cut out, and they were taking money from me directly because now, they were not too proud anymore. He had been very disappointed in several times. He had wished to tell me what had actually happened years ago, but then he figured out that what I didn't know could never hurt me, and so, he kept his mouth shut for my sake, because he knew that family meant everything to me, and had already been betrayed by my brother. I would probably find it a lot more difficult

to deal with. I found out that my parents were in on it as well. I thought his logic was very flawed, because if anything, if he had actually told me the truth, then I would have forgiven him because it really did seem very out of character for him to do something so dishonest. But he is an emotional fool, which is how he got caught up with my parents and their reckless plan in the first place, and then he stayed silent about it for ages because he knew that my parents needed the help, and if he turned me against them, then they would be completely on their own and would end up broken home. So he sort of became the sacrificial lamb and continued to suffer in silence so that nobody else would have to. I found myself very emotional when I read that email and he had attached his phone number at the bottom so I could call him if I wanted to reconcile with him and as soon as I was done reading it, I called him up immediately.

And he answered. It was a very emotional conversation for both of us, but we did manage to put it in the past, and he invited me to his wedding. We also decided to meet in a couple of days so that we could actually discuss everything that had happened because it was just crazy to me that he had been suffering for so long and had allowed himself to become a doormat for our parents, who turned out to be pretty much the worst people on this earth. We haven't met yet, but I have already confronted my parents about what I found out through that email. I visited them that very evening and showed them that email and asked them what that was all about. For a few minutes, they started to deny everything, but then I told them that this was their one, and only chance to be honest with me, and if they didn't tell me the truth

this time, then there would be dire consequences. And they had to take my threats seriously because they depend on me for everything and I'm essentially the one who has been taking care of them for the last few years. As it turns out, I had been the one taking care of them anyway before that as well, I just didn't know about it. When I told them that there were consequences, they finally dropped the act and told me that everything that my brother had said had been true, and had indeed been manipulated into taking money from me and being dishonest with me. And their reason was just as stupid as what they had done. They told me that my dad's business had been struggling, and my mom was too tired to continue working, so they really needed the money to fall back on. But my dad was too proud to ask me for help and so,

my mother had the plan that she eventually put into action. She manipulated Finn, and she knew that it would be easy for her to do so because he was quite innocent and naive. Once that was done, it continued for a few months before my dad found out about the truth. My mother had been telling him that they were still getting money from her savings that she had put aside a couple of years ago, but later on, he realized that there was no way she had saved up such a huge amount of money because her salary wasn't high enough. And secondly, she was much too much of A to be able to save up that much so she had to come clean to him. For some reason, while my father was too proud to actually ask me for money, he didn't have any qualms about living off of stolen money. He told me that by that time,

he had accepted the fact that desperate times call for desperate measures and was ready to do whatever it took to keep surviving. And he also felt that he had a huge role to play in my success. He was the one who had paid for everything whenever was a kid, so now it was my turn to pay him back for everything. In his eyes, he justified everything by believing that he was just taking back the money that I owed him. So my parents made their peace with it by believing that I owed the money anyway, and they were just taking back what was rightfully theirs so they had nothing to feel sorry about or feel ashamed of. They changed their minds but never felt that it was important to tell me the truth so that I could make things right with my brother, and just continued to shamelessly take money

from me after they had thrown Finn under the bus and ruined my relationship with him, accusing him of stealing and claiming that they knew nothing about it. Was furious when I found out the truth, and I decided immediately that I was going to cut my parents out of my life because they had no right to be part of it anymore. They had betrayed me in the worst way possible, and they had done something that they were never going to be able to fix. I would never get back those five years with my brother, and I was never going to be able to forgive them for that.

So I told them that I was done with them and they could stop counting on me for help. I told them that what they had done was just not okay and I just couldn't accept it and let it go. They tried to tell me that it had been five years since then and acknowledged that they had been very stupid in dealing with their problems and were way too egoistic for their own good but at the end of the day, I was still their daughter and it was my duty to help them out when they needed it. But the thing, though, it might have been duty had they been good parents to me, which they had clearly not been. What kind of parent ruins the relationship between two of her kids just for their own selfish gain? And it wasn't even as though any of the things that they did made any sense.

They were just doing things to protect their own false sense of pride when it suited them, and when it didn't, they had no issue, changing their minds about it. But the only people who suffered because of all of this were me and my brother, and that was not fine with me anymore. A line had to be done somewhere and I was the one who was going to draw a balance. with them. They kept insisting that I was making a big deal out of nothing and now that things were fine between Finn and I, I had no reason to be mad at them. It was just unbelievable how ignorant they were, and it took all my strength to not scream at them because I knew that would be pointless. All that they cared about, all that they could see was their own interests, and if

something didn't serve them, it was useless to them. That's what they had done with my brother. They had used him and then discarded him and he was no use to them anymore and who's to say that they wouldn't do the same to me? I ended up getting into a really nasty verbal fight with them, which ended with me walking out of their house and making up my mind that I was never going to look back because my parents were not the people that I had believed that they were. And since then, it's been a total crap fest because they haven't stopped calling me and I don't have it in me to block them yet. I feel like a horrible person because in spite of everything that they have done, they are still my parents and they are old and have nobody else to count on.

I know that they screwed up in a very big way, but I feel like if I abandon them then I'm letting them down and being a bad person. I talked to Finn about it and he had nothing positive to say about any of this. He told me that he had been facing the same dilemma when my parents first approached him to ask for help. Neither of us knows what to do but one thing is for sure, if we don't help them, nobody else will, and they might have to go back to working. Which would be really bad because both of them are pretty old now and I don't think it's a good idea. for them to go back to work. But the alternative is to continue helping them out with money, which just seems very unfair. I don't understand what I should do right now.

I'd offer telling my parents that I won't help them out financially anymore after I found out that they had scammed me and ruined my relationship with my brother. Update 1. Okay, my brother and I met for lunch yesterday. I still haven't blocked my parents so they do keep texting me, but I have muted their notifications so I don't get bothered by it constantly. I have also archived their chat so I don't have to be reminded of what I am ignoring every time I open my phone to text somebody. Finn and I forgot about all our problems as soon as we saw each other and it was really nice to see him and talk to him after so long. He has changed a lot in the past couple of years and has been dating a woman

for the past two years. And it turns out, his fiancé, Jackie, was the one who convinced him to reach out to me and try to make things right by telling me the truth. Because he didn't need to take the fall for my parents in order to be a good son anymore and she was right. I'm going to meet her in a couple of days as well and I'm very excited about it. But then we started discussing what we were supposed to do regarding the situation with our parents, and we hit a dead end once again because there was just no correct solution to any of this. I know most people in the comments said that there was nothing wrong with me wanting to cut my parents out of my life after what they had done, but I know psychologically it's the right thing to do and I don't have anything to feel bad about, but I am human

and I do feel bad. The world would be a lot easier to understand if it functioned on the basis of logic and rationality but unfortunately, that's not how the world works and I am not an emotional, feeling robot, who just does things because it's the right thing to do and it makes sense to do it. So while I am fully aware of the fact that it would be better for me to just cut off my parents, I can't do that, because I have to think about the consequences of it as well. They are bad, but that doesn't mean that I have to get down to that level as well. A lot of you guys called me a doormat and whatnot for even considering for giving them or staying in touch with them, but I don't really care about it.

This is the real world and I have to think about a lot of things and factor and the consequences of my actions before I come to a conclusion. So Finn and I are still talking about it, but I hope that we will be able to reach a common ground soon enough because I'm not sure how much longer I will be able to hold my parents off. Update 2, Hey, So Finn and I have been talking on the phone for the past couple of days. It's been three days since we met, and we have finally come to a decision about what we should do regarding our parents. The two of us have decided that we are going to cut them off, but we are going to still continue to send them money. From what we know, they did have a retirement fund, but my dad put all his money into reviving his car repair business a couple of years ago, and that went bust as we all know, so they don't have any money of their money of their money. own anymore. That's why they have to rely on us. So whether we like it or not, we can't leave them,

but we can stop talking to them so they know that we don't want a relationship with them anymore. Finn and I have also decided that he's going to join the company back again, now that we know that he was innocent. I've already spoken to Patty about it and she's completely fine with it because she thinks that he's a good guy and deserves a second chance, especially since the first time that he was fired. It was not even his fault. I mean, apart from the fact that he was manipulated and lied to, his intentions were good, and his heart was in the right place. But this time, things are going to be different, and we're all going to make sure of it. Update 3, So Finn and I finally spoke to our parents, and we let them know that while we were

still willing to cover for them financially, we would not be keeping in touch with them. We visited them last evening and told them that for all their necessary expenses. they could rely on us, but for everything else, they had to make their own way. They were not in agreement with this, and there was a lot of drama. My mother kept crying and my dad claimed that we were being selfish and disrespectful towards them, but I couldn't see anything wrong about any of this. What we were suggesting was far more generous than they deserved. Had we been a little less considerate, we probably would have cut ties with them altogether,

and not even bothered to help them out later. judging by what they had done, we were being quite generous. The two of them were pretending to be the victims here and claimed that they had always been good to us, but we couldn't do the same for them. And that's when I lost my car and started screaming at them because scamming me out of money and then manipulating my brother counted as being good parents then boy did I have some news for them. I really told them off because I just couldn't take the fact that they were pretending to be the victims even in a situation like this, where their lies had been caught, and they have confessed that

what they did was messed up. It was crazy to me that they were still trying to portray us as the bad guys because clearly, anyone in their right mind would know when to drop it. They could have just accepted our deal and let it go, but they had to create a whole scene for no reason. So they ended up losing us altogether and my dad had a lot to say, he said that he would rather be homeless than take money from us. And honestly, it was fine with us. So we left their house, and that was it, now we don't even have to keep in touch with them or give them money. They rejected it themselves, so that's it. Finn and I, however, are going to keep in touch obviously,

and in a few days, he's going to set up a meeting for the three of us, including his fiancé. I'm really happy that we are reconnecting because I had lost a lot of time with my brother and it's going to be nice to finally have him back. I hope you enjoy this story. Sil invited me to be a member of her bridal party, had me organize and finance her pre-wedding celebration, and subsequently excluded me from her wedding due to my pregnancy. I later discovered that she had only friend me to use me. So, my sister-in-law

Bonnie, 26F, is getting married in a week and she just disinvited me from her wedding about three days ago. The reason for that is extremely petty, stupid, and selfish. It's because I'm pregnant, but I haven't even started showing yet and there is literally no chance that I'm going to be able to steal her thunder. which is what she's afraid of. It stings even more because she had asked me to be a bridesmaid a couple of months ago when she first got engaged. Before that, we were not particularly close, and I was actually really surprised that she had asked me to be a bridesmaid for her. I had been with my husband for five years, married for three, and before she got engaged, Bonnie had never put in an effort to build a relationship with me. She had mostly just been indifferent, so it wasn't like we didn't

get along. But we certainly were not the best of friends and when she asked me to be a bridesmaid along with her other friends, I had initially been skeptical, but then she had told me that she was aware of the fact that we hadn't been close, but now. She wanted to fix that and that's why she was asking me. It took a couple of minutes of convincing, but eventually, I agreed because I thought it was exciting. Over the last couple of months, things had been great with her and I thought that we were becoming really close friends. I was an active part of the wedding planning and she trusted me enough, or so it seemed. One of the major things that she had asked me to do as a bridesmaid was organize her bachelorette trip to Bali. My parents have a travel agency that I run alongside them,

which is why she had that special request for me, and since, by then, we were getting along quite well, I agreed to do it for her. Usually, most travel agencies require you to pay a certain amount up front and the rest, you can pay after the trip. We have a similar policy, but just because Frankie is family, I agreed to organize the entire trip for her without any payment up front at her insistence. She had promised me that she would pay me back the entire amount after the wedding and would even get me to organize her honeymoon, which meant more business for us. All I had to do was pay out of pocket this one time, just for her. Of course, I was a little dicey about it at first because this business belongs to my pay.

as well, but then, we have been doing well, and because she was family, I could afford to cut her some slack. So not only was the entire trip for her and all the other bridesmaids organized completely by me, it was also paid for by me. We had great fun for one whole week and I funded the trip for six women all by myself, so I think that would be a big reason to be grateful to me but I don't think Frankie seems to care. Because a couple of days after we came back from the trip, I started to feel really sick in the morning and ended up puking my guts out. I get really easily scared when it comes to my health. So my husband and I immediately decided to visit the doctor to find out if something was wrong with us because I was convinced that I had caught some sort of stomach bug while traveling.

However, that day, we learned that I was just six weeks pregnant and what I was experiencing was just morning sickness, so there was nothing to worry about. My husband and I were obviously thrilled, and we immediately contacted our families to tell them about it. We only told our immediate families, our parents, and our siblings, and everyone seemed to be happy for us, with the exception of Frankie. When we told her, she seemed very subdued, and even when she was congratulating us, it did not feel genuine. That day itself, we did not think much of it because we had other things on our minds, but a few days after that, I ended up receiving a text from Frankie, saying that she had decided that it would be best to disinvite me from the wedding. Given the circumstances and that

she hopes that I would not take offense at this. I was really shocked because barely a week had passed since we had come back from her bachelorette trip that I had organized and paid for and according to me, there really wasn't any reason for her to be behaving like this. I tried to call her after that, but she did not answer, and even when I tried to text her, she did not respond. I even spoke to my husband about it and he tried to contact her as well, but she just kept ignoring us. I was obviously really upset about it because I really couldn't think of a reason that she would disinvite me to her wedding all of a sudden, after everything that happened in the past couple of months, the way we had bonded and whatever I had done for her.

She continued to ignore us for a couple of days, but I kept trying to contact her and three days ago, she finally answered one of my phone calls. She sounded really annoyed on the phone and told me that I needed to stop calling her so frequently, but I didn't care. I just wanted to know why she was doing this and acting so weird all of a sudden. Then, Frankie snapped at me and told me that the reason she did not want me at the wedding was that I had managed to get myself knocked up right around the time of her wedding and as the bride, she did not want her pregnant sister-in-law stealing her thunder and told me that it really wasn't that difficult to figure out. after saying that, she hung up on me, and I was just shocked that this was the real reason. Before that, when she had been ignoring me, it had occurred to me that she had disinvited me

right after we had found out that I was pregnant and the timing seemed a little too suspicious. But I had dismissed that as a reason because I really did not think that Frankie would be so petty and insecure. Of course, I was proved wrong later and the way she had behaved with me on the phone call had really upset me. I also felt kind of used because of the whole situation with the trip and after speaking to my husband about it, I decided that I was fine with not attending, and I would also ask her to return all the money that she owed me. Even my husband was really upset with how his sister was treating me, and he told me that he was also going to inform her that he would not be attending. So that day, after that phone call, he sent her a message saying

that he would not be attending either because of the way she had behaved with me and that she needed to return all the money at the earliest. She replied to that message within an hour, saying that we were being unreasonable and that she had a perfectly valid reason not to want me at the wedding because I was pregnant and she just couldn't risk it. I just couldn't understand what she was so afraid of because I was not even showing, so nobody would be able to figure out that I was pregnant unless I told them myself. And we didn't want anybody finding out yet either, so we were obviously going to keep that information to ourselves, and even her parents, the only other people who knew about it, we're not going to talk about it. Besides, she has to give us some credit, of course we are raised

well enough to know that we are not supposed to make announcements like these at somebody else's wedding and I would never do that to anyone. So, if anything, it was she who was being unreasonable, and afterward, my husband got into a fierce argument with her over the phone when she called him up to convince him to attend the wedding because otherwise, it would raise a lot of questions. Ultimately, they ended that argument on a really bitter note, and my husband decided to stick to his decision of not attending the wedding because of how I had been treated and he even told his parents about it, who didn't say anything because they wanted to stay out of it and we respect that. But things got worse when Frankie decided to tell her friends about what had

happened because now, they have also started to back out of the wedding. We had a group text with all the bridesmaids and yesterday, I was removed from that group by Frankie. I'm assuming that people started asking questions after that and Frankie must have told the truth because a couple of hours after I was removed, I started receiving messages from her friends, telling me that they were on my side here and that what Frankie was doing was really stupid and petty. I really appreciated the fact that her friends had reached out to me personally to tell me that they were on my side here, but I was also equally upset about the fact that she had decided to talk about my pregnancy to her friends without even consulting with me first. She knew for a fact that I wanted to keep my

pregnancy private for a while and if she had brought it up in the bridesmaids group, it meant that her cousin also knew that I was pregnant. Since she was also a bridesmaid, her cousin hadn't reached out to me but her friends told me that she had explained the situation to them in a couple of voice notes that she had sent to the group and everybody had heard those. I got really mad because she had no right to do that. My husband and I wanted to talk about the pregnancy and tell people about it when we were ready. Even if I made my peace with the fact that her friends knew about it, because it's not like they are connected to anyone that we know in the family or know any of our friends, her cousin also knew. And she was a part of the family so she could easily tell her parents

about it and then the entire family would slowly find out before we were ready to talk about it. I did speak to the cousin right after I found out about the voice notes and I requested her not to tell anyone about the pregnancy, but by then, she had already told her parents. Thankfully, she promised us that she would convince her parents not to talk to anybody else about it. It's pretty exciting news for the family if I'm being honest since my husband is the oldest amongst all the cousins in his generation and he's really loved in the family. Anyway, we managed to bring that situation under control, but we were still very upset with what Frankie had done because she had been running her mouth when there was no need to do so. So right now, we are very upset with her and I don't

really feel like forgiving her. I know that she's getting married in a week in her friends have started to back out of the wedding. They are threatening not to attend if Frankie doesn't fix the situation with me and that's why she has reached out to me to apologize and invite me to the wedding again. But I really don't feel like attending anymore now. It's not just what had happened and how she had behaved with me after she found out about the pregnancy that was bad enough on its own. But what she did recently, by telling her bridesmaids about my pregnancy without my consent, that's what really ticked me off even more. And like I said, I also feel really used because I feel like so far, she was only being nice to me because

she wanted me to organize the Bachelorette trip for her and because of his family, she could always pay me at her leisure, which is not something she would be able to do anywhere else. There are just a lot of things that are bothering me about her right now and I really don't think that I'll be able to sit through her wedding or attend as a bridesmaid after everything that has happened. I wouldn't have an issue with my husband attending or even with her friends being there for her, but I personally wouldn't want to be there. The problem that has come up right now is that my husband doesn't want to attend without me and her friends have made it very clear to her that they are not attending if I'm not going to be there because they believe that whatever Frankie said and done was unforgivable, especially considering everything that I had done for her so far.

With the trip and everything. So she desperately needs me to be present at the wedding and even my in-laws have contacted me to try and tell me that she is miserable and she really feels apologetic for everything. So they would be very grateful if I managed to forgive her and attend the wedding for their sake. And I really wish I could forgive her but even if I did, I really wouldn't feel right attending her wedding. The most I can do for her this convince my husband and her friends to attend and be there for her but so far. Even that seems pretty impossible because my husband has his mind made up and has told me that he's not going to be attending any event where his wife isn't wanted and it's so sweet of him that I can't even bring myself to argue with that. As for her friends, I have tried to text them and tell them that I would really want them to attend the wedding and do their bridesmaids' duties because whatever is happening between me and Frankie is between us. And I would hate for her wedding to be ruined because of me.

But most of them have just been dodging that topic and have told me that they are just doing what they think is the right thing to do and apparently, there are also other reasons apart from this, which is why they're not keen on attending the wedding. Right now, I'm just at a loss because the wedding is in a week and I truly don't know what to do. I'd offer refusing to forgive my sister-in-law and attend her wedding even after she apologized for messing up. Edit. So I spoke to her friends about the other reasons that they had for not wanting to be there at the wedding, and apparently, she has changed a lot ever since she got engaged and has turned into a bit of a bright assila. They were not really willing to bring it all up with me because they were not sure of how I would react and they did not want to make it look. like they were gossiping about her behind her back because of one fight, but they were just

finding it very difficult to deal with her in the past couple of months because of her terrible behavior. A couple of her friends had known her since high school and one of them had known herself since college and all of them agreed that there had been a significant change in her behavior in the recent past and she had been acting far more entitled than she used to be. Several times over the past couple of months, she had lost her temper with them, she had snapped at them for stupid things and had expected them to do everything for her without even thanking them. And I had also picked up on this a couple of times while we were on the Bachelorette trip and she had ended up being rude to some of her friends and even some of the staff at the

hotel, but I did not think much of it. She had spared me that treatment, probably because I was paying for everything and she couldn't afford to make me mad, but looking back, I guess it was true. Apparently, the incident with me had just been the last straw because she had expected everyone to be on her side after she told them everything about the situation with me, and when they had tried to tell her that what she was doing was not right and she owed me an apology. She snapped at all of them again and told them that she was going to do whatever she wanted. That was the final nail in the coffin for most of them, and they realized that she had been treating them really badly and her behavior had become intolerable, to the point where they

did not even want to be around her anymore. And after that last fight that they had because of the situation with me, they decided that they were not going to be attending the wedding and I think it's pretty valid. Honestly, they put up with that. They put up with the this kind of disrespectful behavior for a lot longer than I would have entertained and at this point, I don't really blame them for wanting to back out of the wedding. I don't even think that I can help it. The most I can do is try to convince my husband at this point. Update one, hey, thank you so much for the response on my post. So, there are just three days to go before the wedding and I have decided that I'm not going to be attending. I have spoken to my in-laws about it as well and I've

told them that I really racked my brains for a reason to forgive her, but after everything that I have found out, I really don't feel like being around her. Especially after talking to her friends about her behavior, I realized that she has not just been treating me like this, she has been treating everybody badly. The only reason I was spared for the past couple of months was because she had been counting on me to organize and finance her bachelorette trip until she felt like paying me back, probably because she didn't want to cough up all that money at once since she was also going to have to think about the wedding expenses. And because she knew for a fact that she could convince me to cover her expenses until she could afford to pay me back, she had been treating me well. But now

that the trip was done with, she did not feel the need to play nice with me anymore, and that explained the sudden change in her behavior. It was clear that she was acting like a total bridezilla and I did not feel that it was necessary for me to put up with her behavior. My in-laws seemed disappointed, but they did not say anything, for which I am grateful. Of course, they are going to be upset about this because it's their daughter's wedding and since I'm not going to forgive her, even my husband is not going to be attending and that's not going to be a good look for the family. So I can totally understand why they are disappointed, but I'm really glad that they did not question my decision or tried to make me the bad guy here and were understanding and respectful. However, Frankie did not take this as well as they did. When I reached out to her and I told her that I would not be attending the wedding and I really tried to convince my husband, but he doesn't want to.

attend either and there's nothing that I can do about it. She called me up and started screaming at me about how I was ruining everything for her and that I was the biggest attention seeker and that she knew for a fact that I was only doing this to get revenge on her. She said some really derogatory stuff to me and usually, I'm not the kind of person to entertain this kind of behavior. I just cut them off but this time I decided to hit back because I couldn't just let her get away with saying whatever she wanted to me. So I cursed back at her and I told her that all of this was her own fault. She had no right to be blaming me for any of it. I told her that if she had just been a decent and secure person, and not disinvited me from the wedding just because I was

pregnant, none of this would be happening in the first place. I also called her out on the fact that she owed me a huge amount of money because I had funded the Bachelorette trip yet. She had the audacity to behave this way it just spoke volumes about how ungrateful and entitled she was. She tried to downplay the importance of that by saying that I was being stingy and tacky by bringing up the money over and over again, but honestly, it was a huge amount of money and I never would have funded the trip had she not been my family. I had done it as a special favor to her and I was going to remind her of it because the way she had been behaving with me required me to put her in her place. You don't bite the hand that feeds, I think everybody knows that. I told her that she was ungrateful and that I was right for not wanting to attend the wedding because, after the way she had been treating me and everybody else, she totally deserved this.

So far, I had actually been trying to convince my husband to attend the wedding without me because I did not want to ruin it for her and her family, mostly for my in-laws because they were good people. But now, I was glad that my husband had decided not to attend because she was just a straight-up terrible person and she had made her bed, so she now had to lie in it. After that, she started cursing at me again, but then I hung up because I had already said whatever I needed to say, and I did not see the point of carrying on the conversation anymore. Once that conversation was over, I called my husband, and I told him everything and he told me that I had done the right thing because under usual circumstances, even he would advise me to just ignore her but at some

point. You just reach a place where you just have to turn around and hit back because the other person needs to know that they cannot get away with everything. And I'm glad that I said whatever I said, I don't even care if she's getting married in a couple of days. She needed to hear this. Anyway, after this conversation, my husband, and I know for sure that we will definitely not be attending the wedding and I know it will raise a lot of awkward questions for his parents, but at least I'll have the satisfaction of knowing that I tried my best to keep the situation under control and it was really not my fault. Update two so, a very interesting update on the situation, I just got off a phone call with Frankie's maid of honor. She's one of Frankie's oldest friends.

They have been together since middle school, and she was probably the only person who I hadn't spoken to so far. I've got to say, I wasn't expecting her to call me at any point but today, I guess even she came to her senses and decided to do the right thing. She is not backing out of the wedding, she just called me to tell me that I had been right about Frankie using me for the trip. When she called me, she started off by telling me that it had been really difficult for her to make this decision because Frankie was her best friend, but given her recent behavior, even she couldn't deny that she had turned into a totally different person and even though Frankie had always been a bit spoiled. This was just taking things to a whole new level.

She told me that she was going to honor the commitment that she had made and was going to see the wedding through as the maid of honor but after the wedding, even she planned on distancing herself from Frankie. But before that, she wanted me to know that she and Frankie had had a discussion about me several months ago, and Frankie had mentioned to her that I ran a travel agency with my parents so it would be quite convenient for her to make me a bridesmaid and improve her relationship with me so when the time comes. I would agree to organize and fund the bachelorette trip in that way. She could take her own sweet time to pay me back, which is not something she would be able to do with other travel agents. So basically, I had been right about her, making me a bridesmaid,

and trying to improve her relationship with me, just so that she would be able to take advantage of my position. It was a little disheartening to know that I had been right, but at this point, I'm not surprised. I thanked her for telling me the truth because I knew that Frankie would never have admitted to it and after that, she hung up and requested me not to tell Frankie about the conversation that I had with her, which I'm going to keep a secret. Anyway, there's a enough drama surrounding the wedding as it is, I don't think I need to add on to it anymore. I discussed that phone call with my husband and we think it's really sad that Frankie hasn't been able to hold on to any of her friends and now, she's going to lose her oldest friend,

just because of her own terrible behavior. It would be one thing if she was ready to acknowledge it and work on it, but I don't think she is. I think she actually believes that having a ring on her finger entitles her to everything in the world and she can hurt and disrespect whoever she wants in the process. I don't think she had to ask that she's not the only woman on the planet to get married and planning a wedding might be stressful, but you don't get to take that out on all of your friends and well-wishers without facing the consequences. Anyway, she's going to learn that now and she's going to have to learn it the hard way.

I wish her husband the best, honestly, since I have a feeling he's going to need it. Update 3, hi, so Frankie got married two days ago and we did not attend. And as far as I know, neither did any of her friends whom she had disrespected over the past couple of months. Apparently, she had kicked all of them out of the bridesmaid group a night before the wedding and that was that. The only two people who were there at the wedding were her best friend and her cousin. To be honest, her cousin was only there because her parents were going to be attending anyway

and she did not want to create drama in the family. So she decided to attend and fulfill her bridesmaid duties. And we already knew that her best friend was. was going to be there as made of honor, so that was not a surprise. But deep down, we all know the truth, that all these people are sick of her and that it's all her own fault. A lot of people did reach out to me and my husband and asked us why we had not attended the wedding and we gave them the same explanation that our in-laws had come up with, that I was extremely sick, down with the stomach flu, and I needed somebody to stay with me and take care of me and that's why neither

of us attended. So in the end, I guess it worked out for all of us. Probably not in the way that Frankie had expected, but well, she's a grown woman and she can handle the consequences of her own actions. I just decided to write about it now because a couple of hours ago, I received the money that she owed me and now that we are even, I think it's time that we collectively move on from this episode. I don't think my husband and I want anything to do with her beyond this point and I'm sure that she feels the same way about us as well. Now onwards, I'm just going to be focusing on the positives, like my pregnancy and how I'm going to be a mother in a couple of months. My husband and I are really excited and that's what I'm going to stay focused on right now.

I hope you enjoy this story. Spouse used $25,000 from our funds to purchase a present for his sibling. When I addressed him about it, he insulted me and advised me to find employment. A fortnight later he's begging for my help. My husband Peter, 33M, and I, 30F, have been married for three years and before that, we had been together for three years too. I've known his family for almost six years and I've gotten along with most of them except for his sister Lucy, 27F. Brad is usually a word reserved for younger kids who tend to act out a lot when they don't get their way, but I think it fits pretty well for Lucy as well. She's the youngest of three kids and the only daughter, so I guess that's why her parents have always spoiled her and to a certain extent,

so we have our brothers. But as an adult, her father and my brother-in-law don't really treat her all that differently anymore, but I can't say the same for her mother and my husband. I get along decently with my mother-in-law most of the time and I love my husband, but the two of them are mostly responsible for the spoiled way that she still acts. When I met her for the first time, she didn't like me right off the bat because I did not treat her any differently from the rest of the family, but I didn't think I should have had to. Anyway, since then, she has never been nice to me and has always had a very weird attitude when she's around me. The sad thing is that it doesn't even bother me because I know that she's a brat and a grown woman who cannot handle not being the

center of attention everywhere. I don't think I need her approval in the first place, so I've never tried to be her friend. Peter doesn't like this, and he has tried to tell me that I should at least make some effort to befriend her several times, but I've never paid attention to it. And I've never paid attention to it and after we got married, he stopped trying. But he has always treated his sister like a princess and I've never had an issue with it until recently. So far, it was only his behavior through which he was spoiling her by validating her all the time, even when she would do something wrong and always prioritizing her over everything else. And occasionally, he would splurge a little on her, but that was a pretty reasonable amount and he would never go overboard. But two weeks ago,

at her birthday party, he gave her a present worth $25,000 and that's where I draw the line. It was a stunning jewelry set that she had been talking about for weeks and had told him that she was saving up money for it. So he decided to give it to her as her older brother to make her day and not even for a second did he consider the fact that financially, we were not in a position to be just giving out such expensive gifts from luxury brands. He hadn't discussed it with me earlier, which I think he really should have because it's a huge amount and what's worse is that he had withdrawn that amount from our joint savings account. After he gave her that gift at her birthday party and everyone started going crazy over it, I had to pull him aside for a second because I was really

confused about what was going on since earlier. We had decided that we were just going to give her a normal gift and that's what I had brought along. He explained to me that he had been assigned a pretty big project with an extremely prestigious client at work and that meant a big fat check as an advance and he had deposited that in the joint savings account but a few days after that, Lucy started talking about the jewelry said that she wanted and he just knew that he had to get it for her. So he decided to make a withdrawal from the account and purchase that set for her so he could give it to her as a present on her birthday and he told me that the rest of the payment for the project that he had taken on would come through in a couple of months, so it didn't matter that he had

splurged a little right now. I thought it was strange that I hadn't received any notifications from the bank since I had alert set up for every transaction and my husband confessed to me that the day that he had deposited the check at the bank, he had come home and while I was sleeping. He had disabled all text alerts from the bank from the app and he knows that I don't really check my email very often, so he knew that he was safe and I wouldn't find out. He told me that he had initially done it because he wanted me to be surprised when he told me about the project, but after that, when he decided to use some of the money from the advance payment to buy that present for Lucy, he thought that it would be best that I wasn't notified

by the bank, so he did not enable those alerts again. I thought that this was very dishonest and disrespectful to me and had been feeling quite annoyed while he was explaining all of this to me. So once he was done talking, I told him that this was absolutely unacceptable behavior and that I did not appreciate the fact that he had purchased such an expensive gift for his sister without even consulting me first. Especially considering the fact that the money that he had withdrawn had been from our joint savings account and it was supposed to be for both our futures, not just him.

After marriage, when we had made that account, we had decided that we were not going to touch any of that money until we had a baby because this was for the future and both of us had honored that agreement until recently. When I confronted him about all of this, and I told him that I was not happy with this decision, he got really nasty with me and he told me that I didn't have any siblings, so he didn't expect me to understand what he was doing. He also said that Lucy was really important to him and as her older brother, he could give her as many expensive gifts as he wanted to, and I had no right to stand in the way of that. I tried to argue with him, telling him that we had already agreed that we were going to start trying for a baby by the end of this year so we had to save money for that, and as his wife, I had every right to talk about our finances if I thought he was going overboard. But then he said something really mean and called me a stupid and irrational housewife who was just

jealous of my sister-in-law and told me to get a job so I wouldn't waste his time and energy by creating drama about such petty stuff. Then he went back to the party and left me standing all by myself in a corner and I had to try really hard to hold back my tears while I walked to the car and started driving back home. Once I was inside the car, I drove a little farther away, and then I finally broke down. While crying, I called my parents up and I asked them if they would be okay with having me stay with them for a couple of days because I just needed to get away from Peter. What he had said about me just being a housewife and needing to get a job really got under my skin because I had only been a sue for the past four months. I had to quit my previous

job because I wasn't getting the kind of opportunities that I wanted, and I felt like my potential was being wasted there. I had spent quite some time there and had been feeling trapped, so after some discussion with Peter, I decided to quit and he knew that I was going to do this. At the time, he had been very supportive of it and had told me to go for it because he said that I had better employment opportunities in store for me, given my talent and dedication. I had been looking for job opportunities to my taste for the past four months but hadn't been able to find anything that really appealed to me, so I still kept looking because I didn't want to waste my time at another dead-end job. In the meantime, I had taken over all the household chores because I

didn't want to sit at home uselessly so I guess I was a housewife, but just because I was in between jobs at the moment. And I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with being a housewife, but the way that he said it, that was obviously meant to insult me. Even when I had quit my job, we had decided that he was still going to keep putting aside a share of his income for the savings account and once I started working again, I would resume as well. But, just because I had told him that I didn't appreciate him buying expensive gifts for Lucy, especially when we were not even sure if we could afford them yet or not, he had turned the entire situation around on me and made me feel terrible about things that he himself encouraged initially.

The fact that he had insulted me because of money made me feel terrible and after the party, I drove back home, packed some of my things, and moved in with my parents. Since then, I have been living here because he refuses to acknowledge that he did something wrong and apologizes for it. He had reached out to me the day after the party

and told me that he really wanted to make this marriage work, but he's not going to apologize because he didn't think that he did anything wrong by giving his sister a gift. He also told me that the reason he had said all those things was because he was really annoyed with me and he knew that he had taken things too far, but I had been the one provoking him on purpose, especially since I knew that his family was his weakness, but I just kept triggering him. But I didn't care, I told him that I was going to stand my ground, and that I was not coming back home until he apologized, and since then, we had been arguing back and forth for quite some time. Two weeks have passed since then and I've been miserable, but at least my parents have been by my side. He hadn't even been here to see me, we had only been talking on the phone and through texts. However, last evening, he showed up in person and told me that it was an emergency and that he absolutely needed to talk to me. My parents were not exactly happy to see him, but they still

allowed him to enter and we had a chat in the living room, where he told me that I was right about everything and he had been a total jerk. So he had come to apologize to me for it and also to ask for my help because something happened at work and now, he needed to return all the money that he had received. Apparently, his company had lost the project and the client had made a deal with another company. So now, according to the contract, they had to return any advance payment that they had received in full and as we all know, he had already spent $25,000 of that payment on a gift for his sister. While he had been at work, his boss had told him all about it and demanded that he clear the payment by the end of the week. He was in big trouble now because before he came to me,

he had gone to his sister's house and told Lucy about the situation that he was in. And with a heavy heart, he had to ask her to return the gift to him and since he still had the receipt, he could get his money back. She hadn't had any occasion to wear it yet, so it was still unused but in true Lucy fashion, she refused. I don't think anybody who has known her is going to be surprised by this because she has always been a spoiled and selfish brat and this was exactly what I expected from her. But for whatever reason, Peter was surprised.

and while telling me what Lucy had said, I could see that he really hadn't seen this coming, which just speaks volumes about how naive and blind he had been. Apparently, Lucy had told him that she already felt very emotionally attached to that gift and she was really sorry. But she couldn't return it to him and even when Peter requested her to understand his situation, she started throwing a temper tantrum and told him that once he had already gifted her something, he couldn't take it back and asked him to go away after they got into an argument over this.

Then, he decided to call his parents, and while his father was at least sympathetic with him, his mother told him outright that he had no business asking for his gift back, and that Lucy was right, she was not obliged to return it to him. They told him to figure out another solution on his own and left it at that. After that, he even reached out to his younger brother out of desperation, but my brother-in-law straight up refused to get involved. So when nobody from his family had come to his rescue, he had decided to come to me with nowhere else to go. All of a sudden, he had a conscience and he felt like he needed to talk to me,

which he obviously did because he had nobody else on his side right now. He told me that now, he would have to dip into our savings for another $25,000 so he could clear the payment by the end of the week or else he would be in big trouble at work and might even get fired and he couldn't afford that. Peter also said that he could have easily withdrawn the money beforehand and then told me about it after it was already done, but because he wanted to be honest with me and show me how sincere he was about his apology. He had decided to approach me before he did any of that so he would have my consent since it was money that belonged to both of us. I could tell that he was just grasping at straws because he didn't want to lose me, but he also didn't want to lose his

money so, he had come to me, pretending as if he was really sorry about what had happened. So I told him that since he had screwed up personally, the $25,000 that he needed to return would have to come out of his own pockets and not from our joint savings. I also told him. I also He also told him that he hadn't been doing me a favor by coming to me and telling me about his intentions of withdrawing another huge sum of money from our joint account just so he could cover up his own mistakes. I would have found out about it eventually because this time, the bank would definitely notify me since I had enabled the alerts again and I was not staying with him, so he couldn't disable it without my knowledge. The only reason he was even apologizing to me right now was because he felt guilty since I had been right about everything, especially about Lucy, and since nobody from his family was on his side. He needed me to be there for him. I told him that he was an extremely selfish man and that I did not have any intention of agreeing to his plan of withdrawing the money from our savings.

He had to use his personal savings for it because he was the one who had messed up. And if he was really sorry, then he would not argue with me, but he still continued to fight with me and told me that he was the one who had been saving money all on his own for the past couple of months and I hadn't been able to make a single contribution because I hadn't even been working. So just to make things fair, I should have agreed to his terms, but I was being unreasonable and he told me that as his wife, I should stand by him in such difficult time since he had ended up in a fight with his family and has also lost a huge project on the same day. I just reminded him of what he had said to me and he had insulted me on purpose the other day at the party and then I told him that I had behaved with him in the same way and put him down like that. He wouldn't have thought twice before filing for a divorce, but at least I was still trying to make it work and giving him a chance. to fix things because I loved him. And to defend himself, he couldn't come up with anything valid so he just started yelling about how money isn't everything and that I should think about his feelings in a situation

right now as well instead of being just as selfish as his family. I literally laughed out loud when he said that money wasn't everything because if it wasn't, then why not sacrifice your own money instead of our joint savings? He had no answer for that so I told him that ultimately, it was his call what he wanted to do since technically, I couldn't stop him from using the money from our savings account. But I had made up my mind about what I wanted to do when I was going to speak to a lawyer the next day and put an end to all of this. I was done being pushed around and made to feel bad about myself, so I told him that I was no longer willing to fight for our marriage anymore.

When I implied that I was going to speak to a lawyer and file for divorce, he completely lost it and started screaming at me, telling me that I was being selfish and unreasonable. Then, from yelling at me, he went to just screaming in general about how everything was unfair and how everyone was letting him down in ways that he didn't even know were possible. At that point, I felt kind of bad for him because he had lost a huge project at work that day, then his family had let him down, and after that, when he came to me to feel better, I also told him that I was not going to be there for him anymore. Needless to say, his day was not going very well, and he started having a breakdown in the living room. At that moment, I really didn't know what to say or do for him because on one hand, I felt

terrible, but on the other hand, I couldn't forget the insult. So I just ended up standing there quietly for a few minutes before going to his side, patting him on the back, and telling him that everything was going to be fine eventually, but he needed to pull himself together. I tried to be as kind as possible, but in my head, I had already made up my mind that I was going to leave him, and I was firm about it. A couple of minutes later, one of the time. One of the same Once he was done having a breakdown, he just abruptly got up and left without even saying goodbye. After he left, I called up our family lawyer and explained the situation to him and he put me in touch with a divorce attorney late at night and on the phone call itself, we decided to meet today and within this week, we are going to file for a divorce. I was pretty sure about everything until this morning, but then I received a text from Peter, saying that he was sorry about everything and that he was going to pay the $25,000 out of his own pocket and not use our savings.

He told me that he hadn't been thinking straight last evening and he had been a complete mess because he had lost a big project, which is why he had ended up acting out like that. But he really wanted to make it work with me and he knew that I loved him and he loved me too, so he wanted to give us one final chance and wanted me to consider it as well. So now, I'm suddenly having second thoughts about getting a divorce from him because I do love him, but I know that right now, leaving him would be the best choice for me. But for him, it might lead to another breakdown and I don't know what to do. I defer wanting to leave my husband when he's already going through a rough patch. Update 1, for days have passed since I posted and I decided to go through with the divorce and told my lawyer that I wanted to file the petition. It was not an easy decision to make for me because I genuinely used to think that Peter was my

soulmate. But in light of recent events, I don't think I can go on pretending to believe that because it's obviously not true. If it had been, he never would have said the things that he said, and no matter how hard I try, I just can't get it out of my head. His behavior recently has been terrible and I'm not the kind of woman who is going to put up with this just because I love him and he needs to realize that. Maybe there are better people than me with bigger hearts who would be willing to forgive in such situations, but that is not me and I feel really sorry for us, both of us, since neither of us

had wanted things to end this way, but it is what it is. After the message that Peter had sent me a few days ago, I didn't reply to it for a couple of days but yesterday, I told him that I was really sorry, but I had decided that I was going to go through with the divorce because I couldn't be with him anymore. Even if I wanted to, things would never go back to the same way that they were before all of this took place. And maybe it was better for both of us to try and move on because clearly, neither of us were happy with each other anymore. I told him that I hoped that he would understand and then I blocked him because I was I didn't want to hear back from him again because this is quite difficult for me as it is.

I didn't want it to get worse. I've been miserable but, thankfully, my parents have been very supportive and they think that I'm doing the right thing for myself. I don't know if it's the right thing for Peter, but that's his lookout now. Update 2. So Peter was served with the divorce papers today, almost five days after we filed the petition and he came over in the evening. He had a bunch of bags with him and when I opened the door to him, he told me that he had packed all my things that I had left behind in the house and brought them all to me because I would probably be needing them. I could tell that he was very upset and had probably been crying in the car before he came here, but I didn't want to discuss it because that would just make things unnecessarily awkward and

difficult. But he wanted to talk about it, so while I was bringing the bags inside, he asked me how we managed to go from planning a baby a couple of weeks ago to getting divorced now and I honestly did not know how to answer that. I still tried, though, and I told him that he had been quite unkind to me, and by the time he realized that I was right, it was way too late for us to fix things. He tried telling me that it was not too late, since the divorce had only been filed, and it hadn't actually been finalized. We could still try couples counseling and tried to make it work, but I shut it down instantly. For couples counseling to work, both of us would have to be willing to try and make it work and I wasn't willing to do that anymore.

I had kept my dignity and self-respect several times in the past, but I wasn't willing to do that anymore because, at some point, you just started feeling like a pushover and a complete doormat. And just because I loved him, it did not give him the right to walk all over me and not expect me to stand up against it. So while it was really sad that we had gone from planning a family to getting a divorce in just a couple of months, I think it was for the best that we hadn't actually gotten pregnant because that would have only complicated things even more. Then once all the bags had been brought inside, I tried to wish him the best for the future and say goodbye to him, but he had already turned around and started to leave. So I ended up saying nothing and just shut the door after he left. I don't think he realizes that this is just as difficult for me as it is for him and has only been thinking about himself, which I think is pretty selfish. It just makes me believe that I'm doing the right thing by getting a divorce because if I had actually

decided to have a baby with him, I'm pretty sure he would have been just as self-centered and my personal life and mental health would have gone for a toss. I know that he was trying to kind of emotionally manipulate me into coming back by bringing up the topic of starting a family, believing that maybe that would make me reconsider everything, but it had the opposite effect and now, I'm even more determined to end this marriage as soon as possible. Update 3, so two months have passed since I filed for a divorce and today, we finally managed to get it finalized. We don't really have a waiting period here in my state, so things were wrapped up relatively quickly. I'm very grateful for all the help from my lawyer to make the mediation sessions as easy and

peaceful for me as possible because I had been having a very hard time coming to terms with the divorce emotionally and was on the verge of crying every time I would have to see him. As much as I want to deny it, I can't say that I don't love him anymore. But ultimately, that didn't matter because I think everyone knows that you need more than just love to make a marriage work. I know for a fact that even he loves me because he handed me a letter today and told me to read it once I got home and I did. In the letter, he basically just apologized for everything that he had put me through and told me that idea served way better and he was too late to realize it. But now that he knew, he was going to try and

become a better man so maybe in the future, if I wanted to, then we could give this another shot since he can't imagine his life with anybody else apart from me. He told me that he would love to be friends and at least be a part of my life in any capacity that he could because he didn't want to completely lose me, but he would understand if I was not open to it right now. He just wanted me to keep an open mind and think about it for the future and I guess I will do that but right now, I need my space and I need to be away from him to move on and heal. I'm hopeful that may be something in the future when circumstances are better and he is a changed man, we might be able to make it work, but for now, I just want to focus on my new business and be free for a while. All I'm

assets and money have been divided and I'm pretty sad but I'm trying to cope with it. I'm taking one day at a time, like most people have advised me too and I don't know how things are going to turn out in the future but I know that right now, I have done what was best for me and I'm going to try and not have any regrets. I'm going to start this new chapter of my life by channeling all my energy into my business which I started because I hadn't been able to find anything that I liked in the job market, so I created a job for myself and fingers crossed. life will go well now. I hope you enjoy this story.

Requested my uncle to escort me during the procession instead of my stepfather, but my mother warned that she might not attend the wedding. The day of the wedding dawned and you won't believe what happened next. So I, 26F, am getting married to my boyfriend, 28M, of three years and a couple of weeks. We have been engaged for the past seven months and last week, I asked my uncle to walk me down the aisle. My uncle, 55M, is my dad's older brother and he has pretty much been the only father figure I have had in my life because my biological father passed away when I was just four years old and I barely have any memories of him. My mother, 48F, was a working woman and is a real estate agent. Her work required her to be out for really long hours. So I would end up spending a lot of time with my uncle and his family and I honestly think that my uncle, aunt, and my cousins are pretty much my own family. I also love my mother, don't get me wrong, and I value and cherish her for everything that she has done for me my entire life because I know it couldn't have been easy to raise me without her husband by her side, but I also really love my uncle and his family.

So when I asked him to walk me down the aisle, he agreed in a heartbeat and we were really happy, but when I told my mom about it, she was not very pleased with my decision. She told me that I should have at least consulted with her once before making such a huge decision because she had hinted to my stepdad that I would ask him and and he might feel hurt. For the record, my stepdad has only been in my life for the last couple of years and while we get along fine, he and I are not particularly close. So I don't even know why my mother would hint to him that I would ask him to walk me down the aisle. I don't really think of him as a father figure and to me, he's just my mother's husband and nothing else. I might have even considered if he had made any attempt to be more involved in my life, but that has never happened. So I don't see any reason for me to feel bad for not asking him.

He and my mom started dating eight years ago and have been married for five. So I was not exactly a kid when I first met him and unlike my uncle, he has never really played an active role as a parent in my life. I explained all of this to my mother, but she was not happy and she insisted that I asked my stepdad and replace my uncle because she thought that my uncle would be more understanding, but she had already implied certain things to my stepdad and she didn't want him to feel. left out. I don't know how it's my responsibility to make him feel included, but I stood my ground and I told my mother that this was not happening. I thought that my uncle deserved to walk me down the aisle and it was my wedding. So it was ultimately my decision. This happened three days ago and while we were on the phone, she just hung up without bothering to argue with me anymore. When I said that it was my decision and she couldn't change my mind, I thought that it would be the end of the argument.

But later that day, she paid me a visit and started off on the same topic that she wanted me to replace my uncle and my stepdad to walk me down the aisle because it would really make him feel good and eventually, we would be able to build a better relationship. It was pretty exhausting because I was already really swamped with work and wedding prep, and this was the last thing that I needed on my plate so I was getting too agitated by speaking to her and our voices rose, and the argument started getting heated. She was extremely stubborn and I was not going to back down either, so we were just talking in circles and at one point, she thought it would be a good idea to threaten me by saying that she would not attend the wedding if I did not ask my stepdad to walk me down the aisle and make my uncle step down. I got really pissed off because this was my own mother and here she was, trying to threaten me by saying she wouldn't even attend my wedding, one of the most important days of my life, over something like this. It was very obvious to me that my stepdad's feelings were more

important to her than my own. And so, in the heat of the moment, I told her that she was free not to attend my wedding and told her that since she had made up her mind, I guess she was also fine with not meeting a really special guest that I had invited just for her sake. I had been planning to surprise her with this on the day of my wedding by introducing her to this woman, but now, I'm not sure if that will be necessary because of her behavior. So, the guest that I'm talking about is pretty much a legend in the real estate arena. She runs one of the biggest real estate firms in the city, and my mother has always looked up to her and had been looking for an opportunity to work with her since she was planning on starting a business of her own now. She just so happened to be a really

close friend of my mother-in-law since they know each other from college, and when I found out about that connection, I instantly requested my mother-in-law to invite her because I knew that it would make my mother really happy to meet her. And I wanted to surprise her on the day of my wedding by introducing her to this guest. However, when she told me that she would not attend my wedding if I did not ask my stepdad to walk me down the aisle, I had a bit of an outburst, and I guess it was all the stress that was just getting to me. So I just told her that there was no need for her to be present at the wedding anymore. As soon as I told her, she made a complete 180 and started telling me that now,

I was being really unfair because she had only said that she would not attend my wedding to get me to ask my stepdad. But she hadn't even known that there would be such a special guest present at the wedding. If she had, she wouldn't be pressuring me to do anything, but I told her that now, she had said whatever it is that she had to say, and I already knew that to her. My stepdad's feelings were more important than what I wanted for my wedding and I was really pissed off at the time so I couldn't bring myself to care about how she was feeling about all of this. I asked her to leave since I was already really busy with work and preparing for the wedding and I couldn't deal with this as well. I told her that at the moment, she had really

pissed me off, and I had no intention of hearing her out because my blood was spoiling because of the way she was acting and I just wanted her to clear out so I could think about what I wanted to do. Then I stood up and even she did, but she started bargaining with me and said that she took back everything that she had said, but she just wanted to be present at the wedding now. However, I was in a really bad mood after the fight that we had had so I just kept pushing for her to leave, and when she tried to just stand there and argue, I started yelling at her and said that I just wanted her to leave because I was really stressed out and I couldn't deal with this right now. I told her that I really couldn't care less about whether she wanted to attend or not.

She had put me in a really difficult position and had been very selfish so now she had no right to make any demands from me. I told her that I would think about it and talk to her later, but at that moment, I had nothing to say to her, and if she tried to argue even more, it would just make the situation worse for her because I was getting really pissed off by her behavior. She left after a while but she was looking very unhappy that I had forced her to go without fully committing that I would be open to having her at the wedding. Then, I was finally able to calm down and after talking to my fiancé on the phone since he was away on a business trip for a week, I decided that I would think about whether to have her at my wedding after this later because that day itself, I was still feeling pretty annoyed with her. The next day, when I woke up, I was about to head out to work, and I had thought that I would just contact my mother a couple of days later and try to sort things out, but she just couldn't

give me my space to cool down. She turned up at my place in the morning, right as I was about to leave for work and she knew my timings, but she still turned up and started talking to me about whether she would still be invited to the wedding or not. Instead of apologizing, she started trying to justify herself. She told me that my stepdad had apparently been feeling very left out during the wedding prep and to cheer him up, she had told him that I might ask him to walk me down the aisle, so he has nothing to worry about and he's just as much a part of the family as anyone else. She also told me that he had always been quite insecure about his place in my life and of my uncle in general since he seemed to be the man of the family because of how I treated him

and he always felt threatened by him. So that's why she had implied that I might ask him to walk me on my wedding day. Honestly, I can understand the impulse to tell your partner some white lies to make them feel better about certain things, but I don't know why she had to do it at my expense even though she knew that I had no intention of ever doing what she had hinted. And she was fully aware of the fact that my stepdad and I were never close so she was pretty much setting him up for failure by raising his expectations to an unrealistic degree. On top of that, instead of just apologizing and getting it over with, she kept trying to tell me that she had been insistent on this the other day just because she did not want her husband to feel bad, and after I got married, I would understand why she was acting

that way. But her behavior was no reason for me to cut her out of the wedding list altogether because at the end of the day, no matter how much we fought, she was still my mother, and she deserves to be there at my wedding. I tried to tell her that I would discuss this with her after I came back home from work, but she told me that I had to commit to her that I would include her and not cut her out of the wedding guest list. I tried to say yes, just to shake her off so I could leave for work without getting late but then, she started off yet again about how she wanted me to at least talk to my stepdad and explain to him why I had chosen my uncle because she didn't want to become the bad guy in the situation because of my decision to ask my uncle to walk me down the aisle.

That's when I finally lost it because not only was she delaying me for work, but she was also wasting my time with her stupid questions. I had already told her that she was welcome to attend my wedding just to get her off my back, but now, she was demanding way too much by saying that I should talk to my stepdad. I had made no promises to him. Why should I be the one to talk to him and break this news to him? In fact, I don't even think that I need to tell him about the wedding at all. It's not like I'm discussing what I'm planning to do on my wedding day with all the guests, am I? So why should I extend a special courtesy to him? To me, he's just like any other guest. So while we were standing in the doorway, I told my mother to leave me alone because I had finally

had enough of her, I said that she was wasting my time and I couldn't understand that she was really desperate to make sure that my stepdad felt validated. But it was not my responsibility to validate his feelings, it was hers and I don't care how she did it, but she was in no position to make any demands from me. She started off on motherhood, saying that she had raised me on her own and that this was the least I could do for her. Then I decided to call her out on it and reminded her that she had never done it all on her own at all. She wouldn't have been able to get to to this place in her career had it not been for all the help that she had received from my grandparents, my uncle, and his family so this BS. That she had raised me all by herself was not something I was

willing to buy. She then started calling me ungrateful and I finally told her that now, I had made up my mind and I was sure that I did not want her at my wedding and then, I shook her off, headed to my car, and drove away as quickly as I could. It took a long time to cool down, but even after that, she did not leave me alone and kept trying to call me while I was on my way to work so as soon as I pulled up at my workplace, I blocked her and tried to focus on the day ahead. But even that was pretty pointless because when I came back home, I realized that she was still there, waiting on the doorstep of my house. As soon as she saw me, she ran up to me and said that she knew I couldn't possibly have been serious about not having her at my wedding, but by then, I had had it, and I told her that I was definitely serious and judging by the way she was acting. it was unlikely that I would change my mind before the wedding. I told her that she was acting unhinged and she needed to get out of my yard.

Unfortunately, my fiancé was also away at the time, so I couldn't even count on him to rescue me from the situation, and she just stood there, trying to reason with me, but I kept telling her to leave me alone and eventually. I just burst out and I told her that I would call the cops on her if she didn't, and I even had my phone out, so she knew I was serious. That was when she started crying and said that I was being really heartless, and she couldn't believe that I was treating her this way, in spite of everything that she had done for me.

I told her that I didn't want things to turn out like this, but she has been forcing my hand for the last couple of days and now, I really don't have any other option. She has been getting on my very last nerve and I needed her to leave me alone, so after crying, she finally left and it has been a couple of days since then, but now, I feel kind of bad. I have discussed all of this with my fiancé and he thinks that I did what was necessary, but even then, I feel bad about it and neither of us has any clue how to deal with the situation because the guilt is absolutely overwhelming. He came back last night and we were finally able to sit down together and talk about what I have

been going through. It's obvious that I'm very stressed because of the wedding prep and I've also been taking up a lot of extra load at work, so that might have made me extra emotional and it's the same with him as well. But at the same time, the way that my mother had been acting was quite unreasonable, so we really don't know if what I did was the right thing or not or if it was just something that was stress-induced, and if I needed to apologize to my mom for behaving this way or not. We just genuinely have no idea what to do, so we are here to ask for your help to sort out this situation. Ida for telling my mother that she is no longer invited to my wedding because

she insisted I asked my stepdad to walk me down the aisle instead of my uncle. Update 1, hello, so I have a lot to share in this update. First, I'm going to start by thanking everybody who commented on my original post and let me know that even though the way my mother was behaving was unacceptable, I myself also constantly said that I'm extremely stressed about work in the wedding and that was not normal either. So for the past week and a half, my fiancé and I have been doing a lot of introspecting and we think that we need to scale our wedding way down. Of course, I'm not talking about anything that we have already paid for but mostly about the guest list. The number of people that we were planning on inviting had almost reached 200 and both of us were really stressed about it because there were a lot of people that people have to accommodate and think about their lifestyle choices beforehand and it would also be very expensive.

So after a lot of discussion, we decided to cut down our guest list to only the people that we absolutely wanted at our wedding so we could enjoy the day and have more time to spend with our loved ones. There was really no need for us to have more than 100 people at our wedding. It just didn't even make sense because a lot of these people hadn't even spoken to us in many years and neither had we had any contact with them apart from a couple of messages exchanged on social media. That doesn't really warrant an invitation to the wedding and I think we kind of went overboard with the guest list while we were planning it out, but no worries, we have gotten that under control now. Later this week, we will finally be sending out the invitations, and now that only the people that

I really want at the wedding are going to be invited, I'm feeling a lot less distressed and better about things in general. As for work, I decided to take some time off because I had bidden off more than I could chew and I talked to my employers about it, and they were quite happy that I had chosen to offload some of my work. They thought that I was doing a lot all at once and I really didn't need to put myself through so much because they also had other competent employees and I didn't need to take it all on my own. So, I'm doing a lot better now and I plan on having a stress-free wedding. I'm really glad that I chose to talk about it on this thread because both my fiancé and I are quite typos so we can get really uptight without even realizing it.

But this thread and the people who commented on my post made me rethink everything and I'm doing better now. And as for a few guests who will definitely not make the cut to the final guest list, it's going to have to be my mother and my stepdad. My mother, well, because you guys have already read the original post, and a big reason why I even came to the conclusion that I needed to cut it. some people out of the list that I was planning, was because of the way she was behaving and how she was imposing her unrealistic expectations on me. And my stepdad by extension because I just don't feel like having him at the wedding and without my mother being there, I don't think he has any

reason to be there either. We haven't spoken to each other since I made her cry the other day and it's been nice. I was getting really sick of her, to be honest. I also spoke to my uncle about her behavior, and he said that he wouldn't have had a problem with me replacing him with my stepdad. If my mother insisted upon it, he would have felt really bad, but he wouldn't have made an issue out of it if my stepdad really wanted it. I explained to him that it was not about what he wanted. It was my wedding, so it was about what I wanted, as it should be. And I wanted my uncle to walk me down the aisle, so my mother should have respected that instead of making it such a big deal and blowing it all out of proportion, so much so that now we are not even speaking to each other. And I'm

other, with just a couple of weeks to go before my wedding. There are eight weeks to go, to be precise, and I do feel bad that things had to go wrong like this, but it's not like I can help it so I'm just coming to terms with all of this and making my peace with it. For the record, I have not blocked my mother anywhere. I mean, I had, but then I unblocked her that very night itself. So if she wanted to apologize to me then she could have reached out to me and apologize to me. My anger has also calmed down considerably. She has had enough time to think things over and reconsider her stance on this entire situation, but nothing like that has happened and I'm beginning to give up hope that maybe we will be able to reconcile before the wedding. I don't know what to

say, but I really did want her to be there for me on my wedding day because in spite of everything, she still is my mother and so far, we have always had a good relationship. I don't know why she's screwing it up at this point, but I'm really disappointed in how things have turned out. All I can do is keep my fingers crossed that we will be able to make things up to each other and the next few weeks before the wedding and hopefully, it will all work out. Even if it doesn't, I'm still getting married to the love of my life, so I know that it'll be update too. I finally sent out the invitations a few days ago, and just as I had said, my mother and my stepdad did not receive one and they were furious. I guess they had been asking

around whether the other people and our family received their invitations to the wedding or not, and when they found out that most of the people that I wanted at my wedding had received it, they lost it. I can at least understand an excuse that my stepdad was shocked that he had not been invited because even though we were not that close, he was still family and moreover, he was not aware of anything that my mother had done, but I can't understand my mother's reaction. I don't understand why she was so taken aback because, for the last two weeks almost, we haven't even spoken to each other. The last time saw her, we had not ended that meeting on a good note, and I had also informed her well in advance that I wouldn't be inviting her to the wedding

because of the way that she was acting. So I don't understand why she felt the need to turn up at my place in the morning with my stepdad and try to get answers out of me. This time as well, she showed up right around the time that I was about to leave for work, probably on purpose because she wanted to piss me off even more. Thankfully, I had a day off today, so I was. I had all the time in the world to deal with this nonsense. Also, my fiancé was here, unlike the last time that this same thing happened. So when they turned up, we invited them in, and even though they had started yelling at us already, we decided to deal with this in a dignified and civil manner because I didn't want to start

screaming at them as well and turn this into a shouting match. It just wouldn't make sense and so, I let them get it all out of the system before I started speaking. Once my mother and stepdad were done expressing their disappointment, rather loudly, I must say. I first addressed my stepdad and I told him that there were several reasons for which the two of them had not been invited to the wedding that I was sure he didn't know because my mother wanted to look like the good guy here and that's why she had made it seem like it was all my fault without saying what she had done. One look at his face told me that my mother had indeed not said anything about what she had done to create the situation. So I informed him about how she had been so

that I should replace my uncle with him to walk me down the aisle and then, I had explained to him exactly why I did not want to do that. He had never put in much of an effort to build a strong relationship with me and even if he had, it wouldn't have mattered because my uncle has been there for me since I was a child, so that's really different. And I hope that my mother would understand that at some point, but she never did and didn't respect what I had said. So I had already told her, I did not want her at my wedding and it was about time that he knew about it as well. From then on, he was quiet because he did not know about this side of things. Then, I turned to my mother and started speaking to her,

and told her that she had already known about my decision earlier, so there was really no need for her to create such a fuss about it right now. She hadn't bothered to fix the situation by apologizing to me, even though I had not blocked her specifically because I was expecting her to reach out to me at least just so she could tell me that she could understand where I was coming from and that she wouldn't pressure me to do anything that I didn't want to do anymore. However, that message never came, and now, she will not be attending my wedding either. I thought I was being fair enough, but even then, she kept screaming at me and kept saying

that I was an ungrateful child and that she deserved better to make me feel guilty, but I just felt irritated. After one point, I guess it was obvious that my fiancé and I were not interested in speaking to her, so my stepdad grabbed my mother by the arm and told her that we were not even worth their time. Then, they left and after they were gone, I finally blocked both of them. To be honest, I'm just relieved that this is over now. I hope that they leave me alone after this. Update three, I got married two days ago and it went just like I had expected like I had been planning for months and I think it was a great idea for us to cut short the wedding guest list because we were actually able to speak to everyone who was present and give them time. It wasn't too overcrowded,

and everything was really pleasant and dreamy. I ended up missing my mother a little, in spite of myself, but my uncle and my fiancé were right there to comfort me and tell me that they would be there for me always. So that made me feel a bit better about the situation and event. Eventually, I forgot about it by the time I got onto the dance floor. In short, we had a fantastic time and I don't really regret anything. Now, my husband and I are going to be leaving for our honeymoon in a couple of days,

and it's going to be absolutely perfect, I know it. I hope you enjoy this story. I'm concerned that my partner's intimate female acquaintance might cause harm to our bond. I've been in a relationship with my partner Jack for a few years already. We share a wonderful bond. Relationship, he's funny and talented

and we have a lot of fun together but there's always been one big issue. Natalie, Joe and Nat are really, really close friends. It borders on unhealthy codependency for sure. When we met they were living together too, but she was out of the country so I didn't meet her until we'd been together a couple months. They also worked together, artists slash musicians. When we started dating, Joe gave me a disclaimer about them and their close relationship, but I didn't really know what I was getting into. Once I met her I understood it, she's the

prettiest person I've ever seen in my life. I heard a lot about her, but no one told me she looked like a fucking supermodel. It was jarring too. because Joe is just average. They started writing music again together and performing, which meant a lot of time alone. I also was under the impression that their band involved multiple people, but it's just the two of them. Natalie always invited me for practice and whatnot,

but TBH being around them made me feel like a third wheel. Then I saw them perform and for some reason they decided to cover this song which felt like a slap in the face to me. Especially given the context of the movie, it's not even their genre. And I was extra upset because there's that line you can always come in my back door and we have issues because I don't like anal, and she even bent over and gave a lil wink and it made me so fucking mad.

Joe liked laughed it off and said the song was funny and gets a good crowd response, and also they're affectionate. I mean they're not kissing each other but always close. Well, anyway, she ended up traveling a lot for a long period of time for some good career opportunity. I had to talk Joe out of joining her and things got a lot better with us. We even got engaged and it was great. Then for Christmas we went to his home country so I could meet his family and things went sideways as fuck. First off, Nat was in every family photo. Going back years. Then his mom was asking about Nat and later saying she was going to be out to

visit next week. Joe had a bit too much to drink at this point and got emotional about that saying he wished he would have known because he would have changed our plans. I pulled him aside and told him I wasn't comfortable with how intertwined she was with his family, especially if we were going to get married. I asked if something could be done about that. And he laughed in my face and told me that I could be the one to try to bring that up with his mom. So, I did, and his mom looked at me like I slapped her, and then the whole family got upset. Joe got really mad at me and we left. Apparently she was. was a foreign exchange student or SMTH and they were immediately best friends, they were weird kids

and didn't have other friends before each other. Every year they alternated staying with their families, between Ireland and Germany, I never knew about this but there were things, like we were watching a movie once and a character was speaking German and Joe was able to translate. When I asked him WTF he speaks German. He gave me a weird look and was like, yeah, that's where Nat is from. Then when they were teenagers and the two were in Ireland, Nat's family was killed back in her country and so she stayed there with his family until they moved out together, and they've basically been side by side since for 15 plus years. They lived together and went to school together, and then lived together and worked together, since they were like 12. Apparently there was one school

year their parents decided not to put them together and they both reacted so hostile and began acting out with crime and drugs that their parents gave in. I'd quiet didn't know this and started to wonder what else, asked if they slept together. And yes, they sure did. About six years ago for like a year, then one night Nat kissed a guy and Joe beat the shit out of him. They got in fight and decided sex was complicating things and then just stopped. But then they also hooked up a few times since, I freaked out. After all the she's like my sister bullshit, Joe insisted it didn't mean anything but WTF.

He kept saying it was purely physical and there were no. feelings, but if there weren't feelings how did things get complicated then? Well, regardless, we managed to talk it out but didn't go back to his parents. He argued that they were barely even friends anymore since he hasn't seen her in so long. And I did such a good job tearing them apart. I told him he asked me to marry him and should act like it. We fought for like three days until he got sick of it. Last week he gets a call from her. I hear him get upset and argue then he starts to leave. I ask him WTF. He just said Natalie's in trouble and he need to go. He's to go to her and leaves. Just hopped on a plane and left, just like that, if I wouldn't have

asked he probably wouldn't have even said a word to me, so naturally I was pissed, and I started drinking and sent some angry messages, and I basically told him that if he was going to leave like that and run to her, he made it clear he was choosing her over me. And he shouldn't bother coming home. His response was just okay and that he would come back soon to get his stuff, which really, really pissed me off, while yesterday I talked to our mutual friend Chloe, who told me that Natalie was in a bad situation and called Joe from the hospital. I felt kind of bad then and wondered why Joe didn't tell me that detail so I called him. It wasn't a good conversation. I told him I understood why he left, but since she's okay now, he should come home, he disagreed, and fucking

flipped out on me, said that if I didn't keep them apart and put distance between them. She might have opened up to him about the shit she was dealing with and he could have helped. He called me manipulative and jealous. I do feel bad, but I still think I didn't do anything that bad. Chloe told me she'd be surprised if Joe wants to work things out. I love him, but this situation is so weird. I just want some advice. Is our relationship salvageable?

Is what I did that bad? Should we even bother or should I just let him and Natalie do their weird not a real couple bullshit? Edit, I just found out she tried to be with him and he rejected her. And he didn't want to ruin their friendship? I'm so fucking confused. Update 1. I'm worried that our relationship will be broken by my BF's close female friend. Hi everyone, it's me, the one from yesterday's post about my now ex-fiancee. I just want to first say that I really, really appreciate everyone's input and suggestions.

It helped me so much and gave me that push to finally address what. I already knew what needed to be done, a lot of people asked for updates and a lot has happened in the last 24 hours, but the original post is locked so I hope this is okay to post here. I've updated a few people through private messages and was told how to go about posting an update through there, so thank you everyone. Well, first off, I was angry and emotional yesterday and I reached out to Sam, who used to date Natalie. I figured if anyone could relate to exactly WTF I was dealing with, it would be him, so we met up for some drinks. I'm not looking for a rebound type anything just wanted someone who

really understands, and holy shit. Apparently he asked way more questions and Natalie was way more open with him than Joe was with me, and it filled in some blanks but also made things more confusing. Sam read the whole post and comments then we started talking. First thing he clarified was the time they were sleeping together. So, per Sam, they were hooking up secretly for that year, and from what Natalie told Sam, God, this is tiring, it started as a way to relieve. Tension slash boredom, the first time happened during a fight, which is so on brand for them that if I wasn't so angry I'd laugh at that, they agreed to keep emotions out of it and just have fun. Apparently Natalie said the sex was incredible because they're so close already, which is why they didn't just write it off as a one-time

mistake. And then the reason the fight that ended things happened is Natalie was going to bring this other guy as her date with her to the party and she made a joke like unless you want to finally make this official LOL and Joe's response was like, no, I can't ruin our friendship like that, paraphrasing. Maybe, ha, so Natalie went and brought that guy with and then Joe got drunk and tried to kill him so. Yeah. I don't know why Joe chose to leave out the details that he did, T.B.H. It probably would have made me feel a little more comfortable. So he left out those details, but Natalie told Sam those details, and admitted to Sam when they broke up that no one will ever mean more to her than

Joe, I fucking applaud Sam for not blowing that up and letting everyone know. I'm not that nice. You guys will be proud of me. After a few drinks with Sam I took the advice that a lot of people gave me, but instead of just sending my last post to Joe, I send it to our entire group chat that all of our friends are on, including Joe and Natalie, and then I waited. Most people didn't respond in the chat, but I started getting a lot of private texts from friends, but after a little while, Natalie responded, and I'll just copy her response here.

Emma, I was going to talk to you privately, but since you decided doing things this way was your best option I will follow suit. 1. Joe is just average. This is how you talk about a man you are supposed to love, especially considering he is not just average. 2. I had to talk Joe out of joining her. and it meant he missed out on a great opportunity just to appease you and your concerns, I even tried to. Invite you to come with us on the tour.

You also mention him getting a real job and are rude about his talent. You have never supported him. Three, yeah, you came to one of our performances the whole time and hated that song and we stopped playing it even though you never came to another one. Four. I am sorry you didn't know the details of our friendship. I have tried to include you and befriend you and build a relationship with you but you were too jealous to accept my effort, but maybe we could have talked about things and made you feel comfortable. You didn't even like to hear him talk about me. You also made the implication I did something

drastic to get his attention to make him come out heroin that is cruel considering circumstances. I wish I would have been around more so I would have realized sooner that he deserves so much better than you. I was honestly shocked to get that response and I was wondering why the hell she didn't address the important stuff? Like being in love, or the fact they've had sex. But anyway, chaos kind of broke out in the chat after that and I didn't respond with anything, just sat back and watched it all blow up. Well, Joe called me a little while after that and assured me he was alone, he was crying and apologizing to me but not like begging for me back at all.

He basically confirmed what I thought and everyone else was saying. He was apologizing for hurting me and straight up admitted he's totally in love with her and has been forever. They were even each other's first kiss. I told him I know she wanted a relationship with him. Sam told me, so WTF was he doing with me? He said he didn't realize the extent of her feelings for him, thought it was just because the sex was good,

he didn't want to admit he was madly in love with her and basically he was worried that if they tried a relationship, and things ended badly because she realized she could do better, their friendship would be ruined. He said their friendship was important enough. To him that he'd prefer being quietly in love with her forever to trying something and ruining it. And that's kind of where I came in,

I guess. He says he was in major denial about his feelings for her and he hoped it would be easier to have her as just a friend if he tried to put his energy into a different relationship. I cried and yelled a lot and called him a lot of names. I'm still shaking. He admitted it was a horrible thing to do to me and says he never wanted to hurt me. Basically he's insecure and it caused this whole fucking shitstorm. Obviously things are completely done from what it sounds like, with Joe saying he didn't realize the extent of her feelings. It sure sounds like he does now, so maybe seeing this post made her fess up, good for them, I guess, I fucking hate both of them and I hope they make each other insane. I've thrown out a lot of his shit and instead of giving

the ring back I'm going to go sell it and do something fun. Edit, a lot of people are calling them cheaters but I would like to clear up that I'm 99.9% sure neither of them cheated on anyone. Aside from their constant emotional affair, some of my wording might be confusing and I apologize. I've calmed down a bit and I'm pretty worried about Natalie T.B.H. I feel like they're going to be together and he's going to be all crazy and controlling and things are going to get really messy. The emotions with these two are way too dramatic. She's so love-struck and blinded by his admission of his feelings that she's going to defend him to the end. Poor girl. Update 2. My ex-fiance had a long emotional affair that started before we met. Hi there, Reddit I previously came to this

for advice when I discovered uncomfortable truths about my ex, and we broke up about a week ago, if anyone is curious, feel free to look at my post history but it's a lot to read, basically, his gorgeous best friend slash adopted sister slash bandmate and him are madly in love. I ignored the signs and red flags that popped up constantly, until I couldn't anymore, and he finally admitted his feelings for her after keeping them repressed since they were teenagers. I'm not sure what I'm posting for now, I'm a little drunk and really sad and angry. and most of my friend group were friends with them and after the initial drama, most of those friends have already switched to thinking it's about time they're finally together.

My family isn't too supportive not in a bad way, that's just the nature of my family. We get uncomfortable talking about emotional things, which is probably why I willfully ignored the issues with my fiancé TBH. I'm at a loss. He hasn't even picked up his stuff yet. I've been drinking and crying and obsessing over every detail of this whole screwed up situation. I feel like an idiot. Why did I stay for so long when he always put her before me? Why didn't I see what everyone else apparently did? He was just with me because he thought it would help him move past his feelings for her. I feel so used, and unloved. I do have plans to get into therapy, for multiple reasons. What do I do? I know it's only been a few days. But when does this start to not

hurt so badly. I loved him so much, even when he flew out to her and abandoned me because she needed him. When I got upset and we fought, I still thought, how do I fix this? I'd be lying if I said I hadn't considered calling him, but it wouldn't do any good, now that he has her he'll never let her go, not even that I want him back. I just don't know, I've never gone through this. There's an actual aching in my chest, and I know that drinking is bad, I just. Uck, I'd come so fudging hurt. Update 3. Hope you're happy after ruining my life. All that for nothing. My life is in shambles and they're going off to elope.

I didn't even do anything fucking wrong. I was devastated after my fiancé left and missed some work and then I lost my job. My friends have abandoned me. I'm about to move back home. I moved out here for nothing. I moved out here so he could use me to realize how in love with her he is. I heard they're running away to a lope. I hope they fucking die.

Now for the next story, Story 2, my sister, who is 19, is marrying her older teacher, who is 36. My younger sister is getting married to her 36-year-old high school teacher in a few days and everyone seems okay with it. She graduated a year ago and they told us they were dating, almost immediately after the graduation. I was shocked and angry but everyone around me was happy and supportive of them. the teacher divorced his wife two years ago and started paying attention to my sister, he spoke to her after class regularly and paid special attention to her studies. I thought this was weird and talked to my sister about this. But she told me he was helping her because she was the best student of her class,

which she was, a few months ago, only a few months into dating, they announced that they were engaged. I tried talking to my parents about their age difference and stuff, but they didn't want to hear it. I talked to my sister and she told me she is happy and that she, she loves him, we live in a small town with a tight-knit community and everyone else is supporting their marriage, I'm feeling useless right now and I am angry at myself, I was unable to protect my sister, I feel like I failed my duties as an older sibling, I hate everyone around me.

How do they not see what's going on here? Update 1, my sister, who is 19, is marrying her older teacher, who is 36. The marriage happened, I contemplated not going to the ceremony, but I didn't want to hurt my little sister, so I went reluctantly. My blood was boiling, though, out the whole thing. Everyone who came to the ceremony congratulated them. I couldn't even look the teacher in the face because I was so angry at him. I hated the whole thing. I'm leaving this town tomorrow. I had some interviews lined up and got selected in one. It's in a city and I'm moving tomorrow. I can't stand these people. My parents think that getting married to a good guy with a stable job is the best thing that could have happened too, my sister and my relatives agreed, he groomed her, why doesn't

anyone else see that? I wanted to scream at everyone. When I told my sis I was leaving, she cried, I reassured her and told her that I wasn't angry at her, I made it clear to her that she could contact me any time under any circumstances and that I'd be there for her. I bought her a phone and told her that I'd talk to her regularly. I tried to not antagonize anyone because I want them to reach out to me if anything happens. It was very hard to do. I came very close to. I came very to fighting several people. My sister was a star student. I always thought that she would go to a big college and become someone significant. But now, she's going to be a housewife. That thought is destroying me. I wasn't harsh on her because I'm hoping that she wakes up soon and I want to be

there for her when that happens. I want to support her and see her full potential and I'm wishing it happens soon. Edit, I've told her not to have children until she's sure. She has a contraceptive implant and I told her not to get it removed for at least a couple of years. I told her to tell me if anyone ever pressured her to have it removed. I really hope she follows my advice, edit, I'm just checking the comments and the amount of people defending the teacher is insane. People like you are the problem. She was groomed since she was 16. Why can't you people see that? I wouldn't have any problem with her choices if she wasn't coerced into them. Him being an older man isn't my issue here. Him being her teacher is. Also, I don't think that being a housewife is bad.

What I don't like is that the choice of something more is being taken away from my sister. As for the phone thing, my parents did not allow my sister to own a phone. She had to use the landline if she wanted to talk to people. That's why I bought her a phone, update two, my sister, who is 19, is marrying her older teacher, who is 36. I wanted to share an update on my sister's situation since it's been a year and the situation has changed significantly in a positive way. Since the marriage a year ago, I've made it a point to talk to my sister's.

sister regularly on the phone that I gave her, a few weeks in, her husband started pushing her to be in a traditional wife role, which created a wedge between her and her friends, but I made sure to keep in touch and to visit her once every month. Her husband did not like that, but he tolerated it to keep up appearances, to deal with my frustrations. I joined a gym and started working out, luckily. My boss at my job turned out to be a great lady who listened to me and gave me a lot of support and advice, she told me I could call her when I needed help, and became my mentor and an older sister I could lean on, while also paying me well, some months into the marriage, her husband managed to domesticate her completely. She stopped going out almost entirely and had very little independence,

and he tried to start separating my sister from me, however, because I kept a good and consistent relationship with her, he wasn't able to do it. A couple of months ago, he started hinting to my sister about wanting kids. But I kept repeating to my sister that she should not have children until a few years into marriage. Last month, he told her directly that he wanted children and my sister told him that she wanted to wait. He started pressuring her to get her contraceptive implant removed. So last week, I went back home to talk to him. I always try to be polite to him whenever I visit their home so that he doesn't have any ammo to try to separate us. During conversation, I brought up that he was pressuring my sister to get her contraceptive implant removed. It escalated into

an argument with him saying that he had a right to have children with his wife, when I didn't back down. He got frustrated and took a swing at me, which didn't connect properly. I didn't hesitate in punching him back in his face. He fell backwards and started howling in pain. I wanted to do that since this whole ordeal started and it was satisfying. I think him hitting me was my sister's wake-up call. He called the cops and told them that I assaulted him. Fortunately, I make sure to record everything whenever I visit their home, I use my Apple Watch for this and it's a great tool for stealthy audio recording. I called my boss and told her about what happened, and she promised to send a lawyer just in case, when the cops arrived. My sister took my side, which surprised her husband,

with me being a woman, and with the recording, the cops also took my side. The lawyer arrived after that, and I told her husband that I was taking my sister with me. He tried to protest, but the lawyer warned him that I would press charges if he stopped my sister from leaving. He reluctantly let her go, and she has been staying with me for the last week. My parents were furious when they found out that my sister left her husband. They did not seem to care that he hit me, probably because I stopped talking to them. I am still talking to my sister about what she wants to do. And we'll probably start divorce proceedings in a few days.

Her husband and my parents have been trying to call and get her to come back, but I've made sure that she doesn't talk to them without me present. Throughout the whole thing, my boss has been super helpful and has been giving my sister advice about what she could do next. I know that I'm super lucky that my sister managed to wake up so soon and that I've had support from people like my boss. Throughout the whole of last year, I was worried about how my sister was going to end up, but I am elated now.

I hope you enjoy this story. Guardians called off my betrothal celebration due to my sibling's separation, causing me distress. However, my relative supported me and presented me with a gift that brought joy to my entire family. furious at me. Two weeks ago, my boyfriend of five years Caleb, 27M, proposed to me, 27F, and I said yes. When we told our families about it, they were obviously overjoyed, and my parents told me that they were going to throw an engagement party for us. But a few days ago, they just canceled the party without even consulting me first because my sister, Penelope, 25F, was going through a breakup. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't have to be.

have had any issues paying for my own engagement party and hosting it myself, but my parents had promised something to me and they ended up not delivering on those promises and that's why I was upset. If they had at least spoken to me before canceling everything, would have been more understanding, but what they did was just weird. They just called me up and informed me that Penelope and her boyfriend had broken up a day before my parents had decided that it would be best to avoid even talking about the wedding in front of her until she was in a relationship again because she was pretty much devastated. And so, hosting an engagement party for us was out of the question. The party was supposed to be happening yesterday and the invitations had already gone out a week ago,

but none of that ended up happening because my parents had already cancelled everything without even speaking to me and I was very upset with them. It might have been insensitive of me if Penelope had been with her boyfriend for a really long time, but they had only been dating for eight months and she was kind of serious about him, but I don't think it's my fault that he wasn't. And the crazy thing was that the reason they had broken up was because Penelope had asked married to her any time soon. After learning that I was engaged, that would have been a bit too much for any guy to handle and I really can't even blame him for making a run for it because Penelope was taking things a little too fast for his taste and he had asked her to slow down

several times but she just didn't seem ready to listen to him. So I can't say that the breakup was his fault. Penelope should have used her common sense as well and it seemed unfair for our parents to cancel my engagement party because of something stupid like this. I had told them that what they had done was not fair and I had even referred to their reasons as stupid and petty, which made all of them pretty mad and we got into a fight and since then, we haven't been on speaking terms. I had provided a guest list to my parents for the invitations, but I ended up having to email them all myself and tell them that the party had been postponed indefinitely because I knew that I was going to have that party, I just didn't know when since now I would have to plan it all over again by myself.

However, there was one person that all of us missed since neither of my parents invited them and nor did I and actually happen to be quite lucky for me because now, my family is regretting everything. The person that we missed was actually my aunt, my dad's older sister, since she pretty much lives off the grid. She has no social media and she only uses her email for official or formal work, never for personal use so if somebody has to reach her, they have to call her like in old times, and even when we had to send her an invitation, we had to mail it to her physically and then call to confirm. But after we got into a fight and stuff, both my parents and I forgot to disinvite her and she ended up showing up at my parents' house yesterday. And that was not good news for my parents

because she's quite strict and most importantly, she has a huge inheritance that my dad had been hoping to get his hands on. My father, 51M, is the youngest of three siblings, my aunt being the oldest, 62F, and I had an uncle in the middle, but he passed away a couple of years back. My aunt used to dota my father because he was the youngest and also because by the time he was born, my grandparents were in their late 30s and let's just say that my dad was not exactly an unexpected pregnancy, so his parents were not able to give him the kind of attention that he required. That's where my aunt stepped in and she was the one. person who had always been there forever since he was little. After they grew up, she never got

married or had a family of her own, but she had made a lot of money while she had been working, and even now, she was running her own business. So my dad had been hoping to inherit all of that when she passed away. It was something that my aunt had even discussed with my dad and he knew that if she had to name somebody as her heir, it would be him. But now, all of that's been thrown into jeopardy and that's because they decided to be honest with her about why the part had been cancelled when she showed up at the house last evening. My parents had obviously expected everyone to believe that what they had done was quite reasonable and understandable, but like most normal people, my aunt called them out and told them that she

couldn't believe that they would treat me like this. Then, she decided to come over to my place and I obviously welcomed her with open arms because she and I get along really well, and even though we don't really get to speak often, we only talk whenever I call her up to check up on her. It's always great to talk to her. When she came over, I hadn't actually planned on telling her anything about the fallout that I had with my parents, but she was the one who brought it up and she told me that what had happened, I shouldn't invite them to any of my wedding events since they clearly don't respect me. I was a little shocked by that because all my life, I had only seen her getting along great with my dad, but last night, she seemed very upset. Then I asked her what was going on since it felt like there was something much deeper than the issue at hand. So she told me that being the older sibling, she had had to sacrifice a lot and her parents had

never appreciated it because they believed that as the older sibling, it was her duty to make sure that she put her brothers before herself. And that's what she had believed her entire life, but now, she regrets not taking out enough time for herself because she realized that most of the time, it's only her trying to talk to my dad, but he never reaches out to her by himself unless he needs her help for something. She has tried to comfort herself by telling herself that he has a feeling. family to care for, so he can't obviously take out as much time for her as she can take out for him, but even then, it still feels bad. And I totally understand where she's coming from because I think

that my dad doesn't speak to her or visit her as often as he should. Also, both my sister and I are grown-ups now and I don't think he can use his family as an excuse because we are doing pretty well on our own. My aunt also told me that when she was younger, and when her parents were still around, even they had a favorite golden child and it was not her or my dad, it was the middle child. Her younger brother was their favorite because he was a boy and it could have just as easily been my father too, but he was too young at the time. All her life, she has felt like she's been dealt the short end of the straw by both her parents and her siblings and now, she felt like it was her duty to tell me that I shouldn't make the same mistakes and I shouldn't take the same

kind of disrespect like she did. Because once I start forgiving people just because their family, to take advantage of it, and eventually, it reaches a point where you can't go back from. And while she was talking about all of this, I really felt it because that's what I had been about to do as well, but after that conversation with her, I decided to take her advice. All cards on the table, I'd actually thought that by the time that my wedding actually came around, I would have been able to make it right with my family again. I didn't know how, I guess I'd just assumed that they would apologize to me and if they didn't, I would just let it go because I really wanted them to be present at my wedding.

But after speaking to my aunt, I realized that I wasn't fine with what they had done and I needed them to acknowledge and apologize for it. Until that happened, I wasn't interested in having them be a part of my life. And I definitely did not want to end up as a doormat for my family, and invite them to my wedding, regardless of how they had behaved with me. So after my aunt's visit last night, I decided to send a message to my parents in Penelope and tell them that until they acknowledged and apologized for their behavior, I was not interested in having them be a part of my wedding in any capacity and I would appreciate it if they stayed away. This morning, after I sent that message, I told my aunt that I had set a boundary and she told me that she really was proud

of me and hoped that I would be able to fix the situation with my family eventually. But until then, I need to stand my ground and not let them walk all over me. She had spent the night here, since she lives quite far away, and I didn't want her driving back home last evening. So this morning, when we spoke, it was in person and after that, she left and she also told me how disappointed she was that after she had scolded her brother last night. He didn't even bother to call her to make amends with her and I could really understand that both of us were very upset with our families. And then, a few hours back, my dad showed up at my door to ask me if my aunt was still here or not

and I had to tell him that she had already left in the morning and she had been very disappointed that he hadn't even bothered to call to talk to her and tried to mend things after fighting with her last night. All of a sudden, when I said that, he flared up and he started screaming at me from outside the door and told me that this was all my fault and that he was sure that I was the one who had instigated my aunt against him because just now, she had called him and told him that given his recent behavior. She had changed her mind about including him in her will and had decided that she was going

to leave everything to me instead. It was a huge deal because, as I said, the inheritance that she was going to be leaving is pretty massive and my dad had always expected that it would come to him, but now, he was being disappointed because of his own behavior with her. I lost my phone at him as well, and I told him that he had no right to yell at me, especially when it was his own behavior with her that had led to this situation. If he had just had the decency to at least try and speak to his sister after she left his house last night, then maybe this wouldn't have happened at all.

I didn't even tell him that he had to apologize to me, all he had to do was talk to my aunt. But he couldn't even be bothered to do that much. Even today, the only reason he had come all the way to my house was because my aunt had sent him a message saying that she would disown him and not because he actually cared about her as a person. I told him that he deserved this and for the past many years, everyone had noticed that it was always she who had tried to keep in touch with him, and he had barely cared about her so now he has no right to complain. And he also didn't have any right to try and make me the bad guy here, especially after what my parents had done with the whole cancellation of the engagement party and stuff. I told him that I didn't have to say anything to my aunt to turn her against them. She was already pretty upset with them when she came by and, in fact, it was she who told me not to have any ties with them until they apologized.

So, I didn't really have to try and badmouth them to make them look like the bad guys to my aunt. They had done that job well enough themselves. My father seemed quite surprised when I told him about all of this, and his initial instinct was obviously to accuse me of lying because it was just impossible for him to believe that his dear sister would ever say anything against him, but he had screwed things up for himself, but his behavior, so I had nothing else to say to him. I told him to leave, but instead of just going away, he started crying on my doorstep and told me that I had turned the only family he had against him. He seemed genuinely upset, and he told me that what he had done with regards to canceling the party and stuff was not even as bad as what I had done and told me that if my aunt seemed upset with him, the least I could have done was tried to contact him and told him to come over so we could all sort things out as a family. I had never heard my father crying the way that he was this morning and I haven't been able to get it out of my head, even though he left after a couple of minutes. And now I feel guilty because I feel like a lot of problems would have just been solved if I contacted him last evening, and we all sat together as a family and tried to clear the air, but instead, I just vented to my aunt I cheated the same. I guess that made us more bitter or something but again, I don't really see anything wrong with what I did, but I still feel guilty.

My fiancé doesn't think that we did anything wrong, but I still want to get a second opinion. So I'd offer not calling my father over so he could sort things out with my aunt and I? Edit, so my parents haven't always had a favorite and honestly, they were very different up until a few years back. The reason that I had even bothered to have a relationship with my parents for so long is because growing up, they were very different, and right now, they're very different. Growing up, my sister and I were always treated equally and Penelope did not get preferential treatment just because she was younger. It's only recently that things have started changing and I was scared of giving up on my parents so quickly because after all, family is all that you have and I was under the impression that is just a phase and they are going to go back to treating us normally again. Now, obviously, that seems a bit unlikely. But yes, my relationship with my parents earlier had been pretty normal and that's why I'd even agreed to let them host an engagement party for me. As for why they have started treating us differently now, for the past couple of years, I don't really know. If I had to pinpoint it, I guess it started around the time that Penelope graduated from college. But because COVID hit, she was unable to get a job and she was pretty

depressed for a whole year and there were days when she wasn't even able to get out of bed. At the time, she had been living with our parents and I had been staying with my boyfriend. And because of the quarantine and everything, we couldn't even see each other that often and had to stick to video calls. But I guess that made my parents a little softer towards Penelope because she's obviously a lot more fragile than I am, but I think they forgot that they have two daughters and both of us need them equally to be there for us. It's not just her that has to be taken care of. It's a bit disappointing, but it's not like I can help the situation. And even my relationship with Penelope has been affected because of this because I guess she has

started to think of herself as more important than me, just because our parents treat her like that. Earlier, we used to have a normal sibling relationship, and yes, we did have a certain degree of sibling rivalry, but it was nothing out of hand. Recently, though, she has started becoming a lot more of a brat and it's just upsetting. I had managed to ignore this change for the past couple of years, but now, I don't think I can do that. Update 1, so thank you so much for reaching out to me with all the comments and advice, I have decided that I don't have to get in touch with my dad or apologize to him or whatever. I don't know why he thought that I owed it to him to contact him and try to say things right with him when my aunt came over to speak to me because he had the opportunity to do it himself because before she came over to my place, she had been there with them. And he could have just acknowledged the fact that he had made a mistake and apologized to me and cleared with her, but he chose not to do that and stuck to his decision of acting as if whatever he had done was perfectly justified. So for him to try and blame me for the situation right now is just ridiculous.

And it's been a couple of days now, but earlier, it had only been my father who had shown up at my door and had been blaming me for whatever had happened. But now, both my parents and Penelope are accusing me of sabotaging his relationship with his sister on purpose and brainwashing her against him. Luckily, they haven't shown up at my doorstep yet, but I don't think there's anything stopping them for long. It's also very upsetting because my dad knows the truth and my dad knows that I didn't say anything to turn my aunt against them. She was already quite miffed with them when she came over.

She herself had said to him on the phone call that it was his behavior that had upset her, and I didn't have anything to do with it. But still, they're trying to make this all about me and make me look like the bad guy who is out for revenge. It's just petty and I know that they are doing this to get on my nerves and they are succeeding. I have even blocked them, but even then, they have found ways to annoy me by using burner phones and social media counts. At this point, I don't even know what they want from me because I don't think an apology is what they need. I have spoken to Caleb about it, and he thinks that my parents want me to speak to my aunt and try and make things right with them and until that happens, they're just going to

try and keep getting on my nerves. And I think he's right, but there is no way that I'm going to contact my aunt and tell her to speak to these people because I don't want to do it myself, so why would I want her in that position? I guess I'm just going to have to tough it out and deal with it until they give up. And I'm fine with it, as long as they stay away from me and don't show up in person now. Update 2. So since harassing me on social media wasn't going to cut it, my family decided that they were going to go public with their hate against me and started recruiting people. Apparently, from what I have learned from a couple of relatives, they have been sending messages to and telling them that I invite them to any event in the future, they must hateful and petty person

and I have brainwashed my aunt against them by feeding her a bunch of lies. They have been telling people that my parents had kindly and politely requested me to postpone the engagement party because my sister had just been through a terrible breakup, but instead of respecting their wishes, I decided to go through with the party anyway, but since my parents did not want that. They had decided to tell me that if I wanted to have the party, then I would have to fund it myself. And apparently, I threw a hissy fit over that and then I called my aunt to come over and then I started brainwashing her against my dad and now, not even my aunt is willing to speak to him anymore. Obviously that paints me in a very bad light, especially given the fact that they were making it seem like I had asked them to pay for my engagement party in the first place, but I hadn't. They are the ones who had offered it.

So I spent the last couple of days clarifying and telling everyone the truth. Every time somebody was reaching out to me to confirm the story. It got tiring after a while, so I decided to put out a statement on my social media account as well because I didn't want to have to constantly clear the air with other people. And so far, I had been trying to avoid contacting my aunt and telling her about any of this because she doesn't really have any social media and I know that she likes staying away from all of this. But I felt like things were getting to a point where it was becoming too much for me to handle. So I had to reach out to her and I had to tell her what was going on. so she could take a stand for me as well and tell people that I hadn't done any brainwashing.

It was her own decision to cut my dad out of her life because he was the one who did not respect her. After speaking to my aunt and letting her know what was going on, she told me that she was going to speak to my father and tell him that what he was doing was just going to make her push him even farther away. She also told me not to worry, and that she would make a profile on Facebook specifically for this purpose if that's what it took. But she was going to make sure that everyone in the same. the family knew that it was not me who had created the situation, but it had been my father.

That made me feel loads better and she stayed true to her word and created an account on Facebook specifically so she could upload a video talking about what had happened and everyone in the family saw that. After watching that, people started reaching out to me and telling me that they were definitely on my side here and were going to cut my father out of their lives because whatever was going on with him was not nice or acceptable. Having issues with me was one thing but publicizing them and trying to make it seem like I was the bad guy here was another and nobody in the family was going to stand for it and I'm pretty happy that I have a family like this, who have a spine and are ready to take stand for me when it is necessary.

My dad had always been well liked by everyone, so I had actually initially been very skeptical if people would even be willing to believe my side of the story. But I'm glad that people are willing to stand by what's right. My family has had nothing to say about any of this and a couple of hours ago. I started hearing from people that all of them had deactivated their accounts, probably because they thought that being active on any social media would make them answerable to their family. I don't care about any of it. I'm just happy that my side of the story is out and nobody can accuse me of being the villain anymore. And even if people want to do so even now, it's their problem and not mine.

I have said whatever I had to say and now, I'm not willing to deal with this anymore because I have a wedding to plan and I'm not going to waste my energy on petty stuff like that. this. Caleb and I have had a discussion about this and in a couple of days, we are going to take down all the posts that we had put up in relation to this because now that everything's out important to us anymore. My aunt has also told me that she's going to delete the account that she has created in a couple of days because this really isn't that important and all of us want the negativity out of our lives now. She told me that after this, even if my family tried to get back in touch with me, whether to fight or to apologize, I should just let it go and not speak to them, and it would be for the best. And I couldn't agree more. Update 3, Hi, Guys. So I'm getting married in a

couple of weeks and I recently sent out the invitations to my wedding. Obviously, my parents and my sister did not receive one because after we had our falling out, they never bothered to reach out to me to try and make things right and honestly, even if they had tried. I don't think I would have been open to it because they had tried to spread some nasty rumors about me and the family to make me look like the bad guy and all that drama had happened. After that, pretty much everyone in the family had stopped speaking to my parents and Penelope and they reactivated their accounts a couple of days after everything had died down and even tried to start the hate campaign against me, but nobody was falling for it anymore. Since that, things have mostly stayed quiet and I'm very glad

about it because I've been very busy planning my wedding. To be honest, I hadn't even been thinking about my family for the past couple of months, and it only occurred to me that I haven't spoken to them, for so long because the invitations were sent out recently, and I realized that I hadn't sent any to my parents or Penelope and it felt weird but there's nothing that I can do. Over the past couple of months, my aunt and I have become a lot closer and I decided to speak to her about how I was feeling and she told me that it was perfectly normal for me to feel like I was missing out on something because I actually was. I was going to miss out on the experience of having my family beside me while I was getting married and it was perfectly fine for me to feel bad about it. But the only thing that I needed to remember was that my family had not exactly treated me well and that's why they were not going to be there at the wedding and it was quite effective for me to think of that way. So I wouldn't say that I don't care that my family is not going to be there on my wedding day. I do care but it's not like I can help this situation so the only thing that I can do is just deal with it. And regardless of that, I'm still going to have a lot of people by my side, who actually care about me, like Caleb and my aunt and other family members.

So I know that no matter what, it's going to be a success. I hope you enjoy this story. Discovered my spouse's closest companion being unfaithful with our shared acquaintance at a soccer match, only to learn that my spouse was accepting of the situation and was also engaging in infidelity. Days ago I went out to a hockey game with a friend of mine, I'll call her Janelle, and my boyfriend's friend, I'll call him Scott. Originally my boyfriend was supposed to come with, but he ended up getting called into work to cover a night shift. So last minute my BF asked Scott if he wanted to take his place,

to which he said yes. We've all gone out together before. Janelle knows of Scott, but we haven't actually all spent time together, just the three or four of us. It's always been in bigger group settings or with just my BF and I and Scott and his wife or my BF and I and Janelle and her husband. Remember that. Scott and Janelle are both married and they aren't married to each other. This is important. So we go out for dinner before the hockey game to get some wings and a few beers because the beers at the arena are insanely expensive. We get a little wobbly and get to the game and I notice Scott and Janelle kind of getting a little close. She's laughing a little more than usual. He's getting a little more handsy but she's not pushing him away. I mean, Scott is funny

but he's not that funny. So I'm trying to enjoy the game and sort of ignore whatever it is they think they're doing. Then Scott and Janelle say like, hey, we should go out for drinks after and I'm like, I don't really want to at this point because I've had a long work week but I honestly don't really trust them alone together.

I just have this gross feeling. So I feel pressure to say yes. Janelle's like, don't worry. We'll just go for one and head home. And I'm like, okay, one I can do. So we go to this bar across the street from the arena after the game. But instead of one, they both go on to have about four or five more. I'm really pissed off at this point because I'm tired and practically sober and literally the third wheel.

They are so into each other it's disgusting and I'm getting an Uber ready to pick me up because I want no part of this. I also try to ask them about their partners and their kids any chance I can get, like oh, how so and so doing, or it was So and So's birthday just last month, what did you get up to? But they weren't taking the bites. At this point, I'm also texting my husband everything that I'm seeing but because of the work he does. He doesn't have access to his phone until a certain period during a shift. So I know he's not going to respond right away. So the Uber comes and I'm like, okay guys, I'm out of there.

And they're like, oh, can we just catch a ride and then we'll pay the difference and I'm like, yeah, whatever. So they get in the back seat of the Uber and I'm in the front. We're on the way to my house and I go to look back and they are making out hard with each other. Like hard. The Uber gets to my house and I just leave without even saying goodbye to them. I go inside and I'm trying to sleep but I literally can't stop thinking about their families. I thought I knew Janelle. We've been friends since our first year in university. I've been to both of their weddings and I've held both of their little babies in my hands. I got her a job with my dad at his company and she's the graphic designer there. I cannot believe that they've both done this. I'm regretting the fact that I

call them both friends. They always say that you're a part of the company you keep around you and now I'm second guessing our friendship. It's about 3 a.m. when my phone goes off and because I'm in a light sleep, I check out my phone and see that my husband is finally responding to all of my messages. He's just as repulsed as I am. He apologizes for his buddy Scott and he's like, I can't believe they did that right in front of you. And I'm like, yeah. But like, could you imagine if I wasn't there? Like why would they be so into each other with someone who knows their families so well? And he's like, yeah, that is weird. And then I'm like, should I tell their partners? And he's like, no, you should just stay out of it. You don't want to get wrapped up in stuff like that. And I'm like what?

I'd want to know if you were cheating on me like that, wouldn't you want to know? And he's like sometimes ignorance is bliss. And then I'm like, hmm. K, I'll see you when you get home. That whole conversation didn't sit well with me. Ignorance is bliss? WTF does that mean? So I try to bury the fact that my husband just said that and try to get some shut eye.

Then the morning comes and my husband gets in early and he's tired and crawls into bed. I'm like telling him that what I saw really shook me up and he's like, yeah, that's awful. I can't even imagine. I'm like, yeah, I don't think I can just sit on this. I really feel like I have to say something. It's just weighing so heavy on me. And he's like, op, stay out of it. Really?

It's none of our business. And I'm like how is it none of my business when they just did that right in front of me? And then he turns to me and we're laying in bed. and his voice gets all stern and he's like Janelle and Scott have been seeing each other for the last seven months and Scott swore me to secrecy to not tell anyone. He asked me if you were cool with it and I said yes. So if you say something to their partners, it means I lied to them. And I'm like YTF would you say something like that and put words in my mouth? Why would you think that's ever okay? And he's like Scott is like a brother to me, I've known him since grade school. He's not happy with his wife.

He hates his life. Just let him have this. And I'm like what on earth is going on. So now I'm out of bed and I'm standing there thinking that I literally don't know any of these people. I look at him laying there in our bed and I'm like you may be cool with it, but I'm most definitely not cool with this. So if you still want to be cool with me, you need to make this right and you need to tell Scott and Janelle that they need to get their shit together and come clean with everyone or decide to leave their spouses if they're so dang unhappy. And then I get up and go to our little son and go downstairs to make us breakfast. My husband doesn't say anything else, he doesn't come downstairs, he just goes to bed.

I'm trying to enjoy some playtime with our son, but in my head I'm like how did all of this just unfold like this? How could Janelle do this to me? Not that she owed me anything, but like I feel like I really put my neck out there and got her hired with my dad's company when she couldn't find a job elsewhere. The industry was really saturated at the time. I don't like pulling the my dad owns a company card. I don't like being that person, but she practically begged me to help her out because, at the time, her husband had been laid off and wasn't working. She had just finished school and they had a one-year-old, and yeah, I just felt bad, and she was a friend. So I couldn't let them suffer like that.

I would have wanted someone to help me if they were able. So I end up texting Janelle around lunchtime and I'm asking if she got home okay. And she says, yes. Thank you for such a great night. I hope you had fun. And I was like, dude, what was that with Scott? And then I see her typing something out, but then she stops typing. And I sort of wait for her to say something and then I get nothing.

Then about a half hour later, she calls me and she's like, hey, I thought you were cool with all of this? Scott said that Greg, my husband, told you. I'm like, no, he didn't and no I'm not cool with this. How could you do this to Dylan, her husband? She's like everyone has their secrets, op, don't pretend like you don't have any. And I'm like WTF, is that supposed to mean? And she's like there's a lot you don't know, up. If you say anything to Dylan, you're going to open up one ugly can of worms.

And then I'm like Janelle, WTF? And she's like for real. Mind your own business. I thought you were cool, I thought we were friends. Now I know who my true friends are. And she hangs up on me. I'm literally standing in my kitchen like what the F. Did that really just happen?

Also, she has no idea who she's messing with. And I text her and I'm like you seem to forget who had your back when you were at your lowest. But if you really want to go there, we can. Okay, so then I go upstairs and wake up Greg and tell him the conversation that I just had with Janelle. I'm like WTF does she mean by this? And he gets sort of grumpy and mad at me for waking him up and he's like, why are we even having this conversation right now? I told you to leave it alone and now you've just pissed her off and then he looks at his phone

and sees that both Scott and Janelle have left him voicemails and text messages. And he's like, great, they're probably both livid. And then he gets up and he's like, damn. it, op, why couldn't you have just left it alone? And I said because it's the right thing to do. If she's lying to me about this then what else could she be lying and hiding from me? And he's like, just leave it to me, I'll give them a call and calm them down and I'm like we shouldn't even be having anything to do with these people. And he's like these people are our friends and I'm like how can we associate with people who do this to their loved ones and make us lie

for them and hide the truth from people? And he goes, I'll talk to the both of them and get this all taken care of, just don't talk to either of them anymore and stay out of it. Am I overreacting? Should I tell their spouses? What should I do? Update one, hi, I'm back. Not too long after my first post I go NC with both Scott and Janelle. I delete them both off social media. And I tell Greg to not have anything to do with them and he says sure at first. But then legit a week later he says he's going out for beers at the local pub here with some buddies to watch the game and I'm like okay who's going to be there and he names off some guys and then also mention Scott and I'm like Kay well we already agreed that you weren't going to see Scott again and he goes

how am I going to stop seeing him when we have mutual friends that we've bone grown up with? And I'm like ick. Tell the truth and out him to everyone and he's like most of the other guys know they just don't have an issue with it like you do and I'm like wow. Don't bother coming home tonight. And then we get in a big fight and he packs an overnight bag and leaves. Well, he texts me about two hours later and he's apologizing and telling me that he realizes just how bad Scott really is and he doesn't want something like this getting in the way of our relationship. So I'm just about to apologize too, but I'm also on Snapchat and I go on to the location settings. I see that Greg is still sharing his location and it's live. But it's not at the local pub.

It's at Scott's house. Then I call Greg and he doesn't pick up and he says sorry, hon, it's really loud in here with them game and I'm like I know you're at Scots and then he calls me but I don't answer. Then I text him and tell him that he can stay at Scots and I tell him he's no better than is cheating at SS. So that's where we're at. Update 2, I'm back. Greg is still at Scots.

I can see his location still there. It had only been two days. But the weird thing was that Greg hasn't tried to reach out to me after that text I sent him you're no better than Scott's cheating at SS. He hasn't even tried to call me. So naturally this enraged me. I was so pissed off that I hadn't heard from him and that he hadn't even attempted to try to fix things that I ended up texting Janelle's husband and telling him everything.

He texted me back right away and said, thank you, op, and that was sort of it. But then that same night, I get a text from Janelle and it's simply just a a screenshot of him talking to her and Scott in a group chat and they're talking explicitly with each other about what they plan on doing to Janelle. And this was dated four months ago. I literally dropped my phone. Then more screenshots come through and it's the same sort of thing but two months ago. And then more that happened just recently. Then she sends me a text and says now I'm spilling his secrets bitch. So I fucking saved all those screenshots and sent them to him and told him we are over. So fucking over. I knew it was fishy of him to defend them like that and

try to take care of it and stay out of it what a cheating lying at SS son of a bitch. Then he tries calling me but I'm already on the phone with my mom and dad and I'm telling them what happened and my dad's like I know exactly what to do. So within the coming weeks, he starts an investigation with Janelle and gets her written up for things that she's been fucking up at work. Apparently she's also been lying on her time sheet so that's huge. People have been saying that they're having problems with her for quite some time, but he didn't want to say anything to me because he thought we were best friends. So for quite some time he's been protecting her at work too. But now I'm like no dad kicked that bitch to the curb.

He also gave me the name of a client friend of his who's a lawyer and we're starting the process up with that now. As for Scott, I have his wife on Instagram and sent her the screenshots that Janelle sent me in apologize that she has to find out this way. I set them here for her if she needs. Update 3, I had my dad serve Greg divorced papers and my dad said he tore them apart in front of him. I also changed the locks in the house and changed the passcodes to the garage door. Greg tried to come by once and freaked out calling me after he realized he couldn't get in. I also called his parents and sent them the same screenshots. They are totally on my side and not speaking to him.

He's been totally cut off by everybody. except his loser friends who think it's okay to lie and cheat. I also heard that he had a big fuck up at work and it cost the company a ton of money. So there's that. I checked in to see his location from time to time just for curiosity's sake. He's been staying at Scots. That's in poor taste. Also Janelle has been let go.

I'm just trying to enjoy life with our little boy. I've gone for full custody in alimony. I've also been brainstorming starting up my own business. But I'm honestly just trying to take it slow. I'm just trying to get as much cuddles in with my son as I can and get through all of this and just do my own thing and hang around people that want to do good and be good. Now on to the next story. Story 2.

Caught my wife cheating but I still gave her a second chance, but she lied to her parents about the reason for our divorce. So I told them the truth and they kicked her out. My now ex-wife, 35, and I, 35 male, were together for nine years with one of them being spent as a married couple. The two of us didn't have kids but we had two dogs that we loved to pieces. One of them was disabled so they required a little bit more care than the other but that didn't matter to me. We had our fights and issues over the years, but it was nothing it didn't seem like we could work on. I foolishly believe that our issues were something that could be fixed.

I went as far as to suggest counseling to which my ex-wife agreed. However, to successfully do couples counseling, both people have to be willing to work with the therapist. I was more than willing to work with the therapist and was up front about my issues. Most of the time she would just let me talk. A few times my ex-wife didn't even show up so I was left there, sitting awkwardly with the therapist who felt bad for me. Despite this, I wasn't willing to give up. Then I discovered she was cheating on me and it was like a huge wake-up call.

It was a complete accident that I discovered it. She said she was going to hang out with a friend for the day so I spent the day doing some chores. This included going to the grocery store to grab some things for dinner. When I was there, I ended up bumping into the actual friend she was supposed to be out with. I asked the friend where my wife was. Her friend seemed confused so right then I knew something was up. Why would she lie about hanging out with a friend that she wasn't hanging out with? It was hard to do the grocery shopping when my mind was focused on where my wife was, but I managed to do it.

When I got home, I waited for my wife to come home. She came in the door, greeting me like nothing was wrong. I confronted her right away because I couldn't wait to talk about this situation. When I told her I ran into her friend, her face paled. She said she made a mistake, but I didn't buy it. I pushed and pushed. Eventually, my ex-wife told me that she was sexting with this guy she met online. This had been going on for nearly the entire time we were married, which devastated me.

That night was the first time they met. How romantic, I sneered. Normally, it wasn't like me to be sarcastic, but I was hurt and just so angry. Here I was trying to work on this relationship with my wife. I was even willing to go to counseling. Meanwhile, she is messing around with this guy. I looked back at all the time she was on the phone and laptop. It didn't seem odd to me before, but now I realized how intense it was.

Her first reaction was to beg me to give us another try. We were best friends, she said. She couldn't live without me. When I pointed out that the two of us were already seeing a therapist, my wife said she was going to try this time. In an act of desperation, I gave her a second. chance. Then three days later I caught her talking with the guy. She said they were just friends and it was difficult to cut off a friendship. My wife claimed they had to tape her off slowly. It was at that point I knew my marriage and entire relationship was over. I told her that under no circumstances would I give her

another chance. The moment I said that it was like a flip switch. My wife told me fine and moved out. She ended up staying with her parents. We rented a house so at least we didn't have to deal with that. I was grateful she was just quick to move out and not put up a fight. Our dogs were confused at first and desperately missed her. I did my best to help them transition to the new environment. Pets can be like people in certain ways. They get separation anxiety and react to sudden changes as much as we do.

Once she was out, I kept trying to get her to take the rest of her of her stuff out of the house. I didn't want to look at it anymore. After weeks of badgering her, I got sick of waiting, put the boxes in the back of my car, and went to her parents' house. I had no animosity towards her parents. They always treated me nice so while they were surprised to see me, they seemed happy. Her mom said she was sorry for the divorce and said sometimes people just fall out of love. This confused me so I asked my former mother-in-law what my ex-wife had said was the reason for the divorce. My ex left out the cheating bit so I felt it was my duty to tell her parents the unabashed truth. They seemed shocked so I offered to give them evidence if they didn't

believe me. No part of me felt bad for telling them the truth. My ex should have been up front with them. They were good people but figured they would support their daughter despite this because it was their daughter. Oh, how wrong I was. I ended up discovering through mutual friends that my former in-laws confronted my ex about what I said. She denied it, but when they said I offered to show them proof, she admitted that she did step outside the marriage. Her parents then told my ex that she had 30 days to find a new place. At the end of those 30 days, she would have to get out regardless if she found other accommodation. My former mother-in-law did reach out to me to apologize, saying they didn't raise their daughter to have terrible morals like that. I accepted the apology

even though it wasn't their fault. How were they to know what their daughter would do as an adult? I got quite a few angry and explicit texts from my ex-explicit texts from my ex after her parents kicked her out. She told me that she could be homeless and shamelessly demanded that I let her stay in our old apartment. At least until she got on her feet. My response was to tell my ex to go stay with her app. If he cared about her so much, then surely he'd let her stay.

I blocked any possible numbers she could contact me from a and started the next phase of my life. Trying to heal from this relationship was by far the most difficult thing I had ever tried to do. I had my family and friends beside me but they could only do so much because unless you've been through this situation, it was hard to relate. However, spending time with those who care about me, going to therapy for just myself, and just taking one day out of the week to take a walk or something proven to help. I still am in the middle of the healing process but I know I've come a hell of a long way since first

discovering her affair. As far as I know, my ex still isn't talking to her parents and is couch surfing until she can officially move into her new apartment. There are times she still tries to reach out to contact me, but outside of official channels regarding our divorce, we have no reason to talk. Let the app have my ex. He may think he has won the ultimate prize but this couldn't be further from the truth. My ex is about as far from a prize as you can get. I hope you enjoy this story. Mother secretly sold our father's residence to purchase a boat for her unemployed new spouse, but he abandoned her for a different lady, and now she is requesting to reside with me. After spending all the money. My mom, 50F, has had a very interesting life,

if that's the correct adjective in this sense. She was never a bright student, which was fine, because my grandparents believed that women needed to take care of the house and family. She grew up with those beliefs and continues to hold on to them today. She got married to my dad two years after she finished school when she was 20. At 21, she had my older sister, Jasmine, now 29 F, and two years later, she had me, Bianca, now 27F. Both my sister and I were always closer to dad. He didn't share the same views as mom and was very supportive. He encouraged us to do well in school, enrolled us.

in a bunch of extracurricular activities, and made it a point to always be there. He drowned me in art supplies because I loved sketching, and he never let my sister miss a single day of soccer practice because that was where she showed potential. He was always there for us, and this really irked my mother. She didn't like us having hobbies, she didn't like the fact that we were academically inclined, and our nature and dad's support actually caused her to lose a lot of respect in her family. My maternal grandparents, in particular, didn't like us much. All of this changed when Dad passed away when I was 11. He was in a car crash, and after being hospitalized for a few days, he passed away. This was a huge emotional and financial

blow for my mother, and of course, for us too. I don't want to go into the emotional ordeal we went through because it's not relevant, but financially, we were done for. Dad's hospital stay had racked up thousands of dollars, and we didn't have enough insurance to cover it. Most of his savings went to pay the bills, and my mother had no savings of her own since she wasn't employed. A few weeks after his death, I remember we had to sell a lot of our stuff. I sold my art supplies, my sister stopped going to soccer practice, and we were given household chores to do. My life had completely changed, and I hated every bit of it, but there was nothing I could do because I was still dependent on my mother. That's when my paternal grandparents

stepped in to help. We had never been very close because they lived three states away, so we didn't see each other much. But whenever I did meet them, they were always sweet to me. When my grandfather came to visit us, he was shocked to hear that mom had sold my stuff to make ends meet. He offered to cover the costs of our hobbies and interests, but my mother shut down the saying she needed money to help us survive, not to fund our useless interests. She said if he wanted to send money, it should be for groceries or electricity. My grandfather got annoyed and said she could work to make ends meet, and he would be willing to take over the extra costs.

Ensuring our survival was her responsibility, and he'd only help if she fulfilled her duties. My mother said no, and that was that. Even at that point, my mother still hadn't started working and was living off handouts from family. And these handouts were not consistent. Some months we had a lot, some months we had next to nothing. It was mostly her parents paying our way. She flat out refused to get a job, insisting it was the duty of the men in her family to support her because she genuinely believed it was a man's job to provide. This went on for a few months, and her parents took pity on her and us and provided for our needs. But soon enough, that money stopped coming regularly.

Mom was severely cash-strapped, and Jasmine and I had to take odd jobs for extra cash. We could be seen at a neighbor's house walking their dog, weeding their garden, etc. It was tough, but even then, Mom didn't start working. Finally, her parents had had enough, and they sat her down for a talk. They told her they could no longer support her and us because they had planned to live out their retirement years a certain way, and couldn't afford to take care of us anymore.

This came as a huge shock to mom, surprise, because she had assumed that since dad had died, it was her father's responsibility to take care of us, since men provide. It was hard to argue with that logic, especially since my grandparents had raised her that way, but now they were changing their tune. They said it was the job of the husband to provide for his wife, and if the husband is no more, then the wife needs to provide for the kids. They were essentially cutting her off because it had been made clear to both my husband, mom and her sister that all their property would go to their brother. It was a shit show, with a lot of

name-calling in tears, but my grandparents wouldn't budge. My mother asked her sister, Auntie Janice, for help. Now, Auntie Janice was a great woman and had a soft spot for us. Her husband was a surgeon, and even though they didn't interact with us much, he was willing to help. But what we got from them wasn't enough to support a family of three, so Mom went back to my paternal grandparents. My grandfather was more than willing to help, but only on the condition that my mom worked too. She had no choice but to agree because there was no way we could survive without their help. She got a housekeeping job at a nearby hotel, and it paid decently, so our lives were back on track. With help from our uncle and grandpa, we were back to living comfortably.

This arrangement continued for the next two years until I was 14 and my sister was 16. That's when our mother introduced us to Dan. Dan was her new boyfriend, and they wanted to get married. One look at him, and Jasmine and I were disgusted. He looked and smelled like a pig, and I'm not exaggerating. It felt like the last time he bathed was in high school. He reeked of cigarettes and had this lost look on his face as if he couldn't register a single word anyone said to him. Needless to say, Jasmine and I didn't just disapprove of him.

We hated him with all our hearts. Unfortunately, Mom was madly in love with him, or so she claimed. They got married in a hush-hush ceremony, and Jasmine and I were sworn to secrecy. We couldn't tell anyone on Dad's side of the family that Mom had gotten married again. She was worried that if our grandparents found out, they'd stop the monthly payments, and since it was a generous amount, we genuinely couldn't have done without it. So Jasmine and I kept quiet. I don't know what was going through mom's head when she married Dan, but I think she thought that if she got married and had a man in her life, she wouldn't have to work anymore and he'd take care of everything.

I'm sure that was her assumption because a week into their marriage, she quit her job and was back at home. The problem was, Dan was unemployed chronically unemployed. He couldn't hold a job for more than two months, and after that, he'd sit at home playing video games, then maybe look for another job when he got bored of the games. All of Mom's dreams came crashing down because this man had no intention of providing for any of us. Jasmine and I went back to doing odd jobs for people to earn some spending money. So in this family of four, most of the money came from my father's parents or my mother's sister's husband. It was dysfunctional, to say the least, and Jasmine and I were desperate to move out. We kept our interactions with Mom and Dan to a minimum, focusing on school and our part-time gigs. This was the setup for the next four years until I left for college and went low contact with mom.

By the time I was on the verge of leaving, Mom and Dan were having problems because, in addition to being unemployed, Dan was also a serial cheater, which honestly came as no surprise to either me or my sister. Mom kept forgiving him or pretending not to notice, but things were messy. Once I went to college, I went very low contact with Mom. I stayed in touch with my grandparents and aunt and uncle, so somehow, my mother always had information about what was going on in my life. I graduated from college when I was 23 and landed a decent job after that. The problem was that I graduated right before COVID, so my promotions and raises were small. I couldn't save as much as I thought I would, and life kind of came to a halt for a bit. My grandpa, the good one, offered me some help, but I didn't want to burden him, so I said no. Thankfully, I wasn't laid off, so I shouldn't complain too much. A few months ago, I got a

promotion at work and a hefty pay raise. This put me in a comfortable position to buy a small house since I'd also saved during the COVID years. I lived as frugally as possible, and even though I'd targeted becoming a homeowner by 25, this was just a two-year delay, so I was happy. I don't know how, but my mother found out I'd bought a house. She called me, saying she wanted to meet me because it had been so long since she saw her baby. I knew something was up because the last time I saw her was during my final semester of college. I had never asked to meet her after that, and she had never offered. I told her I'd let her know when I was free and get back to her, I wasn't planning to get back to her, ever.

She then said it was urgent and that I needed to let her know soon. I knew she wanted something from me, so I made an excuse and ended the call. Two days later, she called again, saying she was in a bit of a mess and needed my help. Before I could even agree to help, she said she heard I'd bought a house and wanted me to let her and Dan move in. They basically wanted to move in together into my house. I couldn't help but laugh at her audacity. I told her I was surprised Dan was still around and had hoped she'd left him. I said I didn't have a house like she thought it was a studio with a balcony, and there was no way the

three of us could fit. I didn't want to tell her that I didn't want her there, so I hoped the size and space argument would be enough to deter her. But I'd been too hopeful. She told me since it was a one-bedroom apartment, I could vacate it so Dan and she could move in together. I told her there was no way that was happening. I hadn't worked so hard just to have someone else live in my house, plus I had a mortgage to pay. I told her I'd charge her the market rate for rent, and she lost it. She started screaming at me, saying she couldn't believe I'd take rent from my own mother and that she hadn't raised her daughters to be such leeches.

I told her I didn't have time for either her or her screaming, and if she wanted to beg for scraps, she could do it somewhere else. I hung up and blocked her. I called Jasmine to see if Mom had given her a similar call, but she said no. The last time they talked was a month ago when Mom asked where she was living. Jasmine told her she had moved in with her boyfriend and that they were saving up for a house together. I couldn't understand why Mom needed a place to stay in the first place. She still had our dad's old house the one we grew up in, where Dan had moved in with us.

I had no idea why there was suddenly a need for her to move somewhere else. I called my paternal grandparents to ask about the house. That's when I got the full picture. of what was really going on. So, the house we grew up and was in my grandfather's name. It was supposed to legally go to dad when my grandparents passed away. The understanding was that my dad and his brother, our uncle Liam, would each be given a house owned by my grandfather so they could live rent-free.

This was to give them a good start in life and allow them to invest in properties for their children. So legally, the deed to our childhood home wasn't in my father's name but in my grandfather's. When Dad died, my grandmother was adamant that Grandpa should keep the house in his name so it could be given to Jasmine and me when we became adults. However, considering Mom was unemployed, Grandpa didn't want to create more trouble for her. I think he also felt bad for her, which is why, when she asked him to, he transferred ownership of the house to my mother. This was done with the understanding that when I turned 25 and Jasmine 27, the house would be given to us. I now believe this is why Mom told us to be careful and not mention that she had married Dan.

Word eventually got out, though, according to Grandpa. They found out she had remarried and were upset that she'd kept it from them. That's when they wanted to change the ownership of the house as soon as possible. They insisted that since Jasmine was an adult and I was almost one, they wanted to get the paperwork done to make sure Dan and Mom couldn't do anything with the house. But very conveniently, a few weeks after they made their intentions clear, Mom told them Dan had left her for another woman. She was sobbing uncontrollably,

which naturally made my grandparents not want to pursue the ownership issue anymore. Gradually, they forgot about it, and it took a back seat. That was the last time they talked to her about the house, and their contact with her had been sporadic since. I told Grandpa that Mom had called me, saying she wanted to move into my house with Dan. If that was the case, what had happened to Dad's house? He said he'd try to find out because he had no idea she'd gotten back with Dan or that she was planning to move.

I have a bad feeling about this, and I'm sure it's going to erupt into more drama soon. Edit, to everyone who's commented, surprised that I didn't know such important details about my mother's life. This is what happens when you go low contact. I chose to cut her out of my life, and I have no regrets. The minute I turned 18, I bolted from the house and her life, and I've been very formal with her since. That's why I didn't know that Dan had left her or that he'd come back. As for why Jasmine and I didn't know about the house, well, we were kids. We assumed our mother would protect us, and so did our grandparents.

That's why the topic of property or home ownership never came up. Mom and grandma never thought to discuss it with us because, at the time, we were minors, and they were dealing with our mother, who was supposed to take care of us, not cheat us. As of now, Jasmine and I don't know what happened to Dad's house, but we're going to ask Mom and possibly stage an intervention if it comes to that. I'll keep you guys updated. Update 1, Things Are Bad. Two weeks after my first post, Jasmine, her boyfriend, my grandparents, and I decided to meet with Mom and try to see what was going on. We didn't tell her we were coming, so she was surprised when we showed up.

The best part? When we went to our house Dad's house, our childhood home the door was opened by a young couple. We initially thought they were relatives of Dan's or maybe Mom's friends, but they said they were the owners of the property. I wanted to laugh because I didn't believe them. But what they said was true. Mom had sold the house without informing either Jasmine or me

or getting my grandparents' consent. And, interestingly enough, the sale had happened over six months ago. Our house had been sold by her six months ago on the sly, and now there's nothing we can do. Unfortunately, since the paperwork and transfer of ownership were never completed by my grandparents, she was the legal owner of the house, and it was within her rights to sell it. This has come as a huge shock to everyone, and we all feel betrayed and disgusted. We tried to find out where she was living. It was in some shady neighborhood downtown, in a one-bedroom flat surrounded by junkies.

This was Dan's place, and I wasn't surprised. He looks like a junkie himself, so it made sense. When Mom saw all of us standing together, she turned as white as a ghost. She literally tried to close the door on us, but we weren't having it. Thankfully, we had Jasmine's boyfriend with us. He's a strapping man, six feet four inches and pretty intimidating. We forced our way inside. and there was Dan, lounging on the sofa with a cigarette in his hand and a dazed look on his face.

Mom nervously greeted us, but we went straight for the jugular. I told her I knew Dad's house was supposed to go to us, and she had sold it without informing Jasmine, me, or our grandparents. She burst out crying, saying that if she hadn't done it, Dan wouldn't have come back. Basically, she launched into this long sob story about how Dan had left her twice for two different women. When Mom had that conversation with Grandpa about the house and told him Dan had left, he had actually left. She had to beg and plead for him to come back. He finally returned when he got kicked out of his new girlfriend's house. Then, a year later, Mom caught him cheating with a girl barely out of her teens. I just looked at her like she was

insane. I asked why she hadn't left him when he was so problematic and wasn't helping her out in any way. She had no response to that, and I didn't have the patience to feel sorry for her. My grandmother was furious. She screamed at Mom, telling her she wasn't interested in hearing excuses for why she'd been such a colossal failure. All she cared about was the house that was supposed to go to Jasmine and me. Mom said she'd sold the house because Dan wanted to buy a boat. Now, this man knows nothing about boats. All I know is that he worked as a Coast Guard for a couple of months at a

beach a few miles away, and that's when he decided he wanted a boat. He threatened to leave mom again if she didn't help him buy one. So, my mother, the biggest genius on the planet, sold her house and used part of the money to buy this idiot a boat. The rest of the money, instead of saving, she gave to him. He spent all of it. Every single dime. When they had nothing left, he had to sell the boat and buy this condo they were living in. And guess what they hated. That's why Mom wanted to ask if I could let her and Dan stay with me. After she finished her story, she admitted, in defeat, that she was sure I wouldn't let her live with me anymore. Before I could say anything, Jasmine tore into her, and boy, was she brutal.

She listed all the ways Mom had failed us as a mother and failed dad as a wife. She had robbed us of the one thing that would have kept us connected to our father, just to support her deadbeat husband who didn't care about her. She told Mom she was dead to her and should never expect to hear from her again. I couldn't say much because I was still in shock, but I agreed with Jasmine. There was nothing I wanted to do with my mother. Mom started sobbing, saying she didn't deserve to be treated like this. We told her she did. She had stolen from us, from our grandparents, and most importantly, she had robbed us of a connection

with our childhood and our father. We weren't going to forgive her ever. We left. Since then, she's tried calling us and our grandparents, but none of us are speaking to her. There's nothing we can do about the house. That money and property are gone for good. I'm considering saving up and buying it if it ever gets listed again because I don't want to lose that part of my childhood, but I know it's a far-fetched dream and not very practical. My grandparents are furious and heartbroken, but there's nothing they can do either. Grandpa keeps cursing himself for trusting her, and we keep telling him he couldn't have known she would do this. It's just a sad state of affairs, and we all feel helpless.

Update 2, Dan left Mom again. I know it sounds cruel, but I love every bit of it. Apparently, she's been trying to get in touch with us, using new numbers and whatnot, but neither Jasmine nor I have responded. She tried to involve Auntie Janice. I got a call from her last week, asking me to talk to Mom. I told her not to get involved and spilled everything to her. She was horrified because she didn't know the house was supposed to go to us. She apologized for trying to take Mom's side and has since blocked her.

Whatever little updates I got from Mom were through Auntie Janice, and she told me Dan had left her. Mom is now homeless with nowhere to go. Auntie Janice and her husband were initially willing to take her in. but after they learned what Mom did to us, they put their foot down and said no. Yesterday, I got an email from Mom. She basically said she was down and out, homeless, and had nowhere to go. She asked me to let her stay with me while she looked for a job. I know it's a lie.

She's not going to look for a job, and if I take her in, she'll never leave. I haven't responded yet because I don't want her here, but I also feel bad about letting her live on the streets. She genuinely has no one who would be willing to help her. I know she brought this on herself, and she's the only one to blame, but I can't help feeling sorry for her. I hope I don't cave because I know if I do, she'll ruin my life. Update 3, I told Jasmine about Mom's email, and she said she got something similar. She hadn't responded either but said that deep down, she was tempted to help her.

Jasmine told me she'd support my decision but advised me to think it through carefully because we both know what Mom is like, and if I let her in, she'll control and destroy whatever piece I have. After a long talk, Jasmine knocked some sense into me, thankfully. I ended up responding to Mom. I wrote her a long email, telling her I wouldn't help her, neither now nor ever. I let everything out the betrayal, the anger, the resentment, and the disgust. I marked her email as spam, so I don't know if she's responded. I did send her contacts for some women's shelters that could help her, but that's as far as I'll go. She has been emotionally negligent and financially malicious our whole lives, and she doesn't deserve our help anymore. I don't know what she's going to do,

and I've asked Andy Janice to keep me out of it. I don't need updates on her life. She's not my mother anymore, and she was the worst part of my childhood. I'm ready to leave her behind. I hope you enjoy this story. Sill plays a heartless trick that awakens my old wounds, causing me to react strongly, leading my relatives to sever ties with her. She is now attempting to portray herself as the victim and sway their opinions against me. I am a 27-year-old woman. I have been with my husband Aaron, 27M, for three years and we've known each other for six. He has an older sister Sophie, 30F, and that's who's caused this entire commotion in the family that I'm going to talk about. So three weeks ago, Sophie asked me if I'd be willing to accompany her on an all-women family

holiday to Spain with her, my mother-in-law, and my husband's cousin Nadia, 27F. Nadia and Aaron are a lot closer than he and Sophie in spite of being first cousins as opposed to biological siblings because they were in the same grade and went to the same high school. So as a result, I'm a lot closer to Nadia as well. Initially, I wasn't too inclined to go on a family vacation because I didn't think it'd be that fun with Sophie in my mill. But afterward, Nadia and I had a chat and she told me that she wanted a break so she was willing to go and wanted me to come along too. She convinced me and I agreed to go on the trip. Sophie was the one sponsoring the flight tickets and the stay at the hotel which wasn't a problem for her whatsoever because she was filthy rich thanks to her husband who was a neurosurgeon.

She runs an event management company but everyone knows that the company. pretty much runs itself. She just doesn't want to come off as a socialite who doesn't work. She has a degree in literature, but she's never used it and believes that college had been a total waste of time for her, except for the part where she met her current husband through a friend of hers at a party. Aaron has told me that Sophie has been spoiled rotten by her parents ever since childhood and whatever she wanted, she got. That has extended into adulthood and even now, she thinks that just sulking, pouting, and the silent treatment will be enough to manipulate people into doing what she wants. It doesn't help that her husband and her parents still encourage

such infantile behavior but Aaron, Nadia, and I know when to ask her to cut the crap so she doesn't try to behave the same way with us. If I'm being honest, I've never particularly liked Sophie but since she's never been outright mean to me, I've put up with her for the sake of the family. Anyway, I agreed to go on that trip with her, and three days back, we were finally about to leave. The airport is kind of far away from my house, so I had to leave early and I ended up reaching early as well. I was pretty bored while waiting for the rest of the party to arrive, so I decided to go scroll through my phone instead. That morning itself, unfortunately, my phone's vibration motor stopped working and so it wasn't buzzing whenever I received a notification like it usually does.

I didn't have the time to repair it that day, so I decided I'd do it once I returned from the holiday. It was purely by luck that I had been on my phone when I received the message. I received an image from Sophie where she'd sent me the screenshot of text she'd received from a number I didn't recognize. The conversation had an image followed by a text and once I downloaded it, I opened the image to check out the contents because it felt bizarre that Sophie was sending me the screenshot of someone else's conversation. As soon as I did, my blood froze because the picture had been clicked right outside of my house by someone who had a pair of scissors in their left. hand. Within seconds, I received another message from the same number, tell your darling brother's wife that I'm back. Sophie followed that screenshot up by saying that she'd received this text

from an unknown number a couple of minutes ago and that she was terrified because she thought Aaron was in danger now. That was all I needed to go into panic mode because I actually have a history of being stalked and it was literally the single most terrifying phase of my life. Back when I was in college, I had a stalker who would randomly click pictures of me from the back and send them to me throughout the day. He wouldn't text me on my number but would use dummy social media accounts to talk to me. He'd asked me to meet him at certain spots but he'd never show up. I wouldn't go unarmed and I was trained in Jiu-Jitsu but even then I felt very afraid of what would happen. This went on for two whole months and I didn't tell anyone because I was scared

of what he might do if I did. Initially, I tried to get the guy to stop but he was. I tried to get the guy to stop, but he'd texted me and told me that if I breathed even a word of this to anyone, then I'd be in big trouble and had even sent me a similar picture from right outside my parents' house to threaten me, scissors and all. I was terrified so I didn't tell anyone and just kept silently praying for my safety whenever I'd have to attend classes. After the first few weeks, I stopped leaving my dorm room for anything but classes and food, and eventually, it got to a point where I refused to leave my room at all because I kept receiving pictures of myself so frequently. It was then that my roommate finally realized that something was wrong and forced me to tell her, and after that,

we went to the police to report this. Within a few days, an arrest had been made and very ironically, it happened to be a guy from the computer engineering department. He was a senior and had a history of making girls on campus feel creeped out or harassed. Unfortunately, he'd taken a liking to me and so, he'd started stalking me and because he specialized in cyber safety, he was able to find out a lot about me from my social media accounts which happened to be public at the time. He'd also simultaneously been stalking another girl who hadn't reported this for the same reasons as me. Once he was caught, he was kicked out of college and that was the end of him terrorizing me and other women. From what I heard, his parents took him back after a couple of days

and he ended up back in his home country. It's been several years since that and I had almost forgotten about him but as soon as I saw that image, all the terror came rushing back and I instantly called 911. I told Sophie to get to my house ASAP, but luckily, forgot to mention that I'd called the cops already because I was more concerned about trying to warn Aaron instead. I got a cab within minutes and started trying to call my husband desperately because I knew that he was still asleep. It was 8 in the morning at the time and my husband has a tendency to sleep late on the weekend so I knew it wouldn't be easy for me to get through to him, but luckily, he did answer me when I called him for a third time. I could tell that he'd just woken up because he sounded drowsy, but I didn't have time

to spare, so I told him to arm himself with something heavy, lock himself in the bedroom, and block the door somehow. He was confused, but as soon as I mentioned the picture, he told me he understood and did as I told him. I stayed on call with him throughout the 45-minute cab ride home, even as the cops arrived and inspected the house. I did not check my phone in the meantime, and since the vibration feature was gone, I wasn't getting any physical reminders from the notifications to remind me either. By the time I reached home,

their inspection was almost over and they hadn't found anyone suspicious in the vicinity. I was having a full-blown panic attack by the time I reached home and it took me several minutes and half a bottle of water to finally calm down. The cops told me that they'd run the phone number through the system and the only name

that had come up was Theo Wilson. That wasn't my stalker's name but a fake name for his phone number would be totally feasible. By then, I'd forgotten about Sophie in my phone and hadn't checked it in a while because I was just so relieved to see that Aaron was safe. The cops who'd come to my house informed me that they'd sent two cops separately to pay this person after the cyber crime department had tracked the sender and were currently bringing them to the police station. Aaron and I headed over to the nearest police station and within a few minutes of our arrival, Sophie was dragged in by two cops while she sobbed violently. I think most people have been able to guess what happened by now and yeah, it's exactly what you guys think. For whatever reason, Sophie had thought that it would be a good idea to pull a prank on me this morning just to mess with me a little before our trip.

She'd met a friend of mine from college for work a couple of days back and of course, I'd come up while they were discussing families and once they discovered the connection, my old college mate told her all about my stalker in college which was something I'd become very popular for. I'm not bragging but after the stalker incident, my popularity among the students and teachers alike had pretty much skyrocketed because everyone likes a good scandal. I never thought it was fun to be pointed at and whispered about but people had remembered and I guess we're still talking about it. After finding out about my past stalker, Sophie had decided that she was going to prank me on the morning of our flight and it'd be fun. So she'd used a phone number that she'd taken up a couple of days ago under a fake name just for this purpose to text herself an image that she'd clicked a few days ago, right in front of our house, with the scissors and an outstretched arm. Of course, now that I paid attention to the hand that I saw in the photo, I could tell it wasn't a man's hand at all but she'd made the effort to remove her nail paint so when I received that

picture the first time, it was hard for me to tell while being so panic-stricken at the very idea. The fear had messed with my mind and I'd missed a lot of important things that hinted at this being a prank, but at the end of the day, it didn't matter. It had been a traumatic thing for me back in college and the thought of going through that again really scared me, especially when Aaron and his safety were at risk. It wasn't fun at all and ended with an embarrassing visit to the police station where she was let off with a warning in Aaron and I ended up wasting our time and energy worrying about the return of my stalker when we had nothing to worry about. I was beyond angry when I left the station and just let her have it. I must have screamed at her

for more than 15 minutes and by the time I was done, she was bawling again but I didn't care. She'd tried to make a mockery out of something that was a really traumatic and scary experience for me and because of her own stupidity, she'd landed us all in an embarrassing situation. So she could cry her tears all she wanted, but I wasn't going to feel even an iota of sympathy for her. Aaron and I drove back home that day and on the ride back home, I told Nadia all about what had happened and even she ended up canceling the trip because let's be real. Nobody wants to hang out with someone like Sophie after they go above and beyond in their stupidity. That entire day, I did nothing but try to calm my nerves because it had been a crazy morning and I still hadn't gotten over the stalker scare. The threat had felt very real at the time and even after finding out it wasn't real,

it was very difficult for me to shake off the fear because it had been the darkest time for me when it happened back in college and I'll admit, I was still pretty spooked by it. That day I didn't talk to anyone apart from Aaron and a little little. to Nadia. I didn't get any notifications either because I'd turned my phone off for the day, I'd had enough. It was only two days ago that I found out that my Mill and Sophie had pretty much filled my entire inbox with their messages regarding how I had been the one to overreact at a silly little prank and that it had been cruel of me to tell Nadia to back. Out of the vacation as well. I hadn't even told Nadia to not go on the trip. I just told her about what Sophie had done.

The decision not to go on the trip was hers alone and I had not. no part in it. Apparently, Nadia and Aaron had turned everyone against Sophie, and now, nobody in the family wanted to speak to her after what she'd done, including my own father-in-law, her dad. Mill and Sophie think that I'm the one behind this, but I hadn't even told anyone about what had happened. I couldn't have because I didn't even use my phone that day and it was all Nadia and Aaron who'd informed the other cousins and generally just the younger folks of the family who were now cutting Sophie off. They think that I'm the one who now owes Sophie. an apology because what she did was just a harmless prank, but what's happening to her is real and hurtful.

She's being cut off by her own family and that's why now she's the victim here. I spoke to Aaron about this after I read their texts and he told me that there's no reason for me to feel sorry for her at all and neither do he and Nadia feel sorry for telling everyone else about this. What she did to me was undoubtedly cruel and not just a harmless prank. It would have been harmless if it didn't trigger my past trauma to the point of making me unable to think or do anything else for an entire day, but we all know the mental toll that it took on me. I agreed because it wasn't harmless at all and I'd been paralyzed with anxiety for one whole day because of what she did so now. She deserved every bit of this. Plus she didn't even apologize

to me and just kept crying so I don't know why she even expected me to feel sorry for her when she didn't feel sorry for me. I think that's very hypocritical of her, but I don't expect any less. After I read the texts and spoke to Aaron about it, I was just going to ignore her because I had no intention of wasting my own time by speaking to her and trying to reason with her, but she just kept texting me again and again. It was clear that she was just trying to make me feel guilty about what had happened and I knew that she fully believed that she could manipulate me into apologizing and getting the family back on good terms with her again. It just got on my nerves after a while so in a moment of frustration, I actually ended up responding to her. I texted her back saying that I was glad she'd chosen to play such an insensitive and cruel prank on me because that just revealed what an awful piece of work she was to everyone to thank for the situation she was in right now. I also told her that I had nothing to do with the other relatives cutting her off,

but I wish I did because then I'd have the satisfaction of knowing that I'd helped in cleaning up the trash from the family. I ended the message by saying that she was as much of a pig on the inside as she was on the outside, referring to the fact that she was slightly on the chubby side. I'm not generally someone who judges people by their bodies because I have been bullied for my own body in the past for being excessively skinny but here, I just wanted Sophie to feel bad. I knew she was insecure about her weight so that's where I chose to hit her because I knew it had hurt. I don't know if I was too hard on her, but I did feel good after I sent that message.

I tried very hard to keep my opinions to myself and my temper under control, but she just kept texting me and went on pushing and pushing until I finally lost it. So I replied to her and called her trashy because that's how I felt about her after the prank she tried to pull off. I used to tolerate her earlier despite her spoiled and insensitive behavior, but this was way beyond my tolerance now. I kept my phone aside after sending her that text and tried to distract myself by watching a movie and only came back to my phone after three hours. When I finally checked my messages, there was a new message from so far. where she said that she'd considered me a good friend of hers all along, and that's why she'd expected me to forgive a tiny mistake of hers

without her having to beg for forgiveness since it was implied that she was sorry. I don't know what that means, but I guess that made sense to her. Then she said that if I was just going to be rude to her, then I shouldn't have replied to her at all instead of going out of my way to be horrible and make her feel like crap. I should have just ignored her like I was earlier, but I chose to be cruel just to hurt her which made me just as trashy as her. I don't like Sophie much, but she does have a point, I guess and maybe I shouldn't have said the things I said.

I was just really angry with whatever she'd done and the way she was still trying to pin the blame on me instead of accepting that she screwed up was making me feel even angrier. She's the one who kept pushing me by trying to gaslight me into believing that this was somehow my fault and I just couldn't take that so I guess I went a little too low. The only thing I feel bad for is shaming her for her weight because I know how bad that feels. However, I still don't think she has any right to even approach me and demand an apology after what she did to me. If she'd just been a decent person and owned up to her fault, maybe we wouldn't be here at all. Aaron doesn't think I should apologize because she deserved to be called out. She'd hurt me first and then, continued to try and hurt me by gaslighting me and manipulating me by insisting that she was somehow the victim here.

He doesn't think I should even feel sorry for her. Nadia, on the other hand, does think I was a little too hard on her so I'm divided right now and have no clue on how to go about this right now. And that's why I'm here to ask the Reddit community to help me out right now because I would hate to stoop to the same levels as Sophie just to get back at her. I love Aaron but he's not always the best person when it comes to emotional situations like these. And I also love Nadia but she's a little too emotional unlike Aaron and what I need right now is completely unbiased judgment, keeping in mind. the circumstances. So I'd offer calling my heavy Silla pig to insult her insecurities after she tried to pull a prank on me that made light of my past trauma? Update 1, hey, so I read the comments on my original post and I respect everyone's opinions but I couldn't help myself and did apologize

to Sophie for the pig comment that I made. I'm not sorry about anything else that I said but I just couldn't live with myself knowing that I'd attack someone for the way they look. Knowing how bad it had made me feel when I'd gone through the same thing in the past. So as someone who knows how it feels to be bullied for things that are not in my control, I think I did what I had to get this thing off my conscience. I just sent the apology text five minutes ago and she hasn't opened it yet, but I hope she does and accepts it. Although I'll be fine even if she doesn't because I'll know that I tried my best and after that, it's up to her if she wants to accept the apology or not. I'm not speaking to my mill, though. She had no part to play in

any of this, so I don't know why she felt the need to rush to her daughter's defense, especially when she knew what Sophie had done was wrong. Literally, all of her texts were like, yes, Sophie screwed up but, or I understand why you're mad. So if she knows why I'm annoyed at Sophie then why exactly does she expect me to apologize to Sophie? Doesn't even make sense. Honestly, I just think she wants me to feel bad for Sophie, but I'm 100% sure that had our place has been swapped and I had done something like this to Sophie then she wouldn't have had the same attitude. That's for sure. Aaron isn't too happy that I chose to apologize but he thinks that I'm a good human being and

that's why I'm going so easy on his brat of a sister. Nadia is happy about my decision and even said that she's really proud of me. So I guess I'm okay with what I did. Update 2, Sophie just responded to my apology. It's been several hours since I sent that text and just half an hour ago. She replied saying that it was fine but she didn't expect any better anyway. She said that she was a little shocked but it's fine because she understands now that we're not friends, never were, and definitely won't be in the future.

For what it's worth, at least she did say that she was sorry for trying to mess with me and using something so traumatic against me. Had she known that there would be such horrible consequences then she never would have gone ahead with the prank at all. I mean I don't think she should have gone ahead with a prank like that in any case, regardless of the circumstances because it's just gross and disrespectful but at least there was an apology. She was very passive-aggressive about the whole thing and I could tell she'd racked her brains to try and come up with something that would be equal parts infuriating and apologetic and had finally concocted this sorry excuse of an apology. And hey, something's better than nothing, right?

And at least this way, I don't have to continue feeling guilty about what I said and will be able to move on without thinking about my own harsh words. I'm done and dusted with this whole episode. Now onwards, there will be no more Sophie in our lives and that's the best thing that came out of this whole incident. Update 3, Hey, Everyone. So it's been about a month since the last update and last week, Nadia found out that she was pregnant. So there was a huge pregnancy announcement party where everyone was invited with the Sophie because nobody has spoken to or heard from her after they cut her off. She deactivated her socials for a while and had been completely MIA, but Aaron had checked in with his dad and they reassured us that she was all right, just taking a break from everything social. At the time of the party, though, she sent Nadia a text that wished her luck on this journey that she was about to embark upon.

The usual best wishes for a happy and healthy pregnancy, but with a sprinkle of Sophie's classic passive aggressiveness. She probably couldn't resist the opportunity to become the talk of the town since there was finally, a huge family event that she'd been excluded from and so she'd sent Nadia a holier than thou message about how she wished she could be there with her on such a happy occasion but couldn't because of prior commitments. Completely ignoring the fact that she wasn't invited. She said that she would have loved to see me, Aaron, and the other family members once more, but she learned to put herself first and was trying not to let other negative energies bring her down, referring to us because apparently we were the negative ones here and not her.

It was just a load of bologna and we had a good laugh about it while reading that message. We didn't give her the satisfaction of becoming the hot topic at the party either because we kept the text to ourselves and didn't tell anyone else. It was just ridiculous how badly she wanted to be a part of things but wouldn't apologize at all. She can choose to suffer in silence but clearly, that's too much for her to handle. We'd really thought that she'd change for the better after her social media detox, maybe she'd introspect and become a better person but nah, she's still Sophie. Good for her, I guess. At least we were entertained by her wonderfully hilarious text. I hope you enjoy this story. Spouse's former partner and child returned to claim ownership of his ancestral residence following the creation of a legal document.

However, during the legal proceedings, we discovered a shocking revelation. I, a woman aged 45, have entered into matrimony. To my husband Michael, 50M, for the last 10 years. We were both in our early 30s when we first crossed paths at a local art gallery. Both of us were admiring the same painting and struck up a conversation. It was like an instant connection, you know? He asked me out on a date and as we started to know more about each other, it felt like I had known him forever. I am the oldest of three children in my family. Money was always tight for us, but manageable. We could afford to go for fast food only if it was our birthday. My dad taught us very early on to work hard for what we wanted

to achieve in our lives. I studied hard and put myself through college. I did a few modeling gigs on the side so by the time I graduated college, I had no debt. I had worked my way through the company and was currently working as a junior associate. Michael, on the other hand, had a completely opposite background. His family was financially better off than ours. His dad had a good job with a high salary and social security, so they never had to stress about money. Michael's parents could afford to cover all his college expenses. Thanks to his dad's influential position at his company, Michael got an internship there. From there, he worked hard to build his own path in the company through dedication and effort.

Although Michael and I came from two different worlds, we share the same passions for art and music. This is what made us fall in love with each other. Michael had a 17-year-old daughter from his previous marriage. His daughter, Candace, never really liked me from the beginning. She never seemed to warm up to me and often refused to engage with me whenever we met. It felt like she somehow held me responsible for her parents not being together, even though I met Michael long after his divorce was completed with his ex-wife. I understood her feelings and tried to give her the space she needed to come to terms with our relationship.

Just for context, Michael and his ex-wife. ex-wife Amelia were married for only three years. They were college sweetheart so they decided to get married but when they did, everything changed for the worse. She was a stay-at-home mother while Michael worked hard to bring in the money. One day, Michael returned home from a work trip earlier than planned, only to discover her in bed with his best friend, Tom. This was an incredibly difficult time for Michael, as he lost the two most important people in his life on the same day. The betrayal by Amelia had left him shattered. In the aftermath, he made the painful decision to file for divorce.

The divorce proceedings between Michael and Amelia were painfully bitter, primarily because Amelia was determined to retain ownership of their house even though it belonged to Michael. The battles didn't just end with the property, they extended into a challenging custody dispute over Candace as well. Due to Amelia's infidelity during their marriage, the judge ultimately didn't grant her ownership of the house but did grant both parents' custody, ensuring that Candace would continue to have a connection with both of them. Amelia's anger over not acquiring the property festered, and over the years, she manipulated Candace's feelings, turning her against her father. Meanwhile, Michael chose not to disclose his ex-wife's infidelity to their daughter, attempting to shield her from the painful

details of their past. I found out about all this when we first started dating each other. Michael wanted to be completely honest with me about his past, and I really appreciated that. Once, Michael had invited Candace to join us on a trip to Africa, hoping it would provide an opportunity for us to bond. I was optimistic and thought it could be a turning point for our relationship. Unfortunately, it didn't quite go as planned. During the trip, Candace seemed irritated at me and often erupted into sudden, unprovoked anger if I got too close to Michael.

She would lash out, using hurtful words like gold digger. Michael was quick to admonish her for her behavior, but she would just smirk at me, making it clear that she wasn't ready to accept me into her life. I knew the situation with his ex-wife and daughter was complicated. But our love for each other was strong, and I was willing to navigate these challenges with him. After a whirlwind romance, we got married. It was a small, intimate ceremony with just our closest friends and fans. We were excited about the life we were going to build together. Amelia and Candace never attended our wedding despite our invitation.

Our marriage was going great initially. We traveled the world while we both continued with our jobs. I was deeply passionate about my career, and I had no intention of giving it up. Meanwhile, Amelia was living together with Tom after their divorce. Candace had her own apartment, thanks to Michael's financial support, financial support, and she was working as a social media executive in a reputed company. Three years into our marriage, we were overjoyed to welcome our son. However, the pregnancy had been tough on me, and it was made even harder whenever Candace came to

visit. She would make cruel, unsolicited comments about my weight and appearance. Whenever Michael wasn't around us, she would remark how he would leave me eventually now that I am a fat cow. This deeply troubled me, and after I shared my concerns, with Michael, he decided that Candace would no longer visit our home. They began meeting at cafes instead to avoid any further distress from me. When our son, Nick, was born we were beyond happy. Despite becoming a parent, I was determined to keep working, so we decided to hire a babysitter to help us care for him. When my maternity leave ended, I eagerly returned to my job. Even though we were in a stable and comfortable place in our lives, I cherished my financial independence and the ability to continue

pursuing my career. If Candace had issues with me before, they seemed to intensify after Nick came into our lives. At family events which we would sometimes organize, she would target Nick, attempting to bully him, which left our son in tears and seeking our help. While I understood her hate towards me, I couldn't stand by and allow her to take her anger out on Nick, our innocent little boy. I banned her from ever coming to our house again. We also stopped hosting family events at our house since then. Now coming on to the issue at hand, as we are getting older, John and I realized the importance of planning for the future. We decided to create a will to ensure our affairs were in order. Given that John had already provided a flat for Candace,

he designated me and our son as the inheritors of our family home. His remaining assets, which were the money in his personal savings account, would go to Candace. Meanwhile, I had my own assets, which I intended to leave to my son, ensuring that he would be well taken care of throughout his life. We both felt this was the right decision to secure our family's future and provide for Nick as he grew up. When Amelia and Candice got wind of our will, all hell broke loose. I am not sure if Michael mentioned it by mistake or his parents did, but they were not happy at all. Amelia called Michael demanding that they deserve to have the house as she was married to him first, but he firmly stood his ground.

He reiterated that he had always provided for Candace, from her child's support to her college expenses to buying her an apartment. He told her that he would ensure that Candice is secured in the future, but he was going to leave the property to our son. This seemed to anger her even further, and Amelia sent me a long text message where she called me every name in the book. I showed Michael the message who asked me to not engage with her further and block her immediately. The following day, Candace showed up at our doorstep, clearly upset. I knew she was here to talk about the will with us. I didn't want her to create a scene in front of our son, so I quickly arranged for my parents to pick him up.

With just the three of us left, Candice made her intentions known. She insisted that my son and I should give up the property because, as the firstborn of Michael, she believed she deserved the house. Despite feeling irritated, I remained silent and looked to my husband. to handle the situation. He explained to Candace that he had always provided her with everything she needed in life. He assured her that he would be leaving her his savings and that he also had a commitment to secure my and our son's future since he was married to me. Leaving the family property to us was his way of ensuring our well-being. Candice again shifted her focus onto me

and insisted that she expected me to do the right thing. I calmly expressed my support for my husband's decision, which only seemed to infuriate her. She raised her voice and threatened to take me to court. At this point, I didn't want to escalate the situation any further, and I requested that she leave us alone. As anticipated, in a few weeks, I received a legal notice informing me that both Candace and Amelia were taking me to court over the property. Their accusations included the claim that I married Michael for his money and had manipulated him into taking away their family property. Michael and I consulted our lawyer, and we were assured that Candace and Amelia didn't have strong legal grounds to support their claims. However, despite the legal advice, I couldn't shake my worries,

particularly because I didn't want our son to experience the drama surrounding this family dispute. As the court date approached, the tension in our household grew. In court, Amelia's lawyer was relentless in their efforts to assert that Michael needed to prioritize his first child, Candace, above all else. Their arguments centered on pushing for a full-blown trial to determine the property's ownership. Since we lived in Colorado, the legal system required us to go through a jury trial, which only added to the complexity of the situation. The looming court trial had both Michael and Me on edge, especially since Amelia's lawyer was resorting to some dirty tactics, digging up our past to make their case in court. Our own lawyer was doing his best, but the situation was undeniably

stressful. During this time, out of the blue, we received an unexpected call from Tom who insisted on meeting us at home. Since the painful discovery of Tom's involvement with Amelia, Michael had cut off all ties with his once best friend and didn't want to meet him. I convinced him to hear Tom out just in case it would help us resolve this dispute sooner. When Tom came over to our house, we were half expecting it to be another one of the opposing lawyer's ploys to undermine our case. However, to our surprise, Tom was here with a different intention, to talk. He revealed that he was here to make a confession about something that would be incredibly difficult for Michael to hear. Michael sat motionless as Tom revealed that Amelia had been seeing him behind Michael's back for a very long time,

and they had been involved romantically even before Amelia became pregnant. I held my breath as Tom continued, disclosing a bombshell that none of us had expected. Apparently, when Amelia got pregnant, she confided in him that she believed the child was actually his. However, because Michael was financially more stable, she had chosen to keep the truth hidden and remained in the marriage. Tom had pleaded with her to reveal the real father to Michael, but she had consistently refused to do so. I couldn't believe how Amelia could manage to keep this a secret for so long in the audacity she had for fighting over the property while keeping this monumental secret from Michael. It was mind-boggling how she had managed to maintain this charade for so many years, all while causing such turmoil within our family. Tom explained that he had kept silent all these years because he believed that Amelia truly loved him.

However, witnessing the pain that we were going through because of the court trial, he finally saw her for who she really was. He started weeping, asking Michael to forgive him. Michael, still in a state of shock, sat there silently. I was filled with anger and frustration, especially seeing the emotional turmoil that my husband was going through. This man believed his whole life that Candace was his daughter and now he was being told that it was all a lie. I had chosen to remain silent in the past whenever Amelia and Candice were rude to me as I wanted to maintain a cordial relationship, however, with the truth now out in the open, there was no point in continuing this charade. I promptly contacted our lawyer and relayed the confession Tom had made. Our lawyer informed us that for our statements to be held in court, we would need to provide concrete evidence, such as a DNA test.

So, we decided to invite Candace over for dinner, using the pretense of wanting to meet her. Our plan was to discreetly collect a glass or a spoon from her for a test, which would help strengthen our case. Candice, though surprised, agreed to come over. Her demeanor was as rude as ever, and she continued to belittle me and my son. She remained confident that she and her mother would win the case, taunting me that I would be losing everything soon. I chose to ignore her comments, hoping that this would be the last time we would need to endure such behavior. After she left, we immediately reached out to our lawyer so he could collect Candace's cup for a DNA test. On the day we were scheduled to appear in court, we received the news that Tom's confession was accurate.

Candice was indeed his daughter. As I let out a sigh of relief, I couldn't help but feel empathy for my husband, who had been dragged into this turmoil because of his ex-wife's lies and manipulation. I informed the lawyer that I was ready to take the stand that day and share our side of the story in court. My lawyer agreed as this would be the best course of action for us to reveal the truth. As I took the stand, I felt a mix of emotions, anger at Amelia for her deceit, sympathy for Michael, and determination to protect our family's rights. Taking the stand in front of the jury, I braced myself and began answering our lawyer's questions. We delved into my past, my career, and the fact that I never gave up on my job even after we got married. I went on to recount the emotional torment, taunts, and abuse I had endured from both Amelia and Candace over the years.

We presented screenshots as proof of my story. I told the jury that Candice never accepted my presence from the very beginning and had even refused to attend our wedding. Since we had our son, she had been verbally abusive towards him as well. Then, I revealed Tom's confession in front of the jury. I spoke about how we found out who Candace's real father was and the dirty secret that Amelia had kept hidden from everyone for so long. Candice looked at me in disbelief and I watched her exchange angry whispers with her lawyer. Our lawyer then showed everyone the DNA results which proved what I had just said. I looked at Amelia's face in satisfaction as she realized she could.

couldn't escape the truth of her past anymore. Candace, on the other hand, looked shocked as if her world was crumbling, just as ours had when we first learned the news. The emotions in the courtroom were raw. Now that everything was out in the open there were no grounds for Amelia and Candice to stand on. Amelia looked defeated, and Candice, who had been so sure of her victory, was now grappling with the fallout of her mother's actions. There was no case left for their lawyer to fight about anymore. Fortunately, it didn't take long for the jury to decide and come back with a verdict. The judge announced the verdict where we were awarded the inheritance of our family home just as Michael had always wanted, and the jury acknowledged that Candace and Amelia had no legitimate claim

to it. Since the court decision, for the past couple of days, we have been receiving mixed reactions from our close family and friends. Although a majority of them understand our situation and agree that what we did was right, a few seemed to think that it was crucial. for us to reveal the truth and shatter Candace's life. So here I am on Reddit asking for your thoughts. Do you think I was T.A. for refusing to part with our property with our stepdaughter and eventually revealing everything in court and not to her personally? Update 1. It's been three days since my last update and I have read all your comments and advice.

Many of you seem to believe that Candace might have already known about her mother's lies which is impossible as I saw the way her face fell when we revealed the DNA test in court. Winning the court trial has lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. I'm choosing not to dwell on the negative relatives who believe we did something wrong. We didn't choose to be dragged into court by Amelia and Candice, we just revealed the truth. I no longer have to worry about my future, and I'm content with the outcome. However, my main concern these days is my husband. Michael is still reeling from the shock of learning the truth about Candace's birth father.

His world has been turned upside down. He hasn't been able to eat or sleep very well since finding out that she isn't really his daughter. I can't imagine the pain he must be going through to accept the truth. Amelia put him through hell when they got divorced. Now that we knew Tom was her father instead, he just didn't know how to handle that information. Tom had not only slept with his ex-wife but was also the birth father of his first child. I have suggested Michael Go for therapy as he needs to talk to someone professional who can help him navigate this situation. I have booked his appointment and he starts next week.

Update 2. It's been one month since my last update and we have managed to move on from this situation to a certain extent. As I mentioned before, my husband has been going to therapy regularly. I can see him getting better, but it's going to take time for him to fully recover. unexpectedly, last week, Candace reached out to us. We honestly didn't think she'd ever want to talk to us after everything that happened. She called to say she was sorry for what we've been through. I wasn't sure if her apology was genuine or if she was just upset about her mother's actions, but I didn't press the issue. Candice shared how she'd always been jealous of me, thinking I had taken her father away. She admitted to hating me, something I already knew.

She believed that her father was the one who had cheated on her mother. However, during the court proceedings, when the truth came out that it was actually Amelia who had cheated, she realized she'd been living a lie her whole life. She begged Michael not to stop being a part of her life, and he reassured her that he'd always be her father, no matter who her birth father was. This brought her to tears, and it seemed like she needed that confirmation all along. Candace also apologized to me for what she'd put me through, and hoped I'd forgive her one day.

I didn't want to pretend everything was okay between us because it wasn't, and it would take time before I could be in the same room as her. Lately, I've been focusing on our family and my son. I couldn't spend much time with him during the court trial, so I'm planning a secret family vacation to take some time off and celebrate. Hopefully, this getaway will help us relax and recharge.

I'll provide another update if something interesting happens. Update 3 after three months of no contact, Amelia showed up at our doorstep. I was torn about letting her in, but I was worried about the neighbors overhearing any potential shouting, as she'd done that before. Reluctantly, we allowed her in, but we made it clear that any outbursts would lead to a call to the police. Amelia explained that Tom had decided to leave her and asked her to move out of his house by the end of the month. She was in tears as she revealed that he didn't want to marry her anymore after what he saw Michael and me go through. With nowhere to go, she wanted to move in with Candace, even though Candice strongly opposed the idea. We learned that since the trial, Candice had cut off all contact with her mother, accusing her of manipulating her.

Amelia was only here because she wanted us to talk to Candice regarding this situation. She wanted us to convince Candice about letting her mother move in. Before I could say something, I witnessed my husband lose his temper for the first time. He firmly told Amelia that he had purchased the apartment for Candace only, hence it was Candace's decision whether she could live with her. He expressed how she never even bothered to apologize after cheating on him all those years and now expected us to help her out. He told her that he was glad Tom had seen the truth and was leaving her. Amelia tried to justify her lies saying that she feared being kicked out of the

house while she was pregnant had she revealed the truth earlier to Michael. I couldn't listen to her excuses any longer, so I asked her to leave. I felt we had given her a fair chance to explain herself, and there was no point in prolonging the conversation. After Amelia departed, Michael reached out to Candice to warn her about the possibility of her mother forcing her to let her stay in the apartment. He emphasized that if she allowed it, there would be no way to make Amelia leave. Candice assured him that she had no intention of allowing that. She planned to change the locks to prevent Amelia from entering and would inform her mother that she was unwelcome. As for me, I've had my fill of this drama.

Lately, I have been discussing with Michael the idea of selling our family home and relocating to another state to escape this turmoil. I had emphasized that, for the sake of our son and our marriage, we needed to seriously consider this move. Although it is a tough decision, Michael has come to accept it, particularly since Amelia's unannounced visit demonstrated that we need to put some distance between us and her. Given the uncertainty of whether she will ever leave us in peace, moving out of the city seems like the best choice. Michael's job can be done remotely, and I'm open to starting fresh at a new company if it means finding happiness away from these toxic people. We will begin the process of selling our family home next month and hopefully by the end of this year, we will be starting afresh in a new place. It is time for us to turn the page on this chapter of our lives and begin anew.