Reddit Stories - I DEDICATED myself WHOLEHEARTEDLY for a couple of years to SAFEGUARD our prospects

Episode Date: January 27, 2026

#redditstories #askreddit #aita #relationships #selfimprovement #dedication #commitment #lifechoices  Summary: A person reflects on their unwavering dedication over several years to safeguard their relationship's future. They discuss the challenges faced, the sacrifices made, and the emotional toll of their commitment, ultimately questioning whether their efforts were appreciated or if they were taken for granted.  Tags: redditstories, askreddit, reddit, aita, tifu, relationships, dedication, commitment, lifechoices, emotionalintelligence, personalgrowth, selfreflection, sacrifices, futureplanning, introspection, love, support, challenges, appreciation, well-beingBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/reddit-stories--6816713/support.This episode includes AI-generated content.

I hope you enjoy this story. I dedicated myself wholeheartedly for a couple of years to safeguard our prospects while my partner covertly traded my grandparents' legacy to support his addiction. Presently, I am parting ways with my harmful relatives. BFF. My 33F. BF. 34M. And I have been together for over 12 years now. I first met him in high school and we were friends for a few years.

We lost touch after he graduated, but ended up reconnecting when I was in college. We've been together since. About seven years ago, we were at a crossroads. His friend had passed away suddenly in an accident and he proceeded to spiral. He started trying drugs, staying out all night, engaging in very reckless behavior and it truly scared me. I tried everything to pull him out of it. It took a lot of work, and me almost leaving for him to start putting his life.

life back together. A little backstory. I work for my family's business. I have worked for the family business since I was 18 years old, and honestly, it would be great if I didn't have to work with the same people I see on the holidays. My family can be, in a word, toxic. There is a lot of infighting and drama. Working with them is similar to our personal lives, stressful and chaotic. When my grandmother passed away about three years ago, I was willed some liquid assets that had belonged to her and my grandfather, gems, jewelry, precious metals, cash, etc., and their house they had had since the 60s. And honestly, this was a blessing. With that inheritance I finally felt like I could pull free from my family and get out of the family business and take time to go back to school

and do something I was passionate about. However, I had no savings at the time, and wanted to get a decent amount saved before I quit. At this time an opportunity opened up at work, the pay was way higher, but required four to seven months of travel time a year. I talked it over with my BF and we decided that we only needed two years to save up what we needed. I took the job and prepared to leave for two months for training at the main branch. About a month into my training, my BF suddenly quit his job, with no explanation other than I had to, I can't work there anymore. I was concerned about our financial goals because of this, but he swore up and down that he would get a new one shortly and that he wouldn't need any help with his personal bills. Well, a year went by and he had only

taken up gig work and temp jobs. I wasn't happy as I was having to travel all the time and was having to be really frugal in order to get all our joint bills paid while also putting money into savings. He was managing to pay his own bills, so I let it slide since he tossed in what he could to the joint pile as well. Now I'm sitting here, about to complete my two years. and my BF has decided to come clean to me. For the past two years, while I've been working a job that has been soul-crushing, and has had me away from home for weeks to months at a time. I've missed birthdays, weddings, friends' baby showers, etc. I've sacrificed the last two years of my life to make enough to be able to live my life the way I want to. And he tells me

last week that he has been paying his personal bills by selling the things my grandparents had willed me that I had left in a safe that was hidden in the house. A safe he only had access to because the hunting rifle is in there, and I thought, you know he wouldn't do that to me. I'm honestly in shock. It was a substantial amount and it makes me nauseous to even try to quantify it right now. I've already said in motion quitting my job and have given notice. And now I have so much less than I thought I did.

He only told me because he had figured a way to pay me back and had gotten a stable job and was planning on using most of his paycheck to give to me until I was made whole. But this, just honestly disgusts me. I feel so violated. More than that, I wonder if this is go-to-pattern now. Life is stressful, a lot of change is happening, and he just self-destructs. After what he put me through seven years ago, I don't know if I can look past this. Yes, he came clean to me, but I just can't seem to get past this feeling.

I look at him and just feel nothing right now. now. It's breaking my heart because I really care for him, and yet I just can't see anything changing. I feel so conflicted, we have been together so long and even have all the same friends and share a life together. Will we be able to come back from this? Or, is this what falling out of love feels like? Comments, Coyc Zero I, I honestly don't know how you didn't get violent because I would. I would genuinely prefer cheating than this. And he only came clean because because he was out of time. You need to call the police or if you don't want to go straight there you need to have him by every single thing back otherwise you call. You also need to

sue his ass. This is in saying, I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. The one person you should be able to trust stabbing you over and over in the back because you weren't around to stop him? Please take your time healing. This is a massive betrayal. Who takes from the dead? From their partner? And who's to say he didn't use any of it on drugs because this is druggy behavior? And don't you ever, ever go back? Don't even consider reconciliation.

Oop, he decided to tell me on the phone while I was away for work. I just got home last night and saw the damages firsthand. I gave my notice for work which involved getting into it with my family, so now I feel like I'm losing my family and my relationship. Tray Eyes, I want you to note that this scenario is ostensibly the same as seven years ago. At that time due to stress he spiraled, became selfish and self-destructive. It was only by your good grace and support that it worked out, you forgiving him for the time he wasted and the pain you put you through. Well, this time he was more subtle about it.

He quit his job with no planning or realistic goals, and that's either a sign of a breakdown or that he messed up severely. I assumed the reveal was going to be he cheated. and began stealing from you to maintain that spiral. It was the same seven years ago, this time it was just behind your back. He can't pay you back. The money he earns and gives to you is just coming from your joint resources. It is still costing you. You can't get these last two years back,

two years of subsidizing him spiraling without even knowing it. That money has gone so long as you share money and that was the entire point of this exercise. Still, you also humored this for two years, let alone what happened seven years ago. I get you care about this guy, but this really is get real about your lifetime. This really is a question of how many more times you go through this cycle. I worry that your life stuck with a toxic family has increased your resilience in a counterproductive way. It is lead you to put up with his bullshit because in some senses he is less awful than they are.

Update, May 23, 2024. First, I would like to thank everyone who commented on my original post. As hard as it was, I read every one of them. Honestly, I did not expect for so many people to be angry on my behalf and I am truly touched. In my life I have learned that the best way to answer other's sincerity is by being sincere myself. So I'd like to try here. I have a very small circle of people. I would say the two most important people to me in the past 15 years have been my BF and my little

sister. The only two people I talked to nearly every day and do most of my everyday life with. A little over a year ago, I almost lost my little sister when she overdosed on prescription medicine and attempted to self-exit. I was the one who found her after the fact, and spent the next three weeks by her side in the ICU. The whole ordeal could be its own post really, now, the person that had been my best friend for my whole life, has me blocked in every aspect of her life, for reasons I still do not know. I still wonder if she blames me for leaving that night as much as I blame myself. In my grief I lashed out at my toxic family for not listening to me when I said I was concerned about her, for not doing more, for not even being at the hospital when she needed them,

for expecting me to be the one to tend to her while she was in rehab. And because I lashed out at them, I was ostracized. The only time my family talks to me now is if it has to do with work. My birthday came and went without a single one of them reaching out. It is one of them. It is why I was compelled to quit, as the silence and isolation was slowly driving me into a depression. During all of this, I've been clinging to my BF. It would have been too difficult to go through without him. And I guess is the main reason why I didn't immediately kick him out when he came clean. I have lost my best friend, and any support from family. When I gave my notice, only one person asked me to reconsider, the rest said good riddance. And even if my family is toxic and

awful to each other, it still hurts to be cast out so thoroughly. So, when my BF came clean to me, I just went numb. It felt like I lost what little fight I had left in me. It feels like the fabric of my life is coming unwoven and I am falling apart. I am still deeply mourning the loss of my sister and my life, and grieving a family I have given up on. I have lost a lot in the past year and this is just the last thing I thought I had to worry about. As many of you stated, it's sounded like drugs. I didn't get him to divulge exactly what he was doing with the money, but I pieced enough together. Addiction has once again taken him. My BF is a sweet, doting and genuinely funny person, but seven years ago, he also became someone I didn't know. His drug

addiction was deep and unrelenting. It was a monumental uphill battle for him to get clean, and stay sober. But I told him I would only stick it through with him once, and if he ever started back down that road, I would leave. So, I guess he got smart about hiding it. And me being gone six-ish months out of the year really helped him with that. I know some of you were very upset for me losing sentimental items. But my grandma's jewelry is all there. He sold my grandpa's collection of let's say precious metals, as my grandpa was a child of the Depression and never had faith in banks, he stored most of his assets as such. All his kids and grandkids were given portions of that. They weren't sentimental as much as a safety net I had every intention of using

if needed. There was a comment that was a few paragraphs, that kind of left me shaken. My denial was pointed out, but also the fact that I already knew what I needed to do. But, I was looking for any way, any reason, any logic, something to not have to lose anything or anyone else right now. But I can't escape reality as much as I may try. Some of you asked how I could even contemplate staying. The easy answer, I was slash him still scared. Scared to face this world alone. Terrified, really.

I have told him we have no more future together, and we are working on how to best separate. It is amicable. I will not be reporting him or suing him. I have talked to his mom and dad about it, and they have told me I will be made whole one way or the other, and he has promised as such. I know a lot of you will be disappointed in that outcome, but I just have nothing left in me. I'm exhausted, I don't even have the energy to get angry right now. Maybe, once I have time to process everything that might change. But, right now, I need peace.

For now, I can only focus on the present and try to take one day at a time. I didn't ever think I would be this alone, and the pain of losing the people I love the most in this world is a poignant heartache I will be grappling with for a good time to come. Thank you, kind internet strangers, for letting me feel less alone in this. Thank you for your anger on my behalf. Thank you for taking time to read my post and give validity to my heartbreak. Commenced, Traer, I commented on your last post but with the additional context provided here more things click into place, especially the context of your family. I put emphasis on how this was a repeat of the previous cycle and I want to put emphasis there again.

No, we can't move on from him stealing from me. This isn't about the stealing per se. The stealing was a symptom of the broader problem, his drug addiction and his cycling of it as a problem. It is likely something that will haunt him his entire life and the reality is that it is not a problem you can help with, especially given you yourself are dealing with a lot of demons. You left because drugs have destroyed his life and you can't afford to be taken down that path with him, for both your sakes. Now it is clear you have to focus on yourself.

Stay on top of your ex's parents to assure you get your money back, but in the meantime look into ways to enrich your own life. Some of that may involve joining social groups, hobbies, fitness, etc. Your family and your ex are a constant source of drama and many people find once they do step away the silence can be a little deafening so you want to make sure you fill the gaps as quickly as you can. Boop, you once again summed it up exactly. Your comment on my last post struck me, when you said my resilience had increased in counterproductive ways, I felt a little called out. But what you said was right. I do often question the magnitude of events happening in real time, and usually shrug because it's not as awful as it could be. But I've been trying to learn to trust myself. I've been trying to be better than what my family is.

You helped me realize I was letting myself down and going back on the work I'd been doing if I just once again let the chaos stay in my life. Thank you. Tray Eyes, I am glad what I said was able to resonate with you. While it struck you personally, I will say that this is the path to recovery all of us with let's call them messy backgrounds tend to have to walk. Understanding that our very sense of what is normal as Warp took me time to really understand myself but once you do you are able to see everything in a new context. And it seems you have started that journey yourself. You can see that you are basically universally supported here, even if the advice you get varies from responder to responder.

But I will say the advice that I gave, the reason I focused on the family was a reflection of the things you raised in your initial post. I think part of you was already on the verge of these breakthroughs. I wish you luck in that journey. Now on to the next story. Story 2. Brother and his wife constantly mocked my wife for being less educated and insult our newborn as a darky. I snapped back once and now my parents demand I apologize first or skip

the wedding. So my brother, 32M, has always been rude to me, 34M. When I first met my wife, 33, 5 years ago, he started to be rude to her as well and made fun of her because she's not as educated as him. His finance came into the scene around a year ago and she was no different and made fun of my wife for not being as educated as them. It was a big issue, a lot of fights in my family because of the things they said about my wife, and my parents told us to forgive them. Fine, we did. Last week, my brother was again making fun of me while we were at a friend's place. I let it slide and just laughed it off because I'm just used to it at this point. After a while, I had enough and made a comment about his appearance. He immediately became angry and started making fun of our newborn, two months old,

of everyone, including his fiancé. I lost it. I swore at him and yelled at him. One of our friends told him to apologize and of course he didn't. His fiancé didn't tell him to apologize or stop. I told our parents that I have no interest in talking to him or his fiancé and that my wife, our baby and I are not attending the wedding. Now my parents are telling us to attend, what will people think if we aren't there, etc. He still hasn't said sorry. He still hasn't said sorry. and instead is saying I'm at fault because I made fun of him. So, would I be the asshole if we didn't attend the wedding? Ada has no consensus, but, Goop received the majority of NTA.

Comments, Old underscore Web 8,071, who gives a rat's ass what people will think if you don't attend. If anyone asks, tell them you were tired of his and his fiancée's abuse of your family. We'll say anything, NTA, but, when do you finally grow a spine and stop apologizing or letting thing go because your parents tell you to. You should honestly be NC with your brother and at the very least L.C. with your parents. You obviously aren't the favorite. You wife should have never had to endure the BS you've allowed yourself to put up with. Don't make your child another victim. Update, May 23rd, 2024. For those of you saying this is a made-up story, it is not made up.

This really happened and I wish I were making it up. We went over to my parents' house last night. My brother was there as well. My parents start telling me to just move on and forget about it. That my brother has told them that he is sorry for what he said, and that he says he made a mistake. I told them how can I just forget about it? And if he was as remorseful as you guys are saying, then he could have apologized to my family and me. But he is not and it has been over a week at this point. My brother says he made fun of my baby because I made fun of him. I tell him, I responded back to you, and even if I made fun of you first, your automatic response is to make fun of the baby, and not me? You think you're justified in making

fun of my baby, for no reason? He literally says yes, he is justified. My parents didn't tell him to stop. I ask him so if I made fun of your baby when you have one, would that be right? Would I be justified? He doesn't answer. I ask him about this three. more times, he doesn't respond. That let me know that no, if the roles were reversed, I wouldn't be justified. Then my brother says that he will apologize to me, if I apologize to him first. My parents tell me to apologize to him. I told them why would I ever apologize for making fun of him with a comment about him, when he was making fun of me for hours, until I snapped and responded back, and his automatic response was not to make fun of me back,

but to insult my newborn. I ask them to explain why they think I need to apologize to him first, when I don't think I'm in the wrong here. They don't explain and instead start calling me a bastard, useless, etc. My mom is like families always fight, and they make up. I say, yes, families fight, siblings have arguments amongst themselves, but they don't stoop so low and start making fun of babies or children for no reason at all. At this point I'm pissed. I tell them what kind of grandparents are you, that you are faulting me for sticking up for my baby and not tolerating him making fun of my baby. I tell them, if you think I'm wrong for sticking up for my baby,

then why don't you guys call Dad's brother and apologize to him? Side note, few years ago, we found out Dad's brother was spreading false rumors about my brother, and my parents haven't talked to him since. I tell them Dad's brother has emailed you, said sorry, that he was wrong, so why don't you guys call him, apologize and make up? Dad starts calling me an asshole, bastard, all kinds of names. I respond back, that I am just following your line of thought. At this point, I knew this wasn't going to be resolved, so my wife and I left. My brother hasn't apologized and I will never apologize and that's where we stand now.

I still can't believe that I am being labeled at fault for this mess. How can I be at fault for not tolerating him making fun of my baby? How can I be at fault for not wanting to apologize to him? I don't think I owe him an apology. If he can dish it, then he should be able to take it. He shouldn't have responded with making fun of my baby and that too in front of multiple people. I never thought that my family would think it's okay to make fun of a newborn. Edit, Wow Just Wow.

Dad called, I answered. He asks if I'm going to be at the wedding. told him no, why would I go after everything? He says so you want everyone to know about this? I didn't respond. He then says to me, I hope you end up on the streets. I say how can you say that and he responds with yay, I hope you end up in the streets.

And I respond while you are really wishing your children end up in the streets? He says yes, because you are a bastard. I hung up. This is just too much for me. I have no interest in talking to any of them. Comments, Boop on his brother calling his wife and child names. Boop, him and his fiancé have made fun of my wife in the past for being darker in color than them. He called my baby a darky.

Not dealing today, the worst part is, your brother isn't the biggest issue in the situation. Your parents are enabling him to be an asshole, and when they hear the true story, ask you to apologize first. You stood your ground and didn't give them what they wanted. This will go one of two ways. They'll respect you more and won't treat you as a pushover, or they won't talk to you. Either way I think you come out ahead. You don't want that type of toxicity around your newborn. Side note, nice work, Dad, sticking up for your child like that while staying calm.

If anyone in my family made fun of one of my children, even at their ages now, I'd throw hands. Funny character 4437 Send in a group chat that you have no intention to attend his wedding and you're confused why your brother and finance would want insert insults he's made about you, insert insults he's made about your wife and especially my insert insults he made about your child at his blessed event. We've made alternate plans that we don't intend to change so the subject can be dropped if anyone on this chat wants to continue be involved with

Insert insult about baby, child again, and mean it.