Reddit Stories - Spouse informed me that her LONG-TIME COMPANION from CHILDHOOD would forever hold a

Episode Date: November 10, 2025

#redditstories #askreddit #aita #relationships #marriage #confession #family #trustSummary: Spouse informed me that her LONG-TIME COMPANION from CHILDHOOD would forever hold a special place in her heart, causing me to question the boundaries of our marriage and the depth of her feelings.Tags: redditstories, askreddit, reddit, aita, tifu, relationships, marriage, confession, family, trust, boundaries, emotions, loyalty, childhood, companion, special, heart, feelings, marriageboundaries, questioningBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/reddit-stories--6237355/support.

I hope you enjoy this story. Spouse informed me that her long-time companion from childhood would forever hold a higher significance than me, prompting me to initiate divorce proceedings. Subsequently, she found herself expecting a child as a single parent after pursuing him persistently, getting abandoned by her criminal baby daddy who's in prison for fraud. I'm still trying to figure out if I overreacted or if I was justified. So here's some background that's probably relevant. I'm a 34M marine biologist who works for a government research facility.

Not the most exciting job, but it pays well and I get to study deep sea creatures, which is pretty cool. My ex-wife, Jenny, 32F, is a veterinary who I met at a mutual friend's barbecue about six years ago. We clicked immediately over our shared love of animals and terrible puns. Jenny has this childhood best friend, Sean, 33M, who she's known since they were literally in diapers. Their families live next door to each other growing up, and apparently they were inseparable as kids. Sean is married to a woman named Laura, and they have two young kids. I always knew Jenny and Sean were close, but I figured that's just how some friendships work. They'd text frequently, have inside jokes I didn't understand, and she prioritise his

calls even during our dates sometimes. Now, I'm not typically a jealous person. In my line of work, you deal with a lot of uncertainty and you learn to go with the flow. But there were some things that bothered me. Like when we were planning our wedding three years ago, Jenny insisted Sean be in the wedding party even though I barely knew the guy. Or how she'd immediately drop whatever we were doing if Sean needed something, whether it was moving furniture or just wanting to vent about his job. The breaking point came during what started as a stupid argument about vacation planning. We'd been married for three years at this point, and I suggested we take a trip to the Maldives for our anniversary. I'd been saving up specifically for this because Jenny had

mentioned years ago that it was her dream destination. But she wanted to go camping instead because Sean and Laura were planning a camping trip and she wanted to coordinate so we could accidentally run into each other at the same campground. I pointed out that we could see Sean and Laura any time since they lived 20 minutes away, but the Maldives trip was something special just for us. That's when she got defensive and said I was being selfish for not understanding how important Sean was to her. I tried to explain that I wasn't asking her to choose between us, just that sometimes our marriage

should take priority. Then she said it, you need to understand that Sean will always be more important to me than you. He's been in my life since we were babies, and you've only been here for a few years. That's just how it is. I sat there for a solid minute just processing what she'd said. Not equally important or important in different ways, she literally said Sean would always be more important than me, her husband. I asked her to clarify what she meant, thinking maybe she'd misspoke or was just angry. But she doubled down, saying that Sean knew her better than I ever could and that they're

bond was something I wouldn't understand because I didn't have friends from childhood. That night, I slept in our spare room. The next morning, I told her she had a choice to make either she could be married to me, or she could prioritize Sean over our marriage, but she couldn't do both. I said if she truly believed Sean would always be more important, then she should go be with him instead. She accused me of giving her an ultimatum, and I said yes, I absolutely was. She packed some bags and went to stay with her sister, saying I was being unreasonable and that I'd come crawling back once I realized how good I had it. I filed for divorce two weeks later. Jenny was convinced I'd change my mind right up until we signed the papers.

We didn't have kids and had kept our finances mostly separate, so it was just a matter of dividing up our stuff and selling the house. So Reddit, Ida. Part of me wonders if I threw away a good marriage over something I should have just accepted. But another part of me thinks that if your spouse tells you someone else will always be more important than you, that's pretty much the end of the relationship anyway. Edit, thanks for all the responses. A few people are asking why I didn't try marriage counseling first. Honestly, when someone tells you point blank that you'll never be their priority, counseling feels kind of pointless. What's a therapist going to do, convince her to lie about her feelings? Edit 2. Some of her of you are asking about Sean's reaction to all this. As far as I know, he doesn't even know the real reason we divorced. Jenny told everyone it was because we grew apart and had irreconcilable differences. I never felt the need to set the record straight. Update 1. Hey Reddit, remember me. The marine biologist whose wife said her childhood best friend would always be more important

than her husband. Well, it's been a while and I kind of forgot about this account, so wanted to update y'all. First off, a few of you suggested I was too hasty, but most of you got it. When someone tells you they'll never prioritize you believe them. So here's what's been going on. The divorce was finalized about three months after my last post. I moved into a decent apartment near the research facility and was actually doing pretty well adjusting to single life. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed having complete control over the TV remote and eating cereal for dinner without judgment. About a month after the divorce was final, I heard through friends that Jenny had been

spending even more time with Sean and Laura. Apparently, she'd been going over to their house several times a week, helping with their kids, and basically inserting herself into their family dynamic in a way that was making Laura uncomfortable. Now, Laura and I were never close, but we got along fine at group gatherings. She's always been a bit reserved, but she seems like a good person. According to our friend Chelsea, who works with Laura, Laura started feeling like Jenny was trying to take over her role in the family. Jenny would show up uninvited with groceries, help around the house, and would make plans with Sean without including Laura.

The weird part is that Sean apparently didn't see anything wrong with this. He's always been a bit oblivious to social dynamics, I guess. But Laura was getting increasingly frustrated, and it was causing tension in their marriage. Here's where it gets interesting, read it. About three weeks ago, Laura reached out to me, she just wanted to grab lunch and talk. She said she'd been thinking about my situation and had some questions about Jenny's behavior patterns. We met at this little seafood place near the marina, seemed appropriate given my job.

Laura told me that since the divorce, Jenny had been acting like she was Sean's second wife. She'd call him at all hours, show up to his work to be. bring him lunch, and had even bought him expensive gifts for his birthday, stuff that Laura felt was inappropriate for a friend to give. The kicker was that Jenny had apparently told Laura that now that she was divorced, she could finally focus on the relationships that really mattered. Laura asked her point-blank what she meant, and Jenny said she'd wasted too many years letting her marriage get in the way of her friendship with Sean. Laura wanted to know if I'd noticed similar behavior during our marriage, and honestly, looking back, I had.

Jenny always bought Sean really thoughtful gifts, remembered every little thing about his preferences, and would light up when talking about him in a way she rarely did when talking about me. I told Laura that I thought Jenny might have deeper feelings for Sean than she was admitting to herself. Laura said she'd been suspecting the same thing but felt crazy for thinking it. We ended up talking for about two hours, and it was actually really validating. Laura thanked me for being honest and said she finally understood why I divorced Jenny. She also mentioned that she was planning to have a serious conversation with Sean about setting boundaries. So there you have it, read it. Turns out my ex-wife's obsession with her childhood

best friend was exactly as inappropriate as I thought it was. I'm not saying I called it. But okay, I totally called it. The funny part is that I'm actually doing. doing great. I've been dating someone new, a fellow researcher who thinks my stories about deep-sea creatures are actually interesting instead of just politely tolerating them. Life's looking up. Edit. A few people are asking if I think Jenny was having an affair with Sean. Honestly, I don't think so. I think she was emotionally involved with him in a way that was inappropriate for a married woman, but I don't believe they were physical. Sean seems to genuinely love Laura as a friend maybe, and Jenny's thing feels more like an unrequited obsession than a

mutual affair. Edit 2. Someone asked if I feel vindicated. Not really. I mean, it's nice to know I wasn't crazy, but mostly I just feel bad for Laura. She doesn't deserve to have her marriage destabilized by my ex-wife's inability to understand boundaries. Update 2. The only reason why I am being nosy and getting the details is because people are asking for updates, otherwise I consider that marriage over and I have since moved on. Quick recap for anyone just joining. Divorced my wife Jenny after she told me her childhood best friend Sean would always be more important than me. Turns out she was basically trying to become his second wife, which was making his actual wife Laura very uncomfortable. So, update time. Remember how Laura was going to have a

serious conversation with Sean about boundaries. Well, that conversation happened, and it did not go the way anyone expected. I found out about this through Chelsea, who heard it from Laura during one of their workout sessions. Apparently, when Laura sat Sean down to talk about Jenny's behavior, he initially brushed off her concerns. He said Jenny was just going through a hard time with the divorce and needed extra support from her friends. But then Laura laid out some specific examples that even Sean couldn't ignore. Like how Jenny had started doing his laundry when she came over to help with the kids. Or how she'd been cleaning his home office and organizing his computer files. Or, and this one's particularly weird, how she'd been buying the

same shampoo that Sean uses and leaving bottles of it at their house in case they ran out. Sean finally started to see the pattern, but instead of just setting boundaries, he decided to have a heart-to-heart conversation with Jenny about her behavior. This is where things get really interesting. During this conversation, Jenny apparently broke down crying and confessed that she'd been in love with Sean since they were teenagers. She told him that she'd only married me because she thought Sean would never see her as anything more than a friend. But that getting divorced had made her realize she couldn't keep her. pretending her feelings didn't exist. Now, Sean is a decent guy, but he's also completely conflict-averse.

Instead of firmly shutting this down, he tried to let her down gently by saying he was flattered but committed to his marriage and could only offer friendship. Jenny took this as there might be a chance if circumstances were different rather than absolutely never going to happen. She started talking about how she knew he cared about her too, and how maybe they were meant to be together but just got the timing wrong. Sean thought he'd handled the situation well and told Laura that Jenny understood where he stood. What he didn't realize was that Jenny had interpreted his gentle rejection as a challenge to prove her worthiness.

This is where Jenny's behavior went from inappropriate to genuinely concerning. She started showing up at Sean's workplace more frequently, leaving little gifts on his car, and, here's the creepy part, she somehow got a key made to their house. Laura came home one day to find Jenny in their kitchen, cooking dinner as a surprise. Laura lost it, understandably, and told Jenny she was no longer welcome in their home. Jenny responded by saying that Laura was being selfish and that she should be grateful Jenny was willing to help take care of Sean and the kids. Sean finally stepped up and told Jenny she needed to back off completely.

He said their friendship was over if she couldn't respect his marriage and his family's boundaries. Jenny's response was to show up at their house the next night, drunk and crying, begging Sean to reconsider. The neighbors called the police when she started banging on their door and screaming about how Laura was keeping them apart. Sean and Laura are now considering moving. The ironic part. I haven't spoken to Sean in over a year. I've been living my life, dating someone wonderful, and advancing my career. Meanwhile, Jenny has managed to completely destroy the relationship she claimed was more important than our marriage. Sometimes the trash takes itself out, read it.

Edit. Several people are asking if Jenny needs professional help. Probably, but that's not my problem anymore. I feel bad for Sean and Laura, but I'm not getting involved in this mess. Edit 2, to address some comments, no, I don't feel guilty about the divorce contributing to Jenny's breakdown. Her behavior after our divorce just proved that I made the right decision. If anything, I dodged a much bigger bullet than I realized. Update 3. When Life Gives You Lemons, apparently some people make terrible decisions. Well read it, for those just

tuning in, ex-wife Jenny destroyed her most important relationship by confessing her love to her married childhood best friend Sean, who rightfully shut her down. She then proceeded to stalk him and his family until they had to involve the police. So what's Jenny been up to since then? According to the Gossip Network, aka Chelsea, who somehow knows everything about everyone, Jenny has been on a bit of a self-destructive spiral. After Sean cut contact completely, Jenny apparently decided the best way to get over him was to get under someone else. She started going out to bars regularly and, according to Chelsea, was making some pretty questionable choices about who she was bringing home.

About two months ago, she started dating this guy she met at some dive bar downtown. His name is Max, he's about 10 years younger than us, and from what I've heard, he's basically everything I wasn't. Where I'm steady and career-focused, Max is impulsive and treats work like a suggestion. Where I preferred quiet nights at home, Max is apparently all about the party scene. Now, I want to be clear, I'm not judging Jenny for dating someone different from me. People are allowed to have types, and maybe Max makes her happy in ways I couldn't. Good for her, honestly.

But here's where it gets complicated. Chelsea told me that about a month ago, Jenny had been talking about how great things were going with Max and how he was helping her rediscover her wild side. She'd been posting photos of them at concerts, parties, and generally living it up. Then, a few weeks ago, Jenny apparently found out she was pregnant. read it, I know what some of you are thinking, and let me stop you right there. The timeline makes it impossible for this to be my kid. We've been divorced for over months, maybe over a year at this point, and we hadn't been intimate for weeks before I moved out. This is definitely Max's baby. According to Chelsea, and I realize I'm getting all this secondhand, so take it

with a grain of salt, Jenny was actually excited about the pregnancy at first. She saw it as a fresh start and a chance to build a real family with Max Max, however, had a very different reaction. Apparently, when Jenny told him about the pregnancy, he completely freaked out. He told her he wasn't ready to be a father and suggested she take care of it. When Jenny said she wanted to keep the baby, Max said he needed some time to think. That was three weeks ago, and Max has been thinking ever since. By which I mean he's been avoiding Jenny's calls and hasn't been seen at his usual hangouts. Chelsea says Jenny has been trying to track him down, but it's like he vanished into thin air. She's been calling his friends, showing up at his work,

and generally doing the same stocky behavior she did with Sean, except this time the guy she's obsessing over is the father of her child. The really sad part is that Jenny has been reaching out to old friends looking for support, but a lot of people are keeping their distance because of how she handled my and Sean situation. Apparently, word got around about her behavior, and people are concerned about getting dragged into her drama. I heard about all this about a week ago, and I'll be honest, my first reaction was a mix of wow,

that sucks for her and thank God that's not my problem anymore. Which maybe makes me a terrible person, but I've worked hard to build a drama-free life, and I'm not eager to invite chaos back into it. My girlfriend asked if I felt bad for Jenny, and honestly, I do on some level. Nobody deserves to be abandoned when they're pregnant and scared. But I also can't help thinking that Jenny's pattern of becoming obsessed with unavailable men and then acting inappropriately when rejected is finally catching up with her.

The weirdest part of all this? According to Chelsea, Jenny has been telling people that she wishes she'd appreciated what she had with me. Apparently, she's been romanticizing our marriage and talking about how I was the stable one she should have held on to, which is rich, considering she literally told me Sean would always be more important than me, but whatever helps her sleep at night, I guess. Anyway, that's the latest chapter in the Jenny Chronicles. I'm mostly sharing this because some of you have been following along, and it feels weird to leave the story unfinished.

Plus, it's a good reminder that sometimes the best decision you can make is walking away from someone else's chaos. Edit, a bunch of you are asking if I think Jenny will try to reach out to me now that Max has disappeared. Honestly, I hope not. I've blocked her on social media and changed my phone number since the divorce, so she'd have to work pretty hard to contact me. I'm not interested in being her backup plan or her emotional support system. Edit 2, to the people saying I should feel sorry for the baby, of course I do. No child deserves to be born into this kind of mess. But that doesn't mean I should get involved.

Jenny made her choices, and now she has to live with the consequences. Update 4, Final, Reddit, I honestly thought I was done updating you all on the Jenny situation, but life had other plans. This will definitely be my final update because, frankly, I'm pretty much done. So, where we left off, Jenny was pregnant by her disappearing act boyfriend Max, feeling abandoned, and apparently having some regrets about how she'd handled our marriage. I was living my best drama-free life and planning to keep it that way. Well, Max finally resurfaced, and the situation somehow got even messier than before.

I found out about this through Chelsea again, seriously, this woman should work for the FBI, who heard it from Laura of all people. Apparently, Laura had run into Jenny at the grocery store looking visibly pregnant and pretty rough around the edges. Laura, being a decent person despite everything Jenny put her through, asked how she was doing. Jenny, apparently desperate for anyone to talk to, unloaded the whole Max situation on Laura right there in the produce section. Which is how Laura learned that Max had been avoiding Jenny because he was dealing with some legal issues that he hadn't mentioned when they first started dating. Turns out Max had been arrested for some kind of fraud scheme involving fake contractor licenses and taking advance payments for home renovations he never completed. He'd been out on bail when he met Jenny, and his lawyer had apparently advised him to keep a low profile while his case was pending.

When Jenny told him she was pregnant, Max panicked because he realized he was probably going to prison and wouldn't be around to help raise a kid anyway. Instead of being honest about his situation, he just disappeared, which honestly seems to be his go-to-problem strategy. Jenny only found out about the legal issues when she finally tracked down one of Max's friends, who told her Max had been sentenced to 18 months in minimum security prison and wouldn't be getting out any time soon. So now Jenny is about five months pregnant with a baby whose father is in prison for fraud, and she suddenly realized that her support system has dwindled significantly due to her. own behavior over the few years. According to Laura, Jenny asked if she thought Sean might be willing to talk to her and help her figure out what to do. Laura, who is apparently a saint,

told Jenny that ship had sailed and that she needed to focus on building healthier relationships going forward instead of trying to fix the ones she'd already destroyed. Here's where the story gets personally relevant to me again. A few days after Laura told Chelsea about this grocery store encounter, I came home to find someone had been by my apartment. There was no note or anything, but someone had left a potted plant by my door, one of those fancy orchids that Jenny always loved but I could never keep alive. I'm about 99% sure it was Jenny, though I can't prove it. The orchid thing is too specific to be a coincidence, and honestly, leaving a gift without a

note or any attempt at contact is exactly the kind of passive-aggressive gesture she'd think was meaningful. I threw the plant away, because I recognize a boundary testing gesture when I see one. Jenny is probably hoping I'll reach out to thank her or ask questions about why she left it, which would open the door to a conversation about her current situation. Basically not my circus, not my monkeys. But here's the thing, Reddit, I'm not interested in being Jenny's emotional support system, her backup plan, or her solution to the mess she's created.

I feel genuinely sorry that she's going through a difficult time, and I hope she gets the help and support she needs. But that help isn't going to come from me. My girlfriend and I are actually engaged now, and we're planning a small wedding next year. I've built a good life that doesn't include drama, chaos, or people who think love means obsessing over unavailable people until you destroy your own relationships. Jenny's story isn't really about me anymore, and honestly, it probably will be. never was. It was always about her inability to be content with what she had and her pattern of idealizing relationships that couldn't give her what she wanted while taking for granted the ones that could. I hope she figures out how to break that pattern, for her own sake and

for her kid's sake. But that's her journey to take, not mine to guide her through. So there you have it, read it. Sometimes people ask me if I regret divorcing Jenny, especially now that she's clearly struggling. But every update just reinforces that I made the right choice. I chose to prioritize my own peace and happiness over trying to fix someone who wasn't ready to be fixed. And honestly, life's been pretty great since then. Edit, to answer the most common question, no, I won't be reaching out to Jenny, and yes, I'm confident in that decision. Sometimes the kindest thing you can do for someone is refused to enable their unhealthy patterns, even when they're going through a hard time.

Edit 2, for those asking about the orchid, I stand by throwing it away. Accepting gifts from an ex who's trying to reestablish contact while you're engaged to someone else is just asking for drama. Hard pass.