Reddit Stories - STEVE CONTINUED to come over while my SPOUSE was away at work, and

Episode Date: August 1, 2025

#redditstories #askreddit #aita #relationships #drama #neighbors #conflict #trustSummary: Steve continued to come over while my spouse was away at work, and tensions rose between us as suspicions grew. Confrontations ensued, leading to a breaking point that tested our friendship and loyalty.Tags: redditstories, askreddit, reddit, aita, tifu, relationships, drama, neighbors, conflict, trust, friendship, loyalty, suspicions, confrontations, tensions, breaking point, boundaries, communication, misunderstandings, resolutionsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/reddit-stories--6237355/support.

I hope you enjoy this story. Steve continued to come over while my spouse was away at work, and all my acquaintances dismissed my concerns until I captured him admitting his feelings and attempting to kiss me. I was holding my baby. My husband Terry and I have been married for three years and we have a six-month-old baby girl named Maria. Terry's younger brother Ryan is 26 and he's been coming over to our house pretty much every other day for the past two months and it's getting weird because he only shows up when Terry. is at work. Terry works construction and he leaves the house at six in the morning and doesn't get back until around 5.30 in the evening and that's exactly when Ryan decides to visit.

Ryan will text me around 7 in the morning asking if I need help with anything around the house or if I want company while Terry is gone and at first I thought it was sweet that he wanted to help his brother's wife but now I'm starting to think there's something else going on. Ryan always brings coffee from this expensive place and he'll sit on our couch for hours talking about random stuff like how his job at the insurance company is boring and how he wishes he had what Terry and I have and he keeps making these comments about how lucky Terry is to have me and how I'm such a good mom and wife. Last week he brought me flowers just because he said I looked tired and needed something to

cheer me up and when I told Terry about it he just laughed and said Ryan has always been thoughtful like that. The thing that really bothers me is how Ryan acts when he's here compared to when Terry is around and it's like he's two different people. When Terry is home Ryan barely talks to me and he'll watch TV with Terry or they'll work on Terry's truck in the garage but when it's just me and Maria he becomes super chatty and helpful and he always finds reasons to get close to me like when I'm cooking he'll stand right behind me to see what I'm making or when I'm folding laundry he'll offer. To help in our hands will touch when we're both reaching for the same shirt. Two weeks ago Maria was crying and I was having a really hard time

getting her to calm down and Ryan offered to hold her while I took a shower and I was so exhausted that I said yes but the whole time I was in the bathroom I felt anxious and I couldn't relax. When I came out Ryan was sitting in the nursery holding Maria and singing to her and he looked up at me and said I looked beautiful with my hair wet and that Terry was the luckiest man alive and I just felt so uncomfortable that I took Maria back and made up some excuse about needing to feed her. Yesterday was the worst one yet because Ryan showed up at 8 in the morning with pastries from the bakery and he said he had taken the day off work just to help me around the house and I told him I didn't need help but he insisted on staying. He kept following me from room to room

and when I was changing Maria's diaper he stood in the doorway watching and making comments about how good I am with her and how natural motherhood looks on me and it felt so creepy. Then Ryan asked if he could take a picture of me and Maria together because he said we looked so peaceful and happy and I told him no but he kept pushing and saying it would be a nice surprise for Terry and I had to raise my voice and tell him to stop before he finally backed off. After that he got quiet and sulky and he left around noon but not before telling me he was just trying to be a good brother and that he didn't understand why I was being so cold to him. When Terry got home I tried to explain what happened but he just said Ryan has always been

awkward around people and that he's probably just lonely since his girlfriend broke up with him six months ago. Terry said I should be grateful that Ryan cares about our family and wants to help and that a lot of wives would love to have such a supportive brother-in-law, and I felt like I was going crazy because Terry wasn't hearing what I was actually saying. This morning Ryan texted me again asking if he could come over, and I finally snapped and told him to stop coming by when Terry isn't home because it makes me uncomfortable and that if he wants to visit, he should wait until Terry gets back from work.

Ryan immediately called me and started yelling about how I'm being ridiculous and paranoid, and that he's never done anything inappropriate, and that I'm ruining his relationship with his brother by being suspicious for no reason. Ryan said I'm probably just hormonal from having the baby and that I'm imagining things that aren't there and that Terry is going to be pissed when he finds out I'm trying to keep his brother away from their family. Then Ryan hung up on me and 20 minutes later Terry called me from work asking why Ryan was upset and saying I hurt his feelings by accusing him of something he didn't do. Terry said I need to apologize to Ryan and that I'm being unfair because Ryan

has never been anything but nice to me and helpful around the house and that I should appreciate having someone who cares about me and Maria when he's not around to help. Terry told me to call Ryan and smooth things over and that he doesn't want this to become a big family drama and I just hung up because I was so frustrated that my own husband wasn't listening to me. Now Terry's mom has been calling me asking what happened between me and Ryan because apparently Ryan called her crying about how I'm treating him badly and she wants to know why I'm being mean to him when he's just trying to be a good uncle. I haven't answered her calls because I don't know what to say and I feel like everyone thinks I'm crazy but I know something isn't right about

Ryan's behavior and I trust my instincts about this. So am I the asshole for telling Ryan to stop coming over when Terry isn't home or am I right to feel uncomfortable about his constant visits and weird behavior? Update 1. It's been a week since I posted and things have gotten so much worse with Terry's family and I don't know what to do anymore because everyone is acting like I'm some kind of villain for not wanting Ryan around when I'm alone. Terry came home from work the day I told Ryan not to visit anymore, and he was already angry before he even walked through the door because apparently Ryan had called him multiple times during his lunch break crying about how I was being cruel to him for no reason.

Terry said his whole crew heard Ryan on the phone and now they're all asking Terry what's wrong with his wife that she won't let his brother visit his own niece and it was embarrassing for him at work. Terry sat me down and told me I need to explain exactly what Ryan did that was so inappropriate because he couldn't understand why I was making such a big deal out of Ryan being friendly and helpful. I tried to tell Terry about all the weird comments Ryan makes and how he only comes over when Terry is at work and how uncomfortable it makes me feel but Terry just kept interrupting me and saying those things aren't actually bad and that I'm reading too much into normal behavior. Terry said Ryan has always been socially awkward

and that he doesn't know how to talk to women properly, but that doesn't mean he has bad intentions and that I should give him the benefit of the doubt because he's family. Terry told me that Ryan's girlfriend dumped him because she said he was too clingy and needy, and now Ryan is depressed and lonely and just wants to feel like he belongs somewhere, and I'm making him feel unwelcome in his own brother's house.

Then Terry said the thing that really made me angry, which was that maybe I'm feeling paranoid because I'm tired from taking care of Maria and that new mothers sometimes imagine threats that aren't there and that I should talk to my doctor about postpartum anxiety. I told Terry I'm not paranoid or anxious and that my feelings about Ryan are valid, but Terry just shook his head and said I'm not being rational about this situation. The next day Terry's mom, Susan, called me and she was not happy at all,

and she started lecturing me about how Ryan has always been a sensitive boy and that he's been having a hard time lately and that I should be more understanding instead of pushing him away. Susan said Ryan came over to her house in tears because he feels, like I hate him and he doesn't understand what he did wrong and she wants me to apologize to him and make things right. Then Susan really laid into me and said that maybe I'm not used to having a close family because my parents live across the country and I don't have siblings so I don't understand how family relationships work but that doesn't give me the right to hurt

Ryan's feelings and cause problems between the brothers. Susan said if I keep acting like this I'm going to destroy Terry's relationship with his brother and that would be unforgivable because family is the most important thing. I tried to explain to Susan that I'm not trying to hurt anyone but that Ryan's behavior makes me uncomfortable and I have the right to set boundaries in my own home but Susan just talked over me and said I'm being dramatic and oversensitive. Susan told me she raised her boys to be respectful and helpful and that I should be ashamed of myself for thinking bad thoughts about Ryan when he's just trying to be nice. Terry's dad called me later and he was much calmer than Susan but he still basically told me

the same thing which is that I need to give Ryan another chance and stop making assumptions about his intentions. Terry's dad said Ryan has always been the baby of the family and maybe he doesn't realize his behavior could be misinterpreted but that I should talk to him directly instead of just cutting him off completely. The worst part is that Terry is now completely on his family's side and he's acting like I'm the one causing all the drama by refusing to apologize to Ryan and smooth things over. Terry said his family thinks I'm stuck up and ungrateful and I'm trying to control who he can have relationships with, and that's not fair to him or his brother. Terry told me that if I don't fix this situation with Ryan, then he's going to invite

Ryan over whenever he wants whether I like it or not because it's his house too and Ryan is his brother and I don't get to decide who's welcome in our home. He said I'm being unreasonable and paranoid and that he's tired of dealing with this unnecessary drama that I created for no good reason. Ryan has been texting me every day asking when he can come over again and saying he misses spending time with Maria and that he just wants things to go back to normal between us. He keeps saying he's sorry if he made me uncomfortable but that he doesn't know what he did wrong and that he hopes we can work things out because family is important and he doesn't want there to be bad feelings. I feel so alone in this because everyone thinks I'm wrong and no one is

listening to what I'm actually saying about how Ryan's behavior makes me feel. Terry is barely talking to me except to tell me I need to apologize and his family is treating me like I'm some kind of monster for not wanting Ryan around when I'm by myself with a baby. I know I'm not wrong about this and my instincts are telling me something is off about Ryan, but I don't know how to make anyone believe me when they're all convinced that I'm just being paranoid and mean for no reason. Update 2 Something really bad happened yesterday and I don't know what's

to do because everyone already thinks I'm crazy and paranoid about Ryan, but now I have proof that I was right all along and I'm terrified about what's going to happen when I tell Terry. After all the pressure from Terry and his family, I finally agreed to let Ryan come over again because Terry said if I didn't make peace with his brother he was going to start inviting Ryan over whether I wanted him there or not and I didn't want to keep fighting about it when everyone was against me. Terry said Ryan promised to be more careful about how he acts around me and that I should give him another chance to prove he's trying to be a good brother-in-law. So yesterday morning Terry left for work at six like always and around 8.30 Ryan texted asking if he could come over to apologize in person for making

me uncomfortable and to show me that he can be normal and respectful. I really didn't want him to come but I knew Terry would be angry if I said no again so I told Ryan he could visit for one hour and that was it. Ryan showed up at nine with coffee and muffins like he always does and at first he was acting more normal than usual and keeping his distance and just making small talk about the weather and asking how Maria was sleeping. I thought maybe everyone was right and that Ryan had just been awkward before, but now he understood boundaries and things would be better. Maria was having her morning nap in her crib and I was sitting on the couch folding laundry

while Ryan sat in the armchair across for me talking about his job and how he's thinking about looking for something new because insurance is boring. Ryan seemed calmer than usual and he wasn't making weird comments about me or Terry or our marriage and I started to relax a little bit thinking maybe I had been wrong about his intentions. But then Maria woke up and started crying and I went to get her from the nursery and when I came back into the living room with her Ryan's whole attitude changed and he got that same look in his eyes that always made me uncomfortable. Ryan started talking about how beautiful Maria is and how lucky Terry is to have such a perfect

family and how he wishes he could have what we have and I could feel my anxiety coming back. I was standing by the window trying to get Maria to stop fussing and Ryan got up from his chair and came over to us and said he wanted to help calm her down. I told him I had it handled but Ryan moved closer and reached out to touch Maria's cheek and his hand brushed against mine and he didn't pull away like he should have and instead he just stood there way too close to me. Then Ryan started saying how good I smell and how Terry doesn't appreciate how lucky he is and how I deserve someone who notices all the little things I do and pays attention to me the way I should be appreciated.

I told Ryan to back up and give me some space, but he just kept talking and saying how he's always thought I was amazing and how he wishes things were different. I tried to move away from Ryan, but he grabbed my arm gently and said he needed to tell me something important and that he's been wanting to say it for months but never had the courage. Ryan said he knows it's wrong but he can't help the way he feels about me and that every time he sees me with Maria he wishes he was the one coming home to us every night instead of Terry. I told Ryan he needed to leave right now and that what he was saying was completely inappropriate but Ryan said he knows I feel something too because of the way I look at him sometimes and that he can tell I'm not happy in my marriage because Terry doesn't pay enough attention to me. I was holding Maria tighter and trying to get to the front door, but Ryan blocked my way and said he just needed me to listen to what he was saying. Ryan kept going on about how he's loved me since the day Terry first brought me home and how he's always wondered what would have happened if he had met me first and how he thinks about me all the time when he's at work or lying in bed at night. I was getting really scared because Ryan was getting more emotional and worked up and I realized I needed to get my phone and record what was happening in case no one believed me again.

I managed to get my phone out of my pocket without Ryan noticing and I started recording while he kept talking about his feelings for me and how he knows we could be happy together if I just gave him a chance. Ryan said Terry takes me for granted and that he would worship me the way I deserve and that he could be a better father to Maria than Terry is. Then Ryan said the worst thing which was that he's been coming over when Terry is at work because he wanted to spend time with me alone and see if I felt the same way about him and that all those times he brought me coffee and flowers and helped around the house. house he was trying to show me how much he cares about me. Ryan said he thought I was starting to warm up to him and that maybe I was beginning to see him as more than just Terry's brother. I told Ryan again that he needed to leave and that I was going to call police or Terry but Ryan said he wasn't finished talking and that he needed me to understand how he feels before he loses his courage. I was terrified because I was trapped against the wall with Maria in my

arms. Then Ryan said he's been dreaming about kissing me for years and that he can't stop thinking about what it would feel like and before I could react he put his hands on my face and tried to kiss me on the mouth. I pushed Ryan away with my free hand and told him I was calling the police if he didn't leave right now and finally he backed off and realized what he had just done. Ryan started apologizing and saying he didn't mean to scare me and that he just got carried away because his feelings are so strong and that he would never hurt me or Maria. Ryan kept saying over and over that he's sorry and that he knows it was wrong but that he couldn't help himself and that he's been holding these feelings in for so long that he just snapped. Ryan begged me not to tell Terry because it would destroy their relationship and that he promises it will never happen again and that he'll stay away if that's what I want.

I told Ryan to get out of my house and never come back and that I was going to tell Terry everything and Ryan started crying in saying I was going to ruin his life and that Terry would never forgive him and that the whole family would hate him. Ryan said he knows he messed up but that he loves me and he thought maybe I felt something too and that he's sorry for misreading the situation. After Ryan left I locked all the doors and checked that all the windows were secure and then I sat on the floor in Maria's nursery and cried while holding her because I was so shaken up and scared. I keep replaying what happened and thinking about how much worse it could have been if I hadn't been holding Maria or if Ryan had been more aggressive about trying to kiss me. The recording on my phone is clear and you can hear everything Ryan said about loving me and wanting to be with me and trying to kiss me and I know this is proof that I wasn't being paranoid or making things up like everyone said I was. But I'm terrified to show it to Terry because I don't know if he'll believe me even with evidence or if he'll find a way to blame me for leading Ryan on or not stopping it sooner. I haven't told Terry what happened yet because he's been working late this week and when he gets home he's tired and just wants to eat dinner and watch TV and I don't know how to bring up something

this serious. I am a bit of worried that Terry will think I encouraged Ryan somehow or that I should have seen this coming and prevented it from happening. I also don't know what this is going to do to Terry's relationship with his family because if I tell him what Ryan did then Terry will have to choose between believing me and supporting his brother and I'm scared about what will happen if Terry's family thinks I'm lying or making it up for attention even with the recording. Final update, I finally told Terry everything and showed him the recording and I'm so relieved that he finally believes me and sees Ryan for who he really is instead of making excuses for his behavior like he's been doing for months. I waited until Saturday morning when Terry

didn't have to work and Maria was napping so we could talk without interruptions and I sat him down at the kitchen table and told him I had something very serious to show him. Terry could tell for my face that something was really wrong and he asked if someone had died or if Maria was sick and I told him no but that what I needed to tell him was going to change everything between us and his family. I started by reminding Terry about how I'd been telling him for weeks that Ryan's behavior was inappropriate and made me uncomfortable and how Terry and his whole family kept telling me I was being paranoid and unreasonable. Terry tried to interrupt me and say we didn't need to rehash all that again but I told him he needed to listen to everything I had to say before

he responded. Then I told Terry that Ryan had come over on Thursday and that something happened that proved I was right about Ryan having inappropriate feelings for me and Terry's face got really serious and he asked what Ryan had done. I pulled out my phone and told Terry I had recorded what happened and that he needed to hear it for himself because I knew he wouldn't believe me if I just told him what Ryan said. I played the recording from the beginning where Ryan is talking about how he's always loved me and wishes he met me first and how he thinks about me all the time and Terry's face went completely white and his hand started shaking. When the recording got to the part where Ryan said he's been coming over to spend time with

me alone and see if I felt the same way Terry stood up from the table and started pacing around the kitchen and I could see he was getting really angry. The worst part was when Ryan's voice on the recording said he's been dreaming about kissing me and then you can hear me telling him to get off me and him saying, please just once and Terry the wall so hard that he put a hole in the drywall and started yelling about how he was going to kill his brother for touching me. Terry was furious and kept saying he couldn't believe Ryan would do something like this and that he felt sick thinking about all the times he defended Ryan and told me I was overreacting when Ryan was actually planning to assault me in our house.

Terry said he was sorry for not listening to me and that he should have trusted my instincts instead of dismissing my concerns and making me feel crazy. Then Terry called Ryan right there in front of me, and when Ryan answered Terry started screaming at him about what he did to me and calling him a disgusting pervert and saying he never wanted to see him again. I could hear Ryan trying to interrupt and make excuses, but Terry just kept yelling that Ryan was dead to him and that if he ever came near me or Maria again, Terry would make sure he regretted it.

Terry told Ryan that he had heard the recording of everything Ryan said and did and that there was no way to deny it or explain it away, and that Ryan was sick for trying to assault his brother's wife while she was holding their baby. Ryan was confused about the recording, and then Terry said that Ryan had destroyed their relationship forever, and that he never wanted Ryan to contact any of us again, and then he hung up and threw his phone across the room.

After Terry calmed down a little bit, he hugged me and apologized over and over for believing me and for making me deal with Ryan's harassment by myself for so long. Terry said he felt terrible that I had been scared and uncomfortable in our own home while he was at work and that he should have protected me instead of defending Ryan and making me feel like I was the problem. Terry asked me if Ryan had ever touched me before or said inappropriate things when I didn't have proof and I told him about all the times Ryan stood too close to me or made comments about how lucky Terry was and how Ryan always found excuses to touch my hand or stand behind me in the kitchen. Terry got angry all over again and said he couldn't believe he had been so blind to what was happening. Then Terry's phone started ringing and it was his mom Susan calling and Terry answered and immediately started telling her what Ryan had done and that they were never going to see or speak to

Ryan again. I could hear Susan getting upset and trying to defend Ryan and saying there must be some misunderstanding but Terry told her he had proof and that Ryan had admitted everything on recording. Susan started crying and asking Terry not to cut Ryan out of the family and saying that Ryan must be sick or having a breakdown and that they should try to get him help instead of abandoning him. Terry told Susan that Ryan made his choice when he decided to assault me and that he doesn't care what happens to Ryan anymore because protecting me and Maria is more important than Ryan's feelings or problems. Terry told Susan that if she or anyone else in the family tries to defend Ryan or contact us about giving him another chance then they will

would be cut off too because he's not going to let anyone make me feel unsafe or uncomfortable ever again. Susan kept trying to argue, but Terry hung up on her and turned his phone off so she couldn't call back. Over the weekend Terry's dad and sister Emily both tried calling and texting but Terry ignored all of them and told me he doesn't want to hear anything they have to say unless it's to apologize to me for not believing me and supporting Ryan instead of protecting me from his inappropriate behavior. Terry said he's embarrassed that his family treated me so badly and made me feel like I was wrong for trusting my instincts about Ryan and that he's going to make sure they all know exactly what Ryan did so they can't pretend

it wasn't that serious or that I was overreacting. Yesterday Terry changed all the locks on our house and installed a security camera by the front door in case Ryan tries to come over when Terry isn't home and he also talked to our neighbor and asked her to call the police if she sees Ryan anywhere near our house. Terry said he's not taking any chances with mine and Maria's safety and Ryan lost the right to be part of our family when he tried to assault me. I'm so relieved that Terry finally knows the truth and believes me and is putting me and Maria first instead of trying to keep the peace with his family like he was doing before. Terry keeps apologizing for not listening to me sooner and for letting Ryan make me feel

unsafe, but I told him what matters is that he believes me now and is protecting us from Ryan. We haven't heard from Ryan since Terry confronted him but Terry said if Ryan tries to contact me or show up at the house he's going to call the police immediately and file for a restraining order. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders now that Terry knows what really happened and I don't have to pretend that Ryan's behavior was normal or that I was being paranoid about his intentions. I'm still processing everything that happened and I'm probably going to talk to someone about it other than Reddit.