1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,760 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Sam, this is John. We're the ancient 2 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:06,040 Speaker 1: two case Storytime podcast hosts, and we have some ancient 3 00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:08,160 Speaker 1: wisdom in the stories coming up. If you want to 4 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:11,080 Speaker 1: hear the wisdom from two old heads that know more 5 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:12,639 Speaker 1: than they know what to do with, you're gonna have 6 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:15,239 Speaker 1: to wait for a quick message from our sponsors for 7 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:16,520 Speaker 1: the next two minutes or so. 8 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:20,480 Speaker 2: My wife says I'm controlling, but I think she could 9 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:21,079 Speaker 2: be cheating. 10 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:22,640 Speaker 3: Controlling or cheating. 11 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:25,479 Speaker 2: Me forty two male, and my wife forty six female, 12 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:30,120 Speaker 2: have been married fourteen years whoop, with three kids together. 13 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:33,479 Speaker 2: We've been going through some marital struggles, typical stuff like 14 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:37,240 Speaker 2: resentment build up on her side and complacency online. About 15 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 2: a year ago, she started learning golf, which I fully supported, 16 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 2: and took lessons with another guy forty five male. She 17 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:46,519 Speaker 2: met at her club. He's married with kids, and I 18 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:48,520 Speaker 2: thought it was weird that he'd want to play golf 19 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 2: with my wife. She insisted they were just friends. I 20 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 2: don't buy it. By the way, this comes from an 21 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 2: on a moose ha oh nine eight seven six y 22 00:00:57,280 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 2: five four three two And if you want to submit 23 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 2: your ows, go to the r slash Okay story Time 24 00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 2: separate it, so I tried giving him the benefit of 25 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 2: the tout, but after hanging out with him a few times, 26 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 2: he gave me the creeps, always flirting with women at 27 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 2: the club, wearing strong colone, making weird comments about women. Usually, 28 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 2: my wife and I are really good about making friends 29 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 2: as a couple, and we're on the same page about 30 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 2: who we like. I told her I didn't think their 31 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:27,039 Speaker 2: friendship was appropriate and that spending four hours alone together 32 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,160 Speaker 2: across a boundary in our marriage. We argued, but she 33 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 2: ultimately agreed not to spend time with him alone. About 34 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:36,400 Speaker 2: sixty days ago, I was on a business trip internationally 35 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 2: when I found out she played golf with him and 36 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 2: had lunch alone. Afterward. She lied and told me she 37 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 2: was playing with the girls golf league. I was extremely 38 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 2: upset and felt betrayed. When confronted, she said I was 39 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:52,120 Speaker 2: being oh, really jealous and they're just friends. When I 40 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 2: got home, we had a huge fight and she told 41 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 2: me she wanted a divorce. Said I was controlling, complacent, suffocating, jealous, 42 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 2: not present, not a good father. I went into a 43 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 2: tail spin and reassessed my life. I pushed for therapy 44 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 2: individual and couples, and identified that I was still suffering 45 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 2: from depression after my father's passing a year and a 46 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 2: half ago. This caused my anxious attachment style to be exaggerated. 47 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:17,359 Speaker 2: If I'm guilty of anything, it's loving her too much 48 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:20,959 Speaker 2: and having trouble setting boundaries. We identified that she had 49 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 2: avoidant attachment, which explained her feeling suffocated. Counseling was going great. 50 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 2: I worked on giving her space space, lost ten pounds, 51 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:32,799 Speaker 2: gained muscle, started going to the gym, spent more time 52 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 2: with the kid's mourn my father properly, and we were 53 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 2: getting along, going on dates, took a family vacation, had 54 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 2: regular spicy sleep. Everything seemed good. This past weekend, she 55 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 2: mentioned meeting new girls for dinner, then wanting to meet 56 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:49,959 Speaker 2: up later with another friend group for a girl's party 57 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:52,519 Speaker 2: since it was girls only. I was super supportive and 58 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 2: even helped pick out her outfit. At ten pm, I 59 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:57,799 Speaker 2: sent a friendly text saying I'd be going to bed 60 00:02:57,880 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 2: soon and offered to pick her up. She said not 61 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:02,800 Speaker 2: to worry, she'd take an uber and gn through the 62 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:05,760 Speaker 2: back door. I fell asleep. The next thing I know, 63 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:09,959 Speaker 2: the doorbell's a ringing, completely waste, like a scene from 64 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 2: a movie where frat guys drop off a wasted sorority girl. 65 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:15,839 Speaker 2: I looked at the street and saw a guy there, 66 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 2: definitely not an uber driver. She could barely walk, so 67 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 2: I helped her to bed. She got undressed and passed out. 68 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 2: When I got in bed, it hit me like a truck. 69 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 2: She smelled like his cologne. I almost puked. She'd obviously 70 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 2: been with him. I was furious and went to sleep 71 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 2: in our kids room. Anxiety got the best of me, 72 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 2: and I checked the phone records. Of course, she'd called 73 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 2: the guy right around ten pm after her first friend group. 74 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 2: I sent her a long text before leaving for the gym, 75 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:52,880 Speaker 2: telling her I was embarrassed and betrayed. She never responded 76 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:55,120 Speaker 2: and left to play golf with girlfriends. I spent the 77 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 2: day with the kids, and on the way to the movies, 78 00:03:57,280 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 2: my son asked why mom was so wasted in the 79 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 2: middle of the night. How old are these kids? Three 80 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:03,040 Speaker 2: year old? 81 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 3: That was so wasted? I was Mommy at the door drunk? 82 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 3: She drunk? Why was she kissing that man who wasn't 83 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 3: an uber driver? The kids was like watching out his 84 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 3: blind Did you see. 85 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:17,280 Speaker 2: That man that she mommy plays golf with? On the weekends, 86 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 2: they were making out. 87 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 3: They were making out. 88 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:26,120 Speaker 2: She just when we got home, I was triggered by 89 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:29,720 Speaker 2: his comment and made a mistake. I asked the kids 90 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 2: to help me pour out all the booze in the house. 91 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:34,839 Speaker 2: She drinks regularly and sometimes it's trouble controlling it. Uh oh, 92 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:38,120 Speaker 2: though she denies having a problem. Finally got home late 93 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 2: and was crying. I asked if she wanted to talk, 94 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:43,360 Speaker 2: but she said she wasn't ready. I texted her about 95 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:46,599 Speaker 2: pouring out the booze, which triggered her. She started yelling 96 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 2: that I've got drawling. I confronted her about hanging out 97 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:53,039 Speaker 2: with the guy despite her boundary discussion in counseling. She 98 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:57,080 Speaker 2: said he happened to be there. Whoa She's supposed to do? 99 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:00,560 Speaker 2: I asked why she called him? Then she had no 100 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:03,520 Speaker 2: good answer. She stormed off to a neighbors, came back 101 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:06,240 Speaker 2: and went to bed. She hasn't really talked to me 102 00:05:06,279 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 2: since about a week ago, yikes, and still hasn't addressed 103 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:13,279 Speaker 2: her behavior. She's telling people I'm the a hole for 104 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:14,480 Speaker 2: involving the kids. 105 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:15,160 Speaker 3: How did nope? 106 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:18,280 Speaker 2: He involved the kids? I apologized over text the next 107 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 2: day for acting impulsively, but she never responded. Is this 108 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 2: marriage of fourteen years worth saving? I love her and 109 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:27,920 Speaker 2: my family dearly, but am I being a chump? I 110 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 2: want to keep fighting for my family unit, but can't 111 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:33,480 Speaker 2: continue being run over when she crosses my boundaries And 112 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 2: there is an update? 113 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:36,279 Speaker 3: Folks, she's cheating? 114 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:38,320 Speaker 2: What do you think? I think she's cheating on you. I 115 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:40,240 Speaker 2: think she's cheating on you. I also think that she's 116 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:44,640 Speaker 2: going through a very like a big crisis concerning her 117 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 2: like drinking habits, which is another thing that DA absolutely 118 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 2: needs to be addressed. And I think because she's the 119 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:53,920 Speaker 2: parent of your children, like you can have a conversation 120 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:56,480 Speaker 2: about that and say that you're worried and you know 121 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:57,839 Speaker 2: you need to see some change. 122 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, especially when that's what she did to him 123 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:03,400 Speaker 3: at the beginning. It was like, hey, dude, you need 124 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 3: to clean up your act, and he did. 125 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:06,919 Speaker 2: And then you went to therapy. So I think you 126 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 2: can do a little uno reverse here. But I also 127 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:13,479 Speaker 2: think I don't know if this marriage, you know, I 128 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:16,159 Speaker 2: think you guys went to therapy and it didn't get better. 129 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 2: Like normally, our advice would be if it's you know, 130 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:21,160 Speaker 2: not doing well, if you guys have had a long marriage. 131 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:22,640 Speaker 2: Go to therapy. See how that goes. 132 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:24,560 Speaker 3: Like you aren't into therapy? 133 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:27,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, and it's not. It hasn't got better. She's still 134 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:30,480 Speaker 2: maybe cheating on you with the same guy. After our 135 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:32,680 Speaker 2: big fight, we had a week cool down period. I 136 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:34,680 Speaker 2: left for a business trip. Then she left for the 137 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:36,800 Speaker 2: weekend with our son for a planned trip to a 138 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 2: girlfriend's birthday party. We only talked about logistics over text 139 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 2: while she was away. I had friends over for a 140 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:46,360 Speaker 2: pool party and played golf. Fine not to be alone. 141 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 2: I also reached out to my network for advice. She 142 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 2: called and told me she loved me. I said I 143 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:55,359 Speaker 2: loved her too. The next day she facetiming, clearly intoxicated, 144 00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:59,880 Speaker 2: acting like everything was normal. She got home Monday afternoon. 145 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:03,719 Speaker 2: The house was spotless inside, but she found pool toys 146 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:06,280 Speaker 2: not put away, and the girl cover off for her. 147 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:10,800 Speaker 2: Everything was a mess. That's my parents. Our dog had 148 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:13,760 Speaker 2: a weird neck infection I hadn't noticed, which was also 149 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:16,840 Speaker 2: my faults. She finally asked if I wanted to talk, 150 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 2: so we agreed to dinner at a restaurant. Keep in mind, 151 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 2: we hadn't talked about our huge fight for almost ten 152 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 2: days and she hadn't addressed the guy situation. The first 153 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:28,600 Speaker 2: thing she said was staff talking to my friends about 154 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:31,640 Speaker 2: our dirty laundry. It's embarrassing. It's between you, me and 155 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 2: the therapist. Then she admitted she screwed up meeting the 156 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:38,440 Speaker 2: guy and had an inappropriate emotional affair with them. But 157 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:42,200 Speaker 2: also she said that despite being hopeful coming back from 158 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:45,200 Speaker 2: her trip, when she saw the mess and the dog, 159 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:48,440 Speaker 2: she knew I'd never change and she wants to separate. 160 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 2: I had very little to say as I was processing everything. 161 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 2: We had a pre planned couple's therapy session two days later. 162 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:57,640 Speaker 2: The therapist asked what we wanted out of the meeting. 163 00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 2: We both said a path forward. I finally got to 164 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 2: express my emotion, saying I was angry about being gas 165 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 2: lit for so long, accused of being jealous and controlling 166 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:12,640 Speaker 2: when I wasn't wrong. I was angry. We wasted time 167 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:16,360 Speaker 2: in counseling predicated on a lie. I told her I 168 00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:18,119 Speaker 2: was willing to go to heck and back with her, 169 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:20,960 Speaker 2: that this was heck, but I still wanted to try 170 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:24,880 Speaker 2: for our kid's sake. Unfortunately, she didn't want to try. 171 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:28,720 Speaker 2: I've concluded she's toxic. And I have to separate. Yeah, 172 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 2: I want to punish her, but no, that won't help, 173 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:34,320 Speaker 2: and we'll only hurt our kids. I also found text 174 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 2: messages from some random guy she met the night before 175 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 2: our counseling session. He asked for coffee and she said 176 00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 2: she'd cut it right now, but to hit her up 177 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:43,880 Speaker 2: when he gets back from a trip. I wish her 178 00:08:43,920 --> 00:08:45,959 Speaker 2: peace and hope she finds it, but I can't let 179 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:49,760 Speaker 2: myself and our kids be subjected to her internal struggles anymore. 180 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 2: And folks, there's a second update. Boy, oh boy, how 181 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 2: big a golfing again? Yeah, and went golfing and I wan. 182 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:02,880 Speaker 3: And now they're everything's okay again. 183 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 2: Oh and they're back together and they love their kids. 184 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 3: And no one has a drinking problem. 185 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 2: No one has a drinking problem. 186 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:10,079 Speaker 3: We don't even need to read it. 187 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:12,440 Speaker 2: Guys. That's the end of that story and the end 188 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:12,679 Speaker 2: of the. 189 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:18,160 Speaker 3: St Oh boy kidding, Oh boy? Man? 190 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:20,960 Speaker 2: Uh no, there's there's more. And I fear that it's 191 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 2: only going to get worse. Yeah. 192 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:25,959 Speaker 4: No, I just don't see how it could get better, 193 00:09:26,679 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 4: or or maybe we're we've jumped into the future. They're 194 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:33,360 Speaker 4: divorced now and he's happy. Yeah, he found his golf girl. 195 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:35,679 Speaker 4: He believes women can golf now. 196 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:38,320 Speaker 2: And she's with the golf guy that she's been with 197 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:38,840 Speaker 2: the whole time. 198 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:41,160 Speaker 3: You're at different golf courses though, so there's no bad 199 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 3: golf p one. 200 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:44,600 Speaker 2: Oh that's that. You need that, Yeah, you need that. 201 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 2: Update two. I met with a lawyer this Friday and 202 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:51,760 Speaker 2: immediately engaged him. I was transparent with my wife about 203 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:54,439 Speaker 2: meeting with him. He's really good and approaches everything from 204 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:56,840 Speaker 2: a sympathetic perspective. It's what do you want with a partner. 205 00:09:57,520 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 2: I don't want to fight. I want to be amicable, 206 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 2: and both passed this quickly. On the way there, she 207 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,440 Speaker 2: sent me a long, almost poetic text, pouring her heart 208 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:10,360 Speaker 2: out about everything. She's tired of hard life, parenting, not 209 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:15,920 Speaker 2: feeling connection, loneliness. She loves me, but she's tired and 210 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:18,120 Speaker 2: doesn't think I can love her the way she wants. 211 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:21,800 Speaker 2: It was the first time she felt truly open and honest. 212 00:10:22,480 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 2: It hurt, but I told her my truth that it 213 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:26,920 Speaker 2: hurts me that she's hurting, and I wish I could 214 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:30,000 Speaker 2: go back and fix everything. I acknowledged my role, but 215 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:33,440 Speaker 2: explained we'd had major life events in the past two years, 216 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:36,240 Speaker 2: I wasn't myself and I was working to be the 217 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:39,559 Speaker 2: best version of myself. I held strong and finished by 218 00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:42,320 Speaker 2: saying I hoped she'd find what she was looking for, 219 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 2: and I was sorry I wasn't enough. Later that day, 220 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 2: while working from my home office reviewing an email to 221 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:52,000 Speaker 2: my attorney approaching approving him to file Monday, my wife 222 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:55,560 Speaker 2: stopped by. She said she'd had a long conversation with 223 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:58,160 Speaker 2: her sister, who went through similar struggles and a trial 224 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:02,000 Speaker 2: separation worked for them. She asked, what I thought, Joe, 225 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:04,880 Speaker 2: Now we have this whole switch up. Girl was like, 226 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:06,719 Speaker 2: I don't even want to try and work on this. 227 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:08,520 Speaker 2: And then she comes back and says, I talked to 228 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:11,240 Speaker 2: my sister more like she talked to the guy that 229 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:13,280 Speaker 2: she was cheating with and he said, I don't want 230 00:11:13,280 --> 00:11:15,920 Speaker 2: to be with you. Yeah, and she went, oops, yeah, 231 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:18,360 Speaker 2: I better go back to you know, second best. 232 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:20,560 Speaker 3: He started training a new golfer and. 233 00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:23,960 Speaker 2: He said, you're not You're not in bed anymore. 234 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:26,240 Speaker 3: You don't you don't. 235 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:30,880 Speaker 2: Have any any child prodigy vibes like this young kid 236 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:34,600 Speaker 2: I'm teaching. You're not the show stick with Owen Wilson. 237 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:37,240 Speaker 2: You asked what I thought, I said, I was unsure, 238 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:40,200 Speaker 2: but not immediately against it. I planned to process it 239 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:44,280 Speaker 2: in therapy Saturday. That night, we had friends over for dinner. 240 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:46,640 Speaker 2: It was cortchial and we all sat together with the kids. 241 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:49,480 Speaker 2: After everyone left and the kids were in bed, we 242 00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:52,600 Speaker 2: sat on separate couches in the living room in the dark, 243 00:11:52,640 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 2: with only a salt lamp shining. Why did you specify 244 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:58,200 Speaker 2: that it was a salt lamp. We talked about random 245 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:01,520 Speaker 2: stuff and it felt good like old time. It was hard, 246 00:12:01,559 --> 00:12:04,440 Speaker 2: but I went to my separate room after saying good night. Wait. 247 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:06,760 Speaker 2: I texted that I was sorry I didn't say I 248 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:10,760 Speaker 2: loved her, and she responded she was sorry too, that 249 00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:14,640 Speaker 2: she felt connection but wanted more. Saturday, I was out 250 00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:20,840 Speaker 2: early massage, therapy, appointment errands while she dealt with the kids. 251 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:24,680 Speaker 2: In therapy, I discussed the separation proposal. My therapist said 252 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:29,240 Speaker 2: trial separation often means true separation with no boundaries, and 253 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:32,600 Speaker 2: if I wanted to do it, we'd need agreed upon rules. 254 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:36,080 Speaker 2: I said I'd think about it later. That afternoon, I 255 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:39,120 Speaker 2: got home to an empty house and jumped into the 256 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:41,839 Speaker 2: pool to float and meditate. My wife came home and 257 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:45,360 Speaker 2: her swimsuit from the club pool with kids. She'd been drinking, 258 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:48,640 Speaker 2: and I was upset she drove them home. Yikes. 259 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:51,080 Speaker 3: Okay, so here's like the main root of most of 260 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:53,120 Speaker 3: your problems, drinking. 261 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:56,200 Speaker 2: She's still drinking, and nothing can be fixed if she's 262 00:12:56,240 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 2: still gonna be drinking. And also, I'm sorry the second 263 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:07,040 Speaker 2: my partner drives our kids while under the influence, I'm 264 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:08,360 Speaker 2: taking them away from her forever. 265 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 4: Yeah, that's like, or at least until you get out 266 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:13,200 Speaker 4: of dog, get out of like. 267 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:16,480 Speaker 2: You cannot be around these kids until you get help. Yeah. 268 00:13:16,559 --> 00:13:18,880 Speaker 2: She got in the pool and we talked for She 269 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:21,160 Speaker 2: told me she ran into the guy's wife at the pool, 270 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:24,440 Speaker 2: who correct cornered her, asking if she'd seen my text messages. 271 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:27,880 Speaker 2: My wife said yes, but denied any wrongdoing and made 272 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:30,840 Speaker 2: me look like the jealous, crazy guy. She said she 273 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:34,400 Speaker 2: doesn't want to ruin another family. She asked how therapy went, 274 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:37,880 Speaker 2: which led to discussing separation. I told her I wasn't 275 00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:40,440 Speaker 2: comfortable opening up the marriage. She didn't say much, but 276 00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:43,240 Speaker 2: it was obvious that wasn't what she hoped for. This 277 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:46,920 Speaker 2: is crazy. Don't open up the relationship. Absolutely not. She's 278 00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:49,079 Speaker 2: already got the man that she wants to be right. 279 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:51,960 Speaker 3: She's been in an open relationship you have. 280 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:55,880 Speaker 2: We talked in circles. Then she started bringing up the 281 00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:59,200 Speaker 2: past and saying extremely hurtful things that I'm not a 282 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:03,719 Speaker 2: good father, She's disgusted during spicy sleep and fantasize is 283 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:06,559 Speaker 2: about other men. If she's not going to enjoy spicy sleep, 284 00:14:06,600 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 2: she might as well do it with someone rich. She 285 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:11,800 Speaker 2: said this was her personality, that she's a faith beard, 286 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:14,360 Speaker 2: and I knew that when I married her. I'm sorry 287 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:15,600 Speaker 2: the golf. 288 00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:18,840 Speaker 3: You don't have enough money for her golfing habits. 289 00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:23,320 Speaker 2: She told you that when you when you guys got married, 290 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:26,040 Speaker 2: which is kind of like the biggest, one of the 291 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:32,280 Speaker 2: biggest monogamous celebrations you can have. She said, you should 292 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:34,080 Speaker 2: have known that I was going to go cheat on 293 00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:35,360 Speaker 2: you when we got married. 294 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:37,040 Speaker 3: She put it in her vows. 295 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:40,520 Speaker 2: You should have known. I was shocked, but didn't defend myself. 296 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 2: I thought of my kids and told her she had 297 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:45,920 Speaker 2: three options. One complete reset, let go of the pass 298 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:50,160 Speaker 2: and try again. Two trial separation with strict boundaries, or 299 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:53,600 Speaker 2: three divorce. We finished the conversation there. She stayed in 300 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 2: the pool and continued drinking while I went to a 301 00:14:57,160 --> 00:15:00,480 Speaker 2: friend's to talk. I started crying. When I got back 302 00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:03,120 Speaker 2: that night, she was still in the pool with a girlfriend, 303 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:06,960 Speaker 2: quite intoxicated. I knew then it was over. Her marriage 304 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:10,520 Speaker 2: was ending, her family breaking apart, Her kids would adjust 305 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:13,200 Speaker 2: to a new normal, our friend network would blow up, 306 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:17,360 Speaker 2: and she seemed excited about partying. On Saturday night, I 307 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:19,360 Speaker 2: went to bed and texted her that it was over 308 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 2: and I couldn't be married to her anymore. I stood 309 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:26,040 Speaker 2: up for myself, countered almost everything she said, and told 310 00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:29,120 Speaker 2: her I deserved better. I didn't attack her, but said 311 00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:32,480 Speaker 2: she was shallow for her comments. Sunday, I was out 312 00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:35,360 Speaker 2: most of the morning, driving around making peace with my decision. 313 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:39,120 Speaker 2: I had lunch with a friend who validated everything I'd done. 314 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:42,760 Speaker 2: It felt good. It breaks my heart. She's in such 315 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:45,480 Speaker 2: a dark place, but I can't continue like this. I 316 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:47,480 Speaker 2: took my friends to the car. I took my kids 317 00:15:47,480 --> 00:15:51,720 Speaker 2: to the arcade and dinner, enjoying their joy, purity, and innocence. 318 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:55,880 Speaker 2: I'm a great father and proud of them. They'll get 319 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:58,480 Speaker 2: through this, and so why I probably won't update for 320 00:15:58,520 --> 00:16:02,560 Speaker 2: a while. I appreciate everyone's comments. They've been super helpful. 321 00:16:02,960 --> 00:16:05,920 Speaker 2: I can't believe everything broke down so quickly. But I 322 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:08,800 Speaker 2: have too many reasons to divorce her, and I've given 323 00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:11,960 Speaker 2: her the benefit of the doubt too long. I tried 324 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:15,320 Speaker 2: to reconcile and she wouldn't. But there is a little 325 00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:18,359 Speaker 2: bit left to this story. Do you have any final thoughts? 326 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:21,120 Speaker 3: No, they're gonna get divorced. Yeah. 327 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:24,840 Speaker 2: Yes, this has been on the track for divorce since 328 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:28,560 Speaker 2: the beginning of the story. I mean, she cheated on you. 329 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:31,040 Speaker 2: She was cheating on you the whole time. She doesn't 330 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:34,640 Speaker 2: like you, she's got a drinking problem. It's not much 331 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:36,320 Speaker 2: holding this marriage together. 332 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:39,880 Speaker 3: No. I could see that maybe if they had just 333 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:44,160 Speaker 3: she had just worked on the drinking, that maybe could 334 00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:45,680 Speaker 3: have resolved exactly. 335 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:48,040 Speaker 2: But it feels like they just didn't really focus on 336 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:50,640 Speaker 2: the main problem, or he didn't know how to get her. 337 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:53,160 Speaker 3: To Yeah, and he was also in his own stuff 338 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:55,280 Speaker 3: from his dad and his dad. 339 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:59,760 Speaker 2: I know, based on most people's experiences, she'll regret her decision, 340 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:04,960 Speaker 2: but that's the fragility of life. Decisions can be so consequential. 341 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:07,880 Speaker 2: I hope she finds peace, but that won't be possible 342 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:12,920 Speaker 2: until she addresses her internal struggles. I filed for divorce yesterday. 343 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:16,600 Speaker 2: Thank you all for your strength and support. I'm ready 344 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:18,399 Speaker 2: to not see her for a while, though I know 345 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:21,440 Speaker 2: I'll have to co parent. Not sure how custody will 346 00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:25,160 Speaker 2: play out, but I'll definitely be asking for appropriate safeguards 347 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:28,679 Speaker 2: if needed to protect our kids. I found something concerning 348 00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:30,840 Speaker 2: and I had to ask if the affair got physical. 349 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:35,199 Speaker 2: She said, not like that, and it's probably nothing. What 350 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:36,200 Speaker 2: do you mean, not like that? 351 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:38,560 Speaker 3: I need more in details, please get physical? 352 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:39,400 Speaker 2: Not like that? 353 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:41,720 Speaker 3: What tell me what you found that You had to 354 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:42,200 Speaker 3: ask that? 355 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:46,520 Speaker 2: Truly? Yeah, not like that. I scheduled an stdtails. The 356 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:49,040 Speaker 2: fact I have to think about this stuff is messed up. 357 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:53,119 Speaker 3: My husband changed after we had our baby. Now he 358 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:53,879 Speaker 3: wants out. 359 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:55,800 Speaker 2: Your baby cast a curse on him. 360 00:17:56,080 --> 00:17:59,400 Speaker 3: My husband, thirty seven, and I thirty two, have been 361 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:02,960 Speaker 3: together for six years total. We met in October of 362 00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:07,040 Speaker 3: twenty twelve, dated for four years, got engaged and married 363 00:18:07,119 --> 00:18:10,760 Speaker 3: in August of twenty sixteen. I'll never forget that moment. 364 00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:13,440 Speaker 3: He threw his arms around me and we both cried 365 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:17,440 Speaker 3: tears of happiness. We weren't planning on kids that soon, 366 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:20,160 Speaker 3: but what the heck right? We were in love. Had 367 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:22,840 Speaker 3: bought a house in twenty fourteen, and life happens when 368 00:18:22,880 --> 00:18:26,200 Speaker 3: it happens. By the way, this comes from uugh, Hi 369 00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:28,720 Speaker 3: don't care, and if you want to submit your own stories, 370 00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:31,240 Speaker 3: go to the r slash okay storytime subreddit. A difficult 371 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:35,240 Speaker 3: pregnancy and brutal fourth trimester later, you could say times 372 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:37,760 Speaker 3: have been trying, but I never thought it would be 373 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:41,280 Speaker 3: the end. Our baby girl is now eighteen months old 374 00:18:41,359 --> 00:18:43,480 Speaker 3: and the best thing to ever happen to us. We've 375 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:47,080 Speaker 3: always been fast movers, met, fell in love, moved in together, 376 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:49,639 Speaker 3: got a dog, the whole thing. Things moved quickly, but 377 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:52,600 Speaker 3: it was never bad. So I was pretty floored when 378 00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:54,800 Speaker 3: I came home from work on the last day before 379 00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:58,240 Speaker 3: the holidays to find him telling me he wanted a separation. 380 00:18:58,560 --> 00:19:01,800 Speaker 3: I was devastated. I fell apart on the living room 381 00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:04,679 Speaker 3: floor while he played with our daughter and made her dinner. 382 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:08,400 Speaker 3: I tried to ask questions, tried to understand, but where 383 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:12,480 Speaker 3: most people would be gentle, he was detached. The words 384 00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:15,840 Speaker 3: that cut the deepest. He loved me, he just wasn't 385 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:18,120 Speaker 3: in love with me. I could go out and cheat 386 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:21,440 Speaker 3: on him and he probably wouldn't care. There was absolutely 387 00:19:21,480 --> 00:19:24,080 Speaker 3: no one else this wasn't new for him. He just 388 00:19:24,119 --> 00:19:26,600 Speaker 3: didn't know how to deal with it. He didn't know 389 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:28,960 Speaker 3: if he wanted to even try to fix the marriage, 390 00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:33,600 Speaker 3: because for him, the marriage wasn't happy. Then I asked 391 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:36,480 Speaker 3: what a while meant since we'd only been married for 392 00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:37,639 Speaker 3: two years. 393 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:38,840 Speaker 2: Jeez. 394 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:41,480 Speaker 3: He gave a time frame that lined up perfectly with 395 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:44,000 Speaker 3: the baby. All of it lined up with the pregnancy 396 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:48,560 Speaker 3: and birth. To me, this was the clear catalyst. Yes 397 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:52,359 Speaker 3: we had issues before, but they'd been accelerated by the baby. 398 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:57,200 Speaker 3: According to him, I wore him down. My pregnancy wore 399 00:19:57,320 --> 00:20:01,280 Speaker 3: him down. He became the care taker and I was 400 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:05,080 Speaker 3: the patient. I controlled him after the baby was born 401 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:08,879 Speaker 3: because I had postpartum anxiety and couldn't handle being a 402 00:20:08,920 --> 00:20:11,480 Speaker 3: stay at home mom, so I'd hand the baby off 403 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:14,359 Speaker 3: to him when I needed breaks. Here's the thing. I 404 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:17,760 Speaker 3: looked back through our texts, emails, everything I could find 405 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:21,600 Speaker 3: to gain objective clarity on how I treated him, and 406 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:26,240 Speaker 3: I'll admit I was controlling. I could could I have 407 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:26,760 Speaker 3: been better? 408 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:27,200 Speaker 2: Sure? 409 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:30,640 Speaker 3: But I was also drowning in baby spit up and 410 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:36,960 Speaker 3: front airbag milk, dealing with residual pregnancy ailments, pelvis misalignment 411 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:41,480 Speaker 3: carpal tunnel, blood loss. I was trying to survive. I 412 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:44,200 Speaker 3: didn't think my needs and the baby's needs would break 413 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 3: a marriage that had literally just begun. The last two 414 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:51,520 Speaker 3: months have been a complete rollercoaster. We went to two 415 00:20:51,720 --> 00:20:55,240 Speaker 3: couples counseling sessions, but he decided he wasn't in the 416 00:20:55,320 --> 00:21:00,240 Speaker 3: headspace and continued therapy alone. I later found no, no, 417 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:03,440 Speaker 3: it was because we were seeing a pro marriage counselor 418 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:06,880 Speaker 3: and he didn't want the marriage to work. Wow. We 419 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 3: went from k needing space and saying he didn't want 420 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:13,240 Speaker 3: a divorce to claiming that there's no chance to fix this. 421 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:18,000 Speaker 3: He hasn't moved out. Instead, we flow around as roommates. 422 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:21,760 Speaker 3: He sleeps in the basement and hates it, but not 423 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:25,400 Speaker 3: enough to actively look for a new place. His main 424 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:29,840 Speaker 3: concern is keeping our daughter's schedule exactly the same. He 425 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:32,199 Speaker 3: doesn't want to lose time with her, and neither do I. 426 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:36,320 Speaker 3: But the fact is he will, we both will. She'll 427 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:39,280 Speaker 3: have each parent fifty percent less of the time, and 428 00:21:39,359 --> 00:21:42,520 Speaker 3: nothing breaks my heart more. What I don't understand is 429 00:21:43,040 --> 00:21:45,880 Speaker 3: if he's so miserable and convinced this is the end, 430 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:49,120 Speaker 3: why isn't he high tailing it out of here. He's 431 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:53,600 Speaker 3: dragging his feet saying. Saying you want out and actually 432 00:21:53,640 --> 00:21:56,800 Speaker 3: doing it are two different things. I guess at night 433 00:21:56,920 --> 00:22:00,120 Speaker 3: he just leaves. He doesn't do bedtime with the baby 434 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:03,000 Speaker 3: most nights. When I'd ask where he was going, he'd 435 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:06,960 Speaker 3: get defensive, which raised my suspicions about another woman. He 436 00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:10,760 Speaker 3: works remotely, which unlived us when I was a stay 437 00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:13,399 Speaker 3: at home mom. Too much time in each other's space, 438 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:16,840 Speaker 3: so he doesn't have much contact with outside people. But 439 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:20,200 Speaker 3: suddenly he's hanging out with male coworkers I've never met, 440 00:22:20,640 --> 00:22:25,359 Speaker 3: staying out until midnight. Completely different behavior than he's ever exhibited, 441 00:22:25,480 --> 00:22:28,800 Speaker 3: even pre marriage. When he got frustrated one time, he said, 442 00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:32,440 Speaker 3: I honestly wish there was someone else, because then there'd 443 00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:35,200 Speaker 3: be an explanation. I want him to stay and work 444 00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:38,760 Speaker 3: on our marriage because one we haven't tried, and two 445 00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:41,199 Speaker 3: we owe it to the tiny human we made and 446 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:45,080 Speaker 3: the commitment we made to each other. And three life 447 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:47,919 Speaker 3: is full of seasons. Some are just harder than others. 448 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:50,639 Speaker 3: I want to look back and say we tried and 449 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:53,200 Speaker 3: made it, not that we didn't try and will never 450 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:55,960 Speaker 3: know if it could have been okay, But if he 451 00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:59,160 Speaker 3: doesn't want to work on it. There's no hope. As 452 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:02,359 Speaker 3: he's so eloquently put it, I shouldn't have to be 453 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:05,520 Speaker 3: convinced to stay married to you. The worst part is 454 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:09,320 Speaker 3: that I didn't want this. I didn't choose this. It 455 00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:12,119 Speaker 3: takes two people to get married, but only one to 456 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:15,560 Speaker 3: get divorced. I feel like I failed that I handled 457 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:18,840 Speaker 3: my first pregnancy wrong. Maybe if I'd been easier to 458 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:22,040 Speaker 3: deal with, complained less, hadn't asked him to be my 459 00:23:22,119 --> 00:23:24,199 Speaker 3: support so much, this would all be different if you 460 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:25,920 Speaker 3: hadn't asked him to be your husband. 461 00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:29,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, if you hadn't asked him to help parent your child, girl, No, 462 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:33,480 Speaker 2: he's just not the right person, which sucks. But I mean, 463 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:36,480 Speaker 2: when you have a kid, you've got to be ready 464 00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:40,600 Speaker 2: for anything, and that a lot of times for women, 465 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:43,760 Speaker 2: you know, or for people who are having babies, there's 466 00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:45,960 Speaker 2: going to be a really big change that can lead 467 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:48,120 Speaker 2: to a lot of medical complications, and I think, as 468 00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:49,560 Speaker 2: like a partner, you have to be aware of that 469 00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:51,960 Speaker 2: and ready has to bear the child. You don't have 470 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:55,159 Speaker 2: to do anything. If you're having a kid with someone 471 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:58,160 Speaker 2: and you're not the one who can get pregnant, you 472 00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:00,760 Speaker 2: don't have to do anything with you your bodies, so 473 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:03,840 Speaker 2: like your partner as much as possible. 474 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:07,720 Speaker 3: I look at happy families on social media, friends announcing 475 00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:11,200 Speaker 3: second pregnancy, and I well up with sadness. I went 476 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:14,480 Speaker 3: to Carter's and saw a toddler shirt that said everyone 477 00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:16,800 Speaker 3: loves a big system. It made me think, how that's 478 00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:19,440 Speaker 3: not in our cards anymore. We were planning a life 479 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:23,160 Speaker 3: actively looking at houses two months ago, and now I'm here. 480 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:26,320 Speaker 3: He doesn't wear his ring, so I took mine off too. 481 00:24:26,560 --> 00:24:28,640 Speaker 3: I didn't want to, but I didn't want to look 482 00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:31,399 Speaker 3: like a fool. Our marriage ended before we even truly 483 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:34,639 Speaker 3: began as a married couple, after seven years and the 484 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:37,280 Speaker 3: life we started to build. It really sucks to feel 485 00:24:37,280 --> 00:24:40,240 Speaker 3: like the person you chose forever with doesn't choose you back, 486 00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:42,960 Speaker 3: and worst of all, won't even try. 487 00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:44,840 Speaker 2: It does so, and I don't want to like equivolate, 488 00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:51,320 Speaker 2: equivoc what equivocate this to? Like a relationship when you're 489 00:24:51,359 --> 00:24:54,119 Speaker 2: not married. You know, there're our differences and stuff, But 490 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:56,960 Speaker 2: I think it just always sucks when you're in a 491 00:24:57,000 --> 00:24:59,399 Speaker 2: relationship and you've been in it for a while and 492 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:01,879 Speaker 2: then find out that your partner just doesn't have the 493 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:04,520 Speaker 2: same feelings and it really, it really sucks. But that 494 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:06,360 Speaker 2: doesn't mean that you're not going to find someone who 495 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:09,520 Speaker 2: does share your feelings. It just means that this person 496 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:11,320 Speaker 2: isn't one, And. 497 00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:16,040 Speaker 3: I mean better you've found out sooner than later. I 498 00:25:16,119 --> 00:25:19,199 Speaker 3: have an update. About a month after posting this, I 499 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:23,080 Speaker 3: found his old phone tucked in the car's side pocket. 500 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:26,480 Speaker 3: When I brought it inside to charge it. I immediately 501 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:29,760 Speaker 3: connected to our WiFi and I accessed his logged in 502 00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:34,480 Speaker 3: Gmail account. I searched for his best friend, Jess's email. 503 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:36,800 Speaker 3: I knew if anyone knew what was really going on, 504 00:25:37,160 --> 00:25:41,040 Speaker 3: she would. Sure enough, there it was an email titled 505 00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:44,800 Speaker 3: The Letter Sent to Jess, detailing everything. We text a 506 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:49,520 Speaker 3: lot every day, a lot. We hang out consistently. Of 507 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:53,240 Speaker 3: course we've had spicy sleep. Reading that line, my heart 508 00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:56,240 Speaker 3: fell to my stomach. It's the feeling you get when 509 00:25:56,240 --> 00:25:59,040 Speaker 3: you realize your whole life just shattered beneath your feet. 510 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:03,960 Speaker 3: He was giving King Jess context for a letter he'd transcribed, 511 00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:08,639 Speaker 3: apparently from a physical letter this girl had given him. 512 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:12,320 Speaker 3: Reading her words, I couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry. 513 00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:16,080 Speaker 3: It was so wrought with puppy love stroking his ego. 514 00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:19,600 Speaker 3: You've been through so much, how could you possibly find 515 00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:23,960 Speaker 3: me interesting? The girl is twenty five, My husband is 516 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:28,679 Speaker 3: thirty seven and lives in Federal Hill. They apparently have 517 00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:32,680 Speaker 3: sports in common, and she gets him. After finding the email, 518 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:36,800 Speaker 3: I called my lawyer, immediately moved half of our shared 519 00:26:36,840 --> 00:26:39,679 Speaker 3: savings into my account, and met my friend for a 520 00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:43,680 Speaker 3: noon Manhattan. When I mentioned her age, my friend stopped, 521 00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:47,000 Speaker 3: took off his glasses, and rubbed his eyes. She isn't 522 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:50,920 Speaker 3: twenty six, she's twenty five. How did he know? Turns 523 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:54,640 Speaker 3: out my husband had mentioned this girl to him months prior, 524 00:26:55,359 --> 00:26:57,840 Speaker 3: saying he wouldn't mind being with a twenty five year 525 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:00,680 Speaker 3: old if she was an old soul, and that he'd 526 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:05,040 Speaker 3: been propositioned by a twenty five year old that week 527 00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:08,200 Speaker 3: and it was tempting. We went back to the car 528 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:11,480 Speaker 3: and I looked in his phone's trash folder greenshots he'd 529 00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:16,119 Speaker 3: taken of her Instagram. There she was, petite, blonde, smiling 530 00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:19,280 Speaker 3: and carefree. A photo of her at a table with 531 00:27:19,359 --> 00:27:23,040 Speaker 3: wine and dessert. Her Instagram handle was her full name, 532 00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:27,119 Speaker 3: making it easy to google her. LinkedIn revealed she was 533 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:30,720 Speaker 3: his coworker. He would later correct me when I guessed 534 00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:33,639 Speaker 3: her weight at one hundred pounds one oh five. He 535 00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:37,679 Speaker 3: said he had asked her real nice considering my body 536 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:41,760 Speaker 3: insecurities pre and post baby. I stayed away most of 537 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:45,640 Speaker 3: that day, gathering evidence. Coming home before bedtime, I tried 538 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:50,160 Speaker 3: to stay composed as I changed our nineteen month olds diaper. 539 00:27:50,840 --> 00:27:52,920 Speaker 3: I could hear him trimming his beard in the bath. 540 00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:56,240 Speaker 3: He put on a crisp white shirt he just bought. 541 00:27:57,080 --> 00:28:00,280 Speaker 3: It was so obvious this whole time. I just didn't 542 00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:03,600 Speaker 3: want to believe it. The signs were all there, phone 543 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:07,840 Speaker 3: held close, never leaving his sight, new shoes, new clothes, 544 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:11,880 Speaker 3: gym trips with no actual gym visit, late night outings, 545 00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:16,080 Speaker 3: and defensiveness when questioned, randomly bringing up cheating in songs 546 00:28:16,119 --> 00:28:20,520 Speaker 3: and shows, shopping trips but never bringing anything home. Yeah, dude, 547 00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:22,080 Speaker 3: come on, He's like. 548 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:29,600 Speaker 2: Well, just just a question, totally hypothetical. What would you 549 00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:33,919 Speaker 2: do if I it's before he cheats, is playing and 550 00:28:33,920 --> 00:28:40,360 Speaker 2: he's like, what would you do if I. 551 00:28:38,080 --> 00:28:41,240 Speaker 3: Dig your key into the side of much would you 552 00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:45,360 Speaker 3: do that? I bet the whole troll Bridge to the 553 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:47,240 Speaker 3: Witch was a lie to I'm. 554 00:28:49,680 --> 00:28:50,600 Speaker 2: If I cheated on. 555 00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:56,600 Speaker 3: You, gas lighting so much gaslighting, long gaps between text responses, 556 00:28:57,440 --> 00:29:02,080 Speaker 3: racing upstairs to shower car, his back seats reclined just 557 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:04,920 Speaker 3: a little too far. Then there was the work conference 558 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:08,400 Speaker 3: in Florida in early February, where he never picked up 559 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:12,320 Speaker 3: my FaceTime calls, always an excuse in the elevator, call 560 00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:16,880 Speaker 3: you back finishing breakfast work iPhone passed away. Hold on 561 00:29:17,480 --> 00:29:19,680 Speaker 3: what a fool I was. He had her in bed 562 00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:22,680 Speaker 3: with him all five nights while I woke up alone 563 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:26,920 Speaker 3: caring for our daughter and crying, wondering why my husband 564 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:28,440 Speaker 3: suddenly wanted a separation. 565 00:29:28,720 --> 00:29:30,680 Speaker 2: I don't even like I think that these are all 566 00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:33,360 Speaker 2: very obvious signs. However, I do want to be a 567 00:29:33,360 --> 00:29:36,040 Speaker 2: little bit gentle with op because she was literally going 568 00:29:36,080 --> 00:29:41,400 Speaker 2: through like postpartum depression and seat preparation for a baby, 569 00:29:41,480 --> 00:29:43,840 Speaker 2: taking care of her baby alone, like she doesn't really 570 00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:45,600 Speaker 2: have time to think about whether or not her husband 571 00:29:45,640 --> 00:29:46,320 Speaker 2: is cheating. 572 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:48,920 Speaker 3: On her, and that's not typically at the front of 573 00:29:48,960 --> 00:29:52,840 Speaker 3: people's minds when they're in a supposed happy relationship with 574 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:55,760 Speaker 3: a child. I even changed my work schedule to work 575 00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:58,720 Speaker 3: from home Fridays, thinking he needed to get out of 576 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:02,400 Speaker 3: our basement office and be around people. I gave him 577 00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:05,480 Speaker 3: just enough rope to climb away from me without realizing 578 00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:08,480 Speaker 3: it cut to bedtime. He came into the nursery as 579 00:30:08,480 --> 00:30:12,040 Speaker 3: I sat reading to her daughter. Funny Thing, the book 580 00:30:12,120 --> 00:30:15,320 Speaker 3: she chose was about flowers who felt grounded but wanted 581 00:30:15,360 --> 00:30:19,400 Speaker 3: to be butterflies. A fairy granted their wish, but they 582 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:21,920 Speaker 3: realized it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. 583 00:30:22,920 --> 00:30:26,840 Speaker 3: The grass isn't always greener, so they became flowers again, 584 00:30:27,280 --> 00:30:32,000 Speaker 3: appreciating their strength. The irony was palpable. After putting her 585 00:30:32,040 --> 00:30:35,280 Speaker 3: to bed, I traced her button nose, cupped her cherrub cheek, 586 00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:38,680 Speaker 3: like every night, but knowing this night would be different. 587 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:41,920 Speaker 3: She gazed up as I whispered a promise I'll never break, 588 00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:44,920 Speaker 3: that Mama would take care of her no matter what, 589 00:30:45,720 --> 00:30:48,920 Speaker 3: that she would always come first, that I'd raise her 590 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:50,920 Speaker 3: with the heart of a lion, and she would know 591 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:55,960 Speaker 3: her worth. She smiled, completely unaware, and tears rolled down 592 00:30:55,960 --> 00:30:56,960 Speaker 3: my cheeks. 593 00:30:57,080 --> 00:31:04,120 Speaker 2: So sorry, it's just like describing those heartbreaking scenarios. Yeah, 594 00:31:04,160 --> 00:31:05,320 Speaker 2: I'm devastated. 595 00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:09,080 Speaker 3: Downstairs, he was puttering in the kitchen and quickly asked 596 00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:11,880 Speaker 3: if I had plans. When I said no, he cut 597 00:31:11,920 --> 00:31:14,680 Speaker 3: me off, saying he was going out. I asked if 598 00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:17,520 Speaker 3: we could talk first. He sat down, with all the 599 00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:20,200 Speaker 3: emotion of a fifteen year old being held against his 600 00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:26,320 Speaker 3: will at the dinner table, even saying yes, Mom, ew. 601 00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:27,560 Speaker 2: You freak, don't even talk to me. 602 00:31:27,800 --> 00:31:31,000 Speaker 3: I didn't know you already had two children. You could 603 00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:37,479 Speaker 3: have gotten your daughter, the big sister. Sure after all. Unbelievable. 604 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:42,280 Speaker 2: He's a little child. I don't like this man. 605 00:31:42,320 --> 00:31:44,200 Speaker 3: I'm glad you're getting divorced from him. 606 00:31:44,240 --> 00:31:45,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, honestly, he said, for you. 607 00:31:45,840 --> 00:31:48,320 Speaker 3: I looked him directly in the face and told him 608 00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:51,480 Speaker 3: I knew everything. I knew there was someone else, that 609 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:54,680 Speaker 3: she worked with him, where she lived, what her name was, 610 00:31:55,440 --> 00:31:58,840 Speaker 3: that everything had been a lie. He went into ultra 611 00:31:58,880 --> 00:32:02,080 Speaker 3: defensive mode. Okay, is that all you wanted to talk about? 612 00:32:03,080 --> 00:32:05,920 Speaker 3: I said, I wanted him out of the house. He 613 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:08,720 Speaker 3: grabbed some things and walked out, with one glance thrown 614 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:13,560 Speaker 3: my way, a look I couldn't decipher, shame, regret, anger. 615 00:32:14,320 --> 00:32:17,160 Speaker 3: I didn't know, because I didn't know who he was anymore. 616 00:32:17,840 --> 00:32:21,040 Speaker 3: The front door shut behind him. I sat on the 617 00:32:21,040 --> 00:32:23,920 Speaker 3: couch and stared at it, then looked up at the fan, 618 00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:27,920 Speaker 3: studying the blades. The house was quiet, a stillness I'd 619 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:31,880 Speaker 3: never felt before. My resolve cracked, and the emotions I'd 620 00:32:31,920 --> 00:32:34,520 Speaker 3: held in all day started pushing at the corners of 621 00:32:34,520 --> 00:32:38,280 Speaker 3: my eyes. I let out two short breaths to prepare 622 00:32:38,320 --> 00:32:42,600 Speaker 3: for the onslaught, then fell to pieces. But now, unlike before, 623 00:32:42,760 --> 00:32:45,480 Speaker 3: there was no one there to care. I don't think 624 00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:48,920 Speaker 3: I've ever felt so alone. The following months were a 625 00:32:48,960 --> 00:32:52,840 Speaker 3: haze of trickle truth. He wasn't in love with her. 626 00:32:53,880 --> 00:32:57,160 Speaker 3: Okay fine, she said it, but he didn't. Okay fine. 627 00:32:57,360 --> 00:32:58,160 Speaker 3: He set it back. 628 00:32:58,360 --> 00:33:00,680 Speaker 2: Oh okay. So he's like, I'm not in love with her. 629 00:33:00,840 --> 00:33:03,440 Speaker 3: Okay fine, she said it. 630 00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:07,360 Speaker 2: I didn't see it back. Okay fine, we. 631 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:08,320 Speaker 3: Both said it. 632 00:33:08,760 --> 00:33:09,280 Speaker 2: Shoo me. 633 00:33:10,200 --> 00:33:15,320 Speaker 3: He wasn't unfaithful until after asking for separation. Okay fine 634 00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:15,800 Speaker 3: he was. 635 00:33:15,960 --> 00:33:19,160 Speaker 2: Okay fine, I show up with her when we had 636 00:33:19,200 --> 00:33:19,720 Speaker 2: our kid. 637 00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:24,920 Speaker 3: They didn't have unprotected spicy sleep. You guessed it, Okay, fine, 638 00:33:25,080 --> 00:33:29,400 Speaker 3: they did. He wasn't still talking to her. Prove it. No, 639 00:33:29,720 --> 00:33:33,240 Speaker 3: I can't look at his phone. The final punter. She 640 00:33:33,360 --> 00:33:37,040 Speaker 3: hadn't meant our daughter. Okay, yes she had. 641 00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:43,120 Speaker 2: That's diabolical. I hate this girl. She sucks too. I 642 00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:45,880 Speaker 2: mean he sucks the worst. But like twenty you know, 643 00:33:46,120 --> 00:33:48,760 Speaker 2: she's old enough to know better. Twenty five year old 644 00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:52,240 Speaker 2: a year from now for me finds out that are like. 645 00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:56,680 Speaker 2: She meets this guy, knows he's married, meets his baby, 646 00:33:56,840 --> 00:33:59,880 Speaker 2: and is like, yeah, this is mortally fine. Yeah. 647 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:04,200 Speaker 3: I couldn't handle any more lies. We got more, but 648 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:05,560 Speaker 3: this guy needed. 649 00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:07,800 Speaker 2: To be done. I need the relationship to be over with. 650 00:34:08,120 --> 00:34:14,400 Speaker 2: And uh, that's I succeed my time. Me too. That's 651 00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:16,280 Speaker 2: just my complete advice. 652 00:34:16,400 --> 00:34:17,640 Speaker 3: There's nothing else to say. 653 00:34:17,719 --> 00:34:18,239 Speaker 2: Divorce. 654 00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:20,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, what you guys are doing? Uh he's gone this 655 00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:24,400 Speaker 3: weekend for his grandfather's funeral. If I hadn't seen his 656 00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:27,680 Speaker 3: sister's Facebook posts, I'd have guessed it was another lie. 657 00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:32,200 Speaker 3: I'm looking forward to no communication. I'll only message about 658 00:34:32,239 --> 00:34:35,560 Speaker 3: our daughter when he prompts for pictures or updates. I 659 00:34:35,680 --> 00:34:39,080 Speaker 3: have nothing left in me. I stood in his closet 660 00:34:39,120 --> 00:34:42,719 Speaker 3: the other night, slowly looking over shirts still hanging there, 661 00:34:43,320 --> 00:34:46,759 Speaker 3: wondering which ones he wore with her. Why wasn't I enough? Well, 662 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:50,760 Speaker 3: you're beating yourself up though. Why wasn't this the life 663 00:34:50,760 --> 00:34:53,279 Speaker 3: we built over? Why wasn't the life we built over 664 00:34:53,440 --> 00:34:56,080 Speaker 3: seven years enough? How could someone do this to their 665 00:34:56,120 --> 00:34:59,120 Speaker 3: family and break someone without a glance back at the 666 00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:01,960 Speaker 3: destruction they left. I still wake up at five am 667 00:35:02,000 --> 00:35:04,840 Speaker 3: picturing her next to him in that hotel bed. There's 668 00:35:04,840 --> 00:35:08,400 Speaker 3: something incredibly intimate about falling asleep with someone and waking 669 00:35:08,440 --> 00:35:11,720 Speaker 3: up beside them. Did they have room service, showered together? 670 00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:15,360 Speaker 3: All of it reveals a vulnerability, and it cuts to 671 00:35:15,440 --> 00:35:18,240 Speaker 3: the core that he shared that with her. I wonder 672 00:35:18,280 --> 00:35:21,760 Speaker 3: if he likes that she's smaller, younger, without stretch marks 673 00:35:21,760 --> 00:35:25,040 Speaker 3: from carrying a pregnancy for nine months. Oh do they 674 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:28,080 Speaker 3: talk about me? Am I the controlling wife? Is he 675 00:35:28,400 --> 00:35:31,520 Speaker 3: the poor shackled husband? Did they pretend to be a 676 00:35:31,520 --> 00:35:34,799 Speaker 3: little family when he introduced her to my daughter? In 677 00:35:34,840 --> 00:35:37,080 Speaker 3: the end, I know that years from now I'll look 678 00:35:37,120 --> 00:35:39,759 Speaker 3: back and shake my head, wondering how I ever put 679 00:35:39,840 --> 00:35:42,879 Speaker 3: up with his lies and cruelty. But for now I'll 680 00:35:42,920 --> 00:35:45,600 Speaker 3: pick up the pieces, slowly but surely of the life 681 00:35:45,640 --> 00:35:46,560 Speaker 3: I thought I had. 682 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:47,600 Speaker 2: That's so sad. 683 00:35:48,200 --> 00:35:50,040 Speaker 1: Hey, it's Sam. We're gonna get back to these stories. 684 00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:51,960 Speaker 1: But here's three of us of ads from our sponsors 685 00:35:51,960 --> 00:35:52,840 Speaker 1: that keep the show alive. 686 00:35:53,480 --> 00:35:56,759 Speaker 3: My sister in law said awful things about me, so 687 00:35:56,960 --> 00:35:58,800 Speaker 3: I'm removing her from my wedding. 688 00:35:59,000 --> 00:35:59,919 Speaker 5: Bye bye. 689 00:36:00,120 --> 00:36:02,960 Speaker 3: I twenty five female, have been with my now fiance 690 00:36:03,160 --> 00:36:06,080 Speaker 3: at twenty six male for a little over a year. 691 00:36:06,560 --> 00:36:09,360 Speaker 3: He proposed to me back in early March, and ever 692 00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:12,000 Speaker 3: since I have felt that my sister in law twenty 693 00:36:12,080 --> 00:36:16,000 Speaker 3: three female has begun to dislike me. I found out 694 00:36:16,040 --> 00:36:19,600 Speaker 3: that a few days before my fiance proposed, my sister 695 00:36:19,680 --> 00:36:22,440 Speaker 3: in law overheard the conversation he was having with my 696 00:36:22,560 --> 00:36:25,480 Speaker 3: mother in law about my ring and then the proposal, 697 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:29,839 Speaker 3: and completely exploded on him. She told him how it 698 00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:32,560 Speaker 3: was too soon and that she was supposed to be 699 00:36:32,600 --> 00:36:35,200 Speaker 3: the one to get engaged first. My fiance and I 700 00:36:35,280 --> 00:36:38,960 Speaker 3: had many conversations about marriage and we felt getting engaged 701 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:41,960 Speaker 3: after a year was perfect for us. My sister in 702 00:36:42,040 --> 00:36:44,600 Speaker 3: law has been with her boyfriend twenty one male for 703 00:36:44,640 --> 00:36:47,680 Speaker 3: a little over two years. By the way, this comes 704 00:36:47,680 --> 00:36:51,120 Speaker 3: from Diligent Inflation five and if you want to submit 705 00:36:51,160 --> 00:36:53,920 Speaker 3: your own stories, go to the r slash Okay storytime subreddit. 706 00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:59,719 Speaker 3: I'm Carly, I'm Keon, and I'm Dakota and opisas I 707 00:37:00,040 --> 00:37:02,760 Speaker 3: can say anything to her about this because I didn't 708 00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:05,720 Speaker 3: think it was my place and I figured his family 709 00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:09,560 Speaker 3: would have a conversation with her. Apparently there was a conversation, 710 00:37:10,160 --> 00:37:13,839 Speaker 3: but when she texted my fiance later, she basically told 711 00:37:13,920 --> 00:37:16,479 Speaker 3: him that she was happy for him, but was still 712 00:37:16,520 --> 00:37:19,880 Speaker 3: standing firm on how she felt. Fast forward to June. 713 00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:22,479 Speaker 3: I had been wanting to talk to her about why 714 00:37:22,520 --> 00:37:25,480 Speaker 3: there's been a shift in her behavior towards me, but 715 00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:28,640 Speaker 3: didn't know how she shot me down when I asked 716 00:37:28,680 --> 00:37:30,839 Speaker 3: if she wanted to come wedding dress shopping in May. 717 00:37:31,080 --> 00:37:34,040 Speaker 3: She watches all of my stuff on Instagram, but never 718 00:37:34,360 --> 00:37:39,720 Speaker 3: likes anything, and she's never told me congratulations. I decided 719 00:37:39,840 --> 00:37:42,240 Speaker 3: yesterday to reach out to her, and when I did, 720 00:37:42,400 --> 00:37:46,440 Speaker 3: I prefaced that I wasn't trying to attack her or argue. 721 00:37:46,520 --> 00:37:49,640 Speaker 3: I just wanted to have an open conversation about how 722 00:37:49,680 --> 00:37:52,600 Speaker 3: she's feeling. I genuinely wish that I would have just 723 00:37:52,760 --> 00:37:56,920 Speaker 3: left it alone, because she quite literally exploded on me. 724 00:37:57,239 --> 00:37:57,800 Speaker 5: He Bloom. 725 00:37:57,920 --> 00:38:01,319 Speaker 3: She told me that I've been disrespect and dismissive of 726 00:38:01,400 --> 00:38:05,399 Speaker 3: her boyfriend and parents on multiple occasions. She then went 727 00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:08,400 Speaker 3: on to insinuate that I was probably going to divorce 728 00:38:08,520 --> 00:38:12,000 Speaker 3: her brother and break his heart, and that she would 729 00:38:12,040 --> 00:38:14,040 Speaker 3: be the one to pick up all the pieces and 730 00:38:14,120 --> 00:38:16,759 Speaker 3: lift him up in life, and finish it off by 731 00:38:16,800 --> 00:38:19,799 Speaker 3: confirming that she does talk about me behind my back 732 00:38:20,160 --> 00:38:23,600 Speaker 3: because she hasn't seen me in her house to confront me. 733 00:38:23,880 --> 00:38:27,160 Speaker 3: I responded to all of her points, just expressing that 734 00:38:27,280 --> 00:38:30,839 Speaker 3: I've never been disrespectful and her saying those things about 735 00:38:30,880 --> 00:38:34,440 Speaker 3: her brother and I were heartbreaking. I also reiterated that 736 00:38:34,480 --> 00:38:37,399 Speaker 3: we are different ages, so what makes sense for us 737 00:38:37,640 --> 00:38:40,600 Speaker 3: probably won't always make sense for her. She then doubled 738 00:38:40,640 --> 00:38:43,360 Speaker 3: down while beginning to curse at me, and said that 739 00:38:43,440 --> 00:38:45,960 Speaker 3: we have a higher chance of getting divorced since I 740 00:38:46,040 --> 00:38:49,200 Speaker 3: wanted to rush into marriage and the only reason I 741 00:38:49,280 --> 00:38:51,719 Speaker 3: wanted to get engaged was because I heard her and 742 00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:54,719 Speaker 3: her boyfriend argue about it twenty four to seven. This 743 00:38:54,800 --> 00:38:57,400 Speaker 3: isn't matter, boyfriend will proposed to her. 744 00:38:57,880 --> 00:38:59,600 Speaker 5: Yeah, I'll be like listen. 745 00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:02,400 Speaker 3: Youngin saying that, like I will say those saying that 746 00:39:02,440 --> 00:39:04,720 Speaker 3: there's at such different places in life when she's twenty 747 00:39:04,719 --> 00:39:07,080 Speaker 3: three versus twenty five, Like, oh, Pete, you're really not 748 00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:08,120 Speaker 3: that far off. 749 00:39:08,280 --> 00:39:11,120 Speaker 5: But sure, yeah, once you get the twenty three to 750 00:39:11,160 --> 00:39:12,839 Speaker 5: twenty five jump is pretty big. 751 00:39:12,840 --> 00:39:14,840 Speaker 3: But I feel like after twenty five is when you 752 00:39:14,880 --> 00:39:17,759 Speaker 3: really start to hit the like, whoa, I understand thing. 753 00:39:18,280 --> 00:39:21,480 Speaker 5: Yeah, I feel like this this child, well nun child, 754 00:39:21,520 --> 00:39:23,680 Speaker 5: but twenty three year the young in these young in 755 00:39:23,920 --> 00:39:26,239 Speaker 5: it just thinks she knows everything. That's what it is. 756 00:39:26,560 --> 00:39:28,480 Speaker 5: She's like, I know everything. I'm old enough now and 757 00:39:28,600 --> 00:39:32,720 Speaker 5: i know everything. I'm all knowing. Yeah, she's just upset 758 00:39:32,800 --> 00:39:34,440 Speaker 5: that her boyfriend won't proposed to her. 759 00:39:34,600 --> 00:39:36,680 Speaker 3: One and her boyfriend who's twenty one. 760 00:39:37,000 --> 00:39:40,200 Speaker 5: Yeah, two, she's just jealous, so she's just projecting. 761 00:39:40,480 --> 00:39:44,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, i'd be like that sucks hardcore projection. 762 00:39:44,920 --> 00:39:47,360 Speaker 5: Yeah, it sounds like you're just a little jelly. He 763 00:39:47,440 --> 00:39:49,760 Speaker 5: sounds like an issue, not an ish me, honey. 764 00:39:49,840 --> 00:39:51,919 Speaker 3: And this could totally go either way. I feel like too, 765 00:39:51,960 --> 00:39:55,440 Speaker 3: Like I get one hundred percent seeing uh opiece fiance 766 00:39:55,719 --> 00:39:58,360 Speaker 3: brother of the siblings be like, well I'm older, like 767 00:39:58,400 --> 00:39:59,880 Speaker 3: it makes sense for me to be first, and then 768 00:40:00,040 --> 00:40:03,720 Speaker 3: also being like, but I've been with him longer, and like, sure, 769 00:40:03,880 --> 00:40:06,040 Speaker 3: valid complaints from both sides, get over it. 770 00:40:06,080 --> 00:40:09,279 Speaker 5: I've been like, what's stopping you? Right, what's stopping. 771 00:40:08,920 --> 00:40:10,160 Speaker 3: You tell your boyfriend to do it? 772 00:40:10,160 --> 00:40:12,200 Speaker 5: Though you can do it, I'm not gonna stop you, right, 773 00:40:12,640 --> 00:40:14,320 Speaker 5: But now I'm not gonna go to your wedding because 774 00:40:14,320 --> 00:40:15,920 Speaker 5: you said all those really mean. 775 00:40:15,760 --> 00:40:19,680 Speaker 3: Things, untwist your panties. Just to preface, my fiance and 776 00:40:19,719 --> 00:40:22,280 Speaker 3: I got engaged after a year and will be getting 777 00:40:22,280 --> 00:40:25,400 Speaker 3: married after two years. We will also be living together 778 00:40:25,480 --> 00:40:28,640 Speaker 3: starting in December. She was really upset about the age 779 00:40:28,640 --> 00:40:31,920 Speaker 3: thing and even said that I accused her boyfriend of 780 00:40:31,960 --> 00:40:35,480 Speaker 3: bringing another girl home. Conversation was me asking if he 781 00:40:35,520 --> 00:40:39,359 Speaker 3: had a sister, since neither myself nor my fiance knew 782 00:40:39,400 --> 00:40:42,960 Speaker 3: who she was, and once she confirmed that that was 783 00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:46,279 Speaker 3: the end of the conversation. She called me delusional and 784 00:40:46,360 --> 00:40:49,320 Speaker 3: weird and finished off her message by saying, my point 785 00:40:49,480 --> 00:40:52,560 Speaker 3: is I'm only going to the wedding to support my brother. 786 00:40:52,719 --> 00:40:54,920 Speaker 5: Then I'd be like, you're not going to the wedding. 787 00:40:55,040 --> 00:40:58,320 Speaker 3: I immediately blocked her on everything good because I felt 788 00:40:58,320 --> 00:40:59,879 Speaker 3: the entire thing was talk. 789 00:41:00,200 --> 00:41:03,400 Speaker 5: I would well, I would have shown maybe take screenshots. 790 00:41:03,480 --> 00:41:04,320 Speaker 3: Talk with your fiance. 791 00:41:04,400 --> 00:41:07,080 Speaker 5: Talk with your fiance, be like, listen, why is she 792 00:41:07,239 --> 00:41:08,880 Speaker 5: like this in Yeah, do you want to have a 793 00:41:08,920 --> 00:41:09,560 Speaker 5: talk with her? 794 00:41:09,920 --> 00:41:11,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, maybe you should talk to her about this one, buddy, 795 00:41:11,840 --> 00:41:12,680 Speaker 3: she's your sibling. 796 00:41:12,800 --> 00:41:13,040 Speaker 2: Yeah. 797 00:41:13,080 --> 00:41:15,120 Speaker 3: I told my fiance that I don't want her at 798 00:41:15,120 --> 00:41:17,919 Speaker 3: the wedding. Because there's no way she thinks she can 799 00:41:17,960 --> 00:41:21,040 Speaker 3: speak to me like this and still think she's invited. 800 00:41:21,160 --> 00:41:24,600 Speaker 3: I've even been considering trashing the micro wedding idea and 801 00:41:24,800 --> 00:41:28,279 Speaker 3: just eloping. I also sent the entire conversation to my 802 00:41:28,360 --> 00:41:30,840 Speaker 3: mother in law because I didn't want there to be 803 00:41:31,040 --> 00:41:33,920 Speaker 3: any question on if what I was saying was true 804 00:41:34,560 --> 00:41:38,000 Speaker 3: or just me twisting words. Now, because of this, my 805 00:41:38,120 --> 00:41:41,040 Speaker 3: mother in law told them both my fiance and sister 806 00:41:41,080 --> 00:41:43,719 Speaker 3: in law that they have to come over next week 807 00:41:43,840 --> 00:41:47,040 Speaker 3: for a family meeting, so I'll see how that goes. 808 00:41:47,320 --> 00:41:49,719 Speaker 3: Part of me is upset that I even said anything, 809 00:41:49,880 --> 00:41:52,920 Speaker 3: because I genuinely wanted to resolve this whole thing, but 810 00:41:53,160 --> 00:41:55,759 Speaker 3: the other half is happy because now I know what 811 00:41:55,800 --> 00:41:58,400 Speaker 3: I've been feeling this whole time. Wasn't just in my 812 00:41:58,560 --> 00:41:59,840 Speaker 3: head anyways? 813 00:42:00,080 --> 00:42:01,040 Speaker 2: Am I the a hole? 814 00:42:01,239 --> 00:42:02,000 Speaker 3: We have an update? 815 00:42:02,440 --> 00:42:06,080 Speaker 5: No? No, the fact that like you tried to squash 816 00:42:06,120 --> 00:42:07,719 Speaker 5: the beef or like try and figure out hey, like 817 00:42:07,719 --> 00:42:10,120 Speaker 5: what's why are you being like this? And then she 818 00:42:10,239 --> 00:42:12,560 Speaker 5: was like, well, so I have a list and it's 819 00:42:12,600 --> 00:42:13,399 Speaker 5: all because you. 820 00:42:13,360 --> 00:42:16,359 Speaker 3: Suck without having a single conversation, and then being like, well, 821 00:42:16,400 --> 00:42:18,160 Speaker 3: you haven't been around for me to confront you. 822 00:42:18,760 --> 00:42:23,279 Speaker 5: Okay, I've tried to why I reached out right now 823 00:42:23,320 --> 00:42:26,040 Speaker 5: you have apparently a plethora of things that let me 824 00:42:26,120 --> 00:42:26,520 Speaker 5: know that. 825 00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:30,480 Speaker 3: Also showing how much sister in law is not an 826 00:42:30,560 --> 00:42:32,560 Speaker 3: adult and not ready for super adult. 827 00:42:32,400 --> 00:42:34,560 Speaker 5: Yeah, all, I can't handle this. Well I'm hearing is 828 00:42:34,840 --> 00:42:39,520 Speaker 5: waw but that sucks, dude. 829 00:42:39,520 --> 00:42:42,080 Speaker 3: But we have an update. Anyways, they had their family 830 00:42:42,120 --> 00:42:44,879 Speaker 3: meeting at the beginning of July and I was not 831 00:42:45,080 --> 00:42:47,600 Speaker 3: present for this. My fiance filled me in on a 832 00:42:47,640 --> 00:42:50,400 Speaker 3: lot of what was said, and in my opinion, it 833 00:42:50,480 --> 00:42:53,480 Speaker 3: went better than I expected. Okay, it went better in 834 00:42:53,560 --> 00:42:56,200 Speaker 3: the sense that my in laws tried to put my 835 00:42:56,280 --> 00:42:59,560 Speaker 3: sister in law in my shoes. Okay, So there were 836 00:42:59,600 --> 00:43:02,120 Speaker 3: a lot of questions of how would you feel if 837 00:43:02,160 --> 00:43:04,920 Speaker 3: she said that to you? Or how would you feel 838 00:43:04,960 --> 00:43:08,360 Speaker 3: if someone was treating you this way? With these questions, 839 00:43:08,400 --> 00:43:11,640 Speaker 3: she had no real answer, so no real progress there. 840 00:43:11,800 --> 00:43:14,360 Speaker 3: To me, that shows that she knows her behavior is 841 00:43:14,400 --> 00:43:17,200 Speaker 3: bad enough that she wouldn't want to be treated that way, 842 00:43:17,680 --> 00:43:20,840 Speaker 3: but not enough that she understands that she shouldn't treat 843 00:43:20,880 --> 00:43:23,799 Speaker 3: me that way or anyone else. My fiance told me 844 00:43:23,840 --> 00:43:26,239 Speaker 3: that my mother in law told her if she had 845 00:43:26,239 --> 00:43:30,280 Speaker 3: to choose between her fiance slash future and her piece 846 00:43:30,320 --> 00:43:33,920 Speaker 3: of you know what, sister, she would choose her fiance 847 00:43:34,239 --> 00:43:37,000 Speaker 3: every time. They even asked my sister in law, if 848 00:43:37,000 --> 00:43:40,240 Speaker 3: it was reversed and my fiance was treating her that way, 849 00:43:40,719 --> 00:43:44,200 Speaker 3: what would she choose, and she immediately said her boyfriend. 850 00:43:44,280 --> 00:43:47,000 Speaker 3: So again there is an understanding that she would never 851 00:43:47,040 --> 00:43:49,640 Speaker 3: want to be treated that way, but not enough to 852 00:43:49,680 --> 00:43:52,000 Speaker 3: not do it to others. It is so dumb. It's 853 00:43:52,040 --> 00:43:53,240 Speaker 3: like double standard. 854 00:43:53,239 --> 00:43:56,680 Speaker 5: It's a double standard. So it's like tupulus ducalus four right, yes, 855 00:43:57,200 --> 00:43:58,239 Speaker 5: so it's four minus two. 856 00:43:59,239 --> 00:43:59,640 Speaker 6: No, I don't. 857 00:43:59,640 --> 00:44:01,760 Speaker 3: I can't doesn't compute. 858 00:44:01,800 --> 00:44:02,759 Speaker 5: I can't. I can't do that. 859 00:44:04,080 --> 00:44:07,560 Speaker 3: What I was told that my in laws were and 860 00:44:07,640 --> 00:44:11,440 Speaker 3: still are upset about the situation, so they were dressing 861 00:44:11,440 --> 00:44:15,640 Speaker 3: her behavior. But I'm not sure how extensively. I know 862 00:44:15,719 --> 00:44:18,120 Speaker 3: there are probably a lot of other details that I'm 863 00:44:18,120 --> 00:44:21,520 Speaker 3: not aware of, simply because I wasn't there, and my 864 00:44:21,560 --> 00:44:24,360 Speaker 3: fiance tried his best to relay everything back to me. 865 00:44:24,600 --> 00:44:27,560 Speaker 3: At the end of the conversation, my in laws asked 866 00:44:27,600 --> 00:44:29,840 Speaker 3: if I would be willing to sit down with everyone 867 00:44:29,960 --> 00:44:33,759 Speaker 3: and have a conversation on how we can move forward. Initially, 868 00:44:33,920 --> 00:44:37,520 Speaker 3: I was extremely hesitant this was a sign, but eventually 869 00:44:37,600 --> 00:44:40,239 Speaker 3: I decided it could possibly be a good thing and 870 00:44:40,280 --> 00:44:43,440 Speaker 3: we could potentially move forward. Although I was still standing 871 00:44:43,480 --> 00:44:45,960 Speaker 3: firm in not wanting her at the wedding, my sister 872 00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:48,279 Speaker 3: in law wanted to wait until her boyfriend got back, 873 00:44:48,360 --> 00:44:50,360 Speaker 3: so we had to wait for that. Fast forward to 874 00:44:50,520 --> 00:44:53,440 Speaker 3: last Thursday. My fiance told me that my sister in 875 00:44:53,520 --> 00:44:56,040 Speaker 3: law texted him saying they were doing a lunch on 876 00:44:56,200 --> 00:45:00,960 Speaker 3: Sunday yesterday and that everyone was invited. I figured this 877 00:45:01,120 --> 00:45:02,920 Speaker 3: was going to be the meeting that my in laws 878 00:45:02,960 --> 00:45:05,720 Speaker 3: were wanting to have. I told my fiance that although 879 00:45:05,800 --> 00:45:08,680 Speaker 3: I was pretty nervous about the whole thing, I was 880 00:45:08,760 --> 00:45:11,680 Speaker 3: willing to go because I genuinely just wanted the whole 881 00:45:11,719 --> 00:45:14,319 Speaker 3: thing to be done. It has taken a lot out 882 00:45:14,320 --> 00:45:18,320 Speaker 3: of me emotionally and mentally, and so I was ready 883 00:45:18,320 --> 00:45:20,960 Speaker 3: to find a way to move forward. So we get there. 884 00:45:21,239 --> 00:45:24,239 Speaker 3: My fiance and sister in law shared apartment, and I 885 00:45:24,280 --> 00:45:27,040 Speaker 3: will admit that it was awkward. I felt like I 886 00:45:27,120 --> 00:45:29,799 Speaker 3: was going to throw up before we walked in from 887 00:45:29,840 --> 00:45:33,200 Speaker 3: the anxiety, so I was not having a good time. 888 00:45:33,840 --> 00:45:36,520 Speaker 3: I spoke to everyone and hugged my in laws, but 889 00:45:36,640 --> 00:45:39,800 Speaker 3: I didn't speak to my sister in law, mainly because 890 00:45:39,840 --> 00:45:41,840 Speaker 3: I didn't know if she would take it poorly, and 891 00:45:41,920 --> 00:45:45,360 Speaker 3: I also didn't really want to. My sister in law's boyfriend, 892 00:45:45,440 --> 00:45:49,640 Speaker 3: Absolute Angel, cooked lunch, which was really nice, and so 893 00:45:49,800 --> 00:45:52,080 Speaker 3: for a bit things were calm and I was getting 894 00:45:52,160 --> 00:45:55,080 Speaker 3: a little more relaxed, but not one hundred percent good. 895 00:45:55,080 --> 00:45:57,520 Speaker 5: That's how they get you, luring you. They're luring you in, 896 00:45:57,840 --> 00:45:59,279 Speaker 5: so are they going to pounce on you? 897 00:45:59,400 --> 00:46:02,840 Speaker 3: After lunch when the talk slash meetings started, my in 898 00:46:02,920 --> 00:46:06,120 Speaker 3: laws basically mediated the whole thing. A lot of the 899 00:46:06,160 --> 00:46:08,719 Speaker 3: main points were they wanted things to get figured out 900 00:46:08,840 --> 00:46:11,799 Speaker 3: so it wouldn't always be like this. They didn't want 901 00:46:11,800 --> 00:46:13,960 Speaker 3: it to be uncomfortable for anyone. They want to be 902 00:46:14,000 --> 00:46:17,239 Speaker 3: able to get together for holidays and other things, especially 903 00:46:17,320 --> 00:46:20,400 Speaker 3: since kids will be in the picture sooner or later. 904 00:46:20,640 --> 00:46:23,240 Speaker 3: Most of the time, my sister in law wasn't really 905 00:46:23,239 --> 00:46:26,480 Speaker 3: interested in the conversation, but once she was, it just 906 00:46:26,600 --> 00:46:29,640 Speaker 3: kind of went downhill. A lot of her responses were 907 00:46:29,760 --> 00:46:32,640 Speaker 3: I'm not sorry, I said what I said. She started 908 00:46:32,640 --> 00:46:35,000 Speaker 3: it by sending me that long message. She made some 909 00:46:35,080 --> 00:46:37,719 Speaker 3: comments about how she was being nice because she didn't 910 00:46:37,760 --> 00:46:40,919 Speaker 3: start anything when I came in the house, which made 911 00:46:40,960 --> 00:46:43,160 Speaker 3: me feel like I couldn't really speak up, like it 912 00:46:43,200 --> 00:46:45,319 Speaker 3: was a warning that she was being nice, but that 913 00:46:45,400 --> 00:46:48,040 Speaker 3: she could flip at any moment. Anything that my in 914 00:46:48,120 --> 00:46:50,800 Speaker 3: law said was met with pretty much the same response 915 00:46:50,880 --> 00:46:53,440 Speaker 3: of I said what I said. There was a lot 916 00:46:53,520 --> 00:46:55,600 Speaker 3: of I don't want to be her best friend. 917 00:46:55,640 --> 00:46:57,880 Speaker 5: We're not asking. I'm not asking to be my best friend. 918 00:46:57,920 --> 00:47:02,120 Speaker 5: I'm just be similar And why do you not like that? 919 00:47:02,480 --> 00:47:06,239 Speaker 3: Yeah? Be just like a genuinely decent person, even though 920 00:47:06,440 --> 00:47:09,239 Speaker 3: no one even mentioned that or asked her to. And 921 00:47:09,280 --> 00:47:11,439 Speaker 3: she even told my mother in law that she didn't 922 00:47:11,480 --> 00:47:13,520 Speaker 3: want to share her family with anyone. 923 00:47:13,640 --> 00:47:14,400 Speaker 2: What what? 924 00:47:14,600 --> 00:47:16,160 Speaker 5: But did you want to you want to get married 925 00:47:16,160 --> 00:47:16,960 Speaker 5: to your boyfriend? 926 00:47:17,040 --> 00:47:18,440 Speaker 3: What? News flash? 927 00:47:18,800 --> 00:47:24,480 Speaker 5: At your projecting, your projecting, You are lame, not about you. 928 00:47:25,160 --> 00:47:27,720 Speaker 3: My sister in law's boyfriend chimed in at one point 929 00:47:27,760 --> 00:47:30,080 Speaker 3: and brought up how I sent that message right when 930 00:47:30,120 --> 00:47:32,880 Speaker 3: they were going through a bad rough patch, which I 931 00:47:32,960 --> 00:47:36,239 Speaker 3: didn't know because it's not my business. But even with 932 00:47:36,360 --> 00:47:39,439 Speaker 3: that happening, it doesn't excuse her behavior at all. 933 00:47:39,640 --> 00:47:40,280 Speaker 5: Yeah, exactly. 934 00:47:40,360 --> 00:47:42,839 Speaker 3: Also, I bet their rough patch was just that op 935 00:47:43,000 --> 00:47:43,520 Speaker 3: got engaged. 936 00:47:43,520 --> 00:47:44,759 Speaker 6: Why won't you marry me? 937 00:47:45,239 --> 00:47:51,440 Speaker 3: Yeah? Mar to be that. It ultimately came to a 938 00:47:51,480 --> 00:47:54,399 Speaker 3: destructive end when my father in law brought up how 939 00:47:54,440 --> 00:47:56,799 Speaker 3: he would hope that eventually we could be on good 940 00:47:56,960 --> 00:48:00,520 Speaker 3: terms and that things might change. My sister in law said, 941 00:48:00,880 --> 00:48:04,040 Speaker 3: I mean, okay, yeah, eventually things could change. But right now, 942 00:48:04,160 --> 00:48:07,200 Speaker 3: I don't like this effing b I'm sorry. I was 943 00:48:07,239 --> 00:48:09,160 Speaker 3: so ready to be like, oh, like, things will be 944 00:48:09,160 --> 00:48:10,640 Speaker 3: civil enough that you can come to the wedding. 945 00:48:10,800 --> 00:48:13,960 Speaker 5: No, now you doubled down definitely inviting you know who, 946 00:48:13,960 --> 00:48:17,120 Speaker 5: I am inviting your boyfriend. Yes, yes, I'm inviting your 947 00:48:17,120 --> 00:48:18,120 Speaker 5: boyfriend just to me. 948 00:48:18,360 --> 00:48:20,520 Speaker 3: This is it. Took it for one, It is only 949 00:48:20,600 --> 00:48:23,719 Speaker 3: for you, boyfriend, And if sister in law shows up, 950 00:48:23,800 --> 00:48:24,600 Speaker 3: we have security. 951 00:48:24,680 --> 00:48:28,640 Speaker 5: I'm sorry, who crapped in your cereal today? Like, let's 952 00:48:28,680 --> 00:48:32,320 Speaker 5: jump all the way to that well. I mean, it's crazy. 953 00:48:32,520 --> 00:48:33,839 Speaker 5: I think she was just like, I'm tired of this. 954 00:48:34,080 --> 00:48:35,360 Speaker 5: I don't want to be a part of this anymore. 955 00:48:35,360 --> 00:48:37,000 Speaker 5: I'm tired of this. I don't want to deal with 956 00:48:37,000 --> 00:48:39,560 Speaker 5: this conversation. I want to go have my boyfriend propose 957 00:48:39,600 --> 00:48:39,759 Speaker 5: to me. 958 00:48:40,480 --> 00:48:42,120 Speaker 3: Girl. He might not after. 959 00:48:41,840 --> 00:48:43,880 Speaker 5: This, I could you imagine. 960 00:48:43,960 --> 00:48:46,160 Speaker 3: You imagine he stands up and he's like, actually, we 961 00:48:46,200 --> 00:48:48,360 Speaker 3: don't really have to worry about this. I'm out. 962 00:48:48,680 --> 00:48:49,919 Speaker 5: Yeah, Could I come to the wedding? 963 00:48:49,960 --> 00:48:50,120 Speaker 3: Though? 964 00:48:50,200 --> 00:48:51,960 Speaker 5: I would literally bey, Hey, you want to? 965 00:48:52,040 --> 00:48:52,719 Speaker 3: You wanna still come? 966 00:48:52,920 --> 00:48:53,960 Speaker 5: Could I be the ring bear? 967 00:48:54,160 --> 00:48:56,960 Speaker 3: You can officiate. I can't even tell you what everyone 968 00:48:57,040 --> 00:48:59,840 Speaker 3: said after that, because I was in a full blown 969 00:48:59,880 --> 00:49:03,680 Speaker 3: panic mode and had tunnel vision. I do remember my 970 00:49:03,719 --> 00:49:06,600 Speaker 3: mother in law saying wow, insert sister in law's name, 971 00:49:06,760 --> 00:49:09,400 Speaker 3: but that's about it. I left and went into my 972 00:49:09,440 --> 00:49:12,759 Speaker 3: fiance's bedroom because I had just reached my limit, and 973 00:49:12,840 --> 00:49:16,600 Speaker 3: I cried. After that, my fiance and sister in law 974 00:49:16,640 --> 00:49:19,560 Speaker 3: got into a screaming match, and I could hear my 975 00:49:19,640 --> 00:49:22,080 Speaker 3: in laws chiming in. But then my sister in law 976 00:49:22,120 --> 00:49:25,279 Speaker 3: started crying. I found out later this was because she 977 00:49:25,360 --> 00:49:27,200 Speaker 3: felt like everyone was attacking her. 978 00:49:27,440 --> 00:49:28,160 Speaker 5: Oh my gosh. 979 00:49:28,239 --> 00:49:31,000 Speaker 3: My fiance eventually came in to check on me and 980 00:49:31,040 --> 00:49:33,600 Speaker 3: told me that we could leave. He just wanted me 981 00:49:33,640 --> 00:49:35,800 Speaker 3: to take a moment to breathe and catch my breath. 982 00:49:35,840 --> 00:49:37,840 Speaker 3: We talked for a bit, and then my mother in 983 00:49:37,920 --> 00:49:41,320 Speaker 3: law asked to come in. She profusely apologized to me, 984 00:49:41,480 --> 00:49:44,480 Speaker 3: and although it's her daughter. She's still technically a grown 985 00:49:44,520 --> 00:49:48,200 Speaker 3: woman and is responsible for her own actions. I explained 986 00:49:48,239 --> 00:49:50,120 Speaker 3: to her that I don't know that I've done something 987 00:49:50,120 --> 00:49:53,640 Speaker 3: wrong unless it's communicated to me. And the only reason 988 00:49:53,760 --> 00:49:56,080 Speaker 3: I really knew that I had done something was because 989 00:49:56,120 --> 00:49:59,800 Speaker 3: I texted her trying to communicate, and it was taken poorly. 990 00:50:00,000 --> 00:50:01,720 Speaker 5: I want to see how she has arguments with her boyfriend, 991 00:50:01,800 --> 00:50:04,320 Speaker 5: oh terribly. I want to see how they communicate. 992 00:50:04,400 --> 00:50:04,799 Speaker 2: She's the one. 993 00:50:04,880 --> 00:50:08,839 Speaker 3: She just sits there and he's like, what's wrong? Nothing? Nothing? Nothing, 994 00:50:08,880 --> 00:50:09,439 Speaker 3: nothing's wrong? 995 00:50:09,920 --> 00:50:11,080 Speaker 5: Are you sure anything's wrong? 996 00:50:11,480 --> 00:50:12,120 Speaker 2: No, I'm fine. 997 00:50:12,120 --> 00:50:13,040 Speaker 5: I'm gonna go to the other room. 998 00:50:13,360 --> 00:50:14,040 Speaker 2: But I'm fine. 999 00:50:14,280 --> 00:50:15,680 Speaker 3: Just do your own thing. I just don't even talk 1000 00:50:15,719 --> 00:50:15,880 Speaker 3: to me. 1001 00:50:15,920 --> 00:50:18,160 Speaker 5: I'm fine, Okay, I'm gonna go hang out with the boys. 1002 00:50:18,280 --> 00:50:21,279 Speaker 3: Okay, go do that slam it comes back? How dare 1003 00:50:21,440 --> 00:50:24,040 Speaker 3: like screaming? No, that's the thing where like the second 1004 00:50:24,040 --> 00:50:28,200 Speaker 3: he steps out the foot out the doors. I said 1005 00:50:28,200 --> 00:50:31,759 Speaker 3: that I had no ill intent whatsoever with sending the message, 1006 00:50:31,960 --> 00:50:34,960 Speaker 3: although I do understand how some things could have been 1007 00:50:34,960 --> 00:50:38,000 Speaker 3: taken negatively or as a dig on her end, but 1008 00:50:38,160 --> 00:50:39,160 Speaker 3: this is crazy. 1009 00:50:39,360 --> 00:50:42,239 Speaker 5: She's just cementing her case that one not coming to 1010 00:50:42,280 --> 00:50:44,279 Speaker 5: the wedding. You're not coming to the wedding too. I 1011 00:50:44,320 --> 00:50:47,080 Speaker 5: don't like you. Yeah, but you're gonna be seeing me 1012 00:50:47,160 --> 00:50:51,480 Speaker 5: around often, so enjoy that. And if you want to 1013 00:50:51,560 --> 00:50:54,560 Speaker 5: come at me, guess who's on my side? Yeah, everybody, everybody. 1014 00:50:54,680 --> 00:50:56,880 Speaker 3: This is one of those things too where I would 1015 00:50:56,880 --> 00:50:59,040 Speaker 3: also kind of want to reiterate to like mother in law, 1016 00:50:59,040 --> 00:51:02,000 Speaker 3: father in law, like I'll still come for Christmas. She 1017 00:51:02,040 --> 00:51:04,400 Speaker 3: wants to deal with me, like she can decide if 1018 00:51:04,440 --> 00:51:06,160 Speaker 3: she wants to come or not, but like I'll be there. 1019 00:51:06,400 --> 00:51:10,000 Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, Emma says, no, wonder he has proposed, I 1020 00:51:10,000 --> 00:51:11,440 Speaker 5: don't relationship. 1021 00:51:11,560 --> 00:51:14,279 Speaker 3: That man went home and had a deep thought in 1022 00:51:14,320 --> 00:51:15,239 Speaker 3: the shower that night. 1023 00:51:15,440 --> 00:51:18,960 Speaker 5: My favorite thing was sister, what the heck are you doing? 1024 00:51:19,040 --> 00:51:21,080 Speaker 5: And you're like, you are right. 1025 00:51:24,120 --> 00:51:26,319 Speaker 3: Because she knew she was losing. Just like, let me 1026 00:51:26,360 --> 00:51:27,359 Speaker 3: turn the tears up. 1027 00:51:27,400 --> 00:51:31,640 Speaker 5: I'm a victim now because I suck. 1028 00:51:32,160 --> 00:51:32,399 Speaker 2: Yeah. 1029 00:51:32,520 --> 00:51:35,000 Speaker 3: I told both my fiance and mother in law that 1030 00:51:35,120 --> 00:51:37,600 Speaker 3: if I had any idea that this was how things 1031 00:51:37,600 --> 00:51:40,480 Speaker 3: were going to go, I would have never said anything. 1032 00:51:40,600 --> 00:51:43,279 Speaker 3: I told her. I appreciated the thought of trying to 1033 00:51:43,280 --> 00:51:46,280 Speaker 3: help the situation, but at this point there was nothing 1034 00:51:46,320 --> 00:51:49,680 Speaker 3: I could say or do that would make the situation better, 1035 00:51:50,000 --> 00:51:53,960 Speaker 3: and I didn't feel comfortable staying, so we left. It's 1036 00:51:54,000 --> 00:51:56,640 Speaker 3: a hot mess, and it honestly sucks that this is 1037 00:51:56,680 --> 00:51:59,160 Speaker 3: how it played out, but that's where things are at 1038 00:51:59,440 --> 00:52:02,720 Speaker 3: at the moment and probably will stay for quite a while, 1039 00:52:02,920 --> 00:52:05,360 Speaker 3: So it is what it is. It goes without saying 1040 00:52:05,400 --> 00:52:08,359 Speaker 3: that she definitely won't be at the wedding, and now 1041 00:52:08,360 --> 00:52:10,840 Speaker 3: we're trying to decide if we want just our parents 1042 00:52:10,880 --> 00:52:12,880 Speaker 3: there or if we want it to just be the 1043 00:52:12,880 --> 00:52:13,520 Speaker 3: two of us. 1044 00:52:13,760 --> 00:52:14,400 Speaker 1: Hey, it's John here. 1045 00:52:14,400 --> 00:52:15,359 Speaker 2: We're gonna get back to the stories. 1046 00:52:15,400 --> 00:52:17,360 Speaker 1: Put a quick three minute ad break from our sponsors 1047 00:52:17,400 --> 00:52:18,279 Speaker 1: that keep the show going. 1048 00:52:18,760 --> 00:52:21,480 Speaker 6: I had an argument with my mother. Now I'm considering 1049 00:52:21,560 --> 00:52:22,400 Speaker 6: no contact. 1050 00:52:22,480 --> 00:52:24,080 Speaker 2: You're never gonna see me again. 1051 00:52:24,920 --> 00:52:27,799 Speaker 6: I'm forty, so there is a lot of history here. 1052 00:52:28,200 --> 00:52:30,960 Speaker 6: Childhood was fine. My mom worked hard to support me 1053 00:52:31,000 --> 00:52:33,400 Speaker 6: and my sister. We moved around a lot. Settled with 1054 00:52:33,440 --> 00:52:36,319 Speaker 6: my now stepdad when I was ten. By the way, 1055 00:52:36,360 --> 00:52:39,279 Speaker 6: this comes from user l EC two two five, and 1056 00:52:39,320 --> 00:52:41,360 Speaker 6: if you want to submit your own story is go 1057 00:52:41,400 --> 00:52:46,600 Speaker 6: to the oslash. Okay, storytime separated and Opie says there 1058 00:52:46,640 --> 00:52:49,399 Speaker 6: were some hurtful things she told me that stand out, 1059 00:52:49,560 --> 00:52:52,360 Speaker 6: such as she didn't want me, my dad did, and 1060 00:52:52,400 --> 00:52:54,440 Speaker 6: then he left when I was eighteen months old. Ooh, 1061 00:52:55,200 --> 00:52:57,640 Speaker 6: she loves me as I'm her daughter, but as a 1062 00:52:57,640 --> 00:53:01,200 Speaker 6: person doesn't like me. I spent most of my twenties 1063 00:53:01,239 --> 00:53:04,600 Speaker 6: trying to buy her affection. We are very different. She's 1064 00:53:04,680 --> 00:53:08,280 Speaker 6: lived in the same town her whole life, very conservative, financially, 1065 00:53:08,520 --> 00:53:10,879 Speaker 6: worked a nine to five job, retired at fifty three 1066 00:53:11,000 --> 00:53:13,919 Speaker 6: to take care of my sister's little girl. I moved 1067 00:53:13,960 --> 00:53:16,880 Speaker 6: to America, flitted around for years, and came back to 1068 00:53:16,880 --> 00:53:19,880 Speaker 6: settle in England. When I was thirty. I met my husband, 1069 00:53:19,960 --> 00:53:22,840 Speaker 6: set up a business which took off about an hour away. 1070 00:53:23,440 --> 00:53:25,759 Speaker 6: We ended up together and we bought a house in 1071 00:53:25,800 --> 00:53:27,960 Speaker 6: a nice village an hour away from the city I 1072 00:53:28,000 --> 00:53:31,200 Speaker 6: grew up in. Now I'm married with two boys, five 1073 00:53:31,239 --> 00:53:35,360 Speaker 6: and one. This is a huge point of contention. Every 1074 00:53:35,400 --> 00:53:39,000 Speaker 6: conversation is if you lived closer, I could help with this, 1075 00:53:39,120 --> 00:53:41,240 Speaker 6: I could do this or that, and blah blah blah, 1076 00:53:41,600 --> 00:53:44,520 Speaker 6: even though time has shown that space works best for us. 1077 00:53:44,960 --> 00:53:47,760 Speaker 6: The closer we are, the more we argue. We currently 1078 00:53:47,760 --> 00:53:50,080 Speaker 6: FaceTime daily and I drive to see her once a 1079 00:53:50,080 --> 00:53:52,520 Speaker 6: week with the kids. She hates that I don't have 1080 00:53:52,560 --> 00:53:55,200 Speaker 6: a normal job and says I should be working a 1081 00:53:55,320 --> 00:53:57,719 Speaker 6: nine to five and should live closer. We have had 1082 00:53:57,840 --> 00:54:01,040 Speaker 6: several arguments in the past that have left two months 1083 00:54:01,040 --> 00:54:04,600 Speaker 6: of no contact. Dang, and this got significantly better once 1084 00:54:04,640 --> 00:54:07,520 Speaker 6: I had children, as my tolerance grew a lot. 1085 00:54:08,000 --> 00:54:09,920 Speaker 2: She's like, once I realized that my mother was just 1086 00:54:09,960 --> 00:54:12,120 Speaker 2: a baby, everything was. 1087 00:54:12,080 --> 00:54:16,799 Speaker 6: Fine, silly baby, you're annoying relative. Say it once, I 1088 00:54:16,880 --> 00:54:21,920 Speaker 6: say it a thousand times, silly baby, silly baby. I 1089 00:54:21,920 --> 00:54:24,520 Speaker 6: would ignore most of the things that would usually cause 1090 00:54:24,640 --> 00:54:28,360 Speaker 6: arguments after that, but we have had maybe two spells 1091 00:54:28,400 --> 00:54:31,400 Speaker 6: since my first son was born. It is always me 1092 00:54:31,560 --> 00:54:35,040 Speaker 6: that caves and goes back to contacting her. Now I've 1093 00:54:35,040 --> 00:54:37,840 Speaker 6: had my second son. He is eighteen months, and she 1094 00:54:37,960 --> 00:54:41,360 Speaker 6: will not have my kids overnight. I know grandparents are 1095 00:54:41,480 --> 00:54:44,560 Speaker 6: under no obligation to, but it is hurtful that she 1096 00:54:44,719 --> 00:54:45,560 Speaker 6: doesn't want to. 1097 00:54:45,880 --> 00:54:48,520 Speaker 2: What's crazy that she keeps saying, Oh, if you are closer, 1098 00:54:48,560 --> 00:54:51,360 Speaker 2: I can help you so much, and then when you 1099 00:54:51,400 --> 00:54:53,239 Speaker 2: need her help, she's like, no. 1100 00:54:53,680 --> 00:54:55,440 Speaker 6: They cannot stay the evening. 1101 00:54:55,840 --> 00:54:57,120 Speaker 2: Why would you think I would help you. 1102 00:54:57,440 --> 00:55:00,320 Speaker 6: My first son has stayed a handful of time. Times 1103 00:55:00,680 --> 00:55:04,400 Speaker 6: my kids are completely different. My oldest has GDD and 1104 00:55:04,480 --> 00:55:07,399 Speaker 6: will happily sit and watch TV or iPad or sit 1105 00:55:07,480 --> 00:55:09,680 Speaker 6: and do whatever he is obsessive about at the time. 1106 00:55:09,960 --> 00:55:13,600 Speaker 6: My youngest is an outside in the dirt, climbing, looking 1107 00:55:13,600 --> 00:55:17,320 Speaker 6: at flowers, playing with bugs. Kind of boy. This brings 1108 00:55:17,400 --> 00:55:20,480 Speaker 6: us to yesterday. I'm driving up. I break down as 1109 00:55:20,480 --> 00:55:23,520 Speaker 6: I'm coming off the motorway at a busy junction, about 1110 00:55:23,560 --> 00:55:24,240 Speaker 6: eight minutes. 1111 00:55:24,040 --> 00:55:24,640 Speaker 2: From her house. 1112 00:55:24,920 --> 00:55:27,239 Speaker 6: I call my mom and ask her to call my 1113 00:55:27,280 --> 00:55:29,200 Speaker 6: brother in law, who lives on the next street over, 1114 00:55:29,400 --> 00:55:31,799 Speaker 6: to see if he'll pick the kids up. She says no, 1115 00:55:32,120 --> 00:55:34,319 Speaker 6: as it was twelve thirty and he doesn't wake up 1116 00:55:34,400 --> 00:55:39,840 Speaker 6: until one pm. He works nights. My husband calls my stepdad, 1117 00:55:39,840 --> 00:55:41,560 Speaker 6: who said he would let his boss know he had 1118 00:55:41,600 --> 00:55:44,319 Speaker 6: to come tow me off the motorway. Mom calls back 1119 00:55:44,320 --> 00:55:46,839 Speaker 6: to say he can't just leave his job. He would 1120 00:55:46,880 --> 00:55:50,319 Speaker 6: have to put tools away, et cetera, et cetera. At 1121 00:55:50,320 --> 00:55:52,680 Speaker 6: this point, a man had stopped and was helping me. 1122 00:55:53,200 --> 00:55:55,360 Speaker 6: He towed me to a safe street. I got the 1123 00:55:55,440 --> 00:55:57,720 Speaker 6: kids and bags and got an uber to my mom's 1124 00:55:58,239 --> 00:56:01,000 Speaker 6: I was stressed and the kids were restless. My youngest 1125 00:56:01,040 --> 00:56:03,479 Speaker 6: goes straight to the catwater bowl to play with the water. 1126 00:56:04,040 --> 00:56:06,799 Speaker 6: My mom hates this and picks it up. I then 1127 00:56:06,920 --> 00:56:09,200 Speaker 6: take a call from my stepdad and update him that 1128 00:56:09,280 --> 00:56:12,520 Speaker 6: I'm at my mom's, et cetera. Youngest gets into the 1129 00:56:12,560 --> 00:56:13,120 Speaker 6: cat litter. 1130 00:56:13,239 --> 00:56:14,200 Speaker 2: What is going on? 1131 00:56:14,560 --> 00:56:17,800 Speaker 6: My mom yells at me and says I rolled my eyes. 1132 00:56:18,120 --> 00:56:20,239 Speaker 6: I don't think I did, but maybe I could have. 1133 00:56:20,400 --> 00:56:21,080 Speaker 2: He probably did. 1134 00:56:21,600 --> 00:56:24,720 Speaker 6: He then starts to open and close kitchen doors. Nice. 1135 00:56:24,920 --> 00:56:27,440 Speaker 6: He has a bed. It has thumbs, so it definitely 1136 00:56:27,480 --> 00:56:27,960 Speaker 6: isn't a cat. 1137 00:56:28,440 --> 00:56:29,200 Speaker 2: Did you do that? 1138 00:56:29,360 --> 00:56:30,080 Speaker 3: I just like that. 1139 00:56:30,520 --> 00:56:35,120 Speaker 6: Nice open and closing the doors. Classic clod job, classic move. 1140 00:56:35,200 --> 00:56:38,800 Speaker 6: I like that. She has a bag of my eldest toys. 1141 00:56:38,880 --> 00:56:41,920 Speaker 6: He is sitting and watching TV, but he isn't interested 1142 00:56:41,960 --> 00:56:44,920 Speaker 6: in them. My husband then arrives, so we go to 1143 00:56:44,960 --> 00:56:47,400 Speaker 6: try and get the truck moving and see if it's salvageable. 1144 00:56:47,880 --> 00:56:50,479 Speaker 6: We take our youngest, as he's already getting my mom 1145 00:56:50,520 --> 00:56:53,200 Speaker 6: stressed out. While out, I get him a new toy. 1146 00:56:53,280 --> 00:56:55,720 Speaker 6: He might play with that instead of things he shouldn't. 1147 00:56:56,200 --> 00:56:57,799 Speaker 6: When we get back, my mom is sat on the 1148 00:56:57,800 --> 00:57:00,279 Speaker 6: couch with my oldest. He's on his iPad I don't 1149 00:57:00,320 --> 00:57:02,359 Speaker 6: let him have this at her house, as he only 1150 00:57:02,360 --> 00:57:05,160 Speaker 6: sees her once a week it's for car rides. The 1151 00:57:05,239 --> 00:57:07,680 Speaker 6: youngest goes out to the garden and she has a 1152 00:57:07,800 --> 00:57:10,279 Speaker 6: b shaped gnome that he pulls an ear off of. 1153 00:57:10,760 --> 00:57:14,600 Speaker 6: Mom gets mad he's touching the solar balls. Again, he's 1154 00:57:14,600 --> 00:57:17,040 Speaker 6: told no, basically told no to everything. 1155 00:57:17,400 --> 00:57:20,560 Speaker 2: Well, I mean, like he shouldn't be touching those things, 1156 00:57:20,600 --> 00:57:21,120 Speaker 2: but like. 1157 00:57:21,240 --> 00:57:23,080 Speaker 6: Don't let him touch the solar balls. 1158 00:57:23,480 --> 00:57:25,840 Speaker 2: But like, is I don't know, is she even equipped 1159 00:57:25,880 --> 00:57:27,360 Speaker 2: to handle these kids? 1160 00:57:27,640 --> 00:57:30,840 Speaker 6: Yeah, it just sounds like it's very obvious, like, oh, 1161 00:57:30,920 --> 00:57:34,160 Speaker 6: you're not equipped to actually help me or the kids 1162 00:57:34,240 --> 00:57:35,040 Speaker 6: in any way. 1163 00:57:34,880 --> 00:57:38,280 Speaker 2: Which sucks, And like she she keeps offering when she's 1164 00:57:38,400 --> 00:57:41,000 Speaker 2: clearly not able to do it. Yeah, it's like, yoh, 1165 00:57:41,040 --> 00:57:43,520 Speaker 2: Dembey wouldn't leave my kids, but these even. 1166 00:57:43,320 --> 00:57:45,840 Speaker 6: The oldest, it's like, yeah, you're letting me on the 1167 00:57:45,880 --> 00:57:47,240 Speaker 6: iPad not supposed. 1168 00:57:46,880 --> 00:57:49,160 Speaker 2: To be on the iPad at your place, not working. 1169 00:57:49,880 --> 00:57:52,160 Speaker 6: I then say to my mom, I think until he's 1170 00:57:52,160 --> 00:57:54,560 Speaker 6: a little older, it might be best if she visits me. 1171 00:57:55,080 --> 00:57:57,520 Speaker 6: She's maybe been down to my house five or eight 1172 00:57:57,600 --> 00:58:00,720 Speaker 6: times in four years. The argument start that he needs 1173 00:58:00,760 --> 00:58:02,800 Speaker 6: to be told no, she would have told me no 1174 00:58:02,960 --> 00:58:04,800 Speaker 6: if she took me to someone's house at this age. 1175 00:58:05,320 --> 00:58:07,680 Speaker 6: I explained that I think it's different as he's coming 1176 00:58:07,720 --> 00:58:10,640 Speaker 6: for such a long time, usually six hours, so he 1177 00:58:10,680 --> 00:58:13,200 Speaker 6: can see Auntie and granddad too, as they all live 1178 00:58:13,240 --> 00:58:15,560 Speaker 6: in that town. I'm sure she meant if she took 1179 00:58:15,600 --> 00:58:18,360 Speaker 6: me somewhere for an hour or so. He both agreed 1180 00:58:18,480 --> 00:58:21,000 Speaker 6: her garden isn't child friendly. If he wants to play 1181 00:58:21,040 --> 00:58:23,360 Speaker 6: in it, he can play with his ball. I said, 1182 00:58:23,360 --> 00:58:27,360 Speaker 6: that's not possible to explain to a one year old child. Yeah, 1183 00:58:27,480 --> 00:58:30,919 Speaker 6: then she started to shout. I asked her to talk 1184 00:58:31,040 --> 00:58:33,680 Speaker 6: and not shout at me, which made her even angrier, 1185 00:58:33,880 --> 00:58:36,560 Speaker 6: and she told me I was pushing my luck and 1186 00:58:36,640 --> 00:58:38,440 Speaker 6: I will not tell her what to do in her 1187 00:58:38,480 --> 00:58:41,760 Speaker 6: own home. I said, if it's about her shouting at 1188 00:58:41,760 --> 00:58:44,360 Speaker 6: me in front of her kids, then I absolutely think 1189 00:58:44,440 --> 00:58:46,520 Speaker 6: I can tell her what to do in her own home. 1190 00:58:47,200 --> 00:58:50,160 Speaker 6: Argument got worse. Husband put the kids in his car, 1191 00:58:50,320 --> 00:58:52,440 Speaker 6: which had only two seats in the front and the 1192 00:58:52,480 --> 00:58:54,640 Speaker 6: back is an open van space, so me and my 1193 00:58:54,680 --> 00:58:56,520 Speaker 6: five year old had to sit on the floor for 1194 00:58:56,560 --> 00:58:59,160 Speaker 6: the hour long drive. Ruff I did point out she 1195 00:58:59,200 --> 00:59:00,919 Speaker 6: had a car that they could have offered to lend 1196 00:59:00,920 --> 00:59:02,800 Speaker 6: me to get home safely, and that I did think 1197 00:59:02,840 --> 00:59:04,760 Speaker 6: my brother in law should have come to get the kids. 1198 00:59:05,400 --> 00:59:08,520 Speaker 6: Response was, it's not her car, it's my stepdad's, and 1199 00:59:08,520 --> 00:59:11,680 Speaker 6: that I expect everyone to drop everything for me. I 1200 00:59:11,720 --> 00:59:13,480 Speaker 6: told her that she is welcome to visit the kids 1201 00:59:13,480 --> 00:59:16,000 Speaker 6: at my house whenever she likes, but I won't be 1202 00:59:16,000 --> 00:59:18,640 Speaker 6: bringing them back until she agrees to not shout at 1203 00:59:18,640 --> 00:59:20,760 Speaker 6: me in front of them. She told me to get 1204 00:59:20,800 --> 00:59:22,600 Speaker 6: out and that she wouldn't be told what to do 1205 00:59:22,640 --> 00:59:25,400 Speaker 6: in her own home and so she wouldn't be seeing 1206 00:59:25,440 --> 00:59:30,040 Speaker 6: us again. By sounds like she made me any decisions 1207 00:59:30,080 --> 00:59:30,959 Speaker 6: for herself there. 1208 00:59:31,080 --> 00:59:35,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, that's it, she said. She said, I want 1209 00:59:35,800 --> 00:59:37,760 Speaker 2: to help you, and then you said, okay, let's do 1210 00:59:37,800 --> 00:59:40,360 Speaker 2: a little test drive see how they fare at your house, 1211 00:59:40,400 --> 00:59:42,640 Speaker 2: and she went, ah, get them out of my house. 1212 00:59:43,080 --> 00:59:46,560 Speaker 6: Yes, and I'm also cutting myself off from you, and 1213 00:59:46,600 --> 00:59:47,520 Speaker 6: that's your fault. 1214 00:59:47,760 --> 00:59:51,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's on her. She's made her Like you were like, oh, 1215 00:59:51,520 --> 00:59:52,800 Speaker 2: I don't know if I should go to no contact 1216 00:59:52,800 --> 00:59:55,800 Speaker 2: with my mom. It sounds like she's going no contact 1217 00:59:55,840 --> 00:59:56,080 Speaker 2: with you. 1218 00:59:56,320 --> 01:00:00,040 Speaker 6: Yeah, my heart aches, as I have two friends you 1219 01:00:00,120 --> 01:00:04,080 Speaker 6: have recently lost their mothers. She's sixty five and may 1220 01:00:04,080 --> 01:00:06,920 Speaker 6: not have long left. But the favoritism is clear between 1221 01:00:06,920 --> 01:00:09,440 Speaker 6: my kids and I'm old, and even me and my 1222 01:00:09,600 --> 01:00:12,360 Speaker 6: husband have the no shouting in front of the kid's rule. 1223 01:00:12,920 --> 01:00:14,959 Speaker 6: So am I the a hole for expecting my mom 1224 01:00:15,000 --> 01:00:17,200 Speaker 6: to respect that boundary in her home and to have 1225 01:00:17,360 --> 01:00:20,200 Speaker 6: her home a little more child friendly for visits? Or 1226 01:00:20,280 --> 01:00:22,280 Speaker 6: is she right and I'm wrong to try to tell 1227 01:00:22,280 --> 01:00:24,760 Speaker 6: her what she should do. I don't know if it's relevant, 1228 01:00:24,800 --> 01:00:26,840 Speaker 6: but my role in the family has always been fixer, 1229 01:00:27,200 --> 01:00:30,520 Speaker 6: usually financially if someone got into debt or paying for 1230 01:00:30,640 --> 01:00:34,720 Speaker 6: people to go on holiday. My stepdad once was wrongfully 1231 01:00:34,800 --> 01:00:37,680 Speaker 6: dismissed or they attempted to, and I won him an 1232 01:00:37,800 --> 01:00:42,040 Speaker 6: ACAS case. I made sure everyone has what they need. 1233 01:00:42,120 --> 01:00:45,760 Speaker 6: There is a little bit more story life, sure is, Honestly. 1234 01:00:45,960 --> 01:00:50,360 Speaker 2: I yeah, I think that limiting or no content probably 1235 01:00:50,360 --> 01:00:54,840 Speaker 2: maybe limiting contact with your mom. It's just frustrating. You're 1236 01:00:54,840 --> 01:00:57,000 Speaker 2: trying to like have a relationship with your mom and 1237 01:00:57,040 --> 01:01:00,320 Speaker 2: you've been trying to figure out four years what the 1238 01:01:00,320 --> 01:01:03,440 Speaker 2: most effective way to have that relationship is, and it 1239 01:01:03,480 --> 01:01:06,600 Speaker 2: seems like she's a really difficult person to get on with. 1240 01:01:07,000 --> 01:01:08,720 Speaker 6: She's a nasty little lady. 1241 01:01:08,840 --> 01:01:10,960 Speaker 2: He's a nasty little lady. 1242 01:01:11,040 --> 01:01:14,000 Speaker 6: It's just a nasty little lady she is. Yeah, let's 1243 01:01:14,040 --> 01:01:16,840 Speaker 6: finish this story. I am really aware that most of 1244 01:01:16,840 --> 01:01:19,960 Speaker 6: my examples are financial, and I don't know why that is. 1245 01:01:20,320 --> 01:01:22,440 Speaker 6: It makes me feel embarrassed to even write it. I 1246 01:01:22,480 --> 01:01:24,880 Speaker 6: think I know why it is. It's because they just 1247 01:01:25,000 --> 01:01:25,320 Speaker 6: use you. 1248 01:01:25,280 --> 01:01:28,160 Speaker 2: For money, my guy. Yes, oh no, exactly. 1249 01:01:29,200 --> 01:01:31,120 Speaker 6: I wasn't really that aware of how strange it was 1250 01:01:31,200 --> 01:01:33,800 Speaker 6: until I got with my husband. I've taken my family 1251 01:01:33,880 --> 01:01:36,400 Speaker 6: on and paid for them to go on seven vacations 1252 01:01:36,400 --> 01:01:38,920 Speaker 6: by the time I met him at thirty. Oh wow, 1253 01:01:39,400 --> 01:01:40,960 Speaker 6: they were seven vacations. 1254 01:01:42,040 --> 01:01:42,480 Speaker 2: Seven. 1255 01:01:43,320 --> 01:01:47,280 Speaker 6: That's too many, six seven, seven vacations that I'm assuming 1256 01:01:47,520 --> 01:01:49,160 Speaker 6: you didn't go on it. 1257 01:01:49,200 --> 01:01:52,800 Speaker 2: Said paid for? Yeah, really say that I went on them. 1258 01:01:52,880 --> 01:01:56,080 Speaker 2: That's yeah, you got unhealthy relationship. 1259 01:01:55,640 --> 01:01:59,640 Speaker 6: Hereah yeah, yeah. I've literally just loaned my sister money 1260 01:01:59,640 --> 01:02:02,200 Speaker 6: for vet bills last week, so I don't think it's 1261 01:02:02,280 --> 01:02:04,560 Speaker 6: unreasonable for me to ask for her husband to pick 1262 01:02:04,640 --> 01:02:07,760 Speaker 6: up the kids from an unsafe location for a fifteen 1263 01:02:07,840 --> 01:02:11,200 Speaker 6: minute round trip. I absolutely have not fallen out with 1264 01:02:11,240 --> 01:02:14,600 Speaker 6: my sister or brother in law or even had that conversation. 1265 01:02:15,080 --> 01:02:17,400 Speaker 6: He just said, if she'd have rang, of course. 1266 01:02:17,120 --> 01:02:17,720 Speaker 2: He'd have come. 1267 01:02:18,200 --> 01:02:21,680 Speaker 6: And there are some comments here. Comment number one, Opie, 1268 01:02:22,200 --> 01:02:25,760 Speaker 6: stop chasing your mom's affection and approval. You aren't going 1269 01:02:25,800 --> 01:02:29,640 Speaker 6: to get it. That's a hard reality, and I'm sorry, yeah, 1270 01:02:29,640 --> 01:02:34,360 Speaker 6: and truthfully, Oh wait, I just remembered the stuff from 1271 01:02:34,360 --> 01:02:37,560 Speaker 6: the beginning of the story where she's like, yeah, by 1272 01:02:37,560 --> 01:02:39,800 Speaker 6: the way, I don't actually even like you. Yeah, and 1273 01:02:39,920 --> 01:02:42,400 Speaker 6: also I never wanted you. Your dad loved you more 1274 01:02:42,440 --> 01:02:42,680 Speaker 6: than me. 1275 01:02:42,960 --> 01:02:43,160 Speaker 3: Ohp. 1276 01:02:43,160 --> 01:02:46,120 Speaker 2: He's been chasing this affection from like the get go, 1277 01:02:46,840 --> 01:02:49,640 Speaker 2: and it's never been a good relationship. And she said 1278 01:02:49,680 --> 01:02:51,960 Speaker 2: the only reason that I got better is because they 1279 01:02:52,040 --> 01:02:54,959 Speaker 2: moved apart. But even still it's not that great yet. 1280 01:02:54,960 --> 01:02:57,880 Speaker 6: Og, you don't have to maintain a relationship with this 1281 01:02:58,320 --> 01:02:59,120 Speaker 6: nasty lady. 1282 01:02:59,600 --> 01:03:00,440 Speaker 2: Nasty. 1283 01:03:01,720 --> 01:03:05,560 Speaker 6: That is a hard reality, and I am sorry, and truthfully, 1284 01:03:05,600 --> 01:03:07,960 Speaker 6: do you really need it at this point in your life? 1285 01:03:08,320 --> 01:03:12,360 Speaker 6: Protect your younger son from your mom's favoritism and unrealistic expectations. 1286 01:03:12,720 --> 01:03:15,080 Speaker 6: He doesn't want to deal with his energy, and that's fine, 1287 01:03:15,360 --> 01:03:17,840 Speaker 6: but her approach is damaging to both of your boys. 1288 01:03:18,320 --> 01:03:20,520 Speaker 6: I'd take space from her for several months and see 1289 01:03:20,520 --> 01:03:23,480 Speaker 6: how you feel, and then reevaluate. You don't need to 1290 01:03:23,480 --> 01:03:27,280 Speaker 6: make anything permanent right now. Good luck comment to it 1291 01:03:27,360 --> 01:03:30,240 Speaker 6: doesn't sound like your mom much likes you nor your children. 1292 01:03:31,280 --> 01:03:33,600 Speaker 6: Let them go and focus on what is good in 1293 01:03:33,640 --> 01:03:36,240 Speaker 6: your life and makes you and your family, children and 1294 01:03:36,280 --> 01:03:40,240 Speaker 6: partner happy. Opie says it was strange because my partner 1295 01:03:40,280 --> 01:03:43,080 Speaker 6: is probably one of the most confrontational people in the world. 1296 01:03:43,360 --> 01:03:45,480 Speaker 6: It's not a good thing. It's a problem he works 1297 01:03:45,480 --> 01:03:48,200 Speaker 6: on and we do together, so it was really really 1298 01:03:48,200 --> 01:03:50,840 Speaker 6: surprising for him to see someone speak to me that 1299 01:03:50,880 --> 01:03:53,680 Speaker 6: way and not say anything. He was super quiet on 1300 01:03:53,720 --> 01:03:55,640 Speaker 6: the way home, and I asked him if he was okay. 1301 01:03:56,040 --> 01:03:59,600 Speaker 6: He seemed shocked, and he literally just said he's never 1302 01:03:59,680 --> 01:04:02,280 Speaker 6: seen anyone look at someone with so much hatred and 1303 01:04:02,360 --> 01:04:05,480 Speaker 6: anger as when she was shouting at me, and it 1304 01:04:05,640 --> 01:04:08,480 Speaker 6: just shocked him. He didn't know what to do. He 1305 01:04:08,520 --> 01:04:10,480 Speaker 6: did the right thing getting the kids away. But I 1306 01:04:10,680 --> 01:04:13,480 Speaker 6: just mean, I think you're right. She doesn't like me. 1307 01:04:13,840 --> 01:04:16,640 Speaker 6: She likes my oldest but not my youngest. But don't 1308 01:04:16,640 --> 01:04:18,880 Speaker 6: think she likes any of us enough to back down 1309 01:04:18,920 --> 01:04:22,240 Speaker 6: to avoid never seeing them again. And that's what's so sad. 1310 01:04:22,600 --> 01:04:25,160 Speaker 6: But you can't change that, can you. I've been back 1311 01:04:25,480 --> 01:04:28,440 Speaker 6: and forth on what's best for the kids. Cut the 1312 01:04:28,480 --> 01:04:30,480 Speaker 6: cord now so they don't miss her, or keep the 1313 01:04:30,560 --> 01:04:33,640 Speaker 6: relationship going with her for them, But every time we 1314 01:04:33,680 --> 01:04:35,840 Speaker 6: have a disagreement, then they have to deal with her 1315 01:04:35,840 --> 01:04:37,200 Speaker 6: being no contact with them. 1316 01:04:37,640 --> 01:04:37,840 Speaker 2: Yeah. 1317 01:04:37,840 --> 01:04:41,360 Speaker 6: I don't think it's a very positive relationship for anyone 1318 01:04:42,040 --> 01:04:42,400 Speaker 6: the kids. 1319 01:04:42,480 --> 01:04:44,720 Speaker 2: I don't think it'd be good for them to have 1320 01:04:44,760 --> 01:04:48,040 Speaker 2: this very kind of flighty character in their life that 1321 01:04:48,400 --> 01:04:50,840 Speaker 2: probably you know, if she told you that she never 1322 01:04:50,880 --> 01:04:53,120 Speaker 2: wanted you, what is she going to say to those kids? 1323 01:04:53,200 --> 01:04:56,360 Speaker 6: Yeah, she's she clearly already doesn't like your youngest. Yeah, 1324 01:04:56,400 --> 01:04:58,200 Speaker 6: Like what is she going to say that just because 1325 01:04:58,200 --> 01:04:59,280 Speaker 6: he's a baby. 1326 01:04:59,440 --> 01:05:02,840 Speaker 2: Just because he's the baby? Yeah, I think for the kids, 1327 01:05:02,880 --> 01:05:06,920 Speaker 2: you gotta be really, you know, careful about that. Like, 1328 01:05:07,240 --> 01:05:09,040 Speaker 2: I don't know, I don't think that relationship would be 1329 01:05:09,040 --> 01:05:11,520 Speaker 2: healthy in the long run, because it's not healthy now.