1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:05,480 Speaker 1: This is John, this is them Okay Storytime podcast hosts, 2 00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 1: and we have some good story is coming up for you. 3 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:10,640 Speaker 2: That's right. 4 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:12,239 Speaker 1: But before that, we have a little more sol of 5 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:15,720 Speaker 1: a two minute outbreak from the sponsors keeping the show delicious. Hmm, 6 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:21,119 Speaker 1: my girlfriend never came home after a night out. I 7 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 1: think she's lying about where she was. 8 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 3: Of coorse, she might not be your girl. 9 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 4: My girlfriend is unemployed and occasionally goes out on week 10 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:33,199 Speaker 4: nights with her girlfriends in a major city by me. 11 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:35,920 Speaker 4: We've been dating four and a half years and living 12 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 4: together for four of them. Red flags at the top 13 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 4: of the story. That's great, by the way. This comes 14 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 4: from user throwaway four five three a m. And if 15 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 4: you want to submit your own stories, go to the 16 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:53,160 Speaker 4: r slash Okay Storytime subreddit. Her email alerts come through 17 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 4: on our shared iPad, and I saw that she took 18 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:58,120 Speaker 4: an Uber ride and it looks like she dropped her 19 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 4: friends off as well because the Uber route passes their homes. 20 00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 4: She was dropped off outside my apartment at two am. 21 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:08,679 Speaker 4: I received the alert afterward and became suspicious. 22 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:09,839 Speaker 1: I can use. 23 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 4: Find my iPhone on our iPad and I can see 24 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:16,479 Speaker 4: that her phone is close by about four blocks away 25 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 4: on the same street. 26 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 1: Uber says she was dropped off here where I live. 27 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 4: It's all dense apartments and I can't just walk over 28 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:28,560 Speaker 4: there to see what's up. It's likely there are several 29 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 4: apartments in the building where the GPS says she is, 30 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 4: and the GPS could also be off by a building 31 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 4: or two on either say front or back. 32 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 1: I'm freaking out. 33 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 4: I've called and texted beginning at four forty five am 34 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 4: with no reply. 35 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 3: Sorry, bro, she's busy right now. 36 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 2: Can't come to the phone, can't come home. 37 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 4: I've called each of her girlfriends twice and no one 38 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 4: has picked up. I'm so worried. Is she okay? Is 39 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 4: she cheating? Seriously, guys, any advice right now would be 40 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 4: really helpful to me. My heart is beating out of 41 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 4: my chest. Do I call her more? 42 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 5: Do I wait? 43 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 4: Do I call the police? Major update? Her friend just called. 44 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 4: She said she spent the night with her. This is 45 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:15,040 Speaker 4: a clear cut a lie. 46 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:17,920 Speaker 1: I'm getting off Reddit for a bit, but we'll update 47 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: after we speak. I'm doing my best to be composed 48 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 1: right now. Wish me luck. So update. 49 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 4: This is insane. Her friend called me and said that 50 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 4: they all stayed at the friend's apartment and uber and 51 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:34,680 Speaker 4: iicloud tell me that's a lie. So I asked to 52 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,359 Speaker 4: speak with my girlfriend and was told, oh, she just left. 53 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 4: So I called her phone and she did not pick up. 54 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 4: I'm watching iCloud. The phone is not moved. I think 55 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 4: her friends just nailed her. Coffin shut In any case, 56 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:49,079 Speaker 4: coming from the friend's apartment, she can only come from 57 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 4: two directions. The place where iCloud says she is is 58 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 4: in a different direction. When I see her start to move, 59 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:57,120 Speaker 4: I'm going to wait outside around the corner and catch 60 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 4: her walking back from an impossible direction on the story 61 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 4: she's going to try to sell me. Her friend called 62 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 4: me at nine am and sounded ferantic. Oh my god, 63 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 4: your girlfriend came back to my place last night and 64 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:13,959 Speaker 4: just fell asleep. We both got really wasted. So sorry 65 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:16,960 Speaker 4: that no one called or texted you. But I knew 66 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 4: this was a lie because this friend's apartment is nowhere 67 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 4: near the apartment four blocks up the road from me. 68 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 4: I have no ideas apartment this is. I said that's 69 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:30,640 Speaker 4: okay and asked to speak to my girlfriend, but was 70 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 4: told I couldn't because she just left. Typically it should 71 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 4: take about twenty minutes to get from friend's apartment to 72 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:41,120 Speaker 4: my apartment. More than an hour goes by and still 73 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 4: no girlfriend. I decided to call her, and I could 74 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 4: hear that beep at the end of the ring tone, 75 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 4: signaling me that she's on the other line with someone. 76 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 4: I watched her on find my iPhone, leave the mystery apartment, 77 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 4: stop on a street corner for about fifteen minutes, then proceed. 78 00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:00,200 Speaker 1: To walk a different route. What she was doing was 79 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 1: buying some groceries. 80 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 2: It wasn't groceries. 81 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 3: I'll tell you that sounds like a plan. 82 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 4: It's a plan to deceive, a conspiracy of the highest order. 83 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 6: She's probably also getting op like some snacks like oh, 84 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:13,440 Speaker 6: I got you breakfast, I love you. 85 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 2: Here's a coffee. 86 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:17,240 Speaker 1: Imagine she's actually getting breakfast for the other guy. 87 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:18,280 Speaker 3: That's what she's doing. 88 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 4: She's been living with this guy for four years and 89 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 4: she's doing this to him. She's got no job, doesn't 90 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:24,480 Speaker 4: sound like she's trying to get one. So when she 91 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:28,920 Speaker 4: finally did walk in at ten fifteen in the morning, 92 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 4: her excuse was sorry, the shuttle was super slow today, 93 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:34,840 Speaker 4: plus I stopped to get some fresh fruit. 94 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 1: No apology no, nothing. 95 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 4: She's acting like I'm a psychopath for caring where she 96 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 4: had been all night, even though it's uncharacteristic for her 97 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 4: to stay out all night. In fact, she usually calls 98 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:48,440 Speaker 4: or texts me when she's on her way home from 99 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:51,160 Speaker 4: the city. Okay, so we go inside and I. 100 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:52,720 Speaker 1: Say, why don't you tell me about your night? 101 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:55,480 Speaker 4: She goes, we just went to the clurb. 102 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:59,600 Speaker 1: That's it. In the clurb, we all cheat. That's her 103 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:00,560 Speaker 1: model right there. 104 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:04,599 Speaker 4: I asked if they stayed there all night. She told 105 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 4: me that she stayed there pretty late. This is another lie. 106 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:11,320 Speaker 4: Uber says she was picked up at the club at 107 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:14,799 Speaker 4: one fifty am, and the club's here close at four. 108 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:17,599 Speaker 4: On a typical night, she'll come home between three and 109 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:20,520 Speaker 4: four am. So I ask if they went anywhere else. 110 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:24,039 Speaker 4: Now we're pretty well said, so we went straight from 111 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:26,600 Speaker 4: the club to my friend's apartment. When I got there, 112 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:30,679 Speaker 4: I passed out on the couch. This makes absolutely no 113 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:34,440 Speaker 4: sense because the Uber receipt clearly states that she was 114 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:36,839 Speaker 4: dropped off at my apartment. At this point, I say 115 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 4: to her, are you sure you're telling me everything? 116 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:41,320 Speaker 1: And she gets heated. 117 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:44,640 Speaker 4: If you I already have a father and an over 118 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:47,839 Speaker 4: protective brother. Why the f can I just go out 119 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 4: with my friends for one night without you all over 120 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 4: my butt about it? Side note, she goes out with 121 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:58,120 Speaker 4: her friends alone two to three nights a week, and 122 00:05:58,360 --> 00:05:59,480 Speaker 4: I let that happen. 123 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 1: It's like she doesn't constantly go out with them. 124 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:06,039 Speaker 4: I was gonna pause really quickly to be like, opee, 125 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:08,720 Speaker 4: this is kind of your fault because you have been 126 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 4: dating this girl. I don't know how long she's been employed, 127 00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:16,240 Speaker 4: but you've been living with her for four years, her 128 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:20,719 Speaker 4: not having a job, her not having any responsibilities. At 129 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:25,240 Speaker 4: some point, you have enabled that behavior to continue. 130 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:28,479 Speaker 3: You have enabled it. I think he's in the clear now. Also, 131 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 3: she's going out on weekdays. He can't be going out 132 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 3: on week days all the time. Do we know how 133 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:33,839 Speaker 3: old they are? 134 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 1: I don't think we have ages. I would assume this 135 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:38,520 Speaker 1: is twenties, early twenties, early twenties. 136 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:41,200 Speaker 3: He doesn't know any better. This is how all relationships 137 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 3: are to him. 138 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 4: Because they've been together four and a half years, they've 139 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:47,280 Speaker 4: been living together for four of those years, so they 140 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:49,719 Speaker 4: moved in after six months of dating. I mean that 141 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:53,880 Speaker 4: sounds like young early twenties activities. Honestly, so we're getting 142 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:57,599 Speaker 4: into some confrontation here, I think. At this point, I 143 00:06:57,839 --> 00:07:00,680 Speaker 4: tell her about the Uber ride receipt and show her 144 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:04,160 Speaker 4: screenshots of the Find my iPhone application. I show her 145 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:07,240 Speaker 4: a journal of the things I attempted to do to 146 00:07:07,279 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 4: get in touch with her, and explained how worried I was. 147 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:14,760 Speaker 4: Her response was ef you. Why the effort you accused 148 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 4: me of this crap. I constantly try to tag myself 149 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 4: on Facebook and it shows up as the wrong location. 150 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:24,000 Speaker 4: My phone is all fed up. Anyway, I'm not lying. 151 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 4: I went right to friend's apartment. Okay, so why does 152 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 4: Uber have confirmation that you were dropped off here? And 153 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 4: this is where the story breaks apart. Well, we dropped 154 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 4: all the girls off of the apartment first, and then 155 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:39,800 Speaker 4: Uber took me here. 156 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 1: But I couldn't find the apartment keys anywhere. 157 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 4: So rather than calling you and waking you up or 158 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:48,720 Speaker 4: ringing the buzzer, I decided to just walk to friend's apartment. 159 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 1: Which is oh dookie. 160 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:54,120 Speaker 3: Why she making it more complicated. 161 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 2: Let's see how big does I can get. 162 00:07:55,960 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 4: These people don't read like their matches whatsoever. This guy's like, 163 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 4: I have a journal of the things I attempted to 164 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:06,040 Speaker 4: do to reach out to you, and clearly is responsible 165 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:08,960 Speaker 4: enough to provide enough for both of them to live there. 166 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:13,240 Speaker 4: And she's going out to the clubs on a weekday, 167 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:18,000 Speaker 4: cheating on her man with terrible excuses. There is a disparity. 168 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:22,040 Speaker 4: So she was in a simple club outfit with no jacket. 169 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:27,400 Speaker 4: It was fourteen degrees last night. The streets and sidewalks 170 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 4: here are literally sheets of ice. 171 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:32,520 Speaker 1: There's no way she walked for thirty five. 172 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 4: Minutes at two in the morning in six inch heels 173 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 4: in those conditions through the ghetto and thirteen degrees. 174 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:39,559 Speaker 1: No chance. 175 00:08:39,920 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 4: She tells me, I'm an a hole and need to 176 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 4: believe her. She tells me she's telling the truth. She 177 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:48,600 Speaker 4: even says, check my phone, and miraculously there's no call 178 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:51,400 Speaker 4: log of whoever she was speaking with from around nine 179 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:54,199 Speaker 4: forty five when I tried calling, and there's a full 180 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:56,440 Speaker 4: text convo of her speaking with her friend about how 181 00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:58,560 Speaker 4: they spent the night at friends apartment. 182 00:08:58,559 --> 00:08:59,680 Speaker 3: Didn't you have the wrong number? 183 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:04,360 Speaker 4: Well, clearly, with this completely not manufactured evidence, I must 184 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:10,280 Speaker 4: forgive you. There's no other explanation. I literally had your location. 185 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:11,960 Speaker 4: Do you not know how locations were? 186 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:12,360 Speaker 1: Mind? 187 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:12,520 Speaker 7: You? 188 00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:15,200 Speaker 4: These texts are all sent during the time period where 189 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:18,960 Speaker 4: I see her on Find my iPhone leaving the apartment 190 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:21,840 Speaker 4: to hang out on a random corner. These girls were 191 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:25,720 Speaker 4: straight plotting, so I calmly told her that I'm not 192 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:29,680 Speaker 4: buying it and that I'm ending the relationship immediately. Yes, 193 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:32,720 Speaker 4: I packed a large bag in front of her with 194 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:35,800 Speaker 4: my clothing and laptop, and I'm leaving within the next 195 00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:39,720 Speaker 4: half hour. She's basically pretending this isn't happening. She's acting 196 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:42,960 Speaker 4: cool about it. She's just saying, in a normal speaking voice, Well, 197 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:44,840 Speaker 4: if this is what you want to do, I won't 198 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:45,280 Speaker 4: stop you. 199 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 1: So that's that. 200 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:49,720 Speaker 4: I think she thinks I'm going to flip at the 201 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:52,880 Speaker 4: last moment and stay. I think that she thinks she 202 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:56,680 Speaker 4: can push the limits and win. I'm not wrong, right, No, 203 00:09:57,240 --> 00:09:59,959 Speaker 4: you are not wrong. You are doing the exact right thing. 204 00:10:00,360 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 4: If Find my iPhone says you're up the block, don't 205 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:06,080 Speaker 4: tell me you stayed a ten minute car ride away. 206 00:10:06,559 --> 00:10:10,920 Speaker 4: The GPS is not inaccurate. This is effing reliable science. 207 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 4: I don't know what will happen to me from here 208 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:16,800 Speaker 4: on out. I've got a six month expensive gym membership 209 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 4: I need to deal with. We had a mountain trip 210 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:22,320 Speaker 4: and Florida trip planned within the next thirty days, plus 211 00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 4: all of our friends overlap. In any case, I don't 212 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:28,680 Speaker 4: know if she cheated, but I'm ninety nine point nine 213 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:32,240 Speaker 4: nine nine percent certain that she stayed somewhere else and 214 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 4: is actively trying to cover it up. I think that 215 00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 4: might be some coping mechanism. What do you think that? 216 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:40,120 Speaker 4: I mean, clearly, I know what I think, Riley. What 217 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:41,120 Speaker 4: happened that night. 218 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 3: We know what happened. If you really want to get 219 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:46,240 Speaker 3: some more information, we'll see how loyal your friends are. 220 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:49,600 Speaker 3: If this isn't enough evidence for me, which it already is, 221 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:52,160 Speaker 3: I would go and bribe. I'd try and get some 222 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:55,240 Speaker 3: information and be like, hey, like I was really worried 223 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:58,559 Speaker 3: about you know, my girlfriend. Can you kind of like 224 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 3: tell me what happened? Because like, also, smaller stuff has 225 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:03,280 Speaker 3: not been working out really well. I don't know. I 226 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 3: would figure out a story where the girlfriend maybe might 227 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:09,320 Speaker 3: be doing something mean to one of the girlfriends, like yeah, 228 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:11,720 Speaker 3: I saw that she had like these certain type of 229 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:14,959 Speaker 3: shoes at her house and they weren't really hers, and 230 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:16,920 Speaker 3: then that person's like I'm missing a pair of shoes, 231 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:18,680 Speaker 3: or like oh, yeah, I have this dress. It's like 232 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:19,720 Speaker 3: I'm missing this dress. 233 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:21,679 Speaker 4: First you have to take the shoes, then you have 234 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:23,040 Speaker 4: to pin it on the girlfriend. 235 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:26,040 Speaker 1: There's a couple of layers there. But you know what 236 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:28,360 Speaker 1: the good news is is that you can just. 237 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:29,640 Speaker 5: Move right on along. 238 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:33,520 Speaker 4: She's actually trying to place blame on me for being possessive. 239 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:36,680 Speaker 4: I was called a psycho and a stalker, and she's 240 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:39,719 Speaker 4: acting like it doesn't even matter if I leave f. 241 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:42,240 Speaker 1: This, I'm out nice. 242 00:11:42,559 --> 00:11:44,720 Speaker 4: And by the way, we never want you to say 243 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:48,040 Speaker 4: f this to us, because you can constantly listen to full. 244 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:50,640 Speaker 1: Episodes with stories like this. All you have to do 245 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:53,120 Speaker 1: is go to Spotify or have a podcast wherever you get. 246 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:56,360 Speaker 7: Your podcasts from and just search okay, storytime, and then 247 00:11:56,400 --> 00:12:00,640 Speaker 7: you can have forty eight days worth of can secutive 248 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:05,720 Speaker 7: podcast content twenty four times forty eight hours at the least. 249 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:07,440 Speaker 1: So we do have a little. 250 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:10,080 Speaker 4: Bit more story left. Honestly, I think he's got the 251 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:13,400 Speaker 4: right mentality here. Get out of there, dude, enjoy your friend. 252 00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:15,240 Speaker 4: I know you got some trips coming up. Make the 253 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:15,880 Speaker 4: most out of it. 254 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:16,840 Speaker 1: Go on those trips. 255 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:18,880 Speaker 4: I mean, if they're not like you know, like built 256 00:12:18,960 --> 00:12:22,000 Speaker 4: for romance. Take somebody else. This person was not the 257 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:25,080 Speaker 4: right one for you anyway. You need someone who was thoughtful. 258 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:28,679 Speaker 4: This really started with Op being worried. Op was like concerned, 259 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:30,600 Speaker 4: like my girlfriend didn't come home, and then it just 260 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:34,240 Speaker 4: evolved into oh god, it's this. If you've got any 261 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:36,480 Speaker 4: criticism or kind words for me as I start my 262 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:40,480 Speaker 4: new life, please comment. I'll come back on once I 263 00:12:40,559 --> 00:12:42,520 Speaker 4: get to my parents' house later this afternoon. 264 00:12:42,800 --> 00:12:44,079 Speaker 1: My plan is to live. 265 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:47,400 Speaker 4: There until I can figure out new living accommodations. Finally, 266 00:12:47,920 --> 00:12:50,880 Speaker 4: thank you all for the advice and tremendous amount of 267 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:53,480 Speaker 4: support this morning. I was in a really bad place 268 00:12:53,480 --> 00:12:55,880 Speaker 4: and don't know what I would have done without aw 269 00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:59,760 Speaker 4: Slash Relationships. I feel like I was having a panic 270 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:02,200 Speaker 4: at Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. 271 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:05,560 Speaker 4: And that is the end of that story. Honestly, get tested. 272 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:07,400 Speaker 4: Who knows how long she's been cheating on you. This 273 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:09,040 Speaker 4: might just be the first time that you caught her. 274 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:12,120 Speaker 1: You never know. Do you already have the conviction to 275 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:13,520 Speaker 1: just move forward? Which is what you need? 276 00:13:13,679 --> 00:13:15,800 Speaker 4: And I think the reason she might be so cool 277 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:18,160 Speaker 4: about this where it's like, you know, cause she's kind 278 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:20,520 Speaker 4: of in hobo mode. Right now, she's probably thinking, I 279 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:22,640 Speaker 4: can just go to the guy I was with last night. 280 00:13:22,679 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 1: I'll just go to his place. 281 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:25,360 Speaker 4: She might be thinking that, who knows, But you don't 282 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:27,600 Speaker 4: have to think about her anymore because that's over. 283 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:29,560 Speaker 1: Just like this story. 284 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:33,200 Speaker 3: My boyfriend is furious because my brother crashed on my 285 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:34,960 Speaker 3: couch after a parting. 286 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:38,560 Speaker 1: I mean, did he ruin the couch though? Did he 287 00:13:38,679 --> 00:13:39,520 Speaker 1: keep the shoes on? 288 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:42,840 Speaker 3: So my brother and I live in different parts of 289 00:13:42,880 --> 00:13:46,320 Speaker 3: the country and only really see each other once every 290 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 3: few months. He was going to be in my town 291 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:52,640 Speaker 3: from last Wednesday until Saturday evening, so we made plans 292 00:13:52,679 --> 00:13:55,280 Speaker 3: to go clubbing on Friday night with some friends of mine. 293 00:13:55,320 --> 00:13:58,360 Speaker 3: We hung out and came home around four, and I 294 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:00,920 Speaker 3: only have one bed in my apartment, so my brother 295 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:03,760 Speaker 3: crashed on my couch. By the way, this comes from 296 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:05,439 Speaker 3: throw Away Something the Couch and if you want to 297 00:14:05,480 --> 00:14:08,000 Speaker 3: submit your own stories, go to our size. Okay, story time, 298 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 3: selb bred it. So we both woke up a few 299 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:14,320 Speaker 3: hours later, grabbed lunch and went to the airport, and 300 00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:17,800 Speaker 3: my brother headed back over to where he lives. After that, 301 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:20,720 Speaker 3: he sent me a text when his flight got in 302 00:14:20,800 --> 00:14:24,080 Speaker 3: safely and that it was now. My boyfriend and I 303 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:27,360 Speaker 3: don't live together, but I stay his place quite often, 304 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:31,000 Speaker 3: or he'll stay at mine. He usually works two weeks in, 305 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:34,160 Speaker 3: two weeks out, and he came home yesterday morning, so 306 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:38,040 Speaker 3: naturally I was pretty excited to see him. I picked 307 00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:40,760 Speaker 3: him up and we came back to my place. Afterward, 308 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:44,280 Speaker 3: while chatting, I mentioned that my brother slept night at 309 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:48,240 Speaker 3: my place, and he kind of got weird. I kind 310 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:50,680 Speaker 3: of prodded him to tell me what was up, because 311 00:14:50,960 --> 00:14:53,280 Speaker 3: for the life of me, I couldn't figure out what 312 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:56,560 Speaker 3: would cause him to go so quiet and soul and 313 00:14:57,320 --> 00:15:01,600 Speaker 3: when just five minutes before we were having a flowing conversation. 314 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:04,920 Speaker 3: He told me it was nothing, so I just left it, 315 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:07,840 Speaker 3: and then later asked him again because he was still in 316 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:10,680 Speaker 3: a bad mood. He said that he didn't like the 317 00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:14,040 Speaker 3: idea of another man staying at my place, regardless of 318 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:17,000 Speaker 3: who it is, and that it will not be happening 319 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:20,960 Speaker 3: in the future. No more men, no matter if they 320 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:23,680 Speaker 3: are kin. I really got confused here because it's my 321 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:27,600 Speaker 3: brother sleeping on my couch for one night after we 322 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:30,720 Speaker 3: hung out. It's not some stranger or hell, even a 323 00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:33,960 Speaker 3: guy friend of ours. It's my brother. I laughed it 324 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:36,640 Speaker 3: off and said, you can't be serious, you have to 325 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:41,080 Speaker 3: be joking, and he got really angry and left my place. 326 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:43,320 Speaker 1: Hey, the trash just took itself out. Good job. 327 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:47,080 Speaker 3: Last night, I got an angry text saying that as 328 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:51,720 Speaker 3: his girlfriend, I have to respect his wishes. And while 329 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:56,320 Speaker 3: I get respecting that your significant other wants compromise and 330 00:15:56,440 --> 00:16:00,480 Speaker 3: the works, isn't this ridiculous? I responded as asking him 331 00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:03,640 Speaker 3: why my brother sleeping all my couch was so bad? 332 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:07,600 Speaker 3: He just said it just was, and that a proper 333 00:16:07,640 --> 00:16:11,880 Speaker 3: girlfriend doesn't let other men stay over alone with her, 334 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 3: and that it's incredibly disrespectful to him. More confusion from me, 335 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:20,320 Speaker 3: because again, this isn't some dude I brought home. 336 00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:21,760 Speaker 1: It's my brother. 337 00:16:22,120 --> 00:16:26,080 Speaker 3: So I tried talking to him after this, but I 338 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:30,000 Speaker 3: got a message saying we'll talk when he's composed himself. 339 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:32,280 Speaker 3: What am I to do? I really love my boyfriend, 340 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:34,720 Speaker 3: but this is just confusing and I don't know how 341 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:38,400 Speaker 3: to react. Also, I should know I've never had any 342 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:42,120 Speaker 3: other guys alone in my place. Literally, only my boyfriend, 343 00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:44,920 Speaker 3: apart from my brother, has ever been with me alone there. 344 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:49,680 Speaker 3: The only other guys I've been there have been if 345 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:53,040 Speaker 3: I have a small group get together, and that's quite rare. 346 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:58,280 Speaker 4: Wait, this is Opie's place, even worse insanity. It's breakup time, girl, 347 00:16:58,520 --> 00:16:59,320 Speaker 4: so we got to edit. 348 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:02,440 Speaker 3: Okay, So my boyfriend and I have been texting the 349 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:04,920 Speaker 3: past hour or so. What do you think he said? 350 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:06,440 Speaker 1: Do you have any guesses? 351 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 7: He's just being like, duh, I can't accept that other 352 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:11,440 Speaker 7: men exist. 353 00:17:11,720 --> 00:17:12,520 Speaker 1: That's me though. 354 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:15,960 Speaker 4: I think he's just hyper, and he's also probably trying 355 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:17,600 Speaker 4: to pull a power play proudet. 356 00:17:17,600 --> 00:17:22,199 Speaker 1: It feels very like alpha male, like duh. This is 357 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:25,000 Speaker 1: where a god, like a real man in a relationship 358 00:17:25,080 --> 00:17:26,480 Speaker 1: demands from his partner. 359 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:28,680 Speaker 4: And it's like, by the way, all those guys are 360 00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:29,919 Speaker 4: just trying to sell you a course. 361 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:30,960 Speaker 1: It's stupid. 362 00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:35,800 Speaker 4: Just be present with your partner and trust them, at 363 00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:38,040 Speaker 4: least with their siblings. 364 00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:40,800 Speaker 1: This guy has just showed you that he's trash. That's all. 365 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:43,160 Speaker 3: Okay. So my boyfriend I had been texting the past 366 00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:45,560 Speaker 3: hour or so. He sent me a hey, and I 367 00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:48,000 Speaker 3: was kind of in a pissy mood after he brushed 368 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:50,879 Speaker 3: me off last night, so I simply replied with the 369 00:17:51,119 --> 00:17:53,760 Speaker 3: or you were ready to talk? He replied, okay, So 370 00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:55,800 Speaker 3: I asked him what the deal was with my brother 371 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:58,200 Speaker 3: sleeping on the couch. He's not some random guy from 372 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 3: a bar. He's not even a guy for He's more 373 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:03,359 Speaker 3: than that. He's my brother. I grew up with him, 374 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:05,800 Speaker 3: and there's absolutely no reason for him to worry or 375 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:09,000 Speaker 3: freak out in that situation because it's my brother, of 376 00:18:09,080 --> 00:18:12,960 Speaker 3: all people. There is a literally nothing threatening in that situation, 377 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:17,640 Speaker 3: not physically towards me or towards our relationship. His response, 378 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:22,000 Speaker 3: I just am not comfortable with that. I know it's 379 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:25,120 Speaker 3: your brother, but I think there are boundaries that should 380 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:27,280 Speaker 3: be in place. Why didn't he go back to the 381 00:18:27,359 --> 00:18:31,240 Speaker 3: friend's place he stayed at on Wednesday and Thursday. My response, 382 00:18:31,480 --> 00:18:35,200 Speaker 3: you're not answering my question and just telling me what 383 00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:38,480 Speaker 3: you told me last night. Also, my apartment was closer 384 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:41,360 Speaker 3: to the club than his friend's place. Him. We've been 385 00:18:41,359 --> 00:18:44,240 Speaker 3: together for some time now, and I think as a couple, 386 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:46,960 Speaker 3: it looks bad when you let other guys stay over, 387 00:18:47,119 --> 00:18:50,120 Speaker 3: regardless of who they are to you. I would never 388 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:53,280 Speaker 3: do something to you like that, and I think it's 389 00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:56,560 Speaker 3: only fair that you reciprocate that. It's hard to explain 390 00:18:56,640 --> 00:19:00,840 Speaker 3: things because I know you can't see them from my perspective, continued, 391 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:04,360 Speaker 3: You should not really need other guys so close to you. 392 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:07,440 Speaker 3: Why couldn't you, Josh, put your brother in a cab 393 00:19:07,520 --> 00:19:09,880 Speaker 3: and send him on his way, just like we normally 394 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:12,639 Speaker 3: do with all our other friends. Anyway, I'm in a 395 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:15,440 Speaker 3: meeting right now, and I'll talk to you later. Enjoy 396 00:19:15,520 --> 00:19:18,679 Speaker 3: your day, babe. Bye. We got an edit too. I 397 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:21,160 Speaker 3: like the part where he didn't answer any questions. 398 00:19:21,480 --> 00:19:23,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, where he just made this all your fault. 399 00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:26,560 Speaker 4: Essentially, He's just like, Yeah, it's actually just you being 400 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:28,159 Speaker 4: incredibly disrespectful. 401 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:31,480 Speaker 1: Does he not know what a brother is? Is he confused? 402 00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:34,159 Speaker 4: Did he hit his head recently? What are the passable 403 00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 4: excuses for like thinking this way? Like, are there even any. 404 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:40,440 Speaker 3: No, it's just insecure, it's coming from a place of insecurity, 405 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:42,560 Speaker 3: or is thinking some really messed up things? 406 00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:45,640 Speaker 4: I don't think we have that, But it's like, regardless, 407 00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:47,480 Speaker 4: he needs to find another one and it shouldn't be 408 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:50,080 Speaker 4: with you, op, because if this is what he's doing now, like, 409 00:19:50,280 --> 00:19:52,480 Speaker 4: just imagine the other things that are gonna come down 410 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:52,959 Speaker 4: the line. 411 00:19:53,280 --> 00:19:56,080 Speaker 3: Edit too, everyone, I don't even know how the heck 412 00:19:56,160 --> 00:19:58,520 Speaker 3: to react right now. This is the first time he's 413 00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:01,600 Speaker 3: ever acted like this. He's met my brother before and 414 00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:05,560 Speaker 3: they've always gone along so well. Comments Commed one. The 415 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:09,080 Speaker 3: whole disrespectful to him thing screams that he thinks of 416 00:20:09,119 --> 00:20:12,560 Speaker 3: you as his as in property to me. Comment two, 417 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:16,040 Speaker 3: This is pretty disturbing behavior, in my opinion, very controlling 418 00:20:16,359 --> 00:20:19,280 Speaker 3: and unreasonable. I'd be very wary if I were you. 419 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:21,399 Speaker 3: I think you need to get to the bottom of 420 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:25,560 Speaker 3: this before your relationship progresses any farther. Very controlling stuff. 421 00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:28,359 Speaker 3: I'm only thought here would be and perhaps this is 422 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:31,119 Speaker 3: blowing it way out of proportion, but does he have 423 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:35,000 Speaker 3: some kind of traumatic brother sister relationship thing in his 424 00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:38,720 Speaker 3: past somewhere? Ollie replies, He's an only child, so no 425 00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:42,479 Speaker 3: chance of any trying to ties brother slash sister events 426 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:44,600 Speaker 3: in his past, so he probably doesn't even understand how 427 00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:45,600 Speaker 3: brothers and sisters work. 428 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:48,840 Speaker 4: Like Dakota, It's just like if you cannot trust your 429 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:52,480 Speaker 4: partner with their own sibling, if you're gonna feel disrespected 430 00:20:52,520 --> 00:20:58,080 Speaker 4: by the presence of just another male, regardless of biological relation, 431 00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:00,720 Speaker 4: then you are not built for a relationship right now. 432 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:05,440 Speaker 4: You have other priorities and other things that you need 433 00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 4: to sort out. 434 00:21:06,320 --> 00:21:08,040 Speaker 6: I don't know if you're built for anything. Right now, 435 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:12,080 Speaker 6: my guy is trying to pretty much own his girlfriend. 436 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:15,800 Speaker 6: He has no idea how relationships at work, and yeah, 437 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:17,480 Speaker 6: all of that if that's just how he is with 438 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:20,720 Speaker 6: just guys in general, Like, oh, you can't have any 439 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:23,639 Speaker 6: male friends along with any male siblings. 440 00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:25,040 Speaker 2: This guy's out of pocket. 441 00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:26,720 Speaker 1: It's so over. 442 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:30,800 Speaker 3: So against my better judgment, I did not immediately break 443 00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:34,840 Speaker 3: up with my boyfriend. I tried convincing myself it was 444 00:21:34,880 --> 00:21:38,080 Speaker 3: a one time thing, maybe he was just having a 445 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:41,359 Speaker 3: rough patch, and I tried pushing it down. I did 446 00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:44,280 Speaker 3: not tell my brother what happened, and he replied saying 447 00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:47,200 Speaker 3: he'd always thought of my boyfriend and him were cool 448 00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:50,320 Speaker 3: with each other at the very least. He then told me, 449 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:52,919 Speaker 3: my boyfriend is being nuts and if I need to 450 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:55,040 Speaker 3: crash for a few days, I could come up to 451 00:21:55,080 --> 00:21:57,439 Speaker 3: his end. So the rest of the week remained tense 452 00:21:57,520 --> 00:22:00,639 Speaker 3: with my boyfriend, but closer to the weekend it was 453 00:22:00,680 --> 00:22:03,879 Speaker 3: relaxed ish. We went on a date, hung out with 454 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:06,280 Speaker 3: some friends at a bar together, and yet, for the 455 00:22:06,320 --> 00:22:09,399 Speaker 3: life of me, I could have figured out reasons for 456 00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:12,400 Speaker 3: his outburst. So on Sunday, I asked him again now 457 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:15,159 Speaker 3: that you seem in a better mood, Would it be 458 00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:17,680 Speaker 3: so bad if I asked what was up last week? 459 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:23,080 Speaker 3: And once again mood went from friendly and relaxed to arctic. 460 00:22:23,359 --> 00:22:26,880 Speaker 3: He simply asked me if i'd keep bringing up yes 461 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:29,320 Speaker 3: when we were doing okay, because it's. 462 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:32,200 Speaker 1: Highly concerning and to break up worthy. 463 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:35,040 Speaker 2: This guy's tunnel visioned as heck man. 464 00:22:35,119 --> 00:22:37,080 Speaker 3: I got pretty angry at him and told him to 465 00:22:37,200 --> 00:22:40,840 Speaker 3: leave my apartment. Since Sunday, I've been stewing and just 466 00:22:40,880 --> 00:22:44,400 Speaker 3: looking back at a relationship. Sure, I have my friends, 467 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:47,560 Speaker 3: but we hang out with him much less. The ones 468 00:22:47,560 --> 00:22:50,119 Speaker 3: we do hang out with are more his friends and 469 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:52,960 Speaker 3: people that he is cool with being with. It was rough, 470 00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:56,560 Speaker 3: but looking back on it, I started seeing controlling behavior 471 00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:59,600 Speaker 3: from him that I had never taken up due to 472 00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:02,720 Speaker 3: eat either just being head over heels and willing to 473 00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:06,480 Speaker 3: compromise on everything, and by compromise I mean roll over 474 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:09,320 Speaker 3: and give up. We talked last week and I gave 475 00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:13,320 Speaker 3: him an ultimatum, something I never expected to give my relationship. 476 00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:15,520 Speaker 3: Either you sit and try to talk this out with 477 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:20,640 Speaker 3: me like a rational person, nobs answers and no dodging questions, 478 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:24,439 Speaker 3: or we break up. Instead of having a conversation, he 479 00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:27,399 Speaker 3: broke down started telling me I was the best thing 480 00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:30,560 Speaker 3: he's ever had, and that he has issues that he 481 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:33,800 Speaker 3: can't even begin to explain, and that he doesn't want 482 00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:36,040 Speaker 3: to lose me. By the way, you will never lose 483 00:23:36,119 --> 00:23:39,600 Speaker 3: us if you join us on your favorite podcast platform. 484 00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:42,080 Speaker 3: Just search up Okay Storytime and what will be either. 485 00:23:41,920 --> 00:23:44,439 Speaker 4: Dakota forty eight days later and you will have listened 486 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:48,440 Speaker 4: to the entire Okay Storytime catalog. However, that's forty eight 487 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:50,960 Speaker 4: consecutive days, non stop. 488 00:23:51,240 --> 00:23:55,080 Speaker 3: Anyways, back to the story. After you see one red flag, 489 00:23:55,119 --> 00:23:58,440 Speaker 3: it seems like there's a a pile of them. How 490 00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:00,280 Speaker 3: big does one red flag need to be in order 491 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:01,280 Speaker 3: to see all the small ones. 492 00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:04,520 Speaker 4: It's not even that this is necessarily the biggest red 493 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:07,200 Speaker 4: flag ever, it's just more like such a telling indicator 494 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:09,400 Speaker 4: that like, well, this isn't a person who you want. 495 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:10,160 Speaker 1: To be in a relationship with. 496 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:13,359 Speaker 4: He's insecure about your brother, and it's more like just 497 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:16,800 Speaker 4: like on the basis like principle that he is a man, 498 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:21,440 Speaker 4: that's ridiculous, and now for him to be like, well, 499 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:23,199 Speaker 4: it's like I have all this stuff and all this 500 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:26,360 Speaker 4: these things that these problems that you can't even begin 501 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:28,320 Speaker 4: to understand. It's like, yeah, I can't understand because you're 502 00:24:28,320 --> 00:24:30,280 Speaker 4: not gonna talk to me about it. So if you're 503 00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:33,080 Speaker 4: literally not gonna say anything, if you're not going to 504 00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:36,640 Speaker 4: explain yourself whatsoever, then there's no way forward. Even if 505 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:39,439 Speaker 4: you do explain yourself, OPI still has the right to 506 00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:41,720 Speaker 4: be like, all right, well, it's nice to know at 507 00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:43,840 Speaker 4: least where your head's at. However, I don't think I 508 00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:46,600 Speaker 4: can be with you still. So it's all up to 509 00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:49,200 Speaker 4: this guy on whether or not he wants to even 510 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:51,920 Speaker 4: try to be honest. But if I were OP, I'd 511 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:52,439 Speaker 4: be done. 512 00:24:52,560 --> 00:24:54,480 Speaker 3: I'd be out of there, girl. But we got the 513 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:57,080 Speaker 3: end of the story right here now. I'm sorry if 514 00:24:57,119 --> 00:24:59,240 Speaker 3: this is the part that makes me seem like a witch, 515 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:02,800 Speaker 3: but it wasn't the answer I wanted or deserved, not 516 00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:05,320 Speaker 3: when I've been the one rolling over and giving him 517 00:25:05,359 --> 00:25:08,159 Speaker 3: whatever throughout our entire relationship. So I told him that 518 00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:10,160 Speaker 3: it was best if we didn't see each other anymore, 519 00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:13,040 Speaker 3: that he should leave my apartment because he was about 520 00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:13,720 Speaker 3: to love bomb you. 521 00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:14,320 Speaker 1: Here we go. 522 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:16,040 Speaker 3: This is gonna make some people mad. Yes, let me 523 00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:18,840 Speaker 3: man up and talk to you about my issues. Yeah, 524 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 3: if you have something like that, great, But it seems 525 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:23,840 Speaker 3: like it was about to become a cycle. 526 00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:25,520 Speaker 1: To OP being like, it's not the answer I wanted. 527 00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:27,920 Speaker 4: Op, you didn't get one. You literally didn't even get 528 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:30,840 Speaker 4: an answer. You got an excuse, which is I've got 529 00:25:30,880 --> 00:25:33,760 Speaker 4: so many problems. Knock, knock, who's there. Oh, it's the 530 00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:38,879 Speaker 4: universal human experience. Everyone has a lot of problems. Everyone 531 00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:41,760 Speaker 4: deals with them every day. Like, if you're in a 532 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:45,640 Speaker 4: like partnership with somebody, that's someone you can tell your 533 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:49,960 Speaker 4: problems too. If there's real vulnerability and openness here, there 534 00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:52,800 Speaker 4: is a path forward. However, it doesn't feel like this 535 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:55,560 Speaker 4: guy is gonna do that at all, And it feels 536 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:58,560 Speaker 4: like he said that probably as a cheap attempt to 537 00:25:58,600 --> 00:26:01,639 Speaker 4: try to manipulate OP into just being like, oh, well, 538 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:02,359 Speaker 4: he's got problem. 539 00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:05,159 Speaker 3: He left and spent almost two hours just sitting in 540 00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:07,760 Speaker 3: his car in front of my place before leaving when 541 00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:10,400 Speaker 3: it was close to midnight. So yeah, we woke up. 542 00:26:10,640 --> 00:26:14,800 Speaker 3: I feel more saddened than relieves, hoping I don't do 543 00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:18,399 Speaker 3: something stupid like waist down him or call him over 544 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:21,640 Speaker 3: because I'm lonely or something like that. But yeah, we're 545 00:26:21,680 --> 00:26:24,719 Speaker 3: not together anymore. It sucks, but it had to be done. 546 00:26:24,840 --> 00:26:26,800 Speaker 3: I think it's the best. 547 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:28,640 Speaker 1: Hey, it's Sam, your og host. 548 00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:28,840 Speaker 8: Here. 549 00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:30,400 Speaker 4: We're gonna get back to the stories, but here's three 550 00:26:30,440 --> 00:26:32,040 Speaker 4: minutes of ads from our sponsors. 551 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:36,400 Speaker 1: My daughter had an accident while playing with my husband, 552 00:26:36,760 --> 00:26:41,800 Speaker 1: but he refuses to apologize. And guys, this is a direct. 553 00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:46,600 Speaker 4: Okay storytime story came from one of you, So sorry 554 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:47,520 Speaker 4: for the long post. 555 00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:51,040 Speaker 1: It is a long bumpy ride, so buckle up. 556 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:54,280 Speaker 4: I am Sally thirty nine female and my partner John, 557 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:57,320 Speaker 4: thirty seven male. We were in the kitchen hanging out 558 00:26:57,320 --> 00:27:01,080 Speaker 4: with our daughter Sandra female eleven and his eldest and 559 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:05,760 Speaker 4: my stepdaughter Lily female seventeen. These are all fake names, 560 00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:09,520 Speaker 4: by the way. This comes from user trick Enthusiasm fifty 561 00:27:09,560 --> 00:27:12,920 Speaker 4: eight eighteen and if you want to submit your stories, 562 00:27:13,080 --> 00:27:17,520 Speaker 4: go to the r slash Okay storytime subreddit. So Sandra 563 00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:20,920 Speaker 4: and John were horsing around and Sandra tried to get 564 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:24,760 Speaker 4: past him. He blocked her path. In the process of 565 00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:29,399 Speaker 4: him blocking her way, Sandra's hip got slammed into the counter. 566 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:31,760 Speaker 1: She was hurt and upset. 567 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:34,520 Speaker 4: She ran from the room and I was worried, and 568 00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:36,840 Speaker 4: I went to check on her with a gel ice 569 00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:40,120 Speaker 4: pack for her hip. It looked to me that John 570 00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:42,119 Speaker 4: bumped into her with his hip when she tried to 571 00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:45,760 Speaker 4: get by. Sandra also felt him push her with his hip. 572 00:27:46,119 --> 00:27:48,639 Speaker 4: She was angry at him, and I asked her what 573 00:27:48,760 --> 00:27:51,080 Speaker 4: it would take to make her feel better about the situation. 574 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:55,840 Speaker 4: She jokingly said, I want to get back at daddy. 575 00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:59,600 Speaker 4: So I said, okay, let's go. So we ran in 576 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:02,720 Speaker 4: there so she could see me. You get her revenge, 577 00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:05,840 Speaker 4: so to speak. I ran up to John and told 578 00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:07,720 Speaker 4: him I got to give him the old one two 579 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:12,240 Speaker 4: for Sandra because he bumped into her and she got hurt. 580 00:28:12,440 --> 00:28:15,720 Speaker 4: I barely gave him just the weakest little tap on 581 00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:19,720 Speaker 4: his left pectoral muscle. I whispered to him, sorry, I 582 00:28:19,880 --> 00:28:21,959 Speaker 4: was just trying to cheer her up and joke her 583 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:24,639 Speaker 4: out of being mad at you. He said, it's fine, 584 00:28:24,960 --> 00:28:28,359 Speaker 4: it didn't hurt. I told John that if he just apologized, 585 00:28:28,440 --> 00:28:31,000 Speaker 4: she would feel better about the situation and it could 586 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:31,720 Speaker 4: be resolved. 587 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:32,639 Speaker 1: But he made. 588 00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:37,080 Speaker 4: Excuses and said everything except I'm sorry I hurt you. 589 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:42,120 Speaker 3: Interesting just a little humility would go a long way here, John. 590 00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:46,560 Speaker 4: Maybe he has demand avoidance. He instead played the victim 591 00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:49,640 Speaker 4: and blamed Sandra bold move. Let's see if that one 592 00:28:49,680 --> 00:28:52,960 Speaker 4: pays off. I got angry and raised my voice. I 593 00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:55,720 Speaker 4: will admit that I have a temper and I do 594 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:58,320 Speaker 4: tend to raise my voice when I get angry. I 595 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:01,680 Speaker 4: said that all he has to say is sorry, without 596 00:29:02,080 --> 00:29:04,760 Speaker 4: all the excuses. We know it was just an accident 597 00:29:04,800 --> 00:29:06,960 Speaker 4: and there was no ill intent on his part, but 598 00:29:07,120 --> 00:29:09,560 Speaker 4: he is the adult and needs to show the kids 599 00:29:09,720 --> 00:29:12,600 Speaker 4: that he can take accountability for his part in the accident, 600 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:17,080 Speaker 4: especially since she is the kid and she got hurt. 601 00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:19,960 Speaker 4: He just argued with me that he did nothing wrong 602 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:22,280 Speaker 4: and if she didn't try to leave, she wouldn't have 603 00:29:22,320 --> 00:29:24,840 Speaker 4: gotten hurt. I argued that if he didn't block her 604 00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:27,800 Speaker 4: way when she tried to leave, she would have been fine. 605 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:30,640 Speaker 4: He keeps bringing it back up again when other things happen. 606 00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:33,560 Speaker 4: Him and I were playing and I gave him a 607 00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:36,800 Speaker 4: little smack with the oven mitt he blocked and hurt 608 00:29:36,840 --> 00:29:39,400 Speaker 4: his pinky in the process. He made a not so 609 00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:42,880 Speaker 4: subtle comment about how he isn't mad and other people 610 00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:46,120 Speaker 4: should act like him when they get hurt and it's 611 00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:48,400 Speaker 4: no one's fault. I told him The difference is I 612 00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:51,680 Speaker 4: was apologizing to him and getting him ice for his fingers. 613 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:55,120 Speaker 4: Though I did say he shouldn't have blocked because he 614 00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:57,840 Speaker 4: wouldn't have hurt his finger. I also pointed out that 615 00:29:57,880 --> 00:30:00,239 Speaker 4: we were both adults and Sandra is a kid and 616 00:30:00,280 --> 00:30:03,000 Speaker 4: she got hurt. That's the point right there that I'm like, 617 00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:03,720 Speaker 4: where's your brain? 618 00:30:03,840 --> 00:30:05,400 Speaker 3: I don't know if he knows how to bother. 619 00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:08,320 Speaker 1: This feels like more like an interaction between siblings. 620 00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:10,800 Speaker 4: You're right, he's acting like instead of like a dad, 621 00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:12,680 Speaker 4: he's acting I like, it's like an older brother where 622 00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:13,360 Speaker 4: it's like, well. 623 00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:14,920 Speaker 1: No, uh, she want to got hurt or she didn't 624 00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:16,840 Speaker 1: try to leave, and it's like, that's not really what 625 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:17,320 Speaker 1: it's about. 626 00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:20,720 Speaker 4: It's just about making sure she's fine doing the adult 627 00:30:20,840 --> 00:30:23,840 Speaker 4: thing and just going, oh, sorry, is your hip okay? 628 00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:25,920 Speaker 1: And then she'll go yeah, it's okay, and you go 629 00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:28,200 Speaker 1: all right, well we're okay. Right. 630 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:30,280 Speaker 4: That's all that's all we were looking for here, At 631 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:35,480 Speaker 4: least that's my sense. He said that Lily the older daughter, 632 00:30:35,720 --> 00:30:38,440 Speaker 4: So he said Lily saw it too and took his 633 00:30:38,680 --> 00:30:41,560 Speaker 4: side and didn't understand why I was mad at him. 634 00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:43,440 Speaker 1: She didn't see him bump into her. 635 00:30:43,520 --> 00:30:45,560 Speaker 4: She never said that to me or when I was 636 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:48,800 Speaker 4: in the room, so who knows what's true. I argued 637 00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:51,160 Speaker 4: that I was closer and saw it from a different angle, 638 00:30:51,200 --> 00:30:54,840 Speaker 4: and that Sandra felt him bump into her. Sandra is okay, 639 00:30:54,880 --> 00:30:56,520 Speaker 4: by the way, it was just a scrape, but it 640 00:30:56,560 --> 00:31:00,120 Speaker 4: made bruise. This just happened last night, so I'm not sure. 641 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:03,600 Speaker 4: I'm no serious injuries though, the issue is that it 642 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:07,080 Speaker 4: hurt more than her hip his reaction hurt her feelings. Yeah, 643 00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:10,520 Speaker 4: that's the real problem here is It's like, why are 644 00:31:10,560 --> 00:31:16,120 Speaker 4: we trying to like blame the eleven year old child 645 00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:19,280 Speaker 4: when you hip checked her. You clearly hip checked her 646 00:31:19,520 --> 00:31:21,760 Speaker 4: for maybe like running through the kitchen or something, and 647 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:24,600 Speaker 4: we're trying to invalidate her. You're just trying to avoid 648 00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:28,200 Speaker 4: any and all accountability or blame for the situation, which 649 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:31,280 Speaker 4: is making it worse. My guy could have been very 650 00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:33,680 Speaker 4: quick in and out, super fast, and now we're done 651 00:31:33,800 --> 00:31:34,800 Speaker 4: moving on with our lives. 652 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:40,280 Speaker 1: John is much harder on Sandra than the other two kids. 653 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:42,680 Speaker 4: We also have a son together, a six year old 654 00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:46,080 Speaker 4: named Jack, who is on the autism spectrum. John treats 655 00:31:46,080 --> 00:31:48,560 Speaker 4: Sandra like he doesn't like her as much as the 656 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:51,240 Speaker 4: other two kids. He's been more distant with me since 657 00:31:51,240 --> 00:31:54,560 Speaker 4: Sandra was born. He struggled for a few years after 658 00:31:54,600 --> 00:31:57,920 Speaker 4: she was born and was not around much during that time. 659 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:00,480 Speaker 4: I feel like he missed out on the best age 660 00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:02,840 Speaker 4: for bonding with her, which would be zero to five 661 00:32:02,920 --> 00:32:05,600 Speaker 4: years old. We moved when she was ten months old, 662 00:32:05,720 --> 00:32:07,960 Speaker 4: and he was feeling a lot of pressure in financial 663 00:32:08,040 --> 00:32:11,880 Speaker 4: stress at that time. I think Sandra believes he wanted 664 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:14,239 Speaker 4: a son and was disappointed when she turned out to 665 00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:17,120 Speaker 4: be a girl, and I honestly kind of agree. He 666 00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:20,200 Speaker 4: rarely tries to spend time with her, and when he does, 667 00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:23,160 Speaker 4: he's usually mean to her. The stars are not aligning 668 00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:25,520 Speaker 4: for you, John, this is not looking good. 669 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:28,040 Speaker 3: You got his son eventually. That's weird. I don't know 670 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:31,600 Speaker 3: if I can ever understand that, because my first kid, 671 00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:33,040 Speaker 3: I would love for it to be a girl. But 672 00:32:33,080 --> 00:32:35,840 Speaker 3: if it comes a boy, I'm not gonna be like, oh. 673 00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:38,440 Speaker 2: No, I'm just happy to have a son or a daughter. 674 00:32:38,560 --> 00:32:41,760 Speaker 4: If you're not ready for either of the options, then 675 00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:44,160 Speaker 4: don't have a kid. It's that simple, like, come on, 676 00:32:44,560 --> 00:32:47,320 Speaker 4: what are we doing. He rarely tries to spend time 677 00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:50,520 Speaker 4: with Sandra, and when he does, he's usually mean to her. 678 00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:53,400 Speaker 1: I've tried to bridge the gap, but to no avail. 679 00:32:53,800 --> 00:32:56,600 Speaker 1: His behavior towards her has affected her mental health in 680 00:32:56,600 --> 00:32:59,280 Speaker 1: a negative way. I have told him this, and he 681 00:32:59,360 --> 00:33:02,000 Speaker 1: doesn't listen to me and often refuses to talk to 682 00:33:02,040 --> 00:33:05,280 Speaker 1: me about it or blames her because of her bad attitude. 683 00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:06,720 Speaker 1: But she is the child. 684 00:33:07,080 --> 00:33:09,040 Speaker 4: He is supposed to be the one that shows her 685 00:33:09,360 --> 00:33:14,160 Speaker 4: that he loves her, not the other way around. Right, yes, correct, 686 00:33:14,320 --> 00:33:17,360 Speaker 4: you're arguing like you're on even footing with an eleven 687 00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:19,080 Speaker 4: year old girl who is your daughter? 688 00:33:19,320 --> 00:33:22,760 Speaker 3: Crazy conspiracy theory. May not think it's his kid. 689 00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:25,800 Speaker 4: Oh he's gonna say, I was gone a lot, I 690 00:33:25,920 --> 00:33:29,280 Speaker 4: was at the office. Meanwhile, you had a little baby 691 00:33:29,520 --> 00:33:32,480 Speaker 4: I don't think is mine. If that really is, like 692 00:33:32,560 --> 00:33:35,480 Speaker 4: you're you can't deal with like having a daughter or 693 00:33:35,480 --> 00:33:35,960 Speaker 4: having a son. 694 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:39,080 Speaker 1: You only want one. Go adopt, adopt. 695 00:33:39,240 --> 00:33:43,040 Speaker 4: That's how you can guarantee that you get exactly what 696 00:33:43,280 --> 00:33:46,320 Speaker 4: you want, like it's a candy store, I guess. But 697 00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:50,040 Speaker 4: come on, guys, anyway, So I feel like he treats 698 00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:53,360 Speaker 4: her badly because she won't kiss his butt and act 699 00:33:53,440 --> 00:33:55,880 Speaker 4: like he's some kind of hero, buttering him up with 700 00:33:55,920 --> 00:33:59,720 Speaker 4: fake praise. I don't either usually, which is why we fight. 701 00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:03,160 Speaker 4: I am abrupt and honest nowadays, and she takes after 702 00:34:03,200 --> 00:34:03,520 Speaker 4: her mother. 703 00:34:03,640 --> 00:34:06,440 Speaker 1: I guess. I love my kids and I want John. 704 00:34:06,240 --> 00:34:08,920 Speaker 4: To see that he is damaging his relationship with her 705 00:34:09,160 --> 00:34:11,680 Speaker 4: and me with his behavior. I want to keep my 706 00:34:11,719 --> 00:34:14,560 Speaker 4: family together, but I sometimes wish I could leave him 707 00:34:14,600 --> 00:34:17,760 Speaker 4: and take the kids. I can't, though I will explain 708 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:20,680 Speaker 4: why before you all scream leave him. You are a 709 00:34:20,760 --> 00:34:23,800 Speaker 4: terrible mother for subjecting these kids to abuse. Just listen 710 00:34:24,080 --> 00:34:26,279 Speaker 4: to my reasoning before you judge me. I have thought 711 00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:28,960 Speaker 4: of nothing else for it many years. I am a 712 00:34:29,040 --> 00:34:32,400 Speaker 4: stay at home mom and we are unmarried. There's no 713 00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:35,200 Speaker 4: common law marriage in my state, and I would leave 714 00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:38,560 Speaker 4: with nothing after supporting him in his career and raising 715 00:34:38,600 --> 00:34:42,920 Speaker 4: his children for fifteen years. I also fear about the 716 00:34:42,920 --> 00:34:45,520 Speaker 4: way the kids would be treated and cared for during 717 00:34:45,560 --> 00:34:48,759 Speaker 4: his time alone with them if we separated. John and 718 00:34:48,800 --> 00:34:52,239 Speaker 4: his parents insisted that we use corporal punishment on the kids, 719 00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:55,759 Speaker 4: and I refused. John's family are firm believers in the 720 00:34:55,800 --> 00:34:59,240 Speaker 4: Bible verse if you spare the rod, you spoil the child. 721 00:34:59,440 --> 00:35:03,280 Speaker 4: I also didn't allow him to get physical with the kids. 722 00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:06,319 Speaker 4: I didn't let his parents babysit at all unless I 723 00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:09,160 Speaker 4: had no choice, because they didn't respect my wishes on 724 00:35:09,200 --> 00:35:10,279 Speaker 4: the no spanking rule. 725 00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:12,080 Speaker 1: I don't believe. 726 00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:16,120 Speaker 4: In using physical punishment to teach kids how to behave. 727 00:35:16,360 --> 00:35:20,480 Speaker 4: I think it reduces their spirit and traumatizes them and 728 00:35:20,600 --> 00:35:25,120 Speaker 4: doesn't teach them anything positive. Big facts. I'm just gonna 729 00:35:25,120 --> 00:35:27,560 Speaker 4: say we're in agreement and move forward. I want to 730 00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:30,720 Speaker 4: keep my family together. The risk of abuse and neglect 731 00:35:30,760 --> 00:35:33,600 Speaker 4: goes up when parents are separated, not to mention other 732 00:35:33,640 --> 00:35:37,160 Speaker 4: things like anxiety and substance abuse. I'm not saying having 733 00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:40,200 Speaker 4: parents stay together and argue often is much better, but 734 00:35:40,239 --> 00:35:43,920 Speaker 4: sometimes life is like voting for a president. Neither choices 735 00:35:43,920 --> 00:35:46,719 Speaker 4: are great or even good options, but you have to 736 00:35:46,719 --> 00:35:49,920 Speaker 4: pick the lesser of two evils. I do still love 737 00:35:50,200 --> 00:35:53,319 Speaker 4: that son of a little witchy man deep down, even 738 00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:55,960 Speaker 4: though I also hate his guts most days. John has 739 00:35:55,960 --> 00:35:59,080 Speaker 4: some good qualities as well. He's not physically abusive, He's 740 00:35:59,080 --> 00:36:02,719 Speaker 4: a good provider, and he spoils us. He does love 741 00:36:02,800 --> 00:36:05,759 Speaker 4: us all, Sandra too, he just has a piss poor 742 00:36:05,760 --> 00:36:08,839 Speaker 4: way of showing it. Sometimes he is good in the 743 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:12,759 Speaker 4: spicy arena, which is what first drew us to each other. 744 00:36:13,200 --> 00:36:16,520 Speaker 4: At first, it was infatuation and a little spicy chemistry. 745 00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:17,800 Speaker 1: He usually gives. 746 00:36:17,560 --> 00:36:19,560 Speaker 4: Into what I want, especially when it comes to the 747 00:36:19,600 --> 00:36:22,000 Speaker 4: kids in the house, which is nice. And by the way, 748 00:36:22,360 --> 00:36:25,560 Speaker 4: another nice thing that you can do is listen to 749 00:36:25,840 --> 00:36:28,160 Speaker 4: full episodes of stories like this. All you gotta do 750 00:36:28,239 --> 00:36:31,160 Speaker 4: is go to Spotify, have a podcast wherever you get 751 00:36:31,160 --> 00:36:33,680 Speaker 4: your podcasts from, and search Okay story time, and there 752 00:36:33,920 --> 00:36:39,040 Speaker 4: you can peruse the plethora of podcasts peculiarities as you wish. 753 00:36:39,120 --> 00:36:41,040 Speaker 4: We do have a little bit of the story left. 754 00:36:41,280 --> 00:36:43,000 Speaker 1: You know, I'm not a lawyer. 755 00:36:43,400 --> 00:36:46,320 Speaker 4: I am not familiar with common law and marriage laws 756 00:36:46,360 --> 00:36:48,560 Speaker 4: and all of this. But it's like it sounds like 757 00:36:49,080 --> 00:36:52,840 Speaker 4: you've really done the math on like what's positive and 758 00:36:52,880 --> 00:36:57,000 Speaker 4: what's negative. I think maybe a conversation with parents, you know, 759 00:36:57,120 --> 00:37:00,840 Speaker 4: if John's parents, anyone who's part of the web, the 760 00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:03,840 Speaker 4: support structure that you have, and if you find yourself 761 00:37:03,880 --> 00:37:07,879 Speaker 4: isolated from like family, like that's like maybe another red 762 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:10,720 Speaker 4: flag there. I know that there's two sides to every coin, 763 00:37:10,800 --> 00:37:13,719 Speaker 4: but it's like, if you really are worried about like abuse, 764 00:37:14,040 --> 00:37:16,319 Speaker 4: like it really doesn't sound like this is a guy 765 00:37:16,400 --> 00:37:19,719 Speaker 4: that you want if that is something that's even a 766 00:37:19,800 --> 00:37:22,359 Speaker 4: consideration where it's like when we got to figure out 767 00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:25,640 Speaker 4: which way is least the least amount of abuse, It's like, 768 00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:26,480 Speaker 4: if there's abuse in. 769 00:37:26,440 --> 00:37:28,839 Speaker 1: Any context, really that's not good. 770 00:37:29,280 --> 00:37:32,880 Speaker 4: So I would figure out what the laws are, figure 771 00:37:32,880 --> 00:37:35,000 Speaker 4: out what kind of rights that he would have to 772 00:37:35,080 --> 00:37:38,200 Speaker 4: the kids divorce. I think, yeah, I think if if 773 00:37:38,239 --> 00:37:41,560 Speaker 4: you're at the point where you're like weighing the different 774 00:37:41,680 --> 00:37:45,880 Speaker 4: sort of variables of like where the most likely source 775 00:37:45,880 --> 00:37:48,040 Speaker 4: of abuse and be coming from, Like if you even 776 00:37:48,080 --> 00:37:50,239 Speaker 4: have to weigh that, I just don't think that's the 777 00:37:50,320 --> 00:37:52,239 Speaker 4: right guy to be with. I don't think that's the 778 00:37:52,640 --> 00:37:54,320 Speaker 4: guy that you want raising your kids. 779 00:37:54,560 --> 00:37:57,239 Speaker 3: I would say therapy in this case, this seems like 780 00:37:57,320 --> 00:38:01,080 Speaker 3: the first case that Obi has been confronted with an 781 00:38:01,080 --> 00:38:03,400 Speaker 3: issue like this. I mean they've probably talked about it before. 782 00:38:03,800 --> 00:38:06,200 Speaker 3: This is the actual, like first case. I'm gonna say, 783 00:38:06,200 --> 00:38:08,560 Speaker 3: go to therapy, see where his head's at, where your 784 00:38:08,600 --> 00:38:11,640 Speaker 3: head's at, and work on a solution together, or that 785 00:38:11,719 --> 00:38:13,480 Speaker 3: it might be best to have this problem apart. 786 00:38:13,680 --> 00:38:17,320 Speaker 4: If there's any doubt at all of their like actual safety. 787 00:38:17,440 --> 00:38:20,759 Speaker 4: That's not a conversation that's like a immediately needing to 788 00:38:20,800 --> 00:38:24,920 Speaker 4: find a way forward without that threat. There is a 789 00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:27,040 Speaker 4: little bit more here, let's finish it off. I am 790 00:38:27,080 --> 00:38:29,680 Speaker 4: also not perfect. I admit that I contribute to the 791 00:38:29,719 --> 00:38:32,960 Speaker 4: toxic dynamic in our relationship. I am easily triggered and 792 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:36,000 Speaker 4: tend to yell when I get angry, but I try 793 00:38:36,040 --> 00:38:39,680 Speaker 4: to at least admit to my failings and apologize when I. 794 00:38:39,520 --> 00:38:40,439 Speaker 1: Am an a hole. 795 00:38:40,840 --> 00:38:45,360 Speaker 4: He almost always refuses to admit any wrongdoing or apologize 796 00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:49,560 Speaker 4: for any of his often awful behavior. Has not a 797 00:38:49,560 --> 00:38:52,520 Speaker 4: pretty picture there, op. That is the ugly truth from 798 00:38:52,640 --> 00:38:56,319 Speaker 4: my perspective. Sorry, that was so long. So am I 799 00:38:56,560 --> 00:38:59,480 Speaker 4: the a hole for blaming my partner and asking him 800 00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:01,839 Speaker 4: to apologie eyes when our daughter got hurt while they 801 00:39:01,840 --> 00:39:05,840 Speaker 4: were horsing around in the kitchen in Oh? That spells 802 00:39:06,080 --> 00:39:09,799 Speaker 4: absolutely not. But I do think that this is just 803 00:39:10,200 --> 00:39:14,200 Speaker 4: a sliver, like a little microcosm, in a much larger 804 00:39:14,239 --> 00:39:19,759 Speaker 4: issue overall, which is that y'all's dynamic as partners. Does 805 00:39:19,800 --> 00:39:22,160 Speaker 4: it really seem to be working on all of the 806 00:39:22,239 --> 00:39:23,520 Speaker 4: levels that really matter the most? 807 00:39:23,560 --> 00:39:23,919 Speaker 3: Right now? 808 00:39:24,960 --> 00:39:27,799 Speaker 8: My brother is blocking me from his life because of 809 00:39:27,840 --> 00:39:32,239 Speaker 8: a lie his wife made up about me. Block her there, 810 00:39:32,280 --> 00:39:34,920 Speaker 8: you haven't just block her. I Female thirty eight, am 811 00:39:34,960 --> 00:39:38,120 Speaker 8: no longer in contact with my brother, male thirty I 812 00:39:38,160 --> 00:39:41,280 Speaker 8: will refer to him as E. Elliott and his now wife, 813 00:39:41,680 --> 00:39:44,840 Speaker 8: female thirty six, whom I'm whom I will refer to 814 00:39:45,120 --> 00:39:48,239 Speaker 8: as s Sally. They met and started seeing each other 815 00:39:48,280 --> 00:39:49,319 Speaker 8: around six years ago. 816 00:39:49,480 --> 00:39:50,319 Speaker 5: They met in a bar and. 817 00:39:50,320 --> 00:39:53,920 Speaker 8: He introduced Sally to the family not long after. Initially 818 00:39:53,920 --> 00:39:56,239 Speaker 8: we got along well. And by the way, this comes 819 00:39:56,239 --> 00:39:58,200 Speaker 8: from you initial meet eight seven to nine. If you 820 00:39:58,200 --> 00:40:00,480 Speaker 8: want to submit your own stories, go to Roka Storytime 821 00:40:00,520 --> 00:40:03,319 Speaker 8: subredd it So. Being eight years older than Elliott, I 822 00:40:03,320 --> 00:40:06,520 Speaker 8: have always had a maternal instinct toward him. I had 823 00:40:06,560 --> 00:40:09,080 Speaker 8: longed for a sibling for many years before he arrived, 824 00:40:09,800 --> 00:40:12,440 Speaker 8: and when I had finally had a brother, excuse me, 825 00:40:12,480 --> 00:40:15,720 Speaker 8: I wanted to do everything for him, bathing, changing, feeding, 826 00:40:15,800 --> 00:40:18,120 Speaker 8: playing with him, and when we were older, babysitting. 827 00:40:18,600 --> 00:40:20,279 Speaker 5: I did it all. I adored him. 828 00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:22,319 Speaker 8: We grew up very close despite the age gap, and 829 00:40:22,320 --> 00:40:24,640 Speaker 8: he would often run things by me, looking for advice 830 00:40:24,680 --> 00:40:26,640 Speaker 8: as he got as he grew older. The first time 831 00:40:26,680 --> 00:40:29,040 Speaker 8: the family met Sally, I welcomed her with open arms 832 00:40:29,040 --> 00:40:31,279 Speaker 8: and made a conscious effort to find common ground with her. 833 00:40:31,440 --> 00:40:34,359 Speaker 8: I genuinely liked her. My aunt and uncle later said 834 00:40:34,360 --> 00:40:36,440 Speaker 8: they found it strange that a woman in her thirties 835 00:40:36,480 --> 00:40:38,799 Speaker 8: with her own home, mortgage, car, and a decent job 836 00:40:38,840 --> 00:40:41,319 Speaker 8: wouldn't entertain the idea of a relationship with a twenty 837 00:40:41,360 --> 00:40:43,640 Speaker 8: four year old man living at home with his mother 838 00:40:43,920 --> 00:40:46,560 Speaker 8: with no driver's license, no car, and a minimum wag 839 00:40:46,960 --> 00:40:50,200 Speaker 8: part time job. So I honestly hadn't considered this, but 840 00:40:50,239 --> 00:40:53,000 Speaker 8: it made me a little wary. A few months later, 841 00:40:53,040 --> 00:40:56,040 Speaker 8: Elliott and Sally announced that they were expecting a baby together. 842 00:40:56,560 --> 00:40:59,440 Speaker 8: This is when other family members began speculating that Sally 843 00:40:59,560 --> 00:41:02,040 Speaker 8: was using him to have a baby. I thought this 844 00:41:02,120 --> 00:41:04,600 Speaker 8: was slightly unfair because I liked her, but this accusation 845 00:41:04,719 --> 00:41:06,960 Speaker 8: stayed in the back of my mind. From then on, 846 00:41:07,040 --> 00:41:10,319 Speaker 8: I was very much looking out for signs of something being. 847 00:41:10,160 --> 00:41:10,840 Speaker 5: Out of place. 848 00:41:11,280 --> 00:41:13,759 Speaker 8: They had a baby, a beautiful baby boy, and we 849 00:41:13,760 --> 00:41:15,799 Speaker 8: were all delighted. I was thrilled to be an aunt 850 00:41:15,840 --> 00:41:17,760 Speaker 8: for the first time, and we made lots of trips 851 00:41:17,800 --> 00:41:20,520 Speaker 8: to visit them in Sally's home, as Elliott had since 852 00:41:20,560 --> 00:41:23,760 Speaker 8: moved in with her about an hour's drive away. For context, 853 00:41:23,760 --> 00:41:26,040 Speaker 8: that would be relevant later. I have three boys myself 854 00:41:26,040 --> 00:41:29,040 Speaker 8: who are much older than Elliott and Sally's baby. As 855 00:41:29,080 --> 00:41:31,759 Speaker 8: I had my children when I was very young. My 856 00:41:31,840 --> 00:41:34,600 Speaker 8: boys had always had a wonderful relationship with Elliott, and 857 00:41:34,600 --> 00:41:36,840 Speaker 8: we were super excited to have a baby cousin. A 858 00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:39,720 Speaker 8: Few months later, after their baby's arrival, Elliott and Sally 859 00:41:39,760 --> 00:41:43,279 Speaker 8: were typical tired first time parents. Sally had arranged to 860 00:41:43,320 --> 00:41:45,600 Speaker 8: go to a spa day with some girlfriends for much 861 00:41:45,760 --> 00:41:48,359 Speaker 8: needed r and R, and Elliott asked if he could 862 00:41:48,360 --> 00:41:49,960 Speaker 8: bring the baby over to my place and spend the 863 00:41:50,040 --> 00:41:52,200 Speaker 8: day there, as he had never been left alone all 864 00:41:52,280 --> 00:41:53,360 Speaker 8: day with the baby before. 865 00:41:54,480 --> 00:41:55,239 Speaker 5: I was super. 866 00:41:54,960 --> 00:41:56,680 Speaker 8: Excited to have the day with my nephew, and my 867 00:41:56,719 --> 00:41:59,440 Speaker 8: boys were thrilled to spend time with their uncle and cousin. 868 00:41:59,600 --> 00:42:02,120 Speaker 8: Elliott arrived and brought the baby inside. The baby was 869 00:42:02,200 --> 00:42:04,400 Speaker 8: very unsettled, and Elliott mentioned that he had been like 870 00:42:04,440 --> 00:42:06,719 Speaker 8: this for several days and that he and Sally were 871 00:42:06,800 --> 00:42:09,879 Speaker 8: unsure why. Being a mother of three myself, I noticed 872 00:42:09,920 --> 00:42:16,120 Speaker 8: straight away that the baby was teething, dribbling, red cheeks, runny, nappy, crying. 873 00:42:16,360 --> 00:42:18,840 Speaker 8: I told Elliot what I thought and suggested some infant 874 00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:22,000 Speaker 8: pain relief suitable for the baby's age. I happened to 875 00:42:22,040 --> 00:42:23,640 Speaker 8: have some in the cupboard and asked if he would 876 00:42:23,680 --> 00:42:26,040 Speaker 8: like to try it. He was unsure and wanted to 877 00:42:26,120 --> 00:42:28,279 Speaker 8: run it by Sally first. He began trying to call 878 00:42:28,320 --> 00:42:30,399 Speaker 8: and text her, but wasn't getting response to to her 879 00:42:30,440 --> 00:42:32,799 Speaker 8: being on a SPA day, having treatments and not having 880 00:42:32,800 --> 00:42:35,360 Speaker 8: her phone on her. After several hours, Elliott said he 881 00:42:35,400 --> 00:42:38,200 Speaker 8: wanted to try the infant pain relief. We gave it 882 00:42:38,239 --> 00:42:40,200 Speaker 8: to the baby and within twenty minutes he was settled 883 00:42:40,320 --> 00:42:41,200 Speaker 8: and smiling. 884 00:42:41,320 --> 00:42:42,799 Speaker 5: Hey, the baby got a SPA day. 885 00:42:43,080 --> 00:42:45,400 Speaker 8: Elliott was so happy because his baby was no longer 886 00:42:45,440 --> 00:42:47,920 Speaker 8: in pain and we had a lovely time playing with 887 00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:50,040 Speaker 8: him before he went for a nap. This is when 888 00:42:50,120 --> 00:42:53,520 Speaker 8: Sally returned Elliot's cause and began freaking out about the 889 00:42:53,560 --> 00:42:57,920 Speaker 8: idea of him being given medicine. Elliott tried to explain 890 00:42:57,960 --> 00:43:00,200 Speaker 8: that it was appropriate for his age, I had had 891 00:43:00,239 --> 00:43:02,800 Speaker 8: worked and that the baby was now happy and settled. 892 00:43:03,080 --> 00:43:05,520 Speaker 8: Sally was still angry, and Elliott began to worry because 893 00:43:05,560 --> 00:43:08,920 Speaker 8: he had upset her. Sally later came by to collect 894 00:43:08,920 --> 00:43:12,600 Speaker 8: Elliott and the baby and was visibly fuming with both 895 00:43:12,600 --> 00:43:15,200 Speaker 8: of us. About an hour later, I received a text 896 00:43:15,239 --> 00:43:17,319 Speaker 8: from Elliott saying that I had no right to give 897 00:43:17,360 --> 00:43:20,560 Speaker 8: his baby medicine. Come on, that Sally was upset and 898 00:43:20,560 --> 00:43:23,200 Speaker 8: that she wanted me to apologize. So I spoke with 899 00:43:23,280 --> 00:43:26,640 Speaker 8: Sally and smooth things over, Although she was clearly still unhappy. 900 00:43:26,719 --> 00:43:27,400 Speaker 5: We moved on. 901 00:43:27,920 --> 00:43:30,000 Speaker 8: So A short time after this, I came across a 902 00:43:30,040 --> 00:43:33,400 Speaker 8: Facebook post created by Sally with photos of their son. Okay, 903 00:43:33,800 --> 00:43:36,520 Speaker 8: I'm nervous where this is going. He looked just like 904 00:43:36,560 --> 00:43:39,080 Speaker 8: an old photo I had of my brother at around 905 00:43:39,080 --> 00:43:41,080 Speaker 8: the same age. I took a picture of the photo 906 00:43:41,440 --> 00:43:44,560 Speaker 8: I had and commented, saying how like they were. Next 907 00:43:44,560 --> 00:43:48,840 Speaker 8: thing I know, I can no longer access Sally's profile. 908 00:43:49,120 --> 00:43:52,239 Speaker 8: I had been blocked. I then received a message from 909 00:43:52,280 --> 00:43:56,160 Speaker 8: Elliott asking me to apologize to Sally for my comment. 910 00:43:56,520 --> 00:43:59,279 Speaker 8: I was baffled and ask him what he meant. He 911 00:43:59,320 --> 00:44:01,719 Speaker 8: explained that one of Sally's friends had commented before me, 912 00:44:01,800 --> 00:44:04,160 Speaker 8: saying how the baby looked like Sally, and that my 913 00:44:04,280 --> 00:44:08,920 Speaker 8: comment and photograph were seen as challenging Sally's friend's opinion. 914 00:44:09,239 --> 00:44:11,680 Speaker 9: Presumably the baby looks like both of them. 915 00:44:11,880 --> 00:44:15,279 Speaker 8: Yeah, boombos, you know I feel like that's such a 916 00:44:15,320 --> 00:44:15,799 Speaker 8: common thing. 917 00:44:15,800 --> 00:44:17,319 Speaker 5: You're going to a party. It's like, oh my god, 918 00:44:17,320 --> 00:44:18,960 Speaker 5: he is your eyes, he is your nose. 919 00:44:19,520 --> 00:44:21,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, Sally was very upset. 920 00:44:21,440 --> 00:44:23,640 Speaker 8: I told my brother that I would not be apologizing, 921 00:44:23,680 --> 00:44:25,640 Speaker 8: that I'd done nothing wrong, and then I was entitled 922 00:44:25,680 --> 00:44:28,320 Speaker 8: to my opinion, and it's also a compliment. 923 00:44:28,440 --> 00:44:29,920 Speaker 5: At the time, I was packing. 924 00:44:29,600 --> 00:44:31,120 Speaker 8: To go in on a holiday on my own with 925 00:44:31,120 --> 00:44:33,080 Speaker 8: three kids, and I was super busy, so I didn't 926 00:44:33,120 --> 00:44:35,800 Speaker 8: have time for unnecessary drama. I went away on holiday 927 00:44:35,800 --> 00:44:37,840 Speaker 8: and didn't think any more of it, expecting everything to 928 00:44:37,840 --> 00:44:39,720 Speaker 8: blow over while we were away. 929 00:44:40,000 --> 00:44:40,440 Speaker 5: It didn't. 930 00:44:40,719 --> 00:44:43,200 Speaker 8: We later met up as a family for my aunt's 931 00:44:43,200 --> 00:44:45,560 Speaker 8: birthday meal at a restaurant. My aunt texted me and 932 00:44:45,600 --> 00:44:47,720 Speaker 8: my brother in advance, explaining that she wanted the family 933 00:44:47,760 --> 00:44:49,480 Speaker 8: to be together and that she did not want any 934 00:44:49,520 --> 00:44:51,680 Speaker 8: issues at the meal. She said that if we did 935 00:44:51,680 --> 00:44:53,759 Speaker 8: not want to speak to one another, that was totally fine, 936 00:44:53,840 --> 00:44:57,360 Speaker 8: so long as no one was nasty or caused a scene. 937 00:44:57,560 --> 00:45:00,279 Speaker 8: I arrived with my three children and so I Ellien 938 00:45:00,360 --> 00:45:02,319 Speaker 8: and Sally already there with their baby. They did not 939 00:45:02,400 --> 00:45:04,759 Speaker 8: make eye contact with me, so I took their lead 940 00:45:04,880 --> 00:45:07,000 Speaker 8: and found the seat of the opposite end of the table. 941 00:45:07,880 --> 00:45:09,839 Speaker 8: My boys went over to them to say hello before 942 00:45:09,880 --> 00:45:11,919 Speaker 8: coming back to sit in near meet. The meal ride 943 00:45:11,920 --> 00:45:14,200 Speaker 8: and everything seemed to be going well. Toward the end 944 00:45:14,239 --> 00:45:16,440 Speaker 8: of the evening, the baby became restless, so they took 945 00:45:16,520 --> 00:45:19,000 Speaker 8: him out of his pushchair. We all took turns holding him, 946 00:45:19,040 --> 00:45:21,600 Speaker 8: passing him along the table for cuddles, or bouncing him 947 00:45:21,600 --> 00:45:24,279 Speaker 8: on our knees. I took my turn, enjoyed some time 948 00:45:24,280 --> 00:45:25,840 Speaker 8: with my nephew and managed to get a photo of 949 00:45:25,880 --> 00:45:26,560 Speaker 8: myself with him. 950 00:45:26,920 --> 00:45:28,360 Speaker 5: Now fond memory for me. 951 00:45:28,440 --> 00:45:29,440 Speaker 1: Oh, they're gonna hate that. 952 00:45:29,680 --> 00:45:32,360 Speaker 5: They yeah. 953 00:45:32,520 --> 00:45:34,239 Speaker 8: After the meal, once we were back home, I got 954 00:45:34,239 --> 00:45:36,279 Speaker 8: another text for my brother. What do you think he's 955 00:45:36,320 --> 00:45:37,040 Speaker 8: gonna be mad about? 956 00:45:37,120 --> 00:45:40,160 Speaker 9: He's gonna say, I can't believe that you took a 957 00:45:40,200 --> 00:45:42,880 Speaker 9: photo of getting our child without our permission. 958 00:45:43,400 --> 00:45:45,239 Speaker 8: After the meal, once we were back home, I got 959 00:45:45,280 --> 00:45:48,400 Speaker 8: another text my brother complaining that I had the opposite 960 00:45:48,640 --> 00:45:52,160 Speaker 8: ignored their baby. I told him that this was not 961 00:45:52,200 --> 00:45:54,080 Speaker 8: true and set him the photo of the baby on 962 00:45:54,120 --> 00:45:56,880 Speaker 8: my knee. He responded by asking me to leave the 963 00:45:57,000 --> 00:46:00,840 Speaker 8: phone I did not have for miss in the photograph. 964 00:46:00,880 --> 00:46:02,359 Speaker 5: His son got it. 965 00:46:02,560 --> 00:46:05,000 Speaker 9: Nailed it, nail it, but it's. 966 00:46:05,200 --> 00:46:06,360 Speaker 5: How is he mad at both? 967 00:46:06,440 --> 00:46:08,200 Speaker 1: He's like no, but I think that was like a 968 00:46:08,280 --> 00:46:08,839 Speaker 1: bad brother. 969 00:46:09,120 --> 00:46:11,279 Speaker 9: He was like, how dare you ignore my child? I 970 00:46:11,360 --> 00:46:13,359 Speaker 9: know he was like I didn't. Here's proof, and he's like. 971 00:46:13,360 --> 00:46:14,120 Speaker 1: Gotcha all right. 972 00:46:14,160 --> 00:46:17,400 Speaker 8: The month after this incident, it was my brother's birthday 973 00:46:17,719 --> 00:46:20,640 Speaker 8: and my mom, myself, and my boys were invited over 974 00:46:20,760 --> 00:46:22,960 Speaker 8: to the house for a takeaway. I saw this as 975 00:46:22,960 --> 00:46:24,640 Speaker 8: an olive branch and decided it would be a good 976 00:46:24,680 --> 00:46:26,799 Speaker 8: idea to go and try to clear the air. Don't 977 00:46:26,840 --> 00:46:29,279 Speaker 8: look the baby, but don't ignore the baby. But don't 978 00:46:29,320 --> 00:46:31,239 Speaker 8: take a photo of the baby. But make sure you 979 00:46:31,400 --> 00:46:34,440 Speaker 8: do photograph the baby. But if the baby is in pain, 980 00:46:34,640 --> 00:46:36,640 Speaker 8: make sure to help it. But if you help it wrong, 981 00:46:36,960 --> 00:46:37,920 Speaker 8: you're in the wrong. 982 00:46:38,239 --> 00:46:41,800 Speaker 2: It's all about balance, and that's called motherhood. 983 00:46:41,920 --> 00:46:43,960 Speaker 8: When we arrived, Ellie answered the door and told us 984 00:46:43,960 --> 00:46:45,919 Speaker 8: that Sally was upstairs with a friend that she would 985 00:46:45,920 --> 00:46:47,760 Speaker 8: be down a bit later. He gave us the takeaway 986 00:46:47,800 --> 00:46:50,280 Speaker 8: menu and left us alone downstairs. Well, he went upstairs 987 00:46:50,320 --> 00:46:52,399 Speaker 8: with Sally and her friend. It was weird and there 988 00:46:52,440 --> 00:46:54,880 Speaker 8: was definitely an atmosphere. We looked at the menu, decided 989 00:46:54,920 --> 00:46:56,799 Speaker 8: what we wanted to order. My brother came back down 990 00:46:56,840 --> 00:46:59,399 Speaker 8: sometime later and said, how dare you order something? Though, 991 00:47:00,000 --> 00:47:01,920 Speaker 8: and ordered the food, deciding to pick it up rather 992 00:47:02,000 --> 00:47:03,640 Speaker 8: than having it delivered since it was only a ten 993 00:47:03,680 --> 00:47:06,520 Speaker 8: minute walk away. My eldest son asked if he could 994 00:47:06,520 --> 00:47:08,319 Speaker 8: go with my brother to collect the food, and they 995 00:47:08,360 --> 00:47:10,920 Speaker 8: both set off together, leaving myself, me, Mum, and my 996 00:47:11,000 --> 00:47:15,080 Speaker 8: two younger brothers on our own downstores downstairs, and Sally 997 00:47:15,160 --> 00:47:17,840 Speaker 8: still hadn't come downstairs. We went into the kitchen to 998 00:47:17,840 --> 00:47:20,640 Speaker 8: prepare plates, glasses, and cutlery for when Elliott and my 999 00:47:20,680 --> 00:47:24,160 Speaker 8: son returned with the food. When they arrived, Sally and 1000 00:47:24,200 --> 00:47:25,880 Speaker 8: her friend came into the kitchen and played up their 1001 00:47:25,920 --> 00:47:28,319 Speaker 8: food while we were plating up ours. Neither of them 1002 00:47:28,360 --> 00:47:31,440 Speaker 8: said anything to any of us, and it was really awkward. 1003 00:47:31,960 --> 00:47:33,600 Speaker 8: I asked my brother where he would like us to 1004 00:47:33,640 --> 00:47:35,560 Speaker 8: sit to eat, because there was a small table in 1005 00:47:35,600 --> 00:47:37,759 Speaker 8: the kitchen big enough to see four people, but there 1006 00:47:37,760 --> 00:47:39,520 Speaker 8: were eight of us. He told us to go and 1007 00:47:39,600 --> 00:47:42,120 Speaker 8: sit in the living room, so we did. My mom, 1008 00:47:42,200 --> 00:47:43,880 Speaker 8: my three boys, and I sat with our food in 1009 00:47:43,920 --> 00:47:45,960 Speaker 8: our laps, and my brother joined us, but Sally and 1010 00:47:45,960 --> 00:47:48,560 Speaker 8: our friend remained in the kitchen. After we finished eating, 1011 00:47:48,560 --> 00:47:51,080 Speaker 8: I made our excuses and left because the atmosphere was 1012 00:47:51,120 --> 00:47:52,239 Speaker 8: too uncomfortable to bear. 1013 00:47:52,760 --> 00:47:54,960 Speaker 5: When we get home, I received. 1014 00:47:54,640 --> 00:47:56,560 Speaker 8: A message from my brother saying that Sally had told 1015 00:47:56,640 --> 00:47:58,280 Speaker 8: him that while he and my son were out collecting 1016 00:47:58,320 --> 00:48:00,680 Speaker 8: the food, she had came downstairs and said hello to me, 1017 00:48:01,120 --> 00:48:02,359 Speaker 8: and that I had ignored her. 1018 00:48:02,440 --> 00:48:04,880 Speaker 5: She was upstairs the whole time, but then she came. 1019 00:48:05,480 --> 00:48:07,520 Speaker 9: Oh, I went directly to the kitchen. 1020 00:48:07,280 --> 00:48:12,759 Speaker 8: And then said specifically didn't say anything, so she'd lied ma. 1021 00:48:13,239 --> 00:48:16,200 Speaker 8: I responded telling him this was untrue, and then called 1022 00:48:16,400 --> 00:48:18,680 Speaker 8: my mom to clarify that I hadn't gotten it wrong. 1023 00:48:18,719 --> 00:48:20,920 Speaker 8: I was seriously starting to doubt my own sanity at 1024 00:48:20,920 --> 00:48:23,160 Speaker 8: this point. My mom agreed with me and called my 1025 00:48:23,200 --> 00:48:25,040 Speaker 8: brother to tell him that Sally was What Sally was 1026 00:48:25,080 --> 00:48:27,720 Speaker 8: saying was untrue. He told her that he believed Sally 1027 00:48:28,200 --> 00:48:29,839 Speaker 8: that her friend was backing. 1028 00:48:29,480 --> 00:48:31,520 Speaker 5: Her up, and that Sally was not a liar. 1029 00:48:31,640 --> 00:48:34,520 Speaker 8: But my mom called me back and said there wasn't 1030 00:48:34,600 --> 00:48:36,600 Speaker 8: much more she could do because she was worried that 1031 00:48:36,719 --> 00:48:39,400 Speaker 8: she kept telling e or Elliott that Sally was lying. 1032 00:48:39,520 --> 00:48:41,719 Speaker 5: She might not be able to have contact with her grandson. 1033 00:48:41,840 --> 00:48:45,840 Speaker 9: Okay, but what about Opie's like children. I mean, it 1034 00:48:45,960 --> 00:48:49,520 Speaker 9: just seems like she's like, oh yeah, Ohpi, will you know, 1035 00:48:49,680 --> 00:48:52,319 Speaker 9: let us walk all over her so it doesn't matter 1036 00:48:52,320 --> 00:48:53,319 Speaker 9: if I don't defend her. 1037 00:48:54,239 --> 00:48:57,000 Speaker 8: You could only say so much to be like this 1038 00:48:57,040 --> 00:49:00,919 Speaker 8: didn't happen, and then at some point, you know, you're 1039 00:49:00,960 --> 00:49:04,439 Speaker 8: just gonna be hurting the relationship and is a mother, 1040 00:49:04,600 --> 00:49:05,440 Speaker 8: like what else can you do? 1041 00:49:06,560 --> 00:49:09,240 Speaker 5: That's frustrating though, Yeah, it's super frustrating. This whole situation 1042 00:49:09,320 --> 00:49:10,040 Speaker 5: is very frustrating. 1043 00:49:10,200 --> 00:49:12,120 Speaker 8: Then I received a message from Elliott saying that I 1044 00:49:12,200 --> 00:49:15,800 Speaker 8: was no longer allowed any contact with my nephew. 1045 00:49:15,880 --> 00:49:16,480 Speaker 1: Ridiculous. 1046 00:49:16,640 --> 00:49:18,000 Speaker 5: This is so sad. 1047 00:49:18,680 --> 00:49:20,959 Speaker 8: A few days later, I had email from my dad, 1048 00:49:21,000 --> 00:49:23,760 Speaker 8: who had up until this point not been too evolved 1049 00:49:23,800 --> 00:49:26,319 Speaker 8: in the situation. He and my mom divorced over twenty 1050 00:49:26,400 --> 00:49:28,000 Speaker 8: years ago and is not local to the rest of 1051 00:49:28,040 --> 00:49:29,959 Speaker 8: the family. He and I are close, and he wanted 1052 00:49:29,960 --> 00:49:31,759 Speaker 8: to give me a fair warning of the storm that. 1053 00:49:31,800 --> 00:49:34,200 Speaker 5: Was brewing it could brew even more. 1054 00:49:34,880 --> 00:49:37,239 Speaker 8: He formed me a letter that Sally had emailed to 1055 00:49:37,280 --> 00:49:42,200 Speaker 8: the entire family Dude, Dad's looking out for op, mom, dad, auntie, uncle, 1056 00:49:42,280 --> 00:49:46,560 Speaker 8: and grandma. A four page war document listing everything that 1057 00:49:46,600 --> 00:49:51,640 Speaker 8: I had supposedly done wrong to herself, Elliott and their baby, 1058 00:49:51,920 --> 00:49:53,520 Speaker 8: and they're all lies according to. 1059 00:49:53,560 --> 00:49:56,040 Speaker 9: Open and they're all lies. 1060 00:49:55,320 --> 00:49:59,040 Speaker 8: All from the perspective of a lunatic. I called each 1061 00:49:59,080 --> 00:50:00,919 Speaker 8: of my family members and asked them what they thought 1062 00:50:00,960 --> 00:50:02,880 Speaker 8: on the email. They all said they would be standing 1063 00:50:02,920 --> 00:50:05,520 Speaker 8: by me, but did not want to be the one 1064 00:50:05,520 --> 00:50:08,240 Speaker 8: to respond to defend me, as they were all concerned 1065 00:50:08,280 --> 00:50:11,080 Speaker 8: about their relationship with Elliott and the baby. She had 1066 00:50:11,440 --> 00:50:14,200 Speaker 8: been threatening everyone with this prospect of not being involved 1067 00:50:14,200 --> 00:50:17,440 Speaker 8: in the baby's life. Should anyone challenge her, Yeah, at 1068 00:50:17,440 --> 00:50:19,920 Speaker 8: that point, as a family, I would be like no, 1069 00:50:20,320 --> 00:50:22,040 Speaker 8: as OPI I would expect that. 1070 00:50:22,080 --> 00:50:24,040 Speaker 5: I don't want to be upset if my family is. 1071 00:50:24,080 --> 00:50:26,440 Speaker 8: If you say it up and out of fear of 1072 00:50:26,480 --> 00:50:29,360 Speaker 8: them being kicked out, they're just gonna be complicit in 1073 00:50:29,520 --> 00:50:33,239 Speaker 8: me being mislabeled, lied about, and kicked out of a 1074 00:50:33,280 --> 00:50:34,560 Speaker 8: relationship with my nephew. 1075 00:50:34,640 --> 00:50:37,239 Speaker 5: I would be furious of my family me too. My 1076 00:50:37,360 --> 00:50:38,360 Speaker 5: dad therefore took. 1077 00:50:38,200 --> 00:50:42,440 Speaker 8: The lead and replied on behalf of the whole family, 1078 00:50:42,480 --> 00:50:44,400 Speaker 8: saying that this would not be tolerated. 1079 00:50:45,239 --> 00:50:46,560 Speaker 5: No one had a response to this. 1080 00:50:47,239 --> 00:50:50,640 Speaker 8: About a month later, Elliott and Sally out wedding sent 1081 00:50:50,680 --> 00:50:52,520 Speaker 8: out wedding invitations. 1082 00:50:52,520 --> 00:50:55,360 Speaker 5: They had got toen engaged. Damn that sucks. 1083 00:50:56,200 --> 00:50:59,600 Speaker 8: The whole family was invited, including my children, all except 1084 00:50:59,640 --> 00:51:02,960 Speaker 8: me and my dad. You're gonna invite the children and 1085 00:51:03,040 --> 00:51:05,879 Speaker 8: not their own, freaking mom, I replied on about half 1086 00:51:05,920 --> 00:51:08,520 Speaker 8: of my children, stating they would not be attending. But 1087 00:51:08,640 --> 00:51:10,920 Speaker 8: this was really difficult because they were old enough to 1088 00:51:10,960 --> 00:51:12,799 Speaker 8: know that they had been invited and were missing out. 1089 00:51:13,040 --> 00:51:16,000 Speaker 8: My mom offered to take them with her, but I declined. 1090 00:51:16,040 --> 00:51:18,960 Speaker 8: I felt enough was enough. This was the final straw. 1091 00:51:19,040 --> 00:51:21,960 Speaker 8: The wedding day came and went. My mom, Auntie, uncle, 1092 00:51:22,000 --> 00:51:25,680 Speaker 8: and grandma attended. I wonder if there was any effort 1093 00:51:25,760 --> 00:51:29,719 Speaker 8: on Op's and to like message the brother and sit 1094 00:51:29,960 --> 00:51:33,319 Speaker 8: or like call him or have a private conversation and 1095 00:51:33,360 --> 00:51:36,759 Speaker 8: be like, I understand this is sensitive because you know 1096 00:51:36,840 --> 00:51:39,279 Speaker 8: you support your partner as you should. Yeah, but like, 1097 00:51:39,760 --> 00:51:42,399 Speaker 8: none of this is true. I love you, I want 1098 00:51:42,400 --> 00:51:45,120 Speaker 8: to have a relationship with you, and yet it seems 1099 00:51:45,200 --> 00:51:47,600 Speaker 8: anything I do, I'm made to be the villain. 1100 00:51:48,040 --> 00:51:48,520 Speaker 5: What do you mean? 1101 00:51:48,600 --> 00:51:50,360 Speaker 9: Like in the past, at least it seems like I 1102 00:51:50,360 --> 00:51:52,560 Speaker 9: think said something along the lines of the aye, like 1103 00:51:52,600 --> 00:51:55,120 Speaker 9: I told them that wasn't true, or that wasn't happened? Yeah, 1104 00:51:55,160 --> 00:51:56,680 Speaker 9: and then just keeps getting blocked on things. 1105 00:51:57,560 --> 00:52:00,000 Speaker 8: So on my brother's birthday after the wedding, I said 1106 00:52:00,120 --> 00:52:01,880 Speaker 8: him a card with a note inside telling him that 1107 00:52:01,920 --> 00:52:03,799 Speaker 8: although a lot had happened, I still wanted to be 1108 00:52:03,840 --> 00:52:04,759 Speaker 8: his sister and wanted a. 1109 00:52:04,760 --> 00:52:07,440 Speaker 5: Relationship with my nephew. That was sweet. 1110 00:52:07,920 --> 00:52:10,240 Speaker 8: I suggested that maybe we could meet up and talk. 1111 00:52:10,360 --> 00:52:12,640 Speaker 8: I also mentioned that if Sally apologized for sending the 1112 00:52:12,800 --> 00:52:15,040 Speaker 8: entire family lies about me, I would move on and 1113 00:52:15,080 --> 00:52:17,480 Speaker 8: be civil towards her. I hope we could all have 1114 00:52:17,560 --> 00:52:21,000 Speaker 8: some kind of relationship. I received a text from Elliott 1115 00:52:21,080 --> 00:52:22,239 Speaker 8: that very same day. 1116 00:52:22,280 --> 00:52:23,040 Speaker 5: What do you think? He said? 1117 00:52:23,640 --> 00:52:26,400 Speaker 9: How dare you not come to my wedding? 1118 00:52:26,880 --> 00:52:28,960 Speaker 1: Sally said, she invited you and begged you. 1119 00:52:29,000 --> 00:52:30,640 Speaker 9: To come to my wedding. 1120 00:52:30,840 --> 00:52:31,480 Speaker 2: Yeah. 1121 00:52:31,560 --> 00:52:33,520 Speaker 8: I received a text from all that very same day. 1122 00:52:33,560 --> 00:52:36,000 Speaker 8: He explained that Sally was heavily pregnant and that she 1123 00:52:36,080 --> 00:52:38,840 Speaker 8: found my note so upsetting that he was concerned for 1124 00:52:38,880 --> 00:52:40,400 Speaker 8: the health of both her and the baby. 1125 00:52:40,480 --> 00:52:44,160 Speaker 5: Oh my goodness, I can't he said. 1126 00:52:44,239 --> 00:52:46,799 Speaker 8: If anything happened to her the baby, it would all 1127 00:52:46,840 --> 00:52:47,800 Speaker 8: be my fault. 1128 00:52:48,080 --> 00:52:49,200 Speaker 1: Oh. 1129 00:52:49,360 --> 00:52:52,200 Speaker 8: I also received text messages from Sally's siblings telling me 1130 00:52:52,239 --> 00:52:55,360 Speaker 8: I was bowling a pregnant woman and that stress because 1131 00:52:55,400 --> 00:52:57,440 Speaker 8: serious problems which the whole that would. 1132 00:52:57,239 --> 00:52:58,000 Speaker 5: Hold me accountable. 1133 00:52:58,120 --> 00:52:59,919 Speaker 9: Oh, he's not even talking to them. 1134 00:53:00,120 --> 00:53:03,000 Speaker 8: Yeah, it's it's not for you, Sally, this is not 1135 00:53:03,120 --> 00:53:04,200 Speaker 8: your message for you. 1136 00:53:04,480 --> 00:53:06,160 Speaker 5: I was then blocked on all apps. 1137 00:53:06,200 --> 00:53:08,200 Speaker 8: I was glad because I did not want any further 1138 00:53:08,239 --> 00:53:11,520 Speaker 8: communication with any of them at this point. There's nothing 1139 00:53:11,560 --> 00:53:14,080 Speaker 8: you could do, and you just to have a to 1140 00:53:14,120 --> 00:53:17,360 Speaker 8: send a private conversation to your brother or a private 1141 00:53:17,560 --> 00:53:21,680 Speaker 8: message to your brother, and for family of his wife 1142 00:53:21,760 --> 00:53:25,040 Speaker 8: to be messaging you, putting the health of the a 1143 00:53:25,080 --> 00:53:25,920 Speaker 8: pregnant woman. 1144 00:53:25,760 --> 00:53:29,520 Speaker 5: On your hands. Yeah, Like I'm just like okay, Like 1145 00:53:29,880 --> 00:53:30,160 Speaker 5: I just. 1146 00:53:30,200 --> 00:53:34,360 Speaker 9: Can't imagine the family like continuing to. 1147 00:53:33,680 --> 00:53:34,920 Speaker 1: Be okay with this behavior. 1148 00:53:35,320 --> 00:53:38,359 Speaker 8: I've since heard through my mom that they have had 1149 00:53:38,400 --> 00:53:41,400 Speaker 8: another baby, boy, and that both Sally and the baby 1150 00:53:41,440 --> 00:53:44,000 Speaker 8: are doing well. Fast forward to the present day. My 1151 00:53:44,120 --> 00:53:46,520 Speaker 8: mom is getting older and has realized that some day 1152 00:53:46,640 --> 00:53:48,919 Speaker 8: she will no longer be here. She wants my brother 1153 00:53:48,960 --> 00:53:50,600 Speaker 8: and me to get along, not only for her own 1154 00:53:50,800 --> 00:53:53,960 Speaker 8: happiness and peace of mind, but for logistical reasons like 1155 00:53:54,080 --> 00:53:57,799 Speaker 8: organizing funeral arrangements and dividing assets after she's gone. I 1156 00:53:57,840 --> 00:54:00,680 Speaker 8: have agreed to meet Elliott, not Sally, but he will not. 1157 00:54:00,800 --> 00:54:01,520 Speaker 5: Agree to meet me. 1158 00:54:02,239 --> 00:54:03,960 Speaker 8: The rest of the family says that someone has to 1159 00:54:03,960 --> 00:54:05,799 Speaker 8: make the first move and that I should reach out 1160 00:54:05,800 --> 00:54:09,799 Speaker 8: to my brother despite being blocked on all roots of communication. 1161 00:54:09,920 --> 00:54:12,560 Speaker 8: And if you never want to be blocked, come listen 1162 00:54:12,640 --> 00:54:14,640 Speaker 8: to full episodes the stories just like this. Just go 1163 00:54:14,680 --> 00:54:18,560 Speaker 8: to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, your favorite podcast app and search Okay. 1164 00:54:18,320 --> 00:54:19,520 Speaker 5: Storytime you go. 1165 00:54:20,000 --> 00:54:20,720 Speaker 3: Never be blocked. 1166 00:54:20,800 --> 00:54:22,400 Speaker 8: I feel as though I have done enough and I 1167 00:54:22,440 --> 00:54:24,680 Speaker 8: am done. But on the other hand, I really want 1168 00:54:24,719 --> 00:54:27,080 Speaker 8: my mom to be happy. I completely understand where she 1169 00:54:27,160 --> 00:54:29,960 Speaker 8: is coming from, because it would unlive me if my 1170 00:54:30,000 --> 00:54:32,600 Speaker 8: own children no longer spoke to one another. 1171 00:54:32,800 --> 00:54:33,560 Speaker 5: What should I do? 1172 00:54:33,719 --> 00:54:36,120 Speaker 8: I feel as though every time I try to resolve 1173 00:54:36,160 --> 00:54:40,120 Speaker 8: this issue, it just makes things worse, and I always 1174 00:54:40,160 --> 00:54:42,640 Speaker 8: see me blame for causing upset just by trying to 1175 00:54:42,680 --> 00:54:44,600 Speaker 8: make contact. Should I be the one to make the 1176 00:54:44,640 --> 00:54:46,880 Speaker 8: next move for my mom or should I just let 1177 00:54:46,960 --> 00:54:47,160 Speaker 8: it be? 1178 00:54:47,440 --> 00:54:47,720 Speaker 5: Also? 1179 00:54:47,760 --> 00:54:49,640 Speaker 8: Am I the a hole in this situation? Should I 1180 00:54:49,680 --> 00:54:53,200 Speaker 8: be the one apologizing? Have I missed something? It seems 1181 00:54:53,239 --> 00:54:56,040 Speaker 8: like I miss something because I don't understand what you've 1182 00:54:56,040 --> 00:55:00,440 Speaker 8: done wrong and any of Elliott or Sally's side. 1183 00:55:00,200 --> 00:55:04,160 Speaker 9: Just being scapegoaded because I think that for some reason, 1184 00:55:04,320 --> 00:55:06,200 Speaker 9: your sister in law is jealous of you. 1185 00:55:07,400 --> 00:55:10,560 Speaker 8: There's something that she's furious about and that she's resenting 1186 00:55:10,600 --> 00:55:14,120 Speaker 8: you for, and she blames every situation into. 1187 00:55:14,360 --> 00:55:17,160 Speaker 9: She's trying to isolate not only your brother from you, 1188 00:55:17,280 --> 00:55:18,520 Speaker 9: but you from your family. 1189 00:55:18,880 --> 00:55:23,000 Speaker 8: Yeah, So on Op's end, I don't know what you 1190 00:55:23,080 --> 00:55:27,160 Speaker 8: can do. I think you could try to do something. 1191 00:55:27,200 --> 00:55:29,759 Speaker 8: It seems like you've tried to already reach out and 1192 00:55:29,920 --> 00:55:32,759 Speaker 8: you got blamed for the health, for the ill health 1193 00:55:32,800 --> 00:55:36,000 Speaker 8: of a pregnant woman. And I wouldn't put it against 1194 00:55:36,000 --> 00:55:37,719 Speaker 8: you if you were like I've tried, I can't do 1195 00:55:37,760 --> 00:55:40,600 Speaker 8: anything here. Yeah, but if you wanted to reach out, 1196 00:55:41,920 --> 00:55:43,879 Speaker 8: I think that would be brave. And I think that 1197 00:55:43,960 --> 00:55:45,879 Speaker 8: you would just have to be okay with the consequences 1198 00:55:45,880 --> 00:55:49,560 Speaker 8: of you know, Sally like coming at you again. It's 1199 00:55:49,640 --> 00:55:53,360 Speaker 8: not it's it's up to you. Like I would say, 1200 00:55:53,400 --> 00:55:55,400 Speaker 8: both both of those make sense. 1201 00:55:55,560 --> 00:55:56,960 Speaker 9: I think, Yeah, I think I'm on the side of 1202 00:55:57,000 --> 00:56:00,120 Speaker 9: like reaching out to the family members and being like, hey. 1203 00:56:00,120 --> 00:56:01,320 Speaker 5: To what family members? 1204 00:56:01,600 --> 00:56:03,920 Speaker 9: Well, I think you can start with your mom because 1205 00:56:03,960 --> 00:56:06,040 Speaker 9: you're you already know your dad is on your side, 1206 00:56:06,080 --> 00:56:06,600 Speaker 9: and so for. 1207 00:56:06,600 --> 00:56:08,760 Speaker 5: You, what are the family members going to do? 1208 00:56:08,800 --> 00:56:09,640 Speaker 1: Just stand up for you? 1209 00:56:10,040 --> 00:56:12,640 Speaker 9: Like, I understand that you might use access to the nephew, 1210 00:56:12,719 --> 00:56:14,600 Speaker 9: but if everyone stands up, I mean. 1211 00:56:14,840 --> 00:56:19,000 Speaker 8: Yeah, yeah, I like this course of action. Yeah, everyone 1212 00:56:19,120 --> 00:56:23,520 Speaker 8: standing up and reaching out behavior and be like what 1213 00:56:23,560 --> 00:56:23,919 Speaker 8: the hell? 1214 00:56:24,080 --> 00:56:25,239 Speaker 9: Yeah do what's going on? 1215 00:56:25,400 --> 00:56:28,279 Speaker 8: Yeah, that's that's a good course of action. It seems like, yeah, 1216 00:56:28,320 --> 00:56:31,440 Speaker 8: anything Op does doesn't work out. Yeah, and so the 1217 00:56:31,480 --> 00:56:35,400 Speaker 8: whole family member like hopefully, hopefully Elliott, if Sally was like, 1218 00:56:35,480 --> 00:56:38,320 Speaker 8: you can't be friends, you can't be family in relationship 1219 00:56:38,320 --> 00:56:39,960 Speaker 8: with any of your family members, he would be like. 1220 00:56:39,960 --> 00:56:42,880 Speaker 9: Okay, yeah, let me actually think of that first. 1221 00:56:43,880 --> 00:56:46,000 Speaker 5: So that's a good idea. Sophia, thank you. 1222 00:56:47,080 --> 00:56:48,720 Speaker 1: Hey, it's John here. We're gonna get back to the stories. 1223 00:56:48,760 --> 00:56:50,760 Speaker 4: Put a quick three minute ad break from her sponsors, 1224 00:56:50,760 --> 00:56:51,640 Speaker 4: like keep the show going. 1225 00:56:52,360 --> 00:56:55,800 Speaker 9: My mother tried my wedding dress on, so I removed 1226 00:56:55,840 --> 00:56:57,200 Speaker 9: her from the bridal party. 1227 00:56:57,280 --> 00:56:58,200 Speaker 5: But who wore it better? 1228 00:56:58,360 --> 00:57:01,719 Speaker 9: Yeah? My twenty three female mother forty two female has 1229 00:57:01,800 --> 00:57:04,319 Speaker 9: always had a weird competition with the success of her 1230 00:57:04,400 --> 00:57:08,360 Speaker 9: kids and has a never ending victim complex. If anyone 1231 00:57:08,400 --> 00:57:11,160 Speaker 9: tries to bring up wrongdoings of the past, my mother 1232 00:57:11,200 --> 00:57:14,719 Speaker 9: will get defensive, saying it was such a bad mother, huh, 1233 00:57:14,840 --> 00:57:16,840 Speaker 9: or I did such a bad job of putting a 1234 00:57:16,920 --> 00:57:19,640 Speaker 9: roof over your head and food on the table. You're 1235 00:57:19,680 --> 00:57:23,360 Speaker 9: all ungrateful. This one she used often. By the way, 1236 00:57:23,440 --> 00:57:25,360 Speaker 9: this comes from Potato rat zero one. 1237 00:57:25,440 --> 00:57:26,000 Speaker 1: And if you want to. 1238 00:57:25,960 --> 00:57:28,520 Speaker 9: Submit your own stories, go to our slashokey storytime separate it. 1239 00:57:28,680 --> 00:57:31,160 Speaker 9: My mother has always had an issue with me how 1240 00:57:31,200 --> 00:57:33,720 Speaker 9: I look and who I'm dating. It's almost as if 1241 00:57:33,720 --> 00:57:35,680 Speaker 9: she's trying to be better than me, as if she's 1242 00:57:35,760 --> 00:57:39,000 Speaker 9: jealous of my success. My father and my mother have 1243 00:57:39,160 --> 00:57:41,360 Speaker 9: not been together since I was six and have not 1244 00:57:41,480 --> 00:57:44,720 Speaker 9: spoken to each other since then. Unfortunately, I was not 1245 00:57:44,800 --> 00:57:47,600 Speaker 9: allowed to see my dad growing up. A whole other story, 1246 00:57:48,000 --> 00:57:51,040 Speaker 9: but basically my mother brainwashed us into thinking he didn't 1247 00:57:51,040 --> 00:57:53,920 Speaker 9: want anything to do with us. Now, my father is 1248 00:57:53,960 --> 00:57:57,000 Speaker 9: my best friend and I couldn't imagine life without him. 1249 00:57:57,440 --> 00:58:00,720 Speaker 9: I met my wonderful fiance, twenty nine male in September 1250 00:58:00,800 --> 00:58:03,520 Speaker 9: of twenty twenty one. We met on my birthday at 1251 00:58:03,560 --> 00:58:07,000 Speaker 9: an Emo night, a party nightclub event for old school 1252 00:58:07,080 --> 00:58:10,360 Speaker 9: emo music. We know it was the best night ever, 1253 00:58:10,440 --> 00:58:12,960 Speaker 9: and I knew instantly I had found my life partner. 1254 00:58:13,080 --> 00:58:15,520 Speaker 2: Ah, it is dang what happened at. 1255 00:58:15,400 --> 00:58:16,000 Speaker 1: That emo night. 1256 00:58:16,160 --> 00:58:20,560 Speaker 9: My mother let's call her Helly, however, did not like 1257 00:58:20,640 --> 00:58:24,120 Speaker 9: my partner, let's call him Jim. Played nice, but always 1258 00:58:24,120 --> 00:58:29,040 Speaker 9: made snarky comments about Jim's appearance, clothing choices, hairstyles. He 1259 00:58:29,120 --> 00:58:31,560 Speaker 9: had a beautiful mohawk that caught my eye when we 1260 00:58:31,680 --> 00:58:35,960 Speaker 9: first met, his music choices, and overall who he was 1261 00:58:36,000 --> 00:58:38,600 Speaker 9: as a person. It's stung that she didn't like him 1262 00:58:38,600 --> 00:58:40,640 Speaker 9: and wouldn't go to know him, wouldn't get to know 1263 00:58:40,760 --> 00:58:43,960 Speaker 9: him on a better level. My father, however, has always 1264 00:58:44,000 --> 00:58:46,479 Speaker 9: loved my partner and has treated him as another son. 1265 00:58:47,040 --> 00:58:49,200 Speaker 9: My dad is four boys and one girl, and he's 1266 00:58:49,360 --> 00:58:51,440 Speaker 9: very protective of me, so it means a lot that 1267 00:58:51,480 --> 00:58:54,560 Speaker 9: he's so accepting of Jim. Fast forward a few years. 1268 00:58:54,680 --> 00:58:56,560 Speaker 9: Jim and I have been living together and starting our 1269 00:58:56,600 --> 00:59:01,120 Speaker 9: wonderful life. Helena and I are talking on most of 1270 00:59:01,160 --> 00:59:03,600 Speaker 9: the time. I've had to cut off connections due to 1271 00:59:03,600 --> 00:59:07,880 Speaker 9: toxicity and my mental health. She's good in small doses. 1272 00:59:08,240 --> 00:59:11,800 Speaker 9: Anything larger and you feel like you're suffocating. Let me 1273 00:59:11,920 --> 00:59:15,800 Speaker 9: set the scene of our first event July twentieth, twenty 1274 00:59:15,840 --> 00:59:17,439 Speaker 9: twenty four, the day of our. 1275 00:59:17,360 --> 00:59:19,600 Speaker 5: Engagement, three years into their relationship. 1276 00:59:19,800 --> 00:59:21,880 Speaker 9: I had an inkling that it was going to happen. 1277 00:59:21,920 --> 00:59:22,280 Speaker 1: As you do. 1278 00:59:22,480 --> 00:59:25,280 Speaker 9: We were out to dinner with his dad, stepmom, and siblings. 1279 00:59:25,600 --> 00:59:28,440 Speaker 9: My dad, stepmom, and one of my younger brothers were there. 1280 00:59:28,280 --> 00:59:29,280 Speaker 1: Along with our friends. 1281 00:59:29,760 --> 00:59:33,600 Speaker 9: It was the most wonderful night, full of laughter, drinks, tears, 1282 00:59:33,760 --> 00:59:39,080 Speaker 9: photos and love. He popped the question and I said yes, yes, 1283 00:59:39,760 --> 00:59:44,040 Speaker 9: holding my dad's hand the whole time. So, kid, I'm 1284 00:59:44,040 --> 00:59:45,880 Speaker 9: not a person who loves being in the spotlight for 1285 00:59:45,920 --> 00:59:49,080 Speaker 9: too long, so having the buffer of a full dining 1286 00:59:49,120 --> 00:59:51,240 Speaker 9: room and not being too loud was perfect for me. 1287 00:59:51,880 --> 00:59:55,080 Speaker 9: We all cried together and shared hugs and kisses while 1288 00:59:55,080 --> 00:59:59,040 Speaker 9: we took photos. Elena, however, was not invited. 1289 00:59:58,480 --> 00:59:59,160 Speaker 1: To this event. 1290 00:59:59,360 --> 01:00:01,720 Speaker 9: Oh, this was due to my mom and dad not 1291 01:00:01,760 --> 01:00:04,200 Speaker 9: getting along. Dad is civil, but my mother will say 1292 01:00:04,240 --> 01:00:06,480 Speaker 9: anything snarky to get a reaction. And we also know 1293 01:00:06,520 --> 01:00:09,320 Speaker 9: that you love your dad like and you get along 1294 01:00:09,320 --> 01:00:10,439 Speaker 9: with your dad a lot more than your. 1295 01:00:10,320 --> 01:00:12,640 Speaker 5: Oh whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. She didn't love her dad more? 1296 01:00:13,320 --> 01:00:15,160 Speaker 9: She said, she was, Well, I said, I've said I 1297 01:00:15,320 --> 01:00:17,800 Speaker 9: changed it to you get along better. I had told 1298 01:00:17,800 --> 01:00:20,320 Speaker 9: my partner I wanted my dad with me when he proposed, 1299 01:00:20,440 --> 01:00:24,160 Speaker 9: so this spant Lena would not get invited. She was 1300 01:00:24,520 --> 01:00:27,800 Speaker 9: vivid when photos got out that my dad was there 1301 01:00:28,280 --> 01:00:32,080 Speaker 9: and she wasn't even told it was happening. It was chaos. 1302 01:00:32,520 --> 01:00:35,000 Speaker 9: I received dozens of phone calls and text saying we 1303 01:00:35,000 --> 01:00:37,960 Speaker 9: were selfish for not inviting her and that she deserved 1304 01:00:37,960 --> 01:00:41,440 Speaker 9: to be there as much as my dad. I ignored 1305 01:00:41,440 --> 01:00:42,960 Speaker 9: these and she eventually moved on. 1306 01:00:43,400 --> 01:00:45,400 Speaker 5: No response, Yeah, I don't care. 1307 01:00:46,080 --> 01:00:48,560 Speaker 9: Fast forward to August, where I have my dress appointments. 1308 01:00:48,800 --> 01:00:51,360 Speaker 9: I was so excited to go dress shopping and trying 1309 01:00:51,360 --> 01:00:53,840 Speaker 9: in the beautiful gowns. I went with my mother in law, 1310 01:00:53,880 --> 01:00:57,680 Speaker 9: sweetest woman ever, and found the dress. It's an off 1311 01:00:57,680 --> 01:01:01,120 Speaker 9: the shoulder fitted mermaid gown that's super except for some 1312 01:01:01,160 --> 01:01:04,280 Speaker 9: sparkly decows around the waist and arms and buttons down 1313 01:01:04,280 --> 01:01:07,439 Speaker 9: the back. I bawled my eyes out. I never thought 1314 01:01:07,520 --> 01:01:09,560 Speaker 9: I would go for simple, but it was so classic 1315 01:01:09,600 --> 01:01:13,680 Speaker 9: and timeless it made his mom cry. I paid the 1316 01:01:13,720 --> 01:01:17,400 Speaker 9: deposit and left a happy bride. I was so excited 1317 01:01:17,400 --> 01:01:19,320 Speaker 9: to show it off to my mom, but I also 1318 01:01:19,400 --> 01:01:21,400 Speaker 9: wanted to give her the experience of seeing her daughter 1319 01:01:21,440 --> 01:01:23,919 Speaker 9: try on gowns, as I had not gone with her yet. 1320 01:01:24,480 --> 01:01:26,920 Speaker 9: So we tried on some gowns and she gave me 1321 01:01:27,000 --> 01:01:30,560 Speaker 9: no opinions other than negative ones. She then tried to 1322 01:01:30,600 --> 01:01:34,560 Speaker 9: bring a black wedding gown into the change rooms for 1323 01:01:34,600 --> 01:01:36,400 Speaker 9: me to try on, stating that she thought I would 1324 01:01:36,440 --> 01:01:39,040 Speaker 9: wear black to my wedding. I dressed alternatively most of 1325 01:01:39,080 --> 01:01:41,000 Speaker 9: the time, but I'm also Catholic, so I didn't want 1326 01:01:41,000 --> 01:01:44,720 Speaker 9: to wear black to my church. Weinding, Elena was insisting 1327 01:01:44,760 --> 01:01:47,080 Speaker 9: that I wear a black gown and said to humor 1328 01:01:47,120 --> 01:01:48,040 Speaker 9: her to try it on. 1329 01:01:48,640 --> 01:01:50,760 Speaker 1: I put my foot down and said no no. 1330 01:01:51,160 --> 01:01:53,920 Speaker 9: She went and sulked back into her chair and waited 1331 01:01:53,960 --> 01:01:56,920 Speaker 9: for the next gown. I then tried on my dress. 1332 01:01:57,600 --> 01:02:00,880 Speaker 9: I couldn't contain my excitement and ask what she thought. 1333 01:02:01,640 --> 01:02:03,520 Speaker 9: She said it was fine and that it looked a 1334 01:02:03,520 --> 01:02:08,000 Speaker 9: little bland ouch. I got her to take pictures anyway, 1335 01:02:08,040 --> 01:02:10,360 Speaker 9: and told her I loved it, but would think about it. 1336 01:02:10,520 --> 01:02:13,640 Speaker 9: Heart Broken, we left the bridle shop and I decided 1337 01:02:13,640 --> 01:02:15,800 Speaker 9: to keep it a secret that I had already bought 1338 01:02:15,800 --> 01:02:18,880 Speaker 9: the dress, as I loved it and her opinion would 1339 01:02:18,880 --> 01:02:19,560 Speaker 9: not change. 1340 01:02:19,560 --> 01:02:19,720 Speaker 3: It. 1341 01:02:19,800 --> 01:02:25,440 Speaker 9: Throughout the whole wedding planning, Helena had opinions about everything, 1342 01:02:25,840 --> 01:02:29,040 Speaker 9: the color scheme, what the men were wearing, where it is, 1343 01:02:29,280 --> 01:02:31,120 Speaker 9: even going as far as to make me feel bad 1344 01:02:31,160 --> 01:02:33,800 Speaker 9: for having a church wedding as we aren't raised as 1345 01:02:33,800 --> 01:02:36,920 Speaker 9: we weren't raised religious, and it would make her uncomfortable. 1346 01:02:37,560 --> 01:02:40,120 Speaker 9: All of these I ignored. The sad part of the 1347 01:02:40,120 --> 01:02:42,640 Speaker 9: wedding is that I have had to compromise who my 1348 01:02:42,680 --> 01:02:44,760 Speaker 9: maid of honor is to keep the peace in the family. 1349 01:02:45,240 --> 01:02:46,760 Speaker 9: I had to ask my mother to be my maid 1350 01:02:46,800 --> 01:02:48,240 Speaker 9: of honor so that she would be up on the 1351 01:02:48,320 --> 01:02:50,200 Speaker 9: stands with me and I could keep an eye on 1352 01:02:50,240 --> 01:02:53,080 Speaker 9: her during this. Sarah, okay, so it's yeah, so that 1353 01:02:53,160 --> 01:02:55,480 Speaker 9: she wouldn't start a fight with my Dadter's tumble. It's 1354 01:02:55,640 --> 01:02:57,560 Speaker 9: literally it's like I didn't want her there, but you know, 1355 01:02:57,560 --> 01:02:58,440 Speaker 9: I could keep an eye on her. 1356 01:02:58,440 --> 01:02:59,360 Speaker 1: But she's close enough to mine. 1357 01:02:59,360 --> 01:03:00,680 Speaker 5: I need to keep her way for everyone else. 1358 01:03:00,840 --> 01:03:02,800 Speaker 9: I didn't want her to be in my bridal party, 1359 01:03:02,840 --> 01:03:04,360 Speaker 9: but I was happy to give that up if it 1360 01:03:04,400 --> 01:03:05,960 Speaker 9: meant one last thing to worry about. 1361 01:03:06,480 --> 01:03:08,440 Speaker 1: Boy was I wrong. 1362 01:03:08,600 --> 01:03:10,200 Speaker 5: I could have guessed that one. 1363 01:03:10,240 --> 01:03:13,480 Speaker 9: Fast forward to September twenty twenty four. My fiance and 1364 01:03:13,520 --> 01:03:16,720 Speaker 9: I were enjoying our anniversary celebrations with a nice dinner 1365 01:03:16,760 --> 01:03:19,760 Speaker 9: at home, Lego sets, and movies when I went on 1366 01:03:19,800 --> 01:03:23,680 Speaker 9: Facebook and saw a post. It was an announcement that 1367 01:03:24,120 --> 01:03:26,760 Speaker 9: Helena had got engaged. 1368 01:03:26,760 --> 01:03:28,640 Speaker 2: Ah, wake me up when September ends. 1369 01:03:29,160 --> 01:03:31,600 Speaker 9: Helena and her partner had been together for a little 1370 01:03:31,640 --> 01:03:34,240 Speaker 9: over three years at this point and had broken up 1371 01:03:34,480 --> 01:03:38,080 Speaker 9: many times. Her partner had always mentioned that he didn't 1372 01:03:38,080 --> 01:03:40,280 Speaker 9: want to get married, as he had been divorced before 1373 01:03:40,320 --> 01:03:42,560 Speaker 9: and just wanted a fun life with the fun girl. 1374 01:03:42,960 --> 01:03:47,440 Speaker 9: She gave him an ultimatum, either he commits or she leaves. 1375 01:03:48,360 --> 01:03:51,600 Speaker 9: He didn't commit, so she left him, oh for one month. 1376 01:03:51,920 --> 01:03:52,520 Speaker 5: Oh. 1377 01:03:52,560 --> 01:03:54,600 Speaker 9: They made the announcement that they were back together and 1378 01:03:54,680 --> 01:03:58,320 Speaker 9: officially engaged on Facebook, and she went ring shopping alone 1379 01:03:58,440 --> 01:04:04,160 Speaker 9: with his card. Back to the story, so I opened 1380 01:04:04,200 --> 01:04:08,320 Speaker 9: Facebook to see that Helena was now engaged. I was 1381 01:04:08,360 --> 01:04:11,760 Speaker 9: happy for her. I even messaged her with a congrats. 1382 01:04:12,360 --> 01:04:15,400 Speaker 9: But as I look closer at the picture, I noticed 1383 01:04:15,400 --> 01:04:21,760 Speaker 9: something her ring looked awfully familiar. That's right, you guessed it. 1384 01:04:22,000 --> 01:04:25,960 Speaker 9: Lena had gone out and bought the exact ring my 1385 01:04:26,040 --> 01:04:28,800 Speaker 9: fiance had proposed to me. With the only difference is 1386 01:04:28,840 --> 01:04:33,240 Speaker 9: hers was pear shaped and mine was round. Helena wears 1387 01:04:33,280 --> 01:04:36,560 Speaker 9: gold and has always worn gold jewelry. However, she chose 1388 01:04:36,600 --> 01:04:39,520 Speaker 9: a silver ring pear shaped with a big diamond in 1389 01:04:39,520 --> 01:04:42,760 Speaker 9: the center and smaller diamonds around it. It also had 1390 01:04:42,760 --> 01:04:44,040 Speaker 9: a pink diamond underneath. 1391 01:04:44,840 --> 01:04:47,280 Speaker 1: Stunning. Guess what my ring was? 1392 01:04:47,880 --> 01:04:50,240 Speaker 9: A silver ring, round shaped with a big diamond in 1393 01:04:50,240 --> 01:04:53,919 Speaker 9: the center and smaller diamonds all underneath, all around. Oh 1394 01:04:53,960 --> 01:04:56,080 Speaker 9: and it also had pink diamond underneath. 1395 01:04:56,520 --> 01:04:57,000 Speaker 5: That's pretty. 1396 01:04:57,360 --> 01:04:59,240 Speaker 8: At first, I was like, it's like, oh, there was 1397 01:04:59,240 --> 01:05:01,880 Speaker 8: a diamond, no diamonds, but there's a pink diamond. 1398 01:05:02,000 --> 01:05:05,880 Speaker 9: Pink diamonds. The similarity was too hard to ignore, but 1399 01:05:05,920 --> 01:05:07,040 Speaker 9: I let her have her a moment. 1400 01:05:07,280 --> 01:05:08,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, quietly seething. 1401 01:05:09,360 --> 01:05:12,000 Speaker 9: In August, we had made a Facebook event group stating 1402 01:05:12,040 --> 01:05:13,920 Speaker 9: that our engagement party was going to be on the 1403 01:05:13,960 --> 01:05:17,800 Speaker 9: sixteenth of November twenty twenty four. This was a great 1404 01:05:17,920 --> 01:05:20,880 Speaker 9: date for us and our family with nothing interfering, so 1405 01:05:21,000 --> 01:05:23,560 Speaker 9: we booked it. We didn't want to spend too much 1406 01:05:23,600 --> 01:05:25,720 Speaker 9: as we wanted a nicer wedding, so we opted to 1407 01:05:25,760 --> 01:05:28,280 Speaker 9: book a large table at the same restaurant. We got 1408 01:05:28,360 --> 01:05:32,360 Speaker 9: engaged in and have a relaxed dinner. It was far 1409 01:05:32,560 --> 01:05:36,760 Speaker 9: from relaxing. As it got closer to the party date, 1410 01:05:36,840 --> 01:05:40,160 Speaker 9: Helena made an announcement that her engagement was also in November, 1411 01:05:40,440 --> 01:05:42,960 Speaker 9: two weeks after mine. Apparently she couldn't book it any 1412 01:05:43,040 --> 01:05:46,360 Speaker 9: other time, despite having an open calendar four months ahead 1413 01:05:46,840 --> 01:05:49,440 Speaker 9: and only be engaged for a short period of time. 1414 01:05:49,640 --> 01:05:52,000 Speaker 9: There was no rush, so I didn't understand why she 1415 01:05:52,120 --> 01:05:55,440 Speaker 9: needed to have her party so close to mine. Either way, 1416 01:05:55,520 --> 01:05:58,280 Speaker 9: I ignored this and moved on. We had a nice 1417 01:05:58,320 --> 01:06:01,520 Speaker 9: party and people brought us presents, including a couple's bible 1418 01:06:01,600 --> 01:06:04,560 Speaker 9: and his and hers novelty daggers. My fiance and I 1419 01:06:04,600 --> 01:06:05,680 Speaker 9: collect cool swords. 1420 01:06:05,840 --> 01:06:06,040 Speaker 5: Oh. 1421 01:06:06,320 --> 01:06:09,440 Speaker 9: Everyone was having a cool, a good time until Helena 1422 01:06:09,560 --> 01:06:12,520 Speaker 9: showed up. She said her rounds of hellos, ignoring my 1423 01:06:12,640 --> 01:06:15,440 Speaker 9: dad and brother. Throughout the whole night, she was huffing 1424 01:06:15,560 --> 01:06:19,640 Speaker 9: and busting about anything and everything. It's too cold, it's 1425 01:06:19,680 --> 01:06:21,439 Speaker 9: too hot, the food is met. 1426 01:06:21,880 --> 01:06:22,320 Speaker 1: Why am I. 1427 01:06:22,400 --> 01:06:24,680 Speaker 9: Seated with the old people because you're freaking old man. 1428 01:06:24,880 --> 01:06:27,280 Speaker 9: I eventually had so much anxiety that I went to 1429 01:06:27,320 --> 01:06:29,880 Speaker 9: the bar and started taking shots with my sister in law. 1430 01:06:29,960 --> 01:06:30,480 Speaker 1: That's how you did. 1431 01:06:30,640 --> 01:06:32,160 Speaker 5: I will get rid of that. 1432 01:06:32,600 --> 01:06:34,840 Speaker 9: We had a blast for the one minute I got 1433 01:06:34,880 --> 01:06:38,320 Speaker 9: away from Helena. Then Helena came to the bar and 1434 01:06:38,440 --> 01:06:41,200 Speaker 9: paid for the next round. A nice gesture, I thought, 1435 01:06:41,600 --> 01:06:44,200 Speaker 9: and we both thanked her. Helena then walked out to 1436 01:06:44,240 --> 01:06:47,440 Speaker 9: the group, got everyone's attention, and bragged about paying for 1437 01:06:47,480 --> 01:06:50,959 Speaker 9: my drink, turning to my fiance stating that's yours now 1438 01:06:51,280 --> 01:06:54,400 Speaker 9: referring to me. After I walked back outside, there was 1439 01:06:54,440 --> 01:06:56,720 Speaker 9: an awkward feeling in the air. I tried to keep 1440 01:06:56,760 --> 01:06:59,520 Speaker 9: the peace the whole night, not having much fun for myself. 1441 01:07:00,120 --> 01:07:02,840 Speaker 9: The cherry on top of Helena's actions that night was 1442 01:07:02,880 --> 01:07:06,160 Speaker 9: her comment about my looks. Helena said that I looked 1443 01:07:06,240 --> 01:07:08,080 Speaker 9: chabby in my dress and that I should lose some 1444 01:07:08,120 --> 01:07:10,360 Speaker 9: weight before my wedding. Maybe you should chuck. 1445 01:07:10,240 --> 01:07:12,919 Speaker 5: Your Wow, that's a stab to the heart. 1446 01:07:13,040 --> 01:07:15,720 Speaker 9: I just walked away. The rest of the night went okay, 1447 01:07:15,760 --> 01:07:18,600 Speaker 9: and Helena left shortly after. I had to cry, drank 1448 01:07:18,640 --> 01:07:21,040 Speaker 9: a lot more than with my fiance and trying to 1449 01:07:21,120 --> 01:07:26,000 Speaker 9: salvash the night. Now it was time for Helena's engagement party. 1450 01:07:26,160 --> 01:07:26,640 Speaker 5: You shouldn't. 1451 01:07:27,120 --> 01:07:29,400 Speaker 1: You don't have to go. He was so boring. 1452 01:07:29,640 --> 01:07:31,840 Speaker 9: She hired out a whole venue as if it was 1453 01:07:31,840 --> 01:07:35,000 Speaker 9: a reception, had a bar tab, but wouldn't let anyone 1454 01:07:35,000 --> 01:07:38,320 Speaker 9: else use it. We had to pay thirty dollars per 1455 01:07:38,400 --> 01:07:40,480 Speaker 9: cock kaale. That is insane. 1456 01:07:40,560 --> 01:07:41,720 Speaker 5: Thirty dollars. 1457 01:07:41,800 --> 01:07:44,440 Speaker 9: Regular drinks were still fifteen dollars each, which is expensive. 1458 01:07:44,480 --> 01:07:46,840 Speaker 9: If I had to pay fifteen dollars for Shirley Dumple, 1459 01:07:48,120 --> 01:07:48,840 Speaker 9: I'm rioting. 1460 01:07:48,880 --> 01:07:50,000 Speaker 5: Yeah, I could get a meal for that. 1461 01:07:50,800 --> 01:07:55,120 Speaker 9: The whole thing went on for four hours. The whole time, myself, 1462 01:07:55,200 --> 01:07:57,240 Speaker 9: my fiance, and my siblings just sat in the corner 1463 01:07:57,240 --> 01:07:59,720 Speaker 9: and talked about stuff. We ended up going to the 1464 01:07:59,760 --> 01:08:02,960 Speaker 9: bar across the street halfway through, as drinks were too 1465 01:08:02,960 --> 01:08:04,760 Speaker 9: expensive and we didn't know anyone there. 1466 01:08:04,800 --> 01:08:06,640 Speaker 5: They just dipped out. 1467 01:08:07,200 --> 01:08:10,040 Speaker 9: I don't even think Helena realized we were gone until 1468 01:08:10,040 --> 01:08:12,360 Speaker 9: the end. We made it a good night and had 1469 01:08:12,360 --> 01:08:14,520 Speaker 9: fun together, so that's a plus. I think you just 1470 01:08:14,520 --> 01:08:15,440 Speaker 9: shouldn't have shown up. 1471 01:08:15,520 --> 01:08:17,559 Speaker 5: Yeah, if you're gonna be that rude, just don't go. 1472 01:08:17,720 --> 01:08:18,760 Speaker 1: I don't think you had to go. 1473 01:08:19,720 --> 01:08:22,000 Speaker 9: None of my siblings get along with my mom. She 1474 01:08:22,080 --> 01:08:24,679 Speaker 9: has four kids and none of them talk to her anymore. 1475 01:08:25,040 --> 01:08:28,679 Speaker 9: This is where I might be the Bridezilla slash a hole. 1476 01:08:29,600 --> 01:08:32,439 Speaker 9: One day in December, I received a text from Helena. 1477 01:08:32,760 --> 01:08:36,280 Speaker 9: It was pictures of her in a wedding dress in 1478 01:08:36,360 --> 01:08:37,080 Speaker 9: my wedding. 1479 01:08:37,320 --> 01:08:37,800 Speaker 2: I knew it. 1480 01:08:37,840 --> 01:08:41,200 Speaker 1: I knew it, called it, called it, I see you. 1481 01:08:42,040 --> 01:08:44,839 Speaker 9: She had gone back and tried on my wedding dress 1482 01:08:45,560 --> 01:08:49,639 Speaker 9: and had taken photos. This dress is not Helena's style 1483 01:08:49,840 --> 01:08:53,000 Speaker 9: at all. She is a much smaller woman with no curves, 1484 01:08:53,040 --> 01:08:55,360 Speaker 9: and I am a medium sized woman with some pretty 1485 01:08:55,880 --> 01:08:59,760 Speaker 9: good curbs. The dress was wearing her. I love that 1486 01:09:00,000 --> 01:09:03,200 Speaker 9: she was like, let me be clear, she looked terrible. 1487 01:09:04,000 --> 01:09:04,960 Speaker 5: I would have rocked it. 1488 01:09:05,160 --> 01:09:07,160 Speaker 9: Although she did not buy the dress, the fact that 1489 01:09:07,200 --> 01:09:09,800 Speaker 9: she tried it on and sent me a photo with 1490 01:09:09,880 --> 01:09:12,040 Speaker 9: a laughing face emoji was heartbreaking. 1491 01:09:13,160 --> 01:09:15,320 Speaker 1: Text making fun of her, Yeah, I texted. 1492 01:09:15,000 --> 01:09:16,840 Speaker 9: Her letting her know I had bought that dress and 1493 01:09:16,880 --> 01:09:20,040 Speaker 9: that she couldn't have it. Elena then went on this 1494 01:09:20,080 --> 01:09:22,799 Speaker 9: big rant about how I never involved her in anything, 1495 01:09:23,080 --> 01:09:24,840 Speaker 9: how she feels she's being left out of the wedding 1496 01:09:24,840 --> 01:09:27,519 Speaker 9: planning and that she should be involved. This is where 1497 01:09:27,520 --> 01:09:30,800 Speaker 9: I drew the line. I wrote a rather lengthy paragraph 1498 01:09:30,880 --> 01:09:33,000 Speaker 9: about how it was rude that she would try on 1499 01:09:33,040 --> 01:09:36,200 Speaker 9: a dress I liked just for fun, and that she 1500 01:09:36,240 --> 01:09:39,439 Speaker 9: had no consideration for anyone around her. I stated that 1501 01:09:39,479 --> 01:09:42,000 Speaker 9: I no longer wanted her in my bridal party, oh 1502 01:09:42,000 --> 01:09:44,040 Speaker 9: and that she was no longer invited to my wedding. 1503 01:09:44,240 --> 01:09:46,479 Speaker 9: I then told her how everything she had done had 1504 01:09:46,520 --> 01:09:48,760 Speaker 9: been to upstage me, and I was sick of it. 1505 01:09:49,400 --> 01:09:51,800 Speaker 9: I would not let her upstage my wedding day. There 1506 01:09:51,840 --> 01:09:53,400 Speaker 9: was more, but I'm not going to type it all 1507 01:09:53,439 --> 01:09:57,240 Speaker 9: out here. She was angry, calling me every name under 1508 01:09:57,280 --> 01:09:59,800 Speaker 9: the sun, telling me I'm worthless and that it was 1509 01:09:59,840 --> 01:10:02,920 Speaker 9: an ugly dress anyway. Jeez. She said she never wanted 1510 01:10:02,960 --> 01:10:06,479 Speaker 9: to upstage me, which was an obvious lie. I had enough. 1511 01:10:07,000 --> 01:10:09,519 Speaker 9: I stopped replying and still have not received a message. 1512 01:10:09,560 --> 01:10:10,439 Speaker 1: I think she blocked me. 1513 01:10:11,200 --> 01:10:13,479 Speaker 9: Am I the ale for calling my mom out and 1514 01:10:13,520 --> 01:10:16,320 Speaker 9: going off at her for copying me. I know I 1515 01:10:16,360 --> 01:10:18,719 Speaker 9: was a bit harsh, but I was civil the whole time. 1516 01:10:18,760 --> 01:10:21,240 Speaker 9: She was trying to steal the spotlight, and it wasn't 1517 01:10:21,280 --> 01:10:24,000 Speaker 9: even the wedding day yet. It all just felt weird 1518 01:10:24,000 --> 01:10:27,120 Speaker 9: that she had to be engaged as well. She had 1519 01:10:27,160 --> 01:10:29,880 Speaker 9: to have her party two weeks after mine. Her ring 1520 01:10:30,080 --> 01:10:32,240 Speaker 9: was exactly the same except for the shape, and she 1521 01:10:32,280 --> 01:10:35,160 Speaker 9: couldn't keep the peace for one night at the engagement party. 1522 01:10:36,320 --> 01:10:38,679 Speaker 9: I was thinking of inviting her to the ceremony only 1523 01:10:38,760 --> 01:10:40,560 Speaker 9: so she could still see her daughter walk down the 1524 01:10:40,560 --> 01:10:43,280 Speaker 9: aisle and get married, but she would not be allowed 1525 01:10:43,360 --> 01:10:46,519 Speaker 9: at the reception. And you guys are always allowed to 1526 01:10:46,560 --> 01:10:49,320 Speaker 9: listen to full episodes with stories just like this. Just 1527 01:10:49,360 --> 01:10:52,360 Speaker 9: go to Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast app. 1528 01:10:52,520 --> 01:10:55,160 Speaker 9: Man oh man, Yeah, she is a little bit more, 1529 01:10:55,200 --> 01:10:59,120 Speaker 9: but uh yeah, I think it would be nice of you, 1530 01:10:59,240 --> 01:11:01,160 Speaker 9: It would be very consist of you two have her 1531 01:11:01,160 --> 01:11:04,320 Speaker 9: come to the reception so that she's still a little 1532 01:11:04,320 --> 01:11:06,519 Speaker 9: bit involved. But yeah, I understand why you wouldn't want 1533 01:11:06,520 --> 01:11:10,040 Speaker 9: her at the or not the reception, the ceremony, but 1534 01:11:10,160 --> 01:11:13,200 Speaker 9: not have her at the reception because it seems like 1535 01:11:13,280 --> 01:11:15,120 Speaker 9: she has continuously. 1536 01:11:14,600 --> 01:11:15,360 Speaker 1: Made a lot of drama. 1537 01:11:15,720 --> 01:11:18,800 Speaker 8: I before I say what I'm gonna say, Helena has 1538 01:11:18,840 --> 01:11:23,240 Speaker 8: been acting a fool, acting a fool the whole time. 1539 01:11:23,600 --> 01:11:24,880 Speaker 5: Yeah, I will state that. 1540 01:11:25,360 --> 01:11:27,880 Speaker 8: But also, since you're asking if you're the a hole, 1541 01:11:29,000 --> 01:11:33,320 Speaker 8: I think to hold your tongue for all this time 1542 01:11:33,360 --> 01:11:36,679 Speaker 8: and be like I was being civil, I don't think 1543 01:11:36,800 --> 01:11:41,519 Speaker 8: that's like inherently like a good thing to just have 1544 01:11:41,800 --> 01:11:44,880 Speaker 8: held your tongue to allow your resentment to brew and 1545 01:11:44,920 --> 01:11:48,439 Speaker 8: brew and then to allow it just to explode, and 1546 01:11:48,479 --> 01:11:50,880 Speaker 8: now you're going to go off on your mom. And 1547 01:11:51,000 --> 01:11:54,240 Speaker 8: so you were holding in what was most true for 1548 01:11:54,360 --> 01:11:57,160 Speaker 8: you in your relationship and then it all came out 1549 01:11:57,200 --> 01:12:01,160 Speaker 8: at once, and now you're you're dealing with the brute 1550 01:12:01,200 --> 01:12:05,080 Speaker 8: force of it all like exploding. And so if I 1551 01:12:05,120 --> 01:12:08,519 Speaker 8: think there is something to be said around around that. 1552 01:12:08,479 --> 01:12:10,280 Speaker 9: I think you could also. I mean you could potentially 1553 01:12:10,320 --> 01:12:13,000 Speaker 9: say like, right now, she's only invited the ceremony and 1554 01:12:13,040 --> 01:12:15,200 Speaker 9: you could have that conversation with your mom where you're like, hey, 1555 01:12:15,720 --> 01:12:19,560 Speaker 9: you've been disrespectful of me the entire this entire process. 1556 01:12:20,000 --> 01:12:23,880 Speaker 9: If I see a lot of change, you know, maybe 1557 01:12:23,880 --> 01:12:25,360 Speaker 9: we can talk about you coming to the reception, but 1558 01:12:25,439 --> 01:12:29,519 Speaker 9: right now, like that can't happen. We are getting married 1559 01:12:29,560 --> 01:12:32,120 Speaker 9: in seven months in a Catholic church and our reception 1560 01:12:32,280 --> 01:12:35,559 Speaker 9: is at an arcade sick. We are both gamer nerds 1561 01:12:35,560 --> 01:12:37,960 Speaker 9: who prefer arcade games over dancing, and so we thought 1562 01:12:38,040 --> 01:12:41,000 Speaker 9: having the arcade bowling experience would be much nicer than 1563 01:12:41,040 --> 01:12:41,960 Speaker 9: a regular reception. 1564 01:12:42,200 --> 01:12:43,960 Speaker 5: That would be fun, but not for a wedding. 1565 01:12:44,120 --> 01:12:46,160 Speaker 1: But yeah, we also have cut. 1566 01:12:45,960 --> 01:12:48,479 Speaker 9: Down our wedding party to one person each and I'm 1567 01:12:48,520 --> 01:12:50,519 Speaker 9: not having a maid of honor, as I feel my 1568 01:12:50,600 --> 01:12:52,800 Speaker 9: mom ruined that role for me. I have a lot 1569 01:12:52,840 --> 01:12:55,719 Speaker 9: of feelings about what happened, but after everything my mom 1570 01:12:55,760 --> 01:12:57,960 Speaker 9: did and how child as she was acting, I don't 1571 01:12:57,960 --> 01:12:59,960 Speaker 9: regret my choice to remove her from the bridle part. 1572 01:13:00,920 --> 01:13:03,400 Speaker 9: Let me know what you think. Am I the A hole? 1573 01:13:03,479 --> 01:13:06,240 Speaker 9: And that is the end of that story and the 1574 01:13:06,320 --> 01:13:07,120 Speaker 9: end of this episode. 1575 01:13:07,200 --> 01:13:07,800 Speaker 5: Oh cool. 1576 01:13:07,960 --> 01:13:10,360 Speaker 9: So if you love us, make sure to subscribe. 1577 01:13:10,800 --> 01:13:13,240 Speaker 5: We love you and see you tomorrow.