3 Hours Of Reddit Stories - I Was Blamed For Infertility By My Ex-Husband And In-Laws Despite...

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I was blamed for infertility by my ex husband and
in laws despite normal results, so I left. Now my
ex has lost everything due to his lives. I thirty
two F was married to my ex husband, Jake thirty
four M for five years. Initially, we had a good relationship.
When we first met, Jake was charming, amusing, and easy

(00:20):
to chat to. I genuinely believed I had met someone
who would always have my back. But everything changed once
we married. Jake's parents, particularly his mother, began pressuring us
to have children almost immediately following the wedding. At first,
the comments were light hearted, such as when will we
have a grandchild? However, it quickly became the only topic
they wanted to discuss. For reference, Jake is an only

(00:43):
child whose parents were extremely controlling. His mother was the
type of person who had a plan for everything, how
Jake should live, who he should marry, and what his
life should be like. While we were dating, I had
no idea how much power his family wielded. However, following
the wedding, it became evident that Jake had a strong
desire to gain their approval for all he did. He

(01:03):
was especially eager for his mother's approval, which produced a
lot of stress between us. Around two years into our marriage,
Jake's parents push to have children became overwhelming. We had tried,
but nothing was happening, so I went to the doctor
to make sure everything was fine on my end. All
of my tests came back normal, which was a relief
for me. Naturally, I suggested Jake get tested as well,

(01:25):
just to rule out any problems on his end. That's
when things started to unravel. Jake refused to be tested.
He acted as if I had insulted him by even
mentioning it. He asserted that he wasn't the problem and
refused to talk about it anymore. I was frustrated by
his reaction, since all I wanted to do was figure
out what was going on so we could move forward. However,
Jake was locked in a haughty mindset, as if admitting

(01:47):
a potential problem on his side was impossible or shameful.
As Jake continued to decline testing, I began to feel
bad about myself, even though the physicians had told me
that nothing was wrong with me. His actions made me
feel as if I was somehow to blame Meanwhile, Jake's
parents persisted with their intrusive questions and comments. Every time
we visited them, the subject of their prospective grandchildren dominated

(02:09):
the conversation. It got to the point where I dreaded
going to family gatherings because I knew they'd just talk
about having grandchildren. No matter how many times I attempted
to explain that these things take time or that we
were working on them, his mother gave me a condescending look,
as if she was disappointed in me. Then they began
making direct statements to me about how they hoped I
was not the problem. At one family gathering where a

(02:31):
slew of Jake's distant relatives were present, Jake's mother bluntly
informed me that she hoped I wasn't damaged, in a
very loud voice, with a phony worried expression on her face.
I felt humiliated. Jake said nothing. He just sat there
awkwardly laughing it off, as if it was no big thing.
That stung more than anything. I believed he should have
defended me, but instead he allowed his parents to humiliate me.

(02:54):
When I tried to talk to him about it, he
dismissed it, saying it was simply his mother's sense of humor.
A few months later, we had another family meal, and
Jake's mother chose to make another harsh remark. This time,
she did not hold back. She went into hysterics, wailing
about how old she was getting and how I was
wrecking her dreams of having grandchildren. She then started screaming

(03:15):
in my face, calling me a broken woman and a
disgrace to womanhood. Everyone stayed silent. I was horrified. I
did everything I could to keep myself from saying something rude.
I knew she enjoyed humiliating me in front of her family,
but this was beyond uncalled for. I looked around to
see if anyone had anything to say, but everyone just
kept looking down at their plates. The only answer was

(03:36):
Jake's father, nodding in agreement with his wife. Jake, like
the rest of his family, simply gazed at his plate,
pretending nothing was going on. That was it. That was
my breaking point. I couldn't believe that, despite everything I'd
gone through while trying to figure out why we couldn't conceive,
Jake refused to defend me. Seeing him sit there passively
without even looking at me let me realize where our

(03:59):
marriage stood. That night, when we arrived home, I packed
my bags and informed Jake that I was going. He
hardly reacts. He didn't seem to care that I was done.
He was so accustomed to his parents being the focus
that he had no idea he had lost me. That
only made me angry. How difficult is it to stand
up for someone you claim to love. I left that
day and have never looked back. Leaving was not an

(04:21):
easy decision, but it was the best one I've ever made.
After I left, I moved in with a buddy for
a few months while I planned my future moves. I
filed for divorce and the process went fairly smoothly. Jake
did not fight it, and we ended things peacefully. After
the divorce was finalized, I focused on reconstructing my life.
I returned to my profession, surrounded myself with helpful friends,

(04:43):
and finally met someone new, my now husband, Sam thirty
five million. Sam has been an absolute breath of fresh
air in many ways. He is diametrically opposed to Jake.
He listens, communicates, and most importantly, always looks out for me.
We ended up dating for only a year because I
became pregnant and we rushed to marry. Let me tell

(05:04):
you I've had a much better time with Sam in
this short period than I did with Jake. Sam and
I were ecstatic about my pregnancy. It meant so much
more to me after everything I'd been through with Jake
and his family. Now let's look at what transpired recently.
One day, while out shopping with Sam, I ran across
Jake's parents in the mall. To recap, it's been two

(05:24):
years since I last saw them. I was visibly pregnant
at the time, and their reaction was priceless. They were stunned,
to say the least. They tried to be courteous by
making small chat, but I could see they were shocked
to see me pregnant. I'll admit that seeing their reactions
made me feel vindicated. They spent years torturing and discouraging
me for being unable to conceive, Yet look where I

(05:45):
am now. I hastily said goodbye and nearly forgot I
had met them. Sam and I were very busy preparing
for the baby, and I had no desire to linger
on the past. But then, approximately a week after the
mall incident, Jake began texting and calling me. Initially, I
ignored them. I assumed his parents had informed him of
my pregnancy and new marriage, and Jake was just being nosy,

(06:06):
but he did not stop. I eventually opened one of
his texts. He was infuriated when his parents discovered I
was pregnant. They challenged him about our marriage and why
we had never had children. Jake apparently never corrected his
parents when they assumed I was the reason we couldn't
have children. In fact, he encouraged people to believe I
was the problem. When they saw I was pregnant, they

(06:27):
understood he had been lying to them all along. According
to what I've heard, his parents were outraged when they
discovered the truth. They accused him of squandering years of
their lives by convincing them that they would never have
grandkids because of me, when in truth, Jake was most
likely the one with fertility troubles. To make matters worse
for Jake, his parents had always intended to leave him
a sizeable inheritance. However, after finding his lies, they cut

(06:51):
him off totally. Of course, Jake blamed me for everything.
He said that if I had not flaunted my pregnancy
in front of his parents, none of this would have occurred.
He accused me of ruining his life. Because he had
lost everything, even the inheritance he had hoped for. I
couldn't believe he was blaming this on me. I simply
moved on with my life, and it was not my
fault that his lies came back to haunt him. I

(07:12):
have not answered Jake's mails, and I do not intend to.
I'm content with where I am today, and I have
no desire to become engaged in his family turmoil. In
my opinion, Jake dug his own hole. He would not
be in this situation if he had not allowed his
parents to treat me like garbage or lied to them
about why we couldn't have children. I really wish Jake
would stop making me feel terrible about something that is

(07:34):
entirely his fault. Despite my intense feelings about this, I
spoke with a friend yesterday and told her all that
had transpired. She told me I was wrong to leave
Jake like that, and that I should have pushed him
harder to complete the examinations. She also claimed I should
not have spoken with Jake's parents and that it was
petty of me to do so. I mean, I can
see how I was being petty. I never wanted to

(07:55):
hurt Jake. I must say, however, that Jake being punished
for his falsehoods is a pleasant bonus. Anyway, my husband
told me that anything my buddy claimed was false, but
I can't help but wonder if there was some truth
to what she said. So am I an asshole ai
TA for leaving my ex husband after his family labeled
me broken? And am I wrong not to feel sorry
about him losing his inheritance? Update one escalation and desperation. OK,

(08:20):
So things have grown much more complicated and I really
need to vent. After I posted my original story, I
assumed that was the end of it, but oh boy,
was I mistaken. Jake has been blowing up my phone NonStop.
I blocked his number, but he then began texting me
on social media. I also blocked him there, but he
kept creating new accounts just to reach out. He even

(08:41):
began phoning from several numbers. I did not respond to
any of it, but the texts grew increasingly frantic and
angry over time. At first, he was simply blaming me
for damaging his connection with his parents, but now he's
gone over the deep end, claiming I owe him since
I took away his future. He insists that if I
had stayed with him, none of this would have a curred.
It's really exhausting. Some individuals in the comments on my

(09:04):
initial post agreed with my buddy and questioned why I
didn't push harder to persuade Jake to take fertility tests.
So let me be clear, I tried. I truly tried,
but every time I offered it, Jake would shut me
down entirely. He acted as if I had betrayed him
simply by bringing it up. He refused to speak to
me for days after I inquired about the tests. I

(09:25):
tried everything I could to be patient, but there's only
so much you can do when someone is so stubborn.
I eventually realized I couldn't force him to do something
he didn't want to do, so I had to let
it go for my own sanity. Some individuals have also
accused me of being selfish for displaying my pregnancy in
front of Jake's parents. Look, I hadn't planned to run
into them. I was just out shopping with my spouse,

(09:46):
minding my own business. I wasn't seeking for them specifically
to rub my pregnancy in their faces. However, I'd be
lying if I said, it didn't feel great to see
their astonished reactions. I experienced what I can only describe
as a nightmare with them and continually belittling me, making
me feel broken, and blaming me for everything. So yeah,
it felt nice to demonstrate that I wasn't the problem

(10:07):
or broken. But I wasn't trying to upset Jake or
make any drama. All I wanted was to enjoy my life.
I viewed our interaction as a fun boost to my
self esteem. Jake has pushed things to a whole new level.
He didn't simply message me. He found out where I live.
I have no idea how he found my address, and
I am afraid. He arrived at my residence two nights ago.

(10:28):
He hammered on the door for at least fifteen minutes,
wanting to speak with me. Fortunately, my husband Sam was
home and promptly instructed him to leave. Jake refused, claiming
that he only wanted to explain himself, but Sam quickly
shut that down. He warned Jake that if he didn't leave,
we would contact the cops. Jake eventually backed down, but
not before shrieking that I had wrecked everything for him.

(10:51):
It was quite terrifying. I can't help but fear that
if I let things continue unchecked, he'll do something even
more insane. Many people asked me how I discovered Jake
had lost his fortune. Fortunately I didn't learn all of
the specifics straight from him. From what I've gathered from
his angry messages, it appears that his parents feel completely betrayed.
They were enraged when they found that the reason they

(11:12):
never had grandchildren wasn't because of me, but rather Jake himself.
They believe he lied to them for years, convincing them
that I was the problem because their whole attention was
on having grandkids. They thought Jake no longer deserved the
inheritance they had intended to leave him. According to my understanding,
they have now completely cut him off, both emotionally and financially.

(11:32):
Jake is heartbroken by this, which I suppose is why
he's pursuing me so aggressively. I do not feel bad
about him losing the inheritance. I mean, what was I
meant to do stay in a terrible marriage so his
parents don't find out the truth. That is not on me.
Jake made his own decisions. He could have told his
parents the truth at any time, but instead he allowed

(11:52):
them to mistreat me and never defended me. So no,
I don't feel sorry for what happened to him. If anything,
it seems like karma is finally coming up with him. However,
I have to admit that I am a little nervous.
Jake's behavior is becoming increasingly unpredictable. My spouse and I
are already discussing taking extra precautions in case Jake turns
up again. We've considered placing cameras around the house and

(12:15):
even obtaining a restraining order if he doesn't back down.
I want to believe that he will ultimately give up,
but something tells me that he will not let this
go easy. He seems to be spiraling out of control,
and I have no idea what he's going to do next.
So that's where things are right now. I believe this
chapter in my life was over, but Jake had other intentions.
I simply hope he quickly sees that I am not

(12:37):
to blame for his difficulties. All I did was move
on with my life, and to be honest, I am
happier than I have ever been. I simply want to
be left alone so I can enjoy the life I've
created with my husband and our upcoming baby. I'll keep
you posted if anything more happens, but for now, I'm
hoping Jake gets the word and leaves me alone. If not,
I suppose we'll have to escalate the situation and engage authorities.

(13:00):
Hopefully that does not happen, but who knows at this point.
Thank you to everyone who responded to my first post
and offered suggestions. It made me realize that I wasn't
crazy for leaving Jake or feeling the way I do. Now.
I'll report again if anything changes, but for now, I'm
just trying to keep focused on the future and avoid
letting Jake's bullshit drag me back into the past. Update two.

(13:21):
Hello everyone, I didn't expect to be back with another
update so soon, but things have taken a wild turn.
After my last update, I assumed Jake would finally leave
me alone. I mean, even showing up at my place
was already a step too far. Right to Jake, that
was insignificant. Instead, He's devised a new strategy, which is

(13:41):
just as crazy as it sounds. After Sam, my husband,
and I made it obvious that we did not want
Jake anywhere near us. He began bombarding me with messages again.
Instead of being upset and blaming me for everything, Jake's
demeanor improved dramatically. Suddenly he begged me for assistance. He
began emailing me things like I need you to talk
to my parents and you owe me this. He transitioned

(14:04):
from being like a complete lunatic to requesting favors. At
this point, I was perplexed, but also intrigued by what
he planned to accomplish. Jake is now certain that if
I speak with his parents and explain everything, they will
give him his fortune back. He wants me to go
to them, tell them it was a misunderstanding, and somehow
persuade them that he is still deserving of the riches
they were planning to leave him. At first, I assumed

(14:25):
it was a joke. There's no way he believes I'd
do that right, But he's completely serious. He acts as
if I can simply wave a magic wand and make
everything better for him. He even said that if I
hadn't bumped into them, they would never have found out
and he'd be set for life. I couldn't believe the
crap coming out of his mouth. I couldn't believe he
didn't realize he had caused all of this by lying

(14:46):
to them and treating me like garbage for years. His
lack of self awareness was both strange and frightening. It
takes a lot of ego to entirely disavow responsibility for
your own acts. Right Anyway, I did not react to
any of his erratic tech, and he became increasingly desperate.
In a matter of days, his communications progressed from begging
to threatening. He said things such as, if you don't

(15:09):
help me, I'll make sure everyone knows you're a liar
and you'll regret this. This is ridiculous. He's clearly on
a downward spiral, and he's now attempting to intimidate me
into doing anything he wants. Unfortunately for him, I'm no
longer terrified of him. I've dealt with enough of his
bullshit to know he's just talking, so I'm not getting
embroiled in his family drama again. I tried to dodge

(15:30):
him by banning all of his new phone numbers and accounts,
but I have a nagging sense he will not stop.
He's already come to my place once, so what's keeping
him from trying again. My husband and I have discussed
getting a restraining order, but we are still deciding on
the best course of action. I don't want things to
become worse, but I also can't continue living like this.
I can't keep worrying if Jake would show up out

(15:51):
of nowhere with new demands or threats. If he shows
up again and I refuse to do what he asks,
will he harm me. He's clearly spinning and not in
the best of moods, so I can't say for certain
that he wouldn't. To make matters worse, I discovered that
Jake's parents had been communicating with some mutual friends. Apparently
they now blame me for their family's disintegration. They believe

(16:12):
I influenced Jake into concealing the truth and that I
am the reason they are cutting him off. I'm not
sure where to start with that. Everyone in Jake's life
seemed to be an utter denial about who he truly is,
and I find myself caught in the center of their
distorted reality. Anyway, I've been doing my best to ignore
Jake's attempts to contact me, but I'm not sure how
much longer I can avoid the problem. I just want

(16:33):
to concentrate on my pregnancy and my life with Sam,
but Jake is making it impossible to do so. He's
not just trying to get back into his parents good graces,
He's also attempting to drag me down with him, and
I won't allow that to happen. I haven't decided what
to do yet, but I'm thinking about contacting his parents myself,
not to aid Jake, but to set the record right
once and for all. If they choose to blame me

(16:55):
for their son's falsehoods, that is their choice, but I
will not sit back and let them spread us about me.
At the same time, I'm concerned that any interaction with
them will only make matters worse. It seems like a
lose lose situation. So that's where things stand right now.
Jake has gone from angry and blaming me to begging
and threatening, and I'm not sure what his next move
will be. I just hope he realizes I'm not going

(17:17):
to aid him and backs off before things spiral out
of control. I'll keep you all posted if anything else happens,
but for now, I'm just figuring out my next steps.
Thank you for your continued support. I never anticipated this
problem to escalate so quickly, but it helps to know
that I'm not alone in coping with it. I'll update
again if Jake does anything else, which, let's be honest,

(17:38):
he most likely will update three. Hello everyone, I have
some bad and good news. The terrible news is this
will be my final update. I know many of you
have been quite invested in my story, and I am
grateful that so many of you have been checking in
on me on a daily basis to see that my
baby and I are safe. As for the good news,
I'm finally free of Jake. Jake's latest round of begging

(18:01):
and threatening. I was beginning to worry Sam. My husband,
and I had been talking about moving for a long time,
and with everything going on, we decided it was the
right moment to go out of town and start over
somewhere far away. We located a new apartment in a
completely different state, packed up our belongings, and departed without
telling anyone where we were going. I was just finished

(18:22):
with the drama. Besides, I'm pregnant and needed to focus
on myself and the kid. But immediately before we departed,
something happened that I can't believe remember when Jake's parents
blamed me for everything, It appears that they chose to
approach Jake personally. I learned about this from one of
Jake's cousins, who later became a close friend. Clearly, the

(18:42):
confrontation was explosive. Jake originally attempted to blame me for
everything and persuade his parents to continue their hatred for
me in order to reclaim his money. But Jake's parents
were adamant about finding out why he wanted the inheritance
so severely. They believed they had helped prepare him for life.
They found him a terrific job, him a house, paid
off his mortgage, and advised him on how to invest

(19:03):
in good assets to provide him with financial security. They
eventually learned the truth from Jake. Jake had been lying
to them about his finances for years. He informed them
that he was saving money, working hard, and preparing to
take over the family business. In truth, he was spending
all of their money on frivolous activities such as online
gambling and holidays with his cronies. He never told them

(19:25):
about it and maintained the pretense of being a responsible
son to preserve his place in their estate. When his
parents learned this, they were furious. They not only cut
Jake off financially, but also officially disowned him. They told
him they no longer wanted anything to do with him.
The inheritance he was so determined to retrieve was gone.
Jake's parents apparently spoke with their family first, who suggested

(19:47):
that withholding him an inheritance was unnecessary. The family advocated
confronting Jake to hear his version of the story, and
maybe reinstating him in the will if he admitted his mistakes. However,
as Jake's parents learned the whole truth, any chance of
rect conciliation was lost. I'm not sure what Jake is
going to do now, but I'm pleased it's no longer
my responsibility. From what I've heard, he's trying to figure

(20:08):
out his next move. I wish him the best of
success with it. After hearing all of this, I felt
a lot of comfort. For years, I thought I was
the one who had failed, that I hadn't done enough
to make things right with Jake and his family. But
now it's evident that Jake was hiding a lot more
from everyone, including me. His parents finally recognized him for
who he truly is, and it feels like karma has

(20:30):
come full circle. As for Sam and me, we've adjusted
into our new house in another state and are doing well.
I feel much safer now that we are away from
Jake and his turmoil. We added security cameras just in case,
but there has been no trace of Jake or any
other strange communications. We even obtained a restraining order before
leaving to guarantee that he could not follow us or
try anything else. It feels great to know that he

(20:52):
can't come after us anymore. Oh and here's the icing
on top. Jake's parents actually contacted me. I received a
no vote from them through the same cousin who alerted
me about the confrontation, apologizing for how they had treated
me over the years. They said they had no idea
Jake was lying to them and were sorry for everything
they had put me through. I'm not sure whether I'll
ever respond to them, but it was wonderful to receive

(21:15):
some sort of apology after everything. It's incredible how much
things have changed. Anyway, I'm relieved to be able to
focus on my life without the weight of all this turmoil.
Sam and I are very excited about our baby, and
I'm pleased we're in a quiet place now to embrace
this new chapter. The last few months have been extremely difficult,
but I believe we've come out stronger. Thank you again

(21:36):
to everyone who has supported me throughout this struggle. Your
comments and advice gave me the strength to keep going,
and I thank you more than you know. That's all
for now. Now to the next story story too. After
warning my brother in law about his wife's infidelity, my
husband left me three years later his life collapsed due
to gambling. Ten years ago, I a thirty seven year

(21:59):
old woman, married my now ex husband, Liam, a forty
two year old man. I did have some problems with
his family, but overall our marriage was good. We got
along well though, because it was nothing that I couldn't
ignore or endure. The members of Liam's family were quite
close to one another. My former brother in law, Jonathan
now forty eight, was married to his older sister, Emily

(22:20):
now forty six. Emily was a stay at home mother
to her two children with Jonathan. Liam just showered the
children with affection because they were his favorite. I really
loved them and they were excellent kids. Everything was cool
between Liam and myself since I was the fun aunt.
Liam and I experienced some financial difficulties. About five years ago.
I had taken time off work to attend to my

(22:40):
mental well being. My last job was incredibly toxic, with
demands that never stopped and no boundaries. My supervisors and
managers were as unsupportive as they could be, and I
was supposed to be at their beck and call constantly.
I made the decision to take a break from work
at that point, since I was in a terrible mental state.
When I talked to Liam about my choice, he was
in couraging and urged me to pursue it. For personal costs,

(23:03):
we always kept our money apart for shopping, household bills,
date nights, and anything else we did together. We had
a joint account. We made contributions to this account in
line with our incomes. Even though we each donated the
same percentage of our income, Liam's contribution was greater in
absolute terms because he made more money. Before choosing to
take a break, I had thoroughly examined my financial situation.

(23:25):
I felt confident that I could comfortably cover my part
until I was prepared to go back to work. Liam
even offered to pay my portion during this time, but
I turned him down right away. I had enough savings
to handle and I didn't want to mess with our arrangement.
We shouldn't have had the financial difficulties we did because
Liam had a lucrative position at a large corporation. But
three months into my hiatus, Liam began acting oddly. Even

(23:48):
when I spent my own money to buy something new
or suggest ordering takeout, he would get upset with me.
Only for shared expenses, and never for my own purposes.
Did I use some of the money from the joint account.
He would either start acting rudely or create flimsy reasons
if I suggested going out to eat on a given
day since I didn't feel like cooking. I tried bringing
it up a few times before giving up. But he

(24:09):
would behave oddly even when I spent my own resources,
which were funds beyond his control. This was very out
of character for him. Throughout our whole marriage, Liam had
never made an effort to dictate or offer commentary on
my financial decisions. I drew him aside and inquired about
his condition. After initially attempting to dismiss it, he finally
admitted that he had spent practically all of our savings

(24:30):
on gambling. Almost nothing remained for us. He had always
handled our money, and I had also put my trust
in him. I had total faith in him. Therefore, I
never looked at my account. At first, I assumed he
was kidding because this had never happened before. But what
really startled me was the intensity in his eyes. I
wanted to get away from him right away. I was

(24:50):
meant to take this time off from work to take
care of my mental health because he had gambled away
my entire life savings. Rather, I was now confronted with
the daunting task of organizing our financial matters. Our financial
condition was much worse than he had acknowledged when I
looked it over. Our house was about to be repossessed,
and we were literally bankrupt. I got him into treatment
and began applying for jobs in a frenzy. Fortunately, I

(25:14):
was offered a position within three days with great benefits.
I was confident that I could gradually restore our riches
and finances. There was so much to accomplish that I
didn't even have time to comprehend my anger. Even though
I was outraged with him for breaching my confidence, I
kept asking Liam to ask Jonathan for assistance during this time,
Despite Jonathan's money, Liam consistently turned him down. I knew

(25:36):
I couldn't continue to sink while he allowed his ego
to get in the way, even though I didn't understand
his hesitancy. After a while, I gave Jonathan a call,
described the circumstances, and he assisted us right away. Liam
began a quarrel. Rather than express gratitude, he said that
in front of his brother in law, I had emasculated him.
His ego and the facade he had built were more

(25:57):
important to him than anything else, even at this crucial
jombure in our lives, when we were essentially beginning over.
That was the turning point for me. I was enraged.
Not only had he ruined his own efforts, but he
had ruined mine as well. He ruined everything we had
planned for our family's future. I informed him that his
lack of responsibility for our family and future demonstrated emasculation.

(26:19):
We had intended to try for a child, so this
was particularly upsetting. I made it very plain that until
he changed his ways, I would not have a child
with him. Instead of being appreciative that I had helped us,
escape the disaster he had made with Jonathan's assistance. He
reacted by accusing me of being a domineering wife. We
put a lot of effort into rebuilding our finances over
the course of the following year and a half, paying

(26:41):
Jonathan back in full. Jonathan helped us get out of
a predicament that had nothing to do with him, and
for that I will always be thankful. But Liam was
still upset that I had asked Jonathan for assistance. He
didn't want the family to be aware of our financial predicament. Fortunately,
Jonathan never told anyone, not even Emily, about it. Although
Liam and I were still at odds, I wanted our

(27:02):
relationship to finally improve, but I lost all regard for
him as a person once whatever happened. After getting back
on our feet, things started to improve. However, I observed
tension between Jonathan and Emily at family get togethers. I
couldn't help but worry about Jonathan in particular. I told
Liam that I was worried and asked him if he
had also realized anything was off, or if I was

(27:23):
the only one. He dismissed it, claiming that nothing was
wrong and that I was just over analyzing it. But
I went to Emily's apartment two days later to bring
some tarts for the kids, and they were a huge hit.
But Emily was acting really weirdly. She was clearly pressed
for time and wanted me out of there as soon
as possible. I left the home to see what she
was up to, but I opted to wait in my
car because I felt something wasn't right. Call me spooky

(27:46):
or what, but I had a gut feeling that something
was going on and I needed to step in. Suddenly,
I noticed a man exiting the house and Emily was
escorting him back. I wouldn't have had any suspicions at first,
but her guilty behavior increased suspicions. The man slouched and
wore a cap as though he didn't want to be identified.
I quickly realized she was cheating on Jonathan after observing
their body language. Her rudeness and lack of thanks horrified

(28:09):
and sickened me. A part of me wanted to approach
her right away, but I wasn't sure whether it was
the appropriate thing to do and was too afraid of
her response. Rather, I made the decision to head write
home and inform Liam of what I had witnessed. I
thought Liam would be shocked, angry, disgusted, or perhaps even incredulous.
His real response was something I never would have predicted.

(28:30):
After a few seconds of silence, Liam inquired as to
whether I had discussed it with anyone else. He let
out a breath of relief when I responded no, and
advised me to keep what I had witnessed to myself.
It would be an understatement to say I was taken
aback if he believed that I would remain silent and
allowed Jonathan to suffer in a marriage with an unfaithful woman.
I told him he was crazy. Liam proposed that they

(28:51):
might have an open marriage and contended that we weren't
certain if she was unfaithful. We both knew Jonathan well
enough to know that he would never consent to such
a deal, I retorted. Nevertheless, Liam maintained that interfering was
none of our business. I informed him that we wanted
to be sure Emily wasn't betraying Jonathan, even if he
had consented to something out of the ordinary. I insisted

(29:11):
that before we confronted Emily, we speak with Jonathan. I
was aware that Emily would immediately fabricate a falsehood to
protect herself if she was involved in any questionable activities.
Liam objected and made a number of reasons why we
shouldn't tell Jonathan. I shouldn't get involved in other people's
personal issues, he remarked. He went on to say that
neither of us was aware of all the specifics of

(29:32):
their relationship. I must admit that there were times when
I nearly gave in. I started to doubt myself after
Liam's deceptive arguments, and I even thought about speaking with
Emily first. My logical mind, however, realized that something was
often that I had to intervene to support the man
who had saved my family. Liam was playing on my
emotional side, which kept dragging me in the other direction

(29:53):
and pressuring me to believe his ridiculous defenses and explanations
for Emily's actions. I fought this internal conf flicked for
a long time. I finally came to the conclusion that
I could no longer handle it, even if it meant
paying a price. I had to act morally. I told
Liam about my choice before telling Jonathan. It would be
an understatement to say that he went completely insane that day.

(30:15):
We got into the biggest fight of our lives. Simply put,
he refused to listen to me. Compared to the fights
we had during his whole gambling period, this one was
considerably worse. He insisted that I had no right to
meddle in and destroy his sister's life. I told him
that I was concerned about his attitude about infidelity and
his strong protection of his sister, and I wondered how
he would respond if I cheated. In response, he said

(30:38):
he didn't want anybody else to inform him of his
wife's adultery. However, I didn't believe it. I couldn't get
the suspicion that he was trying to justify his own
actions by defending Emily's adultery. It made me question whether
Liam was being unfaithful to me. The suspicion persisted even
though I had no evidence or explanation beyond his response.
I drove to Jonathan's house because I was determined to

(31:00):
do the right thing. Unfortunately, Emily wasn't there when I
tried to address her with Jonathan present, I described all
I saw to Jonathan in front of me. He sobbed
and admitted that he had suspected Emily of being unfaithful,
but lacked evidence. He didn't want to make a snap
judgment and accuse her. I acknowledged that I lacked solid
proof as well. She was merely agitated when I saw her,

(31:21):
and a male left the house immediately after, although my
intuition told me otherwise. I informed Jonathan that it might
have been a coworker, a friend, or anybody else. Our
talk ended when he thanked me for telling him. There
was no news. For several weeks, I was engaged in
a kind of cold battle with Liam. I don't believe
he told Jonathan or Emily that I had found out
about her affair. Then one day, Jonathan revealed that he

(31:44):
and Emily were divorcing. My ex father in law and
ex mother in law were taken aback by this news
because none had predicted it. With their intense love and
lovely lifestyle, Emily and Jonathan had always seemed like the
ideal pair. Everyone was shocked, with the exception of myself.
Jonathan continued to act like a gentleman, but Emily appeared
glum and as like she had been crying for days.

(32:06):
He just said that there was nothing left to save
in their relationship, but he never gave an explanation for
his decision to break up with her. Emily arrived at
my house a few days later, yelling uncontrollably. I realized
then that I was the one who had told Jonathan
as Liam had claimed to have told her. I can't
even recall the disgusting things she said to me, including
her curses. I remained composed and informed her that she

(32:28):
was the cause of this. Nothing would change if you
blamed me. She was the only one who had to
deal with the fallout from her decision to cheat. I
had entirely ceased talking to Liam by now. It became
mentally taxing to live in the same house as him
every day. Liam and Emily gradually started to turn other
family members against me. Liam informed his mother that I
had given Jonathan false information about poor Emily, which resulted

(32:51):
in their split, and Emily prevented her children from seeing me.
I became the antagonist overnight. Every one was too preoccupied
with agitating me to notice the true source of the issue.
I eventually had enough one day and lost my temper.
Since his gambling was discovered, Liam and I had been
having problems, and I was certain that I wanted to
get a divorce from him because of all this drama.

(33:12):
I would never respect him again because of anything he did.
Living with a gambler and someone who could justify cheating
was not anything I could imagine. His actions gave the
impression that he was guilty, and I must admit that
I secretly feared he was also cheating on me. I had, however,
psychologically checked out of the marriage by this time. I
wouldn't have cared if he had an affair. It would

(33:32):
have only strengthened my resolve to get a divorce. I
brought the family together and explained the true cause of
Emily and Jonathan's divorce. I told Liam that I had
caught Emily with a stranger and that he had fiercely
protected his sister. When I told Jonathan about the affair,
Emily and Liam started openly disparaging me, and I explained
that nothing I said had convinced him to see reason.

(33:52):
I also informed the family that I was done putting
up with their terrible treatment of me. During this journey,
I was shocked to learn that both my ex father
in law and ex mother in law stood up for
their kids. At that point, I realized, beyond a reasonable
doubt that this family was wholly toxic. For the sake
of my mental health, I understood that walking away was
the proper thing to do. There was absolute stillness in

(34:13):
the room as I made the public announcement that I
would also be filing for divorce. Liam was astonished, as
though a bulb had been struck over his head. I
was very gratified by his wide eyed response. I also
informed him that I was determined to go with the
divorce and that he had to leave my home within
two weeks because his family was so close. Liam's tone
completely changed. He began to sincerely apologize and pleaded with

(34:36):
me to make amends. He made an effort to change
things up by planning date evenings and scheduling SPA treatments,
as though my problem was that I wasn't paying enough attention.
He didn't realize how serious the situation was. I had
to sit him down and tell him that I didn't
like him as a person any more. Thus I was
leaving him. There was nothing he could do about it,
and my choice was final. It took Liam a while

(34:57):
to come to terms with this, but he had to.
After he moved out, our divorce was formalized, which coincided
with the finalization of Jonathan and Emily's divorce. I sold
my home in a matter of months and relocated to
a different location in search of a better employment opportunity
for me. The move three years ago was a new beginning.
I haven't communicated with any members of that family since.

(35:19):
I talked to Jonathan sometimes, but not much else. I
got a text message from an unknown number two days ago.
Liam was the one. He called me and sobbed uncontrollably,
telling me that letting me go was the worst thing
he had ever done. He advised me to follow my
gut at all times and to have battled harder to
keep me. I asked him what was going on, since
I didn't want to hear his apologies. It seems that

(35:41):
Liam was originally content after being married again, this time
to Emily's friend, but Emily and his new wife had
disappeared since last week. He initially called the police because
he thought something horrible had happened to them. However, Liam
was contacted again by the police, who informed him that
Emily and his new wife were safe and specifically requested
that he refrained from attempting to get in touch with them.

(36:02):
In essence, his sister and new wife had fled with him,
emptying his bank account. I hoped it was only a
vacation and they would return, but if it was more
than that, he was really screwed. Instead of consoling him,
I had to fight the impulse to laugh in his
face while he sobbed like a kid on the phone.
He brought this upon himself and now has to lie
in the grave, he dug. Feel free to call me cruel,

(36:23):
but that's the reality. I apologized to him for the situation,
but I didn't understand why he was entangling me in
his private drama. After he was silent for a bit,
I realized I had made the desired remark. He paused,
then added he wanted my assistance in attempting to find them,
since I had been the one to save him from
his previous predicament. He also sought my advice on how

(36:43):
to improve his financial situation. I informed him that I
would not be assisting him this time and advised him
to eat dirt. I made it plain that his issues
were his own and that I had nothing further to
do with him. I then hung up the phone. I
hate to say it, but I was happy that he
was at last taking responsibility for his own as I
had no desire to bring him back, and I was
happy that I had divorced him. He forced me to

(37:05):
put in a lot of effort to restore our fortune
before revealing his true intentions in terms of cheating. I
had been most hurt by that. I would have left
the marriage the moment he admitted to gambling if I
had known he would end up this way. But for nothing,
I stayed, toiled and made sacrifices. I was really irritated
by that. Now that his behavior and habits are finally
catching up with him, I couldn't help but notice how

(37:27):
ironic it was that Emily would betray him of all people.
First update, Due to the fact that this is fresh tea,
I decided to spy on it. I learned that Emily
and Liam's twenty one year old wife had planned a
trip to Europe and was spending a lot of money.
Their regular social media updates raised suspicions in my mind
because the material is readily available to the public. They
have shared content on Instagram and other social media sites,

(37:50):
but I believe they have blocked every member of the
family to keep others from learning about it. I'm currently
considering telling Liam what I discovered. There is a part
of me that feels that I ought to tell him
and at least somewhat assist him. The other side of
me is aware that if I assist him, he will
become reliant on me and begin requesting more favors. Furthermore,
if he employs his intellect rather than dwelling on his
own misery, he will be able to locate them just

(38:13):
as readily as I did. He told me he was
at his lowest and needed my aid in another heartbreaking text.
Though I haven't made up my mind yet, I'm thinking
of giving In second update, some new drama has emerged
since my last update, which was quite some time ago.
When I finally informed Liam what I had discovered, he
congratulated me, but predictably started requesting more favors almost away.

(38:35):
I adamantly informed him that this was the point at
which I would no longer take his cries or even
his calls. Although he sounded insulted, he refrained from arguing.
Since he hadn't phoned me back. I assumed that was
the end of it, but my ex mother in law
called me in the middle of the night two nights ago.
She seemed desperate as she said they were in legal
hot water and wanted my assistance. I practice law. She

(38:57):
clarified that Samantha Liam's knew why had actually eloped with him,
and that Liam was now facing threats from her parents
to file an abduction case against him. I jumped out
of bed like I was electrified. Liam and a twenty
one year old had fled even though she was of
legal age. The circumstances begged for emotional blackmail. I was
appalled and outraged. It was unbelievable to me that I

(39:19):
had ever been married to a man who was capable
of such behavior. I informed my former mother in law
that Samantha's parents accusations would be deemed invalid if she
had left of her own volition, and that they would
have few legal options. My ex mother in law broke
down in tears at that point, stating that Samantha was
now supporting her parents' allegations. Samantha was accusing Liam of
having associated with her when she was a child and

(39:41):
of grooming her. I will not stand by him, she said.
This realization completely blew my mind. After doing the arithmetic.
I came to the conclusion that this was probably the
reason Liam had been so adamantly defending Emily's infidelity, because
he had also cheated and was grooming a child. I
informed my former mother in law that they should all
be put to death for manipulating the life and feelings

(40:02):
of a little girl. They apologized for everything, and she
pleaded with me to speak on Liam's behalf. I flatly refused,
telling her that while I would be happy to challenge
him in court, I would never stand up for him,
Knowing full well that her dear son had cheated on
me with a miner, used my money to rebuild his life,
and was now facing the repercussions of his actions. I
informed her that she had some audacity in asking for

(40:24):
my help. After cursing at me, she ended the phone.
My nights have been restless ever since that call. It
still amazes me that I was once wed to a predator.
No obvious indicators had been present, or maybe I had
overlooked some minor ones. In any case, I'm sickened by
the realization Liam ought to spend the remainder of his life,
possibly even longer, rotting in prison. I'm really sorry for

(40:46):
the little girl. Even if they began dating when she
was seventeen, Liam was thirty eight years old at the time,
making him an adult with a child enrolled in school.
The twenty one year age difference was already alarming. Even worse,
the fact that Emily had been friends with this girl
raised the possibility that Emily had introduced them. If accurate,
the whole family was involved in this poisoning. I'm glad

(41:08):
I was able to leave this terrible household and preserve
my future in time. Third update. Fortunately, no one in
my ex's family has provided me with any direct updates.
Liam and my ex mother in law have both stopped talking,
but Jonathan talked to me and I picked up some
knowledge from him. Emily and Samantha returned home in a
matter of weeks. Apparently, Samantha began altering her tale. At

(41:30):
that point. She declared her desire to divorce Liam and
go back to her family, claiming he had groomed her involved.
Her parents threatened to file charges against Liam, even though
their case was based on dubious legal grounds. Jonathan clarified
it was sufficient to frighten the family in order to
keep Samantha and her parents silent and prevent any official accusations.
Liam ultimately paid them a large sum of money. Liam's

(41:53):
financial situation is now officially ruined. In all of this,
Emily pretended to be innocent, saying Samantha had informed her
that Liam had given her the money. They have no
one else to turn to but one another, even though
they all know it's absurd. According to recent information, my
ex mother in law and ex father in law intend
to downsize, so until they can work things out, the
whole family will be living in a one bedroom apartment.

(42:16):
Liam has practically little money left in his bank account,
and Emily works a minimum wage job. According to Jonathan,
Emily contacted him pleading for crumbs, but he ignored her calls.
She couldn't coerce him into giving her money in that
manner because he has exclusive custody of their children. The
family as a whole is extremely dysfunctional and codependent. I'm
so glad I got away from their mayhem at that time.

(42:38):
I'm glad I've moved on, even if I wish I
had never interacted with them in any way. For what
he did to the young girl, I can only hope
Liam gets jail time. I have no doubt that if
he can do something like this once, he will do
it again. Since he is a criminal and a groomer,
sharing a one bedroom apartment with his parents and sister
as a form of prison in and of itself. Even
though I wish there were a method to three row

(43:00):
him in jail, he's going to have a bad time. Fortunately,
none of them have gotten in touch with me. I've
blocked them on all devices and accounts, and I'm hoping
that nothing further will happen to entangle me in their drama.
I sorely need calm in my life since I'm tired
of their mayhem. Now to the next story. Story three.
My golden child brother ruined my childhood, then framed and

(43:23):
sued me after I married because he liked my wife. Hi, Reddit,
I need some guidance on a complex position I'm in. Therefore,
I'm using a throwaway account. I just want this out there,
so please pardon any errors. I'm a forty three year
old man who is the youngest of two siblings. To
give you the whole picture, I'll attempt to give a
chronological account. The golden kid in our family has always

(43:44):
been my forty five year old brother Michael. He could
do no wrong in my parents' eyes as a child.
For instance, they encouraged him and helped him get better
when he received poor grades. But even though I received
respectable grades, I was disappointed for graduating from high school.
I got three hundred dollars and a pat on the back,
while he got a new automobile and a huge celebration.

(44:04):
Although we usually did our own thing, Michael wasn't a
bad brother. I felt the desire to go out and
experience life on my own, but I didn't really protest.
I completed my MBA in seven years while attending a
university in a different city. I got a job back
in our hometown once I graduated. With the exception of
holidays and birthdays, I didn't spend much time with my
family throughout this time. My brother barely made it through

(44:27):
high school because he wasn't the best student. After he
left college, my parents assisted him in opening a modest
hardware store. Despite my happiness for him, I kept my
attention on myself. I began dating Emily, who was twenty
at the time. Around this period. We both came from
the same city and met in college. After returning home,
we cohabitated, got jobs, and concentrated on starting a family.

(44:51):
I presented Emily to my family over the two thousand
and eight holidays. I felt more love than I have
in years, since they were unexpectedly kind and open, but
I didn't and give it much attention when I saw
how much Michael was staring at her during the event.
He soon began coming to my flat more often, first
once every four months, and then nearly every day. Since
he visited in the evenings when Emily and I were

(45:12):
attempting to unwind after work, it became bothersome. Eventually I
had to establish limits, which resulted in a heated argument
with my parents. Michael expressed regret and made his trips
more manageable by limiting them to week ends once every
two months. I proposed to Emily in twenty eleven, and
we told Emily's family that we were engaged. Michael simply
shook my hand and left the little celebration I had planned,

(45:34):
but my parents were delighted. After that, he vanished for
a few weeks. When we were married in twenty thirteen,
Michael brought a guest, Laura, to the wedding. Eleven months later,
in twenty fourteen, they were married. I was having a
happy marriage. In twenty fifteen, Olivia, our first daughter, was born,
and in twenty seventeen Chloe, our second. Laura messaged me

(45:57):
in twenty sixteen to let me know that Michael's obset
with Emily was the main cause of their break up.
I told her I was sorry and wished her luck.
In our conversation, I also questioned Emily about her relationships
with Laura. She informed me that from the beginning, Laura
had been a little aloof and cold with her in
front of my family. I made the decision to confront
my brother. I questioned him about why his passion with

(46:19):
my wife was ruining his life. The inquiry caught him
off guard and he denied everything. Following a heated fight,
I told Michael that he was no longer welcome in
my home. Emily and my dad spoke with me and
reassured me that Michael was still family. Regardless of everything.
I made the decision to be friendly for everyone's benefit.
We continued living our lives as it appeared that Michael

(46:40):
was sincerely trying to improve himself. It was July twenty fifth,
and I can still clearly recall the day in twenty eighteen.
While my wife took our children to see their grandparents,
I was running a number of errands. My father called
me after lunch and asked me to come over to
their place. He sounded irate, and I could feel the
tension When I got there. There were some members of

(47:00):
my extended family there, as well as my parents, who
were attempting to comfort my wife, who was crying. They
accused me of assaulting a girl at a party weeks prior,
and sent her threatening texts instructing her not to report it,
which caught me off guard. When I inquired about what
had transpired. I had known Amanda, the girl in question,
back in high school. I occasionally hung out with a
wider group of friends, including her. Amanda claimed that I

(47:23):
had attacked her after following her to her car following
a club party. Along with her allegation, she sent screenshots
of an alleged chat with my wife as proof. I
was startled and perplexed. My parents told me they never
wanted to see me again. After my father gave me
a heavy slap across the face, Emily was enraged and
said we were finished. No one paid attention to my

(47:43):
attempts to defend myself and show that I had done
nothing of the like. I was told that Emily and
the children would not come back to me, and I
was essentially thrown out of the house. In addition, my
father promised to come to my flat and get their possessions.
I appealed with them to change their minds. When my
father visited the residence, ignoring me, he packed some bags
and warned me not to get in touch with them

(48:05):
ever again. In addition, he threatened to turn me over
to the police himself if I did. By the evening,
Michael had posted Amanda's narrative and the screenshots to our
WhatsApp group for our extended family. I was unanimously expelled
from the organization shortly after. Friends from my group called
me over the course of the following few days to
express their displeasure and advised me not to get in

(48:25):
touch with them ever again. I was a complete disaster.
At this time. I was unable to work, eat or sleep.
My supervisor brought me in for a talk after hearing
the rumors. He told me to leave the company to
preserve my record. Even though he couldn't do anything about
the rumors without the police becoming involved. He threatened to
fire me without severance and with a damaged record if
the police were involved. A few days later, I reluctantly

(48:48):
accepted his recommendation and resigned. I was still living in
agony in the middle of August when I got two
court documents, Emily's divorce papers and a letter of disownment
from my family. When I went to my parents' house
in my drunken and desperate state, Michael confronted me. I
was assailed by him, who called me a disgrace to
the family and said that my disownment was a wonderful thing.

(49:09):
I could hardly stand and had blood running down my
face by the time he was finished. Emily and my
dad looked on from a distance, but took no action.
I eventually sat there in tears, realizing that I had
lost every one and all I knew. I remained cooped
up in my flat while the divorce was being processed.
The divorce proceeded as amicably as possible given the situation.

(49:29):
I didn't have to pay child support or alimony because
I was unemployed and my ex parents said they would
take care of the kids. Officially, I was divorced by
January twenty nineteen. It was really difficult for me to
try to put my life back together. I pondered confronting
Amanda during this period, but the more I thought about it,
the more I realized it may make things worse. Even

(49:49):
without sufficient proof, a single phone call may land me
in jail for five to six years due to rules
in my nation that prioritize women. I had a serious
injury in February twenty nineteen and had to recoup for
roughly five weeks. Emily was still my emergency number when
the medical staff called. No one came to see how
I was doing, and she hung up. I had to
get back on my feet, if only to keep a

(50:10):
roof over my head. After realizing that I had wasted
a large amount of my funds, I sold all of
my furniture, settled my outstanding rent, and made the decision
to start over in a new city. After realizing I
couldn't reconstruct my life in the same location, I started
looking for a job after moving two hours away, but
I was unsuccessful. I drank too much throughout this time,

(50:30):
and I had constant thoughts of taking my own life
for months. I grew accustomed to waking up from dreams
in a cold sweat, I suddenly ran across David, a
former college classmate, four months later. Back then, David was
the quiet boy who rarely spoke to others. Seeing him
after all these years was unexpected. He called my name
after spotting me in a crowd. After exchanging greetings, we

(50:52):
briefly discussed our lives. I informed him that I was
seeking employment in the city. David stated that he had
recently resigned from his position and intended to launch his
own management consulting business. Later that day, he asked me
out for a drink, and after we talked about our careers,
he gave me a job offer. He claimed that he
required some knowledgeable individuals. I nodded, believing that in order

(51:14):
to keep my thoughts busy, I needed to immerse myself
in my task. But before making a commitment, I told
him I wanted to meet with his staff and talk
more about it. David introduced me to another team member, Mark,
Two days later, he clarified that going forward, it will
just be the three of us. I shook hands with
Mark and explained that I had something to impart Before
we could continue. I revealed everything, my divorce, my disownment,

(51:38):
the allegations, and how I had lost everything. I was
crying as I described what had happened. David and Mark
sympathized with me and told me there wouldn't be any
problems as long as I didn't have any criminal history.
I clarified that I had never been visited or charged
by the police. David stated he would have a thorough
background check done just to be sure. I agreed and
fully grasped his point of view. I was living in

(52:00):
a dilapidated rental at the time in order to save
money in case things didn't work out. I waited patiently
for two weeks while still looking for work elsewhere. David
called me two weeks later and we got together that day.
He welcomed me to the team and assured me that
there were no accusations against me. Following that, I pushed
myself into my work and, at Derek's suggestion, began going

(52:21):
to therapy sessions. In addition, I joined a gym and
used the punching bag to release a lot of my frustrations,
increasing my weight from an average of seventy seven kilograms
to over one hundred and five kilograms. Since Derek was
about Michael's age, we became Jim pals, and I began
to regard him as an older brother. I had regained
a great deal of control over my life by the
end of twenty nineteen. As the consultancy business flourished revenue

(52:46):
began to flow in, I started to recover, at least somewhat.
After renting a lovely apartment in a respectable area, I
understood that in order to truly move on, I had
to take action. With his and his parents' approval, I
went to court and formally changed my last name to Derek's.
They welcomed me into many of their family events since
they thought I was a wonderful guy. In an attempt

(53:06):
to show my appreciation for their generosity and encouragement, I
even acted as Derek's best man at his wedding. I
made another attempt at dating, but it was unsuccessful because
of my unresolved emotional issues until I met Kim in
twenty twenty. Kim twenty nine, has half Italian and half
Korean ancestry. At a coffee shop where I frequently got
coffee and occasionally stopped to sit, I first noticed her.

(53:28):
Derek once saw her staring at me and urged me
to ask her out, even though at first we simply
spoke for orders. She worked behind the counter. Later that day,
after some hesitation, I asked her for drinks. She said
she wanted to see me again after our wonderful evening,
but I thought it would end like the dates I've
had before when I informed them about my background and
they left. When someone left after hearing my story, I

(53:51):
never held them responsible. I made the decision to share
my background with Kim during our lunch date on our
second date. Before I proceeded, I wanted her to be
fully informed. I talked about the charges, the disavowal, and
my difficulties letting go. Although she was caught off guard,
she listened to me as I told her that I
would never consider harming somebody in that way before choosing

(54:12):
to keep dating me. I advised her to understand what
she was getting into. Kim contacted a few days later
and requested a meeting. She told me she trusted me
and wanted to try our connection. When we first met
at the coffee shop where she worked, I couldn't think
someone could welcome me in spite of everything, so I
was doubtful and even started crying. We took our relationship
seriously and found great pleasure in each other's presence. I

(54:34):
felt like I was finally getting well for the first time.
I even traveled to Europe with Kim for my first
vacation in years, and it was incredible. We maintained continuous
phone and FaceTime communication during the twenty twenty one epidemic.
Kim asked if she could live with me when things
started to settle down in the second half of the year.
I concurred because she was having trouble finding employment when

(54:55):
her position at the coffee business terminated. I recommended that
Kim look into launching a food business because she was
an amazing chef. With her parents' help, Kim was able
to establish a cloud kitchen by the middle of twenty
twenty two and start delivering food to the surrounding areas.
Our lives were going well together, even though I was
still dealing with some mental problems. I no longer had
suicide ideas, but sometimes the dreams persisted. Kim declared her

(55:19):
pregnancy in February twenty twenty four. I experienced a wide
range of feelings, including grief for the family I had
lost dread of beginning over an immense delight. Emotionally, I
was all over the place. After Kim reassured me, we
eventually dozed off together. Kim was ecstatic when I proposed
to her shortly after. My life seemed to be finally
heading in the direction of stability and serenity. Preparations were

(55:42):
underway as we decided on a mid June wedding date.
I genuinely thought that things were finally improving. I got
a call at the end of May from an unidentified number.
Someone was crying when I responded, Hello, this is Amanda,
she said. I recognized her voice right away and hung
up in a fit of reas my companion, Kim saw

(56:03):
my look and approached me with worry. I struggled to
contain my anger and tears as I described who it was.
Kim picked up the phone and put it on speaker.
When it called again, the man who answered the phone
identified himself as Amanda's fiancee. Amanda wanted to be honest
about what had happened in the past, he explained, with
tears in her eyes. Amanda called and apologized repeatedly. I

(56:24):
was too emotional to reply, so Kim spoke most of
the time, they will call back later, She told Amanda's fiancee.
Kim called Derek to come over as soon as the
call was over. Derek calmly listened to Kim's explanation of
the circumstances. He hugged me and suggested that we set
up a meeting at a lawyer's office so that Amanda's
confession could be recorded in case it was ever needed.

(56:44):
After I called my lawyer and told him everything, he
set up a meeting at his office three days after
I informed Amanda over the phone. We met at the
attorney's office. Amanda appeared completely defeated and the only person
beside her was her fiance My lawyer. Media the encounter,
which was captured on camera. Kim supported me by sitting
next to me. Amanda started going into great detail about

(57:07):
what had transpired. The main point is this, my brother
Michael and Amanda were having an affair in secret in
twenty sixteen. The whole scheme to frame me was planned
by Michael. He purchased a new phone, took my profile
photo from WhatsApp, and used it to fabricate screenshots of
my chats with Amanda. Amanda loved him and would do
anything for him, so she agreed to the plan. I

(57:28):
wavered between tears and fury as Amanda told me all
about it. I genuinely believe that I may have faced
assault charges if Kim hadn't been present, Even though my
lawyer tried to be kind. Kim, who was angry and
probably made worse by her pregnancy, gave Amanda a vicious
verbal abuse. I fought back tears and rage as I
questioned them why they were coming forward to tell me this.

(57:48):
Kim also turned to Amanda's fiance and warned him, if
you still marry this human garbage, then you deserve whatever happens. Mark,
Amanda's fiance, clarified that while they were intoxicated a few
weeks prior, a man and a blurted out that she
had assisted an ex in ruining a marriage. She eventually
came clean after he pressed and questioned her about it
repeatedly if Amanda desired harmony in her life, Mark stressed

(58:10):
that she had take responsibility for her faults. After assisting Michael,
Amanda explained he grew aloof and chilly toward her and
ended their relationship. Six months later, she had spent a
lot of time in therapy trying to deal with her guilt,
but she was too afraid to come clean even though
she felt awful. My lawyer intervened after everything was explained
and recommended a twenty minute respite before proceeding. My lawyer

(58:31):
went over my alternatives while Amanda and Mark went out.
He clarified that I had sufficient proof to file defamation
lawsuits against Michael and Amanda. Even though I was furious,
I made the decision that this would not interfere with
my impending wedding in order to prevent causing trouble with
my ex family. I informed my lawyer that I would
handle this after the wedding and told Amanda not to
notify anybody else. Kim gave me a hug after the

(58:54):
meeting and told me that she trusted her gut and
that she felt relieved. I felt the same way she did.
David and Eric were both my best men at our
tiny wedding, and we then traveled throughout Europe for three
weeks on our honeymoon. We both had an incredible time.
During the honeymoon, I was able to enjoy myself, but
the nightmares increased in frequency Kim was there for me
no matter what. I talked to my therapist about these emotions,

(59:17):
and she said that in order to get closure, I
would eventually have to face my former family. After giving
it some thought, I made the decision to get in
touch with Amanda once more in July. I offered her
a means of avoiding financial catastrophe, but I also informed
her that I intended to pursue legal action in light
of her comments. I told her to go to Emily's
office by herself and tell Emily what she had told

(59:38):
us at the lawyer's office. During the talk, Amanda broke
down in tears and disclosed that Mark had abandoned her.
Although I hoped I could feel sorry for her, I
informed her that I couldn't. I also mentioned that my
brother was the target of karma, which had finally come
up with her. It was a few days later that
Emily texted me I had always emailed her birthday greetings
and wishes on our daughter's birthdays and holidays, even though

(01:00:00):
I was blocked. I hadn't heard from her in eight
years until this communication. She wanted to speak with me.
I told her I would give her a call in
a few hours. Because I didn't want to have this
chat by myself, with Kim by my side, I went
home and made the call. I could hear Emily crying
violently as soon as she picked up the phone. Once
she had calmed down, she apologized and said how awful

(01:00:20):
she felt. I was able to keep my cool and
tell her how much it stung to know that she
didn't think highly of me because she had fallen so
readily into Michael's trap. I inquired about my girls with Emily.
They were doing great, she remarked. She said it was
two days ago. When I inquired when she had met Amanda.
She acknowledged that it took her a long time to
realize how swiftly she had cut off contact with me

(01:00:41):
and how mistaken she had been. She alerted my ex
parents to Amanda's revelation right away, and they were equally
as shocked. They all wanted to get in touch with me,
but Emily insisted on apologizing first. I informed her that
her actions were really hurtful. What about the Golden Child Michael,
I asked her he was expelled from the residence. She
disclosed that made me laugh. Emily then revealed even another

(01:01:05):
shocking detail. Michael had been her support system at that period,
and she had married him a year after our divorce
was official. Everything suddenly made sense. It appeared that Michael
had never really moved on from her. She also revealed
to me that she and him had a daughter. Following
these disclosures, I outlined my conditions in order for Emily
to comprehend the type of guy Michael was. I first

(01:01:27):
advised her to contact my extended family and tell them
about all he had done. Second, I made it clear
that while I intended to coparent my two kids, I
had no plans to make amends with her beyond what
was required for our daughters. Third, I told her that
I wanted to face my ex parents face to face,
and that I would text her the time and date
of our meeting. Knowing that Kim's pregnancy may have caused

(01:01:48):
her emotions to be all over the place, I gave
her a hug after our talk. Kim wept for us both,
but I controlled my own feelings. We dozed off while
holding each other. My phone was off. When I woke
up the following morning, I discovered a deluge of notifications
after charging it, including hundreds of messages and more than
one hundred fifty missed calls. Additionally, I was added back

(01:02:08):
to the family group chat, where everyone was expressing regret.
Messages from former friends also arrived throughout the course of
the following few days, apologizing for making snap judgments. All
I could say in response to the family group was
that I was an outsider now and would stay that
way because I had been disowned nearly a decade earlier.
I informed them that my terms and timing, not theirs,

(01:02:28):
would determine whether or not I forgave them. I quickly
exited and asked not to be added back to the group.
A few relatives attempted to criticize me, expressing their disappointment
with my response after being so eager to assume the worst.
I shut them down by telling them they had no
right to criticize me. I instructed them not to get
in touch with me until I first contacted them. After

(01:02:49):
a few weeks, I gave Emily a call and asked
her to come over for the weekend so I could
have a good look at my girls. As resolute and
fierce as ever. Kim demanded to meet her stepdaughters as well.
She was ready resolute despite our arguments, which usually involved
my attempts to persuade her to take care of herself
due to the pregnancy. After a while, I gave in
at a public park we first met. Despite her somewhat

(01:03:11):
unkempt appearance, Emily had tried to look professional for the meeting.
I got to see Olivia and Chloe for the first
time in eight years. They were so much bigger now.
Since I had been restricted from all social media and
communication channels, my phone was the only place I had
any recollection of them. Emily came to me in tears
and attempted to give me a hug, but I stopped
her by raising both of my hands. Afterward, I presented

(01:03:34):
her to Kim as my spouse in the park, she
collapsed into a weeping mess. We sat down close by
as Kim stepped up to console her. I sobbed while
giving both of my girls firm embraces. Since they had
always known Michael as their father, my daughters were naturally
conflicted when they learned about me for the first time,
but seeing me triggered a flood of feelings. There was
a great deal of talking and crying. By nightfall, Emily

(01:03:57):
and I were exchanging life updates. She disclosed that because
he had provided for her at that period, she had
married Michael a year after our divorce was official. For
the first few years, he had looked after her and
the girls, but everything finally broke apart. Michael was forced
to close his landscaping firm completely due to the epidemic,
and it never turned a profit. Even though his parents

(01:04:17):
were now using their funds to make ends meet, Michael
resisted starting anything new. Additionally, Emily informed me that she
was divorcing Michael because she could no longer bear to
see him. It had nothing to do with me, but
I told her she could do whatever she wanted. I
outlined my goals for the future in order to aid
in our collective healing. I first requested that Olivia and

(01:04:38):
Chloe joined me for family therapy sessions. It was time
to make amends for the loss of their biological father. Second,
I wanted to spend week ends with Kim and be
involved in their life. But I told them that this
would have to wait until after the baby was born
because I needed to spend the time I had left
with the new baby. Finally, Emily said, my parents wanted
to get in touch with me they were not my parents,

(01:04:59):
I told her, and I had the letter they sent
with the divorce papers as proof that they had disowned me. Nevertheless,
Kim and Emily both urged me to meet them, claiming
it could provide me some closure. I reluctantly consented and
informed Emily that I would choose the time and location
of the meeting in order to spend more time with
my girls. I requested Emily to spend the night in
the city and made reservations for her at a hotel.

(01:05:21):
We spent Sunday together the following day, taking in the
sights of the city and having a good time. Olivia
and Chloe both hugged me tightly before I left, and
I told them I would see them the next week.
I informed Emily that I would come to the girl's
family therapy sessions, saving her the trouble of driving them.
We had a successful initial introductory session, and my therapist
recommended a councilor in their city. The therapist told me

(01:05:44):
that Olivia and Chloe would eventually have to find out
what my ex brother Michael had done. I told her
it would happen eventually, but I still consented. The therapist
also recommended that I share my tale here and look
for other viewpoints on my circumstances. To be honest, I
might not have progressed this far Eric hadn't pushed me.
What should I do next? That is the question I
have for you. Even though I call my ex parents

(01:06:06):
my ex parents, I still harbor feelings and emotions for
them that I intend to address eventually. I don't know
how to interpret that or whether it makes sense. How
do I handle Michael? Should I file a defamation lawsuit
against him? Even though I doubt I'll ever want to
see his face again, I'm worried that anything I do
to him could have a detrimental effect on my ex's daughter,
as I know he has won. I will do my

(01:06:27):
best to answer any inquiries you may have. Now on
to the next story. Story four. My ex invited me
to his wedding to show off his rich fiance, but
my unexpected plus one turned the table spectacularly. I'm a
twenty two year old woman who met Dylan, a thirty
year old man, while we were both working part time
at Starbucks. Dylan was paying off his student loans at

(01:06:49):
the time, and I was still in college saving money
to move out of my parents house permanently due to
their excessive gambling. His parents had accrude large debts and
were unable to provide for him. We first became close
by talking about our families, but after a while we
discovered that we actually enjoyed being together. Two years later,
I graduated and had saved up enough cash to live independently. Dylan, however,

(01:07:11):
had not been able to leave his parents home because
he was still having trouble paying off his student loans.
I invited him to live with me, but he was
unable to pay even his portion of the rent because
of his debts. I agreed to pay eighty percent of
the rent and he would pay the other twenty percent.
He gladly agreed we divide utility costs equally, excluding rent.
Dylan and I worked at separate companies. I had a

(01:07:34):
corporate career with a flexible schedule, while his job was
hands on and required him to be on site for
extended periods of time. As long as I achieved my goals,
my supervisor didn't object if I worked from home. Dylan
was frequently unable to assist around the house due to
his rigorous work schedule. I therefore cleaned, cooked, did the laundry,
and did the dishes. Since I knew how hard his

(01:07:55):
job was, I didn't mind doing the majority of the housekeeping.
He was always the last to eat, though, so I
did ask him to carry out the trash. Sadly, Dylan
would always forget, so I was left to carry out
the garbage each morning I had to leave for work
one weekend, the house was in utter chaos. When I
got back, empty food packets, chocolate wrappers, and unwashed dishes

(01:08:15):
littered the kitchen counter. The trash hadn't been removed, and
the wash had accumulated. I just wanted to relax after
a hard day at work, but the clutter was intolerable.
In the hopes that Dylan would notice and value my efforts,
I cleaned all evening. He stated he missed me and
gave me a warm welcome when he got home, but
he didn't appear to notice the change in the house. Instead,

(01:08:36):
he sat down to watch his game right away, which
made me feel dissatisfied and undervalued. I started crying for
the first time. I realized how little he appreciated me.
Whether it was because of his lack of appreciation, his tiredness,
or his insomnia. Is something wrong, Dylan questioned, looking back.
I told him I was ready to go to bed
and shook my head, acting as like nothing was wrong.

(01:08:58):
I reminded him again to take out the garbage before
I went upstairs. He replied with a nod. As anticipated,
the rubbish was still present the following morning. I became
my rate when Dylan asked me for breakfast as he
entered the kitchen if he wanted to eat, I told
him he could prepare his own food. I lost it
when he accused me of being impolite. He was worthless

(01:09:18):
around the house, so I screamed at him. He implored
me not to be so theatrical and blinked as though
he had done nothing wrong. After inhaling deeply, I questioned
him about why he never took out the trash I forgot,
he responded nonchalantly. After that, I asked him what he
really did around the house except coming home and drinking
beer while watching TV. He started out by saying that

(01:09:39):
he deserved some downtime because he was constantly exhausted after work.
After agreeing and nodding, I questioned, how about me. I
reminded him that I cleaned the house, cooked for the
two of us, did the laundry, and even ironed his
shirts for the week. After I got home from work,
I asked him to take out the trash, and that
was all Dylan said. He never requested me to for

(01:10:00):
such things, so he dismissed me. He continued by saying
that his job was really difficult and that I should
be able to relate to him and support him as
his girlfriend. He even attempted to defend his position by
saying that his mother had always treated his father in
the same way. I was enraged to hear this. I
became aware that, even though we weren't even married, I
was allowing him to take advantage of me in spite

(01:10:21):
of all the work I was doing to keep the
house in order. I gave him a direct look and
informed him that I would no longer be helping him
around the house. We were meant to be equals, and
I wasn't his mother. I told him he had to
prepare his own meals, clean up after himself, do his
own laundry, iron his own clothing, and take out the trash.
He began to object as his eyes grew wide, but

(01:10:41):
I stopped him with a raised hand. I also told
him that he had to pay half the rent or leave. Incredulous,
Dilan questioned the source of this. I clarified that I
was fed up with putting in so much effort for
him and not feeling valued. I left the house since
I was running late for work, but he seemed to
want to dispute. I had never set such firm boundaries
in my life before, and I didn't feel bad about it.

(01:11:03):
I followed through on my promise to do no more
than clean up after myself. Seeing him fumble about the
home to find clean clothing or iron his shirts before
work was strangely pleasant. He didn't take out the garbage
or clean the utensils, thinking I would do it for
him later, but I said no. I chose to eat
from takeout boxes so I could conveniently dispose of my
trash without having to step into the kitchen. When the

(01:11:24):
dishes began to build up and the smell grew intolerable,
Dylan made multiple attempts to speak with me, urging me
to be a good partner and look after him, but
I remained steadfast and uncompromising. When it came time to
pay the rent, I told the landlord that Dylan would
cover the other half, and gave her my fifty percent
up front. When he got home, he was furious and
yelled at me to keep paying the same eighty percent,

(01:11:45):
reminding him that he never showed gratitude when I did,
I firmly declined I had finished assisting him. Despite his
best efforts to make excuses, he was eventually forced to
give the landlord his portion of the rent. He never
once expressed regret to me during this entire order. He
never took the time to own up to his errors
or show remorse for not appreciating the housework I had done.

(01:12:06):
It was really disappointing in retrospect. I wish I had
recognized him sooner for who he really was. Our arguments
continued to get worse over the following few months, with
Dylan accusing me of being to blame for everything and
attempting to deceive me into returning to my previous behavior.
For Dylan, my promotion at work seemed to be the
final straw. Dylan must have heard about it from one

(01:12:26):
of our mutual friends who happened to be my coworker,
because that night we had the most intense argument of
our relationship. After getting home intoxicated, Dylan woke me up
and said that he needed to speak with me since
he was obviously inebriated from the celebration with my friends
that evening. I suggested that we speak tomorrow. I was
so sleepy and irritated that I sat up in bed
and asked him what was so essential that he had

(01:12:48):
to wake me up in the middle of the night,
But he said it was vital. Dylan then admitted, inebriatedly
that he had met someone at work. I realized right
away that he was referring to Bella. He had brought
me along to one of his office parties where I
had seen her. Bella was twenty five years old, obviously
quite wealthy, and the daughter of an industrialist. Her father's
insistence that she required work experience was the only reason

(01:13:10):
she worked. Dylan continued by saying that he was falling
for her because, in his opinion, she was a real
woman in contrast to me. I honestly didn't care, so
I stared at him without feeling anything. We were really
just roommates at this time, and I knew that our
relationship had been deteriorating for months. He went on to
discuss his feelings for Bella, but I interrupted him in

(01:13:31):
the middle of his statement. I told Dylan that I
was pleased for him and didn't care if he was
dating someone else. I recommended that we end our relationship amicably,
and that he vacate our home right away. Dylan inquired
whether I was envious of Bella, seeming shocked, telling him
that I was genuinely relieved he had met someone else,
so I wouldn't feel bad about ending our relationship. I
shook my head and grinned. Anger made Dylan's face flush.

(01:13:54):
He said that my promotion had made me more self assured.
I told him calmly that our connection had nothing to
do with my advancement. I had just come to the
conclusion that we were no longer compatible during the last
few months. I clarified that I could understand his desire
to see someone else because we had evolved into more
of a roommate than a love partner. Dylan began yelling,
which surprised me because I assumed he would be relieved.

(01:14:16):
He claimed to despise modern women who show off their
careers like me. He said Bella was a lot better
woman because all she wanted was to marry and have kids.
I remained composed and reminded him that every woman had
different requirements. In spite of his yelling, I loved my job,
but Bella might not care as much about it because
she comes from a wealthy household. I advised him to

(01:14:37):
be with Bella if he desired someone similar to her.
I reaffirmed that we should stop arguing and that he
was free to leave our home whenever he wanted. With
wide eyes, he inquired about my ability to pay the rent.
I clarified that I could now pay the full rent
on my own without the assistance of roommates because I
had received a rise. He started yelling at me after
hearing this, accusing me of trying to brag in front

(01:14:58):
of him. He continued by saying that Bella was wealthier
than I was and even owned a home that her
father had purchased for her. He insisted that I become
more complaisant and change who I was. Then he scoffed,
stating that men ultimately desired a housewife rather than a
lady who could make more money than they could. I
was sick of arguing with him in the middle of
the night, so I finally begged him to stop talking.

(01:15:20):
I informed him that he could sleep on the couch
until the end of the month, after which he would
have to move out. Even though I could still hear
him complaining, I chose to ignore him and resume my slumber. Thankfully,
Dylan began packing and gradually removing his belongings during the
course of the week. As I considered the possibility of
eventually having the entire property to myself, I began to
feel excited. When I returned home last night, I was

(01:15:42):
startled to see Dylan and Bella seated on our couch.
I gave him a questioning glance, and he told me
that he wanted to show Bella his apartment because it
was his last night there, knowing that I would return.
I found it incomprehensible that he would bring another lady
into our home without my permission. I greeted Bella pleasantly
because I didn't want to be in polite and I
believed that this wasn't her fault. I was shocked to

(01:16:03):
see how disdainfully she regarded me and didn't even acknowledge me.
I went to freshen up, not wanting to take anything
personally later, Bella came to fetch some water while I
was in the kitchen making spaghetti for myself. I felt
uncomfortable for a minute as she stood there observing me.
She looked at me with the same disdain as before.
When I inquired if she wanted anything, I chose to

(01:16:24):
ignore her and carried on preparing my lunch with the
intention of eating it quietly in my room. I was
about to head downstairs after eating when I heard Bella
and Dylan conversing after dating someone who looked like me.
Bella was telling Dylan how fortunate he was to have
upgraded himself. Dylan laughed and agreed with her, and I
froze in disbelief. When Bella questioned him about why he
had ever fallen in love with me, Dylan replied something

(01:16:46):
that broke my heart because I was naive enough to
lend him money during college and pay for our dates.
He admitted that he had taken advantage of me. He
disclosed that he had been able to save a significant
amount of money because I had been paying over half
the rent for the previous two years. I was shocked
by what I had just heard. I had assumed that
he might have taken advantage of my kindness to pay
over half his rent, but I was unaware that he

(01:17:07):
had been taking advantage of me from the start. Bella
and Dylan persisted in discussing our connection and making fun
of me in every manner they could. I was on
the verge of crying out of embarrassment, but I didn't
want them to see me that way. I went back
upstairs quietly and sobbed into my pillow for the remainder
of the night. When I woke up the following morning,
Bella and Dylan had left. He had formally moved out

(01:17:28):
after gathering his belongings. I finally realized I was free
of him, and I wandered around the home in a stupor.
The sense of relief I experienced upon realizing that he
was finally no longer in my house or in my
life is beyond words. I danced around the house and
shed happy tears. After that, I started to clean the
entire place to remove all traces of him. I really

(01:17:49):
appreciated being independent. Throughout the course of the following few weeks,
what Bella and Dylan had said about me no longer
mattered to me. Everything was well until two months later,
when a mutual buddy told me at work that Dylanan
and Bella were getting married. It all seemed too abrupt,
and I was surprised. When our buddy showed me their
engagement photos. They looked like a happy couple. I acknowledged

(01:18:09):
that I would never have been content with Dylan anyhow,
but I also felt a twinge of regret for how
he had taken advantage of me throughout the years. I
was thus thrilled that he had discovered someone who could
bring him joy. When I returned home that evening and
looked in my mailbox, I discovered an unexpected wedding invitation.
When I recognized that it was from Dylan and Bella,
my eyes widened in surprise until I opened the invitation

(01:18:31):
and noticed something scrawled in the corner. I initially believed
it might have been an error, or that he had
invited me out of courtesy. I want you to attend
my wedding so you can see the grand life I'm
going to have with Bella, was written inside the card. Slowly,
it dawned on me that he had asked me just
to flaunt his new found fortune, his marriage, and his
wealthy spouse I inhaled deeply as I tried to figure

(01:18:52):
out why he would invite me in this way, given
that all I had done over the years was look
after him. My pent uprage and resentment from all the
years started to explode. I had to be petty with him,
I realized. With a plus one, I replied yes. I
was determined to make Dylan regret ever inviting me, and
I had a scheme in the works. After turning on
my laptop, I started looking through Bella's social media accounts.

(01:19:14):
I looked at every photo she had ever uploaded. Fortunately,
I was able to locate what I was searching for.
Bella and her ex boyfriend Jake had broken up just
six months prior. They had obviously been dating for a
very long time because she had multiple postings with him
and their photos went all the way back to high school.
Jake accepted my friend request from my profile, and I
messaged him after he said yes. I was shocked when

(01:19:37):
he answered and we struck up a conversation. I informed
Dylan that I was his ex and that I intended
to invite him as a guest at their wedding. I
told Jake everything, since he appeared interested and wanted to
know why I was contacting him. Jake talked candidly about
Bella's repeated infidelity throughout the course of the following few weeks.
I was unaware that she had recently had an affair
with Dylan. He went on to disclose Bella's god constant

(01:20:00):
attraction to older males. He was an overly shocked. Therefore,
when she confessed her love for Dylan while they were
still dating, they broke up fairly badly, as you may guess,
and even though she told Jake they should stay friends,
he blocked her everywhere. He looked to still be in
love with Bella based on the way he spoke about her.
I also shared with Jake my own story of Dylan's
abuse of me throughout the years. I opened up to

(01:20:22):
him about everything that Dylan had done to me and
how Bella and Dylan had teased me. When Jake learned
how Dylan had spoken about me and treated me, he
was horrified. Jake listened to everything and eventually consented to
come with me. I became excited when I imagined how
my ex and Bella would have looked when they spotted
me at their wedding. To Jake, as anticipated. Dylan's eyes
widened as he saw me entering with my special guest

(01:20:44):
on the wedding day. He must have known right away
that Jake was Bella's ex. We pretended to locate our
assigned seats, ignoring his expression. I just grinned when Dylan
approached me and muttered angrily, why are you here with
Bella's X. He had to reluctantly make his way back
up the aisle while giving me a fierce look because
he couldn't make a disturbance in front of everyone. Everyone

(01:21:04):
got up from their chairs when the bride was ready
to make her entrance with her father by her side.
Bella looked lovely in her white floor length gown as
she made her way down the aisle. Following a flawless ceremony,
the festivities were transferred to the reception area. Since she
was wearing a different dress when she arrived at the reception,
Bella must have gone to change. Jake and I had
not yet caught Bella's attention. She stopped dead in her

(01:21:26):
steps when she noticed Jake sitting next to me. Maybe
still perplexed, Bella glanced at me and then at him,
what are you doing with me, she asked Jake, grinning.
I informed her that I had asked him to join
us as a guest in order to support her marriage.
She asked Jake whether we were dating now, Looking furious,
Bella's cheeks flushed with rage, but Jake said nothing, since

(01:21:46):
this was an absurd question to ask in the first place.
She gave me a sour look and nodded seriously. When
Jake asked if he could talk to her quietly, since
he didn't want her to make a scene. After they left,
I turned to see Dylan hawkishly observing our exchange. Dylan
appeared worried, but he was powerless to do anything but
sit there and act as though nothing was wrong. The
celebration went on and every one appeared to be having

(01:22:08):
a good time, but an hour had gone by and
the bride was nowhere to be seen. A few patrons
began to take note and murmur to one another. When
Bella's father became worried, he asked one of the bride'smaids
to go see how she was doing. The bride'smaid ran
up with a message in her hands. A minute later,
in front of every one, she declared that Bella and
her ex boyfriend had fled. Every One was stunned as

(01:22:29):
they stood there. The bride'smaid went on to read the note,
in which Bella acknowledged that she had made a grave
mistake by marrying Dilan, and that meeting Jake had rekindled
all of her old emotions. Dylan stood there, looking vulnerable
and ashamed, as the visitors were further taken aback by
the revelation. I was really astonished too, Even though I
had brought Jake along to annoy Dylan, I never would
have thought that things would end out this way. Dylan

(01:22:51):
appeared as though he was prepared to rip some one's
head off. Bella's parents really apologized for what had transpired
and asked every one to leave. I saw Dylan, who
had once been arrogant and pompous, stand there by himself,
utterly shocked by Bella's choice. Even though I feel a
little bad about the wedding, I'm also relieved that Dylan's
attempt to make me look bad didn't work out so well.

(01:23:11):
The day that was supposed to demonstrate his victory over
me had turned into the scene of his demise. Am
I the a for spoiling my ex's wedding by bringing
a special guest as a guest. Ever since I shared
my tale, I have been getting conflicting responses. Some of
you believe I went a bit too far, but many
of you concur that I made the correct decision. I
should make it clear that I never intended to ruin

(01:23:32):
my ex's wedding and that I never mentioned it to Jake.
I don't know what private conversations Bella and Jake had
that led Bella to abruptly call off the wedding. Since
my ex had asked me in the first place to
flaunt his marriage to a wealthy woman like Bella, I
just wanted to be spiteful with him. Bella's decision to
enter marriage was entirely independent of me. I've texted Jake
to ask him what happened, and I'll provide an update

(01:23:53):
as soon as he responds. Second update. Jake contacted me
in a lengthy text message that he gave me yesdyesterday.
He essentially expressed his gratitude for my taking him to
the wedding. He informed me of his and Bella's honeymoon,
which she was scheduled to have with Dylan. Her parents,
who were quite concerned about her had also been consulted.
He told me that he will be seeing me shortly

(01:24:14):
to personally explain everything. Dylan, meanwhile, had been contacting me
constantly since the wedding. He blamed me for ending his
marriage in a series of hostile text messages and phone calls.
I never responded to him, and I had no desire
to converse with him. I was aware that I had
nothing to do with Bella and Jake's joint escape. Dylan
chose to arrive at my house today as he knew

(01:24:34):
I would be home during the weekend. I initially requested
him to go and wouldn't open the door. He insisted
that he wouldn't go until he spoke with me. He
could say anything he wanted to me. Standing outside my
house since I warned him, he wasn't let inside. By
opening the door a bit, Dylan began screaming at me,
accusing me of ruining his life. He had apparently given
notice at work, believing that after marrying someone as wealthy

(01:24:56):
as Bella, he would never have to return. I brought
Jake to the wedding, and he questioned me angrily why
I decided to tell him that I had overheard all
he said to Bella that evening, because I was becoming
mad at him for blaming me. When I told him
that I knew he had been using me to pay
for our dates and his rent for all the years
we dated, his eyes widened in surprise. He obviously didn't
respect me, even though I assured him that I did

(01:25:18):
all those things because I loved him. I also reminded
him that I never bothered to become involved in his
relationship and that I didn't care that much when he
cheated on me with Bella. I was pushed over the brink, though,
when he invited me to their wedding and wanted to
show me the life he would lead with his wealthy spouse.
I informed him that he had no right to visit
my home and scold me for something that wasn't my fault.
He should be upset with Bella because she was an

(01:25:40):
adult and made the decision to leave him. Dylan began
to scream back that I shouldn't punish him for the past,
and that it wasn't his fault that I was so
innocent that I didn't realize how he had been taking
advantage of me for so long as he went on
to rave about how Bella was meant to transform his
life and how he could have had everything he ever desired.
I laughed at what he was saying. He disclosed them
I had ruined his opportunity to flirt and woo Bella

(01:26:02):
despite his best efforts. I didn't want to listen to
his statements any longer because they were so vile. At
this point, I threatened to call the police if he
didn't leave my property. I pulled out my phone and
dialed in front of him, after he told me I
would never dare to do that. As he was departing,
he told me not to overreact and instantly retreated a
few steps. I vowed to myself that this would be

(01:26:22):
the last time I saw him before I closed the door.
I have now told my family about the incident and
blocked him everywhere in order to document his actions and
lodge a formal complaint against him. In the event that
he returns, I intend to install a camera on my
door and change the locks on my property. Update three.
I haven't provided an update in a month. I didn't
have time to respond to everyone who has been messaging

(01:26:44):
me to inquire about whether Jake and I had ever
met because I've been so busy at work. I'm glad
to say that we did it last a week ago.
Jake said he was ready to chat and invited me
to lunch. Bella was seated behind him. When I arrived
at the location, I thought Bella was coming to pick
a fight with him, so I instantly braced myself to
my amazement, though she greeted me with a warm grin

(01:27:05):
and a kind word. When she spotted me, Jake reassured
me that she was merely there to apologize, even if
I wasn't really sure why she was there. Bella nodded
and really apologized for her previous words toward me. She
continued by telling Dylan her story. She disclosed that she
would constantly receive a lot of attention and kindness from
Dylan at work. They spent a lot of time together

(01:27:25):
due to their hectic work schedules, and Dylan would often
gripe about me. In our relationship. He would express his
dissatisfaction and his wish that he had a woman as
attractive as Bella. She acknowledged that every time he gave
her a compliment, she felt gratified and began to feel
sorry for him. She got overly passionate and even slept
with Dylan during a difficult time when she and Jake
were going through a difficult time. Dylan then persuaded her

(01:27:48):
to end their relationship by claiming that Jake wasn't suitable
for her. Dylan kept messaging her, telling her that she
was ideal for him and that they could live together.
She eventually ended her relationship with Jake because she felt
about cheating on him, and she believed that she could
be content with Dylan even if they were different in age.
Bella went on to describe how seeing me made her
feel uneasy. She acknowledged that she coveted my independence and

(01:28:10):
the fact that I didn't actually require a partner to
look after me. She expressed regret for offending me. I
explained to her how hard I had worked my entire
life to get to where I am now at work,
and that I could understand her perspective. Her eyes were
downcast as she nodded seriously. After that, I asked her
to describe what had transpired at her wedding to Dylan.
She admitted that she was taken aback to see Jake

(01:28:32):
when I took him to the wedding. She had never
felt the same way about Dylan until she saw his
face and understood how much she still loved him. Jake
told me that they discovered they still loved each other
after they talked about their sentiments in private. At the wedding,
Bella left a note for her family, so they made
the decision to flee together. They were deeply in love
and had been together since that day. Bella told me

(01:28:52):
that she discussed this with her parents. They were furious
at first, but in the end they chose to stand
by her additionally, so she disclosed that she intended to
apply for an annulment with Dylan shortly. Even though I
wasn't totally comfortable hearing this, I was glad that at
least two people were content following the terrible occurrences. I
could tell Bella and Jake were beaming at one another.

(01:29:13):
After eating lunch and continuing our conversation, we finally said
our goodbyes. I haven't spoken to either of them much
since that conversation and don't want to be involved in
their drama. I intend to continue working hard at my
profession and concentrating on myself. I'm not sure what Dylan's
future holds now to the next story. Five Am I
the asshole for calling the police after my mom abandoned

(01:29:34):
my siblings at my door post moving out? When I
became twenty, I left my parents' house because it was intolerable.
My name is Ethan and I am currently twenty two
years old. They acted as though everything I owned belonged
to them as well, frequently gave preference to my younger siblings,
and utilized me as unpaid labor. When I moved out,
my father Mark told me to remain away and not

(01:29:55):
let the door hit me on my way out. I
had been working at the same full time job for
almost four year, and I rented the tiniest and most
economical apartment I could locate. Not even a month had
passed when my parents, Mark and Emily began phoning me
to beg me to come back because someone else needed
to look after my brothers. I said no, enjoying my
new found independence. Eventually, my father insisted that family should

(01:30:18):
come before personal independence and made me move back and
pay them rent. I responded that for once I was
living for me and that my life mattered too. We
didn't talk for months after he said, let's see how
long you last without us. I'm not sure what he
was expecting, but I got along just fine without him.
My family and I gradually began to patch things up
once they came to terms with the fact that I

(01:30:38):
wasn't going to return on my knees. They clearly found
it difficult to accept that I now controlled the situation
rather than them. Even though the two closest to me
were in their late teens, they nevertheless pleaded with me
from time to time to watch my youngest siblings. Since
they had always thrown the baby sitting load on me,
my parents' refusal to take on the responsibility seemed hypocritical.

(01:30:58):
They gaslighted me when I brought this up up, and
then they once more were silent for months. In the end,
it was them who returned to seek my assistance. I
recently purchased a used gaming console, but I was only
able to afford the single game that was included. My
mother requested me to keep my two youngest siblings for
a bit. One Saturday, I was left alone with them
in my tiny apartment all day after she essentially pushed

(01:31:19):
them inside and walked off. I contacted my mom and
insisted that she come grabbed the kids, which is why
she didn't come back until after ten o'clock. She didn't
like that I interrupted her enjoyment. I warned her that
I would no longer watch my siblings all day unless
she paid me, and that if she left them outdoors
the next time, I would call the police and wouldn't
even open the door. I discovered my gaming console was

(01:31:40):
gone the following morning. I thought one of my siblings
had taken it, so I contacted my parents. My mom
said it could wait, as my youngest sibling was playing
on it and she didn't have the heart to take
it away, even though I stated I would come over
right soon to retrieve it. I claimed that it had
been stolen without my consent and that I would be
picking it up as fast as I could. I rode
my bike to their house. My sibling was crying when

(01:32:02):
I got there, since they were missing the charger and
the consul's battery had died. When I asked for it back,
my father took it and told I could have it
back if I helped out more with my siblings. I
wasn't bluffing when I informed him that I would call
the cops if he wanted to play that game. He
refused to back down until I began making phone calls.
My mother shouted hold on. I swiftly reclaimed the console

(01:32:23):
from my father. She claimed it wasn't worth having the
cops come on them, but he called her a traitor
and insisted she give it back to him rather than
to me. I assured them before I left that I
would not think twice about calling the police if this
occurred again. They could purchase their own gaming console if
they truly wanted one for my siblings. My father, Mark
screamed that I couldn't treat him in such a disrespectful manner.

(01:32:44):
I retorted that I'm an adult, but he's never bothered
to treat me with any respect, and I'd had enough.
He then yelled at me to turn around and face
him as I left. At the moment, they are once
again silent. I once received a text from my mom, Emily,
pleading with me to continue watching my siblings since I
wasn't doing it for free anymore, especially after they stole
from me and attempted to prevent me from reclaiming my property.

(01:33:07):
I told her that if she really wanted me to babysit.
She could pay me, but I would only accept the
money upfront. I am not their property. They can either
adjust or become disoriented since I am an adult with
a place of my own and a life of my own.
Since that text exchanged more than a week ago, none
of them have gotten in touch with me, which is okay.
They are capable of handling their own mess update. It's

(01:33:28):
unbelievable that I completely forgot about this account for almost
a year, but I happened to stumble upon my original
post when browsing Reddit videos online. I've returned to provide
an update after realizing that I completely neglected to do so.
Toward the end, there will be some light fighting and
police intervention. I thought i'd bring it up, even though
I'm not sure if that counts as a trigger warning.

(01:33:49):
I recently wrote about my parents refusal to return my
gaming console after one of my siblings stole it. As
some of you may be aware, if my parents ever
dropped my younger siblings off at my door without asking again,
A lot of commentators advised contacting the police or CPS.
I waited and waited, but it had been around three
months since my mother had last called, and I wouldn't
watch my siblings for free. Then it came at last

(01:34:11):
when my parents unexpectedly called to ask me to watch
the kids. They pretended if the previous console incident had
never occurred. I informed them that it had to be
a day when I was off from work and that
I would not babysit unless they paid me. I no
longer had Saturdays off due to a change in my schedule.
Since they most frequently asked me to babysit on Saturdays,
I really asked my boss for it. Additionally, it was

(01:34:33):
more cost effective for me to take on an additional
shift as usual. My dad became enraged and told me
to man up and lend a hand, as he usually
promised to do at my age. I pointed out that
he should stop acting as though he controlled me, and
that in a technical sense, I was manning up for
myself and my own life. However, he dumped a lot
of his duties on me and worked on Saturdays so

(01:34:53):
he could forget about them. I was finished with their
demands as far as I was concerned. My mother grabbed
the phone away from him after he began screaming into it.
Since Sunday is my sole day off. I stated that
I could only watch on Sundays, and that I would
only do so if I was paid forty dollars and
my siblings lunches, dinners, and snacks were prepared in advance.
Since feeding them isn't my responsibility, I wasn't going to

(01:35:15):
waste my money on it. I also made it plain
that I would call the police to retrieve anything that
was taken from me, such is my console the previous
time it was stolen. To make it easy for the
authorities to verify that it is mine, I kept the
receipt from the time I purchased it and wrote down
the serial numbers. My mother became enraged and began to
curse like a sailor who had just lost a tooth.

(01:35:35):
Before she discovered I wasn't answering and began insisting I
say anything I let her vent while essentially ignoring the phone.
My demands were Sunday's only forty dollars and prepackaged food
or else. They could forget about it, I said to
her and my father on the other end of the line.
There was a moment of astonished quiet. My mother then
blasted me once again, claiming that my younger siblings, who

(01:35:56):
are thirteen and sixteen years old, had to take over
for me because I was no longer there and they
needed a vacation. Oh like, how you guys gave me breaks,
I asked, laughing as never before. My mother attempted to
claim that because I was the eldest child, things were different.
I explained to her that it wasn't different at all.
I had lost out on a lot of my youth

(01:36:17):
because they had parenified me. It is hypocritical of them
to pretend as though I should take over again now
that I am living on my own without them. The
two teens living with them are capable of doing anything
I used to do. My mother went into victim mode
and said that my adolescent siblings were disobedient and unheard
since I was too busy living my life. I informed
her that their issues weren't mine and that they needed

(01:36:38):
to find another day care provider. My father returned to
the phone and began to scream at me once more.
He was simply blowing hot air and not actually saying anything,
so I just laughed at him. My mother retrieved the
phone and begged me again. I restated fifty dollars prepared
food Sundays only, and I would not think twice about
calling the police if I received threats or had any

(01:36:58):
of my belongings stolen. My parents began arguing loudly at
one another about what to do, so I told them
to figure it out and get back to me later.
I hung up after that for a time, radio silence returned.
A few weeks later. I was getting ready for work
on a Saturday morning when I heard a loud, quick
knock at my door, the kind where you can tell
their using both hands. I've heard my mom knocking for

(01:37:20):
years to let me know she was there, so I'm
familiar with the sound. What sounded like some one rushing
noisily along the hallway. After the banging, hearing my two
youngest siblings arguing and tapping on the door themselves, I
listened through the door. My mom had just run off,
leaving them outside the door. I had a straightforward strategy
for this, because of all the warnings I received after
my last post. I simply rolled down my window, got out,

(01:37:44):
and left. I can easily climb out of the window
by just ripping the screen out of my ground level apartment.
I contacted my neighbor, a kind, elderly woman who enjoys
having children, who lives a few doors down, and gave
her the scoop. She has long been aware of my
predicament with my narcissistic parents, and she phoned the police
so I could inform them that two children were left
in the hallway after their mother beat on a door

(01:38:05):
and fled. Let's just say that my siblings were picked
up by the cops. Later, I got a call from
my parents, who were very upset. I asked them what
they were so upset about, acting as though I had
no idea. When I inquired if my mother had simply
left my two youngest siblings at my door without anyone answering,
she completely acknowledged that she had left them there for
me to watch before running away. She explained that I

(01:38:27):
was already out because I had to work on Saturdays.
After a few moments of silence, my mother screamed, how
in the world was I meant to know that. I
retorted that she was solely to blame and that she
had practically left her children at my door, hoping that
I might have been home on a day that I
had previously informed her. I worked on multiple occasions by
forcing me to watch them. She was attempting to make
me miss a shift. She began offering justifications, but I

(01:38:51):
told her that what she had done was unacceptable and immature.
I waited for her to stop weeping for a while
before asking if she was finished. She reverted to her
hostile demeanor and kept shouting. She shouted that she was
being charged with child abandonment by the police. She left
the children in the hallway, so I replied that wasn't
really my fault. Then I said that if I had
been at home and she had refused to come back

(01:39:12):
for the kids, I would have called the police on
her too, because I had already informed them that I
now worked on Saturdays and I didn't want to be
forced to babysit anymore. She continued to argue pointlessly for
the remainder of the call, which didn't really accomplish anything.
In the end, my mom just received a fine and
a slap on the wrist because she persuaded the police
that she genuinely believed I was home. At least that's

(01:39:32):
what my next sibling claimed when he contacted me. The
fact that she had to pay a fine should make
her reconsider leaving children at my door and fleeing again,
but I'm not sure how much it was since my
dad was at work and said he didn't know she
was going to leave my brothers at my door. He
wasn't charged. He was reportedly furious with my mother for
doing it. I couldn't stop laughing at this pot and

(01:39:53):
kettle scenario. However, I suppose I must give my old
guy credit because he had never done what my mother did.
In anya case, my mom now has a police record,
which is, in my opinion, a first strike in the
eyes of the law. Thanksgiving was the turning point after that.
I was completely anticipating my parent's invitation to be a
trap of some sort. It was too my dad pretended

(01:40:15):
to be in control while he sat at the table
smoking a cigarette. During supper, he said enough was enough
and that he was ending this farce. After having my
mom sit me down, he informed me that they had
no more time for themselves and that the fine my
mom had to pay had a significant negative financial impact,
so I needed to return home, help with the bills
and mortgage, and help raise my siblings. Regardless of how

(01:40:37):
much he tried to command me, I just answered no,
and I continued to do so, even though he's a
big man. He became so enraged that he actually attacked me.
Fortunately I'm not either, having acquired some amateur fighting techniques
and been going to the gym for months. When he
came at me, I kicked him quickly in the balls
because I was wearing steel toed boots to and then
I struck him hard enough in the face that he

(01:40:58):
fell to the ground in an instant. He landed with
a loud thud and clutched his groin, vomiting from the pain.
I then informed my parents that I could easily prove
he attacked me first because I had my phone filming
in my pocket the entire time. I complied with my
dad's order to leave his house and never return, but
not before stealing a turkey leg from the plate and
riding home to eat it. The only people who have

(01:41:19):
phoned or contacted me since are my siblings. I marched
out like a boss, they claimed, and now Dad's poor
balls are the subject of constant jokes in the house.
I was invited to return for other holidays after spending
Christmas with a friend's family. Update my parents blame me
for losing the baby because my mom was pregnant. I
now see why my parents attempted to have me return

(01:41:39):
home for Thanksgiving. I have just learned that my mom
was expecting her sixth kid. First of all, shortly after
my last post, one of my siblings discovered my Reddit
account and showed it to our parents. In response, my
parents stormed into my apartment and yelled at me, accusing
me of being a horrible parent and of arranging for
my mom to be detained. Yes, they are standing in

(01:42:00):
my doorway. I yelled at them for all they had done,
including putting my siblings at my door on a day
when they knew I was at work. In any case,
that is poor parenting. I would have called the police
on Mom when she left the kids at my door,
so it didn't really matter that I set them up.
It wouldn't have mattered in the end. I replied that
behavior alone confirms my belief that they are bad parents,

(01:42:20):
and my dad appeared to be about to raise a
fist in my direction. Then he said that if he
tried to hit me, it would end the same way
it happened the last time, and I didn't think my boots. Yes,
I was wearing them could hit his balls again. When
he remembered what I had done to him the last time,
Dad appeared to WinCE and tense his legs together. In
the end, he dragged my mother out by the hand
and left. Before he left the corridor, he shouted back

(01:42:43):
that since I was entirely to blame, he expected me
to reimburse them for the fine they had to pay
for child abandonment. I informed them that I owed them
nothing and told them to fuck off. They remained silent
in response. I received some extremely horrible news not long ago,
after a terror rible incident at home where she tripped
on damp porch stairs and fell face down in gravel,

(01:43:04):
my mom, who was about seven months pregnant, lost the baby.
To be honest, when I saw her before that, I
had no idea she had been pregnant. She's always been
awkward and a little heavier than average, not fat, but
just enough that it's hard to tell if she's pregnant
or not. She definitely wanted someone to blame because this
was her first miscarriage, which is heartbreaking. I destroyed the

(01:43:25):
family by not assisting them and by costing them a
lot of money. Therefore, in her opinion, someone had to
be me. She was on crutches when she and Dad
returned to my place to accuse me of being the cause.
I didn't come home to help when they needed me,
Thus she lost the baby. I called them out on
their attempts to blame me for something that wasn't my
fault and their need for free child care, which led

(01:43:45):
to a quite heated debate. In any case, I assured
them it's not my fault that they became pregnant again
when Mom was forty five. Dad was too frugal to
ever replace or repair the decaying old porch, so blame
it on it. When I said that, my father put
his hands on me once more and gave me a
stinging right hook. I ultimately kicked his ass again. After that,
I've continued to train out at the gym, and I've

(01:44:07):
gotten stronger since defeating him during Thanksgiving last year. There
was no chance for him. My mother's yelling forced me
to stop when I lost my temper and broke his
nose and knocked out both of his front teeth. My
father needed to be transferred to the hospital, so the
police called and I was placed in handcuffs. Fortunately, my
apartment complexes halls are equipped with CCTV, and I also

(01:44:28):
had my phone camera recording behind me in my unit.
When my parents knocked, I began to record. The video
clearly demonstrated that I defended myself after my father hit
me first. Since it was deemed self defense, I'm basically safe.
But now my parents want assume me for my dad's
medical fees and the fine they had to pay earlier.
I defeated Dad so he won't be able to go
to work for a while. He has two lost teeth,

(01:44:50):
a black eye, a broken nose, a neck brace, and
who knows what else. He is also really upset that
he had to shave off his beard. I suppose this
makes him even or dead to me, because I already
thought he was pretty well dead before this. He no
longer has the little authority he once believed he had
as my father. Because of all the hard work I've
put in over the past few months, I'm physically stronger

(01:45:11):
than him and will soon be starting a new job
that pays significantly more. I might be able to get
a much better place to live after a few years
of saving. When my oldest sibling became nineteen, they called
to tell me that I was their hero for beating
the living daylights out of Dad, and that they were
going to leave just like me. However, my parents found
out about my Reddit posts once my next sibling discovered

(01:45:32):
them after hearing about them on YouTube. My mother apparently
forced them to show her my post after overhearing them
discussing it. They stated she broke items because she was angry.
My siblings have expressed regret for letting mom and dad know,
and they claimed that if they had realized Mom was listening,
they would never have brought it up. Additionally, both have
expressed their happiness that there won't be another child. They

(01:45:53):
already have to handle a lot of my parents babysitting,
which they detest. They acknowledged that they first blamed me
for leaving, but they now understand that you have the
right to choose your own path as an adult. Whether
my parents will actually attempt to sue me is still
up in the air, but I believe I can state
that if they do, it will be a loss for them.
My friend's uncle is a lawyer, and he promised to
defend me in the event that my parents filed a lawsuit.

(01:46:16):
He adds that since it was self defense. They don't
have much of a case to my folks, who will
most likely see this, Leave me alone. Please, that's all
I have to say. My siblings and I are not
your property, and I will assist them in leaving your
home when they are old enough to do so at
the age of nineteen. Both of you have always been
self centered egotists. It's not my fault that mom lost

(01:46:37):
the baby, and it's not my fault that you struggled
so much without me around to watch your kids for free.
Think of that smashed nose and missing teeth as a
good excuse to avoid me in the future. Remember that
because of you, too, I have only told you a
small portion of the nonsense that occurred in my life.
I could share story after story about the events in
my early years if I so desired. However, I wouldn't

(01:46:58):
be satisfied with it, so please don't bother me. PS. Yes,
my mom had to give birth to a stillborn baby
at the hospital, but I wasn't going to bring it
up earlier. According to my siblings, my parents had a
secret funeral among themselves, and Mom brought home a little
urn that she keeps in the bedroom. After leaving with
the urn for a few hours. They returned intoxicated. My

(01:47:20):
mom spent over six days in the hospital due to
whatever injuries she sustained in the fall. I've contacted my
siblings for further information. Someone asked if she had been shoved.
I'm now doubting that myself. The only excuse I could
come up with was that Mom was in a hurry
to be somewhere when she slipped and fell off the porch.
I've heard of folks suffering more severe injuries in more
foolish ways. When I researched the cremation procedure, I found

(01:47:43):
that it would take eight to twelve days to obtain
the ashes. This indicates that the urn they brought home
was empty. I'm completely perplexed. However, my parent's funeral took
place a few days after Mom left the hospital. Until
the day of their small funeral, my parents kept that
urn in the bedroom. They may have collected the ashes
by then. I suppose perhaps it explains why they returned

(01:48:04):
home intoxicated. But this situation is so strange and twisted
that I'm having a hard time thinking about it anymore.
Revised posting again so soon feels strange. I mentioned in
my last post that my mom had a recent miscarriage
following a serious fall. I had a bad feeling about
the information I was given. I concluded that going directly
to the source was the only way to obtain the truth.

(01:48:24):
After reading all of the comments I had gotten about it,
I visited my parents on Sunday. They both appeared to
be in terrible shape and were at home sleeping. In
addition to using crutches to walk more than a few steps.
My mom appeared to be very exhausted. I saw that
she had numerous bruises and bandages on her face from
the fall a few steps from the door my father

(01:48:45):
to find out how he appeared. Read my previous post's
depiction of him following the thrashing I inflicted. When I arrived,
my parents were blown away. I insisted on knowing if
there was ever a baby, or if this was all
a pathetic attempt to coerce me into returning home after
what happened. My dad claimed I had a lot of
guts to show there and let myself in. However, my

(01:49:05):
mother sobbed as she revealed that she had actually been pregnant.
She stumbled into the bedroom and picked up a little
urn that seemed really elaborate. It was filled with ashes.
They didn't smell like anything. Even when I looked to
see if they resembled cigarette or barbecue ashes, I didn't
really smell anything at all, even though I had looked
online and saw that it takes at least eight to
twelve days to get the ashes returned. I questioned why

(01:49:27):
they brought the urn home and said that the ashes
were already inside. Mom had spent no more than six
days in the hospital. According to my mom, they purchased
the urn online with the hope of retrieving the baby's ashes.
Upon visiting the crematorium, they simply waited till they could
retrieve the ashes a few days later, and then went
out to get drunk because they were so distraught that
they couldn't bring the kid home yet. Mom said she

(01:49:48):
begged the crematorium to do things a little faster. Her
eyes were filled with real tears. Although I've witnessed her
crocodile tears numerous times, this one didn't appear to be that.
I learned more about my mother's fault and what transpired.
She was late for her appointment with her physician. And O, B, G,
Y N or whatever they are called. Mom clarified that
she was attempting to get out to her appointment after

(01:50:10):
oversleeping during her nap. Then as she attempted to down
the stairs, she slipped on a toy. About three years ago,
the porches guard rails deteriorated and snapped off, and Dad
never restored or repaired them. Mom had nothing to cling to.
Then she fell straight off the porch, hitting the ground
with her face and belly first. She even showed me
the marks from her landing all over her stomach. She

(01:50:32):
informed me that the child would have been a male.
There would have been one more brother in addition to
my two brothers and two sisters. Then Mom told me
that because of her age and past injuries, a doctor
advised her not to try to conceive again since her
body might not be able to take it. It wasn't
any easier to hear in person, but I kind of
assumed that was the case. After some individuals messaged me
about it. At last, I posed the crucial query, why

(01:50:55):
did she hold me responsible? Mom began to add something
along the lines of the day they showed up at
my apartment was just really, really bad but Dad interrupted her.
It's all my fault, he screamed. I would have been
there to help if I had followed his advice and
returned home for Thanksgiving, and now I'm responsible for the
death of a baby. I screamed back at him, telling

(01:51:15):
him that he was to blame since Mom might not
have fallen if he had actually bothered to fix the
fucking porch. Furthermore, not that it would have made a difference.
He didn't even bother to inform me that Mom was
expecting back at Thanksgiving. Instead of taking sides, my mother
simply left the room in tears. As we kept ranting
at one another. My dad was so red that he
looked like a lit match. He shouted for me to

(01:51:36):
leave his house and waved his ancient hunting knife at me.
He told me I was no longer his son as
I was leaving. He was always a bad father, so
I informed him that I hadn't seen him as a
father in years. I told him before I left that
I would be requesting a restraining order and that he
would have to deal with the authorities the next time
he attempted to harm my siblings in the same way
that he had done me he will lose more than

(01:51:57):
a few teeth, and if he attempts the same nonsense
with my siblings as he did with me, I won't
think twice about calling the police or CPS. He swore
at me from the front door, saying things like you,
son of a I retorted that that was a slight
to mom, and he became enraged once more. After that,
I saluted him with one finger and rode off on
my mountain bike. So I suppose that's the best response

(01:52:19):
I can give someone. I'm not sure what the truth is.
If this isn't it does it matter now? Though? As
soon as possible, I'm going to file for a restraining order,
and once I start earning money from my new work,
I'll be seeking to transfer apartments. After this, I'm not
sure whether I'll feel like updating again. Unless my parents
do something horrible to my siblings, I think I might

(01:52:40):
be done here. Since I'm just going to be depressed
thinking about all of this, I hope I've made my
message clear to them. Even though I've already given Dad
two beatings, he still held that knife with a hint
of fear. He thought he was staring at a monster.
Perhaps he views me as a monster. But if that
means he never harms my siblings, then that's okay, sir.
He will be the monster. Now to the next story. Six.

(01:53:03):
I was always overshadowed by my stepmother and stepfather's favoritism
toward my stepsister, despite my hard work and achievements. Since
I was fifteen, I have had to deal with my
step parents blatant partiality toward my stepsister. My mom remarried
Robert forty five million, who owns his own accounting firm,
and that's when it all began. Linda forty two f

(01:53:24):
his wife, is a real estate agent and is always
immaculately dressed in fashionable outfits with flawlessly manicured nails. Ashley
nineteen f their daughter, is the same age as myself.
Almost immediately after we moved in together, the first indications
of preferential treatment surfaced. Although there was plenty of room
in our suburban Connecticut home for everyone, it soon became

(01:53:45):
obvious that Ashley was the queen. My step parents made
sure Ashley stood out in every manner, even though other
parents treat their kids the same way. Everything that came
after was shaped by the day of the move I
was assigned the smaller room that faced the brick wall
of the neighbor's house, and ashleyh was given the larger
bedroom with the bay window and window seat. Shopping excursions
turned into a distressing reminder of my role within the family.

(01:54:07):
Ashley would shop at high end stores for designer clothing
and new night sneakers, while I was told to check
out target sale shelves. Robert gave me a fifty dollars
old Navy gift card the first time this happened, and
I recall standing in the mall watching Linda and Ashley
vanish into Nordstrom. He said, get whatever you need and
turn to follow them. I will never forget the casual

(01:54:27):
dismissal and the unambiguous message about my position in the
family hierarchy. The way they treated us at family time
was more painful than the tangible differences. Whenever Ashley talked
about her day at supper, Linda and Robert would genuinely
listen and lean in to offer follow up questions. They
would hardly look up from their plates when it was
my turn to contribute, making merely infrequent mumhems or bringing

(01:54:48):
up other topics. I once attempted to spread the word
about my victory in the school's science fair. Linda cut
me off before I could finish, reminding Ashley that her
costume fitting for the dance recital was coming soon. It
was especially annoying when it came to extracurricular activities. Ashley
participated in every activity in which she even remotely expressed interest,
including private tennis instruction, dance classes, piano lessons, art workshops,

(01:55:12):
and drama club. I asked to join the school's debate team,
which only cost one hundred dollars to register, but Linda replied,
we need to be mindful of the budget. The following day,
they enrolled Ashley in private swimming lessons that cost two
hundred dollars per hour because she said she liked the water.
Our communal restroom turned into yet another battlefield. Ashley's side
was filled with pricey Sephora skincare and makeup, while I

(01:55:35):
utilized cheap brands that I purchased with my stipend, which
was a fourth of Ashley's. The towels were also different.
I used the simple ones from the hall closet, but
she had soft monogrammed pairs. She was so upset when
I inadvertently used one of her face washes by accident
that Linda had to create a lockable cabinet for Ashley's
particular items. As high school went on, the gap between

(01:55:55):
our intellectual abilities grew more noticeable. Ashley found it difficult
to maintain a be average, whereas I kept straight a's. However,
their reaction to our accomplishments was oddly biased. Ashley's favorite
Italian restaurant hosted a celebration dinner after she received a
B plus on a history test. After I was elected
into the National Honor Society, Linda asked Ashley about her

(01:56:16):
cheerleading practice without even looking at the letter. I could
never do it justice, but family photos do. Ashley is
the focal point of every photo, typically sporting a fresh,
stylish outfit. I appear like an afterthought in my own
family photographs, always in the background, wearing whatever was on sale.
Since Linda had just provided him with Ashley's dimensions and
preferences for the shoot, the photographer really questioned whether I

(01:56:39):
was a family friend assisting with our junior year photo session.
Holiday festivities turned into just another reminder of my position
within the family. Ashley would always have more gifts than
I had at Christmas, including high end gadgets, designer clothing,
and whatever else was in style at the time. Typically,
I gave useful presents like socks, generic school supplies, or
small value gift cardards. Ashley received an iPhone and a

(01:57:02):
MacBook Pro for Christmas. Last year. I received some clothing
from a bargain retailer and a fifty dollars Target gift card.
Linda was already documenting Ashley's reaction to her new laptop
when I attempted to thank them. Nevertheless, their treatment of
our social lives was also in contrast. For their get togethers,
Linda would order pizzas and provide fancy refreshments, and Ashley

(01:57:22):
was encouraged to have friends over at any time. I
once requested permission to bring two friends over so we
could study for our finals. Just keep it down, Linda added,
and make sure they bring their own snacks. We're saving
the good stuff for Ashley's cheerleading squad party tomorrow, she continued,
without taking her eyes off her phone. There is so
much more to tell about how things developed from here,

(01:57:43):
particularly with what transpired with my mom during all of this,
and how I ultimately received support from an unexpected source.
I have been keeping notes on my phone about everything
that has happened. If you would want to hear the
rest of the story, please let me know. It becomes
more challenging, particularly when some family secrets are revealed in
college preparation start. In our junior year, things really began

(01:58:04):
to change. I applied for a job at a neighborhood
coffee shop after deciding I needed some independence. Ashley reacted
right away when I told them. Over supper, as she
gave Ashley another one hundred dollars cash for her weekend shopping.
Linda nodded in agreement and said, oh my god, you're
actually going to be a waitress. That's so common. The
coffee shop turned into a haven for me. I had

(01:58:26):
coworkers that genuinely recognized me and appreciated my contributions for
the first time. After noticing my attention to detail, my manager,
Sarah swiftly promoted me from simple cleaning tasks to drink preparation.
I became an expert at managing the morning rush in
three months. Regular clients would especially wait in my line
since they knew I would accurately recall their intricate requests.

(01:58:47):
You're a natural at this, Sarah would say as she
demonstrated new Latte art techniques for me at home. However,
Linda and Robert persisted in their apathy, save for when
they could make fun of my work. Careful with that plate, Ashley,
Robert would say every night when they were eating, don't
want you ending up as a waitress. They chuckled as
I cleared the table in silence, presumably oblivious to the

(01:59:08):
irony of my doing just what they were making fun of. Academically,
I also had a sea change in my junior year.
My lab reports were frequently cited as examples for the
class by missus Rodriguez in ap chemistry. Notice how Audrey
structured her methodology, she would add, while pointing to the
projector showing my work. I felt Ashley's eyes seering into
my back, but I continued to concentrate on the task

(01:59:30):
at hand. This is university level precision. It felt good
to get my efforts acknowledged after years of being unnoticed.
Parent teacher conferences were one very eye opening experience. My
performance was being evaluated by Missus Rodriguez. Your daughter has
a remarkable grasp of complex concepts. She's top of the class,
and her lab work shows exceptional promise for a future

(01:59:51):
in scientific research. Before I had a chance to respond,
Linda asked, are you sure you're not favoring her? It
seems like teachers always praise off while ignoring Ashley's unique talents.
With every academic achievement, the strain at home increased. My
step family seemed to respond equally and oppositely to every
A plus I brought home. They would swiftly brush over

(02:00:12):
my accomplishments and turn their attention to praising Ashley's most
recent participation award or the C plus. She worked really
hard for the night that altered everything then arrived. After
finishing my calculous assignment, I was on my way to
the kitchen for some water when I heard Linda and
Robert conversing in their study. Normally I would have disregarded
their late night chatter, but Robert's remarks made me take notice.

(02:00:33):
He said, sometimes I wonder if we made a mistake.
In a somber voice. Linda said, what do you mean?
Having both of them? Ashley would have been enough. She's
everything we could want in a daughter. But Audrey, she's
just there. We would have been fine with just Ashley.
The glass nearly fell out of my grasp. My heart

(02:00:54):
wasn't as fortunate, but I managed to catch it in time.
In that instant, everything became crystal clear. All of the
years spent hoping for a change and striving to win
their love suddenly felt so pointless. I wasn't wanted by them.
They didn't I was the extra load they wished they
didn't have to bear the undesired addition, something changed within
me after that night. I gave up trying to win

(02:01:15):
their approval and gave my studies my whole attention. My
thinking unclogged in unexpected ways. When I wasn't under the
continual pressure to win their approval, my already excellent marks
took on a remarkable quality. I started getting perfect scores,
but they didn't notice or care excellent analysis, Audrey Mister
Peterson said one day in a p English as he
held up my work about the Great Gatsby, Ashley tensed

(02:01:37):
next to me, or her pencil tapping angrily on her desk.
Class this is exactly the kind of deep thinking I'm
looking for. Your comparison of Gatsby's invented identity to modern
social media personas is particularly insightful. From the corner of
my eye, I could see her face getting red, but
I continued to look straight. In other classes, similar scenes occurred.

(02:01:57):
I was invited to a prominent essay COMPETI in AP
history because of my understanding of the Cold War. My
experiment design in physics was chosen for the State Science
Fair regardless of the subject. Ashley became more enraged the
more the teachers complimented my efforts. When Missus Rodriguez invited
me to coach other students in chemistry, that was the
tipping point. She chuckled and remarked, your explanations are often

(02:02:20):
clearer than mine. Would you consider leading some study sessions
before the AP exam. Ashley's voice came to me from
downstairs that night, Mom, the teachers are being mean to me.
They always praise Audrey and make me look bad. They're
doing it on purpose. With her high end hand bag
swinging and her heels clicking on the linoleum flooring, Linda
strode into school the following day. She marched into Principal

(02:02:43):
William's office, where they summoned in Missus Rodriguez, and I
observed from the corridor. I want to know why your
teachers are discriminating against my daughter, Linda pleaded, Missus. Rodriguez
pulled out our progress logs and placed them side by side,
while remaining composed and professional. Here are both girls records.
Audrey consistently scores in the top percentile in all subjects,

(02:03:03):
while Ashley. Are you saying, my Ashley is an intelligent
Linda cut in, raising her voice, Not at all. I'm
merely pointing out Audrey's academic achievements. However, she was not
persuaded by any amount of proof. I heard Linda explaining
to Robert that day when she got home that the
teachers were clearly biased against their precious Ashley. I had
grown weary of begging for pocket money and seeing Ashley

(02:03:25):
receive hundreds of dollars for simply being alive. My job
at the coffee shop was now my passport to independence,
not just a haven. I opened a second bank account
that neither Linda nor Robert knew about, and I began
saving every dime I could. The tips from the regular
customers went directly into that account, and they frequently increased
them after they found out I was saving for college However,

(02:03:46):
even this minor triumph was not without opposition. Ashley and
her friends would frequently leave their empty cups on the table,
purposefully spilling liquids to make my job more difficult, and
then loudly comment on how sad it was to see
people stuck serving coffee. The message which was clear, I
wasn't even permitted to excel in a job that they
viewed as beneath them. My coworkers noticed and began taking

(02:04:06):
their directions instead. I don't want anything to do with
you anymore. You're embarrassing with your tiny house and budget clothes.
I've moved up in the world, Linda yelled in a
heated phone conversation I had overheard years earlier. She had
been speaking to her parents, my grandparents, whom I had
never met because they weren't good enough for her new
way of life. I sneaked into Linda's home office that

(02:04:27):
evening while she and Ashley were out shopping again, this
time for Ashley's pregraduation wardrobe makeover. I located the location
in the older part of town under DF four do
not contact in her address book. I felt a mixture
of fear and hope when I looked at that address.
These were my grandparents. They might genuinely be interested in
getting to know me and consider me more than just
an unwelcome member of someone else's ideal family. After my

(02:04:50):
shift at the cafe tomorrow, I've made the decision to
go see them. I don't know what to anticipate, but
I know I have to try. The address is just
a few blocks from my workplace, in a neighborhood Linda
would likely deem below her. I've been missing the family
link for years, but maybe, just maybe, I'll find it now.
After I meet them, I'll provide an update. I feel

(02:05:11):
like this could be the start of something significant. I
have a feeling that meeting my grandparents could completely alter
my destiny, not just my current circumstances. First update. Two
weeks have passed since my last post, and I'm amazed
at how much has changed. I was standing in front
of a tiny blue house with a well kept guarden
after my shift at the cafe that day. Every step

(02:05:33):
I took up the path to my grandparents house felt
heavier than the one before, and my heart was racing.
The well kept grass was covered in lengthy shadows from
the late afternoon sun. The door opened when I held
up my hand to knock, revealing my grandparents, an elderly couple.
The man sported wire rimmed glasses and a kind smile,
and the woman, dressed in a flower dusted flowered apron,

(02:05:53):
had her gray hair pulled back in a tidy bun.
When I said hello, I'm Audrey Matthews. I think you're
my grandparents, they gave me a perplexed look. Their mouths
fell open. At the same time, my grandma said, oh,
my god, Frank, as she put her palm to her mouth,
it's really her. You look just like your mother did
at your age. After they invited me in, I found

(02:06:14):
myself seated in their comfortable living room, sipping tea from
fine cups as they stared at me intently. Photographs from
decades of family history that I was unaware of dotted
the walls. Among them, I saw photos of my mother
in her teenage years, sporting the same bashful grin I
had seen so many times in my own image. Numerous
visits followed that initial one. I would spend hours with

(02:06:36):
my grandparents, bringing them cookies and pastries from work, while
pretending to be working extra ships at the cafe. They
truly cared about every aspect of my life and were
excellent listeners. They questioned me in depth about what I
was studying. After I told them about my AP classes,
they offered to help evaluate my essays. When I brought
up my college applications, things at school kept getting more intense.

(02:06:57):
Princeton sent me a large envelope one morning. I could
hardly open it since my hands were shaking so much
full academic scholarship. Before leaving for home, I hurried to
show my grandparents, and their response was just what I
had ever hoped for in a family. As Grandpa continued
to remark, I knew you had it in you, kiddo,
Grandma began to cry. When I eventually told Robert and

(02:07:18):
Linda about Princeton, they responded just as I had anticipated. Distractedly,
Linda remarked, that's nice, dear, before turning to face Ashley, Honey,
have you decided which state school you're applying to? My
acceptance was entirely forgotten as Ashley sniffed and announced that
she was taking a gap year to find herself through
travel and self discovery. Within minutes, they were talking about

(02:07:40):
possible places for Ashley's gap year. After averting a potential
catastrophe during a health inspection, I was promoted to shift
supervisor at work. A little celebration was thrown from me
by my coworkers, who signed a card and produced a
homemade cake. It meant more to me than any praise
I had ever received at home. When my boss Sarah
called me aside and said, you're going place, kid. Don't

(02:08:00):
let anyone tell you otherwise, everything changed once again. Yesterday,
as usual, I went to my grandparents' house after closing
the cafe. They looked at each other during our chat
as if they were nervous. Audrey, Grandpa started, after clearing
his throat, we need to tell you something. I was
astounded by what they disclosed next. As it happens, they

(02:08:21):
are not the humiliatingly impoverished relatives Linda had always talked about.
They had put their meager resources in a number of
software startups. After Mom severed their relationship, they decided to
continue living simply in their comfortable home, even if those
investments had paid off. Handsomely, Grandpa stated, your mother left
us because she felt we were too poor, too beneath her,
using a headshake, the irony is we're probably wealthier than

(02:08:44):
she is now, we just don't feel the need to
show it off. Grandma said, We've been waiting for the
right moment to help you, and with graduation coming up,
this seems perfect. Everything they told me is still being
processed by me. I have more to say, but I
must exercise caution in what I do. Next. Two weeks
remain until graduation, and Linda has been hinting about a

(02:09:05):
large family celebration for Ashley. Of course, to celebrate Ashley's
academic accomplishments. She has already reserved a classy restaurant and
invited all of their friends. After I graduate, I'll provide
another update. My grandparents claim they had something planned, and
judging by their smiles, I can tell it will be
something important. I have a feeling that this day will

(02:09:25):
be remembered by everyone in the family. Second update. The
graduation ceremony proceeded according to plan. My step parents hardly
gave a cheer when they mentioned my name as valedictorian. However,
they cheered and yelled like if Ashley had just won
an Olympic medal when she crossed the stage. Then the
shocking news arrived Linda virtually bounced in her seat when

(02:09:46):
she said, girls, we have exciting news. We're celebrating graduation
in Hawaii over breakfast the following morning. Despite everything, my
heart briefly felt better. But I should have known better.
You understand right, someone has to watch the house, and
you have your job at the cafe, Honey, Linda said
to me, her voice brimming with phony pity. We only

(02:10:08):
got three tickets for us in Ashley. Ashley stirred her
orange juice without even trying to disguise her smirk. Don't worry, sis,
she murmured, sounding overly kind. I'll send you lots of
pictures of me living my best life on the beach.
I observed them loading their pricey bags into the taxi
the following morning from our front door. Ashley turned around
and gave a theatrical, enthusiastic wave. I'll make sure to

(02:10:31):
send you beautiful photos from Hawaii. With trembling hands, I
took out my phone and dialed my grandparents as soon
as the cab vanished around the corner. When I heard
Grandma's voice, the tears I had been suppressing finally came out.
They they went to Hawaii without me, they just left
me here like I'm nothing, I cried. Grandma said, oh sweetheart,

(02:10:51):
in a gentle yet forceful voice, come over right now.
We'll have our own graduation celebration. Still blotting away my tears,
I pull onto their street and drove to their house.
At that moment, I spotted something out of the ordinary,
a brand new Mercedes C class automobile, shining in the
summer sun, parked in their driveway next to their small house.
It appeared totally out of place. I strolled up to

(02:11:14):
their front door and inquired, whose car is that. Grandpa
held up a set of keys and his eyes glowed yours,
Happy graduation, Audrey. I was certain I had misheard him,
so I stood there with my mouth open. They clarified
that they had been waiting for the ideal opportunity to
prepare this surprise for weeks. We celebrated with a lovely
handmaide graduation meal. While we spent the afternoon together. A

(02:11:37):
banner that read congratulations graduate was displayed throughout the dining room,
and the table was arranged with their finest china. Two
weeks passed slowly. My phone would ring every night with
a new alert. Ashley posing on various beaches, dining at
fancy restaurants, or relaxing by infinity pools. The captions for
each picture got more and more offensive, living my best

(02:11:58):
life as someone serves coffee. The day of their return
then arrived. I was in the living room looking out
the window while feigning to read a book. I couldn't
help but smile as I watched their expressions play out
in slow motion. As the cab arrived. Mom was the
first to notice Ashley dropped her expensive beach bag on
the concrete driveway after she stopped so suddenly that she
was directly struck by her. Dad almost stumbled over them

(02:12:21):
both when he was fumbling with their pricey matching luggage set.
Linda's harsh, high pitched voice echoed through the front glass.
What is that? Her immaculately manicured finger was quivering a
little as she pointed at the Mercedes, as though it
would bite her. I enjoyed every moment of their bewilderment.
As I walked slowly to the front door. They all
turned to stare at me as if I were a ghost.
When I stepped onto the porch, with his face flushed

(02:12:43):
from shock and the Hawaiian son. Dad shouted, whose car
is that, as Ashley often did while flaunting her fancy
purse straps. I twisted the keys around my finger, mine,
I replied. Ashley barkingly laughed, but I could detect the
doubt in her voice. Yeah right, you could afford that
on your waitress salary. With every word I could manage,

(02:13:04):
I said, actually, it was a graduation gift from Grandma
and Grandpa. Linda's cheeks lost color so quickly that I
feared she may pass out. What you know, I replied,
with a smirk. Your parents, the ones you were too
embarrassed to talk to because they were too poor. Those grandparents.
I feared Dad could have whiplash because he turned to

(02:13:24):
Linda so quickly. Linda, call your parents right now. When
Mom took out her phone, her hand trembled. When my
grandmother responded, she didn't even make an effort to be polite.
She insisted, where did you get the money for that car?
Grandma's quiet, mildly amused voice could be heard over the phone.
Oh hello to you too, dear, enjoying your expensive vacation.

(02:13:46):
There was mayhem for the following few minutes. Everything would
never be the same after family secrets were revealed. Third update.
I had never been happier as I was during the
final weeks of summer at my grandparents place. Grandpa's humming
as he read the newspaper and the aroma of Grandma's
coffee would greet me each morning. No feeling like an
unwonted shadow, no fighting for attention, no walking on eggshells,

(02:14:09):
just tranquility. It was bittersweet to move to Princeton. I
bid my grandparents farewell with a hug and vowed to
phone them every day before leaving in my Mercedes. With
everything I possessed, I felt as though I was crossing
a line between my old and new lives. On the
drive to New Jersey, just ten minutes from university, my
grandparents had gotten me a lovely small apartment. It was

(02:14:29):
nothing special, but it was far nicer than any dorm room.
There were large windows, hardwood floors, and even a tiny
balcony where I could study. Despite my objections, they persisted
on paying the rent. However, I still desired some autonomy,
so I took a part time work at a nearby
coffee shop. I didn't miss the irony still serving coffee,

(02:14:49):
but this time out of choice rather than obligation. I
found myself making true friends for the first time in
my life, and the majority of my coworkers were fellow
students in the best way conceivable. The first week of
classes was overwhelming. I was simply another freshman figuring things out,
not the unwanted extra, without any ulterior motives or comparisons
to others. My students asked me to study groups and

(02:15:11):
my lectures genuinely seemed interested in what I had to say.
About a month into the semester, Grandma called one Sunday
afternoon with some intriguing news. She remarked, your parents arrived
at our door yesterday. A beat skipped in my chest.
What were they seeking? As usual? Grandma remarked, Linda was
all smiles and phony excuses as she inquired about our

(02:15:32):
financial status and made a reference to Ashley's impending birthday.
Your father continued to scan the house, perhaps in an
attempt to determine our wealth. How did you explain it
to them? Holding my breath, I asked, The line was
joined by Grandpa's voice. We informed them that we had
already made a financial decision. Everything will go to you
when we brought up the trust fund we've established for

(02:15:53):
your graduate education. You ought to have seen Linda's expression.
I could see their faces. What was their reaction to that?
Grandma laughed and said, let's just say Linda's smile didn't
look so genuine. After that, we requested that they not return. Additionally,
Ashley had the audacity to send us a list of
expensive cars that she would be open to receiving as

(02:16:13):
a birthday present. Is it not unbelievable? I blocked all
of their phone numbers and social media accounts that night,
including Ashley's. I was prepared for the unexpected expressions of
love and regret, as well as offers to start over
as a family. However, I no longer required their type
of family. Linda tried a fresh strategy. The next week.

(02:16:33):
She sent a long letter after somehow obtaining my new address,
likely by looking through my grandparents mail. It was filled
with justifications that they would love to be a real
family once more, and that they never intended to hurt me.
The p s's request that I speak positively to my
grandparents on Ashley's birthday was the most telling. After carrying
the letter to my balcony, I ripped it into small

(02:16:54):
fragments and allowed the wind to whisk them away. After that,
I gave my grandparents a call and helped Grandma or
organize her garden for the upcoming spring for an hour.
Real family feels like that. No comparisons, no stipulations, just love.
I occasionally think about that young child who used to
ask for her parents' affection as I sat in my
constitutional law class, taking notes and truly enjoying the intricacy

(02:17:15):
of the subject matter. Not only would she find love,
but she would also find respect, support, and the ability
to be herself. I wish I could tell her that here, Emma,
my roommate, has grown to be my best friend. I
was almost adopted by her large, devoted family in Massachusetts.
They offered me to spend Thanksgiving break at their family's
beach cottage last weekend. I almost started crying when Emma's

(02:17:38):
mother gave me a hug and remarked, there's always room
for one more at our table. My study group most
likely confirms our later meeting at the library. When my
phone softly buzzes in my pocket, perhaps it's Jake, the
adorable guy from my psychology class who persistently requests coffee,
thankfully not in my cafe. I used to work as
a barista, and my family situation is complex, but he

(02:17:58):
doesn't care that we've been stile studying together lately. Now
everything is so normal, no drama, no incessant comparisons, no
sense of inadequacy. It's just me, my education, my friends,
and the bright future that lies ahead. I've begun researching
law schools for once. I feel like I can dream
as large as I want, and Grandpa believes I'd be
a fantastic lawyer. There probably won't be any further updates

(02:18:22):
from me. I've closed this chapter of my life and
am prepared to start a new one, this time according
to my own wishes. I've discovered that it's acceptable when
the family you pick is superior to the one you
were born into. I appreciate everyone who has followed my journey.
You have no idea how much your support has meant.
If you find yourself in a similar circumstance, keep in
mind that you should not allow someone to make you

(02:18:43):
feel inadequate. You will be loved for who you are
by the right people. Now to the next story. Seven.
My stepsister lead that I was a prostitute. And addict.
Out of jealousy. My dad and stepmom believed her ruined
my reputation and kicked me out. It never occurred to
me twenty two degrees fahrenheit that a single family vacation
would ruin my relationship with my entire family. Yet here

(02:19:06):
we are. I was a junior in college, working part
time at a coffee shop, keeping my life together and
maintaining a three point eight GPA in business administration when
this catastrophe began during what should have been a RESTful
spring break in Florida, everything changed. In order to strengthen
our relationship, my dad forty five million and stepmom forty

(02:19:26):
two million, thought it would be a great idea to
share a room at the beach resort with my stepsister,
Lisa nineteen million. Although we weren't really adversaries, we had
never been close. I was only there, but she was
always their golden child, the neglected one who for some
reason was never quite good enough. The initial days were
awkwardly polite. By essentially acting as though the other person

(02:19:47):
didn't exist, we were able to get along. It lasted
until the third day, when I used her hair brush
without asking permission, causing things to blow up over something
absurdly trivial. Lisa lost it. Instead of just warning me
not to use it, she took my beauty bag and
tossed it out the window on the fourth story. Almost
everything I took for the trip, including my two hundred
dollar foundation, broke on the concrete below. The true silent

(02:20:10):
treatment started at that point. This was not your normal
adolescent cold shoulder. Lisa refused to even acknowledge me when
I was directly in front of her, acting as like
I didn't exist. I didn't realize this was only the beginning. First,
I thought, great, at least she's not destroying my stuff
any more. Things became strange back home. My stepmother and

(02:20:30):
Lisa began having these lengthy, whispered chats that would inexplicably
end as soon as I entered the room, until I
observed that my dad was also acting strangely. I didn't
give it much thought. He would give me these expressions,
which were more like disappointment than anger, even dismayed. It
made my skin crawl, although it was difficult to tell.
My stepmother began to follow up with me all the time,

(02:20:51):
asking strangely detailed questions about my whereabouts, the people I
was meeting, and my payment methods. She would even phone
my pals to confirm my location because the surveillance became
that intense. My dad never knocked on my door before,
but one night he entered my room and dropped a
bombshell that turned everything upside down. He stood in my
doorway like a judge and stated, we need to talk

(02:21:11):
about what you've been doing. Lisa filled us in on everything,
the drugs, the prostitution, everything. It was so ridiculous that
I actually laughed. Me the girl who gets anxious if
she is five minutes late to class and color codes
her planner, a drug addict and prostitute. My dad wasn't laughing,
though he thought she was real. In fact, he thought

(02:21:32):
his workaholic, straight a student daughter was secretly leading a
parallel life. I attempted to clarify that Lisa was lying
and that it was all untrue. I presented him with
my bank statements, employment schedule, and attendance records for classes,
all of which demonstrated that I was who I had
always been. However, he became more irate the more proof
I offered. Why would Lisa fabricate a story like this?

(02:21:55):
He repeated himself. She is concerned for you. Everyone is
concerned about you. After that, things quickly got out of hand.
While I was in class, my stepmother began searching my
room for proof. They questioned my pals, kept an eye
on my bank account, and even made several calls to
my place of employment to check on me. Without my knowledge,

(02:22:15):
they downloaded a tracking program to my phone. I didn't
know until my stepmother challenged me about taking a break
from class to go to a coffee shop. When my
dad insisted on seeing all of my emails and social
media accounts, it was the tipping point. He threatened to
cease paying my tuition and expel me if I didn't comply,
saying they wanted to keep an eye on my conversations
to make sure I wasn't seeing clients. It dawned on

(02:22:37):
me then that they would never trust me over her.
They saw me as already guilty. That night, I sobbed
quietly in my room as I packed up the necessities,
a few items of clothing, my laptop, some critical papers,
and the emergency money I had been putting aside. I
was previously allowed to crash on my buddy Sarah's couch.
Lisa was watching me from the hallway as I was leaving,

(02:22:58):
and what do you know, she had a slight smile.
She was actually grinning, like if she had won a
perverse game. It wasn't easy living at Sarah's. I was
lying on a couch that felt like concrete in her
already small apartment. To pay for necessities, I had to
take on extra work at the coffee shop. My academic
performance began to suffer. Maintaining a three point eight GPA

(02:23:19):
while working thirty hours a week and sleeping on a
couch is difficult. I didn't reply to my dad's one
and only text, you can come home when you're ready
to admit your problems and get help. On campus, the
rumors began to circulate. All of a sudden, it seemed
like everyone knew about my alleged secret existence. After Lisa
managed to get in touch with my former roommate from
my freshman year, someone accused me of embezzling money from

(02:23:42):
the Business Students Association, which led to my removal as treasurer.
I was invited to have a friendly chat with my
academic adviser over my lifestyle choices. It seemed like I
was witnessing my reputation slowly deteriorate. At that point, Kyle
twenty four million entered my life. He frequently ordered the
same thing at the coffee shop, a big Americano with

(02:24:03):
extra shots. He genuinely spoke to me, unlike everyone else
who acted as if I were radioactive. Not just coffee orders,
but genuine talks. He questioned why I always appeared so
exhausted one day following my work. I had no idea why,
but I told him everything. Hours after closing, we sat
in the deserted cafe and I told him everything. Are

(02:24:23):
you aware of what he did? I believed by him,
just like that, complete acceptance of my truth without any
doubt or debate. For the first time since this entire
ordeal started, someone had just trusted me, without asking for
evidence or an explanation. Kyle owns his own apartment and
works in it. He helped me locate my own studio
apartment after learning about my predicament with Sarah's couch. It's small,

(02:24:47):
just a little bit larger than my previous bedroom, but
it belongs to me because my credit wasn't good enough
on my own. He even co signed the lease slowly
our relationship grew. On movie nights, we would watch old
comedy on laptop until we fell asleep. He would bring
me coffee during study sessions and listen to me rehearse
my speeches, little things that restored my sense of normalcy.

(02:25:09):
I had someone on my side for the first time
in months. Kyle made the proposal three months ago. He
brought out a ring which was simple, exquisite and just
like him. As we were eating Chinese takeout on the
floor of my small flat, I instantly responded yes. I
felt as though my life was finally moving in the
right direction. In addition to supporting me and understanding me,

(02:25:29):
Kyle was also aware of the truth about everything that
had transpired with my family. I witnessed his parents' sincere
happiness and enthusiasm over the video chat that evening when
we contacted them to break the news. The contrast between
their response and what I would anticipate from my own
family really got to me. The true drama resumed at
that point. Lisa somehow learned of the engagement. My phone

(02:25:50):
was overflowing with text from my stepmother and father in
a matter of days. All of a sudden, they want reconciliation.
Despite their discussions of family feelings and moving forward together,
none of them ever admitted that Lisa had lied for
believing her over me. Hardly one expressed regret. All they
wanted was for me to move on from the incident
and resume my role as a happy family. Especially poignant

(02:26:13):
was my father's message, your wedding day should be about family.
Don't allow pride to prevent you from inviting everyone. Does
he believe this is about that? Not the fact that
they effectively labeled me a drug addict and a prostitute.
Not the fact that in my own house they treated
me like a criminal, Not the fact that without even
giving me an opportunity to defend myself, they decided to

(02:26:33):
believe Lisa's lies. Kyle proposed that we run away away
from the drama, somewhere calm and quiet, just the two
of us, To simply go away from all of this
family turmoil and begin our life together without any burdens
is what I want to accomplish. A part of me, however,
longs for a real wedding so I can stand in
front of everyone and prove to them that I made
it through that in spite of everything they did to

(02:26:56):
bring me down. I managed to create a good life.
Last week I began organizing the wedding. We're planning a
modest ceremony for the spring after my graduation. Nothing grand.
Kyle's family has been tremendously helpful, donating their back yard
for the wedding and even helping with the arrangements. I
always imagined that I would go dress shopping with my stepmother,
and his mom accompanied me. When I found the one,

(02:27:18):
a stunning a line dress with intricate lace details, she
refrained from crying. She remarked, you look gorgeous, sweetheart. I
briefly lost sight of the fact that she wasn't my
biological mother. The problem with family is that sometimes the
people who select you are more likely to love you
than those who are meant to love you automatically. The
guest list is the most difficult portion. Now, Kyle adds

(02:27:40):
that whether or not I invite my family is completely
up to me. Today is your day, he declares, you
owe them nothing at all. He is correct. I am
aware that he is correct, But why is it still
so painful? Why do I still find myself pondering whether
or not to call them while looking at my phone.
I have a box of invites on my desk, some
of which bear the names of my relatives. I feel

(02:28:03):
nauseous every time I gaze upon them. Given how much
they contributed to your suffering, how do you invite them
to share in your joy? The hardest part is that
I am fully aware of the consequences. If I choose
not to invite Lisa. My father will not attend, my
stepmother will do the same, and since that's what they do,
the rest of the family will most likely support them.

(02:28:23):
She is always the one they pick, Always Emma twenty
six f Kyle's sister has been my unofficial wedding planner
and sane voice during this whole ordeal. She understands it
differently than other people because she experienced something similar with
her ex's family. She said to me, your wedding day
is about celebrating love, not apologizing for existing. She is correct.

(02:28:44):
The focus of this day should be Kyle and I,
the life we are creating together, and the family we
choose to be a part of, instead of the one
we are born into. A mother of the bride dress
in a store window, a father daughter dance song on
the radio, or the blank spots in my wedding planning
binder where family photos should be are just a few
examples of the little things that remind me of what
I've lost every time I think I've come to terms

(02:29:05):
with the absence of my family. My extended family has
also begun to take sides. Aunt Susan told me over
the phone yesterday that family is forever and that I
must be the stronger one. In a lengthy correspondence, my
uncle discussed for giving others and moving on. My cousins
have been using passive, aggressive social media posts about loyalty
and blood being thicker than water. It seems as though

(02:29:27):
they are all following the same script, which portrays me
as the bad guy. Since I didn't want my abuser
to attend my wedding during those difficult months when I
was juggling extra shifts and trying to maintain my grades,
none of them were there when I had to explain
to lecturers why I couldn't take the holidays at home.
None of them were present when I sobbed myself to
sleep wondering what I had done to merit being treated

(02:29:48):
like a criminal by my own family. None of them
were present because Lisa is exactly that someone who made
a concerted effort to ruin my life. She created a
whole story to keep me apart from everyone I cared about,
not just one falsehood. She smiled while she watched me
lose our relationship with our parents, my home, and my reputation.
The most annoying thing is that they still don't realize

(02:30:10):
Lisa was lying, even now that my life is finally
on track. I graduated with honors in spite of everything.
I got a job offer from a reputable company in
the city, and I married a wonderful man. My accomplishments
ought to be sufficient evidence that I wasn't who she
said I was. However, they can't acknowledge they were mistaken
since they are so committed to her version of events.

(02:30:30):
I have therefore made the decision to invite my dad
and stepmother, but not Lisa. With such knowledge, people are
free to do as they like. I'll walk down the
aisle by myself, head held high, knowing that I didn't
sacrifice my dignity to maintain harmony if they choose not
to attend. After all, self respect is ultimately what this is.
After all, I deserve to have a wedding day free

(02:30:51):
of turmoil and anxiety. But it takes more than pride
or stubbornness to declare I deserve better than this. Instead
of those who have chosen to assume the worst about
me without proof, I should be surrounded by people who
love and support me. I'm sick of having to make
all the repairs. I'm sick of taking the lead. I'm
sick of acting as though my own family's systematic rejection
of me didn't hurt. I'm sick of bearing the consequences

(02:31:14):
of their decisions. So for once, I'm choosing myself, choosing
genuine love over toxic familial relationships, truth over easy lies,
and happiness over duty. I'm done attempting to insert myself
into a story that wasn't intended to involve me in
the first place, even if it means that I'm the
antagonist in their tale. Am I choosing the proper path?

(02:31:34):
To be honest, I have no idea, However, I'm making
a decision that feels true to who I am and
what I deserve. For the first time since this whole
nightmare started, Kyle says he's proud of me for refusing
to back down and guess what. I'm also proud of myself.
The terrified young woman who packed her bags in the
middle of the night has matured into a self assured
individual who recognizes her value, realizes that true love does

(02:31:57):
not necessitate putting up with abuse, and has the courage
to put her own pleasure ahead of other people's expectations.
Perhaps the freedom to finally be that person is the
true wedding present I'm giving myself first update. I wish
I could say that things had improved since my last post,
which was six months ago, but life has a way
of catching you off guard. Everything changed when Lisa's ex

(02:32:18):
boyfriend sent me a message last month. He messaged me
on Facebook and said he wanted to share something significant
with me regarding the gossip Lisa was spreading. I hesitated
to answer at first. Kyle and I were content to
concentrate on our wedding preparations, and I've worked hard to
put all the drama behind us. However, what he revealed
to me clarified and exacerbated the suffering. Lisa apparently had

(02:32:39):
a total breakdown after a fight with her now ex
boyfriend a few weeks ago, after getting wasted at a party,
She came clean about everything, including the fact that she
made up all the stories that I was a drug
addict and prostitute. Why she felt that I was receiving
too much attention from men at her college, which made
her envious. That's all. She was jealous of the fictitious
attention and I allegedly received from boys at her school,

(02:33:02):
which is why she ruined my relationship with my family.
I didn't even go to that school. Hours passed while
I sat there looking at his messages, feeling like I
might pass out Screenshots of their text exchanges, in which
she had revealed everything were sent by her ex He
even volunteered to be honest with my parents if I
asked him to to be honest. Though I no longer

(02:33:22):
give a damn. The harm has been done. Kyle just
held me while I sobbed when I showed him the messages.
I was angry, not because I was depressed three years
of my life, three years of my own family treating
me like a criminal. For three years, I doubted myself
and had to start again because my stepsister was envious.
I believed that having evidence would help me feel better.

(02:33:44):
I believed that there would be some sort of closure
if I knew the truth. Rather, it only served to
highlight how little my family actually cared for me. They
made the decision to accept these baseless charges in the
absence of proof because Lisa said so. They cut me off,
tossed me out, and treated me like I had no value.
This is where the situation becomes even more intricate. Lisa

(02:34:05):
discovered that her ex had gotten in touch with me somehow.
All of a sudden, my family started bombarding my phone
with calls and text My stepmother emailed paragraphs about family
healing and forgiveness, and my dad left a lengthy voicemail
saying that Lisa is really sorry and that she's been
going through a lot. The worst part, in fact, none
of them expressed regret. Instead, they are promoting the idea

(02:34:27):
that Lisa was troubled and that she needs her family
now more than ever. There is not a single I'm
sorry for not believing you or we were wrong. In
relation to Kyle. I discovered that I never fully explained
how we got together about six months after leaving home.
It happened during one of my darkest moments, after staying
up all night to finish a paper I was working
the morning shift at the coffee shop, barely getting three

(02:34:49):
hours of sleep every morning. Kyle arrived for his customary
large Americano with additional shots. He did, however, note how
worn out I appeared that day. He inquired about my
well being, rather than simply taking his coffee and walking
away as most patrons do. Right there at the desk,
I started crying because of his sincere concern. Julie, my manager,

(02:35:10):
noticed what was going on and instructed me to take
an early break. For an hour, Kyle sat with me
in the deserted cafe and listened to me tell him everything.
He gave me his phone at the end of my
break and instructed me to call him if I ever
needed someone to talk to. It was weeks before I
used it. I struggled with trust after everything that happened
with my family. However, I eventually called one evening after

(02:35:31):
receiving yet another guilt tripping text from my dad. Until
dawn we conversed. The thing about Kyle is that he
never pushed or passed judgment. All he did was listen
and encourage me. When I was unable to continue living
on Sarah's couch, he assisted me in finding my first apartment.
When my parents cut me off, I had to drop
out for a semester, which damaged my credit, so he

(02:35:52):
even co signed the lease in order to return to school.
He assisted me in applying for grants and student loans.
We were just buddies from months. He would check my assignments,
assist me in practicing presentations for my business classes, and
even bring me coffee while I studied in the library.
Friendship gradually evolved into something more of all things. We
were reviewing my business ethics assignment when we shared our

(02:36:14):
first kiss. Kyle gave me the impression that I had
everything I needed, even though I was living in a
small studio apartment and barely making ends meet between work
and classes. He demonstrated for me what true support looks
like and what it's like to be appreciated for who
you are rather than what someone else wants you to be.
The drama of the wedding followed. Last week, my dad
gave me a call and said he would want to

(02:36:35):
escort me down the aisle, but only if I included Lisa.
She's really changed and it would mean so much to
her to be there. He said, it's all about Lisa's
feelings once more, requirements of Lisa, Lisa's joy. At last,
I lost it. I expressed my feelings to him in detail,
including his conditional love, his repeated preference for Lisa over me,

(02:36:57):
and his willingness to let her ruin my life without
ever checkallenging her claims. I advised him that perhaps he
shouldn't attend my wedding at all if Lisa's attendance meant
more to him than being there for his daughter. It
wasn't warmly received by him. When I refused to back down,
Dad threatened to not attend the wedding without Lisa, claiming
that I was tearing the family apart and that I
needed to let go of the past. My stepmother supported

(02:37:19):
him by stating that real family forgives and forgets, and
that they are a package deal. Kyle's family has been
tremendously helpful in the interim. Last weekend, his parents hosted
a simple backyard cookout for our engagement, complete with close
friends and family. His dad gave a moving speech that
brought everyone to tears, and his mom created this lovely
photomontage of our friendship. Yes, even Kyle seeing them so

(02:37:42):
really celebrate our love opened my eyes to what true
family support looks like. Plans for the wedding. After removing
all the drama, the wedding preparations are progressing rather nicely.
We discovered the ideal location for the reception, a tiny
garden featuring an old fashioned greenhouse. In an effort to
give me something to pass on to our future children,
Kyle's mother has been teaching me their family recipes. Through

(02:38:05):
all of this, His sister, Emma, who will be my
maid of honor, has been incredible. She has shared her
personal experiences with toxic family members and has helped me
realize that it's acceptable to put my mental health above
my responsibilities to my family. I had my last dress
fitting last week along with my best friend Sarah. Kyle's
mother and sister were present. I didn't miss Lisa or

(02:38:25):
my stepmother when I put on the dress and looked
in the mirror with other women who truly cared about me. Rather,
I was appreciative of the family I had chosen and
the one that had chosen me in return, because he
has demonstrated to me what unconditional parental love looks like.
Kyle's father will accompany me down the aisle, not because
he is taking my father's place. The list of guests
is short, but significant. All of the attendees have supported

(02:38:47):
me at my darkest moments. Relocating to Seattle after the wedding.
We're relocating to Seattle for Kyle's new work. The relocation
is being assisted by his firm, and we have already
located an apartment. It's a new beginning in every sense
of the word. A new town, a new city, and
new employment prospects. Above all, it's far enough away that
we won't have to worry about bumping into my relatives

(02:39:09):
at the neighborhood coffee shop or grocery store. Sometimes the
future we are planning seems like a dream as we
make plans for when we are both stable in our careers.
We have started looking at homes in the Seattle suburbs.
Kyle talks of one day starting a family and creating
the kind of household we both hoped we had as children.
It's simultaneously thrilling frightening an ideal. I blocked my entire

(02:39:31):
family on all platforms yesterday, including social media, email, and
phone numbers, something I should have done years ago. No
more messages that make you feel guilty. No more playing
with emotions, no more justifications like but she's family. The
truthful response to the question of whether I miss my
family is yes. However, I missed the family I believed

(02:39:52):
I had, rather than the one that is real. Instead
of the father who decided to assume I was a
drug addict without any evidence. I miss the father who
taught me how to ride a bike, instead of going
through my belongings in search of proof of crimes I
never committed. I mourn the stepmother who used to assist
me with my homework. Blood is thicker than water. I'm
being harsh, and I'll regret this choice. Several extended family

(02:40:14):
members have been contacting me to say, but what do
you know? The only thing I think I'll regret is
squandering so many years attempting to win the affection of
people who would never have chosen me in the first place.
Last week, the invites were sent out without my stepmother's,
dad's or Lisa's names. Even though there aren't many individuals
on the guest list, they all genuinely care about me.

(02:40:34):
Individuals that supported me when my own family refused to
people who unconditionally love me. My self respect is compromised
by those who encourage me without expecting anything in return.
In my most recent post, someone asked if I ever
considered what would have happened if I had simply forgave
and moved on. The Fact is I do occasionally consider it. However,

(02:40:55):
I then recall Lisa's sly smile as I was leaving
the house that evening. I recall that, without an any proof,
my father decided to assume the worst about me. I
recall my stepmother treating me like a criminal, rummaging through
my belongings, and phoning my place of employment. Now that
I know that it was all due to Lisa's jealousy,
that she deliberately attempted to ruin my life because she

(02:41:15):
felt I was receiving too much attention, it only serves
to affirm that I was correct to cut them off.
Kyle asserts that I underestimate my own strength. He might
be correct. I was the terrified girl who slept on
a friend's couch three years ago, wondering if I would
ever feel normal again. I'm now getting married to a
wonderful man, starting a career, graduating with honors, and finally

(02:41:35):
experiencing what true family love is Like to the one
who inquired as to whether I worry about regrets, I
do occasionally. However, I'm more concerned about the guilt I
would experience if I allowed my family to continue to
control and harm me. Walking away from individuals who only
love us when it suits them is sometimes the bravest
thing we can do. I'm now satisfied with the way
things have worked out, and our wedding is in six weeks.

(02:41:58):
It's not the wedding I envision as a child. No
mother of the bride's speech, no father daughter dance, and
no large family portraits with everyone dressed alike will take place. However,
it will be genuine. There will be someone there who
supported me, who had faith in me, who had chosen me.
Fixing a family that never truly wanted to be healed
is something I'm done with. I'm tired of having to

(02:42:20):
be the one who must understand, forgive, and put everyone
else's sentiments ahead of my own. I'm tired of being
Lisa's backup daughter, the one who is only valuable when
she doesn't require attention. Since I really don't have anything
more to say, this is my final update. Lisa is
no longer the subject of my story. It has nothing
to do with my stepmother, father, or the family that

(02:42:41):
didn't pick me. It has to do with the family
Kyle and I are creating about the love I discovered
in the most unlikely locations, about the strength I was
unaware I possessed. In six weeks, I will tie the
knot with a man who truly loves me for the
first time in years. I'm not anxiously waiting for the
other shoe to drop as we begin a new life
in a new place. All I'm doing is living, loving,

(02:43:03):
and at last being free. I want to express my
gratitude to everyone who has supported me and followed my path.
Your words of support gave me the courage to defend
my position. Additionally, it's acceptable to leave if you're dealing
with toxic family members. Making your own decision is acceptable.
Finding happiness on your own terms is okay. There are
instances when the family we build is more authentic than

(02:43:25):
the one we are born into, and it's not just acceptable,
it's stunning. Now to the next story. Eight. I legally
bought five classic cars from a widow. Someone posing as
her grandson tried to sue, but was exposed as her
granddaughter's ex original post. I'm close friends with a coworker
and we've helped his mother in her eighties with house maintenance.

(02:43:46):
His mother's neighbor, i'll call her Elaine, was in her nineties.
In twenty sixteen, when Elaine's husband, who was in the home,
died while doing maintenance on my coworker's mother's house. I
drove there in my nineteen seventy five Falcon and Elaine
came out to ask me to have a look at
some cars I might like that had belonged to her husband.
I won't go into detail, except three were in good
drivable condition and worth a decent figure, and two more

(02:44:08):
were ruined but good parts cars. At the time, I
couldn't afford anywhere near what they were genuinely worth two
or at least in the top five desirable Australian classics.
I told her what they could fetch on the open market,
but she was happy to take five thousand dollars for
all five cars, well under their value. She wanted to
make sure they went to someone who would appreciate them,
and I paid for and collected them a week later,

(02:44:29):
and I still have the three good ones, two now
on historic registration and the other in storage. Lane passed
away in the middle of this year, and her grandson
is on the warpath over the cars. He's found my
contact details and phoned me several times, threatening to sue
for effectively stealing the cars from his grandmother, and has
turned up at my front door once demanding the return
of the cars. I have not been served or received

(02:44:51):
anything in writing from him in a legal sense, only
his business card, which sounds dodgy. I've verified he's an
actual lawyer, as he claims through a website of his employer,
which list him with a photo as specializing in commercial
and insurance law, just like his business card. I'd have
expected if there was a real legal issue with the
ownership of the cars, it would be in relation to
the grandmother's estate proceedings, and I'd be contacted by mail

(02:45:12):
by someone acting as executor, not via phone calls and
doorstop visits by one angry, smug bastard acting like it's
happening between me and him alone. Since I'm not a
lawyer and my presumptions could be completely out, I'm posting
here if need be, I could now afford the market
price of all the cars. Is the grandson likely to
have a case? And should I find a lawyer of
my own? Relevant comments RCG now, But if Elaine's husband

(02:45:35):
left them to her in his will, she was free
to do with them as she pleased. Ergo, the grandson
has no claim. He'd be banking on your uncertainty of
that to strong arm you into cutting a deal. Don't
ignore any official summons or claims, but you can safely
tell him to sod off over the phone. If you
want to get really petty, you could contact his law
firm and complain about him. But as long as he

(02:45:55):
wasn't intimating that his employer was in any way involved,
it's none of their business. I could tell you, cool,
So what oop? Thanks? Banking on my uncertainty is a
good way to describe the vibe I'm getting from him.
He's not exactly throwing his law firm's name around, but
it is on the business card he gave me. Ope.
On what the cars are, I feel more comfortable describing

(02:46:16):
them now after reading the responses here. One registered is
an XYGT replica in nice shape, built from a Fairmont.
The other registered as an ex B Fairmont coup in
excellent original condition, and the third I'm still working on
getting back on the road as an X A Sadan
Falcon five hundred and six. The last two were rex
and have already been parted out and the good bits
kept a spare x A Sedan and an XW that

(02:46:38):
looks like it had spent thirty years as yard art.
The XW collapsed at the torque boxes and plenum while
being trailered and nearly came off in two pieces, but
worth it for the glass and trim alone. Update. I
spoke with my coworker about the issue and he talked
with his mother, who clued me into her neighbor Elaine
from my previous post. Not having any grandsons, My coworker's

(02:46:58):
mother is still in contact with Elaine son and daughter,
as they own and still work on Elaine's old house
next door. She put them in contact with me. They
wanted to know who it was who was actually threatening,
what about the cars, as Elaine has no grandsons, and
we spoke. They identified the lawyer grandson as an old
ex He was once a partner of, but not married to,
one of Elaine's granddaughters for a few years. He's also

(02:47:20):
known to be in a lot of debt, which might
explain desperate hunting for valuable items. Elaine's son and daughter
reiterated that their dad had left instructions to Elaine for
the cars to go to someone who cherished them, and
they were happy they did and glad to hear from
me that they're still being looked after together. I haven't
contacted the faux grandson's law firm yet. I have a
lot of evidence of his misrepresentations to me, and after

(02:47:41):
googling ness dablaur law, I'm not one hundred percent sure
of the legality of all of it, especially about sharing
my home security and dash cam recordings directly to the
other firm, or even speaking directly to them. I'll go
through my own legal representation there as a filter on
what I need to give them to make sure they
know of his behavior linked to their firm. Small update,
Faith grandson came around twice more. I now have multiple

(02:48:03):
records of him visiting my residence, threats via text, and
many phone calls to me after I asked him to
not contact me again except in writing. Complaints have been
made through my lawyer to his firm and relevant regulatory bodies.
I informed him of the complaints on Thursday and reiterated
not to contact me again, and I haven't heard a
peep from him since last update. Fake grandson had already
been dismissed from the firm before my lawyer and I complained,

(02:48:25):
and he already has complaints against him for other reasons.
Now to the next story. Nine. I cut ties with
my best friend after discovering she slept with my boyfriend.
She threatened sue it, and my family pressured me to
forgive her original post, and I don't care. I haven't
reached out. She slept with my boyfriend behind my back.
We're both twenty f and we've been friends since reception,

(02:48:47):
four to five years old. U K thing. She was
my sister, my rock. We stood by each other through everything.
When my parents divorced, she was there to offer a
shoulder for me to cry on when her grandmother died.
I was there keeping her aflot throughout high school. I'd
been dating my boyfriend twenty one million for about three years.
We started dating in sixth form, a version of UK College,

(02:49:08):
and he was my first serious relationship. I introduced him
to my family. He was many of my firsts. He
was sweet, a little awkward, being a gamer guy, but
he treated me to date nights and always made me
feel special. Maybe this is me being young and dumb,
but I thought I'd marry this guy someday. This was
something I told my best friend well about a month ago.
While my boyfriend was in the shower, I saw a

(02:49:30):
text notification pop up on his phone. We look at
each other's notifications all the time, so I grabbed his
phone to see it. It was from her, asking if
they were still on for tonight and if she should
wear his favorite dress. He told me he was hanging
out with friends and going drinking. Him going drinking with
friends wasn't unusual, so I never thought anything of it,
But in hindsight, I wonder how much of him going

(02:49:51):
out was with friends and how much of it was
going out with her. I saved screenshots of their conversations.
I sent them to myself. I showed him the messages
when he came out of the bathroom and demanded he
explain himself about them. I couldn't contain how upset and
angry and hurt I was. An argument ensued where I
told him he was disgusting and I left his place.
Shortly after arriving home, I started getting bombarded with calls

(02:50:14):
and texts from my best friend. I answered none of
her calls. I couldn't stomach hearing her voice. But her
texts ranged from she never meant to hurt me, my
boyfriend hit on her first, it didn't mean anything. Then
it got angry, saying I should hear her out. If
I was a real friend, I would take her calls.
I'm being petty and childish for not listening to her side.

(02:50:35):
Then back to sadness, saying I was her closest friend
in the world and she didn't want to lose me.
My boyfriend was strangely quiet during this time. After a
few days, I got myself together enough to send them
both messages. Maybe it was cowardly, but I didn't have
the strength to call them. I told my now ex
boyfriend that we were done and I won't give cheaters
any chances with me. He responded by trying to call me,

(02:50:56):
but after the third or fourth attempt he gave up.
He sent me a final message saying it wasn't that
big of a deal that they'd just fooled around, but
agreeing he didn't want to date me any more. My
ex best friend was more persistent after I told her
I wanted nothing to do with her. Day after day,
I'd get messages and calls from her demanding to talk,
demanding we resolve this, demanding I not say anything to anyone,

(02:51:19):
saying she stopped seeing him, saying she'll kill herself if
I don't talk to her. Really fucked up shit. I
ended up confiding to a mutual friend about what was
going on, because I was seriously beginning to wonder if
I was being a bitch. This friend reassured me that
my feelings were justified. However, I wasn't expecting this friend
to spread around what happened. The gossip spread like wildfire,

(02:51:40):
and a few days ago, my ex best friend tried
to take her life. I said nothing. I haven't visited
her in the hospital. I haven't sent any messages to
her family. Now, her older sister keeps messaging me, telling
me I'm a heartless bitch for leaving her at her lowest,
for not trying to prevent this, and that everyone makes mistakes,
and that her sister didn't intentionally hurt me. Maybe it

(02:52:00):
does make me a heartless bitch, but I don't care.
I'm relieved she survived, but I'll never forgive her. I'll
never forgive her betrayal. She destroyed our friendship when she
slept with my boyfriend. Relevant comments. Op needs to move
forward in a healthy way without being bitter about her
ex and the best friend O up, thank you. I know.
I don't think I'm over what they did to me.

(02:52:22):
Three year relationship in a sixteen year friendship down the drain.
I'll look into therapy, but between schoolwork and a part
time job, it might be difficult. It's stupid because I
wasn't feeling guilty that she had attempted to take her life.
But after what her sister said, I was starting to
feel guilty for not feeling guilty, if that makes sense.
It was really getting to me, so I had to
tell someone. I'm glad she survived, but I'm not looking

(02:52:46):
forward to the next few days. I've already gotten messages
from her cousin today. Commoner one good. Don't contact her
or her family. That's done for You're not responsible for
her mental health, and make better friends, not gosping ones
like the one who told everyone just cut them off.
And if your family tries to pressure you to be

(02:53:06):
friends with her, warn them that you're not above going
elsie with them at it, block them all as well. Ope. Unfortunately,
I don't think the friend I told had intended for
it to get so bad. She really helped me understand
that I wasn't being an awful person for not giving
my exbff a second chance. She cheered me up and
made me feel better. But she told the rest of

(02:53:26):
our friend group, and after that it was like Pandora's box.
I've blocked my ex and my exbff. I've blocked her
sister as well, and it's looking like I'll need to
block one of her cousins. This makes me a little
sad I was always so close with her cousins. My
dad agrees with me one hundred percent and told me
I was doing the right thing. When I told my mom,
I could tell she was disappointed and tried suggesting I

(02:53:47):
talked to my EXBFF, but I shut that down real
quick and she backed off. Update one, Hey again, it's
been a while. First, I want to thank everyone for
all of their comments and support. In hindsight, I know
now I wasn't being a bitch, but in the moment
when I was being bombarded by texts and calls from
her family. It's hard not to let those thoughts mess
with your head. I didn't know if I was going

(02:54:09):
to post an update, but some things have happened, so
this might get a little long. Sorry giving fake names.
XBFF is Nicki, her older sister is Tammy. XBF is Josh.
I'll name anyone relevant as I go. So I mentioned
in a comment that my mom wanted to speak to
me later that day. I had a few replies warning
me that she would try to pressure me into forgiving Nicki,

(02:54:30):
and they were right. She came over to my dad's
that evening and wanted a conversation in private. She asked
if i'd spoken to Nicki yet. I said no. She
asked if I was going to I said no. I
was trying to be as firm as possible because I
knew what she was about to do. She asked, don't
you think you should? My response was no, I don't

(02:54:51):
see why I should. I sent her a final message
almost a month ago. This is where things began to
really go south. In the conversation, Mom Love. She's in
the hospital right now. She needs all the support she
can get you're meant to be her friend. I didn't
even know about her condition until her mother called me me. Really,
I meant to be her friend? After she slept with

(02:55:13):
Josh behind my back. I didn't say anything about her
because I didn't want to talk about her. Mom, Are
you really going to hold a silly grudge? I understand
she hurt you, but she's hurting so much more right now?
Love me she's hurting? Mom? Yes, you both are. I
raised you to be a kind, forgiving person. Why can't

(02:55:33):
you forgive her me? What? Like how Dad should have
forgiven you? This wasn't my finest moment. I didn't bring
it up before because it wasn't relevant. But the reason
why my parents divorced was due to infidelity on mom's end,
and it wasn't only a one time thing. Not that
it matters even if it had been, but my mom
always believed Dad should have just forgiven her. I admit

(02:55:54):
this was a low blow from me, and the conversation
spiraled into an argument from there, with both of us
saying some not so kind things to each other. Eventually
I decided the conversation was over because we were just
going around in circles and heading into yelling territory. So
I told her to leave and I'll try talking to
her again when we've both calmed down. When she was leaving,
she made said this, I hope you're not as cruel

(02:56:15):
as your father. I'm typically not an angry person, but
this infuriated and hurt me. I lived fifty to fifty
between my parents. They both made sure I had everything
I could need or want, but she felt her situation
and struggles were undeserved. Dad never helped with bills or
payments that didn't involve me. She expected more. Cheaters always do.
I didn't say anything when she left. I just blocked

(02:56:36):
her number and social media accounts and cried. She cared
more about the girl who had hurt her daughter than
said daughter. She realized pretty quickly what had happened and
came back the next day, but Dad told her I
didn't want to talk to her true, and she had
to leave. It took maybe half an hour before she
finally left. The next few days, she kept trying to
reach me through other people, but I stayed silent. The

(02:56:57):
friday after my post, I decided I felt calm enough
to talk to her and unblocked her we spoke over
the phone, which wasn't as exciting as above. Basically, it
was her apologizing and telling me she was wrong for
trying to force me to forgive Nicky, that she'll respect
my decision, but tried to suggest I think about it.
I very firmly told her I was not forgiving Nicki.
She just said okay. Things didn't really feel the same

(02:57:19):
with us. I couldn't bring myself to be as chatty
with her as I was before, and it didn't help
that she kept giving me updates about Nicki. The first
time she did it, she told me Nicky had been
put on a seventy two hour psych hold, assessed, and
eventually released. I told her I didn't want any updates
on Nicki's situation. I won't stop her from checking in,
but I didn't want to be involved. She complained and

(02:57:40):
said she thought I'd want to visit her, but I
threatened to block her again if she kept pushing, and
she shut up. Nothing was mentioned about Nicki for a
couple of weeks before Mum again broke my boundary and
brought her up, telling me about how Josh had stopped
talking to her and how Nicki needed a shoulder to
cry on. I again told her I didn't want to know,
and this was her last chance not to bring her
up or I would cut her from my life. She

(02:58:01):
complained again, but eventually promised it wouldn't happen again. Maybe
I should have learned from my mistakes, because I know
my mother. She doesn't take no for an answer. It
was really quiet for a while. My friends and I
had all basically carried on from what happened, and even
though I know a couple of them still occasionally talk
to Nicki, they never bring her up around me or
tell her I hope how I'm doing. I thought I

(02:58:22):
could finally close this chapter on my life, but nope.
Today my mother called me and asked if I wanted
to get lunch. I hadn't seen her in a while,
so what was the harm. I head to the Weatherspoons
we planned to eat at, and who do I find
sitting with my mom, Nicki and her sister Tammy. As
soon as Nicki sees me, she gets up and tries
to hug me, but I just raise a hand and
take a step back, and this girl has the audacity

(02:58:43):
to look upset. Mom immediately knows she's fucked up because
she's scrambling with all of the excuses. It hurts to
see you, too, fall apart like this. You were so close.
I thought you'd forgive her by now, and my favorite,
she made a mistake. She misses you. During this time,
Nicki has been quiet, and I can see Tammy's glaring
at me. I'm just so fucking angry and upset. I

(02:59:05):
honestly didn't think she'd pull something like this. I wanted
to leave and cry, but I looked at Nicki and said,
for someone who's made a mistake, she sure hasn't apologized
for it yet. She had this guilty look on her
face and muttered something about me having her blocked and
having no way to I said, is that really all
you have to say? And she just looked at me, confused.
I was done. I turned to leave, and her sister

(02:59:27):
started yelling after me, saying that I owed Nicky a
second chance with all the trauma I put her through.
While Nicky was begging me to just listen to her
and talk to her, I told them all to fuck
off and never contact me again and left. I managed
to get out of there before Tammy started a fight,
and went home where I sent my mom a text
a while ago telling her she'd better lose my number
because she no longer has a spot in my life.

(02:59:48):
Then I blocked her and just cried. My dad's been
doing his best to comfort me, but it just hurts
so bad that my own mother did this to me.
So that's where things are at right now. I'll update
if anything else happens, but this whole situation really fucking sucks.
Relevant comments comment are one. Good on you for knowing
your own morals and thoughts and not letting anyone else
tell you how to think. I hope your dad supports

(03:00:11):
you in this. Ope. My dad has been my rock
through this. He's always had my back. We've spent the
last few hours having some drinks and chatting just to
help take my mind off things. My dad's to thank
for that he taught me to stand up for myself
and told me being kind doesn't mean being a wet
towel makes me sad? Why he had to learn that lesson?

(03:00:31):
Why was OPI still in touch with her mother when
she cheated on Opie's dad, Opie because she was still
my mom. I was a teenager when my parents divorced
and it was my father who encouraged me to maintain
a relationship with her new update. Hey there everyone, I'm
the girl who made the myx best friend attempted to
take her life posts. I didn't think labeling this post

(03:00:52):
like that really fit. I first want to apologize for
taking so long to give you an update, and to
also thank you for your kind words. I've not been
able to apply to many messages, and I've had a lot,
but I've taken the time to read through every single one,
and I appreciate every single one of you. This Christmas
has been amazing. I spent it with my family, with
my dad. I went out Boxing day night with my

(03:01:13):
friends to party hard and regret it harder the following day.
I'm in a much better place than I was back
in December twenty twenty three. That's kind of why I
struggled to give you all an update, because around Christmas
plus New Year's twenty twenty three, I was not in
a good place. I really needed to focus on myself
and work on getting myself in a better place. As
of January twenty twenty four, I have been no contact

(03:01:34):
with my mother. Unfortunately, I've seen her since then and
I've done my best to avoid talking to her on
the three occasions I've had to be in the same
place as her. Not out of choice, mind you, but
it is what it is. During Christmas twenty twenty three,
she had expected that I was spending it with her
in her side of the family. Given the events at
that time, this was obviously not happening, and my dad

(03:01:55):
told her as much. She lost her She refused to
take Noahs an answer leading up to Christmas, to the
point DAT and I left for my paternal aunt's house
on Christmas Eve to spend the night there. According to
a neighbor, my birth giver showed up pretty early in
the morning to catch us leaving, but was I rate
to learn we already weren't there. Thankfully, my aunt had

(03:02:17):
moved house quite recently, so my mother didn't know the
new address. But we came home to parcels completely destroyed
on our porch. The following Boxing day, there was even
a Christmas card labeled to me, but inside was a
horrible letter from my mother describing me as the worst
daughter on the planet. That honestly destroyed me and I
spent New Year's a mess. It's difficult cutting off your
own mother. I spent half of January twenty twenty four

(03:02:40):
trying to fix things with her, but it came to
a head when I realized I was the only one
forced to compromise. I finally cut off contact and it's
been that way since. There's been more between then and now,
but I think those are incidents. I'll post on my
Reddit page or in the comments of this post to
prevent it from getting too long. In terms of Nikki,
I've heard she's doing better. We've I've not spoken since

(03:03:00):
my mother's lunch escapade, but she's found a job and,
according to a mutual friend, found a new circle. Despite
everything that she's put me through. I'm happy for her.
It's almost two am here in the UK, so if
I suddenly stop responding to comments, I fall asleep. Thank

(03:03:21):
you for watching. If you haven't subscribed yet, please do
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