This man shared a dark secret with the Reddit community that was going to make or break his life. He told them that he was leaving his family because he was tired of being used. His story is tragic and compelling.
A Complex Relationship
Meet our brave storyteller, a middle-aged man with two young children and an adult stepson.
When he first met his partner, she was a single mom in her 20s working at McDonald’s, and he was a 17-year-old teenager who fell hard for her.
Vowed to Protect Her
Despite the age gap and hearing stories of abuse from her past relationship and trauma from multiple incidents of violence against her, he pursued her passionately.
He vowed to shield her from future pain.
An Abusive Ex
Throughout their relationship, her abusive ex had to be involved in their lives because of their child together. He would attend all family events but refused to get involved beyond that.
When they asked him to pay child support, he got hostile toward her new partner.
So, they decided to provide for him themselves, going forward.
Resentment Grows
OP (the original poster) resented being a 20-year-old paying for a 30-something man’s child and allowing him to be present at family events, as it felt like an injustice.
He Was Caught in a Trap
Not to mention, his partner told OP that if he leaves, he must pay child support and that she has already sent him the documents to fill out if he decides to leave!
She began making jokes about using the money for plastic surgery, and he started to feel like his money was hers to play with.
Feeling Crushed
As the years continued, he requested that her ex provide child support because they were having a baby, and it felt just.
But his partner told him she would leave him before asking for her ex’s money! He felt crushed and without choices.
Secrets Revealed
As time went on, his partner never mentioned the abuse to her son, who found out about it from his grandmother when he was a teenager.
Lies and More Lies
Meanwhile, she began telling OP’s oldest (beginning at the age of 3) that he was a mentally ill father that he abused drugs and women (all lies)!
She did this because OP accidentally made her angry, and she knew it hurt him.
Things Escalate
OP’s frustration grew as the years passed because his partner’s son began to get argumentative and confrontational.
He even began to abuse OP’s daughter, but people brushed it away because he was a “kid” – a teenager.
OP tried reporting it, but it wasn’t enough. His partner even threatened to accuse him of pulling a knife on her if he called the police again!
He’s Making Changes
Now, OP and his partner have another child, and her son is 21.
Her son changed his educational path after one year of stagnation, followed by two years in a program he decided “wasn’t what he wanted anymore,” and is now enrolled in a four-year course.
Not Moving Out
His partner told him her son would move out at 16, then when he’s done high school, but he has not left yet.
Recently, she told him that her son would stay with them until he’s done his four-year program and master’s, then he will save money while working by living in their basement until he’s ready to go.
Life on Hold
This was too much for our storyteller, as he feels he is too young to put his life on hold for a man as old as he was when he first met his partner!
With this news, he saw his life flash before his eyes, and all he could see was her ex using him to supplement his son’s existence, and now her son using him to supplement his dreams!
Too Much Too Young
He feels that he is too young to put his life on hold and doesn’t want his resources directed to a man who is as old as he was when he was “man enough to get a job and provide for a single mom.”
He wants to support his own children and pursue his dreams. He does not have the resources for himself, his children, and his partner’s adult son.
Name Calling
But when he expressed his feelings to his partner, she called him envious and a freak with mental illness!
She also told him that not providing for her son would end badly and that he would not be welcome in her life!
Enough is Enough
OP feels wronged and misused, like the last 15 years of his life were just an investment that requires him to stay.
But his heart tells him that this isn’t love and it’s not for him anymore. So, he has quietly been preparing their home for sale and plans to leave.
Plans to Leave Quietly
The decision to leave is difficult, but it is the only way for him to live his life on his terms and provide for his kids.
He knows that it will not be easy and that he will give up a lot, but he also knows that he deserves better.
He is not just a provider but a human being with his dreams and aspirations.
A Tragic Story
OP’s story is a tragic one, but it is not unique. Many people are in similar situations, trapped in relationships that no longer serve them.
It takes courage to walk away from something you have invested so much time and energy into, but it is the only way to truly live your life on your own terms.
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The post True Stories: An Aggressive Ex, an Abusive Stepson and a Manipulative Partner – How Do You Know When Enough IS Enough? first appeared on Wealthy Living.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / StunningArt. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
This post is based on Reddit but the names have been changed.