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A teenager has been defended online after shunning his father's second wife during a family gathering.
In a post shared on Reddit's Am I the A**hole forum, a 19-year-old explained how his father had destroyed his family when he had an affair with his co-worker, who is now his second wife. When the affair first came to light, the father lied to them and told them it had been a one-night stand, but soon after revealed that the other woman was pregnant.
Although the other woman ended up losing the baby and the father attempted to work things out with his estranged wife and son, the wife eventually divorced him and the son wrote that she cut him out of her life.
“He told me it was Mom who was tearing our family apart and not him,” the son explained. “Then when he gave up and accepted that Mom wouldn’t take him back, which was when the other woman lost the baby, he tried to convince me. I ignored all his calls and texts. I couldn’t block him while I was a minor. But I didn’t answer and I didn’t see my father face to face during all of this. I knew I wanted him out of my life for good.”
“He tried to get me to see him, but he didn’t get me to. And when I turned 18, it was all over for him,” she continued. “He ended up marrying the other woman and they are now expecting a child together. I want nothing to do with any of that, including the baby, and yes, even if I don’t have to see them, I have no interest in meeting that child or any future children.”
However, the son continues to spend time with his extended family, which ended with him having a run-in with his father and his second wife. At a recent family gathering, the couple, though not invited, showed up for the festivities.
“During the party, my father’s wife came up to me and said she wanted to talk. I told her no and walked away,” the son wrote. “I walked away from her again. The third time, she spoke before I could move and said she wanted her baby to meet her brother and she wanted me to be a part of her family.”
She continued writing, “She wants to meet me and have dinner with me and maybe I could spend some time with them. She tried the whole “we’re family now” nonsense and I left early because I didn’t want to deal with it. I was grateful to the hosts who were already upset that she and dad were there.”
Some of his family members were angry at the son for causing drama, but others pointed out that he was enforcing his boundaries. In the comments section, people defended the son and said they would have done the same in his situation.
“You made it clear you wanted nothing to do with a mother who cheated on you,” one person commented. “She’s only “family” because she was one of the two people who ruined your family and now she wants you to play big brother to your half-siblings who are 18 years younger than you.”
“You left in peace instead of causing a scandal. The only ones who cause family discord are the unfaithful and their enablers,” added another.
