The story is about a woman who has been married for 20 years to her husband, Fred, and has four children, including a 24-year-old stepson, James, who has never liked her despite her best efforts. When she asked her husband to include their children when spending time with James, he stopped speaking to them.
Source: Reddit
I am a 45-year-old woman who has been married to my husband, Fred, for 20 years. We have four children, including my 24-year-old stepson, James. When Fred and I first met, he was still married to James’ mother, Lily. We fell in love, but we didn’t do anything physical until after their divorce was final.
I met James when he was five years old, and over the almost 20 years that I have known him, he has never liked me. Despite my best efforts to build a relationship with him, he has never shown any interest in getting to know me or his siblings.
When James turned 18, he left home, and while he would occasionally call and spend time with Fred, he would never do so with me or our children. Recently, I asked Fred to include our children when he spends time with James, but James has not spoken to him since.
Now, my mother-in-law, who has always favored Lily over me, has called me and accused me of being the AH for hurting James and Fred’s relationship “even further.”
I understand that my request may have hurt James’ feelings, but after almost two decades of trying to build a relationship with him, I feel that I have exhausted all other options. I love my husband and our children, and I want them to feel included and valued in our family. It’s not fair for James to exclude them from his life with Fred simply because he has a strained relationship with me.
I believe that it’s important for families to come together and support one another, especially during difficult times. James is a part of our family, and I want him to know that he is welcome to spend time with us, but not at the expense of my children’s feelings or our family dynamic.
I understand that James may be hurt, but I hope that he can see that our family is important to us, and that we want him to be a part of it.
Am I Overreacting ?
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