My husbands son is threatening our familyhow can we get rid of him?
I sit in the kitchen of our tiny Lyon flat, clutching a cup of tea thats already gone cold, angerfilled tears building in my throat. Antoine and I have built a life together, and on the surface everything seems fine: a cozy home, a car, a steady income. Yet our happiness is cracking because of his seventeenyearold son from a previous marriage, Théo, who now lives with us. He splits his time between his mothers place and ours, but lately hes staying with us more often, turning my life into a nightmare.
Théo feels like a splinter in my heart. He treats me like a servant, leaves his belongings scattered, abandons dirty dishes, and answers my requests for help with a simple shrug. The worst part is his treatment of my fouryearold son, Lucas. Ive seen him give Lucas a smack on the head just because the boy brushed his phone. Our daughter, Amélie, has to sleep in our bedroom because theres no room for a separate bed in our tworoom apartment. If Théo moved back to his mothers, we could finally set up a room for our kids.
But Théo doesnt leave. His high school is just around the corner, and he prefers living with his father. He spends his days glued to his computer, shouting into his headset while playing, keeping Lucas awake. Im exhausted: cooking, cleaning, caring for the children and he doesnt lift a finger to help. His presence hangs over our home like a dark cloud, poisoning every moment.
I tried talking to Antoine, begging him to convince his son to return to his mother. His exwife, Élodie, lives alone in a spacious threeroom apartment. We four are crammed into a place thats far too small, every corner screaming for more space. Is this fair? Even if Théo got along with my children, he mistreats them. Lucas is starting to mimic him, becoming rude and demanding. I fear hell grow up with the same indifference and arrogance.
Antoine refuses to act. Hes my son; I cant throw him out, he repeats, blind to my suffering. We argue about Théo almost every evening. I feel like a tired horse, bearing the weight of the household alone while my husband turns a blind eye to his sons behavior. Im weary of his excuses, of his blind love for a teenager who is tearing our family apart.
One day I lost my temper. Théo had shouted at Lucas again for spilling a drop of juice, and I exploded:
Enough! This isnt a hotel! If youre unhappy, go back to your mother!
He merely sneered:
This is my home; Im not moving.
Rage and helplessness shook me. Antoine, hearing the fight, sided with his son, accusing me of not making an effort. I fled to the bedroom, clutching a crying Amélie, and let the tears flow. Why should I endure this disrespectful teen while his mother lives comfortably without a thought for him?
Im trying to find a solution. Maybe I should talk to Théo directly, tell him it would be better at his mothers and that he can take the bus to school? But I fear hell mock me, and Antoine will again call me harsh. I dream of Théo disappearing from our lives, of my children growing up in peace. Yet each contemptuous glance, each abrupt gesture reminds me hes still there, an unwanted intruder I cant get rid of.
Sometimes I picture packing my bags and moving to my mothers with the kids, leaving Antoine to handle his son alone. But I love him and dont want to break our family. All I want is a tranquil home. Why must I suffer, watching Théo abuse my little ones while his mother enjoys her freedom? Im tired of this anger, tired of fearing for my children. I need an exit, but I dont know where to find it.
