Since I was the one who left my family for another man and caused my marriage to fall apart, Mark decided I owed him for breaking his heart. He refused to let me take our son, and since our boy preferred living with his father rather than me, I couldnt bring myself to force him or change his mind. Though it hurt, we sorted everything out rather quickly they let me go my own way, and in exchange, I sent money once or twice a month. Back then, my ex-husband was working and earning a living, but once he realised that I was doing rather well for myself and that my new partner was also chipping in so our son lacked for nothing, Mark quit his job and began living off the money we sent.
As the boy was growing up, his father thoroughly spoiled him takeaways from restaurants, skipping school whenever he fancied, lavish holidays, and expensive home gadgets. Over time, my son’s attitude shifted; he grew dismissive, and over time, he barely wanted to see me at all. No matter what I bought him or did for him, Dad always did it better even though it was with the very money I sent. By the time my son was eleven, it never crossed his mind to wonder how his father could afford all this luxury, even though he never left the house for work.
My current husband suggested that maybe I was sending them too much money. We also started talking about university for my son and figured it would be wiser to save for that instead of letting my ex-husband squander everything on extravagant whims. I told my ex in person about my decision, explaining that I’d supported them long enough and that it was now his turn to cover their expenses. I said Id start saving for our son’s future instead. Mark lashed out, telling me what a terrible mother and wife I was and threatened to take me to court for child support, saying Id never paid them anything at all.
I consulted a solicitor, who assured me I neednt worry about his threats since, in truth, Mark hadnt worked in years and had been living solely off the money I sent. Even so, I cant shake off the feeling that Im the one losing here. My son seems to resent me even more now, convinced that its my fault for not wanting to help his father. Looking back, its become painfully clear that money can’t buy love or respect its so much harder trying to mend whats been broken, especially when it comes to the people you care most about.
