Tension in relationships between ex-spouses can run high. It doesn’t help when one of the exes goes out of their way to overstep boundaries that have supposedly been agreed upon, especially when there are kids involved.
One woman reached her limit after her ex-husband took his new girlfriend and his kids to the family beach house, going against her specific instructions not to. Fed up with his abhorrent behavior, she took to the web to vent.
More info: Mumsnet
Relationships between co-parents can be rocky, but this woman’s ex-husband was determined to make things even more unpleasant for her and her kids
Despite her asking him not to take his new girlfriend to the family beach house they co-own, he not only did so but also brought their unwilling kids along
To make sure the kids wouldn’t let their mom know, the ex-husband barred them from calling her for 48 hours
When the woman visited the beach house, she noticed her ex-husband’s new girlfriend had taken it upon herself to reorganize all of her stuff
The woman’s linen closet and wardrobe had been repacked, her bed had been slept in, and even her tampons had been moved
Image credits: Endoftheroad12345
Infuriated, the woman took to the web to ask whether she was being unreasonable in finding the situation massively creepy and intrusive
OP begins her story by telling the community that she and her ex-husband had split up in late 2022, after several years of verbal and physical abuse from his side. She goes on to say that she has a new partner, as does her ex. She adds that her ex gets their two kids every other weekend, pays minimum child support, and is generally a lowlife.
She then tells the readers that she bought her ex out of the family home last year, which placed a great deal of financial pressure on her, but that the ex-couple still co-owns a beach house that’s about to be listed for sale.
She then goes on to explain that she’s never taken her new partner to the beach house, since she views it as having been a family home, and taking new partners there would be disrespectful. Despite this, her ex nagged her about taking his new girlfriend there. Sick of his whining, she told him he could go, as long as they stayed out of her bed and didn’t bring the kids along.
Well, a month later, not only did he bring his new girlfriend to the beach house, but he brought the kids along too. In an attempt to cover his tracks, he even barred the kids from calling OP for 48 hours. Since then, he’s been taking his new girlfriend there regularly and, despite OP’s wishes, sleeping in her bed.
To add insult to injury, OP says that she’s noticed the new girlfriend has been very busy reorganizing the linen cupboards, as well as her actual wardrobe. She concludes her post by asking the community whether she’s being unreasonable in finding the situation massively creepy and intrusive.
If you’ve ever been around one, you’ll know that post-divorce relationships can be tricky. In OP’s case, she claims her ex is such a jerk that she’d rather not engage with him, but she’s obviously still vexed by his behavior. So, how do you deal with a toxic ex-spouse without losing your mind? We went looking for answers.
In her article for Divorce.com, Brette Sember writes that, according to the U.S. Census, over 25% of children live with just one parent at a time, meaning that more than a few American adults are forced to deal with co-parenting.
If your co-parent is toxic, some warning signs to watch for include not putting your child’s best interests first and refusing to follow a schedule. They might also talk negatively about you to your child, make decisions about your child without you, and be hostile or abusive.
In her article for Choosing Therapy, Kaytee Gillis shares 10 tips for co-parenting with a toxic ex. A few of these include setting realistic boundaries, prioritizing self-care, modeling compassion, following court orders exactly, eliminating unnecessary communication, and using court-recommended apps to communicate.
Based on what OP tells us in her post, it seems as though her ex-husband doesn’t understand the first thing about boundaries. Hopefully, the beach house will be sold before things get any more unpleasant.
What would you do if you found yourself in OP’s shoes? Do you think she has a right to tell her ex not to use a property he co-owns? Let us know your opinion in the comments!
Netizens were divided, with some claiming that, since the house was co-owned by the exes, the ex-husband had a right to use it as he liked, while others slammed him for his sleazy behavior
