I was 15 yrs old (girl). When My dad randomly took me on over an hour long car drive. At first I was really excited bc “YAY dad is surprising me with lunch, a trip, etc”. Nope. He started telling me about how “horrible” and “mentally abusive” my mother was to him during their 17 year marriage. Then proceeded to tell me how he was unfaithful to my mom starting after their first year of marriage. He was calling her mentally abusive while he went off and had affairs with only god knows how many women. He told me he wanted a divorce after 3 yrs but he was to chicken to ask for one. after all that (and many more traumatizing confessions) he went on to tell me that he and my stepmother (who’s 20 yrs younger than him) were going to move out of state bc “my bitchy attitude towards her”. Butttt you know that’s fine bc “we can FaceTime” . -I couldn’t do anything for that whole hour except stare out the window crying, while he was confessing all that to me. Ive never told anyone about that. I’m the only one in my family that knows my stepmother wasn’t the only women he cheated on my mom with. Should I tell someone?

I been thinking real hard about even relaying these awful things about the person that I have admired the most, the person I have respected and revered my whole life but that now, has completely backstabbed me in the worst way possible. A few years ago, a scandal broke in my political family involving my mother. As you can imagine, it nearly broke my marriage and tore my husband’s family apart. My sister in law found my father in law and my mom talking on social media. The worst part of it, when I was confronted, I was accused of knowing about the whole affair and made it looked like I was an accomplice to the whole ordeal. When I had absolutely no clue to such a disgusting mess. I don’t know what neither of them were trying to accomplish and now, I’m the black sheep of the family. No one talks to me. While my father in law is still loved and honored. My mother the home wrecker and I pay the sins of her ordeals. She never once has said I’m sorry. Never! In her head, I’m better off without that side of the family. But it’s not about that; why did she do this to me? Why my father in law? Among so many men? Why him! I guess I’m just looking for an explanation and I know I will never get it from her. Because she just cannot accept she did anything wrong. I wish I could get her version because as of now, I only know everyone else’s but her’s. I always thought I didn’t need to hear her side because it’s not my place to question her, but I have kids who now have to suffer for her sins as well. I don’t think it’s fair to them either. I guess the damage is done as well and the past is the past. I won’t get nothing accomplished but I just want an acknowledgment from her part that she messed up.

• August 12, 2023