“My Mom Helped My Ex-Wife, But Refuses to Help My Current Wife,” Complains Son
John sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the text message from his mother. “I can’t help you and Sarah right now,” it read. Frustration bubbled up inside him. How could she refuse to help him now when she had been so supportive of his ex-wife, Emily?
John’s relationship with his mother had always been complicated. Growing up, he had felt like he could never do anything right in her eyes. But when he married Emily, things seemed to change. His mother adored Emily and went out of her way to help them, especially when their son, Jake, was born.
When John and Emily divorced, his mother continued to support Emily and Jake. She helped Emily financially and even offered to babysit Jake whenever needed. John didn’t mind at first; he was grateful that his son had a stable environment. But things took a turn when he met Sarah.
Sarah was everything John had ever wanted in a partner. She was kind, understanding, and supportive. They got married quickly, and soon after, they found themselves struggling financially. John had lost his job, and Sarah’s income wasn’t enough to cover their expenses. Desperate, John turned to his mother for help.
“Mom, can Sarah and I move in with you for a while? Just until we get back on our feet,” John had asked.
His mother’s response was immediate and firm. “No, John. I can’t help you right now.”
John couldn’t believe it. “But you helped Emily! You even gave her money every month!”
“That was different,” his mother replied. “Emily needed help for Jake’s sake. You need to take responsibility for your own life.”
John felt a surge of anger. “I am taking responsibility! But I need some help right now!”
His mother sighed. “John, you should have thought about that before you stopped paying child support.”
John knew she was right. He had fallen behind on his child support payments to Emily, thinking he could catch up later. But now, with no job and mounting bills, he was in a worse situation than ever.
“Mom, please,” he pleaded. “Just for a little while.”
But his mother remained steadfast. “I’m sorry, John. I can’t help you.”
Feeling defeated, John hung up the phone. He turned to Sarah, who had been listening to the conversation.
“What are we going to do?” she asked, her voice trembling.
“I don’t know,” John admitted. “I really don’t know.”
Days turned into weeks, and their situation only worsened. They were evicted from their apartment and had to move into a cheap motel. John continued to search for a job but found nothing. Sarah’s health began to deteriorate due to the stress and poor living conditions.
One evening, as they sat in their cramped motel room, Sarah broke down in tears. “I can’t do this anymore, John. I can’t live like this.”
John felt a pang of guilt. He had promised Sarah a better life, but all he had brought her was misery.
“I’m so sorry, Sarah,” he said, holding her close. “I’ll find a way to fix this.”
But deep down, John knew that without his mother’s help, their chances of getting back on their feet were slim.
As the months passed, their situation grew more dire. Sarah’s health continued to decline, and John still couldn’t find steady work. They were living day-to-day, barely scraping by.
One night, as John lay awake in the dark motel room, he thought about his mother. He understood why she had refused to help him; he had made mistakes and needed to face the consequences. But it didn’t make the pain any less real.
In the end, John’s pride and past decisions had led him down a path of hardship and regret. And as he held Sarah’s hand in the dim light of their motel room, he couldn’t help but wonder if things would have been different if he had just made better choices.