Last Friday, my husband (34M) was invited by one of his bosses to attend an Angel’s game. I (39F) encouraged him to go because we rarely take time off, and it's important to connect with higher-ups in the company. It turned out to be a guys-only outing, which I didn't mind as I was looking forward to some solo time playing Red Dead Online. The plan was dinner, the game, and then heading back home. He left around 2 pm, and the next time I heard from him was at 7:30 pm when he sent me a video from his seat behind the Angel’s dugout. We discussed our plans for the following day, including an early trip to SeaWorld, and shared affectionate messages before he mentioned that he wouldn't be home late as the game would end at 9 pm.
As the game carried on, I kept an eye out hoping to catch a glimpse of him and I did! 😅 I sent him a text at 9:25 pm telling him how crazy the ending of the game was. (KC Royals ended up winning after trailing behind most the night). By midnight, with no response, concern started to creep in, but I resisted blowing him up with messages to avoid seeming overly anxious. Despite attempting to keep busy with laundry, my mind was spiraling. By 2 am, there was still no sign of him at home or my message being read. Exhausted and with plans for a family visit to SeaWorld in the morning, I finally drifted off at 4 am to get some rest as to not be a zombie around our kids (7F, 4F). However, I was awakened when he returned at 5 am, smelling of alcohol, and attempting to cuddle me.
I immediately jumped up and began asking where the hell he was all night. He explained that he lost track of time and his phone while out and assumed everything was fine after our earlier conversation. He says after the game they came back to his bosses house. Frustrated and tired, I questioned why he didn't just call to let me know about the delay. He claimed he thought I was asleep, disregarding the assurance he gave me earlier that he wouldn't be late, which caused me to worry and stay up in the first place. We argued all the way until 8am and I ended up just taking the kids to SeaWorld by myself and left him behind.
Despite his apologies and assurances these past couple days, I finding it really difficult to move past feeling disrespected. Being under the influence isn't an excuse to vanish without a word and dismiss it as unintentional when confronted. I'm struggling to find a way to forgive or even believe his story. Am I overreacting?

important context; I already know that this friend has taken both hard and soft drugs and drinks often.

//death, murder, fighting
I (18ftM) and my friend since childhood (19~F, I'll call her Alice) invited me to go to a drag show with her. It's not my usual scene, but I like cosplay and I'm queer so I agreed to go. I show up on time and wait awkwardly. When Alice gets there, shes normal and she has a friend (19~F, I'll call Ginny) I've met in passing with her.
They let me know that they're high and have taken edibles. I'm already a little uncomfortable because I have bad experiences with drug users in my family, but I've taken edibles before. I was iffy because I wasnt told before that I'd be the only sober one there, but shrugged it off. Been there done that myself, I cant be too judgy. They even offer me some, which I ashamedly considered but ended up turning down. Then, Alice complains that the bar is ID-ing. No biggie again, I already know she drinks sometimes. As the show goes on, Alice gets a bit disoriented and goes to stand by the door to cool off. Ginny then decides to tell me that it is her first time in year trying edibles and that the kind she gave her are very strong. I was more worried about Alice than upset, so when she goes to the car to get water we leave her be and chat with some friends before going to check on her.
Alice was in her car and upset, and told us that she needed to be alone. Ginny suggests taking a walk and I, being an idiot, agree. By now me and Ginny are getting along really well, having spent the entire night talking since Alice wasnt around for most of it. At one point, a car stops next to us on the walk and rolls down his window. He yells "How much?" Out of his window like a jackass and drives away like a pussy because he cant pick a struggle. I get out my pocket knife. I hadn't realized we were in the bad part of town before but something told me to open the knife, because that wasnt the end.
I tell Ginny we can just take my car (we were looking for a gas station to kill time and get an energy drink) and that we should head back to Alice anyway. On the way back, I'm getting really paranoid. Every car passing a little too slow is scaring the shit out of me, and I'm just glad I thought to bring the knife. Then, a car stops across the small street from us as we pass some storage units where a homeless guy was standing. Two men get out of the car. I start speeding up.
Ginny asks, "why are you walking faster," and I whisper to her about the car. One of the guys very obviously heads for us. I believe he saw my knife. It was dull as a rock but it was big and looked scarier than it was. He pivoted and headed for the homeless man instead. I look over my shoulder and these men immediately, no words no hesitation, start beating and kicking this man to the ground. I start running with Ginny away from the units. Whoever the driver was came back around and yelled, "Beat his ass!" To the men as we did. I look over my shoulder and they are curb stomping this mans head. I'm in shock, but not so much that I dont tell Ginny that we should call the police when we get away.
We call the police and tell them what happened- or more like I tell them what happened because Ginny is already forgetting due to her being high. I can remember vividly, even now a few days later. When I let Alice know that shes on call with the police, she flips put a yells at me how stupid that is, how she has edibles in her car. I try and tell her that they wouldnt search her car, shes not involved, and she apologizes but it was still jarring.
The police may have come, but I drove them (I didnt want them to drive) to a store and we got some drinks for Ginny to sobewake up so that she could drive Alice back to hers and she could sleep it off. At some point, they mention doing more stuff at Ginny's. Now I'm just plain tired and the shock is wearing off. No one else in the car realizes, but I saw a man likely get beat to death, and it was almost us. I never told either of them, of course, I dont want them to give it more thought than 'a cool story' (Ginny's words). A man is probably dead and I dont want them to live with that, its affecting me badly.
The more I think of it, the more uncomfortable I feel at the thought of possibly being around them in conditions where I am the only one to see those realities, especially when they take acid and shrooms and who the hell knows what else. I know it's my fault for agreeing to go on that walk when I didnt know the area and she was high, but I'm a gullible and easily peer-pressured guy. I know that.
Basically I want to tell Alice I dont want to hang out, but in a way our mutual friends wont think I'm evil. I also dont want to tell them and seem like I'm whining about something that ALMOST happened to make Alice look bad. I just want a clean cut where we only hang out in groups and she knows its not because I dislike her.
TLDR; I was into a bad situation as the only unwilling sober person to supervise my friends' high. I want to cut her off without any drama or seeming like I dislike her as a person.

Sorry in advance if I sound like I am rambling. This just happened a few hours ago and I am still crying.
For some background, I (30 f) messaged my SIL (32f) yesterday to wish her a happy Mother’s Day and to let her know I had a gift for her and a gift for my niece (6f) for my nieces up coming birthday. I always make the kids in the family something for their birthday since I am rather crafty and prefer to be more original.
My SIL, BIL, DH and I have had a rocky relationship for years. The past couple of years I have been keeping my distance as I do not feel welcome and because I am working on boundaries. There were some accusations (most founded) that they were on drugs. That is some crap I do not want around my kids. Yet, it is my “issues” that cause tension in the family because I have decided that my little nuclear family deserves rve some peace. I only bend a little bit if there is a party because the kids adore each other.
SIL told me that my niece is having a party and we were supposed to be invited. I told her that surprised me since my MIL said she had not heard of a party. She told me this when we discussed the gift I made my niece. It is an epoxy hummingbird hair clip. It took a lot of time to get right and I was quite proud of it.
SIL said BIL was supposed to extend invites to his side of the family. MIL showed me screenshots of the messages where he asked if my kids were coming (as usual) but no word of me.
SIL wrote a huge message saying BIL didn’t have a way to get a hold of me or my DH, and that of course we were invited as we are family.
It is important to note that they hold their children above our heads as a threat to take them away at the drop of a hat if things do not go their way. This has caused a lot of drama over the past 8 years. The past 2 of which I thought we were on bad terms. This was based on some comments the kids often made and the last time we said more than 2 words to each other it was a big fight.
I told SIL that it did not seem like BIL wanted me there for anything more than my kids and that I did not feel comfortable because the only person who even mentioned that I was welcome was SIL. I have gotten to the point where if I do not feel welcome I will not go. I suffer from Fibromyalgia, depression, and anxiety. And while I am doing better to take care of myself, things are still difficult.
I told SIL that it was ok, I don’t want to cause tension and I actually had plans to see my mom this weekend. My mom lives a couple of hours away and sometimes I get to see my brother. It is cathartic for all of us as my husband gets a break before and after work and I get my family time once or twice a month. We normally craft together and have our “crafting therapy” which is something I really need lately.
The last couple of times I went to my mom’s my son was with MIL and FIL. My mom had me promise that during the summer I would bring my son with me at least once a month. I think this is fair so I agreed.
My SIL wrote a long answer that she sent when I was taking a nap, (No sleep last night so my nerves are frayed) Honestly I have read it twice and have not retained much of the message.
During my nap I missed 2 calls from my MIL. Then I woke up to my MIL bursting into my bedroom, no we do not live with her; she drove to our house, pounded on our door, DH let her in. She barged into my room and started yelling at me. How could I tell SIL that the screenshots were sent to me? How could I tell her we talk? (Huh?) Do I know that SIL called MIL screaming about everything? Do I know FIL is on the phone in a screaming match with BIL? And the last one was that SIL told MIL that if I do not come to my nieces birthday then my MIL would not be allowed to see the kids again.
I woke up to all of this. My DH was trying to figure out what was going on or how to handle it.
Just as quick as MIL came, she turned around and left. I offered to show her exactly what I said, but no. All my fault.
I know this situation is all drama. This is the first time in 2 years that I tried to have an actual conversation with SIL. I tried to be honest, not even brutally, just honest about how I feel.
After MIL left, my kids came in my room and hugged me. They heard everything. What 6 and 3 year old needs to see their mom break down like that?
I called my mom and told her everything and that I started falling into the dark hole of depression again. I know I am exhausted both physically and emotionally. I just needed to get this out.
This is not the first time taking the kids away has been used as a manipulation tool but this time I am being blamed for it. IDK what to do. I just want to curl up into a ball and hide from everything. I want to see my family and to stop feeling like a pawn of this fucked up chess game. I need to remember I am the queen of my own set, tackling my own problems on my own board. I was finally getting to a good place. I just hope this crap does not derail my progress again.
Thank you for reading my rant

It is a man, old and scraggy. He wears a jacket that lays over the red plaid button shirt and blue jeans. He wears an old baseball cap and a pair of glasses. He yelled something to Dad, holding his hands up like he was pleading, although we couldn’t hear it over the truck engine. They talked, but we couldn’t hear what they were saying.
“Hey, what are they saying”, I asked, while petting Matt’s hair, calming him. The old man then put his hands down and came close to Dad in a cautious way. They seem to start having some kind of conversation.
“I don’t really know, hopefully, something good”, Mom answered. They talked for a little while, with daylight beginning to disappear, giving us a sense of dread, and making me more worried about what weird creature was going to show up. Eventually, the old man turned and pointed toward what I think is the northeast. They then shook hands and walked back to their respective vehicles. “What’s going on”, Mom asked as Dad got into the truck.
“Well, our new friend here invited us to dinner at his farm”, Dad replied.
“Does he have supplies?”
“Well, he says has supplies for us to make the journey.”
“Should we even trust him? We just met h-”
“Relax, he’s just an old man, living alone at his farm, feeding his cows. What could go wrong”, Dad countered. The old man then entered the truck that was running and drove slowly, expecting us to follow him.
“Alrighty then, but we have to be cautious”, Mom said, with her suspicions of the old man. We then followed the old truck along the dark, frozen road. It just feels like something is going to show up along the road, but nothing happened. Matt did eventually stop crying, but he is still upset about the Joe escape thing.
“Where are we going”, Matt lamented, with the prior series of events in mind.
“I guess somebody is offering us dinner”, I answered.
“Why can’t we just go home?”
“It’s only going to be a stop, like a hotel. After that, we go to our new home, I guess”, I said, taking another look at Matt and cradling to comfort him. “It’s going to be okay.” I stared out into the darkness. I looked to the sky from the window and I faintly saw something in the clear, dark sky, lit up by the waning moon. They were brilliant, green auroras that defy the bright moon, dancing across the sky like ribbons in the wind. The truck eventually took a right-hand turn into another road, with us following suit. I can see a bright, orange light emerging from a patch of tree. When we passed by, it seemed it was a house, at a farm, burning in a massive flame.
“I guess those people aren’t so, uh, lucky”, Dad said, taking a quick look at it before looking at the road. Passing by, we went on and continued to follow the old man’s truck. We passed onto another intersection until he turned into a driveway to what I believe to be his farm. Going into the driveway, I can see an old house, along with a dilapidated farm further away, barely visible by the headlights. The old man parked by the house, where there were a few other trucks there. We parked alongside the truck and we got out into the cold, near-silent night.
“Welcome to sanctuary, where all are welcome”, the old man bellowed. This is the first time I’ve heard his voice. Matt was the last to get out of the truck, slowly and clumsily climbing out of the truck.
“What’s your name”, my Mom politely asked the old man.
“Oh, I guess your husband didn’t tell ya. My name is Steven, but you can call me Steve”, the old man said, with some crackling in his voice. “I am very proud to host a dinner for you and your family”, he continued. “What’s your name, ma’am?”
“Oh, my name is Janice”, Mom replied, quite pleased at his politeness.
“Hello, Janice, and what are their names”, Steven asked, pointing to me and Matt.
“That’s my daughter Kate and my son Matt”, Dad said to Mom.
“Oh, what wonderful names for a couple of beautiful children you have”, Steve grinned. “Come, it is dangerous out here.” We followed him to the house, which looked like it had seen better days. He entered through the double-set door, the first a solid door and a screen door behind. Entering the house, it smelled like what you’d expect, old man. Looking onto the floor is made of glossy wood and walls with cracks, likely caused by the earthquake. It is dark in there, lit by candlelight from many candles, yet it’s fairly warm here. I don’t know why we went into the house, but Dad was right, Steve is just a lonely, old man. Matter of fact, there seems to be nothing wrong here, other than the cracks in the walls. “Sorry, the power went out. Had to resort to the candles. I knew my wife would come in handy”, Steve explained as he took his coat off. “Oh, supper will be ready right away. Had to use the fireplace to cook. Also, can you take your boots off?” We took our boots and set them aside. We went into what seemed to be a living room, with dusty old-style furniture.
“So, where do we sit”, Mom asked.
“Oh, well, follow me”, Steve commanded, leading us to the dining room, with a long, wooden table and six wooden chairs, along with their corresponding old-fashioned plates, glasses and cutlery, lit up in the candlelight. We noticed that everything on the table was covered in a thin veil of dust. “My apologies, the recent shocks dropped a bit of dust on the table”, he explained as he noticed us looking at the plates and moved into another room nearby. “Take your seats if you like.” We all settled onto the chairs, and blew off our plates of the dust settled there.
“When will we eat”, Matt impatiently said.
“Once Steve comes out with the food”, Mom answered. Matt sat there with a tired look on his face. Dad seemed to be in a better mood than before and it looked like he wanted to start a conversation.
“Hey, should we talk about something”, Dad asked. I then see Steve with a bowl and a silver plate.
“Here we go, may not be much, but at least it’ll fulfil the soul”, Steve said, smiling when he served us mashed potatoes and meatloaf. “So, shall we pray?” That came unexpectedly, as we are not too religious, but we were in his house and gave us shelter and food.
“Sure, we can do that”, Mom said and we all bowed our heads and put our hands together. Steve cleared his throat
“Thank you, Lord, for this good food to feed the soul in these hard times. I shall pray, in the name of the Lord and Jesus Christ, that these hard times shall be over, so we can get on with our lives. Amen.” We raised our heads and grabbed whatever food there was onto our plates. “Oh, there’s no gravy, so we have to deal with bare potaters and meatloaf.”
“Oh, not to worry. Thank you for the food”, Dad thanked Steve. We began to eat the food once we got it sorted.
“So, what brings you here”, Steve asked.
“Well, there is an evacuation order in effect for this area, so we had to go to Regina”, Dad explained, with Steve taking in every word. “So, we came from Strasbourg, we tried going south towards Regina, but we hit an obstacle in the way and we had to take another route, leading us here.”
“And we encountered a few odd things along the way”, Mom added.
“Huh, interesting. What do you guys think is going on”, Steve inquired.
“By the things we saw, we have no idea. Dinosaurs, devil dogs, hell pigs, the whole deal. I shouldn’t forget the earthquake. They told us a pipeline leak caused by the earthquake”, Dad clarified to Steve.
“Hmm… is that so”, Steve wondered. “Wonder what I think is happening? The Rapture is happening. Do you know how the Bible tells us of the end times? Good people sent to be with God and his kingdom, the rest here to suffer the Hell unleashed by Satan.” By this point, he was beginning to rant, but we couldn't stop it as we all began to feel tired and powerless. “So, the Devil will send his demons in the form of these illusions so that they can torment the sinners. It is happening, it is-” Steve manically continued as I drew towards blackness and his voice becoming less coherent. My vision is now all black.
I saw those same lights, but more rapidly than before. I then emerged onto the same clear sky, but something felt different. I can smell something in the air. I can smell what seems to be chemicals in the air. Looking down, I was terrified. Dark, grey rock in the shape of ropes and folds, similar to those I saw of lava flows on a volcano in pictures. This went on as far as the eye could see. I can see no tree this time, just the cooled lava everywhere. I then walked, feeling every bump and crag. I thought I walked forever until I heard a rumbling sound and woke up.
I am in total darkness. It is cold and it smells like cow manure. I tried to move my hand, but it seemed to be bonded behind my back by a rope. I tried to move my feet, but they were also bound by rope to the legs I tried to speak, only to realise my mouth was agape by a cloth in my mouth. I heard shuffling nearby but I could not see. It was then shone in light when Steve entered the door, holding a candle, revealing all of us in the same situation. I then can see what we are in. We are in that same wooden dilapidated barn we saw earlier and seems to be more damaged than the house, wood creaking can be heard.
“These sedatives are more effective than I thought. Maybe I should use them more often”, Steve smoothly explained, like he’s some kind of agent and began pacing. “Wonder why you are here? Well, I wondered the same thing to myself, why didn’t God take me to his heaven? When I first heard of the government telling us of those evacuation plans, I thought it was that, a leaking pipe. I began to notice things I couldn’t believe myself, at least at first. Earthquakes, weird creatures showing up, people disappearing, the whole spiel. I connected the dots. The Rapture is happening, for sure, but why me? Why was I the one left here on this Earth”, Steve calmly ranted, pacing around the barn, but it seemed to sound crazier and angrier the more he paced. “I thought I had lost my way. I’ve been unfaithful to God and his son. But, I realised that God always has a plan and he left me on this Earth to serve a purpose. I wondered what my purpose was until I had a moment.” He then stopped in place and calmed down. He turned to look at Mom with accusing yet crazed eyes.
“I’m supposed to keep the sinners here in line, to earn a place in God’s kingdom, or suffer in Hell. I know you are a sweet woman, Janice, but your treachery with Satan is over and I am going to do what’s right.” Mom then looked at all of us, with assuring eyes like that of an innocent yet caring mother we all know knew. I began crying and trying to speak through the cloth, but I was helpless to watch by. “Forgive me, Father, for what I am going to do.” He then pulled a knife from his pocket and plunged it into Mom’s neck with no mercy. I looked away once he did that, trembling, with tears pouring out and my vision glazed and I fell limp. I could see my brother tearing up, but he did not look away. I can hear Dad behind me, with his screams of agony and anger covered by the cloth. It felt like I was in slow motion, taking in every moment.
I then heard the chair, screeching as Steve dragged the chair containing Mom’s lifeless body towards the door, leaving behind a trail of blood. I couldn’t bear to see my mother like this. I shut my eyes very hard and hoped it would go away. The door then shut, leaving us alone with a candle, fearing what would come next. I stared at the candle, seeing it dance in the flames like a woman dancing in the darkness. Is this how it’ll end, I thought. End up dying to this sick man? My Mom was killed in front of me. I sobbed with that thought, then I began to think about the inevitable death of me. I hope there’s something after I die. Maybe I’ll see Mom again.
It was silent for a while, nearly no sound other than our moans. Dad seems to be fidgeting at the back of his chair, rocking it slowly. Looking past him, I shuddered at the glistening pool of blood, where Mom was last alive, could be my fate. I then see Dad release his arms from the back of the chair and remove the cloth from his mouth. He silently stood up and bent down to untie his legs from the chair legs. He then went to me and removed my cloth.
“H-h-how did you do that”, I silently wept, fearing that Steve would show up at the door and kill us all.
“My binding is loose. The old man probably took a liking to me”, Dad whispered. “I should remove your binds.” He untied them, releasing me, doing the same for Matt. “Now, we need to be quiet.” We then walked, quietly, along the painfully creaking wood in the near dark, following the blood trail, glistening in the candlelight. We cringed and dreaded each sound we made and watched the door in case it began to creak open. A few silent steps later, we made it to the door and we slowly opened it so as not to make any noise. What was revealed to us is nothing new, other than the blood trail continuing in the snow directing towards the back of the barn. “Okay, Kate, Matt, you guys run to the truck.”
“What about you”, I sobbed.
“Don’t worry about me”, Dad responded, giving me his keys and forcing them into my hand. “If I’m not back in a few minutes, leave. Don’t look back, take care of your brother, okay? I love you, no matter what happens.” He then kissed me on the head and ran to follow the blood trail. We quickly walked towards the black truck, stranded there for maybe hours. Getting closer, freedom is getting closer. When we got to a fair distance to the truck, I heard footsteps behind me and, the next thing I knew, I was knocked over to the ground into the hard snow on my face. A hand turned me over to give me a glimpse of a crazed Steve, his eyes wilder than before.
“Oh, yes, trying to escape”, he bragged. I looked at him, frozen in fear, like a deer in headlights and he caressed my face with his bloodied blade. “You do have a pretty face, but I’m afraid you are just one of Satan's creations, made to pull me to lust.” He then raised his knife in the air when a familiar side emerged, out of the blue.
Joe came and bit him in the arm that was holding the knife. Steve screamed in agony the moment he realised what happened. He shook Joe off and stood up to stand his ground. I stood up as Joe hissed and walked around the crazed being he wounded, not in fear but in aggressiveness. “Is this one of your pets, demon”, Steve screamed as Joe came in for another attack, but Steve countered that with a slash to the snout. Joe then ran away, whining, into the darkness. This sequence of events gave me the chance to enter the truck on the driver’s side. I had some trouble starting it, besides this is my first time driving a truck.
Steve menacelily walked towards the when Dad came barreling and tackled him to the ground. Dad was on top when he went limp. I finally put the keys in the engine turned it on and backed out, with memory serving me the instructions on such a vehicle. Steve pushed Dad’s body and stood up, but by that time, we left the farm.
“Turn back, we have to get Dad”, Matt cried, but I was very emotional, accepting what happened. I felt that, without my parents, I feel… useless.
“Dad’s dead”, I screamed at Matt and he began gagging uncontrollably in tears. I began to feel sorry for him. “Sorry, I, I don’t know.”
“It’s okay”, Matt sniffled. “I guess Mom and Dad are dead anyways.” It was silence for a few more minutes, tears welling in our eyes.
“Hey, our parents are in a better place”, I said, trying to make the situation positive.
“But we are stuck here, without them? Don’t we deserve to go to a better place?”
“Don’t say that”, I huffed and I paused for a bit. “I know we are in the, uh, right place now. Let me tell you something, once we get to Regina, I will take care of you, no matter what life throws at us.”
“What about Joe”, Matt asked.
“He’ll be fine. He probably found his girlfriend already.”
“Hey, don’t you have a boyfriend?”
“I, uh, I don’t have one. That I know of”, I spoke, bringing me back to Sam, remembering that she’s the only friend that I ever knew, and I left her. Without her, I felt alone, no one would ever relate. I began to tear up. “I don’t have any friends. I am alone,” I sobbed.
“What do you mean? I’m your brother!” I looked at Matt, and smiled, happy that he acknowledged that we were in this together.
“Thank you”, I thanked him. I slowly stopped on the road, just to hug Matt hard, crying my eyes out. We then heard what sounded like an elephant in front of us. We looked up to see a walking snow-covered brown fur wall with four pillar-like legs in front of us. Its curved tusks gleaned in the light and the eyes reflected in the light. The furry trunk waved around like a searching snake from a tree. We both knew what it was.
“Hey, look at that, a woolly mammoth”, Matt said, excitement running through him. At this point, we weren’t surprised.
“Yep, that is a woolly mammoth”, I added. The mammoth turned to us on the road, seemingly confused about where it was. It looked at our truck and seemed to growl, like an elephant. We are starting to realise this thing is becoming aggressive.
“Uh, should we move”, Matt asked. I remembered hearing something about standing your ground in case of an encounter with an elephant. I hoped it would work for a bigger, furrier version of one.
“No, we have to stand our ground.”
“But, it’ll attack u-”
“Trust me!” I then honked my horn and it backed up. It then rushed, then stopped, a mock charge. Eventually, it moved out of the road, disappearing into the darkness. We sighed in relief.
“That was close”, Matt sighed. I then continued to drive in the night, headlights leading the way. The road is bumpy, as noticed by every ditch and peak we hit, but surprisingly, Matt was fast asleep. I began to get comfortable driving and used to the road by that point. It was silent for a while until we hit a smaller intersection. That is when the truck shut down, completely and stopped. I tried the gas many times but with no effect. There is no light, nothing. It is near-darkness here, shone only by the moonlight.
“Shit”, I yelled, desperate to turn the truck on without much success. Matt woke up, confused.
“What happened”, he yawned.
“The truck turned itself off. I can’t get it back on”, I fretted and at that moment, Matt was just as panicked as I am.
“Why?”
“I-I don’t know. One moment, we were driving, another it just-”, I quavered, when I heard something rustle in the distance. We stood still, hoping whatever it was didn’t find us. I looked around, hoping to see something in the moonlight. I then see a long, walking animal. It looked like some sort of alligator at first, except for a dinosaur-like head. Once I strained my eyes to the darkness, my fear levels rose as I could see it walk on its hind limbs, with its forelimbs dangling nearly touching the ground.
It was wandering around on the road when I heard a near-crocodilian growl at Matt’s side of the truck. Another of those creatures appeared, seemingly looking into the window like a hungry bear, giving us a chance to see its scaly head. Its exposed alligator teeth gleaned in the light like knives, but more terrifying was the eye. Its serpentine pupil shone brilliantly in the light like eyes in the dark. It then ducked down, gave a hiss, and moved towards the other one. A few more showed up and formed a group.
“What should we do”, Matt asked. “Should we stay?” I looked around, hoping for another way to escape them without them noticing. I further strained my eyes and mentally mapped out the area. There is a cemetery on my right-hand side, a grain bin storage yard on my left and a series of trailers on the other side of the highway, which is ahead of us, from the storage area. There, I see a series of white, storage buildings, something we can go to and wait it out inside.
“Okay, so slowly open the door”, I instructed Matt. The click of the doors opening cringed us. We looked at the group, but there was no response from them. We then, as slowly as we could, opened the door and stepped out. Still no response. Matt then quietly ran to the other side, towards me. “Okay, we are going into the storage yard and go to the other entrance”, I said, pointing to the other right-hand corner. I wanted to get as far away from these things as possible before making a safe crossing. “Then, we cross the highway on the other side, run into the buildings and stay there for the night. Are you ready?”
“I guess”, he whispered, looking at me in fearful doubt.
“We are going to do this”, I whispered back. We then silently ran over, having to rely on our night-adapted eyes, to the corner, walking past the bins. We made it and nothing behind us so far. “We’re good so far.” We then crossed the road and noticed nothing. We noticed a tanker truck, leaking some sort of fluid across the road. I easily recognized it as fuel, based on its distinctive, sickly smell. I wouldn’t be worried about it if it weren’t for a collapsed light pole that is somehow still flickering with electricity near the area where the fuel would be flowing. We quickly avoided the fluid when I froze to see the group of the walking alligators, running towards us. “Run!” Matt tried to run, but one of those things appeared and clamped its jaws at the back of his neck. He yelped in pain and it took him down to the ground. “Matt”, I yelled, helplessly watching as the creature tore into him.
Matt reached out his arm before the others came to him, then a flash of fire came. At this point, I knew what happened, but I couldn’t even think before it exploded. It blew me towards the building, far away. I was knocked out for a few seconds before I regained consciousness, groaning in pain on the ice. I noticed something especially painful just below my chest. I reached towards the area with my hand. I pressed on it, more painful than ever and raised my hand, only to see blood, brightened by the fire. I realised I was wounded, maybe by shrapnel made by the explosion.
I looked toward where the truck was and all I saw was a blaze. Those things weren’t there, at least. I also noticed something else, too, there’s no Matt. I tried to look around for something, some sort of sign of my brother within the fire, but I saw none. I then wept, realising I had failed. I have failed to keep him safe. I have failed to give him a better life. I failed him as a sister. I could’ve done better. The thoughts poured in as tears glazed my eyes. At that moment, I failed to look around me.
I noticed a dark thing beside the blaze. I thought it was Matt, preparing to greet him back, even though I knew he couldn’t survive the explosion. The image became clearer and clearer as I noticed it was one of the walking crocs that, glazed by the fire, was coming towards me.
“Just kill me”, I screamed, preparing to painfully die to meet my maker. The creature was about to attack me when something large, silent as the wind, came charging and clamped down its massive jaws, filled with conical teeth on the hapless creature and raised it. The crocodile struggled before going limp with a crunch within its strong jaws. The big, dark and scaly monster that it is towered over me and is as long as a bus, possibly longer. Its large legs are a contradiction to its small arms that hide beneath its scarred, bulky body.
It turned to look at me with an oddly bird-like expression, revealing in the firelight numerous scars from battles I could never know and looked at me with its beady bird-like eyes, breathing out wisps from its nostrils like a dragon in the cool air. I recognized it as a creature I know too well, a T. Rex. I breathed heavily and sickly, looking at the thing, nearly expecting me to drop the body and go after me. Instead, it simply walked away, carrying its bloody prize with it, and steadily retreated into the darkness.
I then lay down in agonizing exhaustion on my back, thinking of the next step of action like I'm on a suicide mission I would never come back from. I looked in the direction of the graveyard and had one thought. I guess I am dying. a graveyard will do. I struggled to stand up, noticing my blood-soaked clothes and felt a broken left leg. I grasped my wound, limping step by step and enduring the sharp pain while shaking in the cold. Every step I took, I remembered all the memories, good or bad, that I had with my parents. My brother. My friends. My family. I eventually reached the cemetery and slouched at a tree.
“Guess I’m joining you, guys”, I said, speaking to the snow-covered gravestones, only to hear something. A familiar sound of chirping emerged and, lit by the blaze, it was a sight I can hope for. “Joe, what are you doing here”, I depressingly cheered as Joe went to me and curled up in my lap as if he were a cat. I noticed the new-found scar he had on his little snout, but I paid no mind as I petted him. “I guess you came back. Thank you so much for what you did”, I thanked him, not expecting such a loyal creature would be with me, comforting me, to the end, like what my mother used to do when I was a newborn. I heard another noise, this time a deep rumble.
I thought it was another earthquake coming, but it got louder the closer it got to me, becoming more animalistic only felt small vibrations I barely felt. Joe stayed put, oddly enough, as T. Rex, different from the first one, came. It walked towards us until it stopped short of us. It began to produce a low-pitched, bird-like purring, attracting Joe. I realised something, that this T. Rex is Joe’s parent. He joined the rest like him, whom they showed up and all chirped around.
The grown Rex then brought its snout closer to me, not to kill me, but to look at me. It did not reveal its teeth and was still purring. I put my hand out and its nose came close to it. It rubbed it against my hand and started to pet its cold, scaly skin as it breathed through its nose and put it on my chest. I rested my head on it before it pulled away. It gave out a hiss, but I knew it wasn’t that of a threat, but more of a thank you for bringing its small, sometimes immature, child home.
That gave me relief, as it felt like I at least did something for once. They walked away, along with Joe, towards the darkness amongst the gravestones in the cemetery. I glimpsed one last desperate look at Joe before walking beside his parent. I looked up at the sky and I could see all the stars, twinkling, and the dancing green auroras. I began to feel limp and felt the cold embrace of death coming over me, tears pouring out of my eyes. The sky then grew brighter and brighter, the stars faded into the light and I could see my family welcoming me to a new home. It then slowly went black, darker than a cave.
You would think this is the end of me. It wasn’t, or else I wouldn’t be writing this right now. I eventually woke up in a hospital in Regina. I was told I was rescued by a team that transported me while I was in a coma. The doctors said I was very lucky to be alive, as the shrapnel narrowly avoided my vital organs. After that, I was adopted into a new family, but I was only with them for a couple of years before finding a new job and moving out.
As for Sam, I don’t know what happened to her. I would like to think she is safe, somewhere else. As for my family, I think of them all the time. I was in a depressive period right after that. Eventually, over the years, I accepted that they were gone and went to a better place. For Joe, I would like to think he is all grown up, like his parents, and becoming the king of the jungle. I hope we meet again.
As for the evacuated area, it wasn’t some pipeline rupture that caused an evaluation, but an anomaly, with the exact reason not known. There are excuses for the claims of weird stuff going on in there, from disease to chemicals, to eventually a previously unknown geological event, but I saw through it all.
You may ask how, it's because I've been there. Take it or leave it, this is the story I have. As the decade came by, cover-ups were made to hide it, even walls were put around it. Since the incident, the exclusion zone grew from a mere 80 kilometers in diameter to 460 kilometers in diameter, emptying entire cities of the likes of Regina and Saskatoon. I had to move to North Battleford, by the recommendation from the same government covering it up, making me think that time will tell before the floodgates of truth open.
The anomaly didn’t have a name initially, however, over the years, everyone agreed on one name in particular: The Saskatchewan Anomaly.

TW: mentions of suicide, self harm, brief mentions of physical, mental and child abuse along with a few other things that might trigger people.
I, (13-15 female) have a small group of friends. (All around 13-15, mainly female) But there has been some major drama in our friend group and I need advice on what to do.
I've had this friend who we'll call Sam. Sam and I have know each other since we were around 6 yrs old. We met in YeaPrimary 2. (For all the people not from the UK, that would be 1st grade)
We have known each other from then all the way until now. But this is when the drama starts.
For context, My group of friends has 4 people in it. (Including me) and one of these friends, who I'll call Rich, wanted to meet sam. But since Rich lives at least 4 hours away from us, I decided to set up an online game for us to play and for Sam and Rich to get to know each other and ask each other questions.
Sometime into the game I get a private message from Sam.
That's when Sam told me she had a crush on Rich. (We were less then 10 minutes into the game aka less then 10 minutes knowing each other) And she asked if she should tell him. I was (mostly) happy for my friend as she hasnt dated for a few years and told her to shoot her shot. And turns out, Rich liked Sam back. So they started dating.
BTW, Sam had just ghosted someone she dated online and did role-plays with, a few days before this happened. (Keep this in mind)
So some background, our entire group of friends play online role-playing games (In a private server) since we all like being able to make role-plays and storylines, except Sam. (She can be really picky)
This is how Sam and Rich basically went on dates. They also invited me to join them sometimes so they had someone else to play the "extra characters" in their role-plays. Their role-plays mostly consisted of guy x guy, mafia bosses and the typical cringe gacha storylines from 2018. I hated the 'maifa guy buys a slave' type tropes they did but I did it with them anyway because Sam always ended up getting mad and ignoring me if I said no or suggested something different.
This whole role-playing thing went on for a few months. That's when I saw Sam online with Mike. (Mike is the name of the person Sam dated online before Rich, I was friends with Mike and still was at the time despite their break up) I decided to join them and see what they were doing on a server together. (Sam had told me and Rich several times that she hated Mike and she always said he was a "alpha bad boy wannbe")
Once I joined I looked in the chat I saw a bunch of messages like Kisses softly (From Mike) and "You're sexy~" (From Sam) I was extremely confused and decided to ask Sam about this later when she wasn't on the server. She said something along the lines of "I was joking around, I never actually broke up with Mike 🤣".
So I was extremely confused and asked Rich if he knew about this.
That's where it all went to shit afterwards. (Don't worry, it gets worse)
To give a short rundown since this post is already long, Sam was cheating on Mike with Rich while also cheating on Rich with Mike as they both though that Sam dated them and had blocked the other person. When Rich 1st confronted her she said they were in a polyamous relationship. (They were not) This kept happening until eventually Mike blocked everyone (Except me) and really didn't talk to any of us. (Or so I thought.)
I always thought that Rich and Sam shouldn't be dating but I stayed out of it because Sam is the only friend I can really talk to and hang out with, without feeling anxious.
Then I found out that Sam was cheating on Rich AGAIN with a girl from her class called Jaime. Then she cheated AGAIN with a girl from my class who I'll call Autumn.
So not only did Sam cheat on Rich with 3 different people. She did it SEVERAL TIMES WITH THOSE PEOPLE.
I eventually distanced myself from the group as a whole. (I also was in hospital which helped me to ignore all of the drama as I was recovering from surgery)
That's when I found a message in the group chat. (The group chat had me, Sam, Jaime and one of Sam's friends in it as well) The message said "Imagine if Rich knew about you dating me and Autumn 🤣💀" from Jaime.
I told Rich literally everything including screenshots and evidence I had. He didn't believe me until he asked Sam which to that she laughed about it and told him that her adhd made her do bad things. Rich then went into a major depressive episode and he wouldn't respond at all to anyone.
Rich even cut himself and attempted suicide. (He has home issues and several mental illnesses, which Sam knew of) Thankfully he survived.
But here's the thing, Sam and Rich GOT BACK TOGETHER AFTER WHAT HAPPENED.
I was absolutely fucking horrified by this as it seemed to be a severely toxic and maybe even abusive relationship (Psychologically) since Rich had Bipolar and Sam used to blame him for acting weird and blamed him for her cheating.
Here's where I think I became the asshole.
I made a throwaway account and took screenshots of everything and sent them to Jaime, Autumn, Rich, our group of friends and basically everyone who knew of the drama. Which included most of the school. (And even random people from other school that knew some of the gossip)
Then it got revealed that Sam had ONLINE SEX WITH MIKE AND RICH WHILE SAM WAS DATING BOTH OF THEM AND AFTER MIKE SUPPOSEDLY BLOCKED HER!!
And then it turns out that Sam, who is bisexual, called Richs gay BFF( I'll call him Matt) a gay bastard and the F-slur. TWICE.
Ans then it turns out, after Sam had cheated on Rich the first or second time, Rich started DATING MATT AND THEY ONLY BROKE UP BECAUSE RICH FELT GUILTY.
Then Sam and Rich got into a massive fight which lead to Rich attempting suicide again. Sam said, and i quote, "womp womp🙄" when told about Richs second sucide attempt and also then Rich told her that his cat had died.
They then broke up and he blocked her on everything.
I felt horrible. I felt like I shouldn't of told everyone what Sam did and I shouldn't of put myself into their relationship..
I felt really depressed and guilty and I thought (and still do) that it was all my fault..
I honestly think I'm the asshole and I shouldn't of done anything considering I don't have any dating experience at all and I don't have any of the disorders Sam or Rich has...
But I've always been told to get a second opinion on everything so I wanted to ask Reddit. (Not the most logical way to do it but I'm desperate af)
So Reddit, AITAH?
I'm sorry if the spelling or wording is off, I'm writing this at 3:13 am and I have school at 8:30. But I am desperate to hear someone else's opinion on this as I feel i am going insane. I'll try and answer any questions as best as I can.
(Ps. Sam has dyslexia and supposedly has adhd as well which she uses as an excuse for why she cheated and blamed Rich. She also used the excuse that her home life is terrible. Which it is. Rich has autism, adhd, bipolar, lack of awareness and is physically and metally abused by his parents. And before I forget, my mother was walking home from work one night and saw Sam HITTING her MOTHER with a stick and laughing about it)
I will honestly appreciate ANY help or opinion given on my situation..

Isn't that usually how life goes? When you get what you want, you realize you don't want it.
I realized it wasn't about money. No genuine insight derived from theorizing about abstracts like sexual marketplace value. I started by asking the question, "If charisma and wisdom are 99% of the population's dump stats, then what are they actually doing to attract partners?"
And the answer, from my perspective, seems to be: they're not doing shit. They're the wrong person in the right place at the right time. And the more social these people are, the more opportune moments occur.
Then I realized that being social doesn't just mean going to parties and drinking and clubbing and such. It can be a book club or a workshop or a hiking group or whatever. It can mean pursuing your passions in a context where you meet others who pursue the same passion. And if you're competent at that passion, there's a good chance someone in that sphere is going to find you much more appealing than in contexts where you're not an enthusiastic participant.
If this doesn't sound actionable to you, due to social anxiety, then I would say to seek out the lowest forms of socializing and work your way up. Like small talk. I'm sure many of us hate it, but maybe that has a lot to do with our expectations. When someone small talks with you, they're looking to see if you're safe to talk to on bigger subjects. Which is an invitation to talk in general. I promise you they won't downvote you for a grammatical error and pedantically parse through every word you say like people do on the internet. There is no rule that says you have to meet them on small subjects. Bring up a quick witted observation about the immediate environment. Make a joke about how you're glad you didn't get stuck in a "good, how are you" loop (again). Use your strength of creativity to your advantage
Anyway, the point I'm making is we can be social creatures in a way that doesn't take chunks out of our flesh. And when you realize the art of attraction is not all that mysterious and obscure, and fomo no longer takes up 50% of your daily emotional bandwidth, you'll realize that you've found things of value other than sex and romantic relationships: friendship, new creative outlets, new intellectual outlets, and possibly cure your chronic vitamin D deficiency

I'll try to keep this brief but I have a lot to say and I tend to ramble. I (20F but 19 at the time) have been broken up with my ex (20F) for almost a year now. When we first ended things I felt SO MUCH RELIEF I was in almost a euphoric state for the first week or two. I knew she was extremely toxic but didn't care to question it because I was just so happy to never have to see or speak to her again but quickly that wore off and I realized just how terribly she treated me. In the past month or two it's starting to get to me again after a few conversations with close friends where I told the stories of things she did to me, hoping to have a laugh at the absurdity but underneath realizing just how much she put me through. I still can't accept that it was truly mental or emotional or verbal etc. abuse. I guess I just want somebody to tell me if I'm victimizing myself, or if my mental illness is making me delusional if I was the real abuser the whole time, or if we were both toxic (all her words). I just wanna list off some of the things she did, partially for myself to lay it all out and partially to ask everyone here if I'm the problem or if she was just toxic w/o being "abusive". I'm avoiding specific details because I don't want anyone I know to stumble upon this and know it's me so apologies if theres little context but here it is:

• biggest one on the top: when we first got together I had just gotten out of a relationship and was struggling metally. I had been in therapy for a while before we met and started mood stablizers soon after we were together. she constantly would use this against me to tell me i'm crazy, that my mental illness was ruining our relationship, that i was "a disease", that I was just like her crazy ex etc.
  
• another huge one! she insisted on extravagant expensive gifts then later expected unquestioned obedience because of it. when i caught on to this and began denying gifts it would cause arguments
  
  • i identified as bisexual at the time which she constantly used against me. if we were ever in the presence of men, even if i didnt interact with them, she would get mad and either give me the silent treatment or start an argument about it. when i expressed multiple times that I may not be attracted to men she would get angry because it proved to her how "easily impressionable" i am
  • constant lies. about things my friends or even my mom had said allegedly about me (they never did), about things that she had or hadn't done, she would even tell lies to my friends and mother about things that I had allegedly said about them (i never did) even right in front of me but she was so convincing to everyone around us that I seemed like the liar no matter how much i denied or explained
  • insults! mainly about me but also my friends and family
  • always wanting a reaction so that she could then point to me as an abuser. e.g: screaming at me and throwing things until i removed myself into a seperate room where she followed me and recorded me without my knowlege as she taunted me until I yelled at her to leave me alone, then played back the recording to show me how poorly i talk her
• she told me so many times that my majors were not as difficult or as important and I "couldn't possibly understand" how much more effort and intellect it took for what she studied (we're both in college and I'm literally a double major!! if that matters)
  
  • told me she was embarrassed of me because my interests and hobbies weren't "resume-worthy"
  • belittled my morals and values, the things i thought were important whether they were big things or small, and my plans for the future
  • controlling to an INTENSE degree. e.g: getting upset with me because i wouldn't let HER floss MY teeth or threatening to break up with me because I wouldn't hide my stuffed animals in the closet when she came over
  • laughed and called me things like pathetic unstable when i would try to tell her certain things she said and did were hurting me. was just all around very cruel and mericless with her words to the point where I seriously think she was nearly incapable of empathy
  • she told me things about myself as if they were fact. this one is hard to explain but for instance: "you just let your s/o's walk all over you" or "youre just not a hard worker". it was said so causally and matter of factly that it wasn't even an insult just an absolute truth she had observed
  • things she admitted to before we broke up: when i opened up to her about my ex and things i went through as a child she later admitted that she was happy that i was "weak" and would tolerate poor treatment. she admitted that she would poke and taunt and yell her own mother until she got the reaction she wanted so that she point out "how crazy she was acting". she admitted to reading my journal the first time she came over to see the excerpts of my ex and, again, figure out just how badly she could treat me.
  • I do want to say that she never actually hit me or physically assualted me but she would often imitate in the moment that she was about to (partially because she wanted to hit me, and partially because she knew it would trigger me because I was abused as a child, again she admitted this part)
  • in arguments: deflected, shifted blame, gaslit, yelled, threw things, hit nearby objects, etc. these arguments would go in circles for hours with the topics ending up miles away from what the intital point was. things typically went from "that didnt happen" to "it did happen but i didnt mean it" to "i meant it but you deserved it". even when I gave in that wasn't enough, she would just leave and ignore me for a day or two
  • she often wouln't take accountability and instead would try to psychoanalyze why what she did upset me, blaming it on my childhood or my ex but never on her actions
  • profuse apologies afterwards. she always promised to stop and to go to therapy but that never happened. somehow she was able to do this without ever actually acknowleging that what she did was wrong
  • i won't go into detail but when it came to bedroom activites there were a few rare times when consent was ... unclear. especially near the end when she was often insistent that I would drink more (she was sober)
  • when i caught on to these patterns by calling her out for fake apologies, gaslighting, lying, manipulation, not taking the bait by reacting, sticking to my boundaries, not letting her deflect in arguments etc. she would throw full temper tantrums. screaming crying throwing herself on the ground type of tantrums. I was so drained at that point that all i could do was just sit and watch and wait for her to stop
  • her poor mom had gotten it for 20 years before me. she told me multiple times to get out of the relationship but i never listened. I hope shes doing well but i'm afraid that checking up on her might invite my ex back into my life

i'm sure that when i post this i'll think of a million more things but this is what i could think of off the top of my head sorry its so long. Writing this all out its so clear that this wasnt normal but i still constantly question whether im just erasing my own hand in it, refusing to acknowlege all the harmful things i did or how i somehow forced her to be this way, if i truly am just so delusional that i made all of this up because i want to be a victim, if i was the one who abused her first, if its my fault because i stayed and let it happen. and if none of those things are true then what do i do from here? I'm moved on and so insanely happy to be single and never have to interact with her again but i'm realizing more and more how much it has affected me.
tldr: my ex gf fits a ton of the criteria for an abuser but i still question whether i am making it up and/or if im the actual abuser just manipulating the situation for my own gain. if i'm not the abuser then how do i accept it and not be affected by it anymore?

TODAY'S RECAP

Sheila loves that she got to spook Li and delights in anticipation of revealing herself to the Forresters. We see the aftermath of Steffy, Ridge, and Liam accepting the truth. Neither Finn or Deacon knows their partners as well as they think they do.

Deacon and Sheila at Deacon's

Sheila: I'm glad I went to the hospital. Nothing was more fun than scaring the bejesus out of Li! 😄 (Sheila can't stop giggling). It couldn't have been more perfect -- Li being there. Hahaha!
Deacon: She was furiously attacking you, tryna send you to the grave, for real.
Sheila: I know! It was so much fucking fun! More fun than I've had in a long time. 😆 Poor Li, she was just jealous that Finn couldn't let me stay dead and felt compelled to save me! Hahahaha. Li couldn't take it! (💭 Suck it, Li!)
I know. I know. People wish me dead all the damned time. IDGAF. I'm used to it! 😏
Deacon: This is going to keep happening if you keep popping up 👻 and surprising people. 😛 You're going to get a similar reaction to Li 🤯😡😤💥 Hey, how about trying subtle?
Sheila: Fuck that. I like to go BIG! 😆 I expect people to react like Li. I'm looking forward to it. 😏 I can't wait! Hahaha. 😂🤣
Who will be most shocked? Brooke 😫 or Ridge 😡? Oooh, I sooo wanna roll on up into Eric's place. 👏👏👏 Whoooey! Fun! 🎉 Donna is a screamer! 😮 (💭 These bitches will all freak out beautifully in a perfect combination of shock 😳, fear 🫣, loathing 😠, and disbelief 😦. Hahaha. Yay! 🤸‍♀️).
It was so perfect how Li was just there. How can I orchestrate my reveal to the Forresters for maximum shock? 😀 I can pop in at FC and be the model who walks in to see Ridge for alterations! Hahaha! HAAAA! 🤭
Deacon: Does "changed'" Sheila just wanna shock people? (💭 Sheila Sheila Sheila. Gotta try to control the crazy 😵‍💫).
Sheila: OMG! You're no FUN! It's just a little SHOCK 😱. Not HARM! 😏 (💭 I'm not going to chop up 🪓, hang or tie up ➰, stab 🔪, drown 🌊, or shoot 🔫 anybody. I'm not going to set anyone's house on fire🔥 or chain ⛓️ them up in a dungeon ⛓️! I'm not going to kidnap any babies or children 👦👶👧, or trick anyone into getting my face 🙂. I'm not going to break in to anyone's home 🏠! That was the old Sheila! No one will end up murdered, kidnapped, bloody🩸, or otherwise injured 🤕, ffs! Gah! Calm down! It's just a little mischief 🙄😏).
I just want to have a little fun 🥳. Come on! Nothing nefarious 👿. Just prankster fun 🤪😝!
Deacon: So remember the nice, chill, mellow, 😌 happy, calm, quiet life we discussed? (💭 Imagine being a stoner and our biggest stressor is getting the munchies 🍕🥪🍚🍪🍰🥯🍟🥨when we're out of snacks and our favorite places are closed.) No fantasies about scaring 👻 people and getting reactions from the Forresters. Let's get back to us, our engagement, and our nice, quiet life. (Deacon, Reddit wonders if you actually KNOW Sheila 🤔).
Sheila: Ppffrrtt. (💭 Alright, fine, we'll seeeeeee😏.)
(Sheila and Deacon laugh 😄😀 and smoochy smoochy kissy kissy 😍🥰. Then Sheila is snuggled up with Deacon getting a shoulder massage.)
Sheila: I missed this. 😍 I missed you and thought about you the whole time. I didn't think I'd be back here. I was thisclose to 💀.
But, here I am! With you and my imaginary ring. 👋💍 😀 WOW!
Deacon: 🙄 No more pretending. I want everyone to know how in love 😍💕 I am with you. 🥰 (More smoochy smoochy 😘🥰.)

Hope, Ridge, and Liam at FC

Ridge and Liam: Sheila! Changed? 🤨 Wha? 😦Nah. Nope. No. No fucking way! 😠 Is Finn crazy? 😵‍💫 Delusional? Stupid? Wtf is his problem? 😤
Ridge: You must have gotten it wrong. It can't be.
Hope: No. Sheila is--
Ridge: NOOOOOOO! Grrrr. 😠 Gah! 😦 Not about SHEILA. I know. I KNOW. 🤨 I get it. I heard you. Sheila's alive. Fuck. But whatever. No. I mean about the other thing -- Finn idiotically thinking this is GOOD news. Growl! Huff! Puff! 😤On what planet could he POSSIBLY believe this is good news? How clueless is he?
Liam: (quickly hopping on the anti-Finn train 🚂) Yah. Yah. I mean, seriously. Hope. How could Finn POSSIBLY think,💡🤔 with NO ❌ evidence, that psychopath Sheila 👿 is reformed 😇? Wtf?!
Hope: He has reasons. He--
Ridge: REASONS!? REASONS?! 😮 Snarl! 😡 What fucking REASONS?!
Hope: He says she's changed. He's seen her growth. 🌱 He's seen her sprout angel 😇 wings 🪽. He's seen a new and improved Sheila.
Liam: Give me a fucking break! It's pure foolishness 🥴 and personal bias! 😦 Gah! Just because the BABY MANCHILD has a childish need to have a relationship with his birth mommy, he's latched onto a fantasy that this demon 👿 psycho has reformed. (💭 Don't worry, Steffy 💕. I'll be your fall back guy.).
It's NOT REALITY! (💭 I'm really postering now, showing off to Ridge, matching him huff for puff! 😤).
Ridge: Yah! Grrrr. Harumph! 😤😡 What's gotten into this guy? 🤨 Growl! 😦 Sheila is an ANIMAL! Grrr! 😦 Animals don't change! Snort! 😤 Spiders 🕷️, snakes⚕️, reptiles 🐊, monsters 🧟‍♀️👺👿 like Sheila never change!
Hope: I felt the same way. (💭 I even gave up on a relationship with my dad ☹️ when he wouldn't break it off with Sheila.) But after seeing 👀 them together 💕, maybe we should keep an open mind 😐.) People said the same thing about Thomas, that he--
Ridge: 🤨 You DID NOT. You DID NOT just FUCKING GO THERE (💭 bitch!) Growl! 😡 Snarl! 😦 Snort 😤! Grrrr. You DID NOT just COMPARE my TALENTED, KIND, LOVING, REFORMED SON (some Redditors say you forgot enabled, entitled, obsessed, dangerous, and consequence free son) to that PSYCHOPATH SHEILA?! OMFG! 🤬
Hope: I'm not saying they're the same. 🫤🙄 (💭 Gah. Eye roll. Patience with the neanderthal. Deep breath.) I'm just saying people can change. So we could just possibly, maybe open the door a teeny, tiny 🤏 bit and entertain the possibility that Finn could possibly be right.
Ridge: You AGREE with (💭 the loser idiot) FINN about that psycho 🫨 Sheila?! What the fucking fuck, Hope?! (💭 Are you crazy and stupid too? Where's Brooke? I can't deal with you, ffs.😠)
Look, Finn has a weird ass connection to Sheila. But WTF, Hope. What's up with YOU? 🤔
Liam: 🤨
Hope: I explained. Sugar was planning to harm 🪓➰🔪🩸 Steffy. Sheila tried to stop her.
Liam: Hearsay. This story of Sheila fighting Sugar came from the least reliable source -- Sheila! (💭 Reddit hates to admit it, but Liam has a point). Sheila told you this story. You, Finn, and Deacon just accept it at face value.
But all we know for sure is that SHEILA didn't attack 🔪 Steffy. Sugar did. That doesn't mean Sheila has changed. It just means there were TWO psychos! 😵‍💫🫨 (Reddit really doesn't want to give Liam credit but kinda gotta suck it up and admit, he's making good points.)
Hope: Deacon and Finn think she HAS changed.
Ridge: Hope. (💭 Whooo boy. I have no patience under normal circumstances. 😑 This is WILDLY FRUSTRATING AF! 😡). Everything Sheila says is a LIE! It's all for show. Gah! 😦 Come ON!
Hope: For--
Ridge and Liam: FOR FINN! FOR FINN! OMFG! 😨
Ridge: She's feeding him the fantasy HE WANTS! Now, she's supposed to be mother of the year, ffs?! Growl! Snarl! 😡 Nah!
Hope: I'm not saying we just accept it. I'm just asking that we keep an open mind, for Finn's sake. (💭 Reddit wonders why Hope doesn't just wrap it up and extricate herself from this whole thing! She should just say ' I gave you the news. Talk to Finn. Byeeee.' Reddit says get out of there, Hope. It's been a looooooooooooooong af day!)
Look, I'm starting to see Finn's side. If indeed Sheila has changed, why shouldn't he want a relationship with her?
Ridge: NOT gonna HAPPEN. 🤨 😡 (Reddit thinks Ridge must have taken a few pointers from Victor Newman only Ridge is way louder.) Finn wants Sheila in their lives. Steffy's not gonna allow it.🫸❌ Absolutely not. ❌ No way. ❌ No how. ❌ Never. Ever. Gonna happen. ❌ Nope. ❌ Nah! ❌ Forget about it! ❌
Liam: Ohhh. Yah! Righ! After what she's endured being MARRIED to this guy who has some bullshit, primal connection to his psycho 🫨 birth mother. Now he wants to invite Sheila into her life? Well, he doesn't GET STEFFY! Steffy will NEVER allow it. She'll draw a line ➖in the sand. The stop 🛑 sign will go up. The hands will push 🫸 back 🫸 hard 🫸.
FINN DOESN'T KNOW STEFFY -- like AT ALL! (💭 Not like I know Steffy and love 😍 Steffy, and will protect Steffy 👩‍❤️‍👨.)
Ridge: 🤨
Hope: 🙄

Finn and Steffy at their home

Steffy: (it all sinks in) It wasn't Sheila I stabbed 🔪. 😣 It was a look-a-like, Sugar. 😖 I stabbed Sugar -- some woman who was tricked into plastic surgery to look like Sheila. What?! 🤯
Finn: Yah, babe. Isn't that a good thing? 🙂 Isn't that GREAT? 😀 Isn't that a relief? 😀 Isn't that a HUGE weight lifted? 😃 Aren't you thrilled 🤩, happy 😁, and bursting with joy 😊? I know I am. We thought you killed my birth mother, but you stabbed a totally different psycho! Pretty cool, huh? 🙄😃
Steffy: 🥺😠😡 (💭 Wow. OMG. Finn thinks I should be relieved? WTF?!)
Finn: Sugar kidnapped ➰⛓️ Sheila. If Deacon and I hadn't gotten there to SAVE her, she might not have survived, honey! This is SUCH AMAZINGLY AWESOME 👍 NEWS!
Steffy: So YOU think I'm supposed to be THANKFUL this monster 👿 is alive?! Are you fucking serious?! 😖😟
Finn: Nah. But yah. Isn't a small 🤏 part of you thankful? 🙄
Steffy: No. 😕
Finn: Relieved? 😀
Steffy: No. ☹️
Finn: Happy for me? 🙂
Steffy: No. 😣
Finn: Honey, babe, sweetheart, listen. We were struggling with the fact that you killed my birth mother, but we don't have to anymore. (💭 I know if I reframe this the right way, Steffy will have an ah ha 💡moment 😀 and feel relief. I just have to find the right words. I have faith 🙏 in us. I'm not even a little bit delusional.🥴 I know Steffy has a good and forgiving heart ❤️. She's just in shock 😳 and horrified 😱 and her mind is blown 🤯. But this will subside. 🙂 I'll just keep talking in a soothing voice. Yah!)
You killed someone who hated Sheila. Sugar was crazy. She wanted to hurt YOU to hurt HER. Get it? (💭 Sugar was the REALLY bad 👹 one. Sheila is a RECOVERING psycho! Big difference! 😀)
Steffy: So I'm supposed to be ooooh all happy and shit that psycho A is dead and psycho B is alive? 🤔 Nah! Finn, I'ma speak slowly so you can understand me when I tell you, NO I'm not happy or relieved or whatever tf you want me to be -- because the DANGER IS BACK! (💭 This man has the THICKEST, HARDEST HEAD! Fucking hell. He's freaking me out so badly that Dawn can't even find any emojis to express the emotional wreckage on my face! Anger, disbelief, confusion, fear, stress, anxiety, frustration -- all the feels!)
Finn: Nah. It's not back! That's the glorious, wonderful, amazing, beautiful, exciting, magnificent 😀😃😄😁 thing I'm just not adequately conveying to you, my love! No fear or danger! Sheila tried to PROTECT YOU. She tried to SAVE YOUR LIFE! She's your best friend ever! She wants to get pedicures together, not shoot us and leave us for dead! She's past that nonsense now. No more danger, honey! ☺️💕
She offered her own life to save you! She tried to fight Sugar. She loves us!
Steffy: Look. 🤨 Sugar's scheme was to blame Sheila. So, Sheila was just selfishly protecting HERSELF from getting blamed. That's all it was! (💭 If I just reframe this the right way, Finn will have an ah ha 💡 moment. He has to! I just have to find the right words to get through his thick skull and penetrate his delusional thinking. He's really worrying me and pissing me off. Wow. Just wow.)
Finn: Nah. She offered her own life! She cares more about us than her own life. SHEILA'S A HERO! Super Sheila🦸‍♀️ to the rescue, only she was chained up ⛓️ and fighting at a disadvantage, but she tried!
Steffy: Hero? HERO? 🤢🤮 You're calling SHEILA fucking psycho CARTER a HERO? Are you on crack? 😮 She tried to KILL🩸us. (💭 He's gone off the deep end into LA LA land 🤪.)
Finn: When Sugar told her--
Steffy: (Angry 😡 and frustrated 😖, Steffy Slams a chair 🪑💥 hard on the floor.) I DON'T GIVE AF ABOUT SUGAR!!! I don't CARE about her!!! 😦😣 She means NOTHING TO ME!!! (💭 STFU Finn! OMFG! Ahhhh! I have NO PATIENCE LEFT for his delusional BULLSHIT! I can't seem to get through to him! Why tf won't he LISTEN??!! 🤬)
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SHEILA! 😠
S H E I L A !! 😡
We've been over this a ZILLION TIMES how she had terrorized my family for generations! How do you not GET IT?
Finn: I do. I underst--
Steffy: NO YOU DO NOT FUCKING UNDERSTAND!!!! 😡😤 GENERATIONS! GENERATIONS! That vile bitch is a LUNATIC! 😵‍💫🫨😈
(Steffy pleads 😫 with Finn in frustration 😖😣 to comprehend.)
She tried to KILL ME! And my MOTHER! And my GRANDMOTHER! 😩
I lost TIME with my mother! 😩 I lost TIME with YOU! 😫😣
She's tried to POISON people. So, even if she did try some feeble attempt to get that other stupid psychopath friend not to hurt me, SO FUCKING WHAT?!
NO! NO! NO NO NO NO! 😡 She's NO HERO! I NEVER want to hear you say that AGAIN! (💭 La La La La I can't hear you! I won't hear you! NO!)
Finn: 😑😞 (shakes his head. 💭 She's not getting it.)
Steffy: 😡😖 (shakes her head. 💭 He's lost his mind.)
Steffy: Do you hear me? She's vile. She is in no way a HERO! 😠 She left us in an ALLEY to DIE! What are you thinking? 😩
Finn: Yah yah. I knoooow. I know her past sins. She's made some mistakes 😒, some bad judgement calls🙄, she's been kind of a mess 🫤. She hasn't always put her best foot forward. She hasn't always been super thoughtful. Sure, she's wanted a lot of people dead 💀, but that was THEN and this is NOW! She's been working on herself. She's very into self help these days, and yoga and shit. The fact is she tried to save you!
Steffy: Don't CHALLENGE ME on FACTS ABOUT SHEILA! I'll give YOU the fucking FACTS Mr. Man! 😡 You will lose.
Finn: How about the handy dandy fact that she's alive and you didn't kill my birth mother? ☺️ That matters to me! I'm your husband (takes Steffy's hand). You're the most important person 💕 in the world 🌎 to me. But my birth mother was a mystery. I almost lost her. I just want to help her. I don't want to turn my back on her. 😟 (💭 She's kind of a hoot too, and stubborn and strong, kinda like someone else I love! ❤️)
Steffy: (looking miserable 😖) But you have to. I love you. 😢God, I love you! ❤️ (💭 And my heart is breaking 💔 right now.) You are SO GOOD! But Sheila is EVIL 👹. You are naive (💭 delusional) to think she'll change, that she won't devestate our lives.
Sheila is NOT going to be IN OUR LIVES, no where near Kelly or Hayes.
You can't have BOTH. 😟
It's either HER.
Or ME. 😐
Finn: 😕I hear you. Of COURSE it's YOU. It will always be you. ❤️ (Steffy and Finn share an emotional embrace, both with weary 😞, teary 😥, worried 🥺 expressions. They hold on to each other, emotionally spent.)
The end.

I’m getting a deluge of email invites to all tiers of junior hockey for my 07 (finishing his junior year of HS), tier 2 junior tryouts, coaches camps, AAA summer tournaments in Europe, tier 1 hockey combines - you get the picture. But no personal contact. They feel like mass emails, but I have no idea. I’m lost.
How do you know what’s worth doing? I guess my initial thought is let him do what he wants to do. But, potentially, that’s A LOT of money.
The only one I’ve signed him up for is the ACHA showcase. I kind of feel like all the others are fundraiser fluff. Maybe the ACHA showcase is fluff too, I don’t know. Am I wrong? Are there certain key words to watch for in these messages? Do I wait for an organization to reach out?
I know he’ll never do this past college, if he even gets to play college, but he is interested so I’m trying not to mess this up.
Any advice or experience you have is appreciated.

So for context -my partner and I have been dating for half a decade. Our relationship is strong and we are enjoying our time together immensely - he's the love of my life, my favourite laughing partner and just a really special human being I'm honoured to know so deeply. My MIL came accross as a strong personality but seemed delightful and embraced me at first. Over the last few years it has become suspected she has a personality disorder with her "incidents" and behaviour. My partner and I are planning on getting engaged this year and have had this timeline for a very long time. While this should be a very exciting time in my life - I am instead feeling worried, stressed, and down. This MIL is constantly bringing up the concepts of engagement, weddings, and babies at get-togethers which sure is fine but the thing is it feels like she makes an effort to leave me out of it. My partners brother is also proposing this year to his partner which have been dating a few years less than us (super happy for them). My partner also has another sibling that isn't planning on proposing anytime soon and is younger. I have a really good relationship with everyone else in the family including the father (says i'm like a daughter), the siblings, and the partners (we have become friends). My MIL is not only making the maintenance of these relationships hard, but she is making me feel like abolute crap on a consistent basis at family events with how she blatenly treats me poorly compared to others. Here's some examples:

• At family events the MIL will bring up the topic of marriage, babies, moving in, etc. talk about it happening for both other siblings and then completely disregard me and my partner. For instance recently she went on about who shes inviting to the one siblings wedding and then talked about how the other sibling (one not proposing anytime soon)'s would be and then (I kid you not) looked at me, said my partner and I's names and laughed.
• Im telling you at every.single. event. for the past 3 years from the first few months of them dating she is bringing up the other siblings future engagement and how they deserve it so much etc. Cute at first but its very very excessive at this point (and thats me underexagerating). Im talking about begging, and not letting the topic go when no one in the room is reciprocating. Not a peep has been heard about me and my partner in this half a decade of being in the family. - Would I every want it to the extent of the other sibling? no. Do i find it odd and a bit rude? Yes. especially considering the fact that she has known my partner is proposing this year.
• one day she brought down her mothers gold jewlery and was passing it to the other siblings partners and asking what type of ring she wants. Then when that sibling's partner asked me (attempting to include me in the conversation) and I showed pictures of the the ones I tried on and the MIL immediatly went quiet then interrupted and changed the conversation back to the other siblings partner. She acted like I wasn't there and afterwards the other siblings partner said they noticed too.
• when leaving a get together she went out of her way to hug every partner but me.

-When the other sibling's partners arrive an excited voice and questions about work/life are had. Meanwhile, when I arrive it’s a short embrace with very little effort/interest in my life anymore unless it has to do with something that impacts my partner like whether we are going to my house this weekend.

• After not saying a word to me in a room she calls over other siblings partners and has private conversations in the other conjoining room about non-private things.
• (this is wild that im even saying this) I noticed she covers our picture on the mantel up by either putting other siblings and their partners photos in front or a nick nack like a bible verse plaque.

Efforts I have made over the past few years that I think qualify me as a good DIL /her response:

• I have tried doing activities she enjoys with her -making an effort to let her know I care about her and her interests. - a lot out of my comfort zone.
• One of my love languages is gifts/acts of service (I don't expect it in return but I would think she would atleast treat me kindly) - I hand-made the whole family including partners sweaters (while other partners go nothing), every year I make the family yearly recap videos, I also make every family member including her birthday videos where I spend hours collecting photos, and videos from the past with their favourite music - started as something just for my partner but my FIL was so appreciative of it I thought i would do it for everyone. I do something special for her for international womens day and mothers day every year.
• I thank her in cards and have told her many times for raising very kind respectable humans.
• I ask her questions/ listen to her vents about conflicts with friends or family - (which btw she can be very negative about people).
• Myself and my partner both do the most activities with her and go out of our way to visit/help her the most. (ie. going shopping together, visiting her at work)
• I have cleaned her whole kitchen/ made food for the family on my own dime and time.
• Even when we first started dating and I was a broke university student - I would go out of my way to spend money on her and her family because i wanted to and I love them.
• When she would have mental "incidents" ie. leaving the house for a few days, calling family members really horrible names etc. I was the one who would speak sense to my partner and his siblings about how this is a mental health issue and she doesn't really mean it. - I have defended her at her worst.

Most recently:

• invited her to two outings/events things we have done together before - denied
• Asking her about life/work - not holding conversation
• Used to hug me good morning/goodbye - not anymore.
• Blatantly ignoring my prescence in the room when other siblings partners are there/not including me in conversation
• didn't respond to my mothers text and makes very little effort with my family (despite my family having them to our cottage and visiting/checking in - my dad and the FIL are friends) - meanwhile when we are in big groups she is constantly talkig about the other siblings partners parents and going out of her way to invite them to fancy dinners - buy them the most expensive bottle of wine etc. (bc she "wants to make a good impression"). - lol i guess my family wasn't important these past 5 years.

I feel as though my family is treated as less important and I myself am treated as less worthy of engagement or marriage when I have tried my hardest to just be accepted and respected by their family. I have made many efforts to show my care and loyalty to their family but the events I used to look forward to have just turned into sour reminders of how vastly different I am treated.
Some of these things above I have cried, laughed, or both about. There are many more things she has done that have hurt me these past few years of our relationship which I haven't mentioned above by myself and my partner thought were unintentional at the time and not necesary to address. She has love bombed me before which has confused me and made me think i'm over reacting to feeling like she wasn't treating me well/ doesn't like me -but most recently its gotten to the point where I am crying when I get home from every family event because of how prominent her efforts to exclude and bellttle me are.
Me and my partner have great communication and have agreed on the implementation of boundaries such as increased distance if her behaviour progresses etc. and he has offered to say something but I am scared. No matter what, I will have to attend family get to-gethers and I am marrying into this family that I really do love. I get along with the siblings partners so well it's such a shame that her presence leads to her making me feel poorly around them because of how she acts/things she says. I have also suggested she gets more mental support but right now shes attending therapy alone where I don't think she is fully honesst about her incidents/treatment of others. My partner knows she is unwell and we are both upset and tired of this being a thing. I definitely don't want to be overly embraced and put on a pedestal but I think what shes doing currently takes more effort than just acknowledging me and treating me with an ounce of the kindness she gives the others. I am scared to get engaged after her reaction to hearing we have been ring shopping and I am also more scared about the concept of a wedding or having kids as I find she has a tendency to be controlling and I don't want my future kids to see their mom being treated like this or possibly be treated the same. That of course made my partner upset and now don't know where to go from here (hence me referring to reddit) but I know a life with this is not a happy one for me or my partner and I don't deserve it but I love the family and I do love her for who she may be when shes mentally more well and her perseverence in life.

Long time lurker, first time redditoposter. I've been listening and reading a lot of these horror stories and figured it might be fun to share mine.
I haven't actually played a game of DnD or DnD adjacent since about 2020/2021, mostly because of what transpired during the games I actually did play before that. I love the concept, I love creating characters and stories and worlds, but I get a pit in my stomach when I actually try to play again.
I had my first opportunity to play DnD my freshman year of college. I dropped in on the campus tabletop club and I was quite anxious. I was the only girl in the room, everyone seemed to have known each other or clicked well, but I wanted to branch out of my comfort zone. The first night went well! We played a very quick heist one shot where we made a character with one flaw and one interesting trait. Through unfortunate rolls and circumstances, we had a TPK, but it was a fun time. I was invited afterwards to join a Pathfinder campaign that a few of the members were going to start up for the new semester, and so I scheduled a time to meet with the DM and create my first full fledged character.
Now, the DM was kind of eccentric, a little whack if you will but very excited to help me make my first character. I thought he was just goofy and really into the game. God I wish I picked up on all the red flags that would come.
He first asked me what kind of race I'd like to play as. I had always been drawn to tiefling characters because I liked the aesthetic. His eyes lit up at that for some reason. Then he asked what class I'd like; if I'd like to be primarily a support or tank or what have you. I didn't want to get overwhelmed in my first game and thought support might be nice. I could watch how combat worked while just keeping everyone going and buffed. I said let's try bard! The grin that crept up on his face...
He immediately started talking about how saucy that would be, how my character would be so flirty and fun. I expressed some discomfort in having my character immediately fall into the "h*rny bard" category I had seen meme'd on so much, but he laughed and waved it off by saying he "was a theater kid in high school! Everyone was super h*orny and making out backstage all the time. It just comes with the environment!" Being a new player, and wanting to fit in, I pushed down my discomfort and thought okay, I'll play her as a joke character I guess.
For awhile it was fine, I got to play her as a dancelyre player who was part of a traveling circus. Nothing weird was coming up the first few sessions. Most of the other PCs either joined together by taking quests from the town job board, or had ties built in to their backstory. My first red flag should have been that the DM, despite constantly raving about all his planning, was frequently skipping around the story. He would suddenly decide the plot point we were on wasn't interesting enough for some reason, and just throw us into another scenario. We left so many lose ends because he just didn't feel like finishing them, regardless of if we were engaging in it or not. But hey, he's the DM right? That's what I thought, he had the right to change it. I had no prior experience to see this was just bad DMing.
We ended up joining an archery competition as we were tempted by a mystery grand prize. At the sign up table, out of nowhere, the DMPC attending to registration suddenly starts flirting with my character. I got flustered in a negative way because this DM got very into character (giving me looks, leaning in as he spoke to me, the whole shebang). I panicked, all of a sudden being the focus of a room full of men seeing how I'd react to it. I again, stupidly, went along with it. I had her (nervously) flirt back lightly, and I was relieved it didn't go much further at that point. Skipping to the end of the archery competition, my bard ended up in the final two and sabotaged an assassination on the town's mayor mid competition. The party was invited to a celebratory dinner at the mayor's house afterwards, where we once again ran into the NPC that flirted with my character at registration. He invited her to bed, and again I got extremely uncomfortable and flustered. None of this was discussed beforehand, nor was I even asked if I was comfortable with such topics before joining the campaign. The guys at the table were egging me on, and I felt pressured to accept. With a few hoots and hollers, we had a fade to black scene (thank god). I went home feeling very icky, but convinced myself I was being a wimp. And the table had enjoyed my antics that night, so I should be grateful.
I had the thought between sessions to write in a childhood friends to lovers interest for my bard to try and avoid any more unexpected encounters like that again, thinking if the DM had another character to play as with some personal tie to my bard, that would make be feel better about the interactions. He was brought up once, where I milked the f*ck out of my character's attachment to him, hoping to drive home that this was juicy potential relationship to build over the campaign. He never came up again during that campaign. The DM also completely disregarded many of the notes I gave him detailing this love interest's personality, and took many 'creative liberties' with him, but not enough where I would decide to say something.
Another few sessions happened where we struggled through the DMs inconsistent storytelling and jumping around to whatever plot point had his interest at the moment. He was constantly putting us in fights we could not hope to win, way too challenging for our lvl. 1-3 party. We often sat around the table in disappointment and defeat as we got absolutely destroyed by monsters (no one being able to land hits for sometimes 3-4 rounds at a time because of how high the AC or CR was), while the DM laughed and basked in the dreary nature of the table. He would usually eventually fudge rolls to give us an out when we were close to TPKs. He even gave us a deck of many things and insisted our PCs "felt compelled" to pull cards despite the players disagreeing they that wanted to. He attempted to force my character to drastically change her alignment to an evil one for shits and giggles because of one card pull (later allowed me to ignore it because I didn't even WANT to use the deck), and got three of us killed by having them pull a card that summoned the highest CR monster you could use.
One night he texts the group chat that he decided he's done running that story, and wants to run another one shot instead. We had one last session to "close" that first campaign and discuss the one shot options. During our meeting, he gleefully admitted to me that he had planned for my bard to get PREGNANT in that one night stand with the NPC from the archery competition. Not only did he plan to do that without my consent or knowledge, he had planned for it to be a HAG baby that would have entirely f*cked my PC up (he explained it as the man having been a witch in disguise or something?? And said that's how hags are made? Which to my knowledge is entirely incorrect. Maybe it was a homebrew rule, but regardless, I was mortified. And now very grateful he lost interest in that campaign).
Moving on to the one shot, another player decided to try DMing, and so the Problem DM had a chance to be a PC, yay! He privately messaged me and asked if I'd be interested in connecting our characters and their backstories. I said yes and we got to work. We spent a few nights discussing their dynamic and I was really excited to go into this game. Well, come the night of the session, we were going around the table introducing our characters. The Problem DM went before me, and introduced an entirely different character than the one we discussed, and one that would often almost kill us during the one shot (to which the guy would cackle and mock us for getting upset each time). I asked him what happened to our plan, and he said earlier that day he decided he wanted to do something different. I sighed and let it go, because at least it was just a one shot and my character could still function without his connection to the other PC. Another one shot where the Problem DM got to be a PC, he seemed to make it his goal to be the biggest asshole to everyone else's character. My PC was an archaeologist, and when she excitedly discovered some old pottery in a dungeon, he had his PC run up and smash everything and laugh in her face.
The next campaign we tried that had issues was a Starfinder campaign. Our party was considered its own crew for a space ship, plus one DMPC that was placed into the mix supposedly to help us if we fell short, since we were all unfamiliar with Starfinder and spaceship battle mechanics. She was honestly a really cool character! And we had one or two sessions to establish the story and how the crew interacted. Now, this was my mistake, not taking any of the other creepy habits of the DM into consideration, but I offhandedly mentioned to the table at large that my PC (a woman) might be developing a crush on this DMPC (also a woman). They had gone through a lot together in-game at that point and it felt natural. The next session, you'll never guess, the DMPC started flirting hard core with my character. I was confused and asked the DM what that was about, as we had never had any interactions between those two that would be read as romantic. Even if I mentioned my character was crushing, she had never let it on, and the DMPC had never indicated she felt a similar pull as well. The DM didn't really have an explanation, just that apparently in-universe, the DMPC had been flirting more and more with my character since their last adventure together alone. I thought, okay, I guess...
Honestly? What transpired would have been an insanely cool plot twist if we had had the time to actually roleplay and develop the relationship between my character and the DMPC, as well as the crew at large and the DMPC. She ended up being part of a cult that wanted to steal an artifact we had acquired. She was apparently trying to 'romance' my PC because my PC was the one who often guarded the artifact, and needed her to let her guard down. It would have been a super impactful betrayal, but it was literally only a handful of sessions between the first meeting, and the plot twist. We just had to trust the DMs word that we had all gotten super attached to her between actual session meetings and we all should feel like we were stabbed in the back by this trusted individual. And I especially should feel heartbroken because she never really was interested in me anyway.
Later on down the line, despite some very interesting story points, it got creepy again. Our PCs ended up being sucked into a death game show, and isolated from the outside world while being broadcast to universal TV stations. At some point we were all given access to the internet after a few weeks in isolation to search up anything we wanted. Everyone searched up their names among other things. The DM described us finding our newly formed fanbases. He described the other PCs fanbases (men played by men) as having hot debates on their intelligence and decisions during the show, or bets on if they'd be the last ones standing; that sort of stuff. He described my fanbase as leering creeps saying the most unhinged things about what they wanted my PC to do to them s*xually, as well as some spreading photos of my PC without her face covering (she was a Kasatha, which canonically keep their mouths covered. But she had been forced to remove it briefly when it almost waterboarded her after she fell into a river).
Eventually, we weren't able to meet consistently enough to warrant running campaigns anymore, and I fell out of touch with all involved. Oh, we also lost a player at some point right after he confessed to me and I declined his interest.
I went another year not playing before another friend group of mine invited me to play as a guest character. I thought this would be a nice way to ease back into the game slowly after my horrid experiences before. Rather than make an entirely new character for one or two sessions, I brought back my tiefling bard because I still really liked her character, and had started to reshape her personality without being pressured to have her be a s*xual chess piece. The new DM dropped my character in a labyrinth their current party had been trapped in for awhile. I was made to be a level or two higher and be an ally they encountered to help them escape. We did, it was fun! But I was only there as a guest, and had only planned my character to be in one to two sessions before leaving. I was consistently mentioning to the party that my PC would be leaving as soon as they get to her major city, but either they didn't think I was serious or didn't remember. I may have been convinced to come on full time, but unfortunately, history repeats itself. We got to a session where the party got to a tavern and drowned their sorrows and nursed their labyrinth bruises with beer, and the idea of a threesome was thrown in the air between my PC and two others. Now, half of this group were dating someone else in the group, and seemed very comfortable roleplaying casual s*x between their PCs because of it. They started a damn chant pressuring me to say yes, already trying to roleplay it, and I felt sick. I was too anxious at the idea of saying no with how aggressive everyone was for me to agree, so I tried to "roll for yes or no" as an out; the dice failed me, and it rolled a number assigned to yes. I was very quiet the rest of the session, and afterwards messaged the DM that I want my character to leave at the beginning of the next session.
The DM then tried to convince me to stay, despite me saying a clear no multiple times within the same conversation. They begged me to stay saying the party loved my PC a lot, and they would hate to lose me. When they finally relented, they then tried to smoothly transition to talk of making me a new character so I could permanently stay with the party, without compromising my bards story and decision. I kind of got on their case about that, and told them to stop pressuring me and I did not want to play with that group anymore. Eventually, they gave up, but not without some low key guilt tripping.
I tried playing with one more group after this, and while it didn't get creepy, it was also a disappointment as none of the players seemed to care besides me and the DM, despite everyone having encouraged starting the game because they wanted to learn how to play for the first time. Players slowly started ghosting us, drama happened between two players that joined just to have an excuse to talk and try and date (which ended up very messy and they both left), and the new players would get angry at me or the DM if they got confused with the rules or combat dynamics (the wizard rushed ahead of me, the tank barbarian, and then acted like it was my fault when they nearly got killed in the first round because "the tank is supposed to protect the damage dealers").
The DM and I stayed in contact after all the other players ghosted the chat, and ended up bringing over some other new players who had also played before, and re hauled the campaign. This one had so much promise...then quarantine hit, and we couldn't keep up with regular meetings.
At this point, with all my games ending with creeps, messy player dynamics or falling through, I decided maybe these kinds of games weren't for me.
I have new friends now inviting me to play, who have very functional groups (experienced professional DMs, closeknit friend groups, long-running campaigns), but I am too wary to accept any more offers for games, despite deep down really wanting to try again and be part of something I know can be amazing. Maybe I will one day, but until then, I just have these horror stories to think about.

Hello everyone!
I am a Bride2Be, and I want to post this not only to ask for advice but also to raise awareness.
My fiancé and I are planning to have our wedding in the Philippines, and we hired a Wedding Coordinator (WC) a year ago. Recently, I came across a review from another bride about a supplier that my WC recommended to me. The bride mentioned the price they paid for the exact package I am interested in. I was surprised because the package prices my WC sent me were different. Acting on my suspicion, I sent an anonymous inquiry to the supplier, and they provided me with a set of prices that are 4,000-5,000 pesos lower than what my WC quoted.
I have already paid a substantial amount for FULL COORDINATION (Package details below), so why are there still under-the-table deals to get more money out of me (the client)? If there is a referral fee, it should come from the supplier, not as an extra cost on top of the prices that are not disclosed to the client.
It's worth mentioning that before hiring my WC, I had already booked 30% of the suppliers for our wedding. As a hands-on bride, I've been looking for suppliers and most of the time, I contacted and booked them myself, even after hiring her. I made her job easier and I've been very reasonable and trusting.
What can I do in this situation? I believe this is a shady practice, and my WC is not acting in my best interest. I think she is taking advantage of me because I am an overseas bride.
___________________________________________________________________ Full Coordination PACKAGE 80,000 pesos CONTRACT SIGNED AND PAID
Preparation:

• Assist in determining and planning the budget and help manage to stay within the budget.
• Monitoring wedding timeline spreadsheet
• Assist in finding the perfect location: Church or Ceremony Venue, Reception Venue and/ or Caterer
• Refer and set-up appointment with various pre-screened Vendors: Wedding Gowns; Caterer, Printer, Florist, Cakes, Photographer, Videographers, Bridal Car, Sound System and other bridal needs to the last details.
• Assist in negotiations and reviewing contracts with vendors.
• Assist with wedding documentations (Limited to submitting of requirements only)
• Follow – ups and overall coordination with booked suppliers (through emails, phone calls and meetings)
• Monitoring and Management of deposits / balances /payments made to suppliers by the client.
• Assist in reviewing wordings and addressing of invitations.
• Assist in advising & coordinating schedules for measurements, fittings, pre-nups, trial make-ups and other wedding related appointments
• Recommend and source out gifts for the principal sponsors and bridal entourage
• Plan and coordinate Wedding Rehearsal if necessary. (additional payment)
• Coordinate and confirm with all the vendors chosen in reviewing details of arrangements.
• Instruct all attendants of their duties during the ceremony and reception
• Assist in conceptualizing Wedding reception program and preparing the wedding day timetable

Wedding Day

• 7 Professional Coordinators
• Head Coordinator
• Bride Manager
• Groom Manager
• Church Coordinator
• Program Manager
• Assist couple in confirming details, services, and final agreements with wedding suppliers (banquet manager, florist/event stylist, photographer. videographer, cake designer, musicians/band/strings/sound system, gown designer, stationer etc.)
• Assist in reviewing service contracts of previously booked suppliers
• Guest management and Registration, floor plan layout, and seating arrangements
• Provide an outline with exact time of reception program
• Help organize and route ceremony and reception materials (e.g. gifts for principal sponsors, entourage, offertory materials, souvenirs, etc.)
• Provide a CREW MEAL REPORT to the client for actual advice on cash allowances or meals required by supplier
• Preparation of church processional

My son is 8 weeks, and last weeks we went to visit the town my dad currently lives in. We did not see him, nor did I let him meet my son, at all on the duration of the trip.
For better context: growing up my dad was in prison for almost 20 years, released a few years ago, so he missed my entire childrearing days. And after he got out, he kind of expected me to respect his authority as my father, despite us never having that type of relationship ever. And we have clashed about his overstepping ever since, in addition to me learning about him cheating on my step mom (whom he cheated on my mom with when I was an infant and had 3 children with over the years).
He moved away from the area and reside with his current girlfriend, of which he had a child with (result of the affair). I had already told him in the past that if he cheats on his wife, or neglects my other sisters, that I would have to sever our relationship. And I would have removed myself already because I don’t really care for him or the drama he causes, had it not been for my family. And I was generous in giving him chances before I ultimately blocked him on everything.
When I went into labor, I didn’t tell my dad and actually forbade other people from telling him as well. The only reason he found out was because a relative spilled the beans. Even then, he contacted my mom to express how upset he was.
And when I was in the town that he currently lives in, I strictly told everyone I was visiting not to tell my dad. And of course word got out to him that I was there. And I still didn’t see him, despite my family pressuring me to. And once again, he reached out to my mom to express his grievances.
But I don’t see him as a positive influence in my life, much less my sons, given his past and current actions/behavior. I had even sent him an invite to my baby shower and he didn’t show up or send a gift. With no notice to me. He barely sees his other kids that live in the same town as I do, but he seems hyper focused to meet my son because he’s the first boy (my dad only had girls). He’s even referred to my son as “his boy.”
I’m tempted to contact him again finally and let him know my feelings and decision, so he can stop pestering my m and other relatives, who pester me. While I tried going the route of “needs no explanation,” it’s not working in my favor and it’s frankly getting on my nerves.
But just wanted some advice as to how to navigate the conversation, or if I even should.

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Hello! i hope everyone is doing well here. Long story short i befriended this user on smule 2 months ago, we’ve had our fair share of fun but she always seems obsessive with smule and would always find any little thing to argue about. i couldn’t join any of her friends without asking for her permission, i couldn’t interact with any of her friends without her getting mad, i couldn’t post invites that she also had open if i don’t join her, i have to block everyone she doesn’t like, i have to always agree with her side of the situation without listening to the other side and if i did she’d say that i am making up excuses for them and would get mad and start yelling in the 100+ voice notes she shares. i would be the villain in all of these instance and she is the victim in every situation. one person who’s friends with her asked her for permission to join me on an invite, he does, i commented and he likes the comment and duet. she goes on for hours crying about how he has never liked any of their duets and i told her that people use this app to escape but she’s making it hard to do anything because i feel like im being monitored. she’ll come to me and talk about how i have more joiners than her on the same songs and she will make it seem like i have control over that. i once told her that i can’t do it anymore and was ready to end the friendship there but she called me fake and cried on and on and on for hours and all i could do was apologize in the end when i did nothing wrong. for the past few weeks i’ve been mentally drained and everytime she complains to me about these small things that really don’t matter i get aggravated anytime because if i tell her that it’s really not that serious, she will bully me and make me feel like i’m a bad person for not caring as much as she does. i thought about it for a while and finally just blocked her on everything yesterday because it was getting to the point i was feeling suffocated and now she has been going around harassing my friends and calling me and them all sorts of names. I also recently found out that so many people have had issues with her because of how crazy she gets when things don’t go her way, blocking her isn’t enough because she will still find ways to harass my followers and i want to find out if it’s possible to have her account removed. Most of the people she’s harassing are barely teenagers and are minors with an exception of a few, she uses derogatory language about them and occasionally says the N word when she is not black. she is way older than these kids but is acting very immature and disrespectful. please let me know how i can report her to smule support, thank you for taking the time to read this.

When I was growing up, my parents moved us around alot. I have 3 siblings, 1 brother and 2 sisters. We moved around so much I met so many people but I never made any real friends, we stopped moving and stayed in one place for a few years, I made a "friend" there, later I realized he liked my older brother more than me, they were friends, not me. That was a real emotional punch.we all moved and than moved again, and again, and we finally made it to a place called tipton, we stayed there for 4 years, I made a real friend there, and even met a girl I really liked, but she didnt like me in the same way, how could she? Theres so many better, more interesting people around. Tword the end of our time living in tipton, my only friend got a girlfriend and she got pregnant. Thats about the time we stopped talking, He has a life to live now. My little sister at the time, she made some bad choices and met this guy colby, a nastly drug addicted pos, he turn this sweet innocent girl into a heroine using meth head, he knocked her up three times, and convinced her that all the choices she made were our fault. Alot of other stuff happened but shes not around anymore. My big sister moved out back then too, I was still just 17 maybe 18 at the time, my parents decided to buy a rv and leave tipton and took me and my older brother out of state, we went to Colorado. Lived there for 4 years and than went to nevada for 6 months and thanwe came back to our home state when mom and dad lost their jobs, I was never able to finish high school and never made any friends, for the last 5 years we have been traveling in the same old state and just living on what we had.
Whats really been getting to me for the last few years, Is all my life we have been moving, I never had a girlfriend, no romantic relationship, that girl I liked back in tipton, she told me I was too boring, and that I'm not good enough. All the females in the schools I went to mostly avoided me. Im convinced I'm never going to find anyone to be with. On top of that my dad has always been a drinker, lots of beer every night. When he dinks he kinda mentally abused and bully me, more so than when he wasnt drunk, and because of how I grew up I never learned to think fast enough to defend myself with words like most people do, again never had any friends to talk to lile that.
Most recently I moved in with my cousin, Lets call him J, he knows alot about my family and how I grew up, even saw some of it. So when we started talking again, he would ask questions about life, and honestly, I told him the truth about some of it. Him and his girlfriend M, got a home together and weeks later they invited me over to hang out, and we did that a few times, when I first walked into their home it felt lile I was finally back home, about 10 years of not living in a house. It feels different, the two of them said they were already talking about me moving in before I even asked them, so it was a easy yes, I guess. Been here for almost 2 weeks. Theyre the greatest couple I have ever seen.
Ofcourse seeing them be so romantic and stuff, its been hitting me even harder, how much I have always felt alone, been alone, how I will probably never be in a romantic relationship, and at this point thats all I want, its been so bad, I never really though about suicide before. But the months before I moved here It started coming to mind, and now everytime I see them cuddle up or kiss, I get a deep feeling in my chest, my mind feels like its going to fall apart. The other night I found myself just looking at nothing while deep in my thoughts running so many of my problems through my head I started crying. Had to be quite tho, didnt wanna get anyones attention in the middle of the night, I cant ever sleep well and lately its been getting harder and harder to eat.
I dont know what to do with myself. I cant bring myself to commit suicide, so thats off the table, too shy and scared of opening up to J or M even though their so easy to talk to. Theres the two of them and their kids, there so many around me now, I was a part of a family of six and now this family of six has invited me to be here. I still feel all alone.
I bearly get any sleep, I just wanna cuddle up with someone and fall asleep.

So for context -my partner and I have been dating for half a decade. Our relationship is strong and we are enjoying our time together immensely - he's the love of my life, my favourite laughing partner and just a really special human being I'm honoured to know so deeply. My MIL came accross as a strong personality but seemed delightful and embraced me at first. Over the last few years it has become suspected she has a personality disorder with her "incidents" and behaviour. My partner and I are planning on getting engaged this year and have had this timeline for a very long time. While this should be a very exciting time in my life - I am instead feeling worried, stressed, and down. This MIL is constantly bringing up the concepts of engagement, weddings, and babies at get-togethers which sure is fine but the thing is it feels like she makes an effort to leave me out of it. My partners brother is also proposing this year to his partner which have been dating a few years less than us (super happy for them). My partner also has another sibling that isn't planning on proposing anytime soon and is younger. I have a really good relationship with everyone else in the family including the father (says i'm like a daughter), the siblings, and the partners (we have become friends). My MIL is not only making the maintenance of these relationships hard, but she is making me feel like abolute crap on a consistent basis at family events with how she blatenly treats me poorly compared to others. Here's some examples:

• At family events the MIL will bring up the topic of marriage, babies, moving in, etc. talk about it happening for both other siblings and then completely disregard me and my partner. For instance recently she went on about who shes inviting to the one siblings wedding and then talked about how the other sibling (one not proposing anytime soon)'s would be and then (I kid you not) looked at me, said my partner and I's names and laughed.
  
• Im telling you at every.single. event. for the past 3 years from the first few months of them dating she is bringing up the other siblings future engagement and how they deserve it so much etc. Cute at first but its very very excessive at this point (and thats me underexagerating). Im talking about begging, and not letting the topic go when no one in the room is reciprocating. Not a peep has been heard about me and my partner in this half a decade of being in the family. - Would I every want it to the extent of the other sibling? no. Do i find it odd and a bit rude? Yes. especially considering the fact that she has known my partner is proposing this year.
  
• one day she brought down her mothers gold jewlery and was passing it to the other siblings partners and asking what type of ring she wants. Then when that sibling's partner asked me (attempting to include me in the conversation) and I showed pictures of the the ones I tried on and the MIL immediatly went quiet then interrupted and changed the conversation back to the other siblings partner. She acted like I wasn't there and afterwards the other siblings partner said they noticed too.
  
• when leaving a get together she went out of her way to hug every partner but me.
  

-When the other sibling's partners arrive an excited voice and questions about work/life are had. Meanwhile, when I arrive it’s a short embrace with very little effort/interest in my life anymore unless it has to do with something that impacts my partner like whether we are going to my house this weekend.

• After not saying a word to me in a room she calls over other siblings partners and has private conversations in the other conjoining room about non-private things.
  
• (this is wild that im even saying this) I noticed she covers our picture on the mantel up by either putting other siblings and their partners photos in front or a nick nack like a bible verse plaque.
  

Efforts I have made over the past few years that I think qualify me as a good DIL /her response:

• I have tried doing activities she enjoys with her -making an effort to let her know I care about her and her interests. - a lot out of my comfort zone.
  
• One of my love languages is gifts/acts of service (I don't expect it in return but I would think she would atleast treat me kindly) - I hand-made the whole family including partners sweaters (while other partners go nothing), every year I make the family yearly recap videos, I also make every family member including her birthday videos where I spend hours collecting photos, and videos from the past with their favourite music - started as something just for my partner but my FIL was so appreciative of it I thought i would do it for everyone. I do something special for her for international womens day and mothers day every year.
  
• I thank her in cards and have told her many times for raising very kind respectable humans.
  
• I ask her questions/ listen to her vents about conflicts with friends or family - (which btw she can be very negative about people).
  
• Myself and my partner both do the most activities with her and go out of our way to visit/help her the most. (ie. going shopping together, visiting her at work)
  
• I have cleaned her whole kitchen/ made food for the family on my own dime and time.
  
• Even when we first started dating and I was a broke university student - I would go out of my way to spend money on her and her family because i wanted to and I love them.
  
• When she would have mental "incidents" ie. leaving the house for a few days, calling family members really horrible names etc. I was the one who would speak sense to my partner and his siblings about how this is a mental health issue and she doesn't really mean it. - I have defended her at her worst.
  

Most recently:

• invited her to two outings/events things we have done together before - denied
  
• Asking her about life/work - not holding conversation
  
• Used to hug me good morning/goodbye - not anymore.
  
• Blatantly ignoring my prescence in the room when other siblings partners are there/not including me in conversation
  
• didn't respond to my mothers text and makes very little effort with my family (despite my family having them to our cottage and visiting/checking in - my dad and the FIL are friends) - meanwhile when we are in big groups she is constantly talkig about the other siblings partners parents and going out of her way to invite them to fancy dinners - buy them the most expensive bottle of wine etc. (bc she "wants to make a good impression"). - lol i guess my family wasn't important these past 5 years.
  I feel as though my family is treated as less important and I myself am treated as less worthy of engagement or marriage when I have tried my hardest to just be accepted and respected by their family. I have made many efforts to show my care and loyalty to their family but the events I used to look forward to have just turned into sour reminders of how vastly different I am treated.
  

Some of these things above I have cried, laughed, or both about. There are many more things she has done that have hurt me these past few years of our relationship which I haven't mentioned above by myself and my partner thought were unintentional at the time and not necesary to address. She has love bombed me before which has confused me and made me think i'm over reacting to feeling like she wasn't treating me well/ doesn't like me -but most recently its gotten to the point where I am crying when I get home from every family event because of how prominent her efforts to exclude and bellttle me are.
Me and my partner have great communication and have agreed on the implementation of boundaries such as increased distance if her behaviour progresses etc. and he has offered to say something but I am scared. No matter what, I will have to attend family get to-gethers and I am marrying into this family that I really do love. I get along with the siblings partners so well it's such a shame that her presence leads to her making me feel poorly around them because of how she acts/things she says. I have also suggested she gets more mental support but right now shes attending therapy alone where I don't think she is fully honesst about her incidents/treatment of others. My partner knows she is unwell and we are both upset and tired of this being a thing. I definitely don't want to be overly embraced and put on a pedestal but I think what shes doing currently takes more effort than just acknowledging me and treating me with an ounce of the kindness she gives the others. I am scared to get engaged after her reaction to hearing we have been ring shopping and I am also more scared about the concept of a wedding or having kids as I find she has a tendency to be controlling and I don't want my future kids to see their mom being treated like this or possibly be treated the same. That of course made my partner upset and now don't know where to go from here (hence me referring to reddit) but I know a life with this is not a happy one for me or my partner and I don't deserve it but I love the family and I do love her for who she may be when shes mentally more well and her perseverence in life.

Level Two

Picking up the golden egg and his Firebolt, feeling more elated than he would have believed possible an hour ago, Harry ducked out of the tent, Ron by his side, talking fast.
Good luck and remember that the theme this month is HP and the GoF!
“Mr. Diggory’s head rolled its eyes. “Says he heard an intruder in his yard. Says he was creeping toward the house, but was ambushed by his [dustbins].(https://arithmancy.ueuo.com/dustbins)”
Hints will be given in the private channels on Discord upon request. Tag @hint if your house is stuck and needs a hint to proceed. All hint requests will be logged in the #room-of-requirehint channel on Discord. Using hints will decrease your house’s hint bonus.
Work with your house to solve this puzzle. Puzzles should only be discussed in your house's Arithmancy Discord channel.
Links to the Reddit threads with your house’s Discord invite link: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin. (Note that you can only open these if you are a part of your house’s common room.*)
* If you would like to join your house’s common room, check here for instructions.
All students may participate even if you have not yet joined a common room. If a discussion has not yet been started in your common room, feel free to start one.
The answer will be a word or phrase. Submit your answer using this Google form. Each student may submit only ONE guess per level and may have only one Reddit account used for participating. You may only submit for your own house.
Every FIVE guesses, the current number of correct and incorrect guesses will be updated in this spreadsheet
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“On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.” ‭‭ John‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.2.1-11.ESV

The miracle indeed of our Lord Jesus Christ, whereby He made the water into wine, is not marvellous to those who know that it was God's doing. For He who made wine on that day at the marriage feast, in those six water-pots, which He commanded to be filled with water, the self-same does this every year in vines. For even as that which the servants put into the water-pots was turned into wine by the doing of the Lord, so in like manner also is what the clouds pour forth changed into wine by the doing of the same Lord.
But we do not wonder at the latter, because it happens every year: it has lost its marvellousness by its constant recurrence. And yet it suggests a greater consideration than that which was done in the water-pots. For who is there that considers the works of God, whereby this whole world is governed and regulated, who is not amazed and overwhelmed with miracles? If he considers the vigorous power of a single grain of any seed whatever, it is a mighty thing, it inspires him with awe.
But since men, intent on a different matter, have lost the consideration of the works of God, by which they should daily praise Him as the Creator, God has, as it were, reserved to Himself the doing of certain extraordinary actions, that, by striking them with wonder, He might rouse men as from sleep to worship Him. A dead man has risen again; men marvel: so many are born daily, and none marvels. If we reflect more considerately, it is a matter of greater wonder for one to be who was not before, than for one who was to come to life again.
Yet the same God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, does by His word all these things; and it is He who created that governs also. The former miracles He did by His Word, God with Himself; the latter miracles He did by the same Word incarnate, and for us made man. As we wonder at the things which were done by the man Jesus, so let us wonder at the things which where done by Jesus God. By Jesus God were made heaven, and earth, and the sea, all the garniture of heaven, the abounding riches of the earth, and the fruitfulness of the sea—all these things which lie within the reach of our eyes were made by Jesus God.
And we look at these things, and if His own spirit is in us they in such manner please us, that we praise Him that contrived them…

I 33F took my children to see my husband's family for mother's day. My daughter 6f let's call her Letty was playing with my 1yo daughter. My sister in-law asked her if she had wished her grandma a Happy mother's day. Letty responded, "No I have not wished Tammy (fake name) a happy mother's day."
My sister in-law immediately got on to her and told her that was disrespectful. Letty who is a spit fire and is just like my mother in-law much to my and my 35M husbands dislike responds, "I don't know her. She didn't even come to see us when my sister was born but came to see you when you had your baby." My sister in-law goes on a rant that "it doesn't matter she is your grandmother you should respect her." That's when I stepped in and said "Tammy moved away four years ago. Even making her husband fly to see her. She never comes here. We have tired contacting her, inviting her to things she refuses. She sent my husband a letter saying he ruined her life because she had him when she was 16. We then went NC with her for obvious reasons. I will not force my child to respect someone who did not earn her respect."
My sister in-law didn't say a word. She quickly changed the subject as her husband walked in. I figured it was over. Then my husband comes home and asked me what the hell happened. He works at a job that he cannot have his phone. I told him what happened. He calls my sister in-law and reiterates that he will not force his children to have a relationship with his mother, nor will he make them respect her. After an hour long conversation my sister in-law apologized but still insists that I am to blame.
My husband told me from now on when this happens to call him at work. He will handle it. His family has a history of taking things out on me. They know I don't have any family left as my parents and grandparents are all gone and my siblings live states away. He even called my brother to see if he will fly here to go to the family reunion Sunday in case my mother in-law decides to show up after not for 4 years.
So aitah for not correcting my daughter who called her grandmother by her first name when she has not seen her in 4 years.