Long day s journey into night monologue

This isn’t something I would normally post but I am hoping it’ll be cathartic for me. This might be a long one and a bit of a mess so feel free to skip if you’re not interested in the read.
I 28f up until last August I was in a relationship with who we’ll call ‘M’ 24f for almost 2 years. We met on hinge. In general I’m very shy and not very confident person, and definitely new to dating as I spent most of my teens and early 20’s in the closet due to internalized homophobia. So I don’t have much experience dating. That context is important for the story. By all accounts, M was probably out of my league, (that’s what I told myself, again I have zero self confidence ) she was attractive, smart, came from a good family and on the surface a nice girl. The beginning the relationship was fine, she was in uni for medicine and her school schedule was pretty demanding. We’d only see each other maybe one every month in the beginning of the relationship, I understood she was busy with school and honestly I was still feeling lucky that she chose me to date.
A few months go by and we still remain only seeing each other once a month because her school schedule was so demanding. This is when the red flags start to wave, her school schedule was so demanding yet she was in multiple choirs that she would sing in once a week. She made time for choir but when I asked to hang out I was made to feel like a bother. Plus she played DND with at least 2 different groups of people.
Early in the relationship we were in her car after she dropped me off I asked if we could see each other a little more and she had a strange reaction, I didn’t want to seem needy so I backed off and later apologized via text. She responded with; “sometimes I just like to be alone.” Which as an introvert; I get 100%, so I let it be. But like….we only saw each other once a month as it was…..how could you possibly be alone any more??? I was always the one to ask to hang out, always. And every time I did I would sheepishly ask if she had some free time that weekend to hang out, because I felt like such a bother to her. I’m not exaggerating when I say we would easily go 3-5 weeks without seeing each other in person. We would text every day. But seeing her in person was a luxury. But don’t worry she always had time for choir every single week. Twice a week. Or DND. But seeing her girlfriend was too much strain on her school schedule.
I was always the one to text first. Whether it was good morning, or saying good night. Later in the relationship I wouldn’t text her just to see how long it would take her to text me that day, most time it wasn’t until 3-4 pm that I heard from her.
We never had sex, we barely even kissed.(which isn’t really important to me but damn). It was so difficult to have alone time with her so there was quite literally never an opportunity for intimacy. Towards the end of our relationship we would watch the bachelorette with her mom at her place, so we never had alone time for the last 3 months of dating.
For both valentines days we were together I sent flowers and chocolate to her house. She didn’t get me anything. For my 27th birthday we went out with my friends, and a small part of me wondered if she would offer to pay for my meal. Nope. She also didn’t get me a birthday gift or even a card. Flash forward to Christmas I get her a 250$ makeup palette that she always talked about and a blanket from her favourite K-Pop band. I got an xbox gift card and a cookbook. I need to emphasize that I DO NOT CARE ABOUT presents, I just literally wanted any sort of acknowledgment that she cared about me at all. I also feel the need to point out she has money, both her parents are lawyers and they are very well off and she gets paid to go to school because her field is very specialized. I was raised by a single mother and while I have my own career now, I’m far from rich. But I always went above and beyond to make her feel special and she did the bare minimum. Sometimes not even the bare minimum. This next one really bothered me; its my 28th birthday and I hadn’t mentioned it was coming up. A sick part of me wanted to see if she would remember, I know it’s stupid to test people in a relationship but I was genuinely curious to see if she would remember. It comes the day of my birthday, and I don’t hear from her until 3:30 pm. “Happy Birthday!” That was it. I was floored. A couple days later she managed to squeeze me into her schedule and we go out for dinner. Again, didn’t pay for my meal. For her birthday we went to a nice restaurant and I paid for the entire fucking thing it was almost 150$. Don’t worry she got me an xbox gift card though……..
But the worst part, beyond not seeing each other was how she treated me and made me feel. In the beginning she was very nice and kind, but slowly I think her true colours came out. She’s very smart, but she needs to be right all the time. Like literally every single conversation she needs to come out as right. I was never allowed to have my own opinions, she would make me feel stupid and correct me every time. I’m a bit of a goof and like to be silly, but she would look at me like I was an idiot, if I did a pretend British accent she would criticize it and tell me to stop. In the end I felt like a shell of myself. I was terrified to say something stupid. She would call out every single thing I did, if I merged a lane early while driving, called out (that actually happened). If I wiped my mouth after every bite, called out. If I said something she would have to google it to prove she was right or at least prove that I was wrong.
I would participate in her family activities, like birthdays and holidays. Side note: her family is lovely. I got especially close with her mom. Her mother is a sweetheart, a lovely human being and she treated me better than her daughter ever did. Her mom and I even snap chatted every day. M wouldn’t open my snaps for days and I could see when she was online. As weird as it might seem, I would have rather hung out with her mom than her. There were a couple times when we were with her mom, that M would call me out on something trivial and even her own mother was picking up on the vibes.
I had convinced myself I really liked this person, once I told her I loved her. Why, I’ll never know. She responded with “thanks, I’m not there yet but thanks for telling me.” I was gutted. I didn’t love her. I never did. In the end I hated her.
I would lie to my friends about her and say I was happy, my mom liked her which was the worst part because it would break her heart if she knew how I was feeling and being treated. I would make it seem like I was happy and she was this lovely person, but deep down I was dying. Towards the end of our relationship I was hanging out with a good friend of mine and someone who helped me a lot through my journey of accepting my identity as a lesbian. She asked me about my relationship and how it was going, and I honestly couldn’t say anything positive. This was the first time I was honest with someone in my life about how unhappy I was and I wasn’t sure how to process it.
Eventually she broke up with me; she said she felt like she made me nervous and that I cared about her more than she cared about me. Initially it hurt, and I felt bad. But after an hour, I wanted to do a freaking backflip. I was elated to be free. For the past 2 years I had felt like less of myself than I had ever been. It was the worst 2 years mentally of my life. I had twisted myself up into this sheepish person who just felt lucky to be chosen by someone. My self worth was so low that I thought this was the relationship I deserved, that I would never find anyone else and I should just be grateful that she chose me.
As the title says I’m still trying to recover and heal. It’s been about 9 months since I last saw her and I’m working on myself. That relationship showed me how compromised my mental health was and that I need to take care of myself. I have been seeing a therapist. Now don’t get me wrong I have struggled with mental health my entire life, but those 2 years were the worst of it. I’m not dating right now because I want to focus on myself and my personal goals first.
I still feel very embarrassed for how I let her treat me and embarrassed that I didn’t know the relationship was toxic. If anything I learned a lot from this experience.
If you have made it this far props to you because this was kind of a hot mess and wayyy too long. But it’s been bothering me even more lately and I guess I just felt like this might help. Even if no one reads it.
She didn’t want a relationship, I don’t know what she wanted. She used school as a buffer to limit the amount she saw me. I feel bad for the next person she dates and I hope they come to their senses quicker than I did. I deleted her off everything and I hope to never see her again. In closing, I fucking hate her guts.

I had this long-standing issue with my boyfriend where he would use bigoted words and phrases to joke with his friends and i would repeatedly ask him to reevaluate the use of these words and ask him to stop. He never actually had any biases against the groups he would make insensitive jokes about but he did it for shock humor. This deeply bothered me as he was contributing on a small scale to the stereotypes and discrimination of these people. I have to say I seriously asked him to stop about 3-4 times and would casually mention it quite often.
Eventually this all culminated in a family trip I went on with him and his family. I impulsively decided to ask about if he’d made any progress with his vocabulary, and he admitted that he had been lying to me and never even attempted to change his behavior. I sobbed for hours and honestly looking back I would have ended the relationship if it werent for us having to see each other the remaining 3 days of the trip.
A lot of time has passed and he changed his behavior and I’m pretty sure he definitively stopped making offensive jokes, but i was looking through his old texts (with his permission) and found out that back then, he was not only lying to me, but also making fun of me with his friends. For example, one conversation i saw was along the lines of this:
His friends: is (my name) there?
My boyfriend: Nope!
(and then him and all his friends would make racist jokes)
Even though the problem has been resolved, seeing this has just opened new wounds and I’m slightly put off by the idea of even seeing him right now. It just hurts that he’d laugh at me like that while acting like he loved me. It makes me feel like he never took me seriously and makes me doubt that he even does now. Is it even worth talking about? It’s such old business and there isn’t even anything he could do about it because it’s in the past. I feel like it would be stupid to break up with him over this at this point.
Otherwise our relationship is pretty good. I don’t feel negative feelings when I’m with him and we get into an occasional argument but nothing that serious. He’s very loving but the biggest issue is that he’s very avoidant of his issues, and I think that included his hesitancy to change his vocabulary. Right now I’m having a similar issue with him where he keeps putting off attending therapy despite my repeated asking of him to. Should we break up? Should we take a break? Should i give him an ultimatum? Should I wait a little longer? I don’t know.
For context we have been together for about a year and a half and the argument we had on that family trip was 6 months ago.
TLDR: My boyfriend lied to be about trying to fix his behavior and made fun of me with his friends, but since changed his behavior. I’m just now realizing how messed up his behavior was and reconsidering our relationship.

Good evening from the UK! My name is Blossom, I turned 21 on Tuesday (life feels long and tiring) and I was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder at 20 years of age, last December. It is a more accurate diagnosis than when I was diagnosed with Schizophrenia at 18 years of age.
I don't really know what to say other than I don't like that my parents thought my disorder was because of my 6-year vegan diet, which caused them to peer pressure me into eating temporarily eating meat.
Continuing, I feel like a failure because I only barely passed my foundation year of University (the stress put me in hospital multiple times) and now that I have this diagnosis, I probably can't pursue my education further and or get a job, when it is expected of the population to have a degree/job. Though schizoaffective disorder is a disability, it's hard to view myself as disabled because I was functioning well at school until my first admission to hospital for psychosis shortly after my 18th birthday.
To be honest, I never complied with medication until my diagnosis of schizoaffective, as I believed the medication was poison and I had horrible side effects where it felt like I was dying. Despite taking medication, I attempted to take my life 5 weeks ago, due to feeling like a failure. I am casually suicidal and I think of dying everyday, however I feel like it is near impossible for me to have access to something that would successfully take my life in the UK.
I hope I can make deep connections with people on here who have been through similar because I am tired of being the only one with schizoaffective disorder; it feels like no one understands me. Thank you for taking the time to read this, have a great day/night!

The internet is a strange place, inadvertently designed to bring out the best and worst in people. People can be whoever or whatever they want to be. For predators and malignant narcissists and who live in their own delusions to begin with, it's like a hunting ground. They can create whatever persona they wish, fill their victims' heads with lies and half-truths that paint them out to be someone they are not, and by the time their victim actually meets them, it's too late - they've already created an image in their mind of this perfect person the narcissist has convinced them they are, and it usually takes time before the curtain comes down, the lies fall apart, and the mask breaks away.
I'm no saint, and I've learned my own tough lessons from the internet. I grew up under not-so-great circumstances, only getting 5 years of education before I turned 18 and was largely raised by a computer screen. Along the way, I catfished a woman in her mid-20's when I was 14-16 years old. It wasn't intentional at first, I told everyone that I was in my mid-20's and I worked as a bouncer at a bar in NYC. I never meant any harm, I was just raised by a computer and spent all my time alone playing MMOs and learned quickly that if I told people how old I was, they'd stop playing with me. So a bouncer seemed like a job I could bullshit about easily enough, and I was a big dude at 6'1 260lbs so I figured I could maybe pass it off as legit if it ever got hectic.
I started playing with this woman in her 20's and her husband frequently. We became friends fast, and soon we were virtually inseparable on the game. Her marriage ended up not working out, and after they separated she told me she had feelings for me. I should've admitted I wasn't who I said I was then, but I was young and dumb and she was the only real friend I had, so I kept up the ruse. Eventually I did come clean, and she broke it off with me not long after. We stayed friends, albeit with my heart hurting pretty bad, for a few months afterwards - until she met Jack.
When she first told me about Jack, he sounded like a great catch. He had his own IT business in Canada, was a couple years older but not by much, and she was infatuated with him. Obviously I was crushed and didn't handle it well, being a practically feral teenager at the time, so not long after they started getting serious she ghosted me altogether. I was around 17 at the time, and shit started going off the rails for me. After I got out of juvie, I started drinking heavily on a near-daily basis and selling and doing drugs. This led to a lot of pathetic, inebriated, desperate attempts to contact her and apologize for how I acted.
After months of being ignored, eventually grief and regret turned to anger, and finally acceptance. When the pain passed and I came to my senses a bit, I had an epiphany and realized that if I loved her as much as I thought I did, the best thing for both of us would be to let her go. I was a high school dropout with no job, selling drugs to get by. She had 2 kids, and what kind of life could I provide for them? She made the right choice, my age and the fact I made a grown woman fall in love with a teenager not withstanding, and as bad as it hurt I realized it was selfish of me not to accept the way things were and leave her alone, so I did.
10 years or so later, I had gotten my shit together. Worked my way up from cleaning dead shit out of swimming pools, to an entry level position at an environmental consulting firm, to a Project Manager at one of the largest firms in the field in the DC area. I'd met someone, got her pregnant, and for some reason I felt a pull to contact her again. Not to rekindle an old flame, but because she had been a tremendously positive influence on my life in a time where I had few. She was the first good thing I had in my life at a time when I was sleeping on old blankets on a hard floor in an abusive home, and what I'd held onto from our time together wasn't our romantic relationship, it was the best friend I'd ever had. And something made me want to tell her that all that work she put into getting my head right wasn't in vain, and I'd finally made it out of the gutter.
So I messaged her on Facebook, and to my surprise she actually responded. We started talking again, and soon it was back to every day. When my baby mama got back on drugs and turned abusive and was putting my daughter's life in jeopardy on a near-daily basis, she was the one who convinced me I could fight for custody - that I had to fight for custody. So I did, and I won, and I've had full custody of of my daughter since she was 6 months old and for the 10 years since.
But eventually we parted ways again. I'd started seeing someone, and part of me knew I couldn't commit to another woman while I was still carrying on with her. Our relationship had started turning romantic again, and she had dropped some hints about old Jack that would come to the forefront later, but she wasn't ready to leave him and I didn't want to be that guy, so I sent her a message explaining why we had to stop talking, apologized, and ghosted her.
7 more years went by after that night. The relationship I abandoned her for soured quickly when I found out that chick was a carbon copy of my baby mama, and I quit dating to focus on my career and raising my daughter. But on the long, 2+ hour commutes each way from work, I often found myself stuck pondering the "what ifs". What if I hadn't ghosted her? What if our age gap wasn't there, and we'd never had to split up to begin with? I knew in my soul I was never going to find someone like her again, but I made peace with it. I imagined her happy life, her kids with Jack, and convinced myself I made the right choice.
Then COVID hit, and near the start of it, I stumbled on a post on reddit about this dude who sent his high school sweetheart a message many years later apologizing for how he treated her and telling her how her presence impacted him, and I thought to myself, "Hey, I did that!". So I started writing a reply, and for the first time told the story of this girl and I. I'd never told a soul about what happened with us, not even my family or closest friends. Maybe it was the stigma of having an online relationship back in those days that carried over, or maybe it was just too personal to share with my friends or family. It got long, so eventually I just decided to start a new thread. When I was done, it was so long I figured no one would ever read it, but I hit submit anyway and put my phone down and got back to work.
Well, I was wrong. People did read it - a lot of people. Soon my phone started blowing up. Thousands of comments, hundreds of DMs, people offering me book deals and asking if they could have the rights for a screenplay or have me on their podcasts. It was fucking surreal, and being generally a private person who tries to fly under the rader, it got overwhelming fast. Eventually I reached out to her again on Facebook, warned her about what happened, and apologized for putting her business out there.
She didn't respond for a couple weeks, and when she did we started talking again almost immediately. And then in mid-April 2020, she told me that she needed to talk to me. She spilled everything, and told me exactly who Jack was. How he would hack into her devices to spy on her, threaten to kill her and her partner if she ever left him, say vile things to her and her daughters, calling the young girls cunts and bitches. How he alienated all her friends and family, and kept them all isolated in the house her parents bought them that he would rarely leave.
And I felt deceived too. All those years I'd convinced myself that she was happy, that she got together with Jack and was living the life she deserved. In reality, Jack intentionally got her pregnant not long after he flew out to her state the first time. He quickly moved into her house, and refused to work or provide not only for her kids or their kids, but for the other 3 children he abandoned in Australia and Canada who he had no relationship with, with 3 different women he victimized in the same manner. When she was 8 months pregnant with their first kid, she was working nights doing hospice care while he sat on his ass playing videogames all night and talking to his ex. In 17 years, this fucking loser with 7 kids by 4 women worked a grand total of 5 weeks, quit his job, claimed he got PTSD from the experience, and somehow manipulated his way into getting SSDI for it. They survived off SSDI and her parents' charity for years.
But Jack was reading all of this, because like I mentioned earlier, he was hacking her devices and watching us talk remotely. Jack knew the jig was up, and slowly started to unravel. She told him she wanted a divorce, and that she was not going to sever her friendship with me again. And he pretended to take that well, going as far as to try to befriend and manipulate me. He tried every trick to keep her he'd done for years - telling her he was going to get help and would change first, then when that failed he made suicide threats and somehow got his therapist to call her and tell her as long as she didn't leave him he wouldn't kill himself, and then he tried to intimidate her. Eventually he went off the rails completely and sexually assaulted her when he thought she was sleeping.
She called me from her parents' house crying the night it happened, and I convinced her to file a police report. She did, and a couple weeks later Jack got removed from the home, served with a protective order, and charged for sexual abuse. This of course did nothing to stop Jack - he broke into their house a couple days later when she and the kids were out to upload a folder of revenge porn to his Google Drive under the guise of wanting to drop off a cake for her birthday.
Then the stalking started. Jack would relentlessly message her all day and night on Facebook, switching between rage, trying to garner sympathy, convince her he would change, and threatening self-harm. We later found out via a cyber forensics report that he was hacking into the laptop she had taken with her while she hid at her parents' and had been so bold as to steal her Victim Impact Statement and send it to all his World of Warcraft buddies as a joke.
And he didn't just stalk her, he came for me too. Constant unauthorized attempts to access my accounts for everything from Windows to my bank, spam calls and emails - shit, the wormy little fuck even got his friends to stalk my social media and pretend to be strangers to gaslight me. I ignored all of it, and he got desperate enough to send me a lovely message attempting to extort and blackmail she and I, claiming he had "all my posts" but wouldn't do anything with them if I called him. The tipping point for me is when he subscribed to my small YouTube channel - which had nothing on it but 3 videos of my daughter. That veiled threat wasn't lost on me.
But Jack fucked up. I don't know if he thought his insane nonsense would scare me off, or if in his delusions he really thought he was the bad mother fucker he convinced himself he was, but Jack didn't know jack about me. I'm a crazy fuck too, and while he was sitting on his fat ass playing World of Warcraft all day every day for the past couple decades, I was selling drugs and hanging with some of the grimiest mother fuckers Baltimore had to offer. I've seen and experienced a lot of real violence outside a computer monitor, and the prospect of a violent resolution to this saga didn't phase me a whole lot. I'd spent years trying to be a better person and avoid conflict, but I sure as shit wasn't afraid of it either. Leading up to this point, I was already trying to calm myself down and talk myself off the ledge and not pack my guns and drive out there to keep watch until the police did their thing and put him away, which took a lot longer than it should have - this fucking guy violated his protective order 80 times in just a couple weeks.
So I called him, and he spent the next 26 minutes crying over the phone like a drunk little bitch, while I tried my best to be kind and to talk him off the ledge. And yes, I did record it, and yes it is hysterical listening to it now in hindsight, and yes I still have the recording. Anyway, I told him he was scaring the shit out of her and the kids, and he promised to leave us alone and I told him if he could chill the fuck out I would try to talk her into giving him more access to the kids. The next day, she got an email from her first ex-husband - Jack had reached out to him with a link to my reddit post trying to get help from him to come after me, which he promptly shut down and sent to her.
The next few weeks were terrifying as Jack descended further into madness and became more scared and desperate. He knew she was gone and not coming back, and he was facing real charges and real jail time, and while Jack is a fucking moron in a lot of ways, I'm sure he knew a fat, greasy computer nerd with a sex offense conviction wasn't going to have a good time in County. Jack was a murder-suicide waiting to happen, the police were doing nothing to stop his stalking, and I felt powerless to help her. Eventually after he sent her $50 over PayPal at 4:00am with what appeared to be a suicide note, I had enough. I called the DA's office, asked them why the fuck this was being allowed to happen, and promised them I'd been taking meticulous notes and if anything happened to her I would be taking it straight to the media. The DA told me if I was going to make threats the conversation was over, but sure enough he was finally arrested not long after.
Ironically we had remained platonic friends through most of this, but the shared experience of dealing with this psycho brought us closer together and things quickly changed. We knew he wasn't going to stop when he got out of jail, I felt responsible for her safety after my stupid reddit post started this chain of events that led to Jack's unraveling, and with the world seemingly coming apart during COVID, decided if we were ever going to meet it felt like it was now or never. So I booked a plane ticket across the country, spent a week with her and her family, and a few days after I came home she flew out to visit me and meet my family.
We went into it with no expectations. I fully accepted we might not click and our relationship would go back to being platonic. For my part, I just wanted the closure of finally meeting this person who had such a profound impact on my life before COVID mutated or something and killed us all.
But we did click, and the next two weeks were life-changing. I met and cooked for her entire extended family the day after I arrived, and it went well. While I was there I got her mom's email address, and after I went home I had an idea. I knew her parents had met in DC, so I emailed her mom and asked her for a list of places that were special to her, and she told me about the church her parents had met in. I asked her to keep our conversation secret so it would be a surprise, and she did.
So when she comes out to the east coast, I take her on a tour through DC and park the car a few blocks down the street from the church. As we're walking by, she notices the church and comments on how beautiful it is.
I keep it cool and respond, "Yeah, that's a pretty important place.".
She looks at me and says, "Oh? Why's that?".
"That's where your parents met.".
She audibly gasps, giddily bounces a bit, starts to cry, and we pulled down our masks (fuckin covid) and kiss. Her reaction is easily one of the greatest memories in my life. What I didn't know at the time, was that her parents had told her about that church since she and her siblings were kids. When the church changed denominations, the church took the angel statue off the top and brought it back to her home state, and her parents had taken them to see it a few times throughout her childhood.
Anyway, getting sidetracked here, the sappy love story stuff is a different story altogether.
A month after we met for the first time, I had quit my job, sold everything I couldn't fit in my sedan, and she flew back out and drove across the country with my daughter and I.
Sounds crazy as hell, and it was, but it worked out better than it should have. I got a good job making more than I did back home right away, her kids loved me, and my daughter loved her and adjusted to her new home fast. And by the time Jack got out of jail for felony cyberstalking, sexual abuse, and Intimidation of a Witness in a Domestic Violence case, we had cameras all over the house, and I had taught my fiancee how to shoot - which she quickly became better than me at.
But Jack's time in jail didn't slow him down, and the 2-10 year suspended sentence didn't deter him at all. As a matter of fact, on his first day out one of the first things he did was start trying to hack her accounts again. He managed to con an elderly couple he knew threw World of Warcraft from a different state into letting him live with them, and from there he spent a lot of time and energy stalking us and hacking our devices to the best of his ability. He also convinced these poor, very stupid elderly people from his videogame to bankroll a lengthy, expensive divorce. Somehow a man who hadn't worked in almost 20 years managed to run us into over $50,000 in legal fees in two years. How a marriage with zero assets turned into a two year battle when both parties were officially in poverty before the divorce, or how the family courts never saw through the bullshit is beyond me.
To Jack's credit, he did a pretty good job remaining a thorn in our side. Largely due to the complete and utter ineptitude and indifference of the police and District Attorney who could and should have put a stop to his bullshit at any point in that time. Old Jack got hit with a permanent criminal stalking injunction and a 10-year protective order along with his probation, and no amount of effort on our part would get the police, DA, or probation to put a stop to it, despite mountains of evidence.
He successfully managed to draw the divorce out right up to the wedding we planned a year and a half prior, with his attorney putting in motion after motion to delay the process. With all our family and friends coming from all over the country and as far away as Japan, we accepted our wedding would just be a celebration and not an official wedding. Until the night before the wedding, she got a call from her attorney - he had made a call to the clerk's office at the court and got her to move the paperwork to finalize the divorce to the top of the pile, and she was officially divorced. Our wedding would be a real wedding after all, and despite Jack's best efforts, he lost again. We had the wedding on a remote ranch that we rented for a week, and foolishly decided to cater and decorate ourselves, which would have been a colossal undertaking without the extra 4 hours to drive into town and get our marriage certificate at the courthouse. But we pulled it off and it was everything we could have hoped for and then some, and we were officially married.
Jack of course didn't stop after the divorce was finalized. The list of shit he tried to do to us before and after that is too long to spell out in an already too long post, but here are some choice bits:
He wrote a demented letter to the oldest of his kids with her who severed her relationship with him, calling my wife and her mother "vipers and cowards" and promising we would "answer for what we've done sooner or later".
He continuously hacked our computers, miscellaneous accounts tied to our emails, and any other devices he could get into - dropping in remotely via Amazon Alexa, phones, etc.
He set up bots to send us thousands of spam emails, sign us up for dozens of international newsletters all at once, and requests for consultations for things like solar panel installations.
He told the kids vile lies about my wife and I, although the most egregious was when he used a court-ordered therapy appointment with his second oldest daughter to accuse me of distributing child porn, told the therapist I am an "evil man", and told him I wasn't safe to be around his daughters. This led to her being forensically interviewed by the police, where she spelled out what happened, but of course they did nothing.
He gave the two youngest children cell phones to sneak into our house, with Google accounts activated and location tracking turned on.
He sent packages to our house 5 times in the space of a few months, one of which was addressed to himself and contained nothing but a bag of Stevia and a pack of gum. These packages generally came to our door the day before his scheduled visitation with the kids.
During this time my bank account was hacked four times in the span of just a few months with nearly identical fraudulent charges. In each of these instances, I had completely changed my bank account information.
He filed false reports with CPS twice, alleging we were beating the children, locking them in the closet, and not feeding or bathing them. This led to a CPS agent coming to our house to investigate.
We brought all this to the police over and over as it happened, and they did nothing. The DA running the case wasted 5 months subpoenaing a fake email address that we told them when we reported it was fake and spoofed. After finding out about that, we went to the DA's office to find out what the fuck was going on. A Victim's Advocate met with us, and was horrified about how the case was handled, looked up the prosecutor assigned to the case, rolled her eyes and said "Oh...it's Stephanie", confirming what we already knew - this prosecutor was completely incompetent, an elect3d politician moonlighting as a prosecutor. She called us the next day to tell us the actual DA called a meeting and a warrant was put out for Jack's arrest. For some inexplicable reason, they pulled the warrant back, and the advocate told us it was because the DA was pursuing more serious charges.
Then, they stonewalled us. The Victim's Advocate we had met with that actually tried to help us was moved off our case, and the new one assigned refused to talk to us or return our calls. The few exchanges we had with her, she made it abundantly clear she had the DA Office's interests in mind and not ours. We decided to just stay quiet and let the process play out and hope for the best, up until we received an email on Friday night before Election Day from the Detective telling us Stephanie had closed the case. I assume she didn't want her incompetence coming to light, and didn't want to shut the case down before Election Day knowing we would be on the warpath.
Eventually, Jack caught wind that he was officially under criminal investigation, but clearly had no idea they were never going to press charges. He got quiet for a bit, until he was ultimately let off probation early. We still get the occasional reminder he's out there watching, but his fear of going back to jail and the belief it might happen cowed him a bit. So instead he harasses us through the family courts, filing constant bullshit motions with no evidence to support them, and for some reason the courts let it continue. Somehow a man who makes ~$800 from SSDI and is only paying $30 a month total to support his 3 kids with my wife is able to fund tens of thousands of dollars worth of legal proceedings every year, and no one in the family courts has ever stopped to ask how he is paying for it or why all this money isn't being spent on supporting these children.
But despite Jack's best efforts, his bullshit hasn't worked. My wife and I have been together for four years soon, and married for two. His kids call me dad and hate his guts, only seeing him because the courts force them to. I continue to advance in my career, landing two major promotions in the past 2 years and now running a division in one of the largest companies in my field in this part of the country. I just enrolled in college to go back to school and get a degree in family law with a focus on domestic violence. The most frustrating part of the whole experience with ol' Jack was having no one to turn to when all the institutions who were supposed to keep this from happening ignored us, and even though I'll be well into my mid 40's before I accomplish my new goals, I plan to advocate for domestic violence victims and do everything I can to lobby for change to these laws to keep as many people as I can from going through what my wife and I did. I learned that the only way to beat these people at their game is to play on the same field right along with them, and that's what I intend to do.
My wife went back to work too once she healed from some of the trauma, making $30 an hour as a personal assistant for a fella who's had two movies made about his life. Our kids struggled a bit with school and dealing with all their biological parents' issues, but they quickly turned it around and have been excelling. We're all happy, healthy, and doing better now than ever.
As for Jack? Well, he's pushing 50 and still spending his days alone, playing World of Warcraft and jerking off in this old couple's basement. Nothing has changed there, and now he's too fat, old, and visibly an enormous fucking loser to victimize women in the same way he did in his youth. I have no doubts he'll find another victim eventually, probably when these old weirdos bankrolling his life now finally wise up, but one thing Jack forgets is that karma is a mother fucker, and I have a giant database of evidence that I can and will send out to whoever I please to help pull that mask down and keep him from doing this to someone else. Nothing is more appealing to a potential love interest than hearing their man cry like a drunk bitch for 26 minutes to the man he claims stole his wife, while simultaneously admitting to sexually assaulting said wife.
As wonderful as it would have been for Jack to go to prison where he can't hurt anyone again, there is some catharsis knowing Jack will forever be in a prison of his own making. His children want nothing to do with him, and he'll never see them graduate or walk them down the aisle. Jack will die miserable and alone, and in his narcissistic delusion will still be blaming everyone else for the colossal failure of his life, while continuing to fail to grasp the one thread that ties all his misery together - himself.
And since he somehow manages to find and stalk most of my social media, I'd wager Jack will end up reading this too. I hope he does in all honesty. And Jack, if you are reading this, I want you to know that you can kick, flail, manipulate and lie, cry and complain until you're red in the face. None of it matters. You don't matter. You'll leave this world alone, as sad and bitter as you are now, and the world will be a better place for it.

So, I've got this classmate who's been treating me like garbage since forever. She's part of my friend group, which just makes it all the more annoying. She's always throwing shade, making rude comments, and generally just being a pain.
One day, after a physics exam, I managed to nail a tough question that most people got wrong. When I shared the good news with my friends, they were all impressed except for her. Nope, instead of being supportive, she decides to rain on my parade with a snide remark about hoping I'd fail. Classic.
Fast forward to our final year of high school, and our class moves to a new floor with new seating arrangements. This girl suddenly becomes obsessed with snagging the front seats, but she's always late, so they're always taken. Guess who she decides to pick on? Yep, me and my friends.
On the first day of the second week, I arrive early and claim my usual spot., I was already pissed. I knew I'd have to endure her daily tantrums again, but little did I know she was about to cross the line
As usual, I arrived early to secure my usual spot. When she arrived and demanded I move, I did not. That's when things took a turn for the worse. She erupted into a full-blown tantrum, yelling and screaming at me. In her fit of rage, she even grabbed my bag and threw it on the ground. I was so shocked I froze.
Later, my friends and I decide to teach her a lesson. We report her behavior to the counselor, detailing how she's been bullying us for the front seats. Initially, the counselor doesn't seem too bothered, but when she hears about the bag incident, she's suddenly all ears. She asks us to call her in office. We go to her and the moment she knows we reported her to the counselor ,she starts crying refusing to move and starts cussing us. She even declared that she doesn't consider us her friends anymore, which was funny coz we never considered her as our friend.
"Long story short, the counselor drags her out of class. She sits in counsellor s office , her parents were called and she was in real trouble. Now, no one talks to her, and she sits all alone, isolated from everyone everyone is out casting her and avoiding her . Everyone literally praised us. And while part of me feels a bit guilty, This was incredibly satisfying.

hello fellow users, this is my not first post in Reddit and i actually posted this a few months ago but i used the wrong wordings (i was not mentally stable) so a lot of people attacked me (yes i did re-read what i wrote before and the wording was horrible). I'm okay now and definitely more mature than before, understood human morals and yk those deeper than my asshole shit?? Anyways, i wanna know if i overreacted, so storytime :
So a few months ago, I've realised that my classmates don't seem to like me. Never knew why, they are just a bunch of rude, inconsiderate bitches. Literally the most attention seeking people I've ever seen. They would sometimes do stuff out of their way just to get people's eyes on them. I am one of the outcasts in my class, I don't join the popular girl groups and in fact i hate getting attention bc it stresses me out (have social anxiety). The only good thing about me is that I get top grades in English and i guess that's what I'm only known for. That's also one possible reason why my classmates never liked me. It's also kind of weird since one of THOSE classmates get good grades and everyone liked her for it, kinda unfair to me (if you get what i mean). Nevertheless, I never gave a single shit and they also see me as an invisible person. I don't know but one if my girlfriends told me that i look cold so i guess that somehow scares the shit out of my classmates? but whatever, that's just the background info.
Let's get into some details about the main point of this post. In January, there was a dodgeball competition. At first i was hesitant in joining, 1) i am the definition of self-isolation from any public events bc it's kinda useless to me, 2) the biggest bitches in my class joined. However since my friends wanted me to join with them i reluctantly agreed. After trying it out privately with my friends, I had taken a liking in dodgeball. I am good at dodging, which is quite a surprise to myself. I just enjoyed the fun of it overall. I practised with my classmates and things were pretty good so far. We were having fun. Until. Me and my classmates had a friendly match tgt. We got into groups and it started off pretty well. However, not long later, I was the last one standing, which was something not expected bc i thought i would lose immediately. But finally, after a good 10 minutes, i did manage to win against the other team, which was something never expected. So yk, i thought a small "congratulations" to me was probably the least you can do after any sort of competition or like a "good job" to your teammates? What they did instead, they went onto the more popular teammates and comforted, praised them for their hard work as an outfielder. Side note, the popular classmates did almost nothing but got eliminated on the first minute. I know and knew it was childish and weird of them and myself for expecting a single word from them but i was kinda disappointed that no one even said anything to me before and after the matches.
I was like whatever and just let it go bc they didn't know me so well. UNTIL ONE DAY.
Again, one friendly match and started a new round. It went on good so far until i tripped. Let me tell you when i tried to stand up, i felt a sharp pain in my left knee, like a needle. My classmates just stood there, said absolutely nothing and continued the round when i stood up. IN MY OPINION, helping someone out when they fall down is the least you can fucking do. However that rlly made me wonder if i did something wrong in the process, including the fact that i fell down etc.
I did not have a mental breakdown until when one of friends (one of my friends who joined the competition with me) told me that someone made fun of me of always falling down (yes i did fall down multiple times cuz i have a specific way of dodging that is prone for me to fall down) and even said shit basically saying how I'm not qualified to be in the competition. That was completely over my line and cried in bed that night.
I did absolutely nothing to them and i didn't expect them to do this to me. They also did other shady and shitty shit but i cant type them out in one post.
Right now, i kinda got over it but i can never forgive them for what they did to me and especially to my friends. But i wanna know if im the A.H. here. Thank you ! ! sorry for any typos, my keyboard is rigging lmao.
For those who are wondering how old i am, I'm 13.

I am 27w and was diagnosed with pretty severe anemia a few weeks ago. I tried iron supplements and eating iron rich foods for 3 weeks, but my follow up blood work showed my levels getting worse :( so I am starting infusions soon.
The main problem I am having is that I am very fatigued and have little to no energy to put into my job. I work in a competitive corporate role where “drinking the kool aid” and doing presentations about my strategy to basically peacock my work around is the norm in addition to doing my actual day to day job. I am fine doing the day to day honestly, but I simply can’t find the mental capacity or energy to put these presentations together and then actually present them. I feel like I am in a constant state of brain fog and can’t focus enough to put this information together. I’m supposed to have a huge presentation next week, and I haven’t even started it.
My boss is a young single man who has no interest in discussing my pregnancy or the issues I’m struggling with. He doesn’t react negatively when I tell him I have appointments or I’m not feeling well, but I suspect that is due to him having to be HR appropriate. His reactions are very stoic and I can tell he’s not happy with me having to be out even for a regular OB appt. He’s even asked me to take my laptop to my iron infusions so I miss less work. He also is acting like I’m not going to be out of the office soon for several months and keeps asking me to pick up work that is long term and will require attention while I’m out (they also have nobody to cover me).
All that said- how would you go about (if you would) handling this? I’m considering asking my doctor to write a work accommodation note but I don’t know how that will go over or what it would even say. I physically and mentally feel l like I can’t handle what my boss is expecting of me right now being in my 3rd tri and struggling with severe anemia, but I don’t know what to do :(
Thanks in advance!

21 Female looking to make more gaming friends. I need more friends, love the ones I have but I'm looking to make more that are available more often. I'm usually busy during the day but I game during the nights (CST timezone).
I play on XBOX SERIES S and NINTENDO SWITCH. Hoping to add a Meta Quest again when I can :]
I play games like: Fortnite, Grounded, COD MW3, Dead By Daylight, Minecraft, Stardew Valley, Red Dead Redemption Online, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and Vr Chat.
Me personally, am not very judgmental when it comes to personal beliefs or religious (I am spiritual but not religious). As long as it isn't hurting anyone I could care less (unless you're a p3d0, Z00, r@cist, h0m0phobe etc.)
LGBTQ+ friendly, I myself am bisexual and demisexual using she/they pronouns (Idc if you use they, it's more of an option).
I consider myself to be nerdy/geeky due to my knowledge on some media's timeline or lore. Even hyper fixating on things at random amount of time, I call myself a fixation jumper for that.
I am an artist, I love to show my work off to people when I can :]

Some years back I heard a quote from Viola Davis where she was talking about her husband and how God helped her meet her husband. She mentioned that she wrote a list of every quality she was looking for an partner and God soon delivered that for her. I wrote this list very intentionally thinking about exactly who I would want my partner to be and which characteristics and qualities I envision in a partner for the rest of my life. that was two years ago. For the past two years, I have not been dating (unwillingly) so I haven’t been meeting new guys. I asked a friend about one of her friends, and she set us up on a date. That was last week. Normally I would feel a sense of anxiety, dread, nervousness before a date, and I was expecting to given that I have not been on a date in two years. However, leading up to the hours before we met, I felt a sense of ease. I felt like I was just getting ready to go see a friend. I knew I was going on a date, but it didn’t feel like I was going on a date, if that makes sense? I get there and, he is the most gorgeous man I have ever seen in my life thus far. I felt like we had a great date. We had tons of great conversations, we share the same humor, and there was a lot of flirting. I wasn’t delusional about this at all, but the more I got to know him on that date the more I started realizing, this man has all the qualities I asked for that I wrote down in that list two years ago.
And just when I thought things were going, well, I innocently tell him I haven’t been on a date in two years, and he totally freaks out, saying it was too much pressure for him, and that we should stop seeing each other. I took a gracefully and didn’t fight back. However, I was very upset that night, but after seeing a friend the next day , I don’t feel sad? Obviously, I’m not happy that he decided he didn’t want us to keep seeing each other, but I’m not sad. For context normally when I would be sad, I would be entirely obsessive over a situation. I would cry about it I would think about it all the time, and not to say I’m not thinking about him, but I don’t feel sad when I do. For some reason I feel natural and I even catch myself grinning sometimes. That being said, though, I’m not sad that he decided not to see each other anymore, I do feel angry at God. I wrote about it in my journal last night and so a lot of the initial feelings I had last night had wore off by now, but I do want to get others perspective on this. It feels like God gave me a taste of exactly what I asked him for only to yank it back and say “joke’s on you”.
I guess I just need some perspective on this. As I’m still quite early in getting back to my faith, and I still haven’t made sense of where I fit into Christianity, I would love others perspective on this.
Thanks.

Our 1.6.7 update is here! Coming to The Angler are some quality of life updates and heavily requested community features!
Let’s dive into the details!
FEATURES & QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVEMENTS
With Multiple Fish Baiting, more than one fish will attempt to bite your bait, making for a more realistic fishing experience.
When choosing a reserve, you will have access to the Time of Day Selection menu. You can select between Any, Morning, Daytime, Evening or Night.
Dev Team’s Note: When playing Online and you select a time of day they would like to play at, the game will do its best to place you at the selected time. If there are no slots available at the selected time then it will place you at the closest previous time slot available. Example: If you select night time but there are no servers available, you should be placed into the closest slot available which should be Evening. When Playing offline you will always be placed into your selected time of day.
The Fish Viewer Screen in the Handbook has been updated to allow you to look at our amazing fish models in full 3D! Dev Team’s Note: If you go to the handbook, you can now use your mouse or controller to rotate the fish models.
PATCH NOTES

• PS4/PS5 online multiplayer setting ON/OFF now correctly saves state after rebooting the game
• You will now see a message in the top right of the screen when your game is syncing Time of Day to the server
• You will now see a status of online/offline in the top right of the screen to indicate your multiplayer status.
• Fixed a crash where the game would occasionally crash when you take out your rod after being respawned in a 'safe' location
• Many more bug fixes and quality of life updates have also been added.

Tanzania beckons with the promise of unforgettable adventures. From the vast savannas teeming with wildlife to the majestic peak of Kilimanjaro, this East African nation offers a unique blend of natural beauty and cultural richness. But what if you crave a touch of elegance alongside your exploration? Look no further than Happy Moment Tours, your gateway to a Tanzania luxury safari unlike any other.
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• Exclusive Itineraries: We don't believe in one-size-fits-all experiences. Our expert travel consultants work closely with you to design a Tanzania luxury mobile safari that aligns with your interests and preferences. Whether you dream of traversing the iconic Serengeti or exploring the remote beauty of the Ruaha National Park, we'll curate the perfect itinerary for you.

Discover the unparalleled freedom and exclusivity of a mobile safari, where your luxurious camp moves with you, offering unparalleled access to the heart of Tanzania's wilderness.

• Unparalleled Comfort: Imagine yourself unwinding after an exhilarating day on the savanna in a luxurious tented suite. Our carefully selected camps boast spacious living areas, plush furnishings, and ensuite bathrooms, ensuring you remain pampered throughout your journey.
  
• Exceptional Service: Our dedicated team of safari guides and camp staff are passionate about Tanzania and committed to providing exceptional service. From insightful commentary and expert game drives to impeccable attention to detail, they'll ensure your Tanzania luxury safari is an experience you'll cherish forever.
  

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Our Tanzania luxury safaris go beyond the standard game drives. We can incorporate unique experiences to make your adventure truly unforgettable.

• Hot Air Balloon Safaris: Soar above the savanna plains at dawn, witnessing the vastness of the Serengeti unfold beneath you as the golden light bathes the landscape.

Witness the magic of the Serengeti from a breathtaking perspective with our Tanzania Hot Air Balloon Safari adventures.

• Private Dinners Under the Stars: Enjoy a gourmet meal prepared by a private chef under the canopy of a star-studded sky. Imagine the romance of a private dinner for two or the camaraderie of a shared experience with friends and family.
  
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Tanzania beckons with the promise of unforgettable adventures. From the vast savannas teeming with wildlife to the majestic peak of Kilimanjaro, this East African nation offers a unique blend of natural beauty and cultural richness. But what if you crave a touch of elegance alongside your exploration? Look no further than Happy Moment Tours, your gateway to a Tanzania luxury safari unlike any other.
Immerse Yourself in Opulence: Curated Tanzania Luxury Safaris
At Happy Moment Tours, we understand that luxury is more than just fine accommodations. It's about crafting a seamless experience that caters to your every desire. Our Tanzania private luxury safaris are meticulously designed to provide the perfect balance of adventure and relaxation.

• Exclusive Itineraries: We don't believe in one-size-fits-all experiences. Our expert travel consultants work closely with you to design a Tanzania luxury mobile safari that aligns with your interests and preferences. Whether you dream of traversing the iconic Serengeti or exploring the remote beauty of the Ruaha National Park, we'll curate the perfect itinerary for you.

Discover the unparalleled freedom and exclusivity of a mobile safari, where your luxurious camp moves with you, offering unparalleled access to the heart of Tanzania's wilderness.

• Unparalleled Comfort: Imagine yourself unwinding after an exhilarating day on the savanna in a luxurious tented suite. Our carefully selected camps boast spacious living areas, plush furnishings, and ensuite bathrooms, ensuring you remain pampered throughout your journey.
  
• Exceptional Service: Our dedicated team of safari guides and camp staff are passionate about Tanzania and committed to providing exceptional service. From insightful commentary and expert game drives to impeccable attention to detail, they'll ensure your Tanzania luxury safari is an experience you'll cherish forever.
  

Beyond the Expected: Unique Experiences for the Discerning Traveler
Our Tanzania luxury safaris go beyond the standard game drives. We can incorporate unique experiences to make your adventure truly unforgettable.

• Hot Air Balloon Safaris: Soar above the savanna plains at dawn, witnessing the vastness of the Serengeti unfold beneath you as the golden light bathes the landscape.

Witness the magic of the Serengeti from a breathtaking perspective with our Tanzania Hot Air Balloon Safari adventures.

• Private Dinners Under the Stars: Enjoy a gourmet meal prepared by a private chef under the canopy of a star-studded sky. Imagine the romance of a private dinner for two or the camaraderie of a shared experience with friends and family.
  
• Cultural Encounters: Gain a deeper understanding of Tanzania's rich culture by visiting a local Maasai village or participating in a traditional dance performance.
  

Tanzania Awaits: Book Your Dream Luxury Safari Today
Are you ready to embark on a Tanzania luxury safari adventure that will leave you breathless? Contact Happy Moment Tours today. Our travel specialists are eager to discuss your dream itinerary and craft a personalized experience that surpasses your expectations. Let us turn your vision into reality – contact us today and start planning your unforgettable journey to the heart of Tanzania's splendor.
P.S. Don't forget to check out our special offers on Tanzania luxury safaris! We offer competitive rates without compromising on quality or service.
Book Your Tanzania Luxury Safari Now!

Ravens fan here. We attended last year's Ravens-Titans game. What we learned from attending NFL Europe game last season
1. Register on the NFL Europe website early and often. Have various family members register on the NFL Europe site, using different email addresses. Note that each team’s season ticket holders get first dibs on tickets before they go on sale to the general public. DO NOT pay ticket brokers for tickets, they are massively overpriced and not worth it. You can always get a ticket cheaper, right up to game day. Our tickets went on sale in mid-June. Actually, registering early doesn’t matter, for the next reason:
2. Everyone will be tossed into a queue randomly the day tickets go on sale. Have all family & friends report their place in the queue, and go with whomever gets in first. Important note: The ticket site is hosted by NFL Europe. They will show you the start time for purchasing in Greenwich Mean Time. Make sure you convert that time to your time zone. For us it was 7 am EDT. Once you get online and into the queue, DO NOT LEAVE. This is an easy way to get bumped. I had my daughter watch my place in the queue while I was at work, and had her buy the tickets.
3. Speaking of the queue, do not blow a gasket when you see your spot is #229,767 in the queue:
a. All 5 NFL Europe games go on sale all at once;
b. Like you, everyone registered with 5-10 different email address and family member name combinations;
c. That number literally was our spot in the queue, and we cleared the queue in 90 minutes and got tickets.
d. Be ready to make an instantaneous decision – Don’t mess around trying to get a better seat. They go fast. We ended up getting 4 seats, not together, but in the same section.
e. If you miss out, don’t worry because plenty of fans sell them back as the Summer progresses.
4. Book air travel as soon as you know you have tickets. When you fly into London (recommend Heathrow), take the Underground right into Central London. The station is right at the Airport outside baggage claim. It’s a 45 -60 minute trip into Central London. When returning to the airport, make certain that you are getting on the line that goes to Heathrow. There is also a Heathrow Express train, but it’s only 15-20 minutes faster and costs a lot more than the Underground. Buy an Underground pass at a kiosk in the airport outside baggage claim.
5. The hotel situation in London is great, we had no issues getting a room. Recommend booking the hotel early, since you can always cancel if you don’t get tickets or change your mind. If I can make a recommendation that is convenient to a lot of attractions, including the underground to get to Hotspur stadium, check out this hotel: https://arosfalondon.com/ We had NFL fans from across Europe staying at our hotel.
6. Speaking of which, stay in Central London. Make a week out of it. The NFL and the teams usually have a week-long celebration around the city. Access to the stadium is easy via the Underground.
7. Usually the local soccer clubs are typically on break the week of NFL Europe games, and those tickets are a tough get anyway. But if you have a favorite club, schedule a tour of their stadium. It’s worth it.
8. Speaking of Stadiums, Hotspur Stadium is one of the newest and is massive. It is all enclosed around the seating areas. But the roof is open, and most seats are covered. Do not worry about the weather on game day. Sweat pants and a sweatshirt/game jersey was more than adequate. Getting to and from the Underground, however, you will be exposed to the elements. Do not bring an umbrella, wear a rain jacket if rain is in the forecast.
9. You will see jerseys of all 32 NFL teams represented at the game. Over a third of the fans are from the UK or Europe. They are just there to see “proper football”, as the person sitting next to me said. The fans get into the game, and have a really good time. The people surrounding us bought us beers and sang much of the game. It’s a ton of fun.
10. On game day, take the Tube to Hotspur Stadium. It’s about a 10 block (.75 mile) walk to/from the stadium. You can ride a bus to the stadium from the Underground, but do not expect it on the way back. The atmosphere surrounding the stadium is amazing. The stadium is surrounded by activities, including a lot of people who don’t have tickets, but are there for the spectacle. Eat a good brunch/lunch before going. Do not expect to be able to get seated at a restaurant near the stadium. And do not expect great food in the stadium, it was a major disappointment.
11. Upon conclusion of the game, it will be a massive river of people heading for the tube. I do not recommend taking the Overground train to leave, the queue can be quite long. Instead, just follow the flow of people to the regular underground stop 10-11 blocks south of the stadium. Don’t worry, the long line goes surprisingly fast. And the fans are still having a good time.
12. Feel free to ping me if you have questions!

PART ONE THOUSAND AND TWELVE
[Previous Chapter] [The Beginning] [Patreon+2]
Sunday
Lucas stretched and yawned in bed, taking a moment to enjoy the complete lack of needing to rise before his hand stretched out in search of Boyd.
And once again, that side of the bed was empty.
Biting back a whine of dismay, Lucas rolled until he was face down on Boyd’s pillow, breathing in the cologne they both now wore. The detective in him quickly deduced that Boyd had been gone a while based on the chill in the sheets. He curled his hands around the pillow and hugged it tight, wishing it was the big mountain of a man himself instead of this weak substitute.
As thrilled as he was about Boyd finding a new career that he was so passionately driven about, he was equally happy that his fiancé took his responsibility to his clients seriously. Still, would it have killed him to sleep in just one morning instead of abandoning their wrecked bed the morning after their engagement party?
After several minutes of wallowing, he finally accepted the inevitable that no amount of wishful thinking was going to make Boyd appear and climbed out of bed. He removed his snore rings and took a quick shower.
Once he was dressed, he felt a little better.
The next thing he had to do was strip down the bed and remake it. They’d been very busy last night, which was why he’d only just woken up at—his gaze fell upon the clock— DAMN! It’s nearly lunchtime!
“I’m gonna kill him for letting me sleep in so long,” he muttered under his breath, carrying the linen through the apartment and into the kitchen, which doubled as a laundry on their end. After nine years of living in this layout, he didn’t need to see over the pile in his arms to know precisely where he was, and with the load balanced on one arm, he turned at the right moment, opened the massive frontloading washing machine and stuffed it all in.
“Hey, Unca Luke!” Maddy’s shrill voice had him leaping into the air, slamming the door shut and swivelling around in front of it to hide the evidence. “Didja pee the bed?”
His brother and his niece were sitting at the island, Maddy with her breakfast of honey-and-cream-covered waffles, which were only half-eaten, and Levi patiently waited for her to finish since the plate in front of him was empty. The latter was grinning at him as only a brother could.
He’d forgotten all about them staying over.
It took a hot second for what Maddy asked to register with him, and when it did, his mouth dropped, and he glanced at his brother, who was twisting himself into a pretzel to avoid laughing out loud. Asshole. “No, Peaches,” he said, glaring daggers at Levi for not even trying to help him out. “Boyd and I like clean sheets every day, and it’s not fair to make somebody else wash them for us, is it?”
Bright red ringlets of hair swayed as the little girl shook her head. “Daddy makes me fix stuff too.”
Lucas moved the three feet between the washing machine to his brother sitting in Mason’s seat at the corner. “That’s because Daddies always know what’s best.” He wrapped an arm around his brother’s neck in a loose chokehold and gave him a noisy morning kiss on the cheek. “Ain’t that right, Daddy?” He said that last word in a sultry purr the way Robbie would, and the reaction from Levi was priceless.
“Fuck off with that shit, you prick!” his brother swore, shoving Lucas away with all his might.
“DADDY!” Maddy squealed in horror, and Lucas clapped his hands together once behind Maddy’s chair and raised his clenched fists in victory. He’d been angling for one swear word, maybe two to distract young Maddy from his not-so-discreet linen run. Three was a veritable home run.
Snickering quietly to himself, he went back to the washing machine, loaded it up with soap and softener and turned it on. Then, he walked over to the wooden box under the window. ‘Just think what you want,’ Charlie had told him at the party. ‘It’s a Nascerdios box that Robbie fills up throughout the night.’
He stared hard at the box while he considered his options, settling on a plate of breakfast tacos with seasoned mince, fried eggs, tomatillos, shredded lettuce, and cheese wrapped in soft tortillas buttered with a thin spread of mashed avocado.
After the last month, it didn’t surprise him in the least when he opened the lid and found that exact meal sitting there, waiting for him. Maybe the quantity, since they were piled three high, but not the meal itself.
The same could not be said for Levi when Lucas turned around with the plate in his hand. “Robbie had that ready for you too?” he asked, as Lucas grabbed a glass from the cupboard and placed it and the plate in his regular sitting place adjacent to his brother before sliding into his seat. He knew Levi wasn’t questioning Viola since the box itself was made and gifted by someone with the last name Nascerdios.
The veil was an ass.
“I told you; he did most of the catering yesterday, too,” Lucas said, reaching for the jug of juice. He was curious what it would be today. Yesterday, it had been orange and mango juice, with apple the day before.
A quick sniff made it most likely grapefruit.
He tightened the roll on the first taco and lifted it to his lips, enjoying the flavours that exploded in his mouth. Because Levi had finished whatever had been on his plate, he was watching him eat as if he’d never seen it before. It finally clicked why. “You want to try one?” Lucas asked, nudging his plate towards his brother. “There’s plenty here if you want one. Too many, if anything.”
Levi didn’t need to be told twice and reached over, using his fingers just as Lucas had. “How did he learn to cook so well?” Levi demanded, almost fitting the whole thing in his mouth.
“He’s always cooked,” Lucas answered, fudging things slightly. “When he was growing up, cooking was his chore while his mom was at work. He only stopped because Mom refused to let him help in the kitchen.”
“I would’ve fought that a lot harder if I’d have known he could produce this.”
“Yeah, you and me both, bro. Even when we were upstairs, he was forever watching the cooking channels for new ideas.” Lucas didn’t want to mention that these days, Robbie only did so to critique the so-called experts. “Have you seen Boyd?”
Levi shook his head. “I was assuming he was still in with you. If I’d known you were in there alone, I’d have sicc’d Maddy onto you.”
“I can wake Daddy and Unca’ Austin good!” Maddy said proudly. “I gets me a dolla’.”
“Ssshhh, Peaches. That’s out secr—wait. Does Uncle Austin pay you, too?”
Maddy was adorable the way she looked at Lucas like he would intervene for her. “Sorry, baby girl,” he laughed, eating another taco. “You’re on your own.”
The two brothers bantered as Lucas ate, with Levi stealing another taco, bringing Lucas’ total number down to five. Maddy told them both about wanting to be a vet, and Lucas knew precisely who to blame for that. Still, it was better than her previous choice of ‘stripping’ the way Robbie and Angelo used to. Levi’s meltdown over that revelation had been priceless, even if he, too, was firmly in the ‘fuck that noise’ camp.
When he polished them and half the juice off, he poured the last into Maddy’s cup and put his things and the jug in the dishwasher. “You can hang out here if you want,” Lucas said. “The guys and I are heading out this afternoon to play some ball over at Angus’ place, but if you call Austin and find out Pepper’s roommate is still with him, the TV over there has…”
“Every cable channel imaginable, I know. Charlotte—”
“Charlie.”
“Charlie told us last night.” Levi sat back in his seat and stared at his brother. “What do you make of Larry, Luke? Does he have kids?”
“Why?”
“He watched Maddy for me last night while I was having a shower, and Maddy loves him. You know how picky she is about people she doesn’t know.”
“I know he’s married to a career soldier and was one too before being assigned to us. I’m not sure about his past, but he’s a good guy and ridiculously protective of those either in his charge or that he happens to care about.”
Levi grunted. “Charl—lie said so too. He certainly knows his Spongebob.”
Lucas squinted. “Why all the questions?”
“Just thinking out loud. If he’s going to be here all the time with Robbie, and Austin and I get called into the house together, it’s always been a struggle figuring out where we can leave Maddy on short notice. We don’t exactly have time to drive all the way over to Queens to drop her off at either Mav’s or Mom and Dad’s. I mean, so far, we haven’t needed to, but it’s a constant concern.”
Lucas frowned at him. “We’ve been here for years. Why didn’t you ask before now?”
Levi seemed suddenly uncomfortable. “You know…” he said, gesturing to the ceiling without finishing that sentence.
And just like that, Lucas did understand.
Six men, all sharing one shoebox-sized apartment with two of them being sex workers, was not where anyone would want to drop off a little girl. Even if Lucas did vouch for all of them and swore they’d all be protective as hell over little Maddy. “Look, I can’t speak for them specifically, but Charlie’s here under house arrest for the next ten months, and Boyd now works out of his studio, so technically, someone will be here all the time. There’s not a chance in hell we’ll turn you away.”
“I’ll ask her and Miss W before we go.”
Lucas looked at what the two of them were wearing. “You know, I could duck out and grab you and Maddy some clothes just as soon as I check in with Boyd, if you like.”
He watched Levi look down at the shirt and boxers that were a little big on him width-wise and across at Maddy, who still wore Charlie’s favourite Giants’ shirt.
“That’d be good, thanks,” he admitted.
“I’ll get extras, and that way, she can have a few changes of clothes here. Actually, do you want me to grab you some spare stuff too?”
Levi stiffened in his seat. “I don’t need you to buy me clothes.”
Lucas wanted to slap him in the back of the head (and would’ve if Maddy wasn’t there). “Stop,” he commanded instead. “I’m already going to a clothes shop. It’s not going to be anything fancy, and if you hate it, you can swap it out with your own stuff later.”
Knowing his brother was still uncomfortable, Lucas waved his hand at the kitchen. “Seriously, Levi, look around. Look at how I’m living, and I’m not paying a dime in rent. Llyr won’t let me since we’ve been looking out for Sam for years. Let me do this for you, so you’ll always know you and Maddy have somewhere safe to go.”
Levi glanced around, his lips tightening before he finally nodded, unwilling to say the words out loud, and Lucas clapped him on the shoulder. “We’re family, dumb-ar—dumb,” he amended, with little ears sitting on the other side of his brother. “Dumb-dumb. I meant Dumb-dumb.”
Levi chuckled and patted his brother’s hand. “I appreciate it, bro. We’ll chill here until you get back. Don’t rush … apparently, you have a gazillion cable channels to choose from, and Maddy doesn’t want to leave until she’s seen them all.”
“I don’t think you’ll live that long,” Lucas laughed and headed back to his room to grab his gear since he was now leaving the apartment. As he clipped and slid everything from sunglasses to his wallet, keys, phone, badge bifold, and ankle-holstered BUG, he almost envied women with carryall handbags that could be grabbed on their way out the door.
Almost.
* * *
((Author's note: going out tonight, so I put this out before I left. Enjoy!! 🥰😘💕 ))
((All comments welcome. Good or bad, I’d love to hear your thoughts 🥰🤗))
I made a family tree/diagram of the Mystallian family that can be found here
For more of my work, including WPs: Angel466 or an index of previous WPS here.
FULL INDEX OF BOB THE HOBO TO DATE CAN BE FOUND HERE!

I'm 27, male and have been married for 3 years to my lovely wife. We have 3 beautiful kids (2 years and 10 month twins) and our relationship is pretty rock solid. Sex has decreased since the twins came along, but truth be told I'm not phased greatly as work, kids and renovations are making us both exhausted.
I went away for one night for a work training day. On the way home I stopped for a pie and coffee and I will never forget the experience.
She was perfect, absolutely flawless...
Tall, thin, short blond hair and soft hazel eyes. She had a spattering of freckles across her nose and onto her cheeks. Her jawline could cut glass, and her smile could light any room.
I was dumbstruck... couldn't say "curry chicken pie please" without my tongue having a fit.
I paid, sat and ate, stealing glances of her as she walked by.
She was Aphrodite.
I don't have the best memory, but her face is seared into my mind.
I got home to my wife and kids, kissed them all and began the night time routine.
I love my wife, will never leave her, she and I are connected at a much deeper level than just appearances.
But I think this woman will stay in my mind for a long time.

Ravens fan here. We went to the Ravens-Titans game in London last year, and I put together these tips for anyone thinking about going to the Bears game in London this year:
What we learned from attending NFL Europe game last season
1. Register on the NFL Europe website early and often. Have various family members register on the NFL Europe site, using different email addresses. Note that each team’s season ticket holders get first dibs on tickets before they go on sale to the general public. DO NOT pay ticket brokers for ticket packages, they are massively overpriced and not worth it. You can always get a ticket cheaper, right up to game day. Our tickets went on sale in mid-June. Actually, registering early doesn’t matter, for the next reason:
2. Everyone will be tossed into a queue randomly the day tickets go on sale. Have all family & friends report their place in the queue, and go with whomever gets in first. Important note: The ticket site is hosted by NFL Europe. They will show you the start time for purchasing in Greenwich Mean Time. Make sure you convert that time to your time zone. For us it was 7 am EDT. Once you get online and into the queue, DO NOT LEAVE. This is an easy way to get bumped. I had my daughter watch my place in the queue while I was at work, and had her buy the tickets.
3. Speaking of the queue, do not blow a gasket when you see your spot is #229,767 in the queue:
a. All 5 NFL Europe games go on sale all at once;
b. Like you, everyone registered with 5-10 different email address and family member name combinations;
c. That number literally was our spot in the queue, and we cleared the queue in 90 minutes and got tickets.
d. Be ready to make an instantaneous decision – Don’t mess around trying to get a better seat. They go fast. We ended up getting 4 seats, not together, but in the same section.
e. If you miss out, don’t worry because plenty of fans sell them back as the Summer progresses.
4. Book air travel as soon as you know you have tickets. When you fly into London (recommend Heathrow), take the Underground right into Central London. The station is right at the Airport outside baggage claim. It’s a 45 -60 minute trip into Central London. When returning to the airport, make certain that you are getting on the line that goes to Heathrow. There is also a Heathrow Express train, but it’s only 15-20 minutes faster and costs a lot more than the Underground. Buy an Underground pass at a kiosk in the airport outside baggage claim.
5. The hotel situation in London is great, we had no issues getting a room. Recommend booking the hotel early, since you can always cancel if you don’t get tickets or change your mind. If I can make a recommendation that is convenient to a lot of attractions, including the underground to get to Hotspur stadium, check out this hotel: https://arosfalondon.com/ We had NFL fans from across Europe staying at our hotel.
6. Speaking of which, stay in Central London. Make a week out of it. The NFL and the teams usually have a week-long celebration around the city. Access to the stadium is easy via the Underground.
7. Usually the local soccer clubs are typically on break the week of NFL Europe games, and those tickets are a tough get anyway. But if you have a favorite club, schedule a tour of their stadium. It’s worth it.
8. Speaking of Stadiums, Hotspur Stadium is one of the newest and is massive. It is all enclosed around the seating areas. But the roof is open, and most seats are covered. Do not worry about the weather on game day. Sweat pants and a sweatshirt/game jersey was more than adequate. Getting to and from the Underground, however, you will be exposed to the elements. Do not bring an umbrella, wear a rain jacket if rain is in the forecast.
9. You will see jerseys of all 32 NFL teams represented at the game. Over a third of the fans are from the UK or Europe. They are just there to see “proper football”, as the person sitting next to me said. The fans get into the game, and have a really good time. The people surrounding us bought us beers and sang much of the game. It’s a ton of fun.
10. On game day, take the Tube to Hotspur Stadium. It’s about a 10 block (.75 mile) walk to/from the stadium. You can ride a bus to the stadium from the Underground, but do not expect it on the way back. The atmosphere surrounding the stadium is amazing. The stadium is surrounded by activities, including a lot of people who don’t have tickets, but are there for the spectacle. Eat a good brunch/lunch before going. Do not expect to be able to get seated at a restaurant near the stadium. And do not expect great food in the stadium, it was a major disappointment.
11. Upon conclusion of the game, it will be a massive river of people heading for the tube. I do not recommend taking the Overground train to leave, the queue can be quite long. Instead, just follow the flow of people to the regular underground stop 10-11 blocks south of the stadium. Don’t worry, the long line goes surprisingly fast. And the fans are still having a good time.
12. Feel free to ping me if you have questions!

Okay so I don't really know where to start with this, I have been living with my Girlfriend and her family for a while now. We have been over 2 years aswell. I have always got on with her family, especially her Dad as we have the same interests and are very similar people. It was actually my Girlfriends parents who told me I should move into their home. I pay them rent every month and me and my Girlfriend do our own house work and washing, etc.
I would like to say that I am a good lad, I have a full time job at the age of 20, earning around £30,000 a year, I'm a positive thinker and I always try to do the right thing and be kind to people etc.
Being in a long term relationship, me and my Girlfriend have had a coupple of times where we haven't seen eye to eye or we weren't on the same wavelenght you might say. However I obviously love her and we have always been able to work it out. Recently, my Girlfriend told me that her mum thinks I have been stealing her cigerets. Which I haven't. I do smoke, but I am from the UK and I am old enough to buy my own cigeretes and that is exactly what I do. When my Girlfriend told me that her mum thinks I steal her cigeretes and is starting to hide them from me, I thought okay that's weird, but I just left it as I hoped she would hide them and then realise I am not stealing them. However the otherday, my Girlfirend told me that it was her sister and sister boyfriend that told her mum I was stealing from her. That is when I thought I would say sokmething as I believe I have the right to say something if I am being accused of seomething. Anyways, when my girlfriend, her mum and I were all in the same room I very politely said ''BTW, I just wanted to let you know, I am not stealing your things''.
As soon as I said that my girlfriends mum started shouting at me telling me I am and that she knows beacuse my girlfriends sisters boyfriend told her I was. She told me that I was just trying to cause tension in the house and that I was just out to have a go at her. All I said back was that I wasn't trying to cause any problems, and that I just wanted to let her know. I also think it is funny that I am being accused of stealing cigerets by a 15 year old boy, who does also smoke but is not old enough to buy cigeretes, and she has believed him! But I didn't say anything about that as I did not think it was a good idea and did not want some kind of shouting match. No one really spoke to me at all that night afterwards apart from my Girfriend and her Dad, who is always lovely and never wants there to be any problems. It just made me feel a bit unwelcome.
Anyways, me and my Girlfriend were talking about this and we started to notice something. When we have had arguments in the past, My Girlfriends Mum will tell me that she agrees with me and will reassure me that I am right, but will also do the same to my Girlfriend. At first I though she just didn't want to take sides, but as time goes on, it actually looks like she is trying to tear us apart.
There is two reasons why I am certain she is doing this. The other day I was sitting down after work waitnig for my Girlfriend to come home. When her mum comes to me and starts talking bad about my Girlfriend. She starts taling to me about how my Girlfriend asks for too much from me and doesn't treat me right. I was a bit confused as it had seemingly come out of nowhere, but stayed very neutral and didn't really agree or disagree. But when I look back on everything that has happened I do believe she was trying to cause an argument between me and my Girlfriend.
The other thing happened a few weeks ago, My Girlfriend was cooking dinner and we had just been to the shop to get all the ingredients. When we got home and started cooking we realised that we did not have any chicken, which was the main ingredient. I was asked to go back to shop and get some chicken, which I did. When I did, I made a jokey commment about having to go back to the shop that we had just been to, but it was just that, a jokey comment. Altough it is slightly annoying, I did not think it was that big of a deal and was just hungry to be honest. When I left for the shop though apparently my Girlfriends mum started screaming telling ,y Girlfriend that I don't treat her right and that I am behaving badly as a boyfriend. My girfriend is a bit more confrontational with me, as it is her own mum, and sticks up for me which I really appreciate. She then told me what had happened when got in. Again, when putting it all together it seems as though her mum is trying to spit us up. My girlfriend thinks the same thing. And it is starting to happen more and more. I will be minding my own business when my girlfriends mum will come in and start complaining about my Girlfriend too me and visa versa with my Girfriend.
Her Dad never complains, we always have nice chats and get on well. I have never had any kind of disagreement with him and to be honest, the only time I have ever heard hime be negative towards someone else was when he ranted to me and my Girlfriend about her mum, which I am starting to understand why.
But I am stuck now. I am not really sure what I should do? Am I being paranoid or does it seem like my Girlfriends mum is causing problems? Whe she starts talking about my Girfriend behind her back? I usually respectfully defend her but it is just becoming hard to deal with. Also, my Girlfriend mum is extremely negative. Always moaning, always angry, it is becoming hard to deal with.
TL;DR - My Girlfriends mum is talking bad about me to my Girlfriend and visa versa. I feel like she is trying to cause problems in our relationship. How do I go about this?

Just unloading my story here as I'm about to reach out to my orthodontist as I've been unhappy with my current results, both for aesthetic and physical reasons. I really appreciate anyone who can relate or give advice, but otherwise, just want to document my experience. I've had a long struggle with not only my teeth but also my TMJ.
Currently: It's been 2 years since I finished my Invisalign and I wasn't happy with the results even once my treatment finished, but I thought it was just because my teeth themself were small and not great looking and that I should just live with it, but now am realizing I liked my teeth more before so maybe it wasn't the best Invisalign job.
My current concerns with my teeth are

1. They're not very straight. One mark of this for me is that when I look at the bite mark of my top teeth, there's a wide angle between my front two teeth. Also my bite is not centered--the center of my top front two teeth doesn't match up with the bottom.
2. I had a problem that I didn't before this round of Invisalign, which is having a lot of saliva and getting caught on my tongue when saying words with the letter S. I don't know how exactly to describe it, but for words like "scared" or "skate", my tongue sometimes gets kinda caught and you'll hear the saliva bubbling up, gross lol!
3. My teeth are very short from being ground down due to bruxism and I think my Invisalign pulled them back even more--I can feel that when I bite, my jaw closes more than before
4. I've had TMJ problems for most of my life which I hoped the Invisalign would help with. I thought they might have helped a bit but ultimately I think they've made it worse--for all my life it's just been my left jaw joint that clicks and gets sore, but after this round of Invisalign I sometimes have clicking and pain in my right jaw joint :(

Background: I've had a clicking left jaw as far as I can remember, maybe since I was in elementary school, but it didn't really start bothering me until high school. I had braces when I was 13, didn't wear my retainer because I was a dumb kid. A few years after that, high school time, I also started having severe jaw muscle soreness, probably partially because I would wear my retainer that didn't fit and start chewing on it unconsciously in my sleep. My teeth ended up shifting a ton anyways, my back teeth hardly touched--I definitely needed braces again.
I got my first round of Invisalign when I was 18, which I also hoped would address my TMJ problems. When it was done I was super happy with the results aesthetically, I loved to smile! But I was still having major TMJ and jaw muscle pain. After a few months I went to get an opinion from a dentist who said they specialize in TMD, and they pointed out that even though I'd had Invisalign, my back teeth weren't touching. It was true, my teeth only actually touched in like one place on each side lol. They referred me to a different orthodontist. I trusted their opinion a lot, so I thought, sure I'll go to a new orthodontist, my old one must have been an idiot to finish my Invisalign treatment when my teeth didn't even touch!
So I started my second round of Invisalign with a new orthodontist. Things seemed fine and dandy--unfortunately my treatment got interrupted my COVID which might have caused some complications, but ultimately I finished the round of Invisalign after two years. During treatment I had an issue where my jaw got really sore only when I wore the bottom retainer, but I just wore it at night and I think it was fine. But by the end of the treatment, I thought my teeth looked worse. I wasn't happy like I was after my first round of Invisalign. However, I initially thought this was because my teeth were just decaying (I'd had issues with a sensitivity and exposed dentin during that time) and they were smaller now and would never look as good. Hopefully that's not the case! I also have the issues mentioned above which I think are actually concerning beyond aesthetics.
I will see my orthodontist again and hopefully we'll be able to do something so I feel more comfortable with my teeth--I'm hoping my plan covers stuff like this for an extended amount of time so that I don't have to pay all over again. For my TMJ, I also just had a sleep study done since I do clench my teeth at night, and will see about those results in a few weeks. I also just started physically therapy. Hopefully things will look up for me--my TMJ and teeth problems are so disruptive to my life. They prevent me from focusing, and my jaw gets so sore sometimes that I don't even want to talk, and if I do my jaw spazzes and clicks and looks gross. Hoping for the best for myself!!
Thank you very much for reading if you got to the end.
TL;DR going back to my orthodontist after 2 years because unhappy with Invisalign results, also starting different treatment options for TMJ. hoping to see an upward climb from here in my TMJ/teeth journey!!

I know a good speech is a short speech - however, i'm doing this on behalf of myself and my partner. Appreciate any feedback you might have.
WEDDING SPEECH:
INTRODUCTION:
When Mary (and I) were planning our wedding, we sat down and decided we wanted a small overseas wedding because it would be easy to plan and execute. In doing this we would only need to invite our closest friends and family members, totaling to around 30. As was sat down and planned out our list over various nights, this list very quickly grew into the high 90’s and we realized, this was no small wedding. The reason we landed in the 90's is that every single person in this room has had a monumental impact on our life for better, so from the bottom of our hearts thank you for joining in this very special moment with us. There are those who we would have loved to have been here, who have recently passed like XXX and XXX, they are forever in our hearts and here in spirit.
Now for the few minutes, there will be a series of thanks to very important people to both myself and Mary – can you please ensure your glasses are full and ready to go!
Please be assured that if you aren’t mentioned by name, we have not forgotten you, you’re still very important to us; however, I can’t imagine anything worse for you all and myself than me being up here for 30 minutes, so without further ado.
SUPPORT TEAM
Firstly, I would like to thank all the support staff, especially the XXX, for your efforts in bringing this to life.
I don’t want to imagine the stress Mary and I would have gone through trying to organize this without your help.
Bridal Party:
Thank you all for being apart of our wedding celebration. Mary and I are so thankful to have you part in our lives. None of this could have happened without you.

PARENTS XX/YY, special thanks to ZZ:
To XX and YY, thank you for entrusting me with your beautiful daughter. I know that you both care and love for her immensely and I will do my best to take care of her. Thank you both for welcoming me into your house, family and treating me as if I was your own. To add to this, thank you for welcoming Doug, our labrador into the house, despite him slowly tearing it apart - I promise you we will fix the floorboards someday soon.
Despite the challenges you’ve both faced over the last couple of years, you’ve been nothing short of amazing and supportive to both Mary and myself.

To XX:
Thank you for every day without fail, knocking on my door at 11am, asking me “lunch?” and then coming up 20 minutes later with a big breakfast plate. This gesture, done every day without fail, shows how much you truly care for me.
To YY:
Thank you for having my back each and every day. You’re one of the kindest and most caring men I’ve ever known, and I’m so grateful to be your son in law. Even when I burn food and serve it up to the family, we all put ours in the bin, you put a big smile, finish the plate, and tell me it's good.
Special thank you to ZZ, thank you for the monumental effort of organizing and reverse refugeeing the entire Vietnamese clan over here. This is no small feat and Mary and I both appreciate it.
PARENTS AA and BB and CC
To my mother, thank you for always taking the time to be present and celebrating every moment, big or small. Your ability to create meaningful memories moves me deeply. I recall my 30th birthday, when I expressed a desire not to celebrate. Despite this, you organized a fantastic home dinner and surprised me by inviting some of my close friends. Your thoughtfulness and attention to detail have been evident since my early years, shaping my appreciation for life's simple joys.
I also want to thank you for being so welcoming to my partner, Mary. From the onset, you have been so caring and appreciative, sharing in the joys of celebrating her achievements. Your love and acceptance mean the world to us both.
Dad, your speech tonight on behalf of the family was moving and a reflection of the love and care you've always shown us. CC, your warmth, and kindness have made Mary feel truly at home.
CC, your thoughtfulness in always ensuring Mary receives a special christmas gift does not go unnoticed. More than that, thank you for your unwavering support and willingness to lend an ear, whether we need advice on work or any of the other responsibilities of being an adult, your guidance and love mean the world to us.Thank you both for being so welcoming and accepting of Mary into the family.

Mary:
Saving the most important person for last. Mary. You look absolutely breathtaking tonight. Words cannot even begin to describe just how much I love you, but I’ll try my best.
Events like these don’t just happen, they take months of planning. We’ve been planning this wedding for the better part of a year and when I say we, I mean Mary. Thank you for the monumental effort in for all your research, planning, and hard work to make this day magnificent for us all.
Throughout our seven year journey together, you’ve been a consistent source for inspiration, pushing me to become the best version of myself, always encouraging me to not take the easy way out and challenging me in the best way possible. You’ve stood with me during my darkest of times, and made each achievement into a massive celebration. Your kindness and love are such a huge motivator for me to continue to grow with you. I cannot imagine the person I would be without you by my side.
But it’s not always about the big moments. It’s about the everyday, the little things that make you who you are. You’re not just my partner, you’re also my closest friend (and now my wife). We can spend all night gaming, we can talk for hours, or simply enjoy each other's presence, every moment with you is treasured. Thank you for always going out of your way to make me feel special, whether it’s planning surprise dates to restaurant bookings, or even picking up some food, you never fail to make me feel loved.
This love that you show to me also extends to our beloved labrador Doug. The way you adore Doug with kindness, care and love fills me with joy. It’s truly no wonder why you’re his favorite. I know we’re only married today, but I can’t help but imagine the day when you bring the same warmth and devotion to motherhood.
One of your most admirable characteristics is your selflessness. You always go above and beyond for your family and friends, happy to drop everything and put the needs of others before yourself. You consistently go out of your way to ensure the happiness and well-being of those closest to you. This dedication is a testament to the incredible person you are and I admire and love you all the more for it.
Your infectious personality brings laughter and joy to everyone you meet, you light up a room when you enter. Your presence transforms ordinary moments into extraordinary memories, and your positive energy leaves an unforgettable impression on everyone around you. Something as simple as seeing your beautiful smile, brightens even the most cloudiest of my days.
It is the greatest honor of my life to be your husband. I love you more than words could ever say, and I look forward to spending forever by your side.

Hey guys!! Been a fan for a long time, I love watching the show! Never really catch your lives because its night here, but I watch it the next day, however long those are, also love the comments and the engagement this community has!
So, I am in a mooooood today, and I feel like sharing my week, mostly because I recieved some texts I feel like should be read and made fun of (sorry if that sounds mean)
I am an anthropologist (29f) doing my doctorate and I have been doing fieldwork, which means i meet a lot of people, and I ask them to introduce me to other people. Due to the context i am working on, this means i meet a lot of older males (i work with fishing communities). they are usually very nice, very sweet and respectful, treat me as a daughter or grandaughter even, some add me on facebook. I have gotten close over the years with some, especially a 87 year old friend whom i call frequently just to check up on him, just as an example
two weeks ago i met this fisherman (48M) who i created a good friendship with, we became close, and he asked for my number so we can arrange lunch with his dad. great! Also it became clear from the beginning that this person is very in need to chat. Which is great since i am a quiet person, but we are talking full monologues. Almost never did this person ask something about me, or if he did he would interrupt. Which is fine, i dont give many details unless i am asked. this might sound weird but it is important to establish trust. Last week i spent my whole week in the field. The conversation also evolved to him complaining about his marriage, since the wife is drunk. I said something about being a clear pattern since his mother was also an alcoholic and he now thinks im some sort of psyquiatrist, even called me late at night one day to complain she was drunk. I should not have picked up the phone, I know
So a few months ago i was invited from a foreign university to attend a writting retreat with other academics, financed by this university, which is a great opportunity. I even sold my taylor swift eras tour concert because i decided to attend this retreat and had my plane tickets already
BUT MY VISA WAS DENIED. and i am now pissed at life and trying to figure it out. also this weekend had a funeral for another fisher friend who was 73 , so i havent been in the right headspace maybe thats why i am making this crazier than it is, you'll be the judge
This fisher (48M) was with me when i got the visa email last week, so that situation in my life he knows about
But i am teaching a class tomorrow, and dealing with this visa thing so I haven't been to the field this week (today is wednesday). And i got these texts from the fisher (i am going to translate them AND KEEPING THE DOTS)
Keep in mind he texted me something about drinking tea and i ignored him because it was sunday and he got mad btw. these were send yesterday
"May i know whats up with you? hello..." (didnt respond) "I just missed you... You havent said anything....thats all.... oh well....I guess i got used to you..... you're right.... forget it... it's fine... kiss"
my response: "you're right? forget it?" what? I am working
"You're right...... im sorry.... I thought about you 500 times today, and I know how you must be busy and worried... but i thought you might want to talk to be.... get it off your chest... I was wrong... its fine... I won't bother you....take care..."
I MEAN WHAT sounds like a 15 year old insecure boyfriend, this man has a wife and two kids and hasnt met me longer than two weeks
and the dots, wtf
I will start focusing on other people on my friendwork, this is crazy
Thanks for letting me get this off my chest and wish me luck with... well, life

Hiiiii. My family and I are currently on vacation in another country for my birthday, my parents, brothers and my step mothers older sister who happened to be in town. We are all in two separate rooms, my parents with my siblings, while I share a room with my step-aunt, let’s call her Mary. This is the second time in my life that I have met Mary, I don’t know her well but throughout the trip she has been relatively irritating due to her often complaining and arrogance, but because of her age and the fact she’s my step mothers sister (who I adore) I have tried to give her a good impresssion of my self. But even with that, Mary had always had something to say to belittle me but I took it as my own faults. Last night my step mom and I decided to spend the night together and hang out around the area, I returned back to my hotel around 10 pm and saw Mary asleep, I figured I’d spend some time in the bathroom to not wake her up from my phone. Important notice, a few days ago Mary announced that she doesn’t want me on my phone past 10 pm, because she goes to bed early, to which I complied every night until the day of the story. This night was the last day before my birthday, I was feeling relatively sad due to the coming of age, but when I left the bathroom to go to my bed I got an idea to create a list of the fun things I’ve done over the year, to think about the positives. I put on my headphones and lowered the brightness to zero to avoid waking Mary up before typing away. At 10:36 pm (idk why I remember this exact time) Mary got up to check her phone, the second she saw the time she began aggressively yelling at me for my “egotism”for staying past the time we agreed on, I told her that I was sorry but I really needed to finish something to which she began questioning me and further yelling at me. I understand that my actions next could’ve been different, however I do not tolerate aggression in any form. Mary sat up and began to threaten that she won’t let me sleep until I put down my phone, I ignored this since by this point I was extremely irritated not with the issue itself but how she was treating me. I no longer wanted to listen to her insults of how horrible I was for not listening to her, so I got up to avoid her in the bathroom, before which I said “you’re bothering me”. Moments later she bursted inside the bathroom and physically ripped the phone out my hands as I tried to hold on, after which she pushed me away before running off with my phone and screaming how she’ll break it. Back in the bedroom she began having some sort of episode of maniac yelling and insulting me while hiding my phone beneath herself, during which I just stood confused. I asked for my phone back and began explaining myself and apologizing because I was extremely lost for what to do, to this she began accusing me of being a “good actress” because I was apologizing…..? I told her I’d go to bed and that I truly didn’t mean to interrupt her sleep. She didn’t want to hear a word I said, going on about how could I be so disrespectful and undisciplined and who do I think I am. Her main concern of the night were my nails, I got my nails done for my birthday which were short acrylics. Mary took my wrist and hit my fingers against my phone to imitate the sound, however no offense, I don’t know a single person who types with their nails touching the screen that is including me (even as I type this), but sometimes my thumbs do touch on the screen (which I apologized for but she told me to fuck off). Although I was already in bed to calm down the situation, her next best idea was to threaten to call my biological dad, to which I told her to do it. I will admit I didn’t think she’d actually do it, but moments later she dressed up and bolted out of the room around almost 11 pm. My parents room was in a separate building, yet 10 minutes later my poor step mother came over to try to understand the situation, I knew that she didn’t know half of the story, however she was a lot more reasonable. When she left, Mary kept on huffing and puffing but eventually we both went to bed. Or atleast tried to, I was extremely nausea and shaken up, sadly didn’t pass out until around 2 am. Later on in the morning I tried to cheer myself up by talking with my family while they congratulated me on my birthday. But all was over when Mary came into the room, she said something along the line of “happy birthday, truly. But you know, you’re a big girl now and you have to make decisions that won’t make your parents second hand embarrassed for you”. In that moment I felt my gut drop and my nausea returned, I felt so disrespected I didn’t know what to say. And although I woke up at 8 am, I didn’t leave the room until almost 12 due to not wanting to see her and having to explain to my family what happened. There is a good ending to this story but I’ll type it a little later lol. Anyways, I’m okay now :3