He explained how he was struggling with college and that after Karen discovered the paternity of the child, she had been pestering him for child support. He said he had no money and was looking for part-time jobs but couldn’t find anything. He begged me to talk to our family to start fresh since he really needed my help.
I laughed in his face and told him I was done with him. I reminded him that he should have thought about the consequences before sleeping with my wife and getting her pregnant. David argued that I was being unfair and that Karen was also to blame, to which I agreed.
I reminded him that I had divorced her, making her his responsibility now. He shouldn’t be calling me to complain about her or the child since these were the consequences of his own actions. David started to raise his voice, but I interrupted, reminding him that he was no longer the favored child in the family but the black sheep who had slept with his own brother’s wife.
At that moment, David began to cry, telling me how everyone, including our grandparents and relatives, had turned against him. While this was true, it was no longer my concern. I told him we were done and that he should never call me again since I no longer considered him my brother.
Since then, I’ve replayed the conversation in my mind. Despite my hatred for my brother, I had never heard him cry, at least not since we were kids. I won’t lie.
It did hurt me a bit to see him so helpless. So, I guess I’m here to ask if I should talk to our parents about him or if I would be an asshole if I don’t. Update 1 Hi everyone, many of you have been asking why I am no longer in contact with my son Henry, and some have even called me cruel.
I need to explain that I am not comfortable raising another man’s child. This isn’t a stepson situation, I was led to believe Henry was my son, only to later discover he is actually my brother David’s son. Naturally, this revelation hurt deeply, and I cried over it for days.
The main reason I don’t want any contact with Henry is that I no longer want Karen in my life. If I remain connected to her child, she will find a way to re-enter my life, and I need my space. You may think I’m cruel or selfish, but I can’t see him ever again, at least not for a very long time.
Update 2 Most of you correctly guessed that it was my mother who informed David about my dad changing his will, leading David to call me as a last resort to fix things. I confronted her in front of my dad, and she broke down, saying I had punished David enough and that he had learned his lesson. My dad firmly told my mother that if she believed what David did was forgivable, then he could no longer stay married to her because he could never forgive such a betrayal.
This threat silenced my mother. My dad made it clear that if she ever talked with David again and we found out, she could pack her bags and leave. As I mentioned, my dad is very stubborn.
Hopefully my mother will learn from her mistakes. Update 3 Reddit It’s been 5 months since my last update. My relationship with my parents has improved over the past few months.
My dad and I go golfing every weekend, and he treats me more like a buddy than a son. Although my mother misses David, she has stayed away from him. The last I heard about David was from my cousin, who said David had been asking everyone for money, and eventually had to drop out of college because he couldn’t afford the fees.
He and Karen are living together, and he has a part-time job as a mechanic. Apparently they are raising Henry together, which is a good thing I guess. I never discuss David with my parents, and they don’t bring him up either.
For everyone asking, I am doing quite well. I was promoted at my job 2 months ago, so my salary has significantly improved. I haven’t been dating anyone as I feel I still need time and space to heal.
I’ve been going to therapy, so we’ll see how that works out.