My Boyfriend Ridiculed My Special Gift For Him In Front Of Our Friends! | r/BestOf

[00:00:02] [SPEAKER_00] Hey Waffle Gang, I do hope you are well. My name is Mark and today we're checking out some more Reddit stories. And if you do love a Reddit story, why not consider it? And then like, subscribe, maybe that notification bell too. And let's crack on with today's first story. Much love guys. Now today's first story comes from the true off my chest. Subreddit from Yogurt2 who says,

[00:00:25] [SPEAKER_00] My 28 female, boyfriend 30 male, ridiculed my gift for him for our anniversary in front of our friends. Yesterday, me, my boyfriend, who we're called Mike, and our friends decided to grab lunch together to celebrate our second year anniversary.

[00:00:43] [SPEAKER_00] Mike was the perfect boyfriend, even though we met through an online blind date arranged by our common friends. He always made it into a point to treat me nicely and communicate with me calmly. But everything literally came crumbling down on me yesterday at our lunch celebration with our friends. The first time we celebrated our anniversary last year, we made it into a promise to celebrate each year of our relationship with each other alone. But our friends decided to arrange a celebratory lunch for us this time.

[00:01:10] [SPEAKER_00] Naturally, I felt thrilled to celebrate with them since they were the ones who set us up on an online blind date during the pandemic, which is where our relationship started. They were so supportive ever since. They even paid for the reservation and food to make this special for us. It was in the middle of lunch when this happened. His other friend cleared his throat and looked at Mike meaningfully.

[00:01:32] [SPEAKER_00] He then reached for something underneath the table and gave me a small box containing a dainty gold necklace with a diamond heart pendant in the middle. I've been ironed since I saw it at the mall last time we went out shopping together. I was so happy that I hugged him so tight and kissed him because of how thoughtful he was and how beautiful the necklace was. I was literally so shocked and giddy. I felt so happy by then. I told him that he was not the only one with a gift and grabbed the book I wrote and bookbinded for him and for our anniversary.

[00:02:02] [SPEAKER_00] Earlier last year, I started composing a book inspired by our story. I planned to give it to him on our second anniversary as a way of remembering and cherishing our bizarre rom-com love story and some few poetries in there. Focusing on the things in our relationship that only us know about like our inside jokes, experiences, challenges and how much I love and adore him as a person. This was all dedicated to him.

[00:02:26] [SPEAKER_00] I handed the gift to him and told him how much I love him and our table was so noisy from all the squealing and cheers from our friends. I was so excited to give this to him because I was so proud of my work and I poured my heart out into this gift because I genuinely loved him and everything about him. I spent my time proofreading and rewriting each page to make it perfect. What all he did was look at my gift with a what the fuck is that kind of face. He then proceeded to ask me how much my gift is and bragged that he bought the necklace from a very expensive brand.

[00:02:56] [SPEAKER_00] He told me that he was disappointed at my gift and that I am embarrassing myself. He proceeded to criticize the book's interior and exterior design saying that it looks wonky and that I shouldn't force myself to do things I clearly have no talent for. Then he bragged about his gift to our friends which made me feel so sick and ashamed of my gift and also shocked because my boyfriend seemed like another person back there. He was always the soft spoken one and seeing and hearing him insult my love for him crushed me.

[00:03:24] [SPEAKER_00] They all stayed silent and watched him as he yapped and yapped about my book that I just ended up grabbing my book and started walking out of the restaurant straight to my apartment. He and our friends has been texting me and I haven't answered anyone yet. One of his texts said that he was just looking out for me and didn't want me to embarrass myself in front of our friends. I just felt so small and stupid for making homemade gifts when I know that I'm not an artsy person and I felt embarrassed and sad about how he humiliated me back there.

[00:03:52] [SPEAKER_00] I mean the book didn't have a fancy exterior. That's true but what hurts more is the fact that he insulted it immediately without even looking at what I wrote in there first. This has been weighing me down since yesterday. I felt maybe sharing this here will make me feel better. Thank you Reddit. I hope everyone is having a great new year. I had to take a moment after that story because that was just so infuriating. She spent the better part of a year writing this man a book. Actual handmade gift. Hand bound.

[00:04:21] [SPEAKER_00] Full of their inside jokes. Everything they went through. Their love story. And looked at it and he mentioned how much it cost. How much it fucking cost. Are you kidding me? And then in front of everyone he basically ripped it apart. Not literally of course but he talked about the design being wonky. You've got no talent. You're embarrassing yourself. What was going through his head? Did his mask just literally fall off in that moment in front of everyone? And what gets me is he didn't even open it at first.

[00:04:47] [SPEAKER_00] He insulted the cover without ever reading a word that she wrote about him. I couldn't help but think about like the sort of brain tumor stories where someone acts in a completely different way. Because it just seemed to come out of nowhere. Opie was talking about what a good guy he was and how loving and sweet he was all the way through this. And then this happened. Unless he wasn't always such a nice guy. But Mizzy Von Muffling says send him the necklace back and break up with him. What an arsehole. You deserve much better.

[00:05:18] [SPEAKER_00] Commodore says seriously what a total arsehole. He's trying to make it so she doesn't embarrass herself in front of their friends and then goes on to humiliate her. What the actual fuck? Please Opie take this advice and end the relationship. He does not deserve your time, energy or most of all your love. He deserves someone who will respect you and cherish that you made something for him so special. End the relationship. Block him and go no contact. There is nothing he can say which makes up for what he did and the pain and humiliation he caused you.

[00:05:48] [SPEAKER_00] Specialist says when someone shows you who they are, believe them. He just showed you the truth. Commodore says wow. How I wish I could upvote this statement by 10,000. I will add one more thing to this. When they show you the first time, don't wait for them to show you a second time. Holy Unicorn Batman says I design and make book covers. Do edits, do interiors and even write books myself. This is not an easy job. Anyone who cannot appreciate a gift is an arsehole.

[00:06:15] [SPEAKER_00] Anyone who cannot appreciate a gift made with love, thought and appreciation for a single person is straight up an effing douchebag. Buying jewelry is easy. Coming up with a cover, story and an overall design concept is one of the hardest things ever when it's not your normal job. My first book was written pretty quickly. But understanding self-publishing, how to format a cover and manuscript and how to navigate it all took much, much longer. Don't be embarrassed. Be proud that you accomplished something that many people cannot do.

[00:06:44] [SPEAKER_00] If anything, be embarrassed that you're with a person who has no appreciation for honest, hard work. And maybe dump his arse. Opie says, Thank you so much. This comment made me feel so much better and oh my god. You're such an amazing job and I hope you have more success in your profession. You're such an amazing and talented person with a great heart. Thank you for this. So Opie did come in with their update and says, Thank you guys for all the message you sent me. It gave me some ideas and validated my feelings and for that I'm very thankful about.

[00:07:14] [SPEAKER_00] I'm going to break up with him today. I followed one of the comments and sent him the necklace back. He called me and he was crying, asking me if I'm throwing out his love for me. I literally almost broke out of the phone to punch him. I was so angry. He did that to me and now that he tasted his own medicine, he's going to be mad about it. He said that I can't break up with him over the phone and I think he's going to force himself to my apartment. So I tried calling some of our friends for help. When they arrived, they hugged me and sat me down.

[00:07:42] [SPEAKER_00] Apparently our friends also aren't contacting him and told him to get lost and they were never friends after that. They also came over with some of my favorite foods and all comforted me, saying that they thought he was great because he used to be such a green flag. He also told me that I have nothing to be embarrassed about because all he did back there was humiliate himself, not myself. They will be staying with me throughout the night to keep me safe from him. And if he tries anything weird and aggressive, I know a lawyer friend so I'm going to be okay.

[00:08:10] [SPEAKER_00] Thank you everyone for your help and time to read this. I'm thankful for all of you. I hope he has one more final comment replying to someone's end. Send the necklace back and says, Thank you for this. I did this and he did not appreciate it. He was angry and crying but I made up my mind. I'm not staying with someone like him. As one of the comments said, If he did it once, he'll do it again. Thank you again and hope you have a great new year. I just don't get the logic behind him. How he thinks you can stay together after those bloody words.

[00:08:40] [SPEAKER_00] It's absolutely strange behavior. But I'm so glad that OP did get out of it and have a super supportive bunch of friends around her at the same time. Because it sounded like she might need them for a little while after that. But what do you guys make of this situation? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments below. Let's move on to another story. Now our next story comes from the Relationship Advice subreddit. And just a few trigger warnings before we get into this one.

[00:09:09] [SPEAKER_00] It contains body shaming, negging, psychological abuse, controlling behavior as well. So please, if you do want to skip it, please feel free to do so. Timestamps are always down in the description along the timeline below. Thank you. It's from a throwaway account and it says, Boyfriend keeps trying to upgrade or improve me by calling me chubby. Fucking get rid of him already. Gee, bloody whiz. Bloody arsehole. Anyway. I've female 23 been dating my boyfriend male 27 for a year.

[00:09:38] [SPEAKER_00] I'm 5 foot 4 and 125 pounds. He pursued me. Slowly he keeps making more and more negative comments about my appearance. He made me a workout and eating plan and constantly asks if I follow it. He basically wants me to go vegan. Honestly, I'm not into the vegan lifestyle and I don't eat horrible. When we ordered yesterday, I got baked ziti. He looked at me and said how I could be ordering this when we both agreed I need to lose weight.

[00:10:05] [SPEAKER_00] Every time I try and dump him over this, he tells me I don't understand where he's coming from. He told me I'm average and he wants me to stand out. That he noticed I have low self-esteem and he's trying to make me confident and be happy with myself. Every day he asks me if I did my workouts. He will send me photos of other girls and say if I follow what he says, I will look like that. He really pursued me and now I feel like he's killing my self-esteem. Why pursue someone so hard if you aren't that attracted to them?

[00:10:34] [SPEAKER_00] He told me if I lose 15 pounds, I'll be perfect. He sends me pictures of women who have post-pregnancy bodies or not good bodies at all and he tells me that they are like me. That they are chubby and not curvy. Or he will send me pictures of girls I don't consider pretty and say if I listen to him, I will look like that. I just need to lose weight. I tell him I think I'm thinner than those girls and he tells me that he has better eyes. Honestly, at this point, I don't want to break up because I feel like no one will find me attractive.

[00:11:03] [SPEAKER_00] I feel like I want his approval. I've been wearing baggy clothes because I'm so ashamed of my body. It was like my body but now I'm ashamed. Why is he dating me if I'm so unattractive? How do I gain my self-esteem back? Why pursue me? I know this kind of shit happens all the time but reading it in OP's words is really, really upsetting. Especially like the last paragraph.

[00:11:28] [SPEAKER_00] I mean it's all bloody awful but OP feeling so down that she's worried no one will find her attractive and she can't get out of that situation because she thinks no one else will want her. Feeling like she needs his approval and that's exactly what he wants. It's predatory behavior. He pursued her and the moment he had her, he started dismantling her piece by piece. The workout plans, the eating restrictions, the photos of women he finds unattractive with a caption saying basically that's you.

[00:11:56] [SPEAKER_00] He's an absolute piece of shit. And I'm really hoping we see an update where OP does leave him because that's the only way she's going to gain any of her self-esteem back in the end. A commenter said to OP, quoting, How do I get my self-esteem back? And then says, By dumping the person who keeps destroying it. OP says, I'm nervous no one else will want me. I know it's dumb but I feel like someone would be settling if they're with me now. The commenter replies, Quoting, I'm nervous no one else will want me. And then says, And that is exactly why he does it.

[00:12:26] [SPEAKER_00] It's a psychological manipulation. It is a series of negative comments designed to make you feel you can't risk losing him. You talk funny says, Send him a picture of Gerard Butler in 300. And if he can't achieve those results by tomorrow morning, Dump him. You're only trying to build up his self-esteem. Here thank you for it eventually. See what I mean? OP comes in and says, I would like to thank everyone for the overwhelming response. I can't get back to everyone. I appreciate each and every message. Honestly,

[00:12:56] [SPEAKER_00] I didn't realize my situation was that bad. I'm going to assume he had me under control. This really was reassuring. And I'm so happy I found this community and made this thread. I broke up with him over text message and explained to him, How you talk and treat me is not how you talk to anyone, Let alone your girlfriend who you are supposed to love. So I hope he changes for the next girl he dates because he's a miserable person. And no one deserves his abuse. I blocked his number. I'm sure he might try to show up at my house, But I just felt the need to end this as soon as possible.

[00:13:26] [SPEAKER_00] I think I'm going to take some time for myself since my self-esteem is in the gutter. But thank you all. McTavish says, Excellent update. Keep your doors locked when you're home. If he shows up at your place, don't open the door no matter what he says. If he wants to give you something, tell him you don't want the flowers, gift, whatever. Take them away. If he wants just one last hug goodbye, tell him no. If he refuses to leave, tell him you're reporting him for trespassing and harassment. Edit. Also tell him he's being recorded, even if he's not.

[00:13:55] [SPEAKER_00] Once he's inside, he will have a plan on what to say to twist things around and make you doubt yourself. He knows what buttons to push. He might make huge promises and demand another chance to prove he's a good guy. As if you owe him something, you don't owe him another chance or more time. Worst case scenario, he wants to punish you for daring to break up with him. It's not worth it. Just don't open the door and tell him to go home. Opie replies saying he already started calling my house and parents' cell phones.

[00:14:22] [SPEAKER_00] He was mad I didn't try to fight for us and said that I was being abusive for him because this is the third time I broke up with him and played these games. He was saying he has no friends besides me and he needs me. I'm just too sensitive. I'm not responding and just recording anything he does because you can never be too safe. Honestly, I'm not even upset about the breakup. I just have that feeling of worthlessness. But I had that even with him. Commodore says reading this made me tear up. Please love and value yourself.

[00:14:52] [SPEAKER_00] Seriously, you're perfect for being your unique self and someone will love you for that. Not based on appearance. Don't stay with someone who makes you feel less than any other person. There are beautiful people in the world. Those who make others feel beautiful. This guy is not it. What he's doing to you is ugly. Exactly how he feels about himself inside. Staying with someone like him will not bring you happiness. And you deserve to be happy. Hopi says thank you for your kindness and compassion.

[00:15:20] [SPEAKER_00] I made an update and broke up with him over text. My self-esteem got to be so low. I just took this as normal and him helping me. I guess part of me wants to see the good in everyone. Even if it's not there. At the end of the day, I know I'm a nice, sweet girl who doesn't put others down. Especially those I love. So I know I have that going for me. I really do hope that OP is doing much better now. Didn't respond to any of those calls or messages or anything from that guy.

[00:15:49] [SPEAKER_00] I always find it scary that, you know, he's still about. He may have changed. Possibly. But if he hasn't, it's a scary thought. But what do you guys make of this situation? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments below. And let's move on to another story. Now, our next story comes from Embarrassed Fact 2154 and says, My wife is a stay-at-home mom and has racked up 17k of debt in the past 11 months behind my back.

[00:16:18] [SPEAKER_00] My male 30 wife, female 30, is a stay-at-home mom to our two kids. Two years and eight months. Our military had been gone for most of the past year. And things have been pretty rocky. She brought up divorce in our last fight. She's been a stay-at-home mom for about two and a half years now. And I've been okay with that since I've made enough to make ends meet. We have a joint bank account. And recently, ever since I got back, money has been tight. I saw her walking upstairs with a pen and paper.

[00:16:48] [SPEAKER_00] And since this is unusual for her, I asked what that was for. And she replied just for finances. Since I'm the sole provider, I was interested what for. And she said it was for a credit card debt. I asked how much she had. And she said 17,000. My jaw about hit the floor. I asked on what? She couldn't give me a straight answer. But if it was anything like her past, it's just random junk from TJ Maxx, thrift stores, or from Target.

[00:17:15] [SPEAKER_00] The past three months, we've overdrawn our checking account every month because of her impulse purchases. Every time I bring it up, she gets very defensive and ends up being a fight. Backstory. Last summer, I consolidated our credit card debt into a 32k loan with a lower interest rate and have been making payments on that ever since. We have both had two credit cards. We agreed to freeze one and only use one each. She never froze the one and continued to use both cards. I'm military and left for eight months.

[00:17:44] [SPEAKER_00] And she went and stayed at my parents, where most groceries were taken care of, with exception to baby formula. So I couldn't see daily spending habits. My parents said they were boxes of Amazon packages nearly every day though. I feel betrayed. I'm mad. I don't know what to think right now. Am I wrong to feel like she needs to get a part slash full-time job and get separate bank accounts? I would obviously cover bills and expenses, but I don't know how to correct her financial problem. We basically break even as is. Help.

[00:18:14] [SPEAKER_00] Within the same post update. Last night, I told her I didn't want to speak to her about this because I don't want to say something out of emotion and something I don't mean. And I get this as a response. Go ahead and say what you want because you're clearly thinking of it. I know I don't work. I don't make money. And I'm sorry for that. I'm the one to blame. I will go to work. I have no problem with that. Then help me find a daycare and finish applying for the childcare. I've done a lot in this and you haven't been any help with it. These are our kids and this part of it isn't easy.

[00:18:44] [SPEAKER_00] Everyone in this world has debt, unfortunately. I'm not proud of it, but it's something that doesn't just go away in a few years as much as we would like it to. Opie continues, I don't know what's more frustrating and disturbing. A financial situation or her casualness and lack of responsibility and ownership for putting us in this situation. I make the most I have ever in my life right now. And yet this is the most upside down I am in debt. Unreal. A commenter says to Opie, she needs to go into the workforce.

[00:19:14] [SPEAKER_00] Opie says, I agree. Since all the debt is in her name with her cards, I'm thinking separate accounts and she solely uses her money to pay off her debt. Commenter says, you should keep an eye on that. If she can't be trusted not to rack up debt when she has no job, what makes you think she will actually pay off her debt, which is now 50% yours? More than likely since you are married. Depending on your state. Any event you get divorced. Not that you said it was an option at this point. Just make sure you're not fucked. That's financial infidelity. Opie says, got it. Thank you.

[00:19:44] [SPEAKER_00] And thankfully my state is not one of them. I checked. Kibar says, I couldn't fathom 17,000 on useless purchases when you can't afford it. She doesn't even seem remorseful about it. You'll be trapped in a cycle of credit card debt. Really think about whether or not you're better off cutting your losses now. Opie says, I really don't want it to come to that, but I agree with you. Our partner is supposed to share loads and blows in life. And that's what we did last summer when we combined our debt and took that loan.

[00:20:11] [SPEAKER_00] This 17,000 is a ton of money with nothing to show for it. I'm just so upset at the selfishness and lack of thought about our family. Commenter says, wow, that's crazy. I didn't ever spend money we don't have as a stay-at-home mom. I couldn't imagine doing that to my family. That's ridiculous. I think she should pay for it. But 17,000 is a lot of money. And what was the debt from before? Was that also from her spending? Opie says, yes.

[00:20:38] [SPEAKER_00] When I consolidated our debt, she did have an additional credit card with 5,000 on it. However, that was interest-free for the first year, so that was not part of the loan. When I saw on our bank statements, credit card payments, I was under the impression that she was making payments on that. She also purchased a bedroom set for 4,000, but I set aside money for her to pay that. Little did I know, none of that went towards the set and funded another spending spree. So Opie came back into this six months later and says,

[00:21:06] [SPEAKER_00] I wish I could say things have gotten better, but they haven't. After discovering how much debt she had accumulated over the last 11 months and having our joint bank account overdrawn all consecutive months, I opened a separate bank account to start rebuilding our finances. I gave her $200 every two weeks, $400 monthly, to spend however she liked. I transferred all bills, insurance, and payments of any kind to withdraw from my separate account. I started doing all the grocery shopping.

[00:21:36] [SPEAKER_00] We had a serious sit-down conversation about her re-entering the workforce, but picking up a part-time job to start paying towards the debt. And she hated the idea of going back to work, because that's not what the plan was when we first had kids. The original plan was for her to be a stay-at-home mom until our kids, two and one, started going to school. She went through three jobs in three weeks, quitting hours before our shift through text. I was trying to take over her life and controlling.

[00:22:05] [SPEAKER_00] She found a new job since November, and she works 10 hours a week. We started going to therapy in November as well. The therapist said this was a classic case of financial infidelity, and she compares it to cheating but with a credit card. She refuses to do our couple's homework with this, because she says it's pointless and doesn't see the point in it, despite me expressing my desires to. She told her parents about the situation, how I made a separate bank account from her, and that I'm financially abusive to her.

[00:22:33] [SPEAKER_00] I walked into a conversation my mother-in-law was having with the mail lady about me. I can honestly say they no longer like me. She's picked up on her drinking and finished a box of wine in two days, regardless of the day. A couple of times when she was drunk, she's brought up how nice it would be if we moved back to Indiana. But I can't because of my job. Conversations between my wife and I are cold, basically outside of the kids, and once they go to bed, she goes upstairs and closes the door. She despises the idea of having two separate accounts,

[00:23:03] [SPEAKER_00] and regularly threatens how she will not be with someone who had separate bank accounts. Recently and currently, I was put on a three-month tour overseas, and she quit her job. Quit therapy, packed up her stuff and the kids' stuff, and went back to Indiana. Until I come back. Things have gotten so unbelievably messy. As always, there's no excuses for the behavior, right? The financial infidelity, all this kind of stuff. Never an excuse for it, because we're able to talk. We're able to talk things through, etc.

[00:23:32] [SPEAKER_00] But I was thinking of what's going on in the background here, and I was thinking about the military side of things. Maybe she's lonely and isolated, being home with two kids while her husband is deployed. And you hear about how spending in shops, etc. is one of the common responses to that kind of emptiness, the dopamine hit that you get when a package arrives, an Amazon package or something. And potentially, just a loss of identity, too. But as always, like I said, understanding why someone does something isn't the same as it being okay.

[00:24:02] [SPEAKER_00] And at some point in every story, I think, there comes a point where the reasons actually stop mattering. Because what you're left with in this situation, it sounds like someone who's not engaging with therapy, is quitting every job within days, and is reframing things like the financial damage control as abuse. And the moment OP left again, she just packed up and left. And you simply can't fix your marriage alone. Because in the end, there's just no foundation to it. But a commenter says to OP,

[00:24:30] [SPEAKER_00] file for a legal separation so you won't be responsible for any new debt she incurs. OP says, we live in a state when debt stays with the individual, not the couple. So that's good. Rose Plum says, OP, I'm sorry you're going through this. But since she's left you and you're going overseas, and it looks like divorce is imminent, I would suggest the following. 1. Change your beneficiary information on your life insurance and your military benefits to your children, and make your parents the executor. 2. See a lawyer and file for legal separation.

[00:25:00] [SPEAKER_00] Drop your will or redo it, and list your parents as executors. Create a trust for your insurance and benefits to go into so your kids are taken care of. 3. Change up your power of attorney and healthcare proxy to your parents. 4. Keep the bank account. 5. Don't separate it. I suggest this because if, God forbid, something happens to you overseas, your wife has shown that she lacks the emotional maturity, accountability, and financial responsibility to properly take care of your children. Doing this, her not having an easy access to your money in any event,

[00:25:29] [SPEAKER_00] would force her to not only find a job, but to keep it as well. I'm very sorry about the state of your relationship. She doesn't want help. You can't make her see things your way because unfortunately, she doesn't care to. So, protect yourself and your kids from her financially until you get back stateside. I hope you get back safely from your tour. Amik says, This isn't someone who is remorseful or working on themselves after a mistake. This is just ridiculous. See if you can minimize the financial impact on you from her bad decisions.

[00:25:59] [SPEAKER_00] Then, divorce her. She doesn't want to work, to be held to account for her decisions. Then, she can resolve her problems on her own. The kids make this super tricky, but she's not a sensible person to care for them either. I hope she says, I agree. Every day is like the twilight zone. Nothing she's doing is helping us come together as a team again, or work on herself and her mental health. It's to a point where if I don't 1000% praise her every decision, let alone question anything she does, it's me trying to control her life. Kids do make this extremely tricky to navigate,

[00:26:28] [SPEAKER_00] but I would fight my hardest for full custody. Amik says, The problem is that this sounds like weaponized therapy speak. Someone has said financial abuse can mean controlling access to funds and controlling a homemaker partner through an allowance, and she has neglected to grasp that, in the context of her financial abusive view. They're not abusing her, but just drawing healthy boundaries. Again, if it weren't for the kids, I'd make sure everyone knew about the part she's conveniently neglecting. I hope she says, You're right. I could not continue to stand by and do nothing

[00:26:58] [SPEAKER_00] as the paycheck gets drained within the first five days of getting it. See, we need to look at what we're spending money on talk was useless. The be more careful on what we're buying talk was useless. The budgeting was useless. At the end of the day, I needed to protect myself and our family financially, and separate the accounts because we were just hemorrhaging money. In some of our final months, our therapist did suggest I stop the allowance because it can be building an unhealthy power dynamic in the relationship,

[00:27:26] [SPEAKER_00] and suggested my wife going back to full-time and having our kids' daycare. But my wife didn't want to put the kids in daycare full-time, so she didn't do it, and instead just kept on asking me for money or to rejoin the... And it cuts off. Yeah, and many commenters just pointing out they can only see this going one way, and this is the divorce way. I was curious in one part, I know I can Google it, but I like asking you guys to get the varying opinions. Opie mentions at one point during his comments

[00:27:53] [SPEAKER_00] that he would fight his hardest for full custody. How does that work in like a military sense? You know, if he's in the army and he's getting posted overseas, etc. I might make myself sound a fool here, but are they lenient? Would they allow him home to look after his kids? Or does he just have to find different options, maybe his parents or something like that? Or would they even entertain this idea? It all sounds incredibly stressful to be dealing with something like that while you're posted overseas at the same time.

[00:28:22] [SPEAKER_00] But again, I can't really see this ending any other way. If someone's not willing to help themselves, and you know, they're going to the point of calling you abusive now, what do you do with it? But what do you guys make of this situation? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments below. Now, just a huge thank you for being here today, getting involved in the stories, your love, your support, your time. It always means the absolute world to me. So thank you so, so much for being here. Truly is absolutely amazing.

[00:28:51] [SPEAKER_00] And hopefully I'll see you in the next one. Take care and much love.