A mom-to-be finds herself in a precarious position.
Death often brings people closer together. But sometimes, it can drive a wedge between loved ones.
On January 8th, a pregnant woman's current husband threatened to divorce her if she visits her dying ex.
Her "extremely ill" former husband filed for divorce in 2020 after being "secretly" diagnosed with a severe medical condition. Now the mom-to-be finds herself in a precarious position. "My current husband got extremely upset with me when I mentioned it to him and threatened to divorce me if I go."
As reported in Newsweek by Lucy Notarantonio, the now-viral Reddit post has garnered more than 17.5k upvotes and nearly 3,000 comments. What the future holds for this woman and her unborn child is unclear.
Will she risk losing her current husband to be by the side of her dying former spouse? Or will she ignore her ex-husband's final request to see her "probably for the last time?"
It's a heartbreaking situation, and the woman has yet to make a decision. The post has prompted an outpouring of support and encouragement from Redditors, with many urging her to trust her gut.
One comment has received over 800 upvotes read: "Your marriage is probably done either way, I don't know how you move forward with someone leveraging your marriage to exert control over you, so the choice is either to end it now or end it down the road once the resentment becomes too much. The difference is one of those roads will include closure with your ex and one won't."
Jealousy and Controlling Behavior
Conflict and differing viewpoints are a normal part of any relationship. But when someone feels insecure and uses threats of divorce as a form of control, it could indicate manipulative behavior.
Jealousy and controlling behavior are unhealthy and could be a red flag in a relationship. These behaviors may be hard to recognize initially, but over time can lead to significant issues, including the destruction of trust.
"A controlling partner may not always be easy to spot. While some may act overtly menacing, others may resort to subtle manipulation in an attempt to 'keep you in check.'" — Hilary I. Lebow, PsychCentral
In this case, the poster admitted, "I'm seeing a side of my now husband that I never seen before."
Ultimately, whether to visit her dying ex or not is a highly personal decision that only she can make. But the support and encouragement from the Reddit online community may give her the strength and courage to make the decision that is best for her.
What would you do? Is it worth the risk to go against the wishes of your current husband to be by the side of a dying former love? How would you handle such a sensitive situation? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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