Inside was a simple letter:
Since you won’t be paying child support for the next six months, I’ll also be taking a break. Our son will be living with you full-time during that period. Please be prepared to take on all financial, educational, and medical responsibilities.
He exploded. Said it was ridiculous. Said I couldn’t just decide that. I didn’t argue. I got in my car and drove away.
Three days later, he texted that he “couldn’t manage” having our son full-time because his wife was “under a lot of stress.”
A week after that, he completely cracked. The full child support payment came through, along with one message: Please go back to the regular schedule.
Later that night, his wife messaged me separately. She apologized. Said she never asked for this, didn’t even want a new car, and had no idea what he’d told me.
Was it petty? Maybe.
But I’m exhausted from being the only adult in the room who understands what responsibility actually means.
