Month: August 2026

Another shitty day in the neighborhood. AJ and I have been working on a project for a business we’re trying to get off the ground, and with me leaving tomorrow for business travel, she asked if there was anything I wanted to do. I had nothing planned, and she needed to get AE some new school clothes. On the way to the stores, she brought up the birthday party from yesterday. I mentioned that I wasn’t even missed at the party, and she said she disagreed. I don’t know of anyone who would miss me there, since I don’t get along with anyone at those gatherings. I’m sure it was noticed that I wasn’t there, and that’s fine with me. Nothing in my soul wanted to be at the house of someone I consider a thief.

It was an unsuccessful shopping trip, mostly because AE wasn’t willing to go try things on, and AJ doesn’t know his sizes, so she has to guess. That doesn’t work out well for anyone. During the outing, she mentioned wanting to stop by the local winery to meet up with someone about some things we’re working on, so we did.

I really thought she was becoming less distant, but I was wrong again. After we got home, I tried to flirt with her a little and didn’t even get a reaction. It’s been seven days of her being distant. This brings back a lot of emotion, because the last time she was this distant was during her affair with KH. I don’t know if they’ve started talking again or what, but that’s all I can think about now.

She says this time of year is hard for her, since it’s when things started going downhill with her late husband. All I know is that between the secrecy lately and her going back on her promises, it’s taking a real toll on what’s left of our relationship. My trust for her is at about 25% right now, and that’s no way to be with a spouse. Since the affair, it’s really never gotten above 50%, and it feels like she breaks it down a little more every day. I’m getting to the point where I’m starting not to care anymore. I don’t like that feeling.

Today was not a good day. It was CL’s little girl’s birthday, and I’d already told AJ I wasn’t going. So I looked for something else to do and ended up driving down to Houston for an event that didn’t really amount to anything. It was a first look at a new machine I have on pre-order and am just waiting to arrive.

On the way to Houston, I was talking with AJ, and she told me that lately all I do is piss her off and she wants to punch me in the face. She cut the call pretty short after that, and we went most of the day with no calls or texts. I did text her when I was on my way home, and she called me when she was on her way home, but other than that, we didn’t have much communication.

I wanted to believe it was just because of the birthday party she was at, but I have second thoughts on that now. While we were doing things around the house, she was on FaceTime with CL. He brought up sending something, and she cut him off since I was in the area and could hear the conversation. She spoke loudly over him so I wouldn’t hear what was being said, but the only time he asks her to send something is because he wants money, and I’m pretty sure she did. I don’t have proof, but after the FaceTime call, she messed with her phone, and I’m pretty sure that’s what she was doing.

She’s promised me over and over that she was going to stop supporting him financially, but that hasn’t stopped. She’s also promised that since his school check goes into her account, she’d make sure the car payment gets to me. I haven’t gotten a car payment since we were in Florida for the weekend back in April of this year.

Later in the evening, as she was sitting on the couch, I told her I was headed to bed and leaned in to give her a kiss good night, and she backed away from me.

Today was a decent day. Taking a step back from dealing with AE’s actions has been pretty good for my mental health. I don’t think AJ’s happy with it, since she’s been very distant since our conversation in the bedroom where she told me I needed to change. I’ve been keeping my distance, and when he comes into the room, I find a way to leave and do something else. She’s the one who allows this behavior to continue, and it’s not fair to the rest of us in the house to have to deal with it.

AJ and I were able to meet up with some friends this evening, and we went to a Serial Killer Speakeasy show in the next town over. The show was okay, but the company was a good time.

Today was a hard day. AE got back from “working” with AJ’s late husband’s family. He was excited because he’d earned enough money to replace the phone he destroyed. When AJ got home from work, we planned on taking him to get his phone, but when it came time to leave, he pitched a fit that I was going, so I refused to go.

When they got to the store, AJ called me, very upset, because AE had apparently told her that all I do is yell at him. I didn’t have a response for her on the phone, and she ended the call pretty quickly. When she got home, she asked me to follow her into the bedroom and proceeded to tell me that the relationship with AE needs to improve and that I needed to change. I tried to figure out where all of this was coming from, since I hadn’t seen AE in almost three weeks, and I tried to explain that to AJ, but she wasn’t hearing any of it.

At the end of the conversation, I told her that I’m going to have very limited interactions with AE moving forward. She’s going to have to handle everything that deals with him, since I’m stepping back from any interaction with him. I said I’d only step in if there was danger to anyone or anything. She wasn’t happy with the stance I was taking, but I’m out of ideas dealing with this kid.

What really gets me about all of this is that I hadn’t seen this kid in three weeks. Where did this come from? AJ telling me I need to change, while she’s inconsistent with everything. How is that helpful?

This week AE was at grief camp again, for the second year in a row. Next year will be his last, since they only allow someone to attend for three years. AJ wasn’t aware of that, so she said that after next year, she’s going to have to find a place for him to go so we can still do our annual trip. I have a feeling she’s going to want to take him, and that’s not something I’m planning on doing. She’s getting more and more pushy about traveling with AE, and given how this kid acts and treats me, that’s not something I’m willing to even think about.