[FULL STORY] What’s the biggest drama going on in your life right now? — Transcript

Full transcript

1. 0:00my entitled step-daughter stole money
2. 0:01from me so I issued an ultimatum to my
3. 0:03husband kick her out or divorce from the
4. 0:05day I moved into my husband's house my
5. 0:06stepdaughter has despised me for no
6. 0:07reason a prime example being when I
7. 0:09wouldn't give her $120 for the hair
8. 0:11salon she literally went through my
9. 0:12wallet and stole the money a week after
10. 0:14that happened I told my husband I was
11. 0:15done with him enabling her I explained
12. 0:17she is 22 doesn't pay rent doesn't work
13. 0:19or go to college he interrupted to
14. 0:21defend her and I brought up the hair
15. 0:22salon incident and especially how when
16. 0:24he found out about it he didn't even say
17. 0:25anything to her he went silent and
18. 0:27that's when I gave him an ultimatum
19. 0:28either she leaves the house or we are
20. 0:30getting a divorce I can't kick my
21. 0:31daughter out I'm sorry was his response
22. 0:33he walked out and I genuinely could not
23. 0:35believe it I loved my husband so much
24. 0:37and truthfully the ultimatum was not
25. 0:38something I was ready to commit to just
26. 0:40yet I wanted to at least talk to him
27. 0:41first about it and so that's what I did
28. 0:43Benjamin and I had many arguments about
29. 0:44it he would say she was young and needed
30. 0:45time to figure things out but it was
31. 0:47clear she wasn't even trying to figure
32. 0:48it out Lisa had always been a bit
33. 0:49spoiled when I first met her she was
34. 0:51just 15 living with her mother Benjamin
35. 0:53and I had just started dating and I
36. 0:54really wanted to make a good impression
37. 0:55on our first meeting she demanded a new
38. 0:57iPhone from him because hers was so last
39. 0:59year and all of her friends had the
40. 1:00newest iPhone Benjamin laughed it off
41. 1:02but I could see the pattern then she
42. 1:03always got what she wanted her mother
43. 1:04spoiled her giving her everything
44. 1:06without question as the years went by
45. 1:08Lisa's demands only grew she expected
46. 1:09everything to be handed to her on a
47. 1:11silver platter in high school she
48. 1:12refused to work a part-time job
49. 1:14insisting that studying was her job but
50. 1:15her grades didn't reflect that she spent
51. 1:17more time shopping and hanging out with
52. 1:18friends than studying her mother and
53. 1:20Benjamin always made excuses for her
54. 1:21saying she was Finding herself fast
55. 1:23forward to now it seems like she is
56. 1:24Comfortably settled in to live off the
57. 1:25back of her father and I the next few
58. 1:27days after I gave the ultimatum were
59. 1:28unbearable to say the least Lisa found
60. 1:30out about what I said and the ultimatum
61. 1:32I gave her dad she slammed doors made
62. 1:33snide comments and went out of her way
63. 1:35to make life miserable for me Benjamin
64. 1:37tried to mediate but it was clear he was
65. 1:38struggling to keep the peace after a
66. 1:40hard day at work I was greeted by loud
67. 1:41music blaring from the living room it
68. 1:43was Lisa's I asked her politely if she
69. 1:45could turn it down and she didn't
70. 1:46respond she kept the volume obnoxiously
71. 1:48High I walked into the living room to
72. 1:49find Lisa sitting on the couch
73. 1:50surrounded by snacks and empty soda cans
74. 1:52she was scrolling on her phone I asked
75. 1:54her again if she could turn it down and
76. 1:55she apologized with a smirk and said she
77. 1:57didn't hear me she took her sweet time
78. 1:58grabbing the remote and turning down the
79. 2:00volume by a notch the music was still
80. 2:01piercing loud I let it go and went to
81. 2:03the kitchen to make dinner and I found
82. 2:04dirty dishes piled high in the sink and
83. 2:06crumbs all over the countertops I called
84. 2:08Lisa in there and asked her why she
85. 2:09didn't clean up after herself and she
86. 2:10said she was going to do it later my
87. 2:12patience was running thin I asked her
88. 2:13before I left that morning to clean up
89. 2:15before I got home and she told me if I
90. 2:16weren't so uptight all the time things
91. 2:17would be easier around here I blew up on
92. 2:19her I told her that it wasn't about just
93. 2:21doing the dishes I wanted a clean home
94. 2:22and respect I said she doesn't care
95. 2:24about anyone but herself she screamed at
96. 2:25me and told me that I thought that I was
97. 2:27perfect and was controlling she ended
98. 2:28with maybe that's why Dad doesn't really
99. 2:30love you she said that if he really did
100. 2:32he would have chosen me over her in the
101. 2:33beginning when I gave him the ultimatum
102. 2:35she said that she truly had his love
103. 2:36that evening when Benjamin got home I
104. 2:38immediately went up to him and handed
105. 2:39him divorce papers he looked shocked and
106. 2:41his eyes filled with tears he begged me
107. 2:43not to follow through with the divorce I
108. 2:44told him that I'd given him and Lisa
109. 2:46chance after chance and the disrespect
110. 2:47that I faced that day was my final straw
111. 2:49I told him that the only thing that
112. 2:51could make me stay was him choosing me
113. 2:52to stay over Lisa once he realized I was
114. 2:54serious and that he would lose me
115. 2:55forever he told Lisa to leave the
116. 2:57conversation was tense it looked like it
117. 2:58hurt him to tell her and just just as I
118. 3:00thought the nightmare was over Lisa
119. 3:01refused to leave she claimed she had
120. 3:03nowhere to go but I stood my ground and
121. 3:04gave Benjamin a week to decide the week
122. 3:06was painful and just when I thought
123. 3:07things couldn't get worse they did
124. 3:09Benjamin was caught in the middle torn
125. 3:10between his love for me and his
126. 3:12responsibility to his daughter it hurt
127. 3:13to see Benjamin struggle with the
128. 3:14decision to kick out his daughter but I
129. 3:16knew what needed to be done finally
130. 3:17Benjamin made his choice he told Lisa
131. 3:19she had to leave she stormed out but
132. 3:21before she left she threatened us and
133. 3:22said that we would regret ever kicking
134. 3:24her out I felt a mixture of relief and
135. 3:25guilt but Lisa leaving was only the
136. 3:27beginning of the chaos within days I
137. 3:28started hearing rumors about Benjamin
138. 3:30Lisa told everyone that Benjamin was
139. 3:31having an affair with a coworker the
140. 3:33gossip reached me and I confronted
141. 3:34Benjamin when I heard the news I felt my
142. 3:36heart in my throat I asked him if it was
143. 3:37true as soon as he got home from work he
144. 3:39seemed hurt that I would ask him that I
145. 3:40could tell that he didn't feel like I
146. 3:41trusted him he reassured me that he
147. 3:43would never do that to me and that it
148. 3:44was all lies he showed me his phone and
149. 3:46the messages between him and his
150. 3:47cooworker were strictly business he also
151. 3:49proved that the previous nights he
152. 3:50wasn't with anyone else but me I sat
153. 3:52there with egg on my face even after he
154. 3:54proved he was innocent I felt the trust
155. 3:55between us was shattered Benjamin told
156. 3:57me that if I believed the lies maybe our
157. 3:59marriage wouldn't survive his words cut
158. 4:00deep and I was left feeling more alone
159. 4:02than ever but I chose to stay with him I
160. 4:04hoped to rebuild our relationship I
161. 4:05loved Benjamin and couldn't see myself
162. 4:07with anyone else but just a few weeks
163. 4:08later I came home to find Lisa back in
164. 4:10the house Benjamin told me she promised
165. 4:11to change and he couldn't turn her away
166. 4:13I felt even more betrayed she had snaked
167. 4:15her way back into our house and I could
168. 4:16tell she was trying to divide us so she
169. 4:18could get her way I knew that she had
170. 4:19him wrapped around her finger I didn't
171. 4:20know how long I could survive knowing
172. 4:22the cycle of her manipulation would
173. 4:23never end the final straw came when I
174. 4:25found out Lisa was spreading more lies
175. 4:27this time about me I was walking outside
176. 4:28to my mailbox where I saw my neighbor
177. 4:30she was a sweet old lady and greeted me
178. 4:31every day when I waved at her and smiled
179. 4:33like we normally do she just looked back
180. 4:34at me and shook her head she quickly
181. 4:36headed back into the house that was
182. 4:37weird behavior from her but I figured
183. 4:39she was going through something at first
184. 4:40until that same interaction happened the
185. 4:42next few days one day I went over to my
186. 4:44neighbor's house and as she opened the
187. 4:45door she looked disappointed I asked her
188. 4:47why she was so distant lately and she
189. 4:48told me that she knew what I'd done I
190. 4:50was confused I didn't do anything I
191. 4:52asked her to explain and she lowered her
192. 4:53voice and said that she knew I was
193. 4:55stealing people's money orders out of
194. 4:56their mailboxes around the neighborhood
195. 4:57I asked her who told her this and lo and
196. 4:59told it was Lisa she had been spreading
197. 5:01rumors about me to the entire
198. 5:02neighborhood and now no one trusted me I
199. 5:04was heed I explained to what was going
200. 5:06on and how it was just retaliation for
201. 5:08her having to find a new place to live
202. 5:09she looked like she halfway believed me
203. 5:11and I left my blood boiled this girl
204. 5:13caused problems in my home and outside
205. 5:14of it she told anyone who would listen
206. 5:16that I was the villain painting herself
207. 5:17as the victim I felt trapped unsupported
208. 5:19and utterly defeated it was then that I
209. 5:21knew I had to leave for my own sanity I
210. 5:22proceeded with the divorce my heart
211. 5:24broke as I walked away from the life I
212. 5:25had built with Benjamin he watched our
213. 5:27marriage fall apart he was torn between
214. 5:28his love for me and his Duty as a father
215. 5:30and I was not about to get in the way of
216. 5:31that I left feeling a mix of relief and
217. 5:34sadness starting a new life was
218. 5:35intimidating but I knew it was the right
219. 5:37choice free from the chaos I chose peace
220. 5:39Benjamin and Lisa continued their
221. 5:40destructive dance she kept him wrapped
222. 5:42around his finger and I could see his
223. 5:44life spiraling I was just happy that I
224. 5:45left before it was too late the first
225. 5:47weeks of my new life were difficult the
226. 5:48whole situation took a toll on my mental
227. 5:50but I was determined to start a better
228. 5:51life for myself I rented a small
229. 5:53apartment on the other side of town
230. 5:54every evening I would sit on my tiny
231. 5:56balcony sipping tea and watching the
232. 5:57sunset this new routine brought me a
233. 5:59sense of calm but despite the Newfound
234. 6:00peace the nights were the hardest I
235. 6:02would lie in bed staring at the ceiling
236. 6:04replaying the events that led me here
237. 6:05the hurt the Betrayal and the sense of
238. 6:07loss I focused on my job to distract
239. 6:09from the pain my colleagues noticed a
240. 6:10change in me but I kept my personal life
241. 6:12private slowly I began to rebuild my
242. 6:14confidence meanwhile life for Benjamin
243. 6:16and Lisa was far from perfect the rumors
244. 6:18Lisa had spread about Benjamin's
245. 6:19supposed Affair continued to circulate
246. 6:21this brought tension to his workplace
247. 6:22his co-workers were cautious and unsure
248. 6:24of what to believe Benjamin found
249. 6:25himself isolated he struggled to
250. 6:27maintain his professional relationships
251. 6:28at home things were even worse Lisa's
252. 6:30promises to change had been empty she
253. 6:32continued her entitled Behavior
254. 6:33expecting Benjamin to cater to her every
255. 6:35whim she refused to look for a job and
256. 6:37spent her days lounging around the house
257. 6:38or out with friends the strain of living
258. 6:40with Lisa was taking its toll on
259. 6:41Benjamin and he began to see the impact
260. 6:42of his choice I knew all of this because
261. 6:44one evening Benjamin reached out to me
262. 6:46he asked if we could meet for coffee
263. 6:47saying he needed to talk I agreed we met
264. 6:49at a small Cafe Benjamin's eyes looked
265. 6:50tired he began his apologies and said
266. 6:52that he could see now what I was trying
267. 6:53to tell him he admitted that he should
268. 6:54have listened at this point our divorce
269. 6:56was Final and I knew that Lisa still had
270. 6:58a hold on Benjamin I said that it was
271. 6:59too late for us and that when I needed
272. 7:00him to stand by me he didn't he said he
273. 7:02needed help and that he was actively
274. 7:03trying to change things with Lisa he
275. 7:05said he was tired of enabling her as we
276. 7:07talked I realized that even though I
277. 7:08still cared for Benjamin our
278. 7:09relationship had been irreparably
279. 7:11damaged I had to focus on my own healing
280. 7:13and building a life that I could enjoy
281. 7:14without the constant drama and pain the
282. 7:16weeks turned into months and I continued
283. 7:17to rebuild my life I made new friends
284. 7:19and people who brought positivity and
285. 7:20joy into my life a few years later I
286. 7:22heard a knock on my front door I looked
287. 7:23through the peephole to see Lisa she
288. 7:25looked different more disheveled than I
289. 7:26had ever seen her when I opened the door
290. 7:28she hesitated but but then told me she
291. 7:30needed my help and that she was in
292. 7:31trouble at first I was taken aback after
293. 7:33everything she had done I wasn't sure I
294. 7:34wanted to help her but there was a part
295. 7:36of me that remembered the young girl who
296. 7:37had been caught in the middle of her
297. 7:38parents divorce and who had never been
298. 7:40taught to take responsibility for her
299. 7:41actions she explained that she had
300. 7:42gotten involved with the wrong crowd and
301. 7:44was in debt Benjamin Had refused to bail
302. 7:46her out this time he insisted that she
303. 7:47needed to learn from her mistakes she
304. 7:49was scared and didn't know where to turn
305. 7:50despite everything I decided to help her
306. 7:52but on my terms I told her that I would
307. 7:53help her but she had to make some
308. 7:55changes her days of empty promises were
309. 7:56over she would first have to find a job
310. 7:58start contributing to her herself and
311. 8:00stop relying on others to fix her
312. 8:01problems she nodded and said she'd do
313. 8:03anything I helped her pay off her debt
314. 8:04and connected her with a job opportunity
315. 8:06through one of my friends it wasn't easy
316. 8:08but over time Lisa started to change she
317. 8:10found a job began paying rent and even
318. 8:11started taking classes to finish her
319. 8:13degree meanwhile Benjamin and I
320. 8:14maintained a cordial relationship but we
321. 8:16both knew that our time together had
322. 8:17passed he focused on repairing his
323. 8:18relationship with Lisa and I continued
324. 8:20to build my new life looking back I
325. 8:22realized that the journey had been
326. 8:23painful but it had also been necessary I
327. 8:25had learned to stand up for myself
328. 8:26prioritize my well-being and let go of
329. 8:28relationships that no longer served me
330. 8:29however the emotional scars are still
331. 8:31there I'm stronger wiser and ready to
332. 8:33embrace whatever the future holds