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24 yr old Step Child issues forcing 20yr marriage breakup. . HELP!

helpneeded24's picture

Hi,

A breif story up to now. I married 20yrs ago to a girl with a 3 yr old step child. I had no baggage at all (1st proper girlfriend both mid 20's) I took both on and treated son as my own. (Wife/Stepson from caribbean - me UK) We had 3 children together also. Stepson started to get abusive towards me about 16yrs old (Threat to 'knock my head of' etc getting violent disrespectful) He's much bigger than me. He moved out on bad terms at 17. He had no repect for anyone not even his own mum. Over the last 7 yrs he's stayed in bedsits etc. I've had no contact but Wife obviously has. Since he's left he has abused/insulted/made fun of me over the phone to my Wife although he didn't know I could hear him. She hasn't really stck up for me by correcting him. Fast forward to 8 Months ago. He has asked to come back home. I said to my wife, we can help him out, find out what problems he might have, but he could not move back in because he doesn't like me and it won't work - plus all the abuse. I said multipul times, if he comes back then I will have to leave. Cut a long story short, within a week, she moved him back in! Since he moved back in, I was more abused, threats to kill etc. Hes told loads of lies about me, toatally abusive towards me. 1 night I had to sleep in my car because I was so afraid. Anyway I have moved out in a bedsit myself! Wife understands why, but she wants me to come back when he moves out again. What is everyone's opionion on this. My take is if he moves out but 6 months later wants to come back again, she will take him in and I don't want to go through all that again. She says she won't put her marriage at risk again but I don't believe her. I already gave her a chance after he moved in by saying after about a Month that when he had enough Money he needs to move out but she wanted him to stay longer. 

I just can't ever seeing it working out because it's her son and he will ALWAYS come 1st. I hate him because of what he has done. Can't stand to sight of him. He's abusive / lies and violent etc.

Need help to know what to do. 

Many Thanks

ldvilen's picture

I'd follow thru on what you stated, "I said multiple times, if he comes back then I will have to leave."  Leave, find your own more permanent place.  You don't have to necessarily divorce, at least not right away.

You may not know this, but your wife made her choice long ago.  It is easy in these situations to blame the SK, but my guess is your wife let her son run wild, and with little discipline for years.  Rather than treating her son like a son and you like a husband, my guess is she convulted or mixed up both of these roles, such as complaining to him about you or not correcting him when he made fun of us.  This made it appear to her son that he was THE man in charge.

So, to you it may feel like you are suddenly faced with a huge dilemma, but, again, you were set up for this long ago.  If parents don't parent and allow their children to run feral and don't guide and correct their behavior, then the kids are going to think they can do whatever they want and treat whomever they want as bad as they want.  AND, if SS did abuse you, as you say, you should have called the police.  No question about it.  Neither of you called him out on his behavior as you should have, although that certainly should have been largely done by his mom.

So, leave.  Take your  money and important belongings with you to your new flat.  Let your wife and her son duke it out, if you want to put it that way--hopefully only figuratively and not literally.  See where the chips fall over the next few months.  If they seem happy, and they may be happy, living more like husband and wife, then you have your answer.  Divorce and do your best to move on.  Because your wife allowed this, your SS will never have any respect for you.  Don't fool yourself.  Since you've been putting up with this for years already, I'd say one day is too long, much less six months; and, I have a feeling, next thing you know, it'll be another six months and then another.  Best of luck to you!  This does truly suck.

ETA:  Ha!  Your wife has been putting her marriage at risk for years.  I'd tell her she's way too late on that angle--"Oh, pls.  Just hang around another couple of months!  I'd never do anything to put our marriage at risk."  She's way, way too late on that, and she is not so innocent as she tries to make herself out to be.

helpneeded24's picture

Thanks Idvilen, Yes I had to discipline him all through the years. He did have a bit more respect for me early on because of this. He could walk all over his Mum. He used to back chat his Mum and she would let it go. I had to do the correcting. I think he's very jealous. He was at just 3 yrs old. With regards to the abuse, i did threaton to call the police, he then calmed down a bit. As with the time, I know she is in no rush for him to go. So this tells me her priorites. She is also lying to protect him. He has put a hole in a canvous picture of himself on the wall. She said he knocked it while dancing!?! also stating he didn't knock it through anger? Why would she even say that. It's obvious he's punched it. I feel the trust has also gone. Thanks for your reply.

helpneeded24's picture

Hi upgradewife. I have 3 girls. All late teenagers. All fine.The thing is my stepson had all my love and attention growing up because i had more time then. All my girls missed out a bit because i was working more. They also had to share everything, toys/clothes/bedrooms. Stepson had everything his own. Never really had to share anything! He's all into this gangstar lifestyle thing aswell. Totally not me. He thinks he's the big 'I AM' He even laid his hands on him Mum in an argument. (shook her on her shoulders)  She will just put up with it though!?

Kes's picture

Personally, I would never move back in because of how your wife has behaved right down the line, with her son.  She has colluded with his abuse of you, and this will never change.  Find someone who appreciates you enough to value you and not subject you to this kind of crap from another adult.  She is enabling her abusive son, and will continue to do so.  Do you want to be a part of this? 

helpneeded24's picture

I think you're right. I would never let the girls talk to my wife like he has talked to me. She says hes changed but i know he hasn't. It's like he could stab me etc she wouldn't like it but she would still stand by him. She says it their culture (Caribbean) they never turn thier backs on their children. All i said was he was not to live under our roof because of what hes like. I never said not to help him! I think this was quite resonable considering the circumstances.

jam's picture

Your ss should not be allowed around your BD's. You wife is talking out of both sides of her mouth. She says the (Caribbean) culture never turn their backs on their children. She turned her back on her own daughter to protect her son!

ldvilen's picture

Yes, I'm starting to find the wife to be almost as manipulative and emotionally cold as her son, only she doesn't use her fists.  Instead, she uses excuse after excuse, gaslighting, hypocrisy, what she claims is her culture, twisted words, poor-little-ol'-me ploys, etc. to get her way.  When she refused to set boundaries for her son, she already turned her back on him, anyway.  She gave him free-reign to become the a$$ he now is.

DHsfamilyfromhell's picture

Good for you for moving out. I agree about the nanny cams. 

This almost adult hasn’t really had any consequences for his behaviour and is likely not to change any time soon. 

If this were my son I would make them go to a psychiatrist as a term and condition of living in my home, with also an anger management course, and possibly cognitive behavioural therapy eventually (one step at a time or he would be overwhelmed) which would teach him we are all responsible for our own behaviour. 

If you want to give this one last go, you have been together a long time so I can see why you would. 

I agree with some other people in respect that if he moves out, then moves in again - You might want to find somewhere more permanent. 

The parent stuck in pity mode for their son isn’t doing anybody any favours. All it appears to be doing is making themselves temporarily feel less ‘guilty’. 

helpneeded24's picture

All he does is blame us, the parents for his behaviour and yet he has been brought up in a loving family with manners / respect etc and my girls are testiment to that because they are fine. He has a real attitude issue and just blames everyone else apart from himself and the wife don't help. She should have said to him he's not coming home until he has respect / attitude has changed. This would have made him think and possibly changed him. But she's to soft. There is also no way he would see anyone for his problems. He'd just refuse.

ldvilen's picture

She's not too soft.  She is too lazy.  A soft parent still sets boundaries and guidelines for their children.  A lazy or bad parent just gives them free-reign.  She is at least just as much to blame as he is.  And, because she didn't get help for both her son and the girls after he sexually abused one of them (because, as you say, this may have been just the one time he got caught), I'd say she is even worse.

helpneeded24's picture

I said to them I blame them both. Him for abuse / disrespect / lies etc and her for letting him back into our home when I warned her I would have no option but to leave. She said she had to let him back because he would harm himself. He basically emotionally blackmailed his mum. I can just see right though it but she can't/won't because she's his Mum.

DPW's picture

Dude, seriously! I can't believe you are allowing this to happen. Grab your balls and do what needs to be done. You have it in you. You know this situation is ridiculous. Get in that house, call the police and kick him out. Take what is yours. 

helpneeded24's picture

I was going to do that. She would have gone with him and took the girls with her. It's rented (the House) so when the contract comes for renewal in 2 Months, I will remove my name and then she'll have to deal with all of it.

Rags's picture

Time for a blanket party for that POS molesting violent teen. That violent bastard would never risk sleep if he was in my home.  Size can be overcome by blunt objects and never forget that experience and treachery will overcome youth and inexperience every time.

Keep loading his police record with his shit and eliminate your toxic bride's opportunity to take your daughters when she moves out with her polluted womb wombat.  

Get  your daughters and keep them away from the shallow and polluted half of their gene pool.  This woman has no business in your fie or the life of young daughters.  Though she may be their BM.

Don't let your crappy choice of a spawning partner ruin your life or the lives of  your daughters. 

smh

helpneeded24's picture

I know what you're saying but I would not do anything stupid to get myself a criminal record or worse prison for the sake of him. I think karma. He does'nt have UK citizenship. I wanted to get something on his record to stop him getting that so he would end up back in the caribbean on his own. As said the police don't seem interested in the historic sex crime so it's just the abuse / threats to kill etc which i have on tape. I recorded most of the verbal abuse on my phone and he didn't know. The only thing is the UK now seem to be a bit relaxed about crimes when applying for UK citizenship. Only very serious ones would stop it. And then i think is it really worth it and still he get the citizenship. I know he wants to apply soon. I also recon that if I did that, my girls probably won't like me much either (The 2 youngest ones anyway 15 & 17) 

MissTexas's picture

her loyalties are, and they are not with you. This is a sick merry-go-round you will never get off of if you keep going back to her. She is allowing him to badmouth you and abuse you. YOU SLEPT IN YOUR CAR OUT OF FEAR!!! Let that reverberate into your brain waves. Let it get down into those deep crevices and folds inside your head. This woman is a terrible wife if she would even consider allowing him back in the home. She not only considered it, but DID IT, KNOWING YOU ARE AFRAID OF HER MONSTER.

Please get help and try to move on and salvage what life you have left ahead of you. You will not change what you refuse to confront, and nothing will change until you're sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Best regards.

helpneeded24's picture

I know. On Christmas night I also had to leave home out of fear at about 10pm because he went off on one at me. (I managed to sleep at my parents home about an hour away) My wife just says he won't do anything but you never know. Anyone can snap and then regret it afterwards. She just don't understand. Thanks Miss Texas. This has helped. I think i already knew what to do but needed confirmation from independant people (Not family etc) It's just difficult when you've loved someone and been married 20yrs. This has all helped because everyone is saying the same thing. 

jam's picture

Horrible things can happen and do happen to step parents at the hands of the skids. I just read a local news article where I live about a step son who stabbed his step father to death. I don't know any of the circumstances or any of the history but I tend tend to lean on the side of the step parent because of my experience of being one.

Think about that, how would your wife handle such a tragedy? Personnally, I think she would be defending her son. She may be upset about losing her husband but her focus would totally shift on what needs to be done to save her son!

helpneeded24's picture

This is exactly how i see it. She knows he's done wrong but she will always stand by him. If he was just another young man, she wouldn't want to know him at all. She would say he's disgusting. Just 1 punch to the head hard out of anger and I could be dead. He does weights / boxing etc and i'm only 5'5 so not big or though i do have guts and stand for myself when i've been pushed to my limit.