A thirty-five-year-old woman, who wished to remain anonymous, chose to tell us her highly contentious tale. She was clearly ready for criticism as well as curious about the opinions of our audience regarding her complex problem.

“So I’m 35 and nine months ago I had a very messy and painful breakup with my fiancé, so I moved in with one of my friends and her husband in a house we are all now renting together,” she said as she began her latest post. I got to know my neighbor, Kevin, at that point. I fell in love with him right away when he assisted all of us in moving into the new home. We ended up taking the same bus to work every day at the same time because we both live in large city suburbs.

As she put it, “I knew Kevin had a wife and children.” Even though I knew it all along, I never let it stop me. Kevin frequently discussed them with me and even shared pictures of them on his lock screen. I also noticed some family photos of Kevin and his wife on their shared Facebook account. The entire relationship began as a very innocent, silly crush, so I didn’t mind at all.

The woman expressed her emotions to others.

The woman continues, narrating, “Kevin is a charming, humorous, and kind guy.” He inquired about my career and personal life during our first bus ride together, and I could tell he was genuinely interested in what I had to say. We frequently argued about this, something my ex never did.
Kevin is a selfless parent who always goes above and beyond for his children. He recently spent the entire drive to work talking on the phone with his young daughter, who needed some consolation before a school presentation. Since Kevin was kind and considerate with everyone else, I had no trouble picturing how wonderful and attentive he would be with me.

“I just knew that Kevin and I could easily become something more,” the woman continued. Not long after I started feeling something for Kevin, I also discovered that his wife is someone I went to school with. This surprised me since they are complete opposites. He’s exciting, she’s dull, he’s not intellectual, but she’s very smart, and he’s funny. She’s very dry. I simply felt that their personalities were completely mismatched, and because Kevin was so kind, I could see him becoming entangled in a relationship.

Kevin once asked the woman to help him out, and she complied.

The woman continues telling her story, growing increasingly emotional as she describes how things came to pass. “Kevin knocked on my door one evening, asking if I could watch his kids for a few hours,” the writer wrote. I instantly agreed. He informed me that his wife was hospitalized in a different city, and because of his extreme concern, he made the decision to drive over and visit her. He asked me to watch their kids for a few hours while a family friend drove several hours to watch the kids at night because they don’t have any relatives.

And that’s when the problem started to arise. “Kevin’s kids were an absolute nightmare,” the woman disclosed. The eldest of their three daughters was a typical spoiled preteen with a complex personality. She was impolite, disregarded my authority, and we were constantly debating. A few times, I even heard her swear under her breath.
I told the middle girl not to play loud, messy games, but she insisted on playing them anyway. On the other hand, the youngest girl was quiet and kind by herself before joining in on the drama that her sisters were trying to start.

«I finally agreed to play hide and seek with the younger girls, and I got locked out of the house,» the woman continued. I tried to get the oldest girl to let me in through the back door, but she just put on her headphones and pretended not to hear me. I was fortunate enough to be let inside by Kevin’s family friend a short while later, after which I left for home.

Now, the woman feels conflicted about everything.

The woman said, “I’m really saddened by the babysitting incident because I used to dream of being Kevin’s kids’ stepmother someday.” I now want nothing to do with these awful children, but this also serves as more evidence in my mind that Kevin and his wife are unhappy, as happy families do not raise their children in such a manner.

«I just want to have a relationship with Kevin now, but I’m not sure if that’s possible because I wouldn’t get along with his kids at all,” the woman continued. Their mother also had the ability to incite them to despise me. I genuinely think Kevin and I could have a wonderful relationship. However, what happened with his children has truly unsettled me. All I want is someone with whom to discuss this, but everyone in my life would only pass judgment on me.