Dear Annie: I recently got married to the greatest guy I’ve ever met, yet I know for a fact that he has cheated on me more than once. I have actually gotten phone calls from the other woman describing his body and my home.
When confronted about it, he tells me to stop my complaining, gets all angry and asks how I can think that of him when he is the most loyal guy in the world. He says he would not do that to me because “I’m his world, his everything.” He says this with tears in his eyes.
But yet, my heart is telling me he’s lying straight to my face and laughing behind my back.
Every one of our friends knows he’s cheated on me because they’ve seen them together, and one has even helped him cheat more than once.
I thought I was marrying my true love. What do I do? — Married to a Man Who Won’t Come Clean
Dear Confused: Honesty and trust are two of the most important qualities for a successful relationship, and you don’t have either with this guy. He should not make you feel bad for talking to him about your concerns. Seek the help of a trained marriage counselor as soon as possible so you can decide if you would like to stay married to “the greatest guy,” who is not sounding so great right now.
Dear Annie: My daughter-in-law has always been very harsh with her two small children. My son hates conflict and won’t say anything about it to her. He just makes excuses for her.
Recently, I discovered that she had spanked one of the children hard enough to leave bruises. Both children told me that their mom spanks them “all the time.” When I confronted her, she said she was having a bad day and made excuses for herself.
I told her never to lay a hand on the children again and to get some help. I told my son he has to protect his children and get her help. I suspect they will ignore my advice and continue to go on as usual.
What can I do? I am not healthy enough to take the children, and I think reporting on their mother would make the situation worse. — Concerned Grandmother
Dear Concerned: You have every right to be concerned. If your grandchildren continue to be hit and bruised, you should report her. Speak with your son again, and tell him that you are thinking about reporting her. Child abuse is to be taken very seriously. Just because she had a bad day is ZERO excuse to inflict physical harm on a child.
“How Can I Forgive My Cheating Partner?” is out now! Annie Lane’s second anthology — featuring favorite columns on marriage, infidelity, communication and reconciliation — is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to [email protected]
