It’s uplifting to witness women supporting each other, whether it’s friends offering help or strangers extending support to those they’ve never met. In this story, a woman quietly left a letter for her ex-boyfriend’s future girlfriend, offering a heads-up about what to anticipate and sharing lessons from her own experience. The new girlfriend shared this moving act of solidarity on Reddit, where she received an outpouring of encouragement and advice from the online community.
She wrote:
“My boyfriend Steve (30m) and I (28f) have been together for 2 years and have been living together for 8 months. I was cleaning our apartment when I found a note in the back of a cabinet that read:
‘Dear Steve’s Future Girlfriend,
I know it’s you reading this because he’d never clean back here. I’m putting this here because I’m leaving him soon and want to warn you about him:
1-He will not clean;
2-He will not listen;
3-He will make everything feel like it’s your fault;
It’s not your fault, he’s just an incompetent man. I’m leaving him, I suggest you do the same.
Best wishes, Natalia'”
She added:
“I read the note and brought it to show to him and hear his response. He immediately ripped it up and said not to listen to it, that she was crazy and untrustworthy. I told him that the fact that he hasn’t found the note in the 5 years since they broke up is a red flag to me because it does mean he’s never cleaned back there and that he has been cleaning less and less since I moved in.
He told me this is just his ex continuing to manipulate and ruin his life, and I was letting it work. We continued to argue along the same lines, and I eventually left to spend the night at a friend’s place.
Steve has been a great boyfriend so far. He gets along with my family. He has given me gifts and flowers and always tells me how much he loves me. He’s not wrong that the cleaning hasn’t really been brought up before, but the note made me realize it had been less and less and that we needed to have a full conversation about this.”
She went on explaining:
“He texted me afterwards saying he’s sorry that I felt like I had to leave, but that it’s a wrong move for me to take a note over our 2-year relationship and to leave him and our pets alone. I don’t know what to do or what to believe right now. I’m contemplating trying to find and reach out to Natalia.
Steve thinks I should come back home and let it go, that his past should not affect our future. He makes it sound like his ex was manipulative and petty throughout their relationship, but I don’t know what to trust.
When we moved in together 8 months ago, the cleaning was 50/50. Since then, he’s been doing things less and less. I have to remind him to do things like to bring his plates to the sink or take out the trash, and I didn’t have to before. The dishes will pile up unless I do them, to the point he’s had leftover food mold on the plates.”
She continued:
“I’m not a confrontational person, so I was just asking him to fix it when it came up. The note made me reflect on it more and try to have an actual full conversation, and I will say I didn’t feel listened to when I talked to him about it.
I tried to use the note to start a conversation about cleaning, and he got so stuck on the fact that I was listening to his ex instead of him, that he wouldn’t listen to what I think are valid concerns. He thinks I’m letting the note have “confirmation bias” so no matter what he says I’ll think he’s in the wrong.
Also, I didn’t leave him permanently, this all happened yesterday and I only spent one night at a friend’s because I didn’t feel like our conversation was going anywhere last night, and he wouldn’t let me sleep until I let it go. I’m going back today and wanted to get advice and feedback before I do.”
Other Redditors chimed in, sharing their own insights and offering advice to her.
- I’m so glad for you. It wasn’t two wasted years since they taught you a valuable lesson. I’m especially grateful for Natalia! Please tell her we love her for her kind solidarity and witty ways. Absolutely, leave a note — but better yet, leave two. One in the same place (he’ll look there; manipulative narcissists aren’t that dumb), and another in an even less likely spot. Sending you my best. You got this, girl! © occasionalpart / Reddit
- Well, he’s not cleaning, he’s not listening to you, and he’s making it out to be your fault “for trusting a note over him.” So, it seems the ex’s assessment might be accurate. It doesn’t look like he’s open to discussing his poor housekeeping, and personally, I don’t think you’ll be able to address it now without the note coming up. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide whether this is something you can tolerate. It seems he hasn’t learned anything from his last relationship. © VonBoo / Reddit
- You’ve been living together for less than a year, and you’re already having to play mommy, reminding him of basic chores and daily tasks! If Natalia were truly such a manipulative, crazy person, she would have made much harsher and more dramatic accusations than these. © Arya_kidding_me / Reddit
- It’s almost ironic how easy it would have been for him to shut this entire thing down with the simplest of responses: “Hmm, you’re right, I’ll make sure to clean more.” That would have immediately countered points 2 and 3. But he’d rather be right, and he’d rather play the aggrieved party. You didn’t do anything wrong by trying to have a conversation off the back of that note. His reaction should tell you everything. © Mobius_Stripping / Reddit
- I’d be willing to bet money that the note is right. He sounds like the kind of man who will stop doing anything the second he decides a woman is fully trapped. The slow tapering off you’re witnessing is him testing the waters. He needs to figure out whether he just needs to waste enough of your time to get to that stage, or whether you need a ring or a baby to feel trapped. © Extension_Drummer_85 / Reddit
- “Don’t expect to change a man unless he’s in diapers.” This behavior will continue on, he’s gotten away with it before up to a certain point. He wants someone to pick up after him like his mommy.
Any time a guy says, “My ex is/was crazy,” is a MASSIVE red flag right there. It’s something guys have been saying since the dawn of time to belittle their former partners. He’ll say the same thing about you to his next girlfriend. You have to ask yourself, “Was she crazy, or did he drive her crazy with his behavior and laziness?” I’d leave your own note when you do finally dump him. And reach out to his ex, see what she has to say. © Equal-Brilliant2640 / Reddit
When trust is broken between couples, it often leads to a surge of emotional and psychological turmoil, including feelings of uncertainty and profound confusion. In a different scenario, a woman shared a fascinating story of her own sleuthing skills. She discovered her husband was cheating simply by paying close attention to his breakfast order.
My MIL Snuck My Son Out at Night – What She Planned Next Had Me in Shock
Escaping my ex-husband should have marked the end of my nightmare, but instead, it was just the start of a new one. When my former mother-in-law showed up at our new home, I never imagined her obsession would lead to a morning I still can’t forget. What she did to my son, Tyler, was something I could never forgive.
Being a single mom already feels like running a marathon that never ends. There’s work, chores, and taking care of Tyler—it’s a lot to handle. But when you add an ex-mother-in-law who’s determined to make your life harder? That’s when things truly start to spiral out of control.
I live with my 10-year-old son, Tyler, in a cozy little house. It’s not fancy, but it’s ours, and I’m proud of it. I bought it after splitting from my ex-husband, Billy, thanks to some smart investments I’d made. Who knew those would be my way out?
Billy and I were together for about 15 years. During that time, I knew him as a kind and compassionate man who treated women with respect.
I used to think his mother, Valerie, had raised a really good man. But things between us started to change, and so did my view of everything.
It all started when Billy lost his job in finance and couldn’t find one that paid him the same. This change really turned his life upside down. He began staying out all night, spending our savings at casinos. One day, I tried to talk some sense into him.
“Why don’t you accept one of those job offers, Billy?” I asked gently. “I know the pay isn’t great, but it’s better than nothing, right?”
“I told you I don’t want to settle for less!” he snapped at me. “Did I ask you for advice? Stop bothering me with your unwanted career advice and go find something else to do!”
That was just a taste of what I had to deal with. But I kept giving him chances, hoping he would change. It broke my heart to see the man I loved become so miserable and angry.
Then came the day when I realized I couldn’t stay with him anymore, especially not with Tyler around.
I remember it was a Thursday night, and Billy wasn’t home when I got back from work. I thought he must be at the casino or the club like usual.
“Where’s Daddy?” Tyler asked me as I tucked him into bed.
I hated lying to him, but what could I say?
“He’s out for some work, honey,” I lied, unable to meet my son’s eyes.
Tyler is smart, though.
“Work? But you said Daddy doesn’t work anymore,” he replied. “I don’t think he’s at work.”
“We’ll talk about this tomorrow, love,” I said, running my hand through his hair. “Now come on, it’s time to sleep.”
After leaving Tyler’s room, I headed to mine for some much-needed rest. But as I approached, I heard muffled noises.
I heard Billy’s voice, and that was okay. But then I heard a woman’s voice in MY bedroom.
It all started when Billy lost his job in finance and couldn’t find one that paid him the same. This change really turned his life upside down. He began staying out all night, spending our savings at casinos. One day, I tried to talk some sense into him.
“Why don’t you accept one of those job offers, Billy?” I asked gently. “I know the pay isn’t great, but it’s better than nothing, right?”
“I told you I don’t want to settle for less!” he snapped at me. “Did I ask you for advice? Stop bothering me with your unwanted career advice and go find something else to do!”
That was just a taste of what I had to deal with. But I kept giving him chances, hoping he would change. It broke my heart to see the man I loved become so miserable and angry.
Then came the day when I realized I couldn’t stay with him anymore, especially not with Tyler around.
I remember it was a Thursday night, and Billy wasn’t home when I got back from work. I thought he must be at the casino or the club like usual.
“Where’s Daddy?” Tyler asked me as I tucked him into bed.
I hated lying to him, but what could I say?
“He’s out for some work, honey,” I lied, unable to meet my son’s eyes.
Tyler is smart, though.
“Work? But you said Daddy doesn’t work anymore,” he replied. “I don’t think he’s at work.”
“We’ll talk about this tomorrow, love,” I said, running my hand through his hair. “Now come on, it’s time to sleep.”
After leaving Tyler’s room, I headed to mine for some much-needed rest. But as I approached, I heard muffled noises.
I heard Billy’s voice, and that was okay. But then I heard a woman’s voice in MY bedroom.
I won’t go into details about what I saw when I opened that door. Let’s just say it was the final straw.
Billy wasn’t just cheating. He had no respect for me or his role as a father. Who brings their mistress home when their wife and child are there? A man who doesn’t care, that’s who.
So, to make a long story short, I left Billy the next day and sent him the divorce papers. He didn’t even try to fight for custody or visitation rights.
After leaving the house, we stayed at a friend’s place until I found our new home. It’s about two hours away from Billy’s place, and I thought Tyler and I could live peacefully here. But that was not the case.
There was one person determined to be part of our lives: Billy’s mother, Valerie.
I had no idea she had been stalking us until she showed up at our doorstep. We had barely been in our new place for two days when I heard that dreaded knock.
I opened the door, and there she was with her perfectly styled gray hair. My ex-MIL, Valerie, was ready to make our lives miserable.
“Margaret, dear! I’m here to see my grandson,” she said cheerfully, as if showing up uninvited was perfectly normal.
“Come in, Valerie,” I replied with a fake smile. “But please keep it short. We were just about to have dinner.”
She walked past me and headed into the living room.
“So, this is where you’ve been hiding,” she remarked. “It’s quaint.”
“Tyler’s in his room,” I said, trying to change the subject. “I’ll go get him.”
But before I could move, Valerie turned to me. The look on her face was something I’d never seen before.
“Margaret, we need to talk about Billy,” she began. “You shouldn’t have left him like that.”
I could feel my cheeks burning with anger.
“Valerie, that’s none of your business. My relationship with Billy is over.”
“But I’m worried about Tyler,” she insisted. “A boy needs his father. You’re being selfish by keeping him away from his family.”
That was it. I’d had enough.
Then, I checked the bathroom, the living room, and even looked under his bed. Nothing. He wasn’t there.
I could feel my heart pounding hard against my chest.
Where was he? I thought. Had he wandered out in the night? No, my boy would never do that.
Then I realized I needed to check the security cameras. So, I picked up my phone with shaking hands and looked at the footage from last night. I couldn’t believe what I saw.
It read: “IN 2 HOURS, YOUR SON WILL BE MINE FOREVER.”
My knees felt weak, and I gripped the counter to keep from falling. What did she mean? Where was she taking him?
I paced in the living room, waiting for the police to arrive. At that point, I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think straight. All I knew was that I had to get my son back before it was too late.
Thank God they took it seriously and immediately started tracing her phone.
Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, the police got a lead. Valerie’s car had been spotted near the town cemetery. It was about 20 miles from our house.
What on earth is Valerie doing there with Tyler? I thought.
Before long, the police drove me to the cemetery. As we pulled up, I saw Valerie standing near a gravestone with Tyler, who looked half-asleep. She was talking to him in a low voice.
“Tyler!” I screamed, jumping out of the car before it had fully stopped.
Valerie’s head snapped up, and she looked angry.
“No!” she shouted. “He needs to be with his daddy!”
The police were right behind me. They grabbed Valerie before she could do anything else, and I scooped Tyler into my arms, crying with relief.
As they led her away, Valerie kept muttering about how Billy “wanted his son back.” It was clear she had lost touch with reality a long time ago.
That day, I promised myself I would never let Valerie near my son again. She’s in custody now, but the memory of that morning still haunts me.
I don’t know if I’ll ever truly feel safe again.
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