Legal Drama

I never thought my life would end up like this—fighting over every little thing with someone I used to love. The divorce has been dragging on for over a year now, and it feels like I’m stuck in a nightmare I can’t wake up from. At first, I was angry, then sad, but now? Now I just want to know how to stop caring. How do you let go of something that consumes your every waking thought?

It started off civil enough—or at least, that’s what I told myself. We agreed to “keep things amicable” for the sake of our kids, but that plan went out the window as soon as lawyers got involved. Suddenly, it wasn’t about splitting things fairly—it was about who could one-up the other. I can’t even count how many sleepless nights I’ve had, going over emails from my lawyer or replaying arguments in my head.

The worst part is how personal it’s become. It’s not just about the house, the finances, or custody. It’s the way she twists every little thing I’ve done into some grand narrative about how I’m the villain. At first, I tried defending myself, writing long rebuttals to every accusation, hoping to prove my side of the story. But no matter what I said, it didn’t matter. The attacks kept coming, and all I got in return was more frustration and legal bills piling up.

My lawyer told me the same thing over and over: “Don’t let it get to you. Focus on the facts.” Easy for them to say—they don’t have to live with the emotional fallout. But they’re right. The constant back-and-forth has been eating me alive, and it’s gotten to the point where I don’t even recognize myself anymore. I’ve become bitter, snappy with the kids, and consumed by stress. This isn’t who I want to be.

So, how do you stop caring? I wish I had a perfect answer, but I’ve been trying a few things. First, I’ve stopped reacting to every little provocation. Not every battle is worth fighting, and sometimes, silence really is the best response. It’s not about letting her “win” but about protecting my own peace.

Second, I’ve started focusing on what I can control. I can’t change her behavior or the things she says, but I can choose how I respond. Instead of dwelling on her accusations, I’ve been trying to put my energy into being there for my kids. They don’t need to see me angry and broken—they need a dad who’s present and strong.

Lastly, I’ve started therapy. I was hesitant at first because, honestly, I didn’t want to admit I needed help. But talking to someone who isn’t involved has been a game-changer. It’s helped me process my feelings and realize that letting go doesn’t mean I’m giving up. It just means I’m choosing to move forward.

This divorce has taken so much from me already—time, money, and peace of mind. I don’t want it to take any more. Learning how to stop caring doesn’t mean I don’t feel anything. It just means I’m choosing not to let this define me anymore. And maybe, just maybe, that’s the first step to really moving on.

This is probably going to be my final post anyway let me get into it.( for my context check my last post) Currently I’m just in the idgaf stage Ive truly lost pretty much lost a lot of hope almost all of it. I’m also just at the point where I don’t care to get better, I don’t want to get better, and I don’t want better for myself. I’m considering distancing myself from everyone(including friends,family, even teachers) and potentially cut off people as a whole. I’m also going to refrain from making new friends and telling people how I feel period it’s no one’s business. Honestly my plan going forward Is to just turn myself in and do my time and then after I finish my time I’ll kill myself. And my goal for being an astronomer is most likely dead at this point I’ll probably be dead before then and not do I really want to put in the effort to achieve it and improve my math skills so basically I’ve given up on it and to be honest it’s upsetting to think about. I’m also pretty apathetic and resistant to the idea of therapy now I’ve accepted that I don’t want to get better and it would be a waste of money for my family members to even pay for it because I wouldn’t cooperate and I would be hard to work with and it would also be a waste of time for the therapist. Anyway that’s all I wanted to say and I appreciate those who gave me support on my last post.

I’m a 16 year old that is going through a tough time. I’m currently experiencing immense and persistent feelings if stress,guilt,frustration,shame,sadness,hopelessness,worthlessness,disgustand anger. I’m also suicidal,self loathing and experiencing low self-esteem,low self-worth, and the desire to have not been born/ exist. Most of these feelings I am experiencing because of some awful mistakes I did when I was younger especially when I was 12. The awful mistakes I made are related to sexual behavior and I feel like what I did is illegal. I am constantly being tormented by remembering these awful mistakes. I am avoidant to taking accountability because I am scared I am scared of my future, I am scared of possibly not achieving my dreams of becoming an astronomer, and I’m scared of losing ny friends and family. I feel like a fake person and a hypocrite I act completely different on the outside but on the inside it’s a completely different story. I feel the need to distance my self from everyone and cut off friends. I don’t want to pose any unnecessary harm by continuing the relationships I have with my loved ones. I feel undeserving of the friends I have and the relationships I have with my family.i don’t deserve any support I don’t deserve sympathy,empathy, or care. I feel disgusted just thinking about how my friends and family have a relationship with a disgusting person like me, and I feel like Ive ruined my life and that there is no redemption for me. I constantly create scenarios in my head of going to juvie or losing friends and family. I hate myself so much for doing those acts so much I feel like I deserve all of this pain and suffering. I don’t want to accept myself let alone consider myself a functioning member of society. I am an outcast now. I constantly ask myself “why did I do that?” “Why couldn’t I have been a normal 12 year old? “why did I have to act like an irrational animal?“ I wish I could go back in time and made better decisions. I am constantly worrying about other people’s thoughts about me too if my past mistakes were to come to life. I worry if they would be sympathetic or not. I worry if I will be disliked by others and hated. I haven’t told anyone about this irl as I am scared to have a scary conversation about it and I am scared of the situation getting worse.

I moved to Europe four years ago for my graduate studies and met Tom, who is now my fiancé. Though he’s a native speaker and I'm still learning the local language, we've been inseparable. After two years of dating, we got engaged and recently moved into an apartment together. I'm still a student with a part-time job, and Tom just started working, which makes finances a bit tight. I've even had to dip into my savings to help cover his past rental debts to prevent his eviction.

Financially, we've found it hard to manage the costs of setting up our new home. Recently, a friend who works in property management advised us of a looming deadline. If Tom doesn’t formally close out his previous rental contract by August 3rd, we could face severe legal issues lasting into 2024 and lose our 1,500€ deposit. When I brought it up, Tom dismissed it, claiming he’d settled everything over email and couldn’t get a hold of the agency.

On the way home from visiting his grandparents, I mentioned it again to ensure it was really taken care of. He snapped at me, said I was meddling in affairs that didn’t concern me. I tried showing him the information I had on my phone and he just got louder, eventually yelling at me to stop talking about it. He told me I was spoiling the day and accused me of talking about things I didn't understand. Hurt, I confronted him about how he was treating me in public and walked away.

Considering how these tense moments unfolded, imagining this scenario playing out on a reality show throws an interesting light on it. The audience might be split. Some could see me as the caring partner trying to preempt a crisis, while others might view Tom’s reaction as stress-induced due to pressure. The public’s reaction might vary from empathic support to critiquing my insistence on discussing the matter then and there.

Am I wrong for insisting on discussing significant issues that impact both our futures?

As a 16-year-old keen on expanding my collection of gaming merchandise, I sought recommendations and was directed to an acquaintance, whom we'll refer to as M. After some discussion, we decided I'd pay in bi-weekly installments, or even sooner if possible. Over a few days, our conversations deepened to personal life and health issues. M shared similar past experiences, which built some trust.

I proceeded with the first payment via a gift card, which M claimed was unusable as it had been redeemed. Confused, I checked with customer support who confirmed its redemption. Believing M’s claim and supporting screenshots, I reluctantly sent an additional $25 provided by my partner. Following this, M ceased communication until a brief and unsettling response the following evening. Frustrated, I confronted them harshly and blocked them. My partner and another friend tried to mediate, only to discover M, who was actually 12, admitted to wrongly keeping the money but had already spent it. M's apology, coerced by my friend, felt hollow since I was left without recourse.

Consulting my partner's aunt, a trip to small claims court seemed viable. I informed M of my intent to pursue legal action and to involve the police. My decision has since isolated me from the friend who initially recommended M, leaving me to question if my response was too severe for a minor over a partially self-inflicted loss.

Imagine the drama if this was all unfolding on a reality show! The cameras capturing every furious message exchange, the tense meetings with friends and family deliberating the next step, and that climactic moment of deciding to take legal action—all peppered with suspenseful music and close-ups. Viewers would likely be on the edge of their seats, debating my choices and the moral dilemma of pursuing justice against a minor.

I might be asking myself: Am I overreacting to a childish mistake?

My relationship with my parents has always been rocky, and it's only gotten harder as I've gotten older.

Recently, I found out I was the beneficiary of a substantial inheritance from my late grandfather – about $125,000 intended to cover my college expenses. Thrilled, I hoped to use this gift to attend my dream university. However, my enthusiasm was quickly dampened by my mother.

She believes that as the eldest child, I am obliged to reimburse her for costs she incurred from my early childhood medical procedures. Approaching her to transfer the inherited funds into my college savings account, she staunchly refused, asserting that the money was hers due to her sacrifices for me. Growing up, she frequently took money from me, including winnings from sports events and even once destroyed a safe given to me by my grandfather.

After cooling down for a few days, I prepared to confront her again, this time armed with detailed documentation. Since I was 13, I kept a meticulous record of all my earnings, now combined with my inheritance, totaling about $250,000. I showed her a detailed list of these transactions, hoping to reason with her, but instead, she became irate, insisting she was entitled to the money because of the medical expenses she had covered.

Realizing calm discussion was futile, and recalling past incidents where she destroyed my documentation, I safely duplicated all evidence on my laptop. When she grabbed and tore up my hard copies, I only added these losses to the grand total.

Two days ago, I sent her an email clearly stating my demands for the return of my funds, disregarding interest to keep matters simple. I included a final warning: if she did not comply, I would pursue legal action, factoring in costs for therapy resulting from our ongoing conflicts.

Did I push things too far? Am I wrong to threaten legal action against my own mother?

Imagine this scenario playing out on a reality TV show. Viewers would likely be divided, some sympathizing with the struggle of reclaiming one's rightful assets, while others might view the legal threats against a family member as too extreme. The dramatic showdowns and tearful confrontations could certainly captivate an audience, potentially painting me either as a victim or a villain based on the editing slant.