A social media user needed advice from strangers when his mother and ex-wife pressured him to take responsibility for a child he isn’t sure about. or his.
The ultimatum he gave them fell on deaf ears.
Some parents can be overbearing, as the following story from a Reddit user illustrates. The 32-year-old revealed on the platform that he was married to his now ex-wife, Jane, 30, for five years.
Their union ended after he discovered she had been cheating on him with different men for about a year.
When she became pregnant, she admitted that she didn’t know who the baby’s father was – her husband or her partners.
A few months after their divorce, the original poster (OP) contacted his ex to ask if the baby was his, but was unable to do so because he found out from a friend that his ex-partner had moved out of the country with a new partner.
The OP revealed that all of this happened two years before he wrote his post, leading him to consider this chapter complete.
However, Jane recently contacted her mother to tell her that her child was hers and to ask for money. OP’s ex-partner said he left her when he found out the child wasn’t his.
The Redditor also explained that his mother wanted grandchildren so badly, especially since his older brother is childless and gay and has been single since his divorce.
According to the OP, his mother constantly forced him to help his ex-wife.
“However, I have my doubts given his infidelity. I find it hard to believe his claims without concrete proof.”
Not wanting to be fooled, he insisted on taking a DNA test before committing financially or emotionally.
The OP said he would happily commit if the child was his, but he refused to do so without the legal documents to prove it.
However, her mother and Jane do not want lawyers involved or a legal process undertaken.
They insist the child is OP’s, based on the boy’s resemblance with his blue eyes, which Jane also has.
Things reached new heights when OP’s mom posted a photo of her and the kid on Facebook and captioned it “My Grandson.” Her family and friends who knew about it responded by contacting the OP.
When he tried to tell them he didn’t know if the child was his and wanted to take a paternity test, they called him irresponsible and selfish.
His family noted that his mother was sure the child was hers; otherwise, she wouldn’t have said it.
OP’s friend even said he was a bad person for punishing his child because of his ex-wife’s cheating.
The Reddit user knows there’s a chance the child is his, but he has doubts he can’t ignore and refuses to let himself be manipulated into a situation where he could become responsible for a child which is not his.
Your mother is blinded by her desire for grandchildren, NTA. You are not selfish; you are responsible. Someone else suggested protecting yourself and getting tested.
NTA Before accepting responsibility for another man’s child, you have every right to request a paternity test, especially after being cheated on and abused by your ex-wife.
Don’t let anyone make you feel guilty and make rash decisions without proof. One reader advised staying strong and staying safe.
Another Reddit user wrote: “NTA. It’s absurd to portray you as the bad guy and ask you to fix your ex-wife’s stupid mistakes.
Hopefully the Redditors see the OP as justified and will stick to their decision to take a DNA test.
