You are here

mini-wife syndrome and the dads who relish in it

stepmom2bnms's picture

Hello again,

Since my last post nearly a year ago, I have tried in vain to make a go of my relationship with my SO who is enmeshed with his 25 year  eldest daughter.  Though I have afforded both his adult daughters the exact same opportunities to have a mutually respectful relationship, only the 23 year old daughter has responded.  

I am relatively financially independent and have carried the financial load since my  relationship began with my SO nearly four years ago. For the past two years, I have encouraged my SO to find some steady stream of income, but he hasn't.  His 25 year old mini-wife became engaged 5 months ago.  Yet he still isn't consistently gainfully employed.

The problem? She is behaving like an entitled Bridezilla, making demands for her dad to give her Carte Blanche for her wedding plans. She has made statements of "I won't accept less" and "I'm drawing a line in the sand" in my presence when her dad has dared to question her spending. (She has use of one of his credit cards).  But I am the one paying for his credit card expenditures on her behalf. The final straw for this camel's back was when she didn't invite her dad or me to her engagement party.  

This young woman (not lady) has repeatedly disrespected me under my own roof, criticizing my orthodox religion, refusing to notify me when she is planning to visit my home, even inviting others for dinner parties which  she has expected me to host without my prior consent, refusing to cull out her excessive storage items for which I have been paying, making snarky comments too numerous to cite, etc. etc. etc.  

After her snub for her engagement party, I finally spoke up in her father's presence about her entitled behavior.  Her younger sister and even her biological mom have reached out to me since, apologizing for her behavior.  And I have tried in vain to invite her for coffee to clear the air.  She has refused to accept my invitation.  Her dad told me and I quote "The ball is in her court."

Two days ago, her dad had a very minor health issue to be addressed.  I asked both him and his younger daughter to let the older daughter  know. Rather than thank me for being sure through two routes that she was in the loop, she called me and proceeded to take me to task.  After enduring nearly 20 minutes of shrewish behavior from her, I let her know I was hanging up and did so.  
 

She apologized in a text to her dad, but has not apologized to me. When I have asked her dad to address her behavior towards me, he has not only refused, but has accused me of splitting by talking to the younger daughter with whom I have a mutually respectful relationship and asking her to contact her sister.  
 

Thoughts please.  I am not too old or proud to admit when I am in the wrong. But I am weary of taking sole ownership of this toxic relationship.  

Comments

Survivingstephell's picture

Block the card so she can't use it.  She should never have had in the first place and daddy needs to tell her who pays for his lifestyle, if he can't do it then You should.  The shame might get him off his but and find HIS own way to cover her dream wedding.  Protect your money from her. She hasn't earned that right and she doesn't deserve your kindness either.   Give what you get from her:   Nothing.  This is a lesson many stepmothers have to teach.  

 

Shame on him for even letting be exposed to one bad encounter with her and not setting her straight.  Shame on you for letting it get this far.  Love yourself more please.  You deserve better.  

Rags's picture

smh

Cut them all off from your financial gravy train and let them wallow in a total lack of funds.  Get this idiot out of your life with the message that he can take his failed family progeny with him.

Applogies from BM and the other SD, great. But if not from the one perpetrating the crap followed by a dedicated commitment to avoid the same behaviors... they are just excuses from people are not the cause of the problem.

Toxic SD and your DH lacking the stones to provide and to keep his toxic spawn in check, are the problem.

End them.

stepmom2bnms's picture

Thank you so much to all who have replied!

i have been foolish to allow this to go on so long..."Fool me once, shame on you, fool my twice, shame on me"

Merry's picture

Lots of us let things go on too long. It's just unbelievable so we convince ourselves that somehow the bad behavior is an exception. So we let it go.

But you've reached your limit. No more financial support for the Bridezilla, at least. I am also the primary breadwinner in my family. We live comfortably and DH does contribute financially and physically, but if DH wants extra he has to figure it out. Like you, it took me a while to close the wallet but eventually I did. Both DH and SS abused my financial support. SD never did, but she certainly complained about what SS got and she didn't. I don't really blame her for that either.

Anyway, you must take care of yourself because nobody else is. And your DH can cut the crap by blaming you for any division in his family. That's on SD and on him for not shutting it down.

stepmom2bnms's picture

Thank you so much!  Very well said... 

Hard to admit when one has foolishly invested in unappreciative and ill mannered folks.  But all education comes at a price.  

Kaylee's picture

Hold on....let me get this straight. She has her dad's credit card, which YOU pay for??

What? That's got to stop, like yesterday! 

Unbelievable!!

stepmom2bnms's picture

Agreed....

I have been very foolish.  Yes, she has had use of one of his credit cards which I have been paying on.  She has used it for engagement/wedding items as well as for maintenance on her vehicle.  Over the past two years plus I have covered her charges for oil changes and other regularly scheduled maintenance, and have covered credit card expenses for new headlights, new tires, her car tag and car insurance, etc. etc.  
I have been foolish and I know it.  And yes, I just need confirmation that I am not off the mark in calling her behavior and her father's disrespectful and inappropriate.  She told me two days ago that I am the only person who questions her behavior, as if I am a brick shy of a load.  But, to her point, yes I am for  permitting this emotional and financial abuse for so long. 

grannyd's picture

Oh, Hon!

Where is your self-esteem? Why are you letting yourself be financially abused by an unemployed parasite and his outrageously entitled mini-wife? Surely, a peaceful, less stressful life would be an improvement on your current situation. I'll bet the farm that you know, perfectly well, that you are being used and simply need confirmation of this obvious fact.

Please leave this mess! Life is too short....

stepmom2bnms's picture

You are so very right!   I am lacking self esteem to allow such abuses.  It is like boiling a frog... at first you don't notice that the water is getting gradually and gradually hotter until it is too late.  

stepmom2bnms's picture

You are so very right!   I am lacking self esteem to allow such abuses.  It is like boiling a frog... at first you don't notice that the water is getting gradually and gradually hotter until it is too late.  

TheAccidentalSM's picture

I kind of get the idea of financially supporting a signficant other. I have a friend who's husband has minimal earnings and often no job.  It suits her to have him look after their houses while she works ridiculous hours for a global conuslting practice.  Not what I'd chose but it works for them.

However, there have to be some financial hills you are willing to die on.  Mine is paying for an extravagent wedding for a skid.  I have told DH in no uncertain terms that none of our financial resources are going to fund a wedding!  I didn't have a big wedding because I think its a ridiculous waste of money so there is no way I'm going to pay for someone else's party.

Cancel the credit card immediately and bill your DuH and SD for the spend to date.  You won't get any of the money back but you will make a clear point.

EDIT

I went back and re-read your previous post.  Am I right in understanding that it was entirely your financial resources that were used to renovate the old family home?  Please go to a financial advisor and make sure that you are protecting your assets.

stepmom2bnms's picture

It has been primarily my financial resources paying for renovation of one of his family properties.  His contribution has been a fraction...And I continue to pay for tax burdens, utilities, etc. etc. And he never revealed that he and his daughters and their BM had previously lived in that property until I was too financially invested to back out. 
 

As I write this reply, I am filled with shame, regret and sadness.  Thanks to all who have helped me see the corner I have painted myself into. 
To other older, financially independent women, love-bombing is real.  Opportunists exist. And no one is to blame more than me for wanting to trust to the point of my own detriment.  Buyer beware!

Winterglow's picture

So what are you going to do about all this?

I wouild start by consulting a lawyer to find out exactly how I could recuperate my investment in that house and how to get rid of this pair of millstones at minimum loss to yourself.

Then I would have his name removed from all access to finances. Cancel the card he is using. If necessary, open a new account and transfer all funds into it. If he needs money, let him ask for it because there will be no more cashflow. He needs more? He gets a job. As for his leech, not a penny more to her. Declare the card she has lost. That will effectively stop any more financial haemorrhaging. Change all the locks on your property and do not give her a key. Better still, get locks with codes fitter. That way you can change the code as often as you feel like it to ensure she cannot just breeze in when she wants to.

Please get counselling to help you cope with this and to give you the tools you need to take back your life.

I feel angry for you, please feel angrier than me!

stepmom2bnms's picture

As of this morning, I have broken off this relationship.  SO is refusing to leave the house and has stated "I'm not giving up on us."   My response, "That is your prerogative."  
Now I will seek legal counsel to extricate myself from this situation.  Although we are not married, I am on his home turf and living in a family house, albeit renovated and maintained primarily by me.  
And I will also seek counseling to examine why I am repeating old, destructive patterns with men who initially present themselves as Prince Charming but are in fact toads.  
It will not be easy, but I will not only survive this, but find a healthy balance in life where I can thrive independently.  
Again, thanks so all who have replied.  I really needed a huge reality check and some tough self examination to get to the point of being able to respect myself enough to walk away.