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Dealing with SD (Relationship Deterioration)

snowicane's picture

Hello, long time lurker, first time poster! This website has helped me so much, I really appreciate it. I'm sorry this post is so long... just skip to the last paragraph if you don't want to read everything!

My SD17 moved in with us awhile ago. Previously she had lived with her BM, but was having problems there, so she moved here. I've known her since she was small, my HD and I got together later on when she was around ten. (My HD and I were acquaintances before getting together.) Everything was fine (or so I thought) until a month ago. She was going on a trip to a major city, all the information was on a website, which she didn't read. I read it, and while we were talking about it, I was correcting her with the information she didn't read/ know/ was aware of at all. Boy, this was the wrong thing to do (according to her!) I don't want to give out too much information for my own privacy. And if SD or DH see this page.

She told my DH that I was a know it all, all I care about is money, I'm annoying and immature (since I corrected her.) She went on to say awful things about my family, more about me, my pets, and then attacked DH for the way we (me and DH) live, (there is nothing wrong with how we live- we are both successful in our fields of work and are responsible adults) and that she wants she pretty much wants me out of the picture completely and I think she wants me and DH divorced. I found out about this two days later (from a mutual friend we had on facebook.)

DH said that SD had said stuff about me (he doesn't know everything that I know) and it was being taken care of. I was livid. We confronted her and she would absolutely not apologize to me for anything she said. She claims she doesn't know why she said it. She ended up moving out (if she didn't, I would have) and we haven't spoken since. My husband agrees with me that I will not be bullied by her and disrespected in my own home.

I'm really having a problem getting past the anger towards her. I just can not get past it. I am extremely hurt, she went from occassionally calling me Mom (which I did NOT ask her to do) to this. I can't even think of the situation without getting an anxiety attack. DH talked to her a few days ago, and SD said she is not ready to talk to me until she can figure out why she said those things.

Is it wrong I don't want to talk about this with her? She has been spoiled all her life by both of her parents, and feels very entitled to everything. I know when she does talk to her, she will just be telling me what she thinks I want to hear. I've been reading the article on her about disengagement (THANK YOU to everyone that has pasted links to it on here!!) and I am going to do that. But do you guys think it's wrong to just want to not go thru the upsetment of having that conversation, and just being acquaintances with her?

oldone's picture

You are doing absolutely the right thing. Distance is the best solution for right now.

I was so mad at my SS last summer (he's in his late 20s) that I thought I would explode. Now I can sort of tolerate him. I don't carry that level of anger with me now.

You don't have to love/like/adore her. It's best not to hate as hate hurts the hater more than it hurts the hatee.

She's still very young and at that age can be really stupid. By her early 20s she may be an entirely different person.

Just let it go for now. There should be no pressure to "make up" any time soon. Let time heal some of your wounds. She's was wrong. You know it and your DH knows it. I see no reason to pressure her to admit it as you know she won't mean it.

Just live your life with your DH and try to keep her at a distance - polite and civil if you must see her for a few minutes, but expect no friendship or love.

RedWingsFan's picture

^^^This is almost exactly our situation with SD14...talk about frustrating and heartbreaking!

SD14 was DH's mini wife when I came into their lives when she was 12. She did everything Coconut describes, dictating everything, ruling her father and trying to ruin our relationship.

She's now estranged and suffers brainwashing by her mother against us. As long as you and DH stay united, you'll be ok. It's horrible to go through and really hard to watch your dear husband being hurt over and over again by their own flesh and blood.

Orange County Ca's picture

I too feel the best thing to do is let it lie. The girl in effect admitted she was wrong by saying she needed time to figure out why she said and did what she did. Teenage brains are still maturing and sometimes they do things and really don't know why they did them. It could have been a testing of the waters and she fell in so to speak.

If she comes around let her take the lead and accept any reaching out at face value. She has a lot of maturing to do and we all recognize that childhood and adolescent mis-steps are to be forgiven if possible.