“My Son Divorced His First Wife Five Years Ago. He Cheated When Their Babies Were Just Months Old”: I Can’t Accept His New Girlfriend and Still Haven’t Forgiven Him

Five years have passed since the day my son, Benjamin, shattered his family. It was a crisp autumn morning when Natalie called me, her voice trembling, barely able to convey the words that would change everything. “He’s leaving us,” she said. The pain in her voice was palpable, a stark contrast to the serene backdrop of our usual Sunday mornings.

Benjamin and Natalie had been college sweethearts, their love story one that we all admired. When they welcomed their twins, Eliana and Jack, it seemed their happiness was complete. But beneath the surface, Benjamin was leading a double life. While Natalie was adjusting to her new role as a mother, spending sleepless nights and endless days caring for their children, Benjamin was elsewhere, entangled in an affair with Aria, a young woman from his office.

The truth came out abruptly when Aria issued an ultimatum. She was tired of being the other woman, hidden in the shadows while Benjamin played the role of a devoted husband and father in public. Faced with losing Aria, Benjamin chose to leave his family. The divorce papers arrived just weeks later, leaving Natalie devastated and the twins too young to understand the absence of their father.

As Benjamin’s mother, I was torn. My instinct was to support my son, yet how could I condone his actions? Natalie had been like a daughter to me, and seeing her so broken was unbearable. The situation was further complicated when Benjamin quickly moved Aria into the home he once shared with Natalie. It felt like a betrayal not just of Natalie, but of our entire family’s values.

The ensuing months were difficult. Natalie struggled to adjust to life as a single mother, while Benjamin seemed oblivious to the pain he had caused. Family gatherings became tense, with Benjamin and Aria’s presence reminding everyone of the fracture in our family. I found myself unable to accept Aria, not out of spite, but out of a deep sense of loss for what our family had once been.

Years have passed, and the twins are now starting school. They know Aria, but they also remember Natalie’s tears. Benjamin insists that Aria makes him happy, but at what cost? Our family gatherings are still strained; conversations are polite but lack the warmth we once enjoyed. I see the longing in Natalie’s eyes when she drops the twins off, a reminder of the life she lost.

I’ve tried to bridge the gap between my values and my love for my son, but forgiveness does not come easily. Each family event, each holiday, is tinged with sadness for what could have been. Benjamin has moved on, but the rest of us are still picking up the pieces.

As a mother, I love my son unconditionally, but I cannot hide my disappointment. I mourn the family we once were and grieve for the pain Natalie and my grandchildren have endured. Forgiveness is a journey, and I am still on the path, hoping for a day when our family can find peace again.