My Boyfriend Has Done A Complete 180 By Hiding Things From Me r/Relationships

[@shizanketsuga8696]

Story 2: 100% the husband was doubling down on his pro-bullying stance which is especially worrying when even his son apparently understood why what he did was a problem. At that point the father is either amazingly stupid or willfully obstinate, reason enough for a "little break".

[@JoshSweetvale]

His schema for 'normal behaviour' are scientifically wrong. And his schema for 'unhealthy behaviour' are in fact the _right_ way to do it. Either he stops acting like a TV character or he can be delusional someplace else.

[@notoriousd.i.g.87]

Story 2: Siblings messing with each other is common place and ok. Locking Siblings in anything is never ok.

[@froggy8195]

siblings only fight and argue if you let them. Teach them to love each other, not pick on each other.

[@foresttrees3128]

Growing up my brother who is 6 years older than me: Physically, emotionally, and sexually abused me and it started out with little 'pranks' like the one in the second story. Kids are monsters and if you don't teach them the right things, it's likely they'll do the wrong things.

[@SailorMya]

I knew it was going to be a proposal. Getting engagement rings online, especially if your style is "alternative", is a great way to get exactly what you want. Once I heard about the mailbox checking I knew 100% he was waiting for the ring and didn't want her to find it first. Only thing I got wrong was I thought he was planning to do it in front of his family since they were in town. (Kinda thought he was rushing the proposal because of this.) Oh well, Happy End.

[@forestgrump4723]

It’s possible he wanted to show them the ring and get his mom and dads congrats in person but not pressure his clearly nervous fiancé. Maybe he originally wanted to do it in front of the family but changed his mind when he saw how nervous she was?

[@SailorMya]

@@forestgrump4723 Yea, it really seems like he thought of everything and was pulling many strings behind the scene but changed what would have been a very public proposal in front of his family into a more intimate one last minute. Good move on his part!

[@robertx8020]

"I knew" ... yeah sure ...you might have been 99,9 % sure but unless you can predict the future,,,I never buy that stuf Please tell me the winning loto numbers for next week

[@vitterling]

At least she can be at ease knowing this guy cannot keep a secret to save his life lmao

[@robertx8020]

@@vitterling True And I like 'happy endings' so this is a win-win to me :)

[@BerryTrekkin]

"As I was hanging there, with regret, and pain, feeling the burn, across the ring, as I'm hanging by my underwear" that is the most poetic description of a painful wedgie I've ever heard 🥲

[@sharyebethancourt3660]

💯🎯😂🤣

[@gigirodriguez4119]

Mark I love hearing your stories! Please don’t stop sharing them with us😅

[@SerenaSilverMoon]

I'd love to hear a whole episode of his stories. Either from around his neighborhood or family or his friends, anything really. Just his stories.

[@kimberlyterasaki4843]

Second story sounds to me like son is imitating his dad's behavior but didn't actually like being a bully. The separation makes sense because it's not just a disagreement on parenting styles, it's a straight up difference in values.

[@Tammohawk1]

1. I had a feeling it was a surprise by the secretive way OP's now fiancé was acting. 2. Uhm, what about Sarah's childhood? That wasn't funny or a prank. That was mean and hateful. And not a normal kid thing. 3. I'm betting Dad is a bully also and that's why he didn't think anything was wrong with what his son did. I'm dying laughing at your story. That was hilarious Mark!

[@ScooterBond1970]

Oo, good point about the dad. That reminds me of an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond where one of the kids gets bullied. Ray the dad is sympathetic but Debra the mom isn't; turns out in highschool she too was a bully.

[@S_K23]

Story 2 - As someone who has been deathly afraid of insects in general since I was kid I can say that these types of pranks are cruel and can exacerbate fears. Some of my family members would purposely throw bugs at me when I was a kid just to laugh about it or to "help" me get rid of my phobia. It did not help. To this day I cannot even stand to be in the same room if there is a cockroach or spider around and I have seriously thought about only finding jobs/living in colder areas just to avoid having insects in my home (its not rational I know). The husband is an idiot and the 10 year old needs to be taught that you cannot prey on people's fears like that. Its not funny.

[@Lithic.flakes]

I agree. I have had a severe phobia of gagging and retching since I was young, and when I was in elementary, I had a friend at the time who would gag in my general direction and scare the shit outta me. It's not funny at all.

[@S_K23]

@@Lithic.flakes That's horrible. I wish people would realize that this type of crap is just not funny.

[@Lithic.flakes]

@@S_K23 It's unfortunately far too common, it's disgusting

[@heathermiller5765]

@@Lithic.flakes I have emetophobia so I feel you there. The sound alone makes my skin go cold 😓

[@brigidtheirish]

Agreed. I'm *terrified* of heights and the only reason I put up with my brother-in-law occasionally pressuring me into a backyard zip-line to "help me face my fears" is because I've done similar stunts *to myself.* Thing is, at this point I'm pretty sure the fear is directly tied to my chronic vertigo. Which was only diagnosed last month despite this being a *life-long* problem and mentioning "dizzy spells" literally *very time I see the doctor.* Sorry about that rant. Anyway, locking someone in a small, dark space is *never* okay, phobia or not. I was trapped in my locker in fourth grade and *left there* long enough for the janitor to show up and even the latest of the buses to leave. Honestly a bit surprised I'm not claustrophobic. (Not that I'm terrible *fond* of small, enclosed spaces, mind.)

[@opalanuitchoutte3038]

Story two. The son will take after his father, he'll be a gaslighting bully. I'm glad she took action

[@lyragwen1895]

That husband acted like a child. He left to stay with his brother! I can see where his son got his character.

[@catT5236]

Story 2: gee, I wonder where Jack got the idea to do something like that to his sister? I'd bet money on husband having a part to play in that. Also, husband is definitely not doing everything he can to help his daughter if he thinks exacerbating & mocking her fears is funny.

[@t1995roger10]

I FUCKING KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE A PROPOSAL BUT IM STILL SO HAPPY 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 CONGRATS OP

[@TonySamedi]

Haha, Same. Once he wasn't letting her see the mail, I knew he'd ordered something special for her. Also I think she can always rely on him to be faithful because he definitely can't hide anything lol.

[@SailorMya]

The times you wish YOU were in the original post to scream over all the others that were saying he was cheating... It was so EASY to tell what was going on but in true reddit fashion everyone jumps to the worst...

[@zerobolt9506]

Same 😂

[@zerobolt9506]

@@SailorMya same, as soon as the mailbox was mentioned I was like he ordered something for a proposal or something 😂

[@someonesomewhere9115]

Story 2: I hope OP gets her son into therapy too. Not because of what he did to his sister, but because of his parents’ separation. He needs to know it’s not his fault, especially since it’s happening right after a disagreement on how to punish him.

[@VFKAdventureRabbit]

Story 2: The closet made me immediately worry about causing future claustrophobia on top of her current fears. The relative I know with it still struggles with it today from childhood from her brothers' "pranks".

[@narugirl8653]

Definitely, my brother managed to trap me under the bed twice (long story) and I still struggle with some spaces

[@nukerwolf7788]

11:14 the dolphins over heard the boyfriend and just wanted to watch it all happen lol

[@nthnward]

The proposal was so painfully obvious from the beginning of that story and that everyone thought it was cheating or financial trouble is troubling.

[@holloweddollart487]

As someone whose cousin made her play the scary maze game and now has a panic attack pretty much every time she sees Regan from the exorcist's face that son from the last story definitely deserves to be punished. My family used to do things to scare me all the time and now I'm afraid of pretty much everything and I don't trust a lot of things if it feels like a Jumpscare is coming. It's honestly so distressing.

[@jackie187]

I'm so sorry you had to deal with that crap growing up. I hope that you got some therapy to ease the stress. God Bless you sweetie!

[@Nettles007]

I remember my friend doing that to me when I was a child, was horrible

[@meirin5316]

yeah it was like that for me too. i can play phasmophobia but that is the scariest i can jandle lol

[@ruthgriffiths7365]

Your family were very, very wrong to terrorise you in that way. Fears and phobias which may seem silly to one person can be the source of abject horror to another. When you feel very safe and secure, try to think of just one of the things which causes you trauma. Think about how this thing or circumstance causes no harm to other people. Over time you can gradually build on this understanding then realise that it cannot cause you any harm either. It takes time and commitment but your fears can be dealt with one by one. You have shown your strength simply by writing this down for strangers to read, that is brave x

[@somedragonbastard]

I'm glad OP's son seems to understand that he hurt his sister and that it was wrong. Seriously messed up that the dad can't.

[@MsAquamonkey]

I have anxiety disorder. If someone deliberately hurt me as a 'prank,' put me in a situation that made me panic, and thought it was funny? That isn't a prank, that cruelty, and they wouldn't be welcome in my life again.

[@cynicalminion]

"dear husband: you misunderstood something. the question was WHAT punishment our son will be getting, NOT whether or not he'd be getting punished."

[@wendyhadley2764]

So you're not supposed to ruin your son's childhood by expecting him to not abuse his sister but your son can ruin your your daughter's childhood by abusing his sister. That man of yours has got some major problems and I don't care how important the other stuff is he's got on his mind the kids should be his priority punish your son anyway. I'm not suggesting beating them up just some consequences for his behavior, so he can learn about right and wrong. Just heard the update I think the man was already on his way out the door when that happened. Good job Mama keep up the good work you've got two great kids in the making there!

[@Wander85942]

My cousin used to lock me in her toy hut with their pet snake or leave me in a closet in the dark. I’m terribly claustrophobic now

[@AndyyWithAY]

The story with your brother had me about to fall out laughing 🤣🤣

[@frith.calluna]

Story 2 - NTA Punishing your child for doing something bad isn't controlling. Those are called consequences. The kid is 10, so he's still quite young. It's a good time to be teaching him why some "pranks" aren't funny and why you should make sure to take others' feelings into consideration. Glad OP followed through in the end!

[@Mewse1203]

Story 2: NTA Dad's behavior makes me think he somehow made it known things like that were both OK and a good idea. But damn that kid needs therapy.

[@qnkendra1523]

On the brother locking his sister in his closet... the most frustrating thing about this as a parent who's worked to get a child over a fear only to have it ruined by a bully. I had been baby stepping my child into swimming finally had them to the point where they'd let go of me so long as I was right next to them in the water. So it's going good... along comes my mommy dearest and she tosses them right in to water away from her. Not a laughter thing but instead several months of me staying out to the water with my child because their fear was now worse then at the beginning.

[@AnonymousBelle562]

I especially liked the part about the dolphins in the first story. Seeing dolphins is more normal in my area of Southern California, in the USA. Unfortunately I remember seeing dolphins used to be even more common when I was a kid 30 years ago….things have changed

[@jessiejeanne9717]

My family and I lived in Long Beach and Dana Point back in the 80's. I miss it- well, I miss how it was back then. You're 100% correct about how things have changed (not all for the better).

[@hesherette]

@@jessiejeanne9717 I used to live in Dana Point + San Clemente, but visited Long Beach often, I bet it was so amazing back in the 80s! even though they're still beautiful areas, unfortunately there are a lot of things that have gone downhill the past 10-15+ years

[@unorthodoxpeach]

As a kid we always took field trips to the beach and did dolphin tours. The dolphins would swim up to the boat close enough to touch them.

[@aislynnmari]

We saw dolphins at the Delaware Beaches all the time as kids, I haven't been back in years but I think they are still pretty common! Even though it was fairly regular sight, everyone got SO EXCITED every time

[@jessiejeanne9717]

@@hesherette no way! My first "best friend" moved from Dana Point to San Clemente!!! I visited her at her new house. From what I remember, it was a beautiful area. I miss her!

[@devchekhov7512]

Story 2: Couple's counseling or divorce. Glad the son apologized and has empathy.

[@JayeEllis]

Story 1: Yeah, I totally got 'good surprise' vibes as soon as the mail became a thing. Some people need to look at ALL the clues, not just the ones that fit their narrative.

[@jeanproctor3663]

Story 1 - What an awesome story with a lovely ending. I wondered a lot of things before it got to the end. Story 2 - Definitely NTA, but her husband is! Jack needs to learn how bad what he did is and the effect it could have on Sara as she grows up. What a horrible man! How can he even call himself a Dad? Anyone can father children but it takes real skill and talent to be a Dad.

[@AndyyWithAY]

Story 2 it's the fact that he held her in the closet for 5 minutes. If this would've been a quick thing, it would been less malicious. Still punishment worthy, but I don't think that wouldve been as bad.

[@definitelyarealperson248]

Same. But the father just not caring is pretty bad.

[@mimiNana-yi4cy]

@@definitelyarealperson248 there is a lot more going on than the OP said. They separated over this. It was the straw that broke the camels back. I have a feeling that the kids are having issues surrounding a very toxic marriage of their parents. The 10 year old is acting out for attention. The 5 year old is having fears because she is not feeling safe. OP needs to put the marriage on the back burner and take care of her children. She needs to get both of them in therapy to deal with their issues. OP was, absolutely, correct to discipline her son but there is a lot more going on that needs to be dealt with.

[@definitelyarealperson248]

@@mimiNana-yi4cy well i only watched the short.

[@brigidtheirish]

@@mimiNana-yi4cy OP also *didn't know how to discipline her own child.* You're quite right about there being more going on than even OP probably realizes, though the five-year-old being scared of the dark isn't necessarily part of it. I'm absolutely *terrified* of heights for reasons that have nothing to do with the stability of my home life. I also had epic meltdowns at the sight of dolls when I was a toddler, but that was probably the Asperger's. The fear of heights thing is mostly related to chronic vertigo, by the way.

[@WobblesandBean]

@@mimiNana-yi4cy Did it ever occur to you that sometimes, kids are just awful? I am so sick of you types immediately jumping to "oh the poor widdle pweshus baybee is abused, no child would ever do something so malicious otherwise!" Newsflash: YES THEY WOULD. That said, husband is an infantile conkwocket, and I'm glad OP left him.

[@dodgyyoutuber9560]

Omg the comment for the first story telling her to break up with him. Imagine going through all that effort to make the perfect surprise proposal and you don’t want to reveal it and your so giddy and then your girlfriend threatens to break up with you!!

[@Charles-sd7xu]

I KNEW IT WOULD BE A PROPOSAL FOR THE FIRST STORY!!! THE MAIL GAVE IT AWAY BUT THE TIMING ADDED UP SO PERFECTLY I KNEW IT!!!

[@crem-crem4070]

Story 2: I think OP’s husband had a larger part in the youngest child’s fear than op knows. I think in the past he’s locked the youngest in dark areas and that’s why the son thought it would be funny.

[@susankaempfer8427]

Probably. I wonder if the husband would still find it funny if he got locked in the closet 🤔

[@abigailpulliam6996]

I am nearly 30. I was the youngest of 3, and my middle brother was a terror when I was a child. When I was a tiny 10 year old, I was scared of the dark after watching a scary movie. My brother thought it would be funny to hide in the laundry room, and when I came in to swap the loads around, slam the door and turn off the lights. He then proceeded to snarl and grab me, shaking me. It took me until I was 22 to finally be able to sleep with the lights off again. More than half my life at the time. I still get shaky and frightened if I wake up in the middle of the night and I hear basically anything. It's still one of the main things I bring up to therapists and friends to highlight how abusive my brother was. (That and him punching me in the face when he was 17 and I was like 12)

[@Akiku2]

Oh God. One of my sisters was such a jerk to me when I was a kid! She would call my name repeatedly, and when I finally replied, she would just go “hi!“. She would do it even when I was trying to focus on homework. She knew that I have trouble focusing on things. Finally, I just called mom to get her out of the kitchen. She was no longer allowed to be in the same room as me while doing homework.

[@InvasionAnimation]

Glad the 2 at the end broke up. If my so was promoting bullying, I would be promoting them to get out my house.

[@fytrndm]

I've teased my siblings growing up but locking them up in a closet was a huge no. That was bullying and that's that. It wasn't as if the sister's fear was a secret, she's a child and at that age being afraid of the dark is pretty common. The fact the dad thought it was okay was the most concerning fact. These are the kind of parent that would excuse their children's crappy behaviour because "they're just children" but no, children needs to learn boundaries too. If you never teach them, you'd risk turning them into arseholes.

[@JayeEllis]

Story 2: I agree that it's best to take time away from someone who thinks it's okay for a child to terrify a sibling with no consequences. Just yikes to that!

[@thedestroyasystem]

That little coffin with the bat skull is adorable. I would love that.

[@fallingawayfromthenorm]

Story 1 - Glad it ended up being just a proposal, I would have been extremely suspicious of my partner started acting like that out of the blue. Love OP’s dark aesthetics, I collect animal skulls myself (only have two at the time) so I’d definitely melt if someone gifted me another. I’d personally make sure to have a conversation with my partner that if I’m starting to get really worried about secrecy when they’re planning to surprise me with something that I’d much rather they be honest or give me some kind of reassurance that it’s for me but it’s a surprise.

[@TheNormExperience]

Once I heard about the small package and the family visiting I thought proposal, so I’m glad that’s what is was and it wasn’t nefarious. Totally agree though that the best thing to do is let your partner know the secrecy element is stressing you out to the point that it’s ruining whatever may come, so anything they /can/ tell you would be really appreciated. Even something basic like, “I’m planning a surprise for you” so you know you’re not imagining things. That way the surprise itself isn’t ruined but it gives Op the heads-up that it’s nothing to worry about.

[@brigidtheirish]

Kindred! I'd pick up bits of bone and antler here and there since early childhood. Don't have many pieces since Mom made me get rid of a lot of sanitary reasons. I think I still have a squirrel skull around somewhere and I picked up half of a deer skull (with antlers!) a few years ago. As for the story, yeah, I was on the fence until the update because, honestly, even *I'm* not that obviously bungling with surprises.

[@ingloriousbetch4302]

I paint and embellish animal skulls and bones!

[@brigidtheirish]

@@ingloriousbetch4302 That is so cool!

[@ingloriousbetch4302]

@brigidtheirish thank you. I used to sell th and I had an exhibition some years ago. I've been too busy to do anything lately

[@briarrose6442]

Story 2: This was my childhood. My older brother terrorized me just about every chance he could, up until he was moved into a foster home because our home situation had deteriorated just as bad as it nearly could. I moved/was kicked out the day I turned 18 (I'm 24 now) and I have not spoken to them since. I can't watch scary movies, because the jumpscares remind me of when my brother would do it, then shove me down the basement steps while laughing.

[@Oicurmtoyoy]

Story 3 - Looks like the Dad has a golden child. Or maybe he just doesn't take non-physical trauma seriously. Either way, big problem.

[@karaleetdrenduringdragon8961]

Mark, thank you for sharing your story of picking on your brother at the end. I lost my mother this spring and it's been difficult. Somehow tonight was especially bad. When I heard your story and imagined your cheeky little self with the mother of all wedgies I started laughing until tear rolled down my cheeks. I SO needed that. Thank you again. I always appreciate your work, but tonight the side story from your childhood was the best bit. You rock, my friend.

[@b.b.8955]

Story 2: Playing with phobias is no joke. I have coulrophobia (fear of clowns) and was tormented as a kid for my fear. As a result, as a adult, a guy in a clown suit and makeup jumped out at me and grabbed my arm to let me know his store was having a sale and I didn’t hear him, I punched him out of fear and had a panic attack. Police were called but after reviewing the store surveillance video it showed he grabbed me first and so no charges were filed. So please do not make peoples phobias worse. Glad OP’s kid apologized.

[@platinumaether8198]

Story one: MY GUY HE DID IT. HELL YEAH!! He pulled the clutch in the end.

[@ctsbathory8867]

I totally cried at the proposal. I am also alternative and that ring is lovely. So happy for OP.

[@darklightmagus1222]

Story 2: The best way to tell a prank from abuse / bullying / hazing:: Confuse and amuse not distress and abuse. This pretty much describes what your prank should do to the target. The difference can be very small. For example, you sneak into the bathroom while your sibling is showering without their notice to prank them. Replacing their clothing with different clothing of theirs (probably mismatched coloring or a weird combination of top and bottoms) will confuse them. But moving their clothing and/or towel from the bathroom to their bedroom or even a few meters from the bathroom door is abuse. The victim will find themselves in a vulnerable state after showering putting them in a state of distress when they can't find their clothing or anything to cover up properly with. On the other hand, a different set of clothing will confuse them which they will find amusing after a while.

[@Wolvesbane39]

Gosh the second story, if it were me talking to someone like that I'd be very blunt with "So you're saying that we should teach our son that it's ok to make his sister cry? And teaching our daughter that her brother will absolutely get away with playing a mean prank on her to make her cry?"

[@sharyebethancourt3660]

I can’t believe the husband in story 2 was willing to die in this hill. Good riddance then.

[@kratkartan1486]

Story 2: I think Op's husband didn't care for his son's behavior because he himself is a bully. And by calling his son out is by extension is calling him out, so he left to not have to be a decent person.

[@ljh5141]

The visual on the story you told at the end, brings new meaning to ‘the ring of fire’.😳😁🔥

[@Erinia13]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 thanks for sharing your story of siblings woes Mark it cracked me up lol I love when you tell us little anecdote especially funny ones. My older siblings are all males so they never involved me in any rough-housing or pranks but they taught how to fight so I could defend myself lol They found it hilarious when a pint size lil girl in a princess dress would tackle an older kid to the ground because he messed with lil me hair 😂😂😂😂

[@eowyn8340]

Sounds like you have awesome brothers. I’m an only child, but my dad taught me self defense and life skills because he wanted me to be an strong woman. I’m forever grateful he didn’t want me to be a damsel in distress.

[@crazyminegamer2339]

I’m the oldest of four. All of us are girls besides the youngest, and he can be a little shit sometimes, even now. We have a 6 year age gap, so not too different from Mark and his older brother, but I’ve gotten back at him on many occasion when he’s tried tormenting. I actually use to get him on the floor and pick him up by his ankles whenever he was bothering me, but nowadays I just grab his arms and hold him in place for a bit while he begs me to let him go. Keep in mind, he’s always giggling whenever I get him back, but I haven’t needed to get some payback in a while.

[@ninirossau2304]

@@eowyn8340 just remember, every girl can choose to be the dragon instead of the damsel.

[@davidsantiagotate7380]

I love it when these stories end well! Also a lot of good tip for my upcoming proposal: don’t act suspicious to the point of freaking out partner. I’m a terrible liar so this should be interesting!

[@edme007]

So did you do it yet??

[@lolalo6344]

Story 2: tell your hubby to start saving for your daughters therapy.

[@CatsandDragons7]

With the first story, as soon as the mail thing came up I was immediately like “oh, proposal stuff”

[@razeredgerose]

my brother is 19 yrs younger than me. when he was 6 mo old and in his "throwing things because im done with it" stage, I was helping him drink out of a almost full plastic water bottle. when I could tell he was finished, I went to pull the bottle away. He decided to try and throw the bottle, that was still in my hand. water volcanoed ALL OVER HIM. he got mad, we started arguing like normal (which my mother always finds hilarious for some reason), I towel him off, everyone moves on with life. that's how my brother learned to just put stuff down when he's done with it. he also never let me give him his drinks anymore afterwards lmfao

[@lucialovecraft]

I’m so happy things worked out for OP. I absolutely adore her present and ring 💜

[@SailorMya]

Right! He customized everything to her tastes and even remembered what she likes in a ring! Super Sweet!

[@sharyebethancourt3660]

Story 2 NTA Husband truly is tho by being willing to sacrifice his daughters wellbeing so that Jack can have a “fun” childhood. Jack’s didn’t prank Sara, he was cruel af to her.

[@HaliaStone]

I remember your pants ripping story the first time! 🤣 I could read a whole book of your sibling/estate stories honestly. 😂

[@kerribottriell-baxter7345]

I could too

[@twentyfiveyears5010]

Mark, I laughed so hard about your wedgie story I won't have to do abs for a week!

[@atinyevil1383]

Story 1: the mail is what made me think he was going to propose. If he was cheating, he wouldn’t be looking at the mail box.

[@grinningweirdo4888]

Yea that is what sealed the deal for me and suddenly explains every other red flag

[@alaaesong164]

yeah, this. Once I heard this I was like ?????? surely a proposal

[@untitled-gv3qp]

I thought it was just gonna be a big present or him planning a trip for them. I'm happy it ended so well.

[@mellalena]

Story 1 - I think it would completely ruin the proposal for me if I had to spend the preceding weeks stressed and worried about my partner and our relationship because of it.

[@flashingunicorncupcakekiss1436]

Story 2. Hubby needs to go to therapy! Because having a discussion and disagreement about parenting should not lead to husband leaving and staying at brother's house.

[@honeybelle1203]

That has to be one of the most adorable and sweet stories you've read in a while!! I especially love the part how he fashioned a ring box type thing out of a bat's skull. And the dolphins swimming past. Gosh, if a lady proposed to me that way I'd probably faint rofl.

[@JoshSweetvale]

Story 2: All humour is sadism. Of course the brother meant to hurt his little sister. He just didn't quite understand what that _actually_ meant.

[@messinalyle4030]

Your atomic wedgie story reminds me of a story that has been passed down in our family lore. When they were kids--I think he was six and she was fifteen--my father had his squirt gun and was squirting his sister through the screen door. So she went out and dumped a glass of water over his head. I sometimes use the expression "to pull an Aunt Margaret" to mean "to deliver a revenge that is out of proportion to the original crime." I'm sure that the lesson my father took away from this incident was also, "don't fuck with big sister."

[@LotusMandala]

Mark's story had me in stitches 😂Scared the heck outta my cats lol.

[@heathermccreary8933]

Thank you for the waffle, Mark. It made me laugh until I cried. One of my brothers once hung the other up on the fridge door handle by his belt loops. 😀 Gotta love the sibs. We lost our mom this year and I don't know how I would have coped without them.

[@SakuraMoonflower]

I'm glad story one had a "happy" ending, but that doesn't excuse his bad behavior the whole time. The fighting, controlling the mail box, the sour mood. The fact he hid his behavior from his family means he KNEW how he was coming across was problematic as hell, AND HE DID IT ANYWAY to someone he claims he loves, WHEN he was perfectly capable of controlling his own behavior enough to hide it from his parents- but he didn't bother to hide that from his S.O to keep her from freaking out and thinking he was cheating. His communication skills suck; that behavior sucks; and I'd honestly think twice about marrying someone like that. At the very least, they need to have several big conversations about communication styles, why his is so problematic, how to fix that moving forward, etc.

[@teresadurham8828]

This entire post! Thank you 👏

[@brittkeller4979]

a deeply significant ex of mine learned Edgar Allen Poe's 'The Raven' for our first Valentine's. We took a walk in a park in the city centre after dinner, and he quoted some of it to me. I'll remember that until the day I die, even if he turned out to be a toad rather than a frog.

[@hodgeelmwood8677]

Whoa, red flag #1: "We've lived together for almost the entire relationship". Bad idea.

[@ollieaur]

The story Mark told reminded me of a story about my younger brother, that my grandmother told me. We were living at my grandparent (with my dad) at the time, he was probably around 5-8 or something like that, and would often just climb up on the counter to reach the overhead cabinet to get something. This time he was only wearing underwear, and as he went to jump down, it was caught on one of the nobs of some drawers bellow. He wasn't very tall, so he ended up dangling there until they ripped, and my grandmother busted out laughing. He's almost 21 now, and still remembers the humiliation he felt.

[@damien678]

"Like, 'snatching the ring back, golem' style" is funny af in retrospect

[@TheFoodGuideOfL]

Fantastic personal story, Mark. Had me laughing while I did chores

[@BlankBrain]

"I once saw a seal in the U.K. That's about as far as it goes for me." I hope you are able get out a bit more. I think the term for what your brother gave you is an "atomic wedgie."

[@jessicad1583]

One of my favorite memories with my little brother's (twins baby A baby B, only a year younger) is They wanted to play, and I was in a grumpy mood but they said they wanted to wrestle. (We're like 4/5yo or something) We strip down to our undies (Sumo wresting idk why), put down a mattress with the rule if you left the mattress, you lost. Well none of us knew how to wrestle. A ran at me, I picked him up and put him down off the mattress. B wanted his turn, and it became a game of 'Pick me up! Put me diwn!' For the longest time! XD

[@pansprayers]

Locking someone isn't funny or a prank. That's abusive. OP has a husband problem.

[@untitled-gv3qp]

His response seemed kinda gross. "Don't ruin his childhood." Was he trying to say that a short punishment for tormenting his sister would ruin his childhood or does he think that tormenting your younger siblings is part of a good childhood? And why isn't he concerned for the daughters childhood? If he never had an issue with punishing the kid before but doesn't see the sons current actions as a problem he may be a bit misogynistic. That or his parents let him pick on his sisters with no regard for their feelings when he was younger.

[@LetholdusKaspyr]

First one reminds me of an episode of Psych. The main character goes on a blind date, and infers that she's recently single. She starts venting about her boyfriend she's dumping. He's picking up extra shifts, spending time in a specific part of town for no apparent reason, going through her jewelry box and address book. The main character tells her that he's not cheating, he's about to propose. The extra shifts are to pay for the ring, which he's buying from the nice jewelry stores in that part of town. He's getting her ring size from her own jewelry, and has discretely contacted her parents.

[@MaggieTheCat01]

18:15 “My brother caught me by the back of my underwear.” It was at this point that I started laughing, but I’m at my desk so I had to stifle it, you devil.

[@brettemiller8046]

Half way through story 1: get your nails done girl. And maybe get a couple nice outfits for the week everyone is visiting. Proposal.

[@rowdysgirlalways]

Sibling rivalry, huh? My bro is 9 years older than me. When he was a teenager, he was very muscular from gymnastics and such. Okay, I admit I MAY have been a spoiled little snot (I thought sometimes that snot was my other name, I heard it so often), so one day, he grabs my arms, lifts me up and over the balcony railing of our house. There I was, dangling about 10-12 feet above the cement pavement of our downstairs patio. I was around 9 or 10, and utterly terrified. I'm screaming like a banshee at this point. Our Mom appears and starts banging him on the back screaming, "Put that child down! Put that child down!" All that was going through my head was: NO! DO NOT PUT THAT CHILD DOWN! On a looping track. Down seemed a million miles below. He finally says, "I'll bring you up if you can think of a good reason why I should." Well, I could think of a number of good reasons he would let me drop, including some he didn't know about yet and some that would happen after I was safe... But at that moment I couldn't think of a single reason why he wouldn't let go. Mom told him he was scarring me for life. She made him lift me back onto the balcony. He said he wouldn't have dropped me, no matter what, but I did deserve being dangled. Yeah, I don't doubt for a tic that I'd done something annoying in the younger sibling line, and now, 60 years later, I can admit that...but you can be darned sure I paid him back! I was, after all, perhaps, a spoiled little snot. Yeah, the baby of the family.

[@animemagic]

Loved your sibling story, Mark! Lol. It reminded me of how I managed to talk my younger brother into giving me $20 twice when we were young. He definitely paid it back though when he got to be a teen and "borrowed" a little bit of my money to play fantasy football with his friends ^_^;

[@kaykay8855]

Story 2: NTA. I’m surprised that op’s husband supports his son traumatizing his sister. Either their son inherited his father’s bullying or op’s husband doesn’t care about his daughter.

[@RenGin510]

That is what my brother would call an atomic-wedgie. And yes, I was on the receiving end when I was being annoying. (Also 8 years apart!)

[@itazuranakisu]

I was wondering how OP overlooked the obvious cheating signs and then the mailed box happened which was such a curveball that if he had been cheating that would’ve been the “smoking gun”. I’m glad it was a good and thoughtful surprise. It really shows how much he cares about her and it’s a good thing she didn’t accuse him of cheating.

[@Resilient_Sage88]

Omg omg omg I can't with that update!!! I'm sitting here going "Awwwww!!!" 🥰

[@destinysphinx27]

Not a sibling story but Mark's reminded me of one of my dad's army prank stories so I guess it's like a 'brothers in arms' story: One man in my dads unit pulled out the ironing bored, put a shirt on it and stared in iron it with an unpluged iron. Another man walked in and the one with the iron suddenly pulled up the off iron and put it on the guys arm (like he was going to burn him) dad says and only way to describe the 2nd mans actions was that he 'cat leaped' from on end of the building to the other as he had no idea the iron was cold. Thay all had a good laugh and yes the iron guy also got pranked back. Fun times

[@SharmClucas]

Hahah, your personal story had me in tears, that was fantastic!

[@paulastephenson1862]

Regarding the brother who locked his sister in the dark, would it be okay to throw her in the pool if she was terrified of water or lock her into a yard with dogs if she was afraid of them? Your son is a bully and your husband is a complete jerk. Punishment is necessary in this instance. The lack of empathy from the son and father is concerning.

[@Mimikinn]

Mark, come visit Hawai’i, we have lots of dolphins here along with turtles and whales and seals that you can see everywhere. Sometimes they’ll even chill on the beach or will swim with you!

[@mandylee3593]

Love your personal story at the end. Got a real good laugh from that one! 🤣

[@CristinaFrank]

Here's a waffle of my own in regards to the last story: My sister is 4 years older than me. When I was 7-8 years old, we both had these giant huggable polar bears, basically the size of us. My sister would say goodnight to this bear every night when going to bed. While she was in the bathroom, I snuck into her room and hid in the closet. When she said goodnight to the bear, I said goodnight back. She freaked TF out, chucked the bear, and ran out of the room to get our dad. I couldn't get back to my room without being seen, so I just waited until they found me 🤣

[@TheLugiaSong]

Apparently you can sometimes see dolphins off the shores of England, but I've yet to see one. So envious you saw a seal, though! :o I love your stories from youth, haha. I wish I had half as entertaining memories as you do.

[@itjustmemanning8441]

Loved your story about how you learned not to mess with your brother. I grew up in Binghamton NY with a great park across the street. Reaction Park is it's name, we could sit on the front porch watching a baseball ⚾️ game. It was so fun watching when the ball was hit and we'd hear the hit after the guy was running to first base. The Binghamton area have quite a few Merry-go-round's and I was lucky to have one across the street. When I was around 3 years old, my two older sisters would take me over for a few rides. Then one day one of them found an empty beer 🍺 can. So of course they came up with an idea. They twirled me around so I couldn't walk straight put the can in my hand and pushed into the merry-go-round! They loved the looks I got, I haven't been back there in over 20 years. But I do have a younger sister still in the area and the merry-go-round is still running and it's still free 😊

[@amandaomay7696]

Up til the end of the year I had turned 9, I had been living with my oldest brother, this was the late 80’s to early 90’s. I could not have anything electrical for example watch’s, cameras or clocks because he would always pull them apart. His reason he wanted to see how they work but he could never put them back together, but the worst part was he only took my stuff. He would leave everyone else’s things alone, including his own electronics and I do not remember him getting in trouble from that family we where living with at the time. I was sad but happy not to be living with him after that.

[@maryellen9503]

You are a bright spot in my day, thank you for being there.

[@T_P_W_ThachoZenjuan]

I love how you learned your lesson with your brother. Sometimes a little tough love is the best way to teach a lesson.

[@Arylwren1]

Story 1: New passwords on his computer, excessively checking the mail. Family coming for a visit. Is he going to propose? I know it sounds naïve, but there have been stories like this before. Like the lady who thought her husband was cheating, but he had actually booked a romantic vacation and bought her new cloths for the trip, OP's sister was in on it.

[@mamm7223]

Mark, your story about hitting your brother, and his retaliation, is hilarious! I laughed so hard I cried; I had this vivid mental image of you falling out of your briefs. I will giggle all day, every time I think of it. Thank you so much for sharing this.

[@maggpiprime954]

I can totally picture a short comic strip about Little Mark getting hoisted by his own petard! 😂🤣