A cozy family home cracked wide open when Dad chased a fleeting crush that fizzled out quick as a damp sparkler. At 17, fresh out of high school, one Redditor landed smack in the domestic storm: heartbroken, furious, and stone-cold done with his father’s empty apologies.
The latest bombshell announcement rippled through his tight-knit circle, leaving him eyeing a future stacked with letdowns. With a wide-eyed little brother watching and Mom caught between forgiveness and fury, his choice to ghost Dad for good has Reddit erupting in empathy and hot debates on loyalty’s breaking point.
Dad demands divorce to be with coworker, eventually goes back home, tries to make up but gets ghosted by son.
Sometimes, the people we lean on hardest can wobble like a wonky table leg, leaving everyone scrambling for balance.
This Reddit story boils down to a seismic family quake: a 50-year-old dad, after two decades with his devoted wife, drops the divorce bomb over feelings for a coworker young enough to be his daughter’s babysitter.
He bolts impulsively, only to slink back hours later claiming a “trance” lifted the spell.
The poster, a sharp 17-year-old guy still under the family roof, sees red flags waving, calling it a selfish scramble for Plan B after his fantasy fizzled.
The sting of betrayal layered over years of dashed hopes, making forgiveness feel as attainable as a unicorn latte. Yet, the plot thickens: Dad’s past bout with West Nile Virus in 2021, which left neurological echoes and quirky personality shifts.
Mom’s buying the “delusional episode” angle, opening the door for reconciliation, while her son slams it shut, prioritizing his peace over forced family photos.
Flip the script, though, dad’s move screams midlife malfunction. But if it’s truly tied to brain fog from that virus, is it malfunction or malice?
Opposing views in the comments highlight this tug-of-war: some Redditors roast him as a reality-check rejectee, while others urge a doctor’s visit pronto, spotting red flags for escalating neurological woes.
Dad might be scrambling for stability, not just a soft landing. After all, with Mom as the household hero footing bills while he delivers pizzas and puffs cigs, his “trance” exit was a high-stakes gamble that cratered fast.
Still, painting him as the villain ignores the human glitch: neurological hiccups can rewrite personalities.
This is also a snapshot of broader ripples in household harmony. Family breakups fueled by health hiccups or hidden heartaches affect millions.
Did you know that neurological conditions like encephalitis can trigger up to 30% of patients with lasting behavioral shifts, per the CDC? That’s a stat that turns “what were you thinking?” into “what was happening in there?” It spotlights how fast untreated issues can erode trust, leaving kids as collateral casualties in the emotional debris.
For a pro’s take, consider Dr. Lisa M. Shulman, a behavioral neurology expert at Johns Hopkins, who notes in a Psychology Today piece: “Post-viral syndromes can profoundly alter impulse control and emotional regulation, mimicking psychiatric crises and straining family bonds, often requiring compassionate boundaries alongside medical intervention.”
That sounds spot-on for our poster. Her words underscore that while empathy’s the olive branch, it’s no excuse to ignore patterns, especially when apologies flow freer than actual fixes.
So, what’s the play here? Neutral navigation means carving space without scorched earth. Maybe suggest Dad sees a neurologist (ASAP, as one commenter wisely nudged), turning “I’m sorry” into “I’m getting help.”
For the poster, leaning on Mom’s support while modeling healthy limits for his little bro is gold. It’s about threading the needle: forgive the fog, not the fallout, and remember, rebuilding trust is a marathon, not a microwave minute.
Here’s the comments of Reddit users:
Many people dismiss the father’s “trance” excuse as absurd and blame his poor choices.
People validate OP’s boundaries and right to withhold forgiveness after betrayal.
Some suggest possible medical/neurological issues but still support OP’s distance.
Some comments emphasize OP’s independence from parents’ reconciliation and advise calm boundary-setting.
In the end, this family’s fog-shrouded story leaves us pondering the tightrope of grace versus grit: a dad adrift in delusion, a mom extending a lifeline, and a teen forging his own path with the quiet steel of someone twice his age.
It’s a poignant nudge that healing isn’t one-size-fits-all. Sometimes, the bravest move is hitting pause on the playlist of pain.
Do you side with the poster’s protective freeze-out, honoring years of letdowns even if health haze played a part? Or would you nudge toward a supervised thaw, doctor-ordered and drama-free?
How do you balance sibling shields in a storm like this—full fortress mode or fortified fences? Spill your wisdom with us!
