SINGAPORE: A Singaporean father is seeking advice online after finding himself caught between his son and his current partner over a school concert.
Posting on r/sgdatingscene on Tuesday (Oct 20), the man shared that his younger son had personally invited him to his year-end concert, but his partner “objected” and said she was not “comfortable” with him going because his ex-wife would be present.
“If I attend, I expect it will cause tension between us,” he said. “I’d like to understand her perspective, but I also want to be there for my son.”
He added that he had only recently divorced when he started this new relationship, but things were already getting a little tricky. Some of his partner’s behaviour had him wondering “what is reasonable” in a relationship.
For example, he claimed she goes through his phone at times and deletes or blocks women in his contacts, including co-workers, friends, and new acquaintances.
He also said she is uneasy when he spends time with his children since his ex is usually there and that she becomes "very upset when she feels uncertain and sometimes video calls me to confirm what I'm doing."
Not knowing how to address this behaviour, he asked other Singaporeans for their perspectives and advice, writing, “How would you approach this? Is this a normal adjustment period in a new relationship, or something I should address more seriously? I’d welcome advice or similar experiences.”
‘Better to end it now’
Responses to his post were overwhelmingly critical of his girlfriend, with several Redditors labelling her behaviour “insecure” and a “red flag”.
One Singaporean Redditor said her reaction was “not normal”, adding, “She is insecure. If she cannot handle being together with a divorced father, then better don’t.”
Another was equally unimpressed, asking, “Whoa, how old is your partner? She reeks of deep insecurity; every point you mentioned about her is a red flag.”
The commenter also pointed out that his girlfriend should have understood what dating a divorced father entailed.
“Your son will always be part of your and your ex-spouse will always be a co-parent to him - doesn’t she already know that even before you all got together?” they added.
A third Redditor offered a more cynical theory, suggesting that the girlfriend might be trying to drive a wedge between the father and son to prevent the child from inheriting his father’s money. “I once knew a lady who behaved like this,” they added. She was playing the long game.”
A fourth advised, “Better to end it now. The longer you continue this relationship, the worse both of you will feel.”
In other news, a Singaporean worker has confessed that she is close to walking away from a job she genuinely loves, simply because dealing with her boss has become an increasingly exhausting affair.
Despite being happy with her work, office location, and benefits, the worker said her boss’s management style has left her feeling demotivated and questioning whether she has a future in the company.
Read more: ‘Love my job, hate my boss’: Singapore worker considers quitting despite good benefits