My ex called me out of nowhere one afternoon. We barely speak anymore unless it’s strictly about our son—pickup times, school forms, doctor appointments. So when I saw his name light up my phone in the middle of a workday, my stomach tightened. Calls like that never mean anything good.
He didn’t bother with small talk.
“Sydney, I need you to pause child support for six months.”
I actually laughed at first, thinking he was joking. When I asked why, he sighed like I was being difficult.
“My wife needs a new car. Hers is falling apart. And honestly?” He paused, then added, “You don’t really need the money anyway.”
That was the moment I realized he wasn’t even pretending this was about our child.
Every instinct told me to say no immediately. Child support isn’t a favor—it’s a responsibility. But something deeper kicked in. A quiet, tired part of me that had spent years covering gaps, making excuses for him, absorbing the stress so our son wouldn’t have to.
So instead, I said calmly, “Okay. Let’s talk next week at drop-off.”
He didn’t question it. He just said, “Good,” and hung up, clearly convinced he’d won.
The next week, I arrived for drop-off right on time. Our son hopped out of the car, backpack slung over one shoulder, waving as he ran inside. I handed my ex an envelope. He smiled—actually smiled—like this was a formality. Maybe he thought it was a written agreement, or proof I’d caved.
He opened it, skimmed the page, and his face drained of color.
Inside was a simple letter:
“Since you won’t be paying child support for the next six months, I’ll also be taking a break. Our son will be living with you full-time for six months. Please be prepared to take on all financial, educational, and medical responsibilities.”
He exploded. Said it was ridiculous. Said I couldn’t just decide that. I didn’t argue. I got in my car and drove away.
Three days later, he texted saying he “couldn’t manage” having our son full-time because his wife was “under a lot of stress.”
A week after that, he completely cracked. He sent the full child support payment with one message attached: “Please go back to the regular schedule.”
Later that night, his wife messaged me separately. She apologized. She said she never asked for this, didn’t even want a new car, and had no idea what he’d said to me.
Was it petty? Maybe.
But I’m exhausted from being the only adult in the room who understands what responsibility actually means.