AITAH Confidential texts were exposed
For context, my son got a woman pregnant and they are not together. They argue and fight at every opportunity. As a grandparent, I've witnessed them both make some really poor choices with their life situations that effect their child. Not to say they don't also do some really great things. My sons visitation with his child hasn't gone well for a few years and has been sparse, mostly because of his own actions. There's not been real effort, consistency, or follow thru. But he points the finger at everyone else as the problem. At one point he decided (for a number of months) that he didn't want this child and wasn't going to have a relationship with him. His absence in my grandchilds life was difficult on all of us. I forged a relationship with the mom during this period because I didn't want to miss out on my grandchilds life. And I was able to have visitations and communicate with the child. It was also during this time some child welfare issues came to light. Nothing really horrible, but they were concerning. I tried to talk to my son about the issues and asking him to step up, and that some kind of action on his part seemed appropriate. He did nothing. Not a gosh darn thing.
My sons new gf is whispering manipulating and controlling things in his ears. My sons been angry with me about pretty much everything. If I said the sky is blue, he'd contradict it and say it was some other color and tell me 14 different ways from Sunday that it was indeed not blue. So we haven't been talking lately because there's no changing his mind right now. Currently, he's angry that I have a relationship with my grandchild and his mom. I recently saw the child 1 time without him and he was livid. Even tho he's had every opportunity to visit his child through the year. I am the evil incarnate.
This week, from out of the literal blue from my son's phone, a text. This text was sent to the mom in wording that he doesn't use saying that he's going to take actions against her. Attached were screen shots from the last few years of all of my personal conversations (by text) with my son. This must have taken him (probably her) some serious effort and time to compile. These texts between my son and I, never intended the mom to see. Trying to get my son to step up as a father when child welfare issues were happening. Was what I said true, yes. Would it be hurtful to the mom, yes. Messy life things. Now on display.
The mom messaged me and we talked by phone, telling me about what she received. She's hurt. Can't say I blame her.
And I'm sad, so sad, that one of the most important people in my life who is loved beyond belief would go out of his way to sabotage any and all relationship between myself, the mom, and sadly his child. In his mind, I'm an AH in all of this.
AITAH?
Posted Jan 30, 2026, 5:18 AM UTC · locked