Honest advice needed
Hi everyone
I am looking for some advice on how to handle a very heavy situation with my fiance
We are originally from the Middle East and currently live in Canada
His family is still back home, living in a very traditional culture. He has been here for about 3 years now
We were supposed to get married but unfortunately things went south and we couldn’t move forward with the wedding due to family and cultural problems.
However since we share a deep history together, he decided and I agreed to stay friends for now. We still communicate on a daily basis, we always have each other’s back and our relationship is actually in a really good place now that all the previous chaos and drama have been resolved.
Right now, there is no talk or news about our wedding. Neither of us is in a position to get married anyway, not financially but mentally drained from previous problems
we are focusing on taking the time we need to heal.
His mother making excuses that she will die and who will have the ownership of their home and land. She wants grandchildren
They’re not too rich but just have 1 land and one owned home.
Recently, his mother find him a very young girl in 16 or 17 years old and he is 30 years old
His mother told him they have arranged an engagement for him and also I didn’t know he sent money back home for the engagement party
Also, some relatives have kept calling him to force him into this arrangement and he had no choice, but to say yes
I saw him yesterday, he shared lots of things with me, he shared his mother has lost so much weight and I know she’s pretending just to put her son is mind into this to get married
The problem is that my partner is completely drowning here in Canada. He has no savings, is dealing with debt, works an exhausting long hours labor job under wage as he doesn’t speak English well and lacks sleep.
It has been less than a year he is taking daily medication for his depression and sleep just to cope with the daily stress
Because he wants to keep his mother happy, he sends his money back home, leaving himself with absolutely nothing, that’s why he borrows money from friends. He is destroying his own life for them. About 80% of his income goes towards his mother and what she’s doing with that money he doesn’t ask. This is how he is.
He drives an old car and he need a new one, but he doesn’t have savings
When I spoke with him about the his situation he is now, the engagement, the laws regarding marriage in our culture, he was just smiled and casually said, "I will not bring her to Canada. I will just leave her back home with my mum" He is treating it like a joke or a problem for "future him" just to buy himself time and please his mother. He is completely failing to make a real decision for his life
I love him deeply and I want to save him from making this terrible mistake. I can see that he is mentally and physically struggling and he is tired by the pressure from his family
How can I help my man who is this exhausted to see the reality? What can I do to help him find the strength to stand up to his family and make a real decision before he ruins his life completely?
I talked to him for a long hours but no progress
A bunch thanks
Posted Jul 10, 2026, 5:59 PM UTC