I Need Your Advice: Should I Stay in a Relationship with a Toxic Family?

Photo by Mayur Gala on Unsplash

Dear readers,

I’ve been away for a while, and it’s because my heart has been shattered.

I never imagined my relationship would reach such a painful and toxic point, leaving me questioning everything I thought I knew.

I need your advice more than ever — because right now, I don’t know if I should hold on or let go.

It all began at a Father’s Day dinner with my boyfriend’s family — his parents, sisters, and their boyfriends.

His mother, someone who loves to show off her daughters’ successes, was at it again, talking endlessly about her oldest daughter’s accomplishments and how she had married into a powerful, wealthy family. I’ve grown used to it, but it always stings.

She made comparisons between me and her daughters, from career achievements to the lavish gifts her oldest daughter receives from her in-laws, reminding me of the unbranded scarf I got for my birthday — a gift I didn’t even like. How her youngest daughter, at the age of 23, is earning more than I do…

At the dinner table, I received an urgent call from my family and excused myself to answer it. What followed left me shaken — my boyfriend came out, grabbed my arms, and demanded I return to the table.