Infidelity has a way of either making things very messy or painfully clear. For some people, finding out that a partner cheated calls for an immediate break-up, no matter the situation — what we call a dealbreaker. But if both partners try to work things out, even for a short amount of time, the back-and-forth arguments, confusion, and feelings of betrayal and jealousy can cloud the relationship and make it hard to end it or move forward. For those who to choose to stay, well, it often takes a lot of work to re-establish that trust and build that bond up again, and even then, the relationship will never be exactly the same. That’s especially true when the affair results in a baby.

“Messy” doesn’t even begin to cut it for that situation, which is what one woman on Reddit is finding out right now. She agreed to stay with her husband after an affair and an affair baby came to light — but now, somehow, it’s all getting even more complicated. With her husband asking that they take in the affair child (now older), the woman (aka our OP, or the author of the post) responded in a way that has Reddit’s Am I the Asshole? forum divided. Read the full story, Reddit’s response, and our ultimate takeaways ahead.

“In sickness and in health” is part of the classic marriage vows for a reason. Committing to someone means making a promise to stay with them through it all, both the good times and the bad. When it comes to health problems — an inevitable challenge every couple will face at some point — you might just be the only source of support they have, or vice versa.

Of course, that’s easier in theory than in practice. Health problems can be a huge source of stress, and marriages often enter rocky waters when one partner is suffering. However, which partner it is makes a big difference. According to a study in the journal Cancer, when a woman is a cancer or multiple sclerosis patient, they’re six times more likely to be separated or divorced soon after the diagnosis compared to when the man is the patient. In other words, women are statistically more willing to do the work of caregiving for a sick partner; men, not so much.

It’s a situation one woman on Reddit is all too familiar with. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer a few years ago, and her husband responded by cheating on her while she was in treatment. (Wow, we love him already.) Our OP (aka original poster, or the person who wrote the post) took him back afterwards, but now her husband is the one having a health scare, and it’s bringing up all sorts of emotions for our OP — namely, that she’s not so sure she wants to be in this marriage after all, and Reddit sees where she’s coming from. Keep reading for the full story and Reddit’s response.

Open relationships really can and do work — we’ve talked to women who’ve been in them and loved it! — but you wouldn’t know it from the amount of stories on the Internet (and especially Reddit) where opening a relationship or a marriage leads to the end of a couple. We hesitate to blame that all on the polyamorous aspect of it; some of these relationships maybe just aren’t built to last, and seeing other people helped them realize it. Other times, the partner(s) were opening up their relationship for the wrong reasons or using it as an avoidance technique instead of addressing their deeper issues.

Whatever the reason for open relationships failing, again, we promise they really do work and can be a beautiful, horizon-broadening experience for all involved … That said, the latest partner to share their open relationship experience on Reddit looks like he’s falling into the camp of the relationship not working out. And while the husband, our OP (aka original poster, or the author of the post) seems, honestly, more or less fine with getting a divorce, he’s concerned enough about his wife’s upset reaction to share their story on Reddit’s Am I the Asshole? forum. OP’s wondering if he’s made a mistake, and Reddit was all too happy to weigh in. Keep reading for the full story.

If you’ve never heard of “baby-trapping,” count yourself lucky, because it’s a pretty terrible thing to do to someone. Baby-trapping is when one partner in a relationship deliberately gets themselves or their partner pregnant to prevent their partner from leaving. It’s usually done in a sneaky way (think: going off the pill without saying anything, poking holes in condoms) so the other partner can’t do anything about it and doesn’t know until the pregnancy test comes back positive. Like we said, it’s no way to treat your partner, because 1.) no one should ever be coerced into having a child, 2.) consent is a thing??, and 3.) manipulating someone, in general, is not the way to a healthy relationship. Honesty truly is the best policy, folks.

So we’re not here to say baby-trapping is ever OK… but we are here to say that maybe some of us need a refresher on its definition. Specifically, we’re talking to a man who recently accused his fiancée of baby-trapping him, despite the fact that she’s had her tubes tied. Yep, you heard that right. She’s been accused of baby-trapping when she can’t even have a baby, and she’s come to Reddit’s relationship advice forum looking for some help on moving forward from this. Which is fair, because again, what? Our OP (aka the fiancée, the author of the post) is understandably confused.

Keep reading for the whole story and to get Reddit’s incredulous take on it all.

General rule of thumb: if you think opening up your marriage or relationship will save your marriage or relationship, it’s probably not going to work. Don’t just take our word for it: experts and women who’ve tried open relationships (including one mom who wrote a bestselling memoir about the experience) have told SheKnows that open relationships are best started from a place of complete trust and commitment. If you’re dealing with deep marital issues, introducing other partners into the mix will probably not solve the issue.

We can understand the temptation, though. Let’s say, for example, your marriage is pretty much fine. You get along well, you’re good co-parents, you’ve invested a lot of time and effort into this partnership… but you’re just not sexually compatible anymore. At least one of you isn’t feeling fulfilled, for whatever reason. Why blow up the whole marriage when you could just open up your relationship and have your sexual needs met elsewhere?

That’s essentially the case for one woman on Reddit, who shared her story on the site’s Am I the Asshole? forum recently. Our OP (aka original poster, or the author of the post) is dealing with a classic dead bedroom issue with her husband and is at her wit’s end. She’s suggested an open marriage to avoid divorce, but after her husband’s response, now she’s wondering if she was an asshole for even bringing it up. Keep reading for the full story and Reddit’s response.

No threesome is exactly the same. Whether it’s spontaneous or planned, your first threesome or your tenth, inviting a third person into what is, for many of us, a two-person situation always makes things a little different. A lot of times, that’s a good (and exciting!) thing, a much-needed way to spice things up in the bedroom, especially for steady couples looking for something new. But no matter what the context or how many partners you have, one thing stays the same: you’re going to have to talk through some things.

We mean talking about what feels good and what you’re consenting to — making sure everyone is on the same page before the fun kicks off — as well as establishing some clear boundaries. Sometimes one partner will be more interested in watching than participating; other times, everyone wants an equal share of the physical action. And that type of communication is exactly where one couple on Reddit is struggling.

This couple has pursued threesomes for the majority of their relationship, inviting other women into their bedroom and having a great time doing it. But a recent encounter ended badly, with the wife (aka our OP, or the author of the post) feeling like she’d been cheated on in the middle of her own threesome. She shared her experience with the Reddit r/relationship advice forum, and Redditors were more than ready to weigh in on the “tricky” situation. Keep reading for the full story.

Planning a wedding means a lot of stress, from beginning to end. That includes the big decisions like choosing your location, date, and dress, right down to the smallest details, like the frosting on your cake and the calligraphy on your place cards. Not to mention you’re balancing a lot of different opinions that don’t always align — including yours and your partner’s. Just because you’re in love with someone, doesn’t mean you’re always in agreement (as many, many couples can attest). But what happens when the disagreement is about one of the most important parts of your wedding?

We’re talking about picking your wedding party. This is one of the bigger decisions in the wedding-planning process, because these are the people you’ll see the most often throughout this process — you want them to be your favorites! We’ve all heard of (or experienced) wedding party drama, whether it’s one so-called BFF being left out or a bridesmaid having a little too much fun at the reception. But in the case of one Reddit couple, the wedding party issues are getting particularly personal.

In this situation, the bride-to-be (aka our OP, or the author of the post) is facing a “dealbreaker” situation as her fiancé insists on including his ex-girlfriend (!) in his wedding party. Yep, it’s as bad as it seems, and OP is coming to Reddit’s Am I the Asshole? forum for some second opinions, which Reddit was only too happy to provide. Keep reading for the full story.

What do you do when your partner asks for an open relationship? It’s a problem many monogamous couples never expect to have, but people are more accepting of open relationships than ever, with a third of Americans deeming open marriages acceptable, per a 2023 Pew survey, including more than 50 percent of American adults under 30.

Many people believe open relationships are just an excuse to cheat without getting in trouble, but there are some legitimate upsides. You get to experience other kinds of relationships, expand your capacity to love, and broaden your sexual horizon. That said, open relationships aren’t for everyone. So what happens if the conversation comes up and one partner is a hard no… but the other really wants to try it?

One couple on Reddit is in that exact situation, and it’s as complicated and anxiety-inducing as you might think. In this case, the wife is the one asking to open up the marriage, while her husband (our OP, Reddit-speak for the author of the post) isn’t interested at all. Specifically, he thinks it’s “totally unacceptable.” Now he’s hurt and she’s “heartbroken,” and they’re wondering where they even begin to go from here. Reddit, of course, had quite a few opinions on the topic. Keep reading for the full story, Reddit’s thoughts, and our ultimate takeaways.

Open relationships come with a lot of unique challenges. That’s not a shocking thing to say, considering that every type of relationship on the planet has challenges, but with open relationships, you’re dealing with emotions that most of us aren’t too comfortable with. Jealousy is one of them, alongside fear, uncertainty, and insecurity, just to name a few. Seeing your partner date, sleep with, or even fall in love with other people can just be uncomfortable, even if you gave them permission to do those things — and even if you’re doing those things yourself.

One woman on Reddit is looking for advice for dealing with her own jealousy and insecurity in her open marriage. She and her husband opened up their relationship a year ago, and after a slow start on her husband’s part, he’s finally found a woman to date whom he’s very into: gushing about her, staying up for hours talking with her, giving her lavish gifts and dates. Now our OP (Reddit-speak for the author of the post) is feeling a little neglected, but when she brought her feelings up to her husband, it turned into a screaming argument.

Like we said, jealousy is a common experience in open relationships, as many other Reddit posts can attest to. So what exactly happened in our OP’s case, and what does Reddit have to say about it? Keep reading for the full story (plus an update from OP).

Deciding to open up your marriage is a major choice — and a scary one. Yes, you’re opening the door to new experiences, feelings, and lots of fun, but tough emotions like jealousy, fear, and insecurity can come through that door right along with them. That’s why many people in open relationships decide to set some ground rules before they jump into the dating scene, which can range from no sleepovers and no dating exes to no falling in love with a new partner. It’s worth noting, though, that all rules can be broken and that needs can change throughout the course of any relationship, open or closed, which means those rules might fluctuate too.

Reddit is full of posts from people in open relationships asking for advice, wondering what to do about jealous partners, struggling with insecurity, or running into issues around open relationship rules — all valid experiences over the course of an open relationship. One thing that’s always interesting to observe is how the partner who originally pushed for an open relationship reacts when their more reluctant partner starts to get into the dating scene. In one recent post and its subsequent update, a couple was struggling with just that.

In the post, the husband (aka our original poster or OP) was pushed to try an open relationship by his wife, Sarah, who’s now struggling with her reaction to his new partner. Sarah wants to change the rules of their open marriage as a result, and it’s causing friction, to the point that OP is taking drastic action — and Reddit, apparently, approves. Keep reading for the full story.

When you hear the word prenup, you might automatically think of celebrities or wealthy couples. And it’s true that those are the people who usually make the news for their prenuptial agreements — like the “airtight” prenup Britney Spears and Sam Asghari signed before their 2022 wedding, or Kelly Clarkson’s prenup-related legal mess after her divorce from Brandon Blackstock. If you ask Khloé Kardashian, everyone should have a prenup, “You have to protect yourself. It doesn’t mean you don’t love them,” she told E! News back in 2011 … before her divorce from Lamar Odom.

Not everyone is taking Kardashian’s advice, though. According to a 2023 survey by Axios, only 1 in 5 married couples in the US have a prenup, although 50 percent of the adults they surveyed said they at least somewhat supported them. And while, technically, you can ask for just about anything in a prenup (Kardashian’s prenup reportedly entitled her to a new car whenever her lease was up and courtside Lakers tickets for her whole family), your partner doesn’t necessarily have to agree to your suggestions, especially if they’re… unhinged. That’s where one couple on Reddit is running into some trouble, and trust us, “unhinged” is putting it lightly in this case.

The partner who’s writing the post (aka our OP, or original poster) is taking major issue with one clause their boyfriend wants to put in their prenup, and Reddit is up in arms over it too. Keep reading for the full story and Reddit’s furious response.

Here’s the thing about open relationships: when they have rules, have them for a reason. Open relationships can be challenging, especially for those of us who grew up in monogamous households. Of course, they can also be rewarding, fulfilling, exhilarating, and just plain fun, making them worth the risks (of jealousy, insecurities, and rejection) for some people. But back to those rules. While open relationships can be all of those positive things (and more), if you and your partner(s) decide to open your relationship with some specific rules and boundaries in place, it’s a good idea to adhere to them. It’s when some partners don’t that things always seem to get a little more complicated.

Take one couple on Reddit, who are dealing with some massive fallout from the choices one partner made in their newly-open relationship. The husband — aka our OP, which stands for original poster (the author of the post) — is asking for advice after his wife took advantage of their open relationship to hook up with a friend, one that OP has had some suspicions about for a while. In the process, she broke multiple rules they’d established for their open relationship and threw their lives into turmoil.

Keep reading to see how it all went down and what readers in Reddit’s Am I the Asshole (AITA) forum had to say.

Most of us know what an open relationship involves, theoretically. You and your partner both agree you can see other people, setting as many or as few rules and boundaries in place as you need to make that happen. It doesn’t sound so complicated on paper, but as with anything that involves relationships and emotions, open relationships can feel a little different in practice. Sometimes, we don’t realize just how different until we’ve already agreed to try it.

This is especially true of those of us who have insecurities that are triggered by our partners being interested in other people. It can be a turn-on to know your partner is seeing someone else (no kink-shaming — that’s one reason some people want an open relationship!), but it can also be painful in ways you might not have expected.

We say all this to introduce a couple on Reddit who seem to be experiencing this exact issue. After being married for eight years, the husband has been pushing for an open marriage for years, according to his wife (aka our OP, which is Reddit-speak for the person who wrote the post). She finally agreed, but now he’s started acting strange and insecure — even though he was the one who wanted this arrangement in the first place. Keep reading for the full story and for Reddit’s take on it all.

Divorces happen for lots of reasons, from lack of commitment to infidelity to nonstop arguing to, well, just getting married too young. (Those are the top four reasons for divorce in the US, per Forbes, in case you’re curious.) Sometimes, though, people get divorced for reasons that aren’t so cut-and-dry — like your partner changing in ways you couldn’t have predicted, and that you can’t accept. Those changes could be political (as in, you married a Democrat but they turned into a Trumper), value-based (you both agreed to have children and now they’re rethinking), or just around their general priorities and outlook on life. Of course, sometimes those changes aren’t really changes at all, but your partner showing you who they truly are.

One couple on Reddit’s relationship advice forum is experiencing marital trouble right now, and it’s due to some unforeseen changes on the husband’s side. To sum it up, his wife (aka our OP, which is Reddit-speak for the person who wrote the post) lost some weight, and now he’s starting to treat her differently — and she’s not sure she likes the implications of that.

There’s a lot more to it than that, of course, and Reddit had plenty to say to response. Keep reading to get the full story.

One assumption about being in a couple is that you and your partner sleep together. As in, literally sleep together — having your own side of the bed, drifting off together, waking up with them by your side. It all sounds very cozy and romantic, but sleeping next to someone every night also has its downsides. Snoring is a big one; so are preferences in temperature, cuddling, bed firmness, bedtimes, wake-up times, alarm habits… we could go on.

Sometimes it’s just more convenient to sleep in separate rooms, and more and more couples have been opting for this solution. According to research from the Better Sleep Council, more than 25 percent of couples have different sleep spaces, and a New York Times survey found that two-thirds of the couples that sleep separately do so every night. But even as it becomes more common and less stigmatized (notice how we’re not calling it sleep divorce, with all the negative connotation that comes with that term), this arrangement can still be a confusing one at first and even cause tension in couples as they figure out how to make it work. That’s the case with one couple on Reddit, who are running into issues over a key rule they set when they decided to try sleeping separately.

The husband (aka our OP, which is Reddit-speak for the author of the post) came to Reddit’s AITA forum for some impartial judgment on the matter, and Reddit didn’t disappoint. Keep reading for the full story.

It’s no secret that the decision to have kids or not is a major one in romantic relationships. So major, in fact, that your preference on children is a profile option on many dating apps, so you can filter out people who aren’t compatible with your needs.

Of course, it’s possible to change your mind about this important topic, too. You might be sure you don’t want kids at age 29, but by 35, you’re starting to see the other side of things — or vice versa. When that happens, communication is obviously essential, as well as hearing your partner out and understanding any other factors that might be at play, like health or fertility. And that’s where one couple on Reddit’s Am I the Asshole forum is running into some issues.

While the couple originally agreed they wanted to get married and have kids soon after they started dating, the boyfriend changed his tune a few years ago. Now the two have been together for six years, and his girlfriend — aka our OP, which is Reddit-speak for original poster, or the person who wrote the post — may need a hysterectomy due to health issues. And her boyfriend isn’t so sure he wants to stick around if that happens.

Yeah, we’re cringing just thinking about it too. Keep reading for the full story and to find out what Reddit had to say.

Finances can be a stressful topic in just about any marriage. It’s one of those necessary evils that we all wish we didn’t have to worry about, but we do. Having enough money to put food on the table while not working yourself to the bone is a tough task in and of itself; factor in social obligations and potentially taking care of kids, and suddenly you don’t have a ton of time to dedicate to your spouse or significant other — it becomes about just surviving from day to day.

That’s why, when you hear stories about people running into trouble because of having more (or even, dare we say, “too much” money), well, it’s hard to be sympathetic. Redditors reading a recent post on the site’s relationship advice forum know what we’re talking about. In the post, a woman has come looking for advice about her husband’s reaction to her promotion and pay raise — a pay raise which, coincidentally, puts her salary above his. Sounds like good news in our opinion, but apparently the husband of our OP (which is Reddit-speak for the original poster, or author of the post) doesn’t agree.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. What’s the situation, and does OP’s husband have a leg to stand on? Or is he letting some outdated patriarchal stereotypes trigger his insecurities? Keep reading for the full story and to get Reddit’s take on it all.

Setting clear boundaries and expectations is essential in any relationship, whether they’re about who cooks dinner during the week or what counts as cheating. When it comes to open relationships, the rules you and your partner(s) set in place might be even more important. In open relationships, both partners have agreed that they can have sex with other people, but how you define sex and all the rules around it are totally up to you and your partner. Can you hook up with a mutual friend? Is it OK to have an emotional connection with someone you’re seeing outside your partner? Are there any sex acts you’re not OK with your partner doing with someone else?

Defining those boundaries and sticking to them is what helps make an open relationship successful — you have to know you can trust your partner to adhere to your boundaries, and them to yours. But what about when that doesn’t happen? One couple on Reddit is finding out.

In the post, the OP (aka the person who wrote the post) is the husband in the relationship, and he explains up front that his wife “has a way higher libido than I do.” They agreed to have an open marriage with a few specific rules attached. OP says he’s been fine with the arrangement, but his wife recently broke a major rule, and it’s led to some serious friction. He took to Reddit’s Am I the Asshole forum for advice, and Reddit was more than happy to provide. Keep reading for the full story.

Gift-giving is a classic holiday stressor that never goes away. Trying to find personal gifts for everyone on your list — gifts that say you care about them, gifts that harken back to a memorable time you have together, gifts they’ll use, at the very least — is no easy feat. However, there are a few rules of thumb that typically won’t lead you astray, like: Experiential gifts are always a good call. If all else fails, write out a heartfelt card. And, the cardinal rule: get a gift that makes the receiver, at least in some small way, feel special and loved.

That’s the rule a husband broke this year, according to a post from his partner on Reddit. The partner, or OP (Reddit-speak for original poster), took to the site’s Am I the Asshole forum for a second opinion after realizing that their gifts this Christmas were underwhelming, to say the least. At best, you could call them “household items,” at worst, tools for chores. Pro tip: gifting your partner a vacuum cleaner they didn’t ask for is a surefire way to show that you see them as a servant and not much else!

So what exactly were the gifts, and how did OP react when they found out about them? And of course, what did Reddit have to say about it all? (Spoiler: they don’t think OP’s the asshole.) Read on for the full story.