I never thought I'd have a serious relationship with a mature man who was raising a son.

Real Life. "My Stepson Spoiled My Food On Purpose": He Wants His Father to Leave Me

But fate has a way of not cursing it. Irek joined our company about a year ago and was transferred to my department almost immediately. At first, our communication was limited to work-related topics.

I didn't want to open up to a colleague I didn't know, but then the conversations became warmer and more personal. I felt like I'd known Ireneusz my whole life. Our shared meals turned into meetings after work in cafes and weekend trips. I was in heaven. I went to work as if it was vacation.

Half a year later, he wanted to introduce me to his son Antek. He was raising him alone because his ex-wife had gone abroad and found a new man there. She had no intention of returning for her teenage son, but bribed him with lavish gifts several times a year.

So Irek carried this burden alone. On the one hand, work, on the other, a demanding child who was going through puberty. The meeting went smoothly, although Antek did not look happy. Imagine my surprise when Irek and I moved in together. He and his son had a spacious three-room apartment. So I packed my things and quickly moved in with my beloved.

The apartment needed a woman's touch. Within a few months, I made it cozy and dreamed of going on vacation together. Antek and I had different relationships: he was at school and training most of the day. We only met in the evenings.

I love cooking, and cleaning doesn't take me much time. So I immediately get to work in the kitchen. Almost every day my men would have a culinary masterpiece for dinner. It's embarrassing for a teenager when his father praises another woman, besides his mother.

A few weeks later, Artur started coming home earlier. He immediately started having problems eating.

The meat was too salty, the toppings were sour, and the dough wouldn't rise. And here I can't put simple mashed potatoes with cutlets on the table. It was a total disappointment, not dinner! The cause was discovered by accident.

I simply left the meat on a low heat in the cauldron and ran out to answer the phone. I quickly returned to the kitchen. And what did I see! My potential stepson was standing over the cauldron and furiously throwing salt and spices into it that he had managed to get.

I reacted immediately and asked what he was doing. The teenager looked at me angrily and said without a shadow of remorse:

-You shouldn't have lured your father with your delicious cooking. Now your father will realize what a stupid woman you are and will throw you out. We got along well together.

I had to throw out the spoiled dinner. And in the evening I had a serious talk with Irek. He will have to deal with his son's behavior. The child is clearly suffering, and I am the cause of it. I would rather go back to my place than cause a breakdown between father and son.

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Natasha Kumar

By Natasha Kumar

Natasha Kumar has been a reporter on the news desk since 2018. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining The Times Hub, Natasha Kumar worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my natasha@thetimeshub.in 1-800-268-7116