Relationships, marriage, divorce – it’s all tough to navigate, and what they don’t tell you is how hard it can be to truly move on with your life.

When there are kids involved it gets even harder (sometimes when they’re not even yours).

OP’s divorce was caused by financial issues.

I (46M) recently finalized my divorce with my now ex wife Liza (41F). We were only married for 3 years and the cause for divorce was issues with finances.

We had separate bank accounts for our own savings and checking accounts for where our salaries went. I did create an extra account for her where I would deposit money in monthly just as fun spending money as I make significantly more and wanted her to have less stress with her finances.

Even with this set up, she would consistently go over the limit and would even take lots of cash out of my wallet and personal safe without informing me.

When we were married, she and her two kids (18M and 16F) from her previous relationship moved into my house that I own and I paid for them to go to a private high school.

Their dad is in their life so they never saw me as anything other than the guy who married their mom, but I understand that because they did meet me much later in their lives and not as little kids.

Regardless, I tried to keep a good relationship but neither of them ever wanted that and made me feel like an ATM.

His wife’s lifestyle – and by extension her children’s lives – have changed since they moved out.

I got a really thorough prenup made before we married, so I basically kept everything I have except for some alimony I have to pay every month.

After the divorce, Liza and her kids moved out and I informed her that I have closed the bank account I made for sending her money and I’m going to stop paying for kids’ private school tuition after this school year is over.

So that way at least they finish the year out and have a few months to figure out next plans and transferring.

For some reason she thinks he’s still responsible for turning that around.

It’s been about 3 months since then and I got a nasty call from her saying she can’t afford rent anymore so her and the kids have to move in with her mother and basically berated me for “taking away” the credit card attached to my bank account.

Apparently the kids have also had to stop some of their extracurricular sports because she can’t pay for the programs.

She said I left her in “poverty” and she had to apply for government assistance and food stamps.

To the degree that she thinks he should pay for college.

Also when we were married I had mentioned potentially paying for her kids college tuition when the time comes, but it was never a set thing. Apparently she still thought this offer was on the table and mapped out how her son just got accepted to his dream school and the cost of attendance will be 80k per year, so she wanted to know how I would be sending the funds for this.

I just told her she’s crazy if she thinks I’m giving up my hard earned money for someone else’s kids I have no ties to anymore and that I covered her bills completely for 3 years so she should have saved her salary then instead of blowing through it on designer items.

A lot of her family/friends and her kids’ dad are all calling me saying I need to provide for the kids at least because I’m their “step dad” and that’s a lifelong commitment.

Also according to them it’s not fair that I’m taking away their opportunities to be at a fancy private school and college especially when I have the money to pay for all of it and keep up their lifestyle to how it was when they lived with me.

So AITA?

Does Reddit think this woman is looney? Let’s see!

The top comment says he’s right to close the ATM.

They think he’s already been more than generous.

He didn’t have to be that nice.

Her money trouble seems to be continuing.

Most people’s jaws were on the floor.

I cannot imagine that she has a designer bag big enough to hold all of her audacity.

They do make some pretty big ones, though.

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.