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Cheating Husband Loses Wife, Demands Her BFF Be A Regular Nanny: “I’ve Abandoned The Children”
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Cheating Husband Loses Wife, Demands Her BFF Be A Regular Nanny: “I’ve Abandoned The Children”

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There are many reasons couples drift apart and break up, but one of the most devastating might be cancer. According to one study, men are six times more likely than women to leave their wives after their partner gets a cancer diagnosis. But not all men leave; some choose to stay and cheat.

Like this guy, who was unfaithful to his wife during her chemo treatment. Her best friend took care of her during that hard time instead, and grew to loathe the husband. So, when he became a widower and asked her to babysit the kids so he can have more free time with his girlfriend, the woman blatantly refused.

RELATED:

    A widower asked his deceased wife’s BFF to babysit his kids so that he and his new GF could have more “free time”

    Image credits: Image by Freepik (not the actual photo)

    She refused, but asked people on the internet whether she made the right decision

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    Image credits: Image by Freepik (not the actual photo)

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    Image credits: Adventurous-Pool6213

    Only a small percentage of cancer diagnoses might cause divorces, but the ones who leave are most often men

    The data on whether most men actually walk out on their partners after a cancer diagnosis varies. Some studies show that only 6% of marriages end in divorce when one partner becomes unwell. However, these researchers have also found that the strongest predictor for divorce among brain cancer patients was whether the patient is a woman.

    Another study in 1999 also showed that divorce rates among couples where one partner has breast cancer were similar to regular couples. The rate of marital dissatisfaction among couples dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis and among those who didn’t was the same: 10%.

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    But it seems astonishing that any person who claims to love their partner would either leave or be unfaithful. After all, the part about being together in sickness and in health in marital vows is there for a reason. Yet the reasons why spouses walk out on their partners or find someone else are quite easy to explain.

    Some husbands aren’t ready to become caregivers and take care of the home and family solo

    Image credits: Image by Freepik (not the actual photo)

    Marc Chamberlain, director of the neuro-oncology program at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA), and a co-author of one of the studies mentioned above, says that husbands find it extremely hard to adjust to their partner’s cancer diagnosis. They’re not ready to become caregivers and look after the home and family.

    Marc Silver, author of Breast Cancer Husband, talked to oncologists, breast cancer patients, their husbands, and many experts. As one oncologist told him, men “walk out on a newly diagnosed wife because cancer is more than they bargained for when they got married.”

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    He also recounts a story of a woman who called a cancer helpline, admitting that she knows her husband is out with another woman at the moment. After the counselor asked whether the husband is aware that she knows this, she confirmed. “He told me. And he said he won’t break it off because if something happens to me, he doesn’t want to be alone.”

    Most women take on caregiving roles more easily, thinking its their duty

    Image credits: Image by Freepik (not the actual photo)

    Sociologist Deborah Carr says it’s not surprising that men leave after a serious diagnosis. She explains that there’s heaps of data showing that women take on the role of a caretaker more often than men. “Women see it as part of the bargain they signed on for. Men don’t anticipate this happening, and it changes the marriage for them,” she wold Newsweek.

    “In many cases, underlying issues that were preexisting for the couple really come to the surface as a result of the stress of a cancer diagnosis,” Jessica Worthington, LMFT told CURE. “It can be really hard for many people.”

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    What’s more, the intimate life of a couple where one partner has a cancer diagnosis suffers considerably. Cancer patients’ libido virtually vanishes, as Chamberlain explained to Newsweek. “We’re going to marshal our energies and channel them to do just the basic activities. Sexuality will fall victim to that,” he added.

    After their spouse passes away from cancer, women usually aren’t quick to remarry. Men, on the other hand, “marry again in a heartbeat,” Carr explains. Women’s thought process is that “they gave care to a dying man once, and they don’t want to do it again,” according to Carr.

    Many sided with the woman and had no empathy for the cheating husband

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    Others thought the children were the main victims here: “They have nothing to do with his choices”

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    Kornelija Viečaitė

    Kornelija Viečaitė

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

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    Hi there, fellow pandas! As a person (over)educated both in social sciences and literature, I'm most interested in how we connect and behave online (and sometimes in real life too.) The human experience is weird, so I try my best to put its peculiarities in writing. As a person who grew up chronically online, I now try to marry two sides of myself: the one who knows too much about MySpace, and the one who can't settle and needs to see every corner of the world.

    Read less »
    Kornelija Viečaitė

    Kornelija Viečaitė

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Hi there, fellow pandas! As a person (over)educated both in social sciences and literature, I'm most interested in how we connect and behave online (and sometimes in real life too.) The human experience is weird, so I try my best to put its peculiarities in writing. As a person who grew up chronically online, I now try to marry two sides of myself: the one who knows too much about MySpace, and the one who can't settle and needs to see every corner of the world.

    Mindaugas Balčiauskas

    Mindaugas Balčiauskas

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    I'm a visual editor at Bored Panda. I kickstart my day with a mug of coffee bigger than my head, ready to tackle Photoshop. I navigate through the digital jungle with finesse, fueled by bamboo breaks and caffeine kicks. When the workday winds down, you might catch me devouring bamboo snacks while binging on the latest TV show, gaming or I could be out in nature, soaking up the tranquility and communing with my inner panda.

    Read less »

    Mindaugas Balčiauskas

    Mindaugas Balčiauskas

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    I'm a visual editor at Bored Panda. I kickstart my day with a mug of coffee bigger than my head, ready to tackle Photoshop. I navigate through the digital jungle with finesse, fueled by bamboo breaks and caffeine kicks. When the workday winds down, you might catch me devouring bamboo snacks while binging on the latest TV show, gaming or I could be out in nature, soaking up the tranquility and communing with my inner panda.

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    Schmebulock
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Tell him you would love to babysit the kids so you can have long conversations with them about how he cheated on their dying mother with the hoe he is now with.

    lenka
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Men leaving their wives during cancer treatment is so common that women are actually warned at the time of diagnosis. You would not be the AH for refusing to babysit, but those kids need you to remind them of the amazing human their mum was. I would offer a time that was convenient for ME (but not necessarily for them).

    K. LNU
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This... do babysit, but on OP's terms. Reminding the kids what an amazing mother they had. Of course I'm kind of an AH myself, so when age appropriate, I'd let it slip about their new stepmom.

    Load More Replies...
    DrBronxx
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I side with OP on this, completely. Those calling her an AH for apparently "dumping her morals" on the kids can go suck an egg. This is not about the kids. This wasn't a "we have to work and we don't have anyone to take care of the kids" situation. This is a "I want time to f**k the person I cheated on my dying wife with, your dying best friend". How he even had the audacity to ask her, let alone use the "it's what would have wanted" strategy, is inconceivable to me. F**k him sideways. I hope she has some other form of contact with the kids, and when they're old enough, I hope they find out what a POS their father is.

    Load More Comments
    Schmebulock
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Tell him you would love to babysit the kids so you can have long conversations with them about how he cheated on their dying mother with the hoe he is now with.

    lenka
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Men leaving their wives during cancer treatment is so common that women are actually warned at the time of diagnosis. You would not be the AH for refusing to babysit, but those kids need you to remind them of the amazing human their mum was. I would offer a time that was convenient for ME (but not necessarily for them).

    K. LNU
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This... do babysit, but on OP's terms. Reminding the kids what an amazing mother they had. Of course I'm kind of an AH myself, so when age appropriate, I'd let it slip about their new stepmom.

    Load More Replies...
    DrBronxx
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I side with OP on this, completely. Those calling her an AH for apparently "dumping her morals" on the kids can go suck an egg. This is not about the kids. This wasn't a "we have to work and we don't have anyone to take care of the kids" situation. This is a "I want time to f**k the person I cheated on my dying wife with, your dying best friend". How he even had the audacity to ask her, let alone use the "it's what would have wanted" strategy, is inconceivable to me. F**k him sideways. I hope she has some other form of contact with the kids, and when they're old enough, I hope they find out what a POS their father is.

    Load More Comments
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