My parents were married for a long time. Not always happily, but sometimes companionable. The end of mum's life was distressing, she was very upset.
Now two years later my father has met The One. Actually he met her a year after my mother died, but is making the move now.
When he first told me, I went mental. Not to his face, but anguished at the unfairness of it all. My mother, six feet under, and him carrying on with a new bird. Also the weirdness of my father having a new boss. I cut contact for a couple of months. Even now I struggle to be normal with him.
We tried to have a discussion recently. He's a pushy, forceful person at the best of times. I felt that he tried to put me on the defensive and then dismissed what I had to say, gaslighting me.
A friend suggested that it might be peri-menopause that is making my reaction so strong, so I'm looking into HRT. The thought that this might be hormonal has actually cheered me up: maybe there's a way out.
He's been quite shifty about the new woman. He recently went to ingratiate himself with her children but hadn't told me and DB anything. I haven't met her and can't face him going on about how wonderful she is.
I know that family estrangments are not the way to go. But I just want to avoid him/this situation.
Did anyone else struggle with this? How did you get though it?