AITA for not forgiving my ex fiancee and giving her a “second chance?”?

A relationship already strained by grief can either grow stronger or quietly fall apart. For one man, the breaking point came after months of emotional exhaustion, unresolved resentment, and a moment that made him question everything he thought he knew about his partner.

After ending his engagement and watching his ex-fiancée walk away, he believed the chapter was closed. But when she reached out asking for forgiveness, a second chance, and financial help, the situation reignited all over again. Once the story surfaced on social media, readers quickly jumped in, debating whether compassion should outweigh self-preservation, and whether some lines, once crossed, can ever truly be erased.

AITA for not forgiving my ex fiancee and giving her a "second chance?"?

The situation began when the poster’s life took a major turn during the pandemic

During COVID, my work went remote. I (30M) decided to move near one of my cousins about 8 hours from where I was living in December 2020. A few months...

In January 2022, we moved in together. In January 2024, my work decided that everyone needed to do at least 3 days per week in office by June 2024.

I considered getting another job, but my work offered me a substantial pay raise and relocation bonus if I stayed. After talking to my now ex, I decided to move....

What should have been a hopeful new chapter took a devastating turn

Around the time we were moving, we found out my now ex was pregnant. At this same time, before we officially moved, I bought a ring and proposed, to which...

We weren't planning for my now ex to work after the kid arrived, so she was not working when we moved. About four weeks after the move, my now ex...

The guy was uninsured and the car was totaled. She was mostly fine, but she lost the baby. This was in early July. We were both devastated. My now ex...

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The emotional toll began to show in daily life

I suggested us talking to a therapist, but she was resistant to the idea. During this time, I worked and did the bulk of the housework. It was really hard...

She was very emotionally on edge most of the time and it was not uncommon for her to lash out at me rather easily. I tried to take it on...

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Also, since her car was totaled, I let her use one of my vehicles. I have a new-ish car and a pretty old truck. I let her use my car....

She had a friend from where we used to live come visit. I am not particularly fond of this friend, but I was happy for anything that appeared to help...

A little over a month ago, my best friend asked me if I could watch his son, who is my godson, for the weekend after January 1st. I checked with...

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About a week later, she said her friend wanted to come visit that same weekend, which I was fine with. On Friday night, I hang out at the house with...

They come back decently drunk, loud, and pretty late. I ask if they can keep down the noise and my now ex gives a sarcastic, "Ok!" I go to bed....

Everything unraveled during one tense weekend

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When I come back to the kitchen, my now ex's friend is yelling at my godson who knocked over the bowel of cereal on the floor and made a loud...

My godson is understandably upset. I take him to the room he is sleeping in and talk to him for a bit about what happened.

After calming him down some, and setting up a show for him to watch, I go to my girlfriend, tell her what happened, and say her friend needs to go...

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She defends her friend, says I complained about them being loud and it is "only fair" that my godson receives the same treatment (he is 5).

She then goes on about how terribly I treat her, how I am responsible for the miscarriage because I let her drive her older car when I had a new...

The confrontation quickly escalated into accusations and an abrupt ending

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She says she is "so tired of my s__t and wants out of his house." I tell her, "Ok, no one is holding you here." She gave me the ring,...

She tried to take my car, but I told her she could not. That was a week and a half ago. I spoke to a family friend who is a...

He said he could do it for a family and friends discount for $500. This past weekend, she reached out to me and wanted to talk. She is back where...

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Weeks later, she reached out again with a change of heart

She apologized, said her friend has been in her ear over these months, her sister set her straight, and she wanted to try and make us work and she will...

I told her "No, I am done." I have spent months trying to help and all that has done has caused resentment. She asked if I could at least help...

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I told her "No." Some of our mutual friends are saying I should at least give her a second chance. For me, I have been giving her lots of chances...

This story highlights how unresolved grief can quietly corrode a relationship from the inside out. Losing a pregnancy is deeply traumatic, and both partners were grieving, even if that grief showed up differently. The poster stepped into a caretaker role, shouldering emotional labor, financial responsibility, and household duties, which often breeds resentment when support isn’t mutual.

According to licensed psychologist Dr. Guy Winch, “Grief can temporarily impair emotional regulation, but it does not remove responsibility for harmful behavior.” While compassion is essential, repeated emotional outbursts, deflection, and refusal to seek help can damage trust beyond repair.

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Another key issue is accountability. The ex-fiancée’s apology only came after she lost housing, transportation, and financial stability. That timing makes reconciliation difficult, because it blurs whether remorse is rooted in genuine reflection or survival instinct.

From a practical standpoint, refusing a second chance doesn’t mean lacking empathy. It means recognizing personal limits. Healthy relationships require shared effort, willingness to seek help, and respect for others, especially children. Moving forward, therapy could help both individuals process their loss independently. Healing does not always happen together, and sometimes walking away is the healthiest decision available.

Here’s the comments of Reddit users:

Many users supported the poster, agreeing that he had reached his limit

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DrKiddman − Why give her a second chance? You’ve had enough. NTA.

sunshine_girl68 − NTA When someone shows you who they are, believe them. She has revealed her true colors. How long before someone else influences her ?

You did good OP stay on course, she's just doing this because she has no other options. You deserve better than this. Take care.

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Pandasrthebest − NTA. She’s blaming her friend for the crappy way she has been treating you. She’s only crawling back because of money. If you’re done, you are done. You...

CaptainBeefy79 − NTA. You gave her more chances than she deserved, you don’t owe her anything more. Sorry, “friends”, maybe one of you can take her in and try to...

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Savings_Telephone_96 − NTA. I think she made a mistake and that mistake had consequences. From my perspective, whether to forgive her is up to you,

but for me she showed her true colors when she co-signed yelling at a five year old. Consider yourself fortunate that you got out without having to give her 50%...

Others offered more detailed reasoning while still backing his decision

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potenttechnicality − You’re done. I don’t think giving her a second chance would help either of you. I would tell her that it’s over.

I’d say that as of right now she hasn’t done anything to address what she’s been going through and there’s nothing telling you it won’t happen again. Remind her that...

Tell her that if she spends time working in therapy maybe you can reconnect at some point in the future. You’re not going to wait around for that but she...

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GarbageNo5088 − NTA, honestly after loosing the child she should have been in therapy. The fact that she didn’t and was so easily influenced by another tells you exactly how...

Either way she shouldn’t have a second chance, that trust will never be rebuilt. You want a partnership that is equal and where you can help each other heal.

You also should have someone who sees that they need help and act accordingly. Good luck OP and get some therapy for the loss of your child. My own husband...

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SafeWord9999 − And look at how she backs someone screaming verbal abuse at a FIVE year old. Yes you can grieve but yelling at an innocent child is taking it...

Plus her car accident would’ve happened regardless of the car she was in. Add to that you literally just BOUGHT A HOUSE for her and now she’s blaming you because...

DesperateLobster69 − NTA. FTS, she screwed up *ALL OF HER SECOND CHANCES* already! !! F__k her. Pack up the rest of her s__t & put it outside! !

Limp_Pipe1113 − Coming home drunk, and being loud because of it is hardly on the same level of noise as a child dropping a bowl of cereal, your ex's logic...

Tell the mutual friends why should you give a second chance to her, she blew things when she sided with her friend who seems to like shouting at 5 year...

Some comments were blunt and unforgiving

Carpalo1 − NTA. The real kicker was asking for financial support. She left, realized she's got nowhere to go and tried to crawl back to the comfort of your home....

covfefe-boy − NTA. Sounds like after reflecting she realized she's out a home, car, and gravy train and is instead sleeping on her sister's couch. Find a partner that can...

Lurkeyturkey113 − NTA. You owe her nothing. She wasn’t the only person mourning and you didn’t have to be a punching bag for her. You had a loss too on...

Makes no sense you’d need to pay him so much for a formal eviction when she literally left, took her things and gave you the key.

MikeReddit74 − It’s always those “mutual friends” that want the OP to give someone who mistreated them a second chance. Funny how that always happens in these stories.

[Reddit User] − You say no to getting back together and straight away she asks you to support her financially? Did this b__ch even care about you? She used you....

This situation struck a nerve because it forces a hard question: when does empathy turn into self-sacrifice? The poster endured months of emotional strain, only to face accusations and behavior he couldn’t accept. While grief explains pain, it doesn’t excuse harm. In the end, choosing not to forgive may be less about punishment and more about survival. What would you do if you were pushed to the same breaking point?

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