Divorce & Infidelity

Jen, 14 1/2, hears her parents fighting again about her father’s affairs. She can’t understand why her mother lets herself be bought off by his presents. She can’t understand why her mother doesn’t just throw him out once and for all.

Well, they're at it again. I wonder how it will end this time. Maybe if I turn up the sound real loud I'll drown them out.

I think the part I hate most is the cursing. Do they think that just because I close my door, I can't hear the rotten things they're saying to each other?

They never talk about it when I'm standing there - just get all whispery as soon as I walk into the room. I can't believe they think that I'm too young to understand. I'd have to be deaf and blind to miss all this.

Now she's yelling so loud about his "girlfriend", the checkout girl at the supermarket can probably hear her three blocks away!

The part I really don't understand is the way they act later- all huggy and mushy, like nothing even happened.

Why doesn't she just throw him out already? I would if he was my husband! At least Wendy's parents stopped fighting and broke up. When her Dad moved out, she knew where they stood. He comes around now on weekends and takes her and her brothers to the movies and stuff.

I don't understand why she wastes her time with him anymore. He's never going to change. Just because he brings her some silly gift, she thinks he's going to stop fooling around. It's enough to make me want to stop hanging around with the guys in school. They'll probably all just end up like my Dad and sneak around on their wives.

I feel pretty bad for her, fixing her hair up and buying pretty clothes. He wouldn't notice if she dressed in Princess Di's hand-me-downs!

Last year I heard them screaming about "Judy". Now it's "Emily"! I'll bet he meets them at the bank where he works. If they didn't have all those young secretaries there, maybe he would just behave himself for a while.

I can't take this anymore. If Mom wants to put up with it, that's her problem. I can't help her. She’ll just get angry if I butt in. But I'm getting sick and tired of all this fighting and kiss and make up stuff. I wish she'd just kick him out.

It really bugs me that he makes Mom look so stupid, always forgiving him when he treats her like that.

Jen, age 14 1/2