AITAH for laughing at my crying ex husband and calling his suffering karma?

A Reddit user shared a story about an unexpected visit from her ex-husband, who divorced her years ago to pursue a life with kids—something they had originally agreed not to have.

After their split, he quickly remarried, started a family, and now finds himself overwhelmed with the responsibilities and challenges of parenting. Recently, he appeared on her doorstep, tearfully expressing regret and asking if she’d take him back.

Shocked by his request and unable to hide her reaction, she laughed and told him that this might be “karma” for leaving her in the first place. Read her full story below for more details.

‘ AITAH for laughing at my crying ex husband and calling his suffering karma ?’

My ex husband divorced me three years ago. When we got married we agreed that we weren’t going to have kids. I never wanted them, he said he didn’t really want them. So yeah. Four years into our marriage he changed his mind, and he chose to divorce me because I wouldn’t go back on our agreement and give him children.

I’m not really a big believer in divorce. I was ready to be married for the rest of our lives. We had a good marriage, but I guess he didn’t love me that much if he picked kids that didn’t even exist over me. Right after our divorce he almost instantly remarried.

He got his new wife pregnant right away, and they have two kids together. In the three years since then ive finished my higher education, and have accepted a high paying job in healthcare. Life has actually been pretty good for me, and I’ve gotten to the point where I think I’m ready to start looking to settle down.

Yesterday morning my ex husband showed up on my doorstep crying. I figured something pretty awful must have happened so I let him in, and got him a drink. He started going on and crying about how awful his life is.

He apparently hates his two kids, one of them is disabled and maybe autistic and he has no money due to the kid being so expensive. His wife yells at him all the time, she got fat after having kids and doesn’t want to lose the weight, she never puts out, he can never go anywhere anymore.

He said that he wants a divorce from his new wife, and he regrets ever leaving me. He asked if I would take him back, and said he learned his lesson. I couldn’t help but laugh at him. It was so pitiful. His audacity also kind of astounded me.

I told him that with two kids to support and his lack of loyalty he is not a catch, and I definitely won’t take him back, and maybe this was karma for divorcing me. He was pissed, called me an a**hole, and said he thought I would be more supportive, and would at least turn him down nicely.. AITAH?

Here’s the comments of Reddit users:

Laughingfoxcreates −  He does realize that divorcing his wife doesn’t make his responsibility for his kids go away, right?. ….right…?

janexadorable −  You’re not the a**hole. He made choices that led to his current situation, and it’s not your responsibility to fix his life. Focus on your own happiness and let him deal with his own consequences.

[Reddit User] −  What goes on in the heads of dudes like this that they think that they can break someone’s heart, come back sobbing and pathetic years later, and that their ex-partners are going to be *supportive*? They genuinely never consider the feelings of anybody but themselves. NTA. Definitely be no contact with this guy.

sassyfingerlickin −  NTA. He made his bed, now he has to lie in it. It’s not your responsibility to take him back and fix his mistakes. Plus, laughing a little bit at his misery is just karma at work. Don’t let him guilt trip you into feeling bad for him.

Longjumping_Desk3205 −  My ex tried to worm his way back into my life 3 years post-divorce. He was all sweet and apologetic. I told him, “If you want forgiveness, get on your knees and beg Jesus, because that’s the only place you’re getting it.” He had two other marriages and seems happy with # 3. I’m definitely better off without him.

PurpleLightningSong −  NTA. This does read fake but it also aligns with some of the men I work with… Some men think of having kids as a fun thing that happens and don’t even think about the difficulty. Like it doesn’t cross their mind at all. I work with a bunch of dudes who really seem like they have no kids at all.

They travel constantly for work, they hang out after with for “team bonding” beers, they’re taking long lunches with the team then “have to” work late to make up for the late lunch. At a recent business trip, the client suddenly wasn’t available for the last day.

The women on the trip and one dude who likes his kids booked a flight early. Everyone else stayed. Two guys extended their trip for an extra day – one of which has an 8 mo pregnant wife at home with 2 toddlers.

So they want kids and they have no idea what that means other than a cute little mini version of themselves that is so excited to see them the few moments they’re home and is fun on weekends. This dude obviously thinks of the kids that way.

The wife gaining weight and not putting out – if you have no concept of the kids, you have no concept of the toll pregnancy puts on a woman’s body, and now the stress of taking care of two young children. Two kids in three years is either twins, getting pregnant rapidly, or fake.

If it’s getting pregnant rapidly, then the new wife has spent half their time together pregnant. She’s touched out. No wonder she didn’t want to have s** and also for some periods of time she legitimately should not be having s** as she recovers from child birth.

And he’s ready to abandon his kids for his old life. That part is the most believable to me. So many guys I work with have basically done this where they constantly choose work socializing over their families.

Even the women who I am close with – about half have expressed in private that sometimes they want to run away or sometimes they want their old lives back. It’s just a passing thought, they’d never do it, it’s not practical and they love their kids.

But they miss the old life. That part is actually the only believable part to me is some dude having a mental breakdown because having kids isn’t the fantasy fun and no work that he wanted so he dies this stupid thing and reaches out to an ex.

astoldbybeja −  What kind of fantasy fiction is this? You’ve got way too much time on your hands OP.

Similar-Bid6801 −  Fake ass story

mulletmanofusa −  Sounds like a made up revenge story.

Zealousideal-Eye6544 −  This story reads like very poor fiction and it most likely is SMH

Do you think her response was justified, or should she have handled the situation differently? How would you react to an ex asking to come back after leaving you? Share your opinions in the comments below!