My mom got remarried to her current husband 14 years ago. He’s an okay man but my dad will always and forever be my number 1. When they announced to me that a baby was on the way I freaked out. Told them there and then that I don’t want to ever be involved in this kid’s life. I find it super weird that he’s 22 years my junior, I’m old enough to be his damn dad. Why did my mom even need to have another child at 42? That baby fever was strong apparently.

I found the entire thing disgusting to say the least.

The years go by and when my half-brother was around 10 years old he started saying how much he wanted to meet me. After a lot of nagging from my mother I said, whatever, F it, alright, I’m gonna do it. From our first encounter, he basically clinged onto me. For the past 3 years he has constantly tried to make me like and accept him but I just can’t do it. He’s a nice person and all but I still find my mom’s actions nasty so I involuntarily associate him with that. I can’t help it. I never wanted a sibling.

Yesterday, he was over at my place and kept on asking me to watch a movie with him, which I didn’t want to do. I ended up going off on him and told him that I don’t want to be his friend and actually want nothing to do with him at all.

He immediately started crying and apologizing to me, saying that he doesn’t have any friends and gets push around at school for his introverted nature and that he just doesn’t understand why I despise him so much.

He said that he’s so tired of feeling rejected all the time when all he does is be good to everyone. He said sorry one more time, told me that despite my huge hatred toward him he still loves, admires and respects me a lot, then he runs out of the house.

He hasn’t reached out to me ever since.

Here are what netizens think:

• you are taking your unresolved rage at your mother out on a literal child. Get therapy; figure your own shit out instead of burying a middle schooler in it.

• Dude you’re an adult. Act like it.

• You’re an adult. He’s a child. He doesn’t deserve to be treated like garbage because of how you feel about your parents’ divorce. I can’t even imagine how he must have felt this whole time, trying to be good enough for his older brother. Why even stay in contact with your mother if you were going to emotionally torture her child? Please strongly consider therapy.

Help! In need of some advice from the guys.

I am a 28F and have matched with several guys on CMB which are 8-10 older than me. There is a trend I find in them, the frequency of them texting me/starting a convo/replying my text is really really slow. They can reply my text once/twice a day and sometimes just disappear for days and suddenly text me to ask me how I am doing and would like to meet up… Like what?!? I don’t understand…?!?

To all the guys, can you explain if this is normal? Like are they still interested or are they really so busy given that they are older and have more work priorities that they can’t even find a time to check their phone for a few seconds to reply or are they just trying to find someone to talk to when they are bored?

To me, as a female, I find that these convos start to get boring fast and they definitely have lost interest and I will start to lose interest fast too.

If that’s the case, why are they even on the app if they have other priorities that matters more… Really don’t understand how guys think…

Or… I just have bad judgement to match with these guys. Sigh!

Here are what netizen thinks:

• Tbh, I have met ladies (who were of similar age as you) who also text back once/twice a day and sometimes do not text back for days. It can be painful to realise that you are just one match among their many matches they might have. They could have other priorities like work and family matters to attend to. They can’t pause all around them and just focus on getting to know you. That is the sad reality.If you would like to find a partner and settle down within the next 1-3 years, you might want to sign up a package with Lunch Actually. I think do date coaching as well and can help you to find the right one. All the best!

• Everyone on the app is talking to a lot of different ppl .. so after a while all conversations are sorta patronising and mundane.. hardly anyone leaves a special impression anymore. And meetup is just cut to the chase to see if there’s any physical chemistry. It’s very normal these days, and all these older guy’s priority are not relationship at times. So just don’t take yourself so seriously too. Go out and meet ppl and have fun