I was debating posting this, but I feel like I just need to talk to someone about this. I don't have a lot of friends honestly, and considering the two people I spend the most time around are involved, I'm super lost. I posted a few days ago and I got some really helpful advice. A lot of people said I shouldn't go through with it, but in the end, after talking with both my wife and her friend, I decided to do it. I was sure that our relationship could handle anything, and a threesome wasn't even going to be a problem at all.
So we ended up doing the deed on Saturday and it honestly was a lot of fun. We actually went to a fancy restaurant for dinner beforehand, and both of them were decked out, dressed to the nines, looking phenomenal, like it was a date. After dinner, we headed back to our place, and we got into it pretty quickly. I did my best to focus on my wife, but I didn't completely ignore her friend. My wife was also focussed on me more than anything, and her friend treated us pretty equally. I didn't do much 1-on-1 action with her friend, but there was a bit, and it was only at the encouragement of my wife. My wife actually said she enjoyed watching both of us make each other finish, and I can say that I definitely enjoyed watching my wife as well. Overall, it was great, and we all had a really good time. I felt silly about how I was feeling before. We all fell asleep in bed together and I had absolutely no regrets.
That was until the next morning, my wife decided to drop the bomb on me and tell me that her and her best friend had actually been engaging in an affair together for years. I was shocked and heartbroken. I still am, honestly. Apparently my wife thought this might be a good way to introduce the idea of trying out a polyamorous/throuple-like relationship. I blew up at the both of them and told them that I couldn't believe both of them would do this to me. My wife was begging me to talk to her and telling me that she was sorry or whatever. My wife even promised to break off their affair if I wanted her to, as if that would help me now. Her friend kept apologizing, saying she didn't want to come between us. I left that morning and checked into a hotel.
Now that I've had some time to think about it though, I'm starting to consider it. I mean, I love my wife. I absolutely love my wife. I don't love her friend, but I do like her a lot. She's fun to be around, and we hang out pretty frequently. We've only ever hung out without my wife twice, but I've never minded that she would come over so often, and I do generally enjoy having her around. She's funny, smart, and objectively attractive. If I was single, I think I would definitely date her, so the idea of being in a relationship isn't absolutely terrible. The three of us get along together really well, and honestly she's pretty great.
On the other hand though, I feel so betrayed, by both of them, and I can't imagine actually doing this. I just keep thinking back to how good I felt yesterday morning and then how devastated I was following all of that. They both hurt me so badly, and it's like they didn't even care. There's no way you can have a healthy relationship if it's built on such a deceit right? Am I being stupid for even considering it? I also have absolutely no experience with polyamory, so I have to ask if this is normal for relationships like this? I feel like this isn't the normal way it's supposed to start, and I think they went about it completely wrong, but I also have no knowledge on this. Before yesterday, my wife was only the second girl I'd ever even kissed. I really need help.
There's also a part of me that's suspicious of whether or not she's cheating on me with someone else as well. What if she has another guy in the background? I've never had any reason to not trust my wife, and I can honestly say that I'd never imagine that she would cheat on me, but now these thoughts are creeping into my mind. I just don't know.
TL;DR: Wife convinced me to try having a threesome with her best friend. Turns out they've been carrying on an affair for years. Both now want to try being a relationship together. I'm lost.

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Good morning everyone. Just a few quick things.
Sorry to those of you on Reddit. I messed up the tags for Part.3 of Chap.150 and it didn't send notifications out from the bots. I went ahead and reuploaded the chap so hopefully, you got it then.If not here and you missed it, here is part 3 of chapter 150.
One, thanks to all of you who have filled out the survey. And to those of you who haven't and still want to, make sure you do so because I will cut the survey off on the 19th.
Link=https://forms.gle/bpqSdg2aEHBGnLKY7
Two, as I mentioned at the end of the last chap, I am taking a small break to recoup and get everything fixed up for the recap of Vol.6. I shall see you again on Thursday the 23rd for the Side Stories and for the final week of double posting.
I think the Side Stories are pretty fun this time, as we get some action, adventure, and behind-the-scenes events. As well as checking in on some others :D
Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this epilogue as we are going to get some action with our old friends in Hades Squad.
---
Year 2517, floating somewhere in Federation deep space.
“Heimdall, I don’t mean to question orders, but is something like this actually possible?” Apollo asked as he settled into his harness.
“Yeah, they are keeping us in the dark about this new tech. I don’t really like that,” Hephaestus added.
“And it almost killed you! What the hell is that, huh? They just expect us to—”
“Relax, Artemis, everyone. It’s as they say. I had the same concerns, but Suárez cured all my worries. I saw it with my own eyes. And the tech is being kept on the down-low for reasons just like this. Besides, we might all be freedom fighters and allies in this war, but we are still just soldiers,” I told them, wagging a finger at them.
“So it’s possible to rip a ship out of warp?” Apollo asked, his blue eyes piercing into me.
I nudged Va'cot. “Well, you tell them, won’t you?”
Va'cot nodded slightly. “The Council was working on anti-warp technology for many years, but as far as I’m aware, it never left the initial stages. They lacked any reliable power source to affect ships,” she said in her usual toneless voice.
“But now things are different, huh?” Artemis mused.
She’s right. Things are different now, and we experienced that firsthand.
The anti-warp tech was the real deal, and it nearly took my life. We got our first taste of it on the raid on that space station. I got hit by multiple bullets, and they all left nasty wounds that took an extended amount of time to heal. It was like they left a lingering curse on me or something like that.
It turned out it had to do with these new crystals the Federation found, and we managed to capture one on that very station. That’s why they were so hellbent on blowing it to kingdom come. They resembled the crystals everyone used for warp travel, but these new crystals were… different.
The crystals used in warp drives came in a myriad of bright colors and sizes. Some were as large as a man, and others could even get as big as a bear. It just depended, and as far as we could tell, the color never mattered, and the size just indicated how big of a ship it could move. Those were the only fundamental differences.
But these new crystals were pitch black and smaller, no longer than a finger. But they exuded some kind of sickening aura. The second they busted it out of its containment, I wanted to vomit, which was a new experience for me. The thing felt perverse and wholly wrong, like an evil artifact of some type.
But I’ll be damned, evil, god-given, whatever its power was, the thing was powerful. Two finger-sized crystals were enough to rip a ship out of warp, something that I wasn’t able to believe ‘till I saw it with my own eyes.
When I sat on the bridge of the Stormpike and watched a frigate get pulled out from warp, suddenly, I felt as if I had witnessed a significant change in the way of the galaxy, and I was glad the Council never got their hands on the technology. While in the warp, it was thought that a ship was untouchable until it came out from its warp point.
And it’s not like warping around was omnipotent. It had its limits, and everything had a cost. But regardless…
It’s a shame we only have ten crystals in total. We have no idea where the Federation got them or how many they have in stock, but we think it’s only a few, and they don’t seem to know about pulling ships out of warp yet. And we are sadly already down six. And two of them are about to be used to pull this mission off.
“Whatever, it doesn’t matter if we know how it works,” Artemis said, shrugging her shoulders. “If it gets me face to face with that old hag so I can rip her arm off and beat her to death, then that’s all that matters.”
There was a moment when none of us said anything. Typically it would be best to…steer away from that kind of talk before a life-or-death capture mission, but I felt that everyone was of the same mind. I think, given a chance, everyone would do what Artemis was thinking.
Well, maybe not Va’cot. She’s a good girl when she isn’t trying to slice someone’s throat.
“Now, now. You know we can’t do that,” I chastised half-heartedly. “If you killed her then everything would be for naught, Artemis.”
Artemis clicked her tongue. “Fine, one swift kick to the ribs oughta do it. I promise I won’t break her in half.”
I just chucked wryly. “What you don’t know is that we already lost life to get this information. I’m sure that person is rolling in their grave right after hearing you.”
Artemis begrudgingly nodded in agreement. “But is all of this information accurate? It’s so little, and we were not able to confirm it. Right, Heimdall?” Apollo argued.
I sighed internally but also couldn’t help but remark on just how much everyone had changed. Once upon a time, it was unthinkable for any of these people to question the validity of a mission. Sure, some gripes or questions needed to be answered for clarity, but outright skepticism?
Twenty years ago, that was unthinkable. Guess it all changed because of him, huh?
“Our ever lovely Suárez personally guaranteed that the mole was a trustworthy source. It’s taken us all this time just to find a single trace of her after the war, so this is all we’ve got. It’s now or never,” I explained.
Everyone nodded to themselves and relaxed a bit. It’s not like it would have changed anything, whether the mole was suspicious or not. We’d been waiting for an opportunity like this for over a decade by that point.
”Besides, I’m running out of time,” I muttered quietly to myself as I closed my cybernetic hands.
I had lost the use of both my arms the previous year. Every part of my body ached, and getting up in the morning was becoming more of a challenge with every sleepless night I went through. That was another thing: sleep.
I didn’t have to sleep all that much compared to a normal Human. Back in the day, I could go weeks without even a wink of sleep and still be right in the ol’ mind. But as the sand of my youth trickled down the hourglass, I’d wanted to sleep more than ever.
Getting old sucks. Suárez told me that I only had a few more years, even if I stopped what I was doing and retired for good. Not that I have any plans of doing so. I’m in too deep to go back to AJS and plant flowers with the kids again…
Well, it is what it is—just another mission.
I stood up from my seat and looked out at the four people in my squad. “As all of you already know, this mission is both critical and dangerous. We have forty minutes to succeed, thirty minutes for the warp drive to warm up after taking the ship out, and ten to extract. That also includes the time it takes for their comms to come back on and send a signal.”
I rolled my shoulders and cracked my neck. “I don’t need to remind you that we are far from any kind of backup. If we miss that forty-minute deadline, the two cruisers are to leave without us, and we are to sabotage the enemy vessel and go down with it”
Everyone nodded a single time. “Our primary goal is to secure the doctor alive by any means necessary. If things turn for the worse, we are to eliminate her along with the ship. The mole couldn’t give us concrete details on her security, but it shouldn’t be a surprise. We are expecting at least two squads of Gen 3s on a frigate, along with marines. The old doctor moves fast and light these days, which is good for us.”
“This isn’t going to be a walk in the park. We may have the element of surprise, but that will only last so long. In order to save time, we are aiming for the center of the ship while another squad will hit the lower decks. We split up and cover as much ground as we can on the upper floors and take the escape pods so we can get scooped up by our friendlies…” I trailed off.
Everyone just watched me in silence, so I just sighed and sat down. “What’s the point? Everyone already knows what to do,” I groaned.
I felt Va’cot’s pink eyes staring at me, so I turned to look at her. She nodded quickly and gave me a thumbs-up. I chuckled to myself and gave her one back.
At least somebody appreciated my recap.
Just then, the hue of the hull changed into a soft yellow. That meant it was time to get ready. Like the well-oiled machines we all were, we donned our helmets, grabbed our weapons of choice, and locked ourselves into our harnesses. The time for conversation was over, and it was now time for action.
In just a scant five minutes, the area was bathed in an ominous red light. “Readings indicate an inbound warp jump. Warp point being formed,” the ships onboard AI mono voice echoed.
It could have been a minute or an eternity before the cold metallic voice rang out once more. “Target acquired. Launching in three…two…one.”
The engines roared to life as I was thrown into the back of my seat. Even with my harness, I shook like a madman as the ship rocketed off toward its target. It was always a weird thing, being in a metal coffin about to smack into another metal coffin in the middle of empty space.
The only bright side was that it took the enemy's ship a few moments to fire at us. Thankfully it was standard procedure to power down weapons in warp jump as there was no need to waste power, and it took some time for even small-caliber point-defense systems to come online. And all we needed was those few moments.
Boom.
Crash.
Everyone rocked in their seats as the Tiger rammed into the enemy ship and burrowed its way through the hull using its plasma shield as a ram. Eventually, everything stopped, and the harnesses were quickly released. We stacked up at the front, and the room was bathed in bright green light as the gangplank smashed down.
We were in a long hallway, and my eyes immediately locked on a figure. He had just missed being crushed by the gangplank and looked up at me with teary eyes. I never heard what he tried to say as I crushed his skull under my weight.
Bolter fire thundered off as we mowed down hordes of people frantically leaving their rooms. We had landed in a barracks, and nearly all the hostiles were unarmed besides a handful with pistols. I watched a round ricochet off Hephaestus’s helmet, only for him to turn slightly and reduce the offender’s head into a pink mist.
We made short work of anyone who was still left breathing, and our squad split. I took Va’cot and headed toward the bridge while the others moved on to the ship’s armory and ammo storage. There was no conversation between us, we knew what needed to be done, and we all went about our tasks diligently.
Va’cot and I cleared room after room, hoping to score a lucky break, but all we ended up finding were those attempting to arm themselves or those hiding in their bunks. We didn’t have time to execute every single sailor, but a quick shredder grenade into each room was enough to paint the walls red.
The sound of heavy boots on the floor echoed in the distance, and I gave Va’cot a signal to cloak herself and hide in the doorway. Two figures, both towering over six feet tall and clad in sleek black armor, raced down the hallway with bolters at the ready.
Unfortunately for one of them, they got too close to Va’cot, and she deftly swung her plasma sword. The air hissed with plasma fire, and she cleanly separated the Death Commando’s head from his shoulders. Unfortunately for us, the second wouldn’t be so easy.
I fired two rounds, hoping to hit center mass and a leg, but the commando was quick on the reaction. He threw his body into a doorway and returned fire. It was only thanks to our new Elunari-equipped plasma shields that those bolter rounds didn’t cave in my chest.
The rounds tried to force their way through the shield, only to detonate harmlessly on the outside. My shield hummed from the strain, and I went into the adjacent room. I flicked my visor’s heat sensor on, a new tool courtesy of the Coalition, and I tried to track the Death Commando, but no dice. His armor was far too well shielded thermally to be seen through a thick metal wall.
But his gun’s barrel wasn’t.
I took aim and shot through the wall, tracing the barely visible smear of red. My shots seemed to be missing until Va’cot tossed a plasma grenade into the door. I watched as the small ball of red fire grew in my vision into a miniature sun until it exploded.
The blast rocked the room and kicked up dust, and I wasted no time in reloading and sending more rounds at the target’s last known position. I ceased my fire, reloaded, and counted to ten, waiting for any heat signatures or noises, but nothing came.
We checked and cleared the room, both enemy combatants were dead, but there was no time for celebration. We immediately went back to our search, and when we stepped into the hallway, a hail storm of gunfire barraged us. Rounds clanked and bounced off our armor harmlessly and the two of us returned fire.
The squad of unfortunate souls was reduced to nothing but their legs as rounds burrowed into their chests and exploded. “Marines and Death Commandos engaged. Two combatants neutralized,” I radioed.
I checked the status of the rest of my squad, and they were all green, as was our friendly squad. There were quick flashes of acknowledgements, and Apollo’s voice filled one of my ears. “Marines have been engaged, no Death Commandos,” he said quickly.
Huh, does that mean she is on the bridge after all? It was considered to be less likely, considering she is a researcher. Well, let’s find out.
Va’cot and I wordlessly continued our slaughter, meeting only the bare resistance of marines and crew members. Eventually, power flicked out on the ship, and the bulkhead doors slammed closed. But we planned for that as well.
We had plenty of pre-made charges to blow all the way to the bridge if need be. I quickly placed the charge and—
Boom.
Huh?
I stared in surprise. The bulkhead door was dented inward, but it still remained standing. Considering that we had the schematics, we knew very well what was needed to blow through these doors. We even added a bit more just in case something like that occurred, but to think they reinforced them that much.
“This means we are in the right place,” Va’cot said through our system firmly as she sliced the near-broken door with her sword.
“That’s one way to look at it,” I responded.
It took a bit longer than we had planned, but we eventually arrived at the door to the bridge. The place was sealed shut, and I had to plant multiple explosives to even dent the thing. It was also a problem that we hadn’t run into anyone since the doors started dropping.
“They are either all in here, or we are going to get ambushed when we—”
My words were cut off as the door opened slightly, and a storm of bolter and rifle fire smashed into us. My shield whined and flickered from the intensity, and we were forced to find cover only for grenades to be tossed at us.
The fragmentation grenades exploded and peppered us with shrapnel but left us mostly unharmed. I ended up taking a piece to the fingers in between my armor plates, but nothing that I couldn’t handle. I looked over at Va’cot, and she had a nice long gash in her visor. One of the pieces must have slipped through her shield and cracked it.
“From the pattern of fire, there is one bolter deep, one on the right and one on the left,” I said.
Va’cot nodded her head. “I will eliminate the one on the right.”
“I’ll aim for the left, and we both get the center,” I said back to her.
Our conversation ended just like that, and I immediately set the charges off on the now-closed bridge door. A powerful shockwave rolled past us, and the lights flickered on and off, and the warship rocked from the force. Va’cot tossed plasma grenades, and I threw in shredder grenades before entering, making short work of the crew and marines.
The flurry of hell we sent in was our cover, and we relied on our shields for any blows. I trusted Va’cot fully, so I didn’t bother checking if she was going to be okay. I swept my side, and it was clear with the bodies of dozens of marines and crew members ripped to the shreds. I found a Death Commando still standing on the left, albeit seriously injured but alive and with a gun raised.
The third generation had the lowest tolerance to Ambrosia of all the generations, but regardless of tolerance, if enough of the stuff was pumped into their veins, they were still dangerous. Despite missing an arm, he wielded his bolter from the hip and fired at me.
The shots impacted my shield, and I sent immediate rounds back to him. And he didn’t have a shield. Most of my shots bounced off his armor or didn’t penetrate deep enough for an injury, but one of them hit him in the neck. He dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes as the round burrowed through him.
They just don’t make them like they used to. The Gen 3s are just so fragile compared to us. Too Human.
Va’cot was in a similar state as she had taken out her target, and a quick scan showed the middle Death Commando had perished before we entered. The room was now quiet, filled only with the groans of dying Humans. We moved quickly.
I turned heat vision on and confirmed five signatures hiding in the panic room. The door was locked up like a vault safe and was well hidden behind a panel. It was meant for situations like this, but it only worked if the boarders didn’t know of its existence.
“Cut it open. We can’t risk explosives now,” I ordered.
Va’cot set to work, and I finished off any survivors before standing guard for her. “Va’cot and I have secured the bridge. One Death Commando squad was eliminated. Doctor Octario has not been found, and we are breaching the panic room.”
“The lower floors are clear, no Death Commandos or targets. Planting charges on warp drive,” an AI voice said through comms.
It must be a species that doesn’t speak English leading the lower floor squad, interesting.
“We are under heavy fire. Resistance is concentrated at the armory. Requesting backup,” Apollo said calmly.
“We’ll be there in a moment,” I told him. “Va’cot, status?”
“Five Humans, three males, and two females. No elderly females in the safe room,” Va’cot radioed.
“Then let’s move to Apollo.”
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
We made sure to raise the bulkhead doors and destroy the systems as well as any communication units before racing through the halls back to our squad. Resistance was minimal, only stragglers who had managed to arm themselves from their deceased comrades. However, the sounds of heavy gunfire could be heard as we approached.
We made it to a hallway that was a literal blinding flash of light. Sadly, scanning for life forms wasn’t possible because of the metal used by the Federation. However, we could see the positions of our squad mates. They were pinned down in adjacent rooms by gunfire.
“They are stalling for time. We have ten minutes, Sir,” Va’cot stated.
Yeah, I know…damn. To think she would be toward the armory. How annoying.
“Squad two, can you place charges on the lower deck at the junction to the armory?” I asked.
“Affirmative. Two minutes for placement,” the synthetic voice said.
“You heard them, return fire and keep them busy,” I said into my helmet.
I received the affirmative, and we continued to trade fire. There was no way for us to press forward safely. Even if we maxed out plasma shields and used external shields, we would succumb to this kind of concentrated fire. They even had a heavy bolter in place, which would make quick work of us if we were to rush forward blindly.
“Hey! What if those explosions kill that hag or blow us the hell up?!” Artemis growled into her helmet as she blew the head off a marine that peaked in too far with her railgun.
“We can’t be passive because we are running out of time. If the explosions kill her and ignite the ammo, so be it. Remember why we are here,” I told her firmly.
Artemis said nothing for a moment before sending a few more shots. “Yeah, I know! I just want my chance!”
“Charges are placed,” the voice called out.
“Do it now.”
Boom.
A quick shock wave rolled past us and rocked the ship, only for a fire wave to snake down the hallway. The gunfire was momentarily halted, only to be replaced by the agonizing screams of dying Humans, which didn’t last long. Instead of waiting for the wave to fizzle out, we all pushed through it with Hephaestus at the front.
The walls were scorched black, and the entire floor had been blown inwards. There were no survivors. We had to skate by on the edges to avoid dropping to the lower floors, and we quickly pushed through the junction. There was only token resistance left until we reached a sturdy vault-like door made of black metal.
Hephaestus peeked through the thick glass and ducked down before a round echoed off the metal. “There are people in there, two Death Commandos and a handful of crew members. And so is she.”
“Target located. She is holed up in the armory,” I radioed in.
“Understood. Warp drive charges are set. We are prepping for extraction and shall take the furthest escape pods from you. There are less than ten minutes remaining, Commander,” the synthetic voice said.
Yeah, I know…damn this is gonna be a pain.
“Well, it looks like the ammo didn’t cook. Sucks for her,” Artemis spat.
“No explosives. We’ll kill her for sure. We have little time. Do we retreat?” I asked them.
Four heads turned to me, and they all looked at each other and then back at me. “I have no plans of going back now,” Apollo said firmly.
“Aye, aye, I’m with him,” Hephaestus agreed as he moved to cover us.
Artemis was already back to cutting a hole in the door. “You already know my answer. This is what I signed up for. Either I’m killing her, or she is coming with us, no in-between.”
I looked at Va’cot, but all I could see was the reflection in her blue visor. “I would like to help everyone,” she said with a nod.
“Well, then it’s settled, I guess. Let’s nab her,” I said with a chuckle and shrug.
“Don’t worry. These bastards are dead. I don’t need explosives to kill them,” Artemis stated with conviction.
“Then we will cover you,” I said as I nodded to Va’cot.
“Hey, big guy! I’m gonna need you to rip this door off in a minute. Can you do it!?” Artemis yelled, purposely letting her voice out through her helmet and into the room.
“Yeah, probably,” Heph said with a shrug.
Artemis never stopped working on the door as she clicked her tongue. “Probably?! What the hell are we feeding you for, huh?! You can’t be that big for nothing!”
We all fired down the hallway as a few stragglers attempted to ambush us. Artemis’s yells must have forced them out of hiding and given them some false hope. Nevertheless, we made short work of them.
“Now then…time to die,” Artemis mumbled to herself as she sat on her butt and forced her railgun into the hole.
Her weapon came to life and crackled with red lightning. The air around her whizzed with power as she fired off two thunderous shots in quick order and pulled the rifle out.
“Both the DCs are dead. Just the grunts left,” Artemis said as she made room for Hephaestus.
The giant of a man dug his hand into the door frame and began to yank. It was impressive, to say the least. Those doors were meant to stop the explosion of ammo being cooked off, yet he was ripping them off the hinges slowly but surely.
“There are five minutes remaining,” Va’cot stated in her toneless voice.
“You’re—not—helping! Va’cot!” Heph said through gritted teeth.
“If I were to stand there, I would only get in the way. You are too big,” she stated.
That was… rhetorical, well, whatever.
Rip.
Hephaestus’s muscles bulged, and the door started to pry open. Once he got enough of a purchase, he forced his entire hand into it and peeled the door back like a can of sardines and tore it straight off the hinges, tossing it down the hall with ease.
“Damn, that hurt,” Hephaestus grumbled as gunfire bounced off his armor.
A few quick shots and the rest of the combatants were eliminated. The only people left were the cowering crew in the corner and a lone elderly woman in a dirty blood-splattered lab coat standing tall before us.
She glared at us with eyes that said she was more annoyed than anything. It was almost like she was a mother that came home only to see something disappointing. It made me want to punch her in the throat.
The first to reach her was Artemis. Her leg moved so swiftly that I nearly missed it, and I didn’t even have a chance to stop her. Doctor Octario rocked to the side like a bow and was launched like an arrow into the wall and was promptly knocked unconscious.
“That was for the Commander,” Artemis said, her voice cold and devoid of even rage.
There is a big difference between thinking and doing things, Artemis! But I have no time to complain!
“Grab her, and let’s move. We are running out of time,” I ordered calmly.
Apollo instantly injected the doctor with a syringe and tossed her over his shoulder before I could even finish the sentence. Time was not on our side, and we ran as fast as our legs could take us to the nearest escape pods.
We ignored the marines attempting to block our way with bolter fire, and we piled into a pod that was not meant for this many people or even people of our sizes. Hephaestus was the last in and the poor guy barely fit, but the second he cleared the door, I smashed the button to launch us.
“Stern side! Launching now!” I barked into the radio.
Our bodies rocked violently as the pod jettisoned into the void of space. I peeked out the front glass and saw multiple warp points forming in the inky blackness. The distress signal was sent. And an entire fleet was descending on us. But a shadow quickly loomed over us, and we were jostled again, caught by our friendly ship.
“We are reeling you in, Hades Squad! Get ready for a warp jump the second you get inside!” the captain yelled at us.
“Wait! We are packed in here like sardines. We are screwed if you jump!” Artemis yelled back.
“Too bad! We are jumping, soldiers! You’ll live!” he yelled back.
Damn, this is not going to be fun. I’m going to need a new spine after this. Well, mission accomplished, I guess.
​

Next

Ive been sick for the past week and I've still done light training depending on how i felt during the day, however my normal weight feels heavier than it should. is that normal or should I be concerned?

Good morning,
I've been noticing the last 4 or 5 days or so that I'm having problems connecting to some sites. When I enter an address, the browser gives back 3 "can't find site" type messages. The fourth refresh works.
I see the following in the query logs app ( I removed the leading # column, and changed my client IP to hashes):
2174 2023-03-20 11:36:54 ###.###.###.### Udp Recursive ServerFailure www.lg.com A IN www.lg.com.edgekey.net., www.lg.com.edgekey.net.globalredir.akadns.net.
2173 2023-03-20 11:36:54 ###.###.###.### Udp Recursive ServerFailure www.lg.com A IN www.lg.com.edgekey.net., www.lg.com.edgekey.net.globalredir.akadns.net.
2172 2023-03-20 11:36:54 ###.###.###.### Udp Recursive ServerFailure www.lg.com A IN www.lg.com.edgekey.net., www.lg.com.edgekey.net.globalredir.akadns.net.
The odd thing I don't understand is that on the 4th browser hard refresh, the browser connects and life goes on. And after that I can also go into the Technitium DNS Client tab and query the names listed above and get a RCODE: NoError.
I'm not blocking yet, only using DNS and DHCP.
In looking for this in the query log, it happens for a fair number of sites, and every time it happens, it's 3 failures then it works. Although it looks like akadns.net is involved in a lot the majority of the errors.
Is this something wrong in my setup or is it on the remote side?
Thanks!

Target User: u/iiGoodVibesii
URL: /Twittecomments/11wg5bd/sometimes_if_i_follow_too_many_people_it_seems/
Title: Sometimes if I Follow too many people, it seems Twitter flags me for unusual activity and makes me confirm my identity..
Body:
What triggers this? Is it rapidly following too many quicks to quicky, to prevent bots?
I made a new account and ended up following my normal bunch and I can maybe understand if that triggers it..
** Does anyone know if after a certain amount of flags it bans your account?

I often hear men rejoicing about the fact that women will hit the "wall" and lose all of her sexual value. The reason why this occurs is jealousy. An average man does not have the same level of options that an average woman does, which can be frustrating for him. This frustration is what causes men to place their hopes in the "wall" which will hopefully even the playing field.
There is no wall.
Grannyfishing is a form of catfishing in which you pretend to be a decrepit old woman. It's a fun way to pass the time if you're bored. My current grannyfish is a 69 year old morbidly obese granny named Bertha in San Francisco. I have hundreds of guys in my DM's right now asking for sex. Plenty of them are good-looking too.
"But guys swipe right on everything! These men don't actually want to date Bertha!"
Here are some of the messages I received.
"God damn, you look good for 69"
from a 24 year old white man named Paul
"69 is my favorite position"
from a 23 year old black man named Alex
"Hi Bertha, I'd love to take you out for dinner sometime. My treat!"
from a 30 year old indian man named Amir
"Sex?"
from a 26 year old white man named Joe
"I wanna suck on your tits"
from a 22 year old white man named Ben
"Hello Bertha, would you like to go on a date? I'd love to know more about you"
from a 25 year old white man named Ian

I want to offer kindness to anyone I can, especially to those who need it. I don’t really do a bunch outside of my studies. I’m still in school and often focus on that, I’d love to find a few close friends if I could though! If you just feel like venting, that is okay as well:) I like to write (both stories and music) I love to paint, draw and sew, too! I’m not a huge fan of movies and shows, but, I have good recommendations from what I watched growing up. All is welcome, I’m looking for clean chats and if you’re interested, send a dm!:) ***here is a reminder not to overthink. Reaching out is kinda scary but there’s no harm in it, so I hope see you soon!

Preface: I consider Chaos Earth Rifts to be survival horror. I like to lead off my horror campaigns with a short introduction to set the mood. Since this campaign was to be a prequal to my previous campaign that most of the players had been in they would be familiar with Jacob's Ranch and the coming of the Rifts. Thus I would be able to use an important NPC from the past to set the stage. (Note: This isn't the exact story as the campaign was 10 years ago and I don't remember what I used, but it should convey the atmosphere I was going for.)
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Grandpa Jacob sets his empty coffee cup down and steps off the porch. His mechanical legs whir softly in the early morning stillness, and his cybernetic eye switches to low light as he leaves the glow of the house. The legs and eye are a gift from Uncle Sam to replace the ones he lost over 50 years ago on a forgotten battlefield at the start of the 21st Century.
Grandpa always starts his morning circuit of the ranch at the barn. The faint scent of hay and machine oil stir up memories of his youth and the time he spent here bucking hay or tinkering on his bike. A quick switch to thermal imaging confirms that no varmints have taken up residency in the darkened interior.
Next are the old stables. It's been 15 years since the last horse was kept here. Now it's a machine shop for the drones that continuously fly the perimeter watching for strays and predators. As he nears the stable his cyber eye switches back to standard imaging as it picks up the light bleeding out from under the door. Inside he can hear two of his grandkids working on one of their cars. Old internal combustion vehicles illegal for road travel but still allowed as collector items.
Turning away he heads for the fence line of the ranch. He could link directly to the 8 drones currently flying overhead or monitor the feed of any of the 70+ cameras but he prefers to walk the ranch himself. It bring him closer to the land and after 40 years of ill-fitting prosthetics it's good to get out and stretch his legs.
Setting off at a comfortable 40 kilometer per hour, Grandpa moves east along the fence. At the 10 kilometer mark he cuts north as the sky begins to lighten. A flicker of movement outside the wire catches his attention.
Auto-zoom, 212 meters, canine biometrics, coyote, legal to dispatch. All of this flashes across Grandpa's internal readout as he unclamps his lever action .30-.30 from his leg. The rifle is a hand me down from his father. The Cyberdyne targeting system on it is new and instantly accepts the feed from his eye. Grandpa takes aim…
The eastern horizon explodes with the intensity of a 1000 suns. A wall of immense energy blasts out in a north south direction as Grandpa's eye shorts out and his legs fail. Crashing to the ground he lays stunned. Time distorts, the coyote runs, silents reigns. Minutes pass. Hours.
Partially blind and dragging his useless metal legs, Grandpa slowly crawls toward home. High above him shadowy figures dance and whisper in the fiery glow of a new dawn.

The other day I was playing around with a classic thought experiment; if given the opportunity what new type would you add to Pokémon?
My aim was to create a compelling type that would be distinct from the canonical types while still feeling like a natural fit and to introduce something that would bend the status quo without breaking it.
The Rubber Type Part of the concept behind the rubber type is both the tree from which we originally derived the material from and the synthetic rubber we learned how to make during the mid-20th century. I tried to base it's strengths and weaknesses from how rubber is used and is effective in real life. As a result this type is tied with Ghost for the most immunities in the game.
Immunities: Electric & Water. Resistances: Fighting, Grass, & Normal, Ground, Rock, Fairy and Poison. Weaknesses: Fire, Steel, Ice & Bug Strengths: Fairy, Water, Electric & Fighting
Most of these I feel are self-evident. Rubber is famous for it's insulation against electricity and is considered the finest among water-seals and is hydrophobic. It does feel quite strong to give anything an immunity to water but I felt Rubber would be half-fulfilled if I didn't add both of these traits and I couldn't NOT have the immunity to Electric included.
For the weaknesses; Rubber is susceptible to heat which can melt and burn it and in low temperature Rubber fails to stretch properly and can snap instead.
Steel is here because while Rubber simply bounces blunt and bludgeoning attacks away if you took a good knife to a tire or shot it with a ballistic projectile it would burst.
The Bug weakness is rooted in the rubber tree itself with while the tree is fairly resilient to external threats there is a specific breed of insects that targets and infest rubber trees. Also Bug types are always in need of a boost in viability.
For what Rubber is strong against Water and Electric are obvious for their reasoning. Fairy and Fighting are due to the former being vulnerable to the more synthetic aspect of Rubber and the latter because what happens if you kick or punch rubber? It just hits you back with the same force you dealt it.
Unique Traits
As most of you know, several types have unique traits that, while aren't always outwardly stated, play an under-the-hood way of making mechanical sense of the type's theme and characteristic.
Fire is immune to Burn, Electric to Paralysis, Dark is immune to Prankster etc.
Rubber's trait is that whenever it takes recoil damage (Life Orb not included, this isn't Sheer Force) it cuts that damage in half. For example when using Double-Edge the attacking Pokémon takes 1/4th of the damage dealt as recoil; A rubber type would take 1/8th instead. This feels unique without letting Rubber types use some of the strongest moves in the game with literally no drawback but still gives them a little something-something.
How Would It Play? I imagine Rubber types having a highly above average HP stat and lower than average speed with many variations in how the rest of the stats play out. I imagine that there will be a few moves along the vein of Payback and Revenge in which a Rubber type is played around the idea of getting smacked and smacking back harder than they got it. A brand new move I though of was a move by the name of Ricochet.
Ricochet Base Power 50. 90 Accuracy. Multi-strike. When used in single battles the move strikes the target twice in succession. When in double-battles after the first strike hits one of the opponents the game then makes another attack check on their partner and if it hits then both Pokémon will be struck a total of 2 times each. including the first attack, and if it missed the second Pokémon instead the move acts as normal in the single battle format.
Thank You For Reading This Far
I have been passionate about Pokémon from a very young age and I am happy to be able to share mine with all of yours. What kind of types would you hope to see in the future? What would you want it to do? What Pokémon do you think would be retroactively changed into the Rubber type?
And, once again, thank you for taking the time to read my ADHD-fueled info-dump! ^_^

So, we’ve had some items in the game, each with their own ups and downs. From senzu beans to yajirobe’s sword to the common scouter.
So, I decided to come up with 3 new possible items. Ones that could be interesting to see in use.

1. Roshi’s bottle: The bottle used for the technique evil containment wave( also read mafuba). The item, when used, will do one of 2 things depending on the success of the technique. If successful, the raider will be trapped for 15-30 seconds inside the bottle. If the technique fails, the raider will not be trapped, but will experience a 5-7 second stun in which the raider would be in a dazed state. No matter which way the technique ends, however, it will result in the survivor either going down 1 state( barriered- -> no barrier- -> downed) as per the anime/ manga or getting put in a debuffed state for 5- 7 seconds where their movement is weakened( running, climbing, jumping) Item would also only have a 1 time use.

(If this was an active ability, it would have around a 5-7 min cooldown as the ability has quite a bit going for it)

1. Power pole: ok, I know this sounds bad, but hear me out.

Seeing how we can’t just combo the raider forever, I believe the best way to use it is to split it up its usability into exploration and combat.
For the exploration, the pole would extend in the direction the camera is facing. Only difference being up and down. Facing towards the sky will extend the pole at a slower rate while facing the ground will cause the pole to extend at a quick pace.
This will happen as needed unless the raider is on screen. The raider being on screen changes the power pole to a more combat focused item. The pole, it the raider is visible, will extend and knock the raider away. Similar to the active ability kaioken rush. Seeing how versatile it could be, the item have a 5-10 second cooldown in between each use, so as not to infinitely spam it.
(Transferred to an active ability, I would give it a 30 second cooldown with a 20-25 second cooldown at +20.)

1. Heroes flute: for this one, I took a little inspiration from xenoverse 2.

The move would start with playing the song and possibly a tiny barrier. Now, before the raider players tear me apart for suggesting a barrier item, just hear me out.
You can’t move with this barrier and it can be broken. Quite easily with focus fire. The point of the flute is to act as support, going one of 2 ways. Both requiring survivors to be within close distance to the flute player.
Option 1: The flute is played and, once ended, will either boost the dragon change of a player by 5-7 cubes or recharge a % of dragon change back if dragon change is not available.
Option 2: The flute player acts more like an over time buffer. Meaning the team would be down 1 player. The flute would do the same as option 1, but at a slower rate at a much longer length of time. As long as the flute plays, the benefits will arrive as png as the survivors are within a certain range.
To the benefit of the raiders: The flute can be heard very easily. One good super or 5-7 ki blasts (basing on lvl 4 cell) will break the barrier, and end the buff benefits. Also, only one would spawn in-game.
So, those are some ideas for items in-game. The chance of these getting in are pretty minuscule, but it’s fun to come up with ideas for the game.

My (46f) mother (78f) has told me my whole life that my father died in a car accident before I turned one. She told me he was Italian and lived in NY. She had no pictures of him and she told me she lost contact with my paternal grandmother.
Now I need to say my mother is one of the nicest and most caring women I have ever met. She was a foster mother for 20 years and a CNA till she retired. I absolutely adore my mother and always wanted to grow up to be like her. I should also say my stepdad is awesome and I've called him dad since the day that got married when I was 8. I just want everyone to understand me searching for my bio father's side wasn't because I was unhappy or treated poorly.I had a very good upbringing. We weren't rich but I always had the things I needed and lots of love. I just felt a part of myself was missing. One of my biggest wishes was just to see a picture of my father.
Well I ended up doing the Ancestry DNA test. Come to find out I have no Italian in me what so ever on top of that my father was at the very most slightly mixed. The only reason that matters is because the man my mom has always told me about couldn't of been. I was able to find cousins on his side with the test. I'm excited that might be able to see a picture of him, but I'm heart broken with the thought that my mother had lied to me my entire life. I keep saying to myself it must of been an accident and she must of dated someone right before she met the man she thought was my father. When I asked her about it she said she couldn't remember. I just don't know how to feel about all of this and part of me wishes I didn't do the test now.

I have a Traditional IRA Brokerage Account that is with Vanguard made up of a VTSAX Mutual Fund as well as 3 different individual stocks. Can I sell the stocks keeping the money from the sale of the stocks (whether they are at a loss or a gain) within the brokerage account and use the money from the sale of stocks to invest in the mutual fund without being dinged for any taxes or the like?
Similar situation with an Individual Brokerage Account with Schwab in that I have some stocks I'd like to sell but don't necessarily want to "cash out". I'd want that money to just stay in the account to for future purchases. Would I get taxed on this? I don't think in either situation I'd have to incur any sort of realized gains because I'm not benefitting from the sale. TY.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Decathlon-Quechua-2-Second-Easy-Waterproof-Pop-up-Camping-Tent-2-Person/138719163
This is on sale at my local Walmart for $60. Should I buy it?
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-6-Piece-4-Person-Camping-Combo-Tent/838430940
This is also at my Walmart for $70.
Are these good quality tents, or should I pass em up? I don’t plan on roughing it or anything at this exact moment, but I wanted your opinions so I can decide if it’s a fit for me.

We've all had our Peter moments. Those times where timidity & fear was greater than our desire to witness. When, in the face of opposition, we've shrank from the leading of the Spirit. Maybe it was just a nudge in our spirit. Perhaps it wasa strong pulling on our very soul. And maybe even an audible voice. Whatever it was, we've all experienced it. There has, undoubtedly, some point on our lives, when we, like Peter, denied knowing Christ. Maybe not in so many words, but we've done it.
And later, just like Peter, the guilt overwhelmed us and became looked a crushing stone in our soul. Even today it hurts tremendously to think back on those lost opportunities.
I've been reading "No Wonder They Call Him Savior" by Max Lucado, and chapter 17 is entitled 'The Gospel of the Second Chance'...and it's about Peter. Following is an excerpt:

"It was like...finding a little pearl in a box full of buttons...small enough to overlook.
...Only two words...But I'd never seen it. Maybe I'd passed over it in the excitement of the resurrection...Or, maybe, since it's in the last chapter of the gospel {of Mark}, my weary eyes had...read too quickly...
...enjoy this jewel in the seventh verse..."But go, tell His disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee."
Did you see it?
"But go tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee."
Now tell me that's not a hidden treasure.
If I might paraphrase the words, "Don't stay here, go tell the disciples," a pause, then a smile, "and especially tell Peter, that he is going before you to Galilee."
What a line. It's as if all of heaven has watched Peter fall - and it's as if all of heaven wanted to help him back up again. "Be sure to tell Peter that he's not left out. Tell him that one failure doesn't make a flop."
No wonder they call it the Gospel of the second chance."

What! A! Message!
So despite all our past mistakes. Regardless our errors. In spite of our dismal and colossal failures. God is right there. Waiting for us to come back to Him.
He's done His part. He came to earth and lived as an example to us. He went willingly to the cross and died, the rose from the grave to ascend into Heaven so we could have the promise of eternal life with Him.
So when it comes to reuniting with God, the burden of returning to the fold is on us. Just as the Prodigal Son had to make the journey home to his father's house, so must we make that journey back to God. It's not always easy, as there are many things we have often allowed to weight us down, and those bonds are hard to break. But if we just look to Him...keep working our way towards Him...fighting thru the struggles, the trials, the temptations...not yielding...fighting their hold...regardless the struggle...regardless how exhausting, overwhelming, and hopeless it may seem to be. The fight is worth it.
And one day, the Father will see us when we are yet a great way off, and he'll have compassion and run to us, He'll fall on our neck and hug and kiss us with his tender mercies and gentle love. He'll call for the fatted calf to be killed and a feast prepared because, "My child, who was lost, has come home."
And in the end, all the fighting and struggles and exhaustion and hopelessness and helplessness will all be worth it. Because we'll be at home in the arms of the Savior where we belong.

This is going to be a long rant/vent.
I am pregnant with my third baby. I live in the US, my parents and siblings all live in the UK.
When I had my first two babies, my parents came out to visit at 6 and 8 weeks respectively. While it was nice to have them meet the baby, I didn't really receive any help (neither did I particularly need it, as I was past the 'worst' of my recovery).
My Mum couldn't come out earlier because of work, which I get, but it was hard not to have her help and support.
My in laws live just a couple of miles away, but honestly I didn't get much help from them either. I didn't expect my MIL to behave like my mother, and she did bring us a couple meals (we had a meal train with friends from church) which was helpful. But I don't remember getting any help with housework, laundry, her taking the baby so I could rest.
Thankfully my husband stepped up and we managed together, but my first baby was an awful sleeper and my second baby, I struggled with PPA terribly, and felt so alone. When I vocalized this to my Mum, she said something to the effect of 'you just have to get on with it.' She is a very matter of fact person, plus she had 6 kids of her own so she doesn't have much time for complaints. It really hurt having my feelings dismissed like that though.
My SIL had her first baby 9 mths after I had my second. My MIL went out to stay with her for weeks, getting up in the night with the baby and didn't let her daughter lift a finger. I wouldn't say I was jealous because that is her Mom. I was happy she had the support as she had a high needs baby.
Fast forward to December 2022, my younger sister had her first baby. My Mum quit her job so she could be available right away as soon as the baby was born. She stayed with them for weeks and my siblings and Dad all went to visit. I was glad they had the support, as my sister and her baby went through a couple of health crises in the first week PP. So it's not that I begrudge them having the help.
But all I was hearing about constantly was how tired my SIL and BIL were, how people were taking turns doing night shifts, how they hadn't cooked a meal in a month, how my Mum wouldn't let my sister lift a finger.
I started to really struggle with feelings of jealousy. I understand that I live far away, and flights to get here are expensive. But on a deeper level, it hurt so bad remembering how much I struggled, physically, mentally and emotionally. Everyone kept telling me how well I was doing but inside I was drowning.
I was still bleeding heavily at 6 weeks PP with my second because I didn't allow myself to rest and heal- because I had my entire family (8 people) coming to visit for a holiday. Not to see the baby, this was a pre arranged holiday. And my siblings didn't really show much care or interest in my well-being, getting impatient when I wasn't ready on time for their excursions. I put it down to the fact that none of them had children yet, so they didn't understand. But somehow they could all find it within themselves to care when my sister had her baby.
My SIL just had her second baby, and my MIL has been there for a month, getting up with the toddler, taking night shifts with the baby etc.
We mentioned to my FIL that we felt unsupported with the first two kids due to my parents not being here and he replied 'That's why your MIL stepped up'. Which, maybe she sees it as that, but my husband and I honestly can't remember any support other than watching my first child occasionally (maybe 4-5 times when I was feeling sick) while I was pregnant and bringing over a couple of meals. 1 load of laundry. It hurts.
I'm expecting my third baby in August. My parents have already told me they probably won't be able to afford a flight at that time of year (which I honestly get, it's very expensive). I understand that this is part of me choosing to move to a different country to be with my husband (a US citizen).
My other sister is getting married 9 weeks post my due date and we are expected to attend. Which is also a major stress.
I know I'm probably being unreasonable, I can't expect things to be just the same as my sister who lives much closer to my parents. I know it's not my MIL's fault that my Mum isn't available.
I just feel like I'm facing another postpartum period with little support apart from my husband (who is awesome), and it just freaking hurts. I can't hardly hold in my bitter jealousy when hearing about all these moms who are waited on hand and foot.
I guess I just want my feelings to be acknowledged by my family. I mentioned it to my Mum and she just went silent and didn't answer me.
I need to get over this because it's just eating me up and robbing me of enjoying my pregnancy. I know we will be ok, my husband has good paternity leave thankfully and I'm in a good place mentally. I just feel like I'm being a petty, jealous bitch. Like why can't I just be happy for my sister and SIL.
If you read this far, thank you. I needed to get this out.
Edited for spelling.

I am so tired all the time. I’m 24F and I am overweight, 5’3 and 245 pounds. I have been tired all the time for almost 8 years at this point. Lately, it has gotten hard for me to get anything done. I have had issues with B12 deficiency in the past but have been taking 5,000mcg daily for almost 6 months. I have also never been iron deficient, but do take an iron supplement bc my iron does run a tad low. My fatigue is just getting worse. To the point where I go to work, come home, and go straight to sleep. It’s impossible to keep up with cleaning and laundry. Any time I tell someone about my fatigue, I am just told that I need to lose weight or exercise, or that I’m just lazy. I feel like it is more than that. I skip out on activities because I’m too tired. I am also on Accutane, which I know can contribute as well. I do not feel like I am depressed, I am on Prozac and it really seems to be doing well. I feel like a shell of a person and I sleep at any chance I get. How do y’all get people to take you seriously?

Hi everyone,
As mentioned in the title I’m looking for work in any fields related to biology, forestry, environmental science, geosciences, or anything even sort of related. I currently have an open work permit until late 2025 and am working on PR, but I do wonder if that’s limiting my options a bit. At least the LinkedIn + Indeed + networking hasn't panned out yet, but I know a lot of seasonal positions should be opening soon. Anyway, I have a master’s in botany from UBC and a bachelor’s in geology, plus several years of experience in various roles related to plant physiology, soil biogeochemistry, forest dynamics, and wildland fire. I’ve worked on all parts of the research process, including project planning, scheduling and logistics, laboratory analyses, field work, data collection, data analysis, technical report writing, publication, and presentation of results. These roles have tended to be in academic or government research but are easily transferrable to many other industries. I tend to like a balance of different types of work with a preference for being outdoors, but I’m also very good at working with large datasets in R as well as GIS analyses.
I don’t yet have professional designations but would like to at least get PAg, if not RPBio (my complex educational background makes that more challenging without additional coursework). I’m available starting in the mid-April to early May timeframe but could do earlier if a good position opens up before then. I’m super open minded and would be willing to chat about any other fields that could use my skillset, especially any I haven't thought of! The only thing I’m particular about is that it needs to be in the vicinity of Vancouver, or maybe Squamish for the summer season.
Any leads would be much appreciated!

Juliana Corsi, the founder of True Beauty Hair Makeup, has had an incredible journey in the makeup and beauty industry. Growing up doing pageants, she was introduced to the world of beauty and eventually became a self-taught makeup artist, thanks to her childhood love of portrait painting classes.
After experiencing a difficult time and the loss of someone close to her, Juliana realized that she needed to prioritize her happiness and pursue the things she loved. This led her to start her own makeup business, which has grown rapidly over the past year.
Through her work as a makeup artist, Juliana has had the opportunity to work with stars from popular reality shows, as well as former Miss and Teen USA winners. She has also traveled to some of the top National pageants in the world and worked with young pageant girls who inspire her.
For Juliana, being a part of the pageant world is about more than just beauty and glamour. She believes in the power of sharing experiences and inspiring one another to pursue our dreams. This is why she is excited to be a part of a panel on March 29th where she can learn from other women and be inspired by their practices.
Overall, Juliana's journey serves as a reminder of the importance of following our passions and pursuing what makes us happy. Her success as an entrepreneur and makeup artist is a testament to the power of taking a chance on ourselves and believing in our abilities. She is an inspiration to young pageant girls and anyone looking to make their dreams a reality. Learn More, https://youtu.be/3fWyt1qdrrU

I am not the OP, this is a repost!
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Trigger warning: Cheating
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Original post, on relationship_advice (March 12th 2023).
M 32 Cheating Fiancée F 31
Let me start from the beginning here. Yesterday I met my fiancée at our wedding venue for our 4 month out meeting to finalize details. We drove to the venue separately because she was leaving straight from work. Towards the end of the meeting she let me know her friend was dropping off her rental car and needed a ride home and asked if it would be ok. I said yes thinking nothing of it as it wasn’t that far from our home and I know her friend well. I get home and tried to get in touch w her for the next 3 hours. No answer. At approx the 1:30 mark I texted her friend and asked if she had made it to her ok. I was very worried. My fiancée ends up coming home and says sorry it took longer than expected she hung out with her friend for a bit before leaving. Ok no biggie just lmk next time please. Her friend gets back to me a few minutes later and says “sorry I couldn’t make it to the venue didn’t see your fiancée tonight.” I asked her why she would say this and she said she didn’t know she can’t control what her friend says and walked outside. I’m sketched out af by this point. I have never done this but I looked at her phone records (yes I did and don’t regret it). I saw that when she went outside she called her friend that had texted me right after she went outside. I also saw an hour long call with a number I didn’t know on the way to the venue. I asked her what rental place they went to and multiple other questions. She had quick answers and they seemed legit. I thought maybe I’m crazy here I need to chill and sleep on it. This morning I asked her to please see the text from her friend asking her to pick her up and I would apologize for questioning her the previous night. She said no. I said when I caught up to you yesterday on the way to the venue I saw you were on the phone who was that? She said oh that’s the friend I picked up later on. That’s when I knew for a fact she was lying. I said I looked at her phone records and knew that wasn’t true. She then changed her story to say oh I needed to meet up w a coworker to discuss a patient. Who is the coworker and why couldn’t you discuss that over the phone? I need to show him the techniques in person his name is Michael. Ok I am sketched out beyond belief at this point we never lie to each other. I asked to see the texts with Michael. She said wouldn’t let me see. I said why not if there’s nothing to hide. Are you having an affair? Do you not want to be together anymore? She pauses and proceeds to tell me all the things that are wrong with me. I work too much I don’t spend enough time w her don’t listen. I’m astonished at this point all of this is news to me. I put two and two together at this point I know something sketchy is going on. I again ask to see the texts. It took about a half hour of convincing to see these texts and they were crazy. Sexual in nature and talking a lot of shit about me. Also how she wanted to be with him and how they’re essentially in love. She started this job 1.5 months ago (he is her coworker). He is also 15-20 years older and divorced w multiple kids. I have been financially supporting her for the last few months as she got back on her feet and was working extra so she wouldn’t have to pick up a part time job. We own a house which we both live in with 3 dogs and a horse. Sorry for the novel I am beside myself right now. I did not see this coming and we were going to get married in 4 months. Any advice would help.
UPDATE:
As an update, I was finally able to sit down with her tonight and go over this. Again, she came in trying to blame me for what she did. Trying to justify the cheating and lying as a direct result of my lack of communication and listening. She said she wouldn’t have had to start talking to this guy if I had been listening better. I spend too much time in the office working and don’t dedicate enough time to her. I tried to explain that I was putting in extra hours to try and support her and the family financially while she was struggling so she wouldn’t have to get a part time job. She said she would have rather gotten a part time job which makes no sense to me. She was under the impression that because this was short lived (one week she say) and “they only made out once” that we could move past this. When I brought up the texts where she was trashing me and talking sexual with him she deflected hard and I got nowhere with that. I told her that I’m not the reason that this is happening. She went too far and should have communicated with me or thought about the implications first. That I can never trust her again and this is all because of her actions. Whether she wants to try and justify this as my fault is up to her. At the end of this part it got a bit calmer - I said listen we just really need to figure out the house we own jointly and the three dogs. We came to the conclusion that Either I stay and buy her out or we sell and get new places. The dogs - one of us will get one the other two tbd. So that’s where this left off tonight and will continue to keep you all posted on progress. Curious what you all would do about the house. Financially I can support it alone but it is nearly 3k square feet and 5 acres of land which was bought solely to have her horse. She is taking the horse when she leaves and boarding it at a barn.
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Notable comments:

Jesus, I'm so sorry. Small consolation I know, but better now than after the wedding. Better now than after potentially starting a family. [link]

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Standard cheater victim-blaming. Don't let her pin this on you, OP. YOU DESERVE BETTER.
Cancel all vendors, notify invited guests, lock down your credit, or shared finances.
Are you sure AP is divorced? He may be lying to your STBX, or she may be lying to you. Either way, it sounds like she cheated down and screwed up royally.
It sucks, but it's better to know now than 10 years down the road. I'm sorry you got blindsided like this, and I hope it gets better soon. [link]

OOP replies:
I really appreciate you taking the time to reply and for the advice. I have no idea if he is truly divorced and honestly don’t want to know more about the guy. The saddest thing about this is my dogs love each other and will most likely be broken apart. Agree better to know now

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Her attitude about being caught tells you everything you need to know. Blaming you for her shitty behavior shows that she has no character and would make an awful partner. [link]

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First of all, implement the 180 and gray rock method.
The financial support for her should stop immediately.
You will need a lawyer to deal with the house and ask them how you can legally leverage the HR angle in your negotiations.
She has shown her true colors and is acting horrible. That relationship will crash and burn, and she will then start begging to come back.
Sending strength! [link]

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Yeah do not marry this woman. Surely this isn’t still a consideration is it? [link]

OOP replies:
Not at all my friend. You all have been super helpful in reinforcing this

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Update post, on relationship_advice (March 12th 2023).
UPDATE: M 32 Cheating Fiancée F 31
Day 3: I was able to sit and have a 3 hour conversation with her tonight. We talked about our relationship and what lead to what occurred. It started with her telling me what I did wrong in our relationship, lack of communication, spending too much time working and on my phone. I don't disagree with any of these things. My mindset behind working so much was support of the family. I run an e commerce business on the side and am a one man customer service center and deals happen 24 hours a day. I am never not on the clock. I could have certainly been better about setting my phone aside and responding to people the next day. The lack of communication was on both ends and a prime example of this is the fact that I was unaware she was unhappy with any of this. It was never communicated to me. She said she felt I would have gotten upset if she told me but never gave me the chance to work on it. I am not a perfect person by any means and many times I do or say things that are misinterpreted by her as rude. An example of this is a week or two ago I was trying to help her with a budget with her financial problems to try to set up a plan to get her on track. To note - I work in the financial industry and do this for clients all the time. She had mentioned that she owed me maybe $1,000 and she would get that back to me next paycheck. I said something like I think its a little bit more than that lets go through the transfers I have made to our joint account. It ended up being over $5,000. My purpose for doing this was not to make her feel bad but to realize how much I have been contributing. She took this as me trying to humiliate her. Was just trying to help and maybe my timing was off. She told me I have been too focused on money lately but I was only trying to make sure we were going to be ok. We still had quite a bit to pay for the wedding and my budgeting mentality was on overload trying to make sure we had enough.
The fact that she keeps trying to justify what she did by attributing that as a direct correlation to my flaws really bothers me. She keeps telling me that she is surprised I would throw away 7 years of a relationship away like this. I keep having to remind her that I didn't throw it away - she did with her actions. She told me that I told too many people too quickly and we could have resolved all of this between us. She also said that she wouldn't have had to talk to someone else if I was a better listener and communicator.
I have finally determined the extent of the affair which I actually believe based on the texts that I read. They began talking 1-2 weeks before via text. I don't know if they had met up before outside of work but this time around he had asked her to the park to play basketball and talk. She met up with him and they ended up making out. I truly believe it didn't go further than this YET. BUT, it would have in the near future I am sure. She says he is not her boyfriend. She also took off tonight and I have no idea where she is at - assuming with him or a girl friend.
It is an awkward living situation but I am hoping this resolves in the near term. I do think she wants me to get back with her and try to repair that. I think that the the main issue was a lack of communication that manifested for a long time. We got into a routine, lived our boring simple life and meanwhile this problem was never discussed and grew over time. She acted out instead of talking to me and also lied to my face/talked a lot of shit about me behind my back. She can be very sneaky and I don't think I can fully trust her again. Obviously this would be the easiest thing to do but I don't think I would ever be truly happy.
Understanding the root cause has helped me feel better. If nothing else, it will allow me to address my personality flaws/communication issues and see things from another perspective. I started hitting the gym today and will keep a routine going. I also plan on picking back up on studying for my CFP designation. I took the week off of work to focus on my mental health.
Today I called the wedding venue and officially cancelled the date. We were able to get some money back but lost a bit unless the date can be resold to another couple (unlikely). I also spoke with her parents again to keep them apprised. They live far away and I am sure are worried sick. I continue to let them know everything is fine and calm and they don't need to worry about their daughter.
I did some research and with interest rates where they are today I will not be able to find a comparable house for the mortgage I pay for this (can barely find an apartment for less nowadays). I think my best option is to try and buy out her share and have her find an apartment. She seems agreeable at this time. We will have an appraiser out to assess value and see what half of the equity would be and if that is doable for me.
My questions to you all are: Does this change your mind at all about the situation? Am I handling this properly? If not, what should I be doing different?
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Notable comments:

At this point - I would stop giving her the platform to tell you that her cheating is 'because of you.' It's not. She chose to cheat. Instead of being an adult and having adult conversations in an adult relationship, she chose to cheat. The moment any of that shit escapes her lips - shut it down. She doesn't deserve to have your ear. She's hoping that if she says it enough, you'll start to believe it. Shut it down. 'Conversations are hallmarks of a relationship. You chose to cheat. It's over.' Rinse. Recycle. Repeat as necessary (personally, I'd be done with any conversing).
I hope the house thing works out. [link]

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You have so many things that you need to get over before this relationship can be recovered. So in no particular order you have the following to consider.
- She is trickle truthing you and the chances that she is still not being honest with you are high. The simplest way to put it is the time honored axiom that "kids kiss, adults fuck". Unless she can be completely honest with you - even knowing that it may hurt you to know the truth - any trust you have in her will be non-existent.
- She has leapt straight into DARVO (Deny, attack, reverse Victim and Offender). This is sadly a classic cheaters move and you can see this quite clearly in trying to pin the blame for her actions on you. Sorry but you didn't magically hand her a card saying "please cheat on me, I'm a bad fiance". She did this of her own accord, for her own reasons and because even though she knew it was wrong, she did it anyway. None of this is on you.
- Even when the chips are down and your engagement is in the balance, she chose him over you and continues to choose him over you. At a time when you would expect that she would pull out all stops to be with you, she has decided - for whatever reason - to continue seeing him. Anyone in her position who feared the loss of their partner would be bending over backwards to show you that she is not who you think she is. Sadly, she has done the exact opposite and is doing all in her power to drive you further apart.
- She doesn't want you to "throw away 7 years of a relationship away like this" but isn't that exactly what she is doing by her actions? What did she expect would happen if she hooks up with a guy she has just met at the expense of the person she is supposed to marry? Sorry but no, she has thrown away 7 years, not you, her.
- Her lack of honesty to your face is now being backed up by a complete lack of respect for you. How someone can go from "yes I will marry you" to "nah, you never made me happy and this new guy I just met can" is not the way to build a life of joy and happiness on. Hell, if it was a house any right minded civil engineer would condemn the building before the foundations had a chance to dry. The foundations of this relationship are now in the realm of a sand pit in a swamp.
- The sum result of her blaming you has you now questioning your role in her affair. This is by design and is something that all cheaters do when faced with the consequences of their actions. She wants you to blame yourself so that you can play her game of "pick me". Now that you no longer wish to play she'll easily move onto the new guy and will not give you a second thought. For now.
As you say, you have taken action and have cancelled the wedding and stopped your engagement. You are handling this properly and you need to make it clear to her that once the sole thing keeping you together is dealt with - the sale/transfer of the house, that she will be out of your life forever.
So are you throwing away 7 years? No, you had it thrown away for you and you are just sweeping up the mess left behind by her actions.
For now, keep all communication between you restricted purely to the asset split. Tell her absolutely nothing about your plans, what you are doing in your life, etc. She lost that right when she did what she did. And if she tries to fill you in on what she has been doing, just pull her up with the simple phrase "I no longer care what you do, it's no longer my business."
"Understanding the root cause has helped me feel better."
But please also understand that there are no "root causes" for why she did what she did. That is all on her, on her own personal flaws in her character and morals and you had absolutely nothing to do with it. As you said yourself, she is very sneaky and this is just who she is.
So get your agreement done asap and even if you take a small loss and end up with a few months of eating ramen to pay her out, you will end up ahead.
And then once it's all done, start working towards being as indifferent to her as you possibly can be. [link]

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NOTE: Please remember the brigading rule and refrain from reaching out to OP or comment on the original posts.
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Friendly reminder that I am NOT the OP, this is a repost.