My husband’s children despise me.

They always have and likely always will, but fortunately, my husband stood by my side when he saw how cruel they were to me.

He taught them an important lesson, which ultimately led them to apologize and rebuild our relationships.

My husband, Jack, is the father of three children over 21 years old. When I met him, he was devastated, having lost his wife two years earlier. He became a father young and, tragically, a widower after only a few years.

About a year after we met, he introduced me to his children, and we didn’t get along at all.

I understood why they were wary of my relationship with their father, who is ten years younger than me.

He is 43, and I am 53. We have known each other for over nine years and have been engaged for four. Throughout the different stages of our relationship, his children never made me feel accepted.

I didn’t move in with Jack until all of his children had left home. When I finally did, our interactions were minimal as they were in college. Yet, whenever we were together, they talked about their mother and made sure I felt like an outsider in the family, despite my reassurance that I was not trying to replace her.

When Jack proposed, their disrespect increased, though it was done behind his back. I didn’t tell him because I didn’t want to cause conflicts. I knew his family had already endured so much, especially Jack, who had raised his children alone for years.

Jack felt it was his duty to fill the void their mother left. He worked tirelessly to give his children a luxurious life, even after they moved out.

A few weeks ago, we had a small civil wedding. His children did not attend, citing other important commitments. Since it was a small ceremony, we didn’t mind and chose to spend more on our honeymoon in the Bahamas.

Two days after we arrived, all of his children showed up unexpectedly. “Daddy, we missed you!” they said. One leaned in and whispered to me, “Thought you’d gotten rid of us, didn’t you?” Although surprised by their arrival, we welcomed them and showed them around our villa. I tried to be gracious and ordered snacks, while Jack fetched drinks for everyone.

I never thought they would ruin my honeymoon, but one of them nearly made me collapse when they said, “You, 53-year-old hag! Still dreaming of a fairytale? This villa is too nice for you. We’ll take it, and you can have that tiny bungalow.”

I kept my composure and said, “Please don’t ruin this for your father and me. Just let us have this moment. I’m asking you.”

“We will never let you be happy. You don’t deserve our dad or this villa. So, leave!” one of them snapped.

Then, we heard a glass shatter. Jack was standing in the doorway, red with anger.

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!” he shouted, his voice so full of rage that it left his children speechless.

“I have given you everything, supported you financially, and this is how you repay me? By disrespecting my wife? On our honeymoon, no less,” Jack exclaimed.

They started stuttering excuses, but Jack cut them off. “Enough! I am done with your entitled behavior. You think you can come here and make demands? Did you really think I didn’t know how you treated my wife? I ignored it, hoping you would change. This stops now.”

He took out his phone and made a call. Within minutes, security arrived. “Escort them out. They are not welcome here,” he ordered.

The guards led them out, their faces a mix of shock and humiliation. They protested, but Jack was firm. “You will never disrespect my wife or me again. Consider this your lesson in respect and a wake-up call,” he said, adding that he would cut off their credit cards as well.

Jack acted immediately, contacting the bank to end their financial support, forcing them to become independent for the first time. He made it clear that their actions had consequences and that they needed to learn responsibility and respect.

The following months were difficult. Used to relying on credit cards, they struggled but eventually learned the value of hard work and respect.

One evening, we received a call from all of them. “Dad, we’re sorry,” they said, their voices full of genuine regret. “We were wrong. Can we start over?”

Jack looked at me, his eyes filled with tears. “Of course,” he said, his voice breaking. “We can always start over.”

Slowly, they rebuilt their relationships. Jack’s decisive actions during our honeymoon not only protected our special time but also taught his children an unforgettable lesson. The journey was hard, but in the end, it brought us closer together.