Husband Slammed for Using Deceased Stepson's Savings to Go on Golf Holiday

A grieving stepfather has been condemned after it emerged he spent money saved up for his late stepson on a golfing trip.

But then again, grief can affect an individual in a multitude of ways.

Writing in Psychology Today, Ralph Ryback, M.D. explained: "Initially, people who experience grief may experience confusion, shock, and disbelief that their loved one has passed.

"However, after the initial shock has passed, highly distressful emotions can contribute to anxiety, extreme fatigue, crying fits, dreams and even nightmares about the deceased."

However, one man's reaction to loss has left him facing a potential lawsuit.

Writing in a post shared on Reddit's "Am I The A**hole" forum (where it has been upvoted over 17,000 times) a grieving mother spoke of how an already traumatic experience has been made worse by the actions of her other half.

According to the post, the woman lost her 13-year-old son to cancer just three months ago. "It was so devastating to me and his dad (my ex husband.)" she wrote, "And grief has been tense in those months."

She said that she and her ex had previously set up an "emergency fund" for their son.

However, she was recently alarmed to discover her husband had used the fund to pay for a golfing trip with friends in another country. Even worse, the woman only found out he had spent the money after "checking financial records."

Furious at his actions, she confronted him over the matter only for him to explain he "needed support too" and took the trip to "lift some weight" off his chest because she was "pushing him to the side and ignoring him."

The woman rejected his response, noting that she is still "grieving and needed space."

"He wasn't the one who lost a child," she wrote. "Despite him being the stepparent my husband made it clear he never felt any connection to my son, basically blaming his medical condition for not having a chance to bond."

The situation then escalated after her ex-husband found out her current partner had spent the money. He confronted the stepdad, branding him an "unhinged opportunist" and telling him he would be suing him for taking the money.

The woman's response was somewhat surprising.

"I told my ex husband to go ahead and sue and my husband was shocked that I agreed and condoned this mistreatment from my ex husband towards him," she wrote. "He asked me to tell my ex to step down but I said 'no.'"

The husband has accused his wife of "ganging up on him" with her ex and showing a "complete disregard for his overwhelming grief and sorrow."

Despite this, the majority of those commenting on the post believe the woman was within her rights to be angry.

RedditMerrit456 said the husband's decision to go on the trip was arguably worse than him "simply stealing the money."

"People react differently to loss. However, going on a vacation and having fun is the least of your concerns," they wrote. "It's inappropriate."

Ignios_Revenge acknowledged that while "grief is strange" and you will "never know how you'll handle it until it happens" the husband's actions were reprehensible.

"The golf trip wasn't the issue," they commented. "It's the taking of the money from the emergency fund, then playing like he's the victim when he got caught."

Familyofnone, meanwhile, went further theorizing: "It almost sounds like he was just waiting for him to pass so he could use the money for a fun trip for himself."

Annual_Student_487 urged the woman to "Serve him with divorce papers and sue him for stealing the money" with maddr_lurker also calling on her to hire two lawyers: "one for the theft and one for the divorce." Calling_water added: "If she doesn't divorce him now, he'll just see what else he can take from her in future."

Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment.

The story comes a week after a woman earned the backing of the internet after she told her kids she was not okay with them calling their stepmom "mom."

Another disgruntled woman on Reddit also earned support after detailing the reasons why she refused to let her 600Ib younger brother move in.