My father left his wife when his son was 9,(this was before us)Nothing to do with my mum. His ex wife made it impossible to see his son. Violent and verbally violent if she did let him . She would always have to be there. She also PAd the son to an extent. This trundled on to the point when my dad had my brother with my Mum, ex wife then started saying despicable things about my brother, like she hoped he died etc. (My father and his ex had a little girl who died at birth due to Rubella birth defects
so to say this…well, I have no words for a woman like that
)It was at this point my father had to make the decision to cut all ties apart from monetary. He didn’t have the money to take her to court(early 1970s so the courts would be firmly on the mother’s side) She wouldn’t even let him have one photo of his son either.
Now, as I’ve said, my father had left her before he met my mum, so she was not to blame(although . My father’s ex very similar to Alice. Lazy, entitled and vicious. She slagged my poor mum off, sent poison pens, insinuated my father still wanted here etc.
I asked my father years later why he didn’t see his son and he said he couldn’t bear to see the lad’s face distraught anymore. He’d visit to see him at her house(owned by my grandmother who lived next door)but his wife would always turn it into an argument. (Like Alice)
I know all of this destroyed my dad. You’d see him sometimes staring sadly into space(usually if there was a character on tv with my half brother’s name. My father was very gentle but strong but I’d occasionally catch him with tears in his eyes.
As I said my father had no photos but for years there was a painting of his son in our airing cupboard (it’s now in my loft).
My brother has since met our half brother and is in contact. I so wish my dad had lived long enough to see that
Alice, please don’t do this to your girls. Please let them have the interaction with their father they deserve. And please don’t do it to the man you said you once loved. He doesn’t deserve it.