Divorce letter, second draft

Darren and Roxanne:

I am writing this to inform you that I no longer consider you to be my parents. I am disowning you, divorcing you, and emancipating myself from you. 

This should come as no great surprise to you as you yourself have repeatedly threatened to disown me, saying, “If you don’t watch it, you won’t have a father anymore.” It always was your way or the highway with you. Well, I choose the highway.

I will not pay for your retirement, or your funeral. I will not fix your camper, or give it a place on my property. I will not give you access to my children. 

I consider myself to have been raised in a dysfunctional and abusive home. I want nothing to do with your hurtful legacy, and will not allow it to pass on to future generations. 

Any hope of reconciliation died at Winnipeg Beach, when I learned that you were a liar, and could be just as abusive to my family as you always were to me. 

Your attempt to apologize was to say, “you really can’t expect me to do much better, considering the pressure I am under.” No, I do not expect better from you. I never have. Which is who I have been walking on eggshells around you my entire life. 

That ends now. 

I have spoken at length about the abuse I suffered, and received extensive help and insight from counsellors, pastors, social workers, lawyers, and friends. 

They understand my position, and affirm my belief that I must end this relationship.

I do not trust you, and will not speak to you when I see you.

Considering that I had requested space, I deem any communication from you to be harassment. All communication and parcels from you are being filtered through a third party. I don’t even see or read them anymore. I am told that they are filled with threats, gaslighting, manipulation, faked medical emergencies, junk from two decades ago, and demands. It seems that nothing has changed, and I am missing absolutely nothing. 

I owe my abusers no explanation, and if they had any decency, they would have given me the space I requested.

If you are truly interested in changing, then bear fruit in keeping with repentance. But we do not have enough years left for you to rebuild trust with me.

Do not step on my property. Do not contact my children. 

I need nothing from you, I want nothing from you, I fear nothing from you, I will give nothing to you.

I am not your son, and you are neither my mother nor my father.

I am done with you.

And so there is nothing more to say.

À Dieu, 

Darren and Roxanne