Max has never liked horror movies.
So when his wife Helen found a movie buddy in their neighbour Walter, a single dad, he was relieved and happy to support their cinema outings, even if it meant staying home to look after his 10-year-old daughter, and Walter’s younger daughter.
“Sometimes they go to movie theatres, but other times they just stay at Walter’s place watching stuff at his home cinema,” he explained in a Reddit post.
“They usually have to go to another town to catch a specific function of some weird movie so it normal for them to come back very late.”
At first Helen and Walter just went to see films, but their friendship quickly evolved to include going out to dinner. Max said he was always invited but preferred to stay home.
“Walter invited all of us, including the kids, to go with him to a restaurant that a friend of his owned but I said no because it was too expensive. I don’t like those kind of places because I feel they are a waste of money and didn’t think the kids would enjoy it either.”
Once again, Max was babysitting, and it’s become tiresome. “I talked to my wife and Walter about it… he agreed that it was too much of a load for me and offered to start paying me a fee each time he goes out with my wife.”
Helen thought it was ridiculous for Max to be paid to watch his own child and a close friend’s child. “We have been arguing about this but she insists on this notion and is not open to change.”
Reddit community thinks wife is having affair
Max seemed fine with the arrangement, and even expressed relief because, “Now my wife can’t complain that I don’t take her out to dinner”.
He asked the Reddit community on the Am I the A**hole forum what they thought about him being paid for babysitting the kids, but people thought there was a much more pressing matter to address.
Most people were convinced Helen and Walter were more than friends.
“Getting paid for babysitting is the least of his worries,” one person said.
“They are definitely having an affair, how is this guy so blind,” said another.
“I think you’re the a**hole for several reasons, two of which are calling taking care of your own kid ‘babysitting’ and not really caring about your marriage,” one person said. “Don’t be surprised if your wife ends up leaving you for Walter, if they’re not already having an affair.”
“It looks like your wife has a new husband,” said another person. “And somehow you’re the babysitter. I kept thinking this must be a joke.
“This whole situation is so bizarre. I think you need to figure out if you want to be married, and if she does. Because right now it doesn’t seem like you are.”
