DEAR ABBY: I have been married for 18 years and have two wonderful kids, ages 14 and 12. Ten months ago, my husband said to me, “I told you I would divorce you if you ever got fat.” I was shocked! Yes, I have gained some weight over the years, but at 5 feet 5 […]

DEAR ABBY: I’m at a loss as to how to stay in my 21-year marriage. In August, when our twin daughters leave for college, my wife and I will become empty nesters. We haven’t had sex in more than 2 1/2 years, and before that it didn’t happen more than a couple of times a […]

DEAR ABBY: Seventeen years ago, I had a (minor) tryst with my wife’s sister. Months later, it came to light during an unfortunate phone conversation. Since then, my wife and I have gone through years of counseling. Our family has recovered and all is well — except with my wife’s brother-in-law (the husband). He considers […]

DEAR ABBY: I’m 18 years old and I have a son who’s 3. I’m still in school and live with my parents. My parents treat me like I’m a nobody and always bring up how I got pregnant. They barely allow me to take my son anywhere. I still have to ask them if I […]

DEAR ABBY: I had planned a trip to Europe with my friend “Elizabeth,” a friend of hers and Elizabeth’s daughter. The plan was I would share rooms with Elizabeth. We paid for the hotels in advance. Shortly before our scheduled departure I fell, broke my ankle and couldn’t go. We tried unsuccessfully to obtain some […]

DEAR ABBY: I am estranged from my sister, whom I love dearly. The reason goes back many years. When I was 13, her husband got me drunk and molested me. While I never forgot, I did repress it — possibly due to my age. Time went on, I thought I had moved on and life […]

DEAR ABBY: A year ago, my husband confessed that he was having an affair at work. Before it started, he tried setting “Velma” up with his twin brother, but she said she wasn’t interested. Their affair lasted for months, until the guilt “ate him up.” When he told me, I was devastated. We agreed to […]

DEAR ABBY: My wife, “Karen,” loves to sing karaoke along with many others, most of whom are vocally challenged. Listening to some of them can be grueling when we go out. Karen knows many of these “performers,” and when they finish, she goes and tells them what a great job they’ve done. When I asked […]

DEAR ABBY: My parents have been divorced for 15 years. Dad is remarried; my mother lives alone. My brother and I alternate holidays every year, and this year he was supposed to host our mother. Instead, he just informed me he has decided to invite our father and his wife to dinner, leaving our mother […]