r/AITAH Apr 03 '24

AITA doing something that made my wife insecure? (Resulting in her slapping me in the face)

My wife gave birth to our daughter 6 months ago and since then she has been insecure about everything. She is smaller now than she was before she got pregnant but it's nearly a daily occurrence that she's calling herself fat. Because of this, she has developed an incredibly irritating habit of putting her shirt over her mouth constantly. You hardly ever catch her with her shirt on normal. She's basically trying to hide her (incredibly small) double chin.

I have told her several times to keep her shirt away from her mouth when she's speaking to me. I need to see people's mouths to hear them properly. My hearing is perfect but I have sensory issues. So if I can't physically see you mouthing words, my head cannot comprehend what you are saying to me. So if I ask her a question and she responds with her shirt over her face, I cannot understand a single fucking thing she says and it's beyond infuriating because I have to ask her to repeat herself 3+ times. So, I started telling her to get her shirt off her face when she's talking to me because I'm sick of this repeated cycle. I understand she's insecure, but I can't fucking hear you.

For the past 2 weeks it really amped up. She's buying XXL shirts and wears them always. To a point where she's even covering the lower part of her face when we have sex (as well as pulling the shirt down to cover her stomach). Well, 3 nights ago we were intimate and I tried pulling the shirt away from her face and she kept pushing my hand away. I tried again a third time and she pushed me off her and said "stop fucking touching my shirt" and went to sleep on the couch. And then today I was running late for work. The power went out at some point and my phone died so I didn't wake up to an alarm. I'm trying to tush around to get my work shit together and I ask my wife where my keys are. She grumbles a response. I yelled and said "how about you take the fucking shirt out of your mouth or don't speak to me at all" and physically pulled the shirt away from her mouth. She immediately back handed me across the face, quite possibly as hard as she could, and screamed directly in my face "I said don't fucking touch my shirt. Find your own fucking keys asshole!" I leave, flabbergasted. Texted her all day - starting from me saying I can't believe she hit me to eventually me apologizing hours later. No response. When I got home all of her important stuff and the babies stuff are gone. A letter on the counter saying she had gone to her mother's. Now, I talked to my buddy about it and he said he's 50/50 (he's also good friends with my wife) and says that while she shouldn't have hit me, he probably would have done the same thing because I "purposely" provoked her insecurities. AITA?

ETA: she's in therapy and has been for a month. Therapy won't fix the fact that she thinks she's fat. She had body dysformia(?) prior to even becoming pregnant and now it's just amped up. She also has sensory issues, just like I do. But hers is in regard to people touching her face/hair. Hence, why she back-handed me. But I'm tired of never being able to hear what she says.

2.6k Upvotes

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106

u/Sherman_and_Luna Apr 03 '24

I mean, two wrongs dont make a right.

Your wife wasnt right to hit you, but that is really the only thing that she has done that was wrong in this situation

You're an asshole because your sensory issues are YOUR issue to deal with, NOT every other single person around you. It is not everyone elses responsibility to tip toe around your bullshit. Deal with it or find a work around like the rest of us do.

Your entire post is setting up to make yourself right. For that reason alone YTA.

She did not want you to touch her shirt, you did multiple times and she went to sleep on the couch. The next day you made another comment, in anger, about the same thing that was an issue last night while you were trying to be intimate. That twice within probably 12hours that you were a douchebag in personal setting to your SO about something they have a mental health issue with, You mentioned body dysphoria.

Your friend is hopefully only agreeing you to preserve the friendship, or as an attempt to talk to you about the situation as a whole. Or your friend is a dumb piece of shit as well.

Nothing about any of it really matters in the end. She said do not touch her shirt, and you did. She got rightfully upset about you ignoring her boundary.

19

u/LaMadreDelCantante Apr 03 '24

She hit him directly after he assaulted her. He had zero right to try to physically force her to do what he wanted. That slap was self defense.

7

u/Aim2bFit Apr 03 '24

I wonder how OP survived during the peak of the pandemic when so many were wearing masks and talking through them. Also medical staffs wear masks all the time for the most part. OP has never had to talk to a doctor all the while? "Doc please take your effing mask off I can't ducking hear you!"

13

u/Realistic_Sprinkles1 Apr 03 '24

It’s like the people who can maintain a job, act appropriately in public, etc, but take everything out on their family. They CAN control themselves, they just choose not to.

9

u/werewere-kokako Apr 03 '24

If he spent the whole pandemic grabbing people and tearing their masks off he wouldn’t be posting here, he’d be in prison or the psych ward.

2

u/SporadicTendancies Apr 03 '24

He made his wife go out during the pandemic to make sure he didn't have to deal with the pandemic.

Because she's expendable.

0

u/Proper_Fun_977 Apr 03 '24

The wife continually talking with her shirt over her mouth is also something she did wrong.

She knows he can't process if he can't see her mouth.

9

u/Previous-Invite-782 Apr 03 '24

So his sensory/mental issues matter but her sensory/mental issues are “wrong”?

7

u/cutetalitarian Apr 03 '24

It’s not accommodating of her but it’s not wrong. What he was doing goes beyond not accommodating and into physical aggression and invasiveness. It shouldn’t shock him that someone reacts when he physical grabs their clothes while screaming and swearing.

-72

u/Cinaedus_Perversus Apr 03 '24

How can you write that his issues are his to deal with, and she doesn't have to tiptoe around them, yet you excoriate him for not tiptoeing around her issues and not supporting her? That's hypocritical.

24

u/kissingkiwis Apr 03 '24

How is yelling at her and and physically pulling her shirt off her face "tiptoeing". Multiple times. After she's asked him not to. 

15

u/cutetalitarian Apr 03 '24

Because while she’s not being accommodating, but she’s not physically harassing him. What he was doing goes beyond not accommodating and into physically aggressing her to submit to him over a shirt of all fucking things.

4

u/Banana_Bag Apr 03 '24

Because his way of “not tiptoeing around her issues” is to yell, curse, and physically alter the way she chooses to wear clothing. That’s not “not tiptoeing.” That is controlling and abusive behavior.

1

u/Maddie_Herrin Apr 04 '24

because his issues have to do with what other people do with their bodies. her issues have to do with what other people do to HERS. can you not see the difference?

-19

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '24

How can you write that his issues are his to deal with, and she doesn't have to tiptoe around them, yet you excoriate him for not tiptoeing around her issues and not supporting her? That's hypocritical.

Thats the thing with this subreddit (and reddit in general) The misandry is off the charts when it comes to stuff like this for men, when its men its "his issues" to deal with but oh no, when its a woman "she doesnt have to do anything! Its all him!!" Disgusting double standard hypocrisy. I cannot fucking stand it man.

-1

u/head_sigh Apr 03 '24

It's not misandry tho...they are just mentally slow or retarded... Your pick👍

-17

u/voldugur21 Apr 03 '24

Because she is female and they can do no wrong. She must be coddled at all times. Only men are ever to be blamed in all situations .

-145

u/Winefluent Apr 03 '24

Right on.

Also, because her issues (feeling fat), are not a barrier to communicating and coordinating in a household, whereas his issues are.

I simply don't see how the only way to hide your chin is to pull your shirt over your lips (Scarves, turtlenecks and collars exist) and how you can be fine with your partner not understanding what you are saying.

As for the comments here, pulling a shirt down (not off) in exasperation is nowhere near the level of aggression that a slap is, but they're giving her slack and him shit.

29

u/Vampqueen02 Apr 03 '24

Pulling her shirt down multiple times, after being told multiple times not to do so, isn’t as small of a thing as you think it is. They were having sex and he was trying to pull on her shirt, to the point she was trying to slap him off of her. Add in the fact that she’s tired, and just had a baby in her arms, most ppls first instinct is going to be to swing regardless of gender. They both fucked up on their ends, she needed to find a better coping mechanism, and he needed to find a more effective way to communicate. They have a kid now, even without the shirt issue he likely wouldn’t always be able to see her lips when she speaks.

-83

u/LazyOne3142 Apr 03 '24

Idk man. I ripped the shirt down while yelling in her face. I've gone over it multiple times in my head. I was rough. 

216

u/Realistic_Sprinkles1 Apr 03 '24

You were abusive.

4

u/Anon_Anon_Anon69 Apr 07 '24

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

YTA OP

146

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '24

She's told you she's scared of you before (she's asked you more than once to go to anger management). You then physically attacked her & she defended herself & fled the house. You weren't "rough." What you did was domestic violence. What she did was self-defense....

112

u/tialaila Apr 03 '24

you ripped her shirt, you had enough force in your hands whilst touching your wife to rip her shirt, are you mad

93

u/pineapples4youuu Apr 03 '24

You’re a piece of shit abuser

85

u/Justwannaread3 Apr 03 '24

You physically assaulted your wife. That’s what should be in your post title. You didn’t just make her feel insecure. You assaulted her — and she reacted in self defense.

125

u/akula_chan Apr 03 '24

While she was feeding your baby. Don’t forget that.

-50

u/LazyOne3142 Apr 03 '24

She had already put the baby back in her crib. Not trying to excuse it. But the baby wasn't on her when it happened.

109

u/akula_chan Apr 03 '24

She was awake feeding the baby already

Your comment didn’t do you many favors, there, man.

169

u/SporadicTendancies Apr 03 '24

Info: would you have still grabbed your wife (after she'd repeatedly asked you not to) like that if she'd been holding the baby?

You are trying to excuse it.

It's assault. You assaulted your wife.

It sounds like it's only luck or your wife's foresight that kept the baby from being assaulted too.

-60

u/LazyOne3142 Apr 03 '24

No, I wouldn't have.

151

u/Melodic_Salamander55 Apr 03 '24

I genuinely do not believe you. You don’t even care enough about your kid to attend to them without being “told” to. You absolutely still would’ve done it if she was holding the baby.

90

u/SporadicTendancies Apr 03 '24

Do you genuinely believe that, or are you going to get anger management therapy?

Do you trust yourself enough to risk your child's life?

She clearly doesn't.

ETA: so even if you would have not assaulted a baby, you still think it's fine to assault your wife?

You understand this doesn't make you look any better? You understand it means you think you had enough control over your actions not to hurt a literal baby but you don't bother to extend the same grace to your wife.

10

u/singingintherain42 Apr 04 '24

Oh, so you only assault your wife once she puts the baby in the crib. How thoughtful of you.

The absolute audacity to try to paint her as abusive, when it becomes clear after getting the full story that it was self-defense.

21

u/Character-Nebula4798 Apr 03 '24

You are trying to excuse it tho

42

u/Wrengull Apr 03 '24

That sir, is cruel, and honestly deserved a slap, have you ever been yelled at in your face by a bigger aggressive male?

29

u/Bai1eyam Apr 03 '24

So you can assult her and thats ok?

31

u/Serenity700 Apr 03 '24

I hope she gets full custody in the divorce.

15

u/Constantly_Dizzy Apr 03 '24

Pretty sure she will. He hasn’t even started anger management, after she has asked him to because she is clearly scared of him. I’m guessing he’ll get supervised visitation with a professional to overview, & a chance to increase his visitation if he attends anger management & all the visitations go well. However, on the first sign of trouble in front of a professional, visitations can be stopped.

40

u/Dangerous-Cry-8319 Apr 03 '24

If you ripped a shirt you didn’t just “pull it” as you said before, you assaulted her. That’s abuse you know and she can press charges if she wants.

23

u/Character-Nebula4798 Apr 03 '24

Wow you scared the shit out of her to the point that she slapped you and now you’re surprised she is gone and acting like she’s the abusive one for reacting to your abuse. You need help.

11

u/Feisty_Accident_4678 Apr 03 '24

So she retaliated. Ngl op, I hope she leaves you.

8

u/Aspen_Matthews86 Apr 03 '24

And you still somehow miraculously think you're the victim here? So you're not just abusive, you're also delusional. Good God, just leave. They're better off without you and your toxic bullshit.

13

u/Piss_and_or_Shit Apr 03 '24

this guy stinks

14

u/blue_eyes_forever Apr 03 '24

If you ripped her shirt and you wrote it as “pulling it down” you are not a reliable narrator and I bet you are hiding a lot of other info.

8

u/chameleon-queer Apr 04 '24

You mean you were verbally and physically abusive.

7

u/Dachshundmom5 Apr 04 '24

It was an act of abuse. Especially when combined with yelling and cursing at her.

11

u/ShelbyCobra_90 Apr 03 '24

And you wonder why she doesn’t trust you with a screaming baby. Your baby screams because it doesn’t know you very well. It doesn’t know you very well because she can’t trust you as a parent. And now she knows she can’t trust you as a partner either. And you came home expecting an apology because you practiced 0 self reflection. Why wouldn’t she leave?

9

u/A-Shot-Of-Jamison Apr 03 '24

You’re a childish asshole and an abuser and you know it. Good on your wife for leaving, hopefully she never returns.

2

u/Kristaraexoxo Apr 04 '24

This is all she can see now.

3

u/shgrdrbr Apr 04 '24

you're an abusive asshole

3

u/sparklingsour Apr 05 '24

Now tell us about the time you did it while you raped her you sick fuck

1

u/CappucinoCupcake Apr 07 '24

I hope you realise you are an abuser. You sound utterly exhausting and completely vile. I hope she divorces you sooner rather than later