My Husband Refused to Take Off His Long-Sleeved Clothes All Summer — Then Our Daughter Told Me the Secret He Was Hiding
During the hottest summer on record, Ashton’s husband, Alex, starts acting oddly—wearing long sleeves despite the sweltering heat, flinching at her touch, locking doors, and spending excessive time at his mother Angela’s house. Their five-year-old daughter, Carlie, innocently reveals the secret: Alex got a tattoo reading, “My mommy Angela is my only love forever,” in Angela’s handwriting.
Alex confesses Angela claimed she was dying of a heart condition and begged for this “permanent gift” to give her strength. He hid it, ashamed and conflicted. Ashton, stunned by the bizarre declaration—especially from a woman who’s always undermined her—visits Angela with groceries. Perfectly healthy and smug, Angela admits it was a lie to assert her primacy in Alex’s life.
Furious at the manipulation and Alex’s gullibility, Ashton realizes she’s lost herself in the marriage. She gets her own tattoo on her collarbone: “Self-respect, my only love forever.”
Three weeks later, Alex regrets his ink, plans a cover-up (Carlie suggests a giraffe named Larry), and avoids his mother. He still wears long sleeves; Ashton wears tank tops proudly. She’s done excusing, apologizing, or competing. The heat broke eventually—but Ashton’s resolve didn’t.
