Man Goes Through Late Wife’s Belongings, Only To Find A Mysterious Letter Addressed To Her Ex

“I found a letter addressed to her ex. It was written around the time she was diagnosed for the second time.”

Jesse

• Published in Interesting
• March 24, 2024

People find love in the most unexpected places, and one young man ran into his soulmate one uneventful night at the local pub. It was a chance encounter filled with overflowing pints and small chitchats that blossomed into something beautiful.

Little did our narrator (Original Poster) know that behind her radiant smile were scars that ran so deep they threatened to destroy her. High school had been a battlefield for her. I don’t mean the regular teenage experience laced with rebelliousness, angst, and struggles to fit in; this was much deeper.

She was diagnosed with cancer, then tossed aside by the one she loved for being too ‘tired’ and ‘unattractive’ during chemotherapy. Shockingly, her then-boyfriend boldly waltzed back into her life when she was pronounced cancer-free.

This kicked off a toxic on-and-off four-year romance that left her with more life lessons than happiness. The scars lingered long after and shaped her into the strong yet fragile woman OP came to adore.

With time, their relationship bloomed beautifully, but fate soon dealt the happy couple a cruel blow—her cancer returned. OP was in it for the long haul, and he sealed this commitment with a ring and a small, simple wedding ceremony. 

Sadly, not all lovers are destined for that happily ever after. She passed away after a rigorous battle with cancer, leaving behind a devastated widower; OP was inconsolable. 

However, In the midst of his grief, a surprise discovery awaited—a letter addressed to her ex, drafted shortly after her second diagnosis. OP was torn between honoring her wish and his own emotions; he didn’t even want that jerk at her funeral. 

Would refusing to deliver the letter be a dishonor to his late wife? 

Let’s dig into the details

A bit of background

OP’s then partner suffered trauma from her previous relationship

Things were going smoothly until her cancer returned again. But that didn’t stop OP from proposing and going ahead to marry her

Sadly, OP’s wife lost the battle to cancer

OP later found the courage to go through her belongings, only to find a letter addressed to her ex

We gathered some reactions from the Reddit community:

“NTA For one reason or another, she didn't send him the letter.”

“NTA. I think, for me, the important thing here is that you don’t know whether or not she had any intention of giving him that letter.“

“NTA. She had plenty of time to get it to him if that is what she wanted.“

“NTA- it's a common therapy exercise to write a letter to someone to get out your feelings but never send it.”

“She never mailed the letter. So she most likly had second thoughts about it.”

From where Redditors stood, OP wasn’t doing anything wrong. There was a lot of mystery surrounding his late wife's intentions with the letter, and many even speculated it might have simply been a cathartic release. 

Since no explicit instructions were given, it was best to respect her privacy. Who knows? Maybe she never sent it for a reason. 

What do you think about this story? Let us know in the comments. 

Jesse