Throwaway.

TL;DR: My ex (29M) wants to come back after leaving me (30F) for a successful career woman who “understood his drive.”

We were together 7 years, married for 5. Things felt perfect — we laughed, shared dreams, built a life. A couple years in, we got married and had a son (4M). He stayed home during the pandemic while I worked remotely in marketing. After COVID settled down, I encouraged him to go finish his degree in software engineering, which he did — with my full support. He started working at a big tech company downtown, thanks to his friend Chad (33M).

Once he started making good money, things shifted. He told me I should consider working less and staying home with our son full time. I loved my job and declined. But after months of pressure, I compromised. I stepped down to part-time and became the main parent while he chased “opportunities.”

He started staying late at work, going on "tech conferences," and hanging with new friends. He pulled away emotionally and physically. Our marriage became cold. I later learned he was dating a partner at his firm — a wealthy, high-powered “girlboss” who drove a Tesla and promised to "elevate his mindset." He said she inspired him more than I ever could. He called me “boring,” “domesticated,” and “low-vibration.”

Then he told me he wanted a divorce. I begged him to reconsider. Therapy? A break? No. He told me he wanted freedom. He told me I was holding him back, and that she showed him a better life. Then, casually, he said I could keep our son — he was too busy anyway.

I was devastated. But I picked up the pieces. Got therapy. Focused on my son. Rebuilt my freelance work. Found peace.

Fast forward to last week — he calls me sobbing. His “boss babe” dumped him for someone higher up. Turns out she never saw him as long-term. Now he wants to come back. Says he misses the lunches I packed, the way I reminded him of dentist appointments, and the little “good luck” texts before his presentations. Says I “held him down in a good way.”

I told him I missed the man I married, not who he became. I said no. He cried, said he made a mistake, and that he was manipulated. I said, “You still made the choice.”

Now I’m getting messages from his family saying I’m cruel. That he was vulnerable, seduced, and that I should forgive. His mom wants an intervention this weekend “for the family.” I’ll go. But I’m not changing my answer.

So Reddit — AITAH for refusing to take him back?