Story of the Day: Woman Doesn't Want to Take in Her Ex-husband Dying of Cancer

Today's story shows a woman not wanting to take in her ex-husband, who is dying of cancer. Here's why she believes it's not her responsibility to do so.

Irene, 67, and her husband Hodge, 68, were only married for a year before separating, but before that, they were together for 14 years. They decided to divorce after Hodge admitted that he was no longer happy in their relationship. He ended up marrying his current wife six months after their split.

For five years, the ex-couple did not talk. However, Hodge reconnected with Irene's daughter, Nina, whom she had before her relationship with him. They ended up meeting, and Irene was there with them.

Hodge apologized for not answering any of Nina's calls, claiming that it was his wife's doing. He also shared that it wasn't him who deleted her e-mails. After their conversation, Irene found out that he was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of cancer. It was in the 4th stage, which meant he didn't really have much time left.

His wife, who is the mother of his two children, has scared off his home care. In fact, a nurse even called his wife a drama queen before quitting her job.

Now, she was set on sending him to a nursing home where he could be cared for. This was after the children's nanny also refused to care for him, saying that it was not part of her job description.

Despite everything that happened between Irene and Hodge, she and Nina have gone over to his home a couple of times to help take care of him. During those times, they would change his diaper and clean up his mess.

However, Nina admitted to Irene that she was still resentful that Hodge left them for five years and was now asking for their help.

She told her mom that while she wouldn't mind cleaning after Irene, her children, and her husband, she did not feel okay doing it for someone who wanted nothing to do with her years prior. In fact, Hodge even told her that she "wasn't allowed" to attend her wedding two years ago.

Now that Hodge implied that he wanted to spend his last days with Irene and Nina, the resentful stepdaughter decided not to come over anymore. She felt it wasn't her responsibility. Irene decided to speak to his current wife, and she revealed she was tired of staying home all the time and having to look after everyone in the house.

In the end, she offered to help Irene with the transition in case she wanted to take Hodge into her own home instead. If not, Hodge was going to a nursing home. While Irene knows it's not her responsibility to take care of Hodge, she felt bad having to leave him in a nursing home to die with unfamiliar faces surrounding him.

On top of this, Irene is puzzled, given the fact that his current wife is a lot wealthier than she is, and caring for Hodge would deplete her own resources. What do you think Irene should do about her dilemma?

Family conflicts are inevitable, with some children favoring one parent over the other. In another story, a man excluded his wife from visiting their daughter's 19th birthday celebration.