Fiancee’s phone reveals man’s close call

Dear Abby: I am a 59-yearold man who was engaged to a 46-year-old woman. She told me she was going to leave for work on Friday, but I found out she was actually going on a vacation. She was pretending to go to work but driving to Georgia to meet a married man she met on a dating site.

We live in New Jersey, and it’s a 13-hour drive. I found her phone the day before and deleted all his info, but she still drove to meet him. I am devastated and crushed. Any help or suggestions? — Hurt in New Jersey

Dear Hurt: I sympathize with your pain. I do have some advice, which I hope you will heed. Please realize that finding her phone before her departure was a gift to you from above. Thank your higher power that you now understand exactly who this woman is and didn’t marry her.

The time has come to move forward resolutely. There are better days — and better women — ahead.

Dear Abby: I reached out recently to the daughter of my cousin who had just passed away. I offered condolences and a picture of her great-grandfather, who was my grandfather. I also shared some warm memories of her dad, my cousin.

She shot back with some seriously negative information about her dad’s dad, my uncle. It really shook me. I barely knew my uncle, but my memories of the family all involved happy times together.

I think people should speak well of the dead or say nothing. Don’t you? — Unpleasant in the West

Dear Unpleasant: Most people tend to omit the unpleasant details when talking about someone who has passed on, but I do not think there are any hard-and-fast rules. I’m sorry you were upset about the dose of truth you received in exchange for your warm memories.

Dear Abby: I’m a 13-yearold with an addiction to screens. I sometimes pull overnighters on my phone. I’m starting to realize my limits. Sometimes I cannot trust myself with my actions, and I think I may need help. — Seeing the Light in Maryland

Dear Seeing: It takes a brave person to admit they have a problem and be proactive in accepting that it may be something they can’t solve on their own. Many people your age and older struggle with this issue.

Your next step should be to talk to your parents about your concerns and ask for help in breaking your addiction. This can sometimes involve professional help, and they may need to seek a referral from your doctor.