Growing up, my father was the kind of man who believed in the power of a handshake. He believed that a man’s word was his bond, and trust was something earned, not given lightly. Dad drove the local bus for years and was known around town for being fair, kind, and hardworking. He taught me that integrity and honesty were the most important things in life, and that’s how I grew up—believing in people, trusting their word, and hoping for the best.
When I met my husband, Mark, I thought he was cut from the same cloth as my father. He came from a modest background, talked a lot about how much he respected people who worked hard, and always presented himself as someone you could rely on. In the early years of our marriage, I believed that we shared those same values—honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness. But I soon learned that not everything is as it seems.
About three years into our marriage, Mark started talking about wanting to open his own business. He had always worked in various odd jobs, but he said his dream was to run something of his own—specifically, a small construction company. I supported him fully, but there was a problem: we didn’t have the money to get it off the ground. We had savings, but it wasn’t nearly enough to cover the startup costs.
Mark seemed stressed for weeks. He would stay up late at night going over business plans, researching equipment, and figuring out how to make his dream come true. Then one night, he came up with what he thought was the perfect solution: he suggested asking my father for a loan.
At first, I was hesitant. My dad had worked his whole life, saved up his money for retirement, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about asking him to lend such a large amount. But Mark insisted. He said he just needed $30,000 to get started, and he promised he would pay it back as soon as the business became profitable.
I still wasn’t convinced, but Mark assured me this was his big break. He said, “Look, I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t believe in myself. I know I can make this business work, and I’ll pay your dad back, no problem.”
So, I agreed, and together we approached my dad. I explained that Mark had a solid business plan, and although my father was hesitant at first, he eventually agreed to loan us the $30,000. He didn’t even ask for a contract—just a handshake and a promise that Mark would repay him within two years. My dad trusted us, trusted me, and believed that Mark would keep his word. That was the kind of man he was, always putting faith in people.
The loan was made, and Mark dove headfirst into starting his business. He bought equipment, hired a small crew, and began taking on jobs. For a while, things seemed to be going well. The business started bringing in money, and Mark was proud of what he had built. He was busy, but I was happy that he was living his dream.
But as the months went by, something started to change. The business wasn’t growing as fast as Mark had hoped, and the profits weren’t as high as he’d projected. He started working longer hours, becoming more distant, and growing more irritable. Whenever I brought up the loan from my father and asked when we would start repaying him, Mark would brush me off with vague responses like, “Soon, don’t worry about it,” or “I’ve got it under control.”
Two years passed, and not a single dollar had been repaid to my father. I was starting to get anxious, especially since my dad had never once brought it up. I knew he trusted us to do the right thing, but it was becoming increasingly clear to me that Mark had no intention of paying back the loan anytime soon.
One evening, I decided to confront Mark directly about it. I told him we couldn’t ignore the loan any longer, that it was time to start paying my father back. But to my shock, Mark responded with something I never expected: “What loan?”
I froze. I thought I had misheard him.
“The loan,” I repeated. “The $30,000 my dad gave us for the business. It’s been two years, Mark. We need to start paying him back.”
But Mark just shrugged, as if it was no big deal. “There was no loan,” he said. “Your dad gave us the money as a gift. He never expected it back.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I knew that wasn’t true. My father had made it clear that it was a loan, not a gift. We had all agreed on that. But here was my husband, denying the deal ever happened. I felt like the ground had shifted beneath me.
I tried to reason with him, reminding him of the conversations we’d had with my dad, the promises he made. But Mark just dug in deeper, insisting that I was mistaken, that my father had never expected the money to be repaid. I knew he was lying, but I didn’t understand why. What had happened to the man I thought I knew?
Days turned into weeks, and Mark continued to deny the existence of the loan. I was stuck in the middle, torn between loyalty to my husband and the knowledge that my father had been wronged. I couldn’t stand the thought of my dad, who had worked so hard his whole life, losing $30,000 because of my husband’s betrayal.
Finally, I decided to confront my father. I sat down with him, heart pounding, and told him what had been happening. I expected him to be angry or disappointed, but to my surprise, he just smiled sadly and said, “I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t want to pressure you. I trusted Mark, but I also trust you. You’ll do what’s right.”
His quiet faith in me broke my heart. I knew then that I couldn’t let this go. I couldn’t let Mark get away with betraying my father’s trust, and I couldn’t let my dad lose that money without a fight. So, I came up with a plan.
I knew Mark’s biggest weakness was his pride. He loved the idea of being seen as successful, and he hated the thought of anyone knowing that he wasn’t doing as well as he pretended. So, I told him I was pregnant. It wasn’t true, of course, but I needed to push him into action. I told him we needed to start saving for the baby, that we couldn’t afford to keep delaying our financial obligations.
Mark panicked. Suddenly, he was scrambling to find money, selling off parts of his business, even borrowing from friends. He managed to come up with $50,000, thinking it was for our future child. But when he proudly showed me the money, I told him the truth.
I wasn’t pregnant. The money was going to my father to repay the loan, and the rest would be mine for the trouble he had caused.
Mark was furious, but there was nothing he could do. I handed the $30,000 to my father, and the remaining $20,000 I kept as compensation for the stress and heartache I had endured. I left Mark shortly after that, realizing that the man I had married wasn’t the person I thought he was.
In the end, my father got his money back, and I walked away from the marriage, wiser and stronger. The experience taught me a valuable lesson: trust is something that should never be taken for granted, and when someone breaks it, there are consequences. Mark may have thought he could lie his way out of the deal, but in the end, I made sure he paid the price.
A History of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s Playful Feud — As the Wolverine Actor Turns 56 Today!
The’ Deadpool & Wolverine’ costars and musketeers have kept up their funny faux feud over the times
Hugh Jackman turns 56 moment, and what better way to celebrate than to take a walk down memory lane and examine the history of his” feud” with pal Ryan Reynolds?
Way before they teamed up to make Deadpool & Wolverine, Jackman revealed the onsets of their frequently-hysterical dynamic in a 2020 interview with The Daily Beast.
” It’s gone back so long now God, this is a classic sign where your feud has gone too long, where you do not indeed know why or how it started,” he said.
More lately, when they saw one another on the set of Deadpool & Wolverine, “ You came over and you went,’ Steve!'” Jackman recalled in a PEOPLE cover story, in which he and Reynolds, 47, interview one another about their 17- time fellowship. Added Reynolds playfully, “ Greg? No, don’t tell me.”
As we celebrate the actor who perfected the part of Wolverine to a tee, then’s a timeline of the ongoing feud and badinage between Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds.
1. Scarlett Johansson might have had an unwitting hand in starting it.
Jackman told The Daily Beast it was Scarlett Johansson who might have started the feud, though he admitted to having trouble flashing back the origins at first.
The actor explained how he started teasing Reynolds over his recent( at the time) marriage to Johansson, 39. The two were married from 2008 to 2011 before Reynolds wed now- woman
Blake Lively in 2012.
“ I used to ream him because I was veritably close musketeers with Scarlett, and Scarlett had just married Ryan, so when he came on set I was like, ‘ Hey, you more be on your stylish behavior then, confidante, because I’m watching,’ and we started roasting each other that way, and also it all escalated with the Deadpool thing and him calling me out, and trying to manipulate me through social media to do what he wanted, ” Jackman explained.
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He putatively made their feud public in 2015 when he posted a videotape on his Instagram of Reynolds impersonating him — Australian accentuation and all — in his Deadpool makeup.
2. The feud originally substantially concentrated on Reynolds’ desire to make a Deadpool/ Wolverine film.
Since that time, Jackman and Reynolds, who met on the set of 2009’sX-Men Origins Wolverine, have continued their public trolling and set up ways to poke fun at one other on social media.
In January 2017, Reynolds made it clear he wanted to make a mashup movie featuring his Deadpool character with Jackman’s Wolverine.
Unfortunately for the Free Guy actor, Jackman hung up his Wolverine claws just months latterly in March with the release of Logan, his putatively final incursion as the ridiculous- book mutant. But that didn’t stop Reynolds, whose Deadpool & Wolverine dreams are now coming true.
“ I’ve no idea if I can change his mind, ” Reynolds told Variety of Jackman at the time. “ It’s the followership I would simply exploit that relationship to get Hugh back for another bone. ”
He echoed his statements to Entertainment Weekly latterly, saying, “ What we’re gonna have to do is move Hugh. However, I’m going to need to do what I can to get my internet musketeers back on board to help rally another cause down the line, If anything. ”
As Jackman told Variety, “ I’m scrupling. I could completely see how that’s the perfect fit. But the timing may be wrong. ”
3. Their capers have gauged times and included Christmases, birthdays and live performances.
Jackman and Reynolds have combed each other during the leaves and on each other’s birthdays.
Playing up on their hypercritically negative relationship in April 2018, Jackman tried to record a birthday communication for a addict on Twitter, only to be intruded by Reynolds’ Deadpool. As the actor started to record his well- wishes, Reynolds began singing in the background.
“ When you’re trying to record a sincere birthday communication. but are intruded by the least topmost showman, ” Jackman wrote on Twitter.
detracted by the song, he condemned the camera over to show Reynolds lying on a hostel bed in his full Deadpool costume, begirding “ hereafter” from Annie.
“ Don’t give him too important attention, ” Jackman said in the clip.
For Reynolds’ 42nd birthday, the brace had another ridiculous exchange on social media. Given the nature of their relationship, Jackman naturally celebrated his friend’s big day by trolling him.
“ Because I’m told that I AM THE NICEST joe and you’re NOT.@VancityReynolds I’ll let you clinch me. Just this formerly. On your birthday, ” he wrote alongside a picture of the brace embracing each other.
Reynolds snappily responded with a false claim. “ This man is a monster, ” he wrote. “ He’s not indeed from Australia. He’s from Milwaukee. ”
4. The brace putatively called a armistice.
In February 2019, Reynolds and Jackman announced on their respective social- media accounts that their friendly feud had officially come to an end.
As a way to mend their “ broken relationship, ” the two actors revealed their plans to make ads for each other’s companies — Reynolds’ Aviation Gin, Jackman’s Laughing Man Coffee — and, of course, each expected to out- do the other.
“ Official truce with@realhughjackman! ” Reynolds wrote alongside a black- and- white snapshot of the pair smiling as they shook hands. “ As a gesture of goodwill, I’m gonna make a beautiful ad for his company, Laughing Man Coffee. Can’t wait! ”
Jackman shared the same photo, captioning it, “ Official truce! I’m going to make the most amazing ad for Aviation Gin. And, look forward to seeing what@vancityreynolds comes up with in return. ”
Reynolds laterre-posted the same photo on his Instagram Stories from another user but it was edited to include a grenade in their hands, a pin from the explosive weapon in Reynolds’ mouth, and Jackman’s Wolverine claw behind his back in the mirror.
The spoof shot was captioned by Reynolds, “ Look closely. ”
5. They reignited their feud just months later.
It appears the two just could n’t stay away. That August, Reynolds and Jackman reignited the feud when the latter injured his hand during his one- man tour The Man. The Music. The Show.
“ The first time I’ve played#wolverine and, actually bled. Clearly, it’s@vancityreynolds fault, ” Jackman wrote over an image of a scratch on his knuckle. The bit reportedly included jokes about Reynolds and Jackman playing Wolverine.
Reynolds commented, “ I just do n’t think you’ve been practicing enough. ”
In 2020, Jackman wished his now- ex, Deborra- lee Jackman, a happy 24th anniversary in a heartfelt social- media communication.
“ These 24 times have been the stylish of my life! And, as far as I can see, we keep getting better, ” the actor identified a fogy image of himself and Deborra- lee, 68. “ I love you Debs with every fiber of my soul. Happy anniversary.# 24 ″
Reynolds used the anniversary post as an occasion to continue his ridiculous feud with Jackman. “ Hang in there, Deb, ” he teased in the commentary section on Instagram.
6. The jokes have expanded to include footwear.
Back in October 2021, Reynolds marked Jackman’s 53rd birthday by trolling theX-Men actor with a TikTok videotape of his socks which were published with Jackman’s face on them.
” Look I do not tell you how to celebrate Hugh Jackman’s birthday. So do not tell me,” he wrote, adding in the caption,” Socks to be Hugh.”
Jackman reposted Reynolds’ TikTok on his Instagram runner and addressed it in a videotape of his own, in which he thanked musketeers and suckers for their birthday wishes.
” I know there is been a lot of dispatches about Ryan’s post — him wearing socks with my face on them and wondering where you can get them,” the actor added, joking,” You can not get them anywhere because he made them himself, he stitched them himself.”
Jackman continued,” I know, it’s just really sad. But anyway, I guess you could ask him, he might darn you a brace or give you the bones he is been wearing.”
7. The actors have given true props to one another but the jokes are no way far out.
Jackman said that” a lot of people come up to” him talking about Reynolds.
” And I say,’ Shut up, I am not interested,'” he added, to which Reynolds responded with a laugh,” That tracks.”
But in soberness, Jackman told Reynolds that he believes him speaking about his experience with anxiety,” takes courage,” and has” helped a lot of people.”
And for Reynolds, the key to their fellowship, in part, is that they” calculate on each other for the real kind of advice that you want.”
8. Their friendly feud might have to do with Sexiest Man Alive.
During a common appearance on The View to promote Deadpool & Wolverine, the former Sexiest Man Alive titleholders recreated their covers after panelist Sara Haines suggested their beef might involve” contending covers.”
” Do not bring it up. We have done a lot of remedy,” Jackman fitted . still, he added that when the brace catch up, they” assume the disguise.”
” What am I doing there?” Reynolds asked of his cover before trying to casually lean back.” That is not comfortable.”
When John Legend was blazoned as PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2019, Jackman complimented the songster with a silly Instagram videotape exhibiting his own cover to a dismissive Reynolds.
” 99 of the time, People Magazine gets it right,” Jackman wrote in the caption before playfully dissing Reynolds.” But a word of caution. There’s the 1. exhibition A.”
9. They indeed beef in promotional material outside of Deadpool & Wolverine.
When Jackman took to social media to advertise a series of 12 musicales, named” From New York, with Love,” Reynolds naturally had to join him after their lengthy press stint.
Sitting on the same settee Reynolds used to reveal Jackman’s return as Wolverine, The Greatest Showman star unveiled his Radio City Music Hall shows before asking Reynolds if he wanted to come.
The Deadpool actor asked if he’d be a part of Jackman’s show, to which the star jokingly replied,” Absolutely!” to the camera, as he quietly signaled else.
” This is my time,” he rumored.
Following a loud montage of Jackman explaining his show and Reynolds putatively offering suggestions, Reynolds concluded,” I am not going to be in it?”
” On stage, no. But in my heart, yeah,” Jackman answered, stipulating that he needs his friend in the followership —( maybe indeed further down) and not in the factual show.
” It’s going to be the most amazing tech trial you have ever, ever been to,” Jackman joked.
” I have won the fellowship lottery,” Reynolds said with an undecided laugh.
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