I've been married once before, and frankly, I have no desire to do it again. I married for love, but the disillusionment set in fast. All I got from my husband was constant criticism and belittling. Once we split, I decided that was it for marriage; from then on, men were strictly for physical health and recreation. An interesting situation cropped up recently that I'm still trying to wrap my head around. When you're a woman who doesn't want a ring and you're upfront about it, not every guy takes it well. Some men just can't handle a woman calling ...

Hello. I've decided to write this because I simply can't keep it bottled up inside anymore. I've been married for several years now. We have three children; the oldest is eight. As it happens, our family doesn't have a place of our own. I'm the only one bringing in a steady paycheck, and it isn't much. I can't seem to save enough to even rent a decent apartment. My aunt, Sarah, took us in. She felt sorry for the kids, so she's letting us stay as long as we need to. Don't get me wrong, my husband, Mark, works too, ...

I got a job as a bartender at a nightclub through a friend of mine. At first, everything was great; I was happy with the pay and the schedule. But after a while, I realized the money I was making wasn't actually that much—especially compared to what the girls dancing on the weekends were pulling in. The customers were incredibly generous with them—gifts, flowers, and hundred-dollar bills tucked into their lace... "I'm living in a rented studio, I can't afford any new clothes... this isn't a life, it's just scraping by," I complained one evening to one of the dancers. ...

I got married a few years ago. From the very start, my future husband made one thing clear: we had to live with his mother. They have a small two-bedroom apartment; his father isn't in the picture, and Mark is her only child. I didn't fight it at first. I figured having an experienced woman around would be a help. In the beginning, that was actually true. We weren't exactly best friends, but we got along well enough. Then I got pregnant. When I was struggling with terrible morning sickness, instead of offering support or a helping hand, my mother-in-law ...

Good afternoon! I really love this column; I read it all the time and truly feel for the people who share their stories. That's why I decided to write in, hoping that at least someone out there won't judge me. Honestly, I don't feel like I've done anything terrible, but I know society tends to see things differently. So, here goes! I graduated from college a year ago and landed a job teaching at a local high school. Objectively speaking, I'm quite attractive, so I've never really had trouble with the opposite sex. I teach English, which I think adds ...