My ex's wife is making my life hell. My sons live with each of us 50% so I still have to be civil to my ex and his new wife. However she is a very dominant person and nothing my kids or I do is ever right, and are told so. I am a quiet person and just want to get on with my life, but she seems determined to compete with me over various things but at the moment it is my ex sister-in-law. Let me take you back a moment to explain. My ex's sister-in-law and I spent many years as friends in a small country town where she and I were among only a handful of youths our age. I happened to marry her brother and 18 yrs later were divorced. Now the new wife of my ex insists that I don't attend invitations from my friend as I now have no right to see the family now that the marriage is over. I feel I am in a pickle. Do I back away (I don't attend other family functions, only if they are a direct invitation from the ex-sister-in-law). Do I offend the friend by not attending? I feel whatever I do its not right. Any advice would be welcome.

Tell you ex to tell his wife to back the heck off.

You don't attend family functions--you attend events you are invited to by your friend, and you've been friends with her longer than you were married to your ex.

Keep doing what you're doing.

If you want, you might mention it to your friend--that the new wife is insisting you don't belong at functions your friend invites you to. Bet your friend tells the new wife to stuff herself.