DEAR ABBY: I'm a supervisor at my job and have feelings for a married man who also works here. He's lonely and looks to me for attention, companionship, sex and to listen to his troubles. We have only had sex once, but I know I cannot continue this "relationship."

It breaks my heart because I care for him deeply, and IF he was single, this is someone I could actually have a relationship with. I have already told him I won't accept any more of his offers to walk me home, and to quit texting me. He's open with his wife regarding dating other people. It seems she's also "talking" to another man outside of their marriage.

Am I delusional to think he will leave her for me? Would he have the same problems with me that he has with her? He has difficulty expressing his emotions, but I think he still loves his wife. I know their marriage is broken, and it's not my job to fix it for them or to push him to choose me over her. It should not have to be this way.

Please, I would appreciate any advice you can offer. By the way, I'm also married, but my husband lives 7,000 miles away. After seven years, his immigration status still needs to be resolved. I'll probably ask him for a divorce because, even though I care about him, I'm no longer in love with the man I married. He knows I have been dating someone because I told him. -- IN KNOTS IN NEW YORK

DEAR IN KNOTS: You didn't mention whether there are policies in your business about fraternizing, but if there are, then what you have been doing could get you fired. You have already started disengaging from this office romance, so please continue to do that.

Because of the unique circumstances of your marriage, you have some serious decisions to make. Do not drag your co-worker into it. IF there is the possibility of a future with him, he also needs to decide if he is satisfied with the status quo before making any other commitments. I know you are lonely, but for your sake and his, back off.

DEAR ABBY: My husband of more than 20 years has taken to hiding decorative accessories that he doesn't like. An example: A designer bowl set packaged in a box suddenly disappeared from the cupboard. The plug-in air freshener from my home office also went missing. A lamp I moved from the living room to the foyer appeared on my bookcase two hours later. My complaints fall on deaf ears. His favorite coffee mug and iPad are about to mysteriously vanish. Can you talk some sense into him? -- HIDE AND SEEK IN GEORGIA

DEAR HIDE: Is this recent behavior, or has your husband been hiding things all during your marriage? If it's recent, your husband may need a medical checkup, because what you are describing can be a symptom of dementia. If he's mentally fit, you two need to work on sharpening your communication skills and, perhaps, agree that before any more items are brought into the home the two of you share, they're not something either of you will hate.

DEAR ABBY: We married and had children very late in life, so our children are by far the youngest in our extended family. When they graduated from high school, we tried to throw a party (with the many relatives on my partner's side and a small number of mine), but only three people could come. There could have been 50.

Some of my partner's siblings were going away for the weekend, some had grandchild sports events (baseball games), and my own sibling was babysitting and therefore could stop in for only a few minutes. Needless to say, we had faithfully attended each and every event in the family up to this point, but no one felt the urge to help us celebrate when it was our turn.

Our kids have been ignored now that our siblings' grandkids have arrived. This is not the only story I could tell like this; I could write a book. Consequently, we've decided that because our kids have been ignored, we will not celebrate the next generation's events. Our relatives seem puzzled that we're not as enthralled with the preschool graduations and first birthdays of their grandkids, but, hey, where were they?

Funny thing is, they seem to believe my adult children didn't notice they were being ignored. They have little interaction with the "loving" relatives who snubbed them. Are we wrong to feel this way? -- MIFFED IN THE MIDWEST

DEAR MIFFED: No, you are human. However, more honest communication with these relatives when it was happening might have averted the schism created by their self-centered behavior. Your situation is regrettable, but I can't blame your children -- or you -- for feeling the way you all do.

DEAR ABBY: I am a grieving mother. My only son was murdered six months ago. He was 36 years old. I had no insurance, and I'm making payments to pay the costs of the funeral home. I would love a tombstone for his grave and found one for $1,500.

My life will never be the same. I know I need to see a counselor because this has gotten the best of me and I don't know how to move forward. On top of that, my sister died two months ago and I can't sleep. Please help me. -- SAD IN SOUTH CAROLINA

DEAR SAD: I am so sorry for the tragic loss of not only your beloved son, but also your sister. A tombstone for your son's grave may have to wait, because it is most important that you make an effort to take care of yourself for a while.

If you haven't joined a grief support group, please consider it. There is also a support group, the National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children (pomc.org), that can provide you the emotional support you need. If you have a physician, it's important that you inform them about your sleep problems. Considering the double dose of trauma you have experienced, your doctor shouldn't be surprised and may be able to provide medication to help. Please write again and let me know how you are doing. I care.

DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend has this bad habit when we meet new people. It can range from a neighbor to someone like our landlord. During the course of a conversation, he'll lie and exaggerate certain facts about his life, our life or something more sensitive, such as our financial situation (which, might I add, is not good).

It bothers me, because I'm an honest person who finds no reason to lie to people I meet. If it's a subject I don't want to discuss, I keep my mouth shut. An example: He told our neighbors we would consider buying the house we currently rent, but that our mortgage company would need to approve us for $40,000 more. The truth is, we can't get approved for any mortgage because our debt is too high.

In the moment, it's hard for me to determine if I should "play along," casually (or firmly) redirect the conversation or correct him. I don't like leading people to believe something that isn't true. He has lied to me about some serious matters in the past. I'm sure his purpose isn't malicious, but it makes me uncomfortable. If I try to address it with him, he blows me off like it's not a problem.

How should I handle these situations in the future? It makes it hard to make new friends when we're not being honest from the start. -- TRUTHFUL IN MASSACHUSETTS

DEAR TRUTHFUL: Your boyfriend's difficulty with the truth is a huge red flag. He dismisses your concerns because they are not important to him -- just as the truth is not important to him. I am relieved you described him as your boyfriend and not your husband. What he is doing will have an impact on your future -- financially and socially -- when folks start to recognize he is a phony. My advice to you is to end this romance before your own credibility suffers.

DEAR ABBY: A few years ago, I bought my mother-in-law a 9-by-13-inch pan with a lid (a popular name brand). While I was visiting her, she mentioned that she needed a new lid for her pan. When I asked her what happened to the original lid, she told me it had gotten warped. My sister-in-law then piped up and said it was her fault because she had it close to the hot oven and it had melted.

I think my sister-in-law should replace the lid, but she is refusing. My mother-in-law expects me to do it. Please help me figure this out. My husband thinks we should just replace it, but I honestly think his sister should. -- HER FAULT IN THE EAST

DEAR HER FAULT: You may honestly think that your sister-in-law should replace the lid she ruined (an opinion with which I concur, by the way), but it ain't gonna happen. So keep peace in the family by ordering a new one for your MIL, and try to smile when you do it, even if it's more like a grimace.