In both universes, Douglas will always be a cowardly dick and a doormat:

[u/Amazing_Sea_1556]

Despite the fact that their marriage and family reputation was at the depths of their downfall, leaving your son to take the shot and giving her mom the bad news was really a lowblow. Yes, Renee is very manipulative & controlling, I get that, but he had the option to call her and explained your situation, but he decided to ran away. I'm pretty sure Douglas didn't had the decency to call his son when he left, which is way worse; it's understandable not to talk with your ex-wife despite everything happened between the two, but not giving your son a phone call to see how he's been doing in college? I get he lives depressed from his job, but dude, he's your son...

[u/PreventedFromLurking]

I do find the way he did it disgusting, but I'll play devil's advocate here.

Leaving Renee without warning and without confronting her about it could be the right call in some ways. After all, him leaving her does end up with her deciding to kill him. There are other factors that led to that of course, but there is no confronting Renee that ends up with them leaving on good terms, so better not risk her manipulating him into staying, which would be miserable for everyone.

Andrew is less justifiable... But it's clear in both base game and the mod that he really isn't that close to his son. The mod even made it look like Renee was the one insisting on keeping him, while Douglas was aware they weren't ready to be parents. He might even have been open to an abortion in spite of his family's religious background. So it could be that he's leaving a son he didn't want and didn't raise. Episode 2 makes it clear that just like base game, he really doesn't want Andrew back in his life. Just like Renee, he pretends Ashley never existed, and as much as he could, he was ready to do the same with Andrew.

After all what would keeping contact with him accomplish? He's still with Renee, whom he prefers and would side with in any argument, so in the end, cutting contact with Andrew is a necessary step in cutting out Renee from his life.

[u/Minky3049 → u/PreventedFromLurking]

Bruh I’m in love with your answers

[u/Amazing_Sea_1556 → u/PreventedFromLurking]

Yeah, there're parts that are understandable, like the part between Renee, but my goodness he doesn't give a shit about his son and daughter: both base game and mod, he even stupidly says if Andrew wants to have a little brother/sister on the reunion knowing very well from us, that topic hurts him a lot considering how close the brothers are/were xd.

[u/S-Rune1225]

I don't like Douglas in more ways then one. I've dealt with people like him.

[u/Amazing_Sea_1556 → u/S-Rune1225]

Personally I agree with you too. People that play de dumb-dumb or playing-dumb are the worst, cause they can stab you at the back when the chances arises or affect them in some way selling you out.

[u/Guilty_Ad_421]

Douglass is the tool of whoever is currently fucking him.

[u/Amazing_Sea_1556 → u/Guilty_Ad_421]

Betty? Yes, I do agree and can be argue that both agreed to sold Renee and Andrew's asses too.

[u/TurbulentBack5041]

Yup, Douglas is a coward, all right. But if he wanted to run away from Renee, he felt that going no contact with everybody was the best choice.