Reddit Stories - ABANDONED at 10_ Raised by a REMARKABLE STRANGER - My Journey at 18_

Episode Date: September 4, 2025

#redditstories #askreddit #aita #abandoned #raisedbyastranger #foundfamily #selfdiscovery #lifejourneySummary:A gripping tale of being abandoned at 10 and raised by a remarkable stranger, unfolding the journey of self-discovery and finding a new family at 18. A narrative filled with challenges, growth, and unexpected connections that redefine the meaning of belonging.Tags:redditstories, askreddit, reddit, aita, tifu, abandoned, raisedbyastranger, foundfamily, selfdiscovery, lifejourney, family, relationships, emotional, personalgrowth, unexpectedconnections, belonging, resilience, comingofage, inspiringstory, heartwarmingBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/reddit-stories--6237355/support.

I hope you enjoy this story. Genetic parent left me at 10, thus I was brought up by a wonderful substitute. Now that I'm 18, she has returned, seeking to re-establish a connection after I received the inheritance of grandpa's estate. Greetings, all. My name is Daniela, 17F. I live with my surrogate mother, Sia, 45F. I consider her my actual mother instead of my biological mother who abandoned me when I was 10. My biological mother, Eli, 41F, and my father were in love.

However, their life goals were a bit different. Eli did not want to give birth, but my father desperately wanted to be a dad. Finally, they decided that they would just get a surrogate to deliver me. And that is exactly what happened. Throughout my childhood, my mother wasn't really present. Eli comes from a very rich family, so she just hired nannies for me who took care of me. On the other hand, I was the apple of my father's eye. He adored me and tried to spend as much time as he could with me while also being busy with work.

I remember missing him during the daytime when I had to spend time with my nanny instead of my family. We lived in a mansion owned by my grandpa, and it usually got lonely for me during the daytime. However, life became a whole lot more difficult when my dad got into a car crash when I was about eight. I remember Eli crying a lot and on one occasion I remember how she threw me out of the living room because I was annoying her. After my dad's death, everything was worse. I felt more alone than before. My mother soon moved on from my father. While I was stuck in the huge mansion my mother would go and party, buying herself expensive dresses and socializing. I felt very neglected, especially because my nannies weren't the most empathetic women either, and Eli didn't really care about how they treated me.

I guess I became too much of a burden to her by the age of 10 when I became more and more vocal about my horrible nanny who usually used to lock me in my room while she watched television in the other room. She rarely let me out to play and make friends, further causing me to feel lonely. My mother had had enough and she told me how much she regretted having such an annoying kid. I clearly remember her telling me that she should just get rid of me. And she did. Within two weeks a lady came up to pick me up. I had been very scared, but I remember not crying even once, but I really wanted to. I was scared that she would be mad like Eli if I cried in her presence. However, that woman changed my life. She made me

slowly come out of my shell and realized that feeling emotions out loud was completely normal and healthy. I found out that she was my surrogate mother, Sia. For the sake of her, of this post, I will call her Sia, instead of mom which I usually call her because she is my mother in every sense of the word. Sia was everything that Eli was not. She was warm, she was loving, and most importantly she liked having me around. It didn't take me long to start calling her mom, especially because I was love-starved at that point, and she was the first person to show me such love in two years ever since my dad's death. She played with me, she looked out for me. She even taught me how to cook, which is what I will be pursuing in my life.

She ignited the passion for cooking I currently have. She supports me in every aspect of my life even to this date. I remember that I first trusted her after she helped me assemble my books on the bookshelf she had gotten just for me. At my house with Eli, I had plenty of books and bookshelves, but with Sia, I realized their real worth. Sia wasn't rich, but later found out that Eli paid Sia money. monthly to take care of me and to keep her mouth shut about me. When it had been a few months

and I and Sia had started acting like actual mother and daughter, she had gone back to Eli to ask for my full-time custody. Eli had gotten rid of me without even batting an eye as if Sia had done her a favor by taking me away. We lived comfortably on Eli's money for almost eight years, until she tried to come back into my life. I had been home alone yesterday when Eli had shown up at my door. Initially, I hadn't recognized her at all, however, eventually I did. I didn't want to welcome her in but knew that Sia would be very disappointed if I did not greet a guest, even if the guest was someone I wasn't thrilled to see, with respect. I immediately called Sia to come over. In the time it took Sia to come over, I offered Eli Water while she looked around the house

with a disgusted look. I looked around with her, trying to see everything from her perspective. Our living room was rugged but homey. It was enough for me, Sia. It wasn't anything like Eli's living room in that mansion, but it was enough. By the time Sia arrived, I was feeling very uncomfortable with the woman who was actually my mother but had never treated me like her daughter. Eli demanded that I go back with her. The demand came so out of the blue that I took a step back. I was so confused and didn't understand where this sentiment was coming from.

But most importantly, I was afraid that Sia would give me back like Eli had abandoned me. I am ashamed of feeling that way as Sia immediately shot that offer down. She reminded Eli that she had handed over my custody to her, and in the eyes of the law, I was Sia's daughter. Eli says that she knows that she has signed those papers, but she wants me to come back. She readily offered Sia a hefty sum of money that I won't mention here. I and Sia were taken aback by Eli's emotionless behavior. Sia took a deep breath as if she was getting ready to talk to a toddler who was insisting on buying a toy they couldn't have. Sia told Eli that she had no rights to me and that she was not going to let me take me away from her whatever the amount of money she offered.

I felt so relieved when she made that clear to her. Eli stood determined and said that it wasn't her decision to make and round it on me. I was furious when she asked me if I would like to return with her as if she had ever shown me any kind of love. I screamed that no, I would not wish to come back to her, she treated me so badly. She tried to convince me that she had a lot of money and I would live in comfort if I chose to come with her. I told her that if she thought that it would convince me to go with her, she was crazy and knew nothing about family. Eli sighed as if we both were being unreasonable and told us that she would leave her mobile

number behind for when we changed our mind. She also mentioned that the money she was offering was negotiable. Can you believe the audacity of my biological mother? What a bitch. How dare she just show up at my house a few months before my birthday and she treated me without any emotions too? Like I was just a minor annoyance she wished not to have to deal with, but that doesn't make sense, because if that were true, why would she be here at all? What were her real motives? Does she really want to reconnect or feel guilty for abandoning me? Honestly, if that were true, I don't think I would return back with her. I love Sia too much, she is my mother.

I have seen her reading college pamphlets for culinary arts behind my back. She was the one trying to get me a job at a restaurant that her friend owned. What I mean is that she is the one who supported me in every conceivable manner. I cannot imagine ever thinking of my biological mother as my real mother. Sia is my real mother in ways that actually matter. Should I be wary of Eli's motives? I wonder what made her show up like that. I am curious, and I hate myself for it.

It makes me feel like I am betraying Sia in some way. I feel so guilty for even harboring these feelings. Update hello everyone, this is Daniela again. I am here with an update. It has been a week since my biological mom showed up asking for my surrogate mom, who is in all ways my actual mom, to give me back to her. She again showed up, but this time she told me not to call Sia. She claimed that she wished to talk to me face to face.

I wasn't sure what to do, but I reluctantly let her in and didn't try to get in touch with Sia. I wasn't sure what the protocols were for such a weird and uncomfortable situation, so I was relieved when Eli took over the conversation. She told me that she had missed me. All her hostile behavior and superiority were gone at this moment. She sounded calm and collected, and like she meant everything this almost made me lean forward to hear everything she had to say to me. She claimed she understood that she was a horrible mother to me, that Sia was probably better than her, so why would Elle ever wish to return to her? But she begged me to reconsider at least reconnecting with her.

She claimed that she just wants to be a mother to me like she never was in my childhood, she wishes for another chance. I wasn't sure how to react to that, so I remained silent. She took that as a no inside. Eli said that I don't have to decide right now, I don't even have to decide to move back with her and be her daughter. She just asked me to let her reconnect with her and go over the past and the relationship she messed up with me. She invited me to a dinner.

She told me to keep it a secret from Sia because she understood that she might not like me hanging out with her, so if I had to keep it a secret she would understand. She just wishes to spend some time with me. I told her that I would think about it. And the truth is that I am curious. Even though there is a part of me that hates me for being curious. But I can't stop thinking about the what-ifs. I know Sia treated me well, and I am not thinking about replacing her.

No wealth in the world would ever make me leave her. But I want to see what happens with Eli, after all, she is actually my mother. I might never consider her as my real mother, but we do share DNA. damn I even look like her. So, I texted Eli that I would come over. She immediately sent me the address and the date and time. I have even come up with an excuse to give to Sia. I will tell her that I'm going over to dinner with a bunch of friends. My best friend would even lie to her if I tell her and Sia calls. I don't think Sia would be suspicious because I hang out like this with my friends all the time. Update hello everyone. This is Daniela again. Today,

I went to my biological mother's mansion, and to my surprise it was supposed to be a family dinner. Even my grandpa, Tobias, 72M, was there. I don't remember meeting him for about a decade. I was overcome with emotion when I saw him and he saw me. He embraced me immediately. I remember him carrying me on his shoulders when I visited him. There were a few uncles and aunts at the dinner as well. I didn't completely remember them, but I could remember flashes of them in my memories. However, they all talked to me very normally, which I found absurd. I had initially thought that they were embarrassed that I had been abandoned by the family. But then Eli started making up lies about how I was about to start university for business studies and how she was proud of me. That's when I realized that

no one on the table except for me and Eli knew that I had been abandoned when I was 10. When an aunt from across from the table asked about my schooling, Eli interrupted from my side. Apparently, she had told her family that I had been at a boarding school abroad for the past eight years. This all made me so uncomfortable and disgusted by her, but I just wanted to leave and maybe cry. I think a cousin of mine, Brianna, 18F, realized that I was getting overwhelmed by everything and so she asked me if I would like to come to the backyard. I nodded and followed her out to the pool to take a breath. The mansion was huge, even bigger than what I remember from my childhood. The garden itself was huge and led to a tennis court and a swimming pool side by side.

It's hard to imagine why anyone would like to live in this huge house alone. Eli doesn't seem to have a partner, or at least she hasn't introduced them to me, so I'm assuming that she lives here alone with some help. Brianna told me that I was so lucky to be living here. I didn't know what to say, so I'll asked what she meant by Lucky. She said that Tobias was going to give the mansion to Eli because he wanted to give the mansion to someone with an heir and he had already let Eli and me stay here after her marriage to my father. He wanted to give the mansion to someone with an heir so that the estate would continue to be inherited by future generations. That's when I realized that

Eli was pretending that everything was fine because she wanted to pretend that she still had my rights. I wasn't her heir anymore, so she wouldn't be able to inherit the mansion after Tobias' death. When Eli was married to my dad, Grandpa gave them the estate to her, so they could build a family there. As Grandpa's health was deteriorating, he wanted to finalize his will and so in the past weeks, he had called a family meeting. He asked Eli where I was, as no one had heard about me for eight years. Eli lied and said that I was out of the country for studies. Grandpa announced that he was glad to leave the estate with Eli since she was a single parent and said they'd be coming over for a family dinner to meet me. This realization made me feel so used and angry. It was clear that once

Eli got the estate, she had no intentions of wishing to reconnect with me. She just wants to use me to get the mansion. And I plan to not let that happen. Update, hey guys, this is Daniela again. I did something about my biological mother's greed today. Let me catch you up about what happened since I returned until today. Last week when I came back home, Sia could tell that something was wrong. I tried to hide everything, but she's so warm and gentle as if she was afraid that I would run away or something. And I burst out crying and telling her everything I had found out that evening. I was shocked to find out that she wasn't mad at me. She revealed that she would

have let me go on dinner with Eli if I had only asked her. I told her everything, from my realization to my regret of ever going to the dinner with Eli. If I hadn't shown up, Tobias would have been suspicious and asked about me, and maybe he wouldn't have given the estate to Eli. And I wouldn't have felt the way I did that day, used and then discarded. I begged Sia to tell me if she knew where Tobias lived. I told her about my wish to set the record straight and tell my grandfather about Eli's truth. She was reluctant in the beginning, but I was adamant and she agreed. She told me that she had once gone to his estate to meet Tobias at his request. She kind of remembered where it was, however, it had been 18 years, so she wasn't really sure. I was eager to take the chance and we

decided to go next weekend. Today, Sia drove me to where she had gone to meet Tobias. Once she parked in front of the car, she was sure that this was where he lived. I also saw the last name displayed on the gate and knew that I was in the right place. She stayed in the car and told me that she would wait for me while I went in. Tobias was shocked to find me there. He was looking at the backyard in his wheelchair and didn't know of my arrival. He smiled at me kindly and said that I had just met him on a bad day, that's it. I think he was trying to reassure me that he was all right. He doted on me a bit, asking me if I could like something to drink, and then he forced his guard to get me my favorite candy when I was a kid. Coincidentally, it was still my favorite candy. I think

he was just glad that someone had come to ask after him. I don't think many of his family do that for him often. I took a deep breath before I told him that I was there for a reason. I revealed that Eli wasn't my guardian. He was confused and I told him that she had signed my rights to my surrogate mother, Sia, eight years ago and abandoned me. He was shocked to find that out and insisted that she hadn't done any such thing. She had sent me abroad. I told him that I was here with Sia who was waiting for me just outside the house. He was quiet for a long time and I didn't know what else to do. So, I stood up and bid him goodbye. As I was walking towards the door, he asked if I would ever come over again. I asked him if he would like that, and he said that he would

love to see me come over. We parted with smiles on our faces and a promise to meet again the next weekend. He even promised that he would be a better host that day and walk me around the house and everything. Now that I am home, I am glad that I went over. Even if nothing comes of it, I am glad that I am in touch with someone from my blood family. I would love to reconnect with my grandfather and I can't wait for him to give me a tour of his house. Update hey everyone, it's Daniela here again. A few months have passed since I reconnected with my grandfather. Three months ago, I went back to my grandpas and he gave me a house tour and we had a great time.

ever since I started going to his house every weekend. I turned 18 at this time and my grandpa gave me a car after asking Sia if he could. I was delighted and promised him that I would drive it to him every weekend, and I did. I drove the car he gave me to his house to spend time with him. However, in these three months, I saw his health deteriorate weekly. Within the first month of going over, he became wheelchair bound permanently. In the last few weeks, he was Bedridden and could only talk and move his hands. The last time I saw him was a week ago, and he was in a terrible condition.

He could barely keep his eyes open. I remember feeling hopeless as I had started to care about him a lot. He was my only blood family who actually cared about me. I spent that day reading him my favorite book, hoping that he could hear me or at least feel that I was there. I went back promising him that I would return the next day. even though it was a Monday. However, that night he had to be taken to the hospital and I wasn't allowed to meet him. He died two days later and his son, my uncle, was there with him. Today was his

funeral and I had come too. I was a mess and crying nonstop over Cia's shoulder. Tobias had really touched my soul in the last three months. I just wish I had known him this deeply for longer. I just couldn't stop thinking about the time I didn't have with him because of the Eli. I hated seeing her fake her tears at the podium, maybe she wasn't faking it, but I still felt bitter in regards to her. When we went back home, his lawyer was to read The Will. I only went back because I wanted to be in his house for one last time. I didn't think I would be allowed to this house after today, so I tagged along. However, the contents of the Will were really astonishing and I'm glad I stuck around. The lawyer announced that I had inherited Eli's

mansion. Eli had been shocked and asked what the lawyer meant. The lawyer told her to be patient, he would get to her. Tobias tortured Eli by not mentioning her until the very last. Tobias left all of his kids and their kids with something, and by the end, everyone was crying. And now it was Eli's turn. The lawyer pulled out another little envelope for Eli and started reciting it. It was a letter written by Tobias to Eli scolding her for her greed. The lawyer announced how Eli had abandoned me because she didn't want to take care of me, and when Tobias had put a condition of having an heir in order to inherit the big mansion, Eli had pretended that she still had my rights.

Eli got very angry and turned to physically assault me because she had realized that I had told him the truth. However, the guard of Grandpa's house was nearby and immediately threw her off me even before she could get to me. Eli screamed at me for ruining her life plans. I stayed quiet as the rest of the family gave her dirty looks. The guard let Eli out while she was screaming. While she was being let out, the lawyer told her that she needed to clear out the house within this month itself for me to move in.

The whole family apologized to me for not knowing that Eli had done this to me. But I couldn't take this any longer and snuck out of the house with Sia. I feel so happy that Tobias hadn't ignored what I had said to him. He had taken me seriously, and he had done something about it. Update hello everyone, it's Daniela. I think this will be my last update. It has been five months since Tobias what was read.

He had given me his biggest mansion where my biological mother had been living while Eli got nothing. Eli hadn't left the house by the end of the month and the lawyer had to call the cops on her and forced her to leave. I don't know where she went and I didn't try to find out either. For all I care she could be homeless and I wouldn't care a bit. I have grown a bit closer to a few of my cousins over time. We have been following each other and texting on social media and met a couple of times.

I think my uncles and aunts just feel guilty that I was abandoned and put their kids to reconnect with me. I think I feel grateful that they are showing that they care about me. I have also moved into the mansion with Sia. When I am with her in the huge house, it doesn't seem so frightening. We have changed most of the furnishings with the money which was also in-harm. after my grandfather's death. I miss him dearly, I wish I could have thanked him for everything he did for me. Anyway, I have started college for culinary arts, and it's near my new mansion which is great because Sia isn't left alone in that huge house like I was when I was a kid.

Eli came over once to beg me to let her stay in her house. I reminded her that this wasn't her house. It was my house and I lived here with my real mother. She again tried to manipulate me by talking about reconnecting, but I had had enough of her lies and kicked her out of the house and warned her to never show her face to me. I think that's it. Sia and I have been living happily in the mansion and life is going great. I am currently working towards getting an internship at my dream restaurant. Thank you for reading when I felt like venting. Thank you for the advice you guys gave me at every step.