Reddit Stories - BETRAYED INNOCENCE_ UNVEILING the Sinister Plot Against My Child_

Episode Date: June 15, 2025

#redditstories #askreddit #aita #parenting #betrayal #family #truestory #dramaSummary: BETRAYED INNOCENCE_ UNVEILING the Sinister Plot Against My Child_ is a gripping tale of betrayal and deception within a family, revealing a sinister plot against an innocent child. As the truth unfolds, relationships are shattered, and the consequences of deceit are laid bare.Tags: redditstories, askreddit, reddit, aita, tifu, parenting, betrayal, family, truestory, drama, deception, relationships, innocence, sinisterplot, child, betrayalstory, familydrama, uncoveringtruth, emotionalrollercoaster, heartbreakingrevealBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/reddit-stories--6237355/support.

discovered that my former spouse's recent spouse was harassing our child when my young daughter refused to ask her to her birthday celebration, but then her boy ruined dessert by smashing it. My child's face. I, 32F, have a daughter, 9 going on 10F, with my ex-husband, 36M. We divorced when she was three, and it wasn't exactly on the best terms. Actually, it was pretty terrible, but I'll get to that. He ended up remarrying one of his co-workers pretty quickly after we split. I'll call her Melissa to keep things simple. They have a son together, 6M, who my daughter has to deal with whenever she's at her dad's place.

For some context, my daughter has always been a quiet kid. She's the type who will sit in the corner with a book rather than run around with other kids. Nothing wrong with that, I was the same way as a child. Her dad was always more outgoing, so I think he sometimes doesn't understand why she's not more. I don't know, social I guess. Melissa is also super extroverted and loud, which I think makes my daughter uncomfortable sometimes. So my daughter's birthday is coming up soon. The other day, I was sitting with her going through all the birthday stuff, the cake, and who she

wants to invite. We were making good progress until we got to the guest list part. I noticed she got really quiet and seemed anxious about something. At first I thought maybe she was worried about inviting some kid from school she doesn't get along with, or maybe she wanted to invite someone I don't approve of. But when I asked what was wrong, she hesitated for a while before telling me that she didn't want to invite Melissa. This caught me off guard because even though Melissa isn't my favorite person, obviously, I always thought she and my daughter got along okay.

At least, that's what my daughter always led me to believe when I asked about her time at her dads. I asked her why, and what she told me made my blood boil. Apparently, Melissa makes these weird passive-aggressive comments all the time when my ex isn't around or is busy with work. My daughter told me when Melissa picks her up from dance class, she'll say stuff to the other moms like that's why I prefer boys, girls only like pink and tutus right in front of my daughter. She's called my daughter a brat behind her back, but loud enough for her to hear. There was one time when my daughter didn't finish her dinner because she wasn't feeling well, and Melissa told her she was high maintenance and too picky for her own good.

The worst part is how she handles conflicts between my daughter and her half-brother. According to my daughter, whenever her half-brother does something to annoy her like breaking her toys or calling her names, Melissa always takes her son's side. She'll punish my daughter and let her son off with the boys will be boys' excuse or some other BS like that. My daughter told me about a time when her half-brother deliberately ripped a page out of her favorite book, and Melissa told her to stop making such a big deal out of it and that he's just a little boy who doesn't know any better. My daughter also mentioned something that happened a few weeks back when she was working on a school project at her dad's house. Her half-brother kept interrupting and wanting to play, and when she asked for some space to finish her work,

Melissa told her she was being selfish and needed to learn to share her time. The project ended up being late because she couldn't concentrate, and she got a lower grade than she usually does. When she tried to explain to her teacher why it was late, she was too embarrassed to tell the real reason and just said she forgot about it. I asked about her dad's reaction to all this, and apparently he's hardly ever around when it happens. He works from home but is always locked in his office on calls,

so Melissa pretty much has free reign to treat my daughter however she wants. My daughter never felt comfortable telling him because she said she doesn't want to make problems for her dad. It broke my heart. She's been keeping this all to herself because she's worried about her dad's happiness. What kind of burden is that to put on a nine-year-old? I thought about it overnight and decided that I wasn't going to force my daughter to have someone at her birthday that makes her uncomfortable. It's her day, after all. So I called my ex to let him know the date of the party.

I also wanted to discuss with him what our daughter had told me, but I never got the chance. I think I was on speakerphone because when I mentioned that Melissa wasn't invited, I suddenly heard her screaming in the background about how I'm trying to destroy her family and driving a wedge between her and her stepdaughter. My ex got all defensive too, saying I was being petty and using our daughter to get back at them for getting together. He even had the nerve to bring up something from years ago when I didn't invite his mother, to a school event because she had made some comments about my parenting.

That was completely different, his mother had criticized me to my face in front of other parents at a PDA meeting, and the school event was one where each kid could only have two guests anyway. For the record, yes, we divorced because he told me he had fallen in love with Melissa and wanted to confess. So yeah, there's that whole thing. He worked late all the time, and I later found out those late nights were spent with her. But that was years ago. and I've moved on. I ended the call with my ex because it was getting nowhere, and he was just offending Melissa without even asking why our daughter didn't want her there. He texted me later saying I was being unreasonable and that excluding Melissa would only create more division in the family.

I replied that it wasn't about him or Melissa or me, it was about our daughter and what would make her birthday special. He didn't respond after that. My sister thinks I should just invite Melissa to keep the peace, but I feel like that would be because betraying my daughter's trust. She finally opened up to me about something that's been bothering her, and I want her to know that I take her feeling seriously. My best friend says I'm doing the right thing by standing my ground, but she's never been a big fan of my ex-anyway, so I'm not sure if her opinion is biased. So, I'd for not inviting my ex-husband's wife to my daughter's birthday party because my daughter specifically asked me not to? Edit, I see a lot of people asking questions

in the comments, so let me clarify some things. My daughter's half-sibling is four years younger than her. My daughter was born in April, her half-brother was born in March the year after the divorce. He just turned six, and yes, we divorced because my ex-husband told me he was in love with Melissa and wanted to confess. I'm not making that up. He literally sat me down one night. He literally sat me down one night after I put our daughter to bed and told me he had developed feelings for someone at work and wanted to explore that relationship. When I asked if he was already seeing her, he admitted they had kissed once at a work event but sworn nothing else had happened yet. I found out later from a mutual friend that it had been going on for months, we have 50 to 50

custody, always have. We switch every week, Sunday to Sunday. It seems to work okay for our daughter, and she has her own room at both houses. My ex does have a busy job and works crazy hours. Even when we were married, he was always working later on weekends. I'm not saying Melissa is entirely to blame for his absence. He's always been a workaholic. For those asking about my relationship status, yes, I've dated since the divorce, but I'm currently single. Update, wow, didn't expect this to blow up like it did. Thanks for all the comments and support. Some of you were pretty harsh about my ex, but I get it. Some of you also said I should go straight to a lawyer and try to change our custody arrangement,

but I wanted to give him a chance to fix things first. A lot of you asked for an update, so here it is. So, a lot happened since my last post. First of all, I asked my ex to meet me for lunch alone, without Melissa. He agreed, which honestly surprised me. Maybe all the messages, wasn't serious about, me going to court scared him, I don't know. We met at this place near his office that we used to go to when we were still married. It was weird being there again with him, but whatever. I tried to be

as calm and factual as possible, even though I wanted to scream at him for being so oblivious. At first, he was super defensive and said our daughter was probably overreacting or misunderstanding things. He even suggested that maybe I had somehow coached her into saying these things, which made me want to throw my water in his face. I told him point-blank that even if that were somehow true, his relationship with his daughter was at serious risk here. I asked him if he was willing to risk losing his connection with her just to avoid confronting Melissa about her behavior.

That seemed to finally get through to him a little. I gave him a clear choice, fix the problem with Melissa or I'd go back to court for more custody. I didn't want to threaten that, but honestly I'll do whatever it takes to protect my daughter. He got quiet after that, and I could tell he was actually thinking about it instead of just dismissing everything I said. He promised he would talk to Melissa and pay more attention to how she interacts with our daughter. He also said he would try to be more present when our daughter is at their house, instead of always working. I told him I'd believe it when I saw it, but that I was

willing to give him a chance to make things right before involving lawyers. Last Friday when I went to pick up my daughter from his house, I pulled her aside and asked how to you. things had been. She told me that her dad had been spending a lot more time with her, picking her up from school and activities, helping with homework, actually playing with her instead of just working all the time. So that was something, at least. Then Melissa came up to me while my daughter was getting her stuff. She was acting all nice, which was weird because she's usually pretty cold to me. She said she accepted not going to the party but still wanted to see my daughter blow out candles on her actual birthday. She'd baked a cake and asked if it would be okay to do a small

thing before we left. I didn't want to cause a scene, and the fact that she was making an effort seemed positive, so I asked my daughter if she was okay with it. She nodded, though I could tell she wasn't thrilled about it. So we all gathered around this cake Melissa had made, my daughter, Melissa, my ex, and the half-brother. It was actually a pretty nice cake, which had daughter's favorite colors. I was starting to think maybe I had misjudged the situation and things were going to get better. Here's where things went to shit. When my daughter blew out the candles, her half-brother decided it would be hilarious to smash

my daughter's face right into the cake. I'm not even kidding. If this wasn't a six-year-old kid, I swear I would have lost it completely. Melissa and her son burst out laughing while my daughter was in tears with cake all over her face and hair. Her unicorn headband that she loves got broken in the process, and there was frosting all over her new sweater. The look on my daughter's face was heartbreaking, she was so humiliated and upset. Melissa had the audacity to tell my daughter she was being dramatic and emotional and needed to learn to take a joke. I was about to say something when my ex actually stepped in and

told his son that what he did was not okay. Melissa immediately got defensive and said he was just playing and my daughter was overreacting. We all started arguing, me, Melissa, and my ex. To my surprise, my ex actually took my side and told Melissa that she needed to apologize to our daughter for laughing and for dismissing her feelings. In the middle of all this, I realized my daughter had disappeared, so I went to find her. She was in the bathroom trying to clean cake out of her hair and crying silently. It broke my heart. I helped her get cleaned up as best I could, and we just left. I didn't even say goodbye to my ex or Melissa, I was too angry, and I knew if I stayed I would say things I might regret. She was still upset in the car, so I stopped for

ice cream and tried to cheer her up. I told her she didn't have to go back to her dads for a while if she didn't want to. She asked if that was allowed, and I said we would figure it out. I didn't want to put any more pressure on her by asking her to make big decisions, but I also wanted her to know she had options. The actual birthday party went okay the next day. She invited about ten kids from her class and a couple from her dance class. Her dad came without Melissa or the half-brother, which was for the best. He brought her a really nice gift.

During the party, I pulled my ex aside and told him I was serious about seeking more custody because of his wife's bullying. I mentioned the cake incident as further evidence that Melissa and her son have no respect for our daughter's feelings. He didn't argue with me this time, which was a first. He actually seemed worried, which made me think maybe he was finally taking this seriously. My daughter seemed to have a good time at her party, although I noticed she was quieter than usual. One of her friends asked about the half-brother, and I overheard my daughter saying she didn't want to talk about him.

I'm worried about the long-term effects all this might have on her. I've been thinking about finding her a therapist to talk to, but I'm not sure if that would make her feel like there's something wrong with her. I might ask her pediatrician for advice. Anyway, that's where things stand right now. I've started documenting everything, all the incidents my daughter has told me about, the cake thing, everything. Just in case I do need to go to court eventually.

I'm hoping it won't come to that. but I need to be prepared. I'll update again when there's more to share. Edit. Some people are asking about my daughter's reaction. My daughter is extremely shy and quiet. She doesn't really talk much except to me and her dad, and even then only have spoken to first unless it's about something she's really into like space

or unicorns or this book series she loves. When she gets upset, she doesn't throw tantrums or anything, she just goes completely silent and cries. That's what happened after the cake thing, she just started crying and went to the bathroom to be alone. It's always been her way of handling things that upset her. For those saying I should have confronted Melissa and her son right then and there, believe me, I wanted to.

But making a bigger scene would have only embarrassed my daughter more, and she was already upset enough. I chose to focus on her needs in that moment rather than my anger. And no, my daughter hasn't been diagnosed with anything like anxiety or depression, though I've sometimes wondered if she might have some mild social anxiety. She's always been reserved, even as a toddler. Her teachers say she's well-behaved and does great academically, but they've mentioned she could participate more in class discussions.

I don't want to label her or make her feel different, but maybe the therapist idea isn't so bad. Update 2, Hi Everyone. I saw a lot of you asking for another update, so here it is. Sorry it took a while, things have been pretty hectic around here. My daughter, after the cake incident, I sat down with her and asked some more detailed questions. I wanted to know if Melissa or her half-brother had ever laid hands on her before, played these kinds of pranks, or behaved inappropriately in any other way.

She told me no, explaining that the fights with her half-brother are mainly just him being annoying and getting in her space. Things like changing the TV channel when she's watching something, messing with her stuff, or making noise when she's trying to read. Typical little brother annoyances, but still frustrating for her, especially when Melissa always takes his side. I also asked if anyone else from either side of the family had ever made her feel uncomfortable, and again she said no. My ex's parents are actually pretty good with her, they take her out for special days sometimes and always remember her birthday and stuff.

My parents adore her and spoil her rotten, of course. Since my last post, she's been seeing a child psychiatrist twice a week. I took the advice of many commenters and found someone who specializes in children dealing with blended families. At first, my daughter was reluctant to go, but she seems to like the doctor now. They do art therapy or something, I'm not really sure of all the details because my daughter says their sessions are private. but she seems a little more confident after each visit, so I think it's helping. I didn't mention this earlier, but apparently the bullying from Melissa only really started

about two months ago. Before that, Melissa was never particularly warm to my daughter, but she wasn't openly hostile either. I don't know if it's related, though I strongly suspect it is, but it was around the time that Melissa had a miscarriage. My ex mentioned it in passing during a drop-off, but we didn't really discuss it. Not that it excuses her behavior at all, but it might explain the timing. Maybe she's taking out her grief and frustration on my daughter,

which is completely unacceptable but at least give some context to the sudden change. My daughter has been staying with me most of the time lately. She still sees her dad, but they usually go out somewhere together instead of her staying at his house. Last weekend they went to a science museum that had a special exhibit on space, and she came home really excited about it. She showed me all the pictures they took and talked nonstop about black holes and galaxies. It was nice to see. Me, to be completely honest, I feel like a terrible mom.

I didn't see any of the signs. My daughter was suffering and I had no clue. I keep thinking about all the time she came home from her dad's house and I asked her how it went, and she just said fine or okay. I should have pushed harder, asked more specific questions, paid more attention. to her moods. I'm doing everything I can to fix things now, but I can't help feeling I failed her. I've been talking to a lawyer friend of mine, not officially retaining her, just getting some advice about what my options are regarding custody. She says that without clear evidence of abuse,

it might be hard to get the current arrangement changed. The cake incident isn't enough on its own, though it does show poor judgment on Melissa's part. My daughter's testimony would matter, but the court would be careful about putting her in the middle of an adult conflict. So for now, I'm collecting information and keeping detailed records of everything, just in case. Work has been crazy too. I had to take some time off to deal with all this, and my boss has been understanding but I can tell he's getting a little impatient. I'm trying to balance everything, being there for my daughter, keeping up with work, dealing with my ex and the whole custody situation.

It's exhausting, honestly. Some nights I just cry after my daughter goes to bed because it all feels so overwhelming. My ex-husband, guessed who showed up at my door at 10 p.m. the other night? My ex called me, said he was outside and wanted to talk. I was already in my pajamas and about to go to bed, but I let him in any way. And because I don't trust him, I really don't, I recorded our conversation, with his consent, I'm not trying to get in legal trouble or anything. He looked terrible, like he hadn't seen him.

slept in days. He told me that since the birthday party, he's been thinking a lot about what to do. He said he had been watching Melissa more carefully, and he noticed things he hadn't picked up on before. The way she talked to our daughter, how she always favored her son, little comments she would make that seemed innocent but actually weren't. He said he felt like an idiot for not seeing it sooner. He finally told Melissa about my intention to seek more custody. According to him, her response was that it wasn't such a bad idea because my daughter wasn't fitting into their family dynamic anyway. They started arguing, and at one point, she just went off, cursing about me and my daughter. Apparently, I'm a sneaky bitch who's still bitter about her affair with my ex-husband.

She described my daughter as a spoiled, brady princess who needs correction. Then she gave him an ultimatum, he has to choose between which woman he loves the most. Seriously, who says stuff like that? It's not a competition between his child and his wife. They're totally different relationships. He said that's when it clicked for him. He left the house, drove around for a while, and ended up at my doorstep. He's staying at a friend's place now while he figures out what to do about his relationship with Melissa.

He seemed genuinely upset about the whole situation, and for the first time in years, I actually felt sorry for him. He kept saying he had failed our daughter and didn't know how to make it right. We talked for hours about our daughter, about our past, about what went wrong in our marriage. It was strange, not comfortable exactly, but less tense than our conversations have been in a long time. We agreed that our daughter will stay with me during the week and visit him on weekends for now. He suggested maybe taking her out, just the two of them, rather than having her stay at his house where she would have to deal with Melissa and her half-brother. I made it clear that if he gets back together with Melissa, I'm absolutely going forward with seeking full custody.

But if they split up, it would depend on his custody arrangement for his son, because I don't want that kid around my daughter anymore after what happened. He agreed to these terms, which surprised me. I guess he's finally putting our daughter first. Before he left, he asked me if I thought there was any way to repair Melissa's relationship with our daughter. I told him honestly that I didn't know, but that that he's. it would take a lot of work and genuine change on Melissa's part. She would need to recognize

what she's done wrong and make a real effort to be a better stepmother. I also said that our daughter might not be ready to forgive her right away or ever, and that he needed to respect that. He nodded and said he understood. The next day, he texted me to say, thank you for listening and that he was going to make things right. I'm not sure what that means exactly, but I guess we'll see. My daughter doesn't know about any of this yet. I don't want to get her hopes up or put any more pressure on her to manage adult relationships. When she's with her dad, she seems happy, so that's what matters for now. That's where things stand right now.

My daughter is doing a little better with the help of therapy. My ex is living separately from Melissa while he figures things out. I'm still documenting everything in keeping my options open regarding custody. Thanks for all the support and advice. It really helped me feel less alone in all this. I'll update again if anything major changes, but for now, I'm focusing on helping my daughter feel safe and loved.