Reddit Stories - FATHER'S recent spouse REQUIRED me to rest in a STORAGE area for a

Episode Date: July 5, 2025

#redditstories #askreddit #aita #relationships #familydrama #storage #stepmother #conflictSummary: My father's recent spouse required me to rest in a storage area for a night. Feeling disrespected and uncomfortable, I questioned her motives and confronted my father about the situation, leading to a tense family confrontation.Tags: redditstories, askreddit, reddit, aita, tifu, familyconflict, stepmotherissues, storagearea, familydrama, relationshipproblems, disrespectfulbehavior, uncomfortablesituation, familyconfrontation, tensefamilydynamics, familydispute, familycommunication, familybonding, familyconflictresolution, stepmotherdrama, familyunityBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/reddit-stories--6237355/support.

I hope you enjoy this story. Father's recent spouse required me to rest in a storage area for a span of two years as her offspring obtained the sleeping quarters in my father's residence, hence, I solely extended an invitation to my father. My graduation and not her she had a complete meltdown. Hi Reddit. I, 18F, am about to graduate high school, and something has come up with my dad's wife, Chelsea, 40SF, that has led to a huge fight.

I need to know if I'm the wrong here. Some background, my parents divorced when I was young. I lived with my dad. We had a decent three-bedroom house. My dad had the master bedroom, I had a good-sized bedroom, and we had a smaller guest bedroom. It was fine. When I was 15, my dad remarried. His new wife, Chelsea, has two kids from her previous marriage, Dean, who was 16 at the time, so a year year older than me, and Nora, who was 13 at the time. When Chelsea and her kids were about to move in, the discussion about rooms came up. Chelsea had a lot of ideas about how things should be. She said that since Dean was older and a boy, he should have a larger room, so she suggested he take my bedroom. She said Nora, being a young girl, needed a nice, comfortable space, so she should get the guest room. Chelsea and my dad would share the master bedroom. This arrangement left me without a room in the house.

My dad looked a bit uncomfortable when this was laid out. I remember him shifting his weight not looking at me. Chelsea then brightly suggested that I could move into the garage. She said it would be like my own private apartment or a cool den for a teenager. She told my dad they could fix it up, put some stuff out there, and it would be great. My dad, who usually avoids conflict, especially with Chelsea, eventually agreed. He told me it might be fun, like having my own space. The fixing up of the garage was very minimal.

They put down an old rug from the attic over the concrete floor. They moved a worn-out couch, a small, wobbly desk, and an old bookshelf out there. For heating in winter, I got a small electric space heater. For cooling in summer, a cheap box fan. That was it. It was still very much a garage. It was detached from the house, so I had to go outside to get to the bathroom or kitchen. It wasn't insulated properly.

In the winter, it was freezing cold. The space heater barely made a dent, especially on really cold nights. I could see my breath. In the summer, it was stifling hot, like an oven. The fan just moved hot air around. There were spiders everywhere, cobwebs I was constantly clearing, and sometimes it smelled like old oil or gasoline from when my dad used to work on his car in there years ago. I complained to my dad several times.

I told him it was too cold, or too hot, or that I found a spider in my shoe. He would usually say something like, give it time, it'll get better, or Chelsea is trying her best to make this work for everyone. he'd say, it's character building. Chelsea, if she overheard or if my dad mentioned my complaints, would tell me I was being ungrateful. She'd say things like, you have your own big space all to yourself, some kids would love that, or Dean and Nora are sharing the house with everyone, you get peace and quiet. I did reply something like you or your family should stay there instead if it's so lovely, for which I was grounded for a week. Meanwhile, Dean and Nora got their rooms

inside the house decorated. Chelsea took them shopping for new bedding, new curtains, posters, and even some new furniture. Their rooms looked nice and comfortable. My garage space stayed the same, with its peeling paint on the walls and the draft coming in under the garage door. I felt very isolated. Family meals, which used to be a regular thing with just me and dad, became less frequent. When they did happen, Chelsea would often make comments about me emerging from my cave. Sometimes, if I was studying or just trying to stay warm in the garage, I'd miss out on dinner, and Chelsea would say I was being antisocial. Often, I ended up eating alone in the garage, heating up leftovers in the microwave in the kitchen and taking them out. My schoolwork started to

suffer. It was hard to concentrate in the garage. In winter, my hands would be too cold to type or write properly. In summer, the heat made me feel tired and sluggish. The single bare bulb hanging from the ceiling wasn't great for studying either. There were other things too. Chelsea would often take Dean and Nora out for ice cream or to the movies and not invite me. If I asked, she'd say it was their special time or that she thought I'd prefer to be in my den. The chores were also uneven. Chelsea would say that since I had fewer responsibilities in the house, I should do more of the yard work or take out the trash for everyone, even though the bins were closer to the main house. The worst specific incident, the one that I keep replaying in my head,

happened about a year after I moved into the garage. It was the middle of winter, one of those really bitter cold snaps. My small space heater, which was old to begin with, finally broke. It just stopped working. I tried everything, but it was dead. The garage got incredibly cold, fast. I piled on all the blankets I had, wore a hat and gloves to bed, but I was shivering uncontrollably. I couldn't sleep. After a few hours of misery, I couldn't take it anymore. I quietly went into the main house and curled up on the living room couch with a couple of blankets I found in the hall closet. I just wanted to get through the night without freezing. The next morning, Chelsea came downstairs and found me. She didn't ask if I was okay.

She immediately got angry. Her voice was sharp when she asked what I was doing there. Before I could fully explain about the heater, she started accusing me of trying to cause trouble. She raised her voice, yelling that I was being dramatic and that I probably broke the heater myself just to make a scene. She said I was always trying to make her look like a bad stepmother. Her face was red, and she was standing over me while I was still groggy on the couch. My dad came downstairs then, woken up by the yelling. Chelsea immediately turned to him, her voice becoming tearful and high-pitched.

She told him I was sneaking around the house and trying to make everyone uncomfortable. She started crying, actual tears streaming down her face, saying that I hated her and that I was deliberately trying to ruin their family. My dad looked exhausted. He listened to Chelsea, then he looked at me. He didn't ask about the heater. He just told me to go back to the garage. He said they would sort out the heater later. His voice was flat. Then he told me to stop upsetting Chelsea. That's when I lost it.

I jumped up from the couch. I was cold, tired, and felt completely betrayed. I screamed at him. I yelled, I'm freezing. Don't you even care? I yelled that the garage was unlivable and that he knew it. I screamed that he always took Chelsea's side, no matter what. I think I yelled something like,

she's horrible and you let her treat me like dirt, and you don't care about me at all. Chelsea started screaming back at me then. She called me an ungrateful brat and a liar. She stepped forward and pointed her finger right in my face and said I was lucky to have a roof over my head at all. My dad moved between us, but he was mostly facing me. He told me to calm down and show some respect to

Chelsea. He said I was overreacting and that the garage wasn't that bad. I was crying by then, from cold and anger and just feeling hopeless. I refused to apologize to Chelsea when my dad told me to. He then told me to go to the garage and wait there until he could talk to me. I went. I was still shivering. The broken space heater sat there, useless. It took them two days to get me a new one, another cheap, barely adequate model. For those two nights, I slept in multiple layers of clothes, wearing my winter coat and hat, and was still cold. The next two years in that garage were more of the same. I basically retreated there. I avoided Chelsea as much as possible. My relationship with my dad became very strained. He would try to talk to me sometimes,

usually when Chelsea wasn't around, but it always felt like he was trying to get me to apologize to Chelsea or to understand her side. He never really acknowledged how bad the garage situation was for me. He'd say things like, Chelsea is just trying to blend the family, or you need to meet her halfway. Now, fast forward to the present. I'm 18. I'm graduating high school in a few weeks. I've been working a part-time job and saving every penny I can so I can move out as soon as I graduate. The living situation hasn't changed. I'm still in the garage. My school gives out a limited number of tickets for the graduation ceremony. I have enough for two guests. My mom lives in another state. Our relationship is a bit complicated

due to distance and her own past issues, but she has always been supportive in her own way and she definitely wants to come to my graduation. So, one ticket is for her. The other ticket, I plan to give to my dad. A few days ago, my dad asked about the graduation. graduation plans. I told him I had a ticket for him and one for mom. He then said, Okay, and what about Chelsea's ticket? We'll need one for her too. I took a breath and told him, Chelsea isn't invited. I only have two tickets, and they are for you and mom. My dad got very quiet for a moment, then his face got red. He said that Chelsea is his wife and part of the family, that she has been in my life for three years, and that it would be incredibly

rude and hurtful to exclude her, leaving her very upset. Well, Chelsea found out. I don't know if my dad told her, or if she overheard. She confronted me yesterday when I came into the kitchen to get some water. She was furious. She started by saying she heard I wasn't planning on inviting her to my graduation. She accused me of being vindictive and deliberately trying to hurt her and my dad. She said I was petty in living in the past, and that I needed to grow up and learn forgiveness. Her voice started to get louder and she began to pace the kitchen. She screamed that she had tried her absolute best to make a blended family work, that she had opened her home to me, conveniently forgetting it was my home first, and that I had been nothing but an ungrateful

child from day one. Then she started to cry, saying I was trying to drive a wedge between her and my dad, and that I was ruining what should be a happy family celebration. She got right up in my face, tears on her cheeks, yelling about how much she had sacrificed. I just snapped. All those years of resentment came pouring out. I yelled back at her, just as loud. I screamed, you are not welcome because you made me sleep in a freezing, disgusting garage for two whole years while your precious kids had warm bedrooms inside my house. I brought up the broken heater. I brought up the broken heater, the spiders, the summer heat, the constant feeling of being an outcast in my own home. I yelled that she made my teenage years a misery.

I told her she didn't care if I froze or sweated or got sick, as long as her kids were comfortable. I screamed that she had no right to be there to celebrate an achievement I made despite the horrible conditions she put me in. I might have gestured wildly, I was so angry. I ended by shouting that she didn't deserve to share any part of my success. My dad came running and then, hearing the shouting. He immediately started yelling at me. He told me to stop disrespecting Chelsea. He said I was being cruel and that I was deliberately trying to embarrass him in front of Chelsea

and demanded that I apologized to her immediately and tell her she could come to the graduation. I just looked at him, then at Chelsea who was now sobbing into her hands but peeking at me through her fingers, and I said, no. She is not coming. Then I turned and walked out, back to my garage. Now my dad is giving me the silent treatment, he sighs dramatically whenever I'm in the same room. He's also been sending me text messages saying I need to do the right thing and fix this mess I've created. Chelsea is avoiding me but I can hear her talking about me to my dad in hushed, angry tones. Dean and Nora are looking at me like I'm a

monster. I really don't want her there. The thought of her smiling and pretending to be a proud stepmom makes me feel sick. But my dad is my dad, and he's making me feel like I'm a terrible person. So, Reddit, Ida for telling my dad's new wife that she isn't welcome at my graduation after she made me sleep in the garage for two years? Update 1, Hi everyone, it's been about five days since my original post. First, I want to say thank you so much for all the comments, messages, and awards. I read a lot of them, and it was overwhelming, but it in a mostly good way. It helped me feel less like I was going crazy or being unreasonable. A lot of you asked some similar questions, so I want to clarify a few things. My mom, many people

asked about my mom and why I didn't go live with her. My mom lives several states away. After the divorce, she had some personal struggles, including some financial instability and health issues for a while. She's doing much better now, but during the time when the garage situation started, she wasn't really in a position to have me come live with her full time. She wasn't a deadbeat mom, it was just complicated. We talk on the phone, and she visits when she can, but moving in with her wasn't a simple option back then. She knew I wasn't happy with the living situation, but I probably downplayed how bad the garage truly was because I didn't want to worry her too much, and I also felt a strange sort of shame about it. She is definitely coming to my graduation,

and she's very angry at my dad and Chelsea now that I've told her the full extent of everything. The garage conditions, I think some people might have pictured a finished basement or a converted den. This was not that. It was a standard, unfinished, detached garage. Concrete floor, uninsulated wooden walls, a roll-up garage door that lead in drafts and bugs. There was no running water, no toilet. I had to go outside and into the main house for everything. The minimal fixing up I mentioned was truly minimal, an old rug, a very old couch, a rickety desk. The single-bear light bulb was the only lighting. It was consistently either freezing or sweltering. Spiders were a constant issue, and I occasionally saw mice. It smelled of damp,

dust, and sometimes faint old car smells. It wasn't just a bit uncomfortable, it was often genuinely miserable and unhealthy. Dad's financials slash why not move, my dad isn't poor. He has a decent job. They could have afforded a bigger house, or Chelsea and her two kids could have shared a room, or they could have explored other options before resorting to putting me in an unfinished garage. This wasn't a situation of genuine financial hardship forcing a difficult choice. It felt very much like Chelsea wanted her kids to have the best, and I was an afterthought. My dad just went along with what Chelsea wanted to keep the peace with her. Moving to a bigger place was never even discussed in my hearing.

Why I didn't report to CPS or school. A few people ask this. Honestly, I was scared. I was 15 to 16 when it was at its worst. I felt like if I reported it, my dad would be furious and might kick me out, or things at home would get even more unbearable. I also worried that if CPS got involved, they might find my dad negligent, and I didn't know what would happen then.

Would I end up in foster care? That seemed terrifying too. My dad, despite everything, was still my dad, and a part of me hoped he would eventually stand up for me. He never did. I didn't tell teachers or school counselors because I was embarrassed and didn't want to be seen as a problem kid or have everyone know about my home life. reading all your comments really made me think.

It validated my feelings that what happened to me wasn't okay, not by a long shot. It also made me realize just how much my dad failed me by allowing it to happen and continue for so long, and by consistently prioritizing Chelsea's feelings over my well-being. He wasn't just passively going along, he was actively enabling her and dismissing my pain. So, after a lot of thinking, and rereading my own post and your responses, I'm I've made a decision. I am standing firm on not inviting Chelsea to my graduation. She doesn't get to be there. This is my achievement and I earned it despite her, not because of her. The thought of her being there, pretending to be a supportive stepmother for photo ops, still makes my

stomach churn. The situation at home is still very tense. My dad is barely speaking to me. When he does, it's to tell me I'm being stubborn and unforgiving. Chelsea is making a big show of being wounded and sad whenever I'm around, often sighing loudly or making comments to my dad, loud enough for me to hear about how some people just can't let go of negativity. Dean and Nora are clearly on her side and are being cold. I'm counting down the days until I can move out. I have a lead on a room for rent with a classmates' older sibling, and I'm hoping to finalize that this week. My graduation is in two weeks. I'm not sure what will happen with my dad if he keeps insisting Chelsea comes or if he threatens not to come himself if she can't.

That's a bridge I'll have to cross, but I'm not backing down on Chelsea. Thank you again to everyone who took the time to read my story and offer support. It meant more than you know. I'll try to post another update after the graduation, or if anything significant happens before then. Update 2, hi everyone. It's been about two weeks since my last update, and my high school graduation was three days ago. A lot happened, so here's the update. First off, thank you again for the continued support and messages. It's been a really tough couple of weeks. So, as I said in my last update, I decided to stand firm. Chelsea was not invited to my graduation. My dad was absolutely furious about this,

right up until the day itself. We had several more arguments about it. it. He kept saying I was being unreasonable, cruel, and that I was deliberately trying to sabotage his marriage and happiness. He accused me of holding a grudge and refusing to see things from Chelsea's perspective, which he never actually articulated beyond she was trying her best. The worst argument happened a few days before graduation. Dad cornered me in the kitchen. He started relatively calmly, saying there was still time to make things right and invite Chelsea. When I told him, again, that my decision was final, he lost his temper. He started yelling, his voice getting louder and louder.

He said I was a selfish brat who didn't appreciate anything he or Chelsea did for me. He yelled that I was purposefully trying to punish him and make him choose. His face was bright red. I yelled back. I told him he had already chosen, years ago, when he let Chelsea put me in the garage and then consistently took her side over mine. I screamed that he let Chelsea punish me for two years, and now he was upset because I wouldn't let her pretend to be a loving stepmom at my graduation. He actually raised his hand like he might hit me, but then he just slammed it on the counter. He then threatened not to come to the graduation himself

if I was going to be so disrespectful to his wife. I told him that was his choice, but Chelsea was still not coming. He stormed out of the kitchen, slamming the door behind him. Chelsea also tried to confront me one more time. She approached me when I was in the garage, trying to pack some of my things. She started crying almost immediately, saying I was breaking my dad's heart. She said all she ever wanted was for us to be a happy family and that I was throwing her efforts back in her face. Her voice was quavering, and she kept dabbing her eyes with a tissue. I didn't yell this time. I just looked at her and told her quietly that she had no right to talk to me about my dad's heart or our family after what she did. I told her to leave my garage. She gasped,

called me cold-hearted, and then flounced back to the house. Graduation day arrived. I was a wreck internally, not knowing if my dad would even show up. My mom had flown in the day before and was staying at a hotel. She helped me get ready and tried to keep my spirits up. We went to the ceremony. My dad did show up. He made. met us there, looking grim. He was dressed nicely, but his face was set in a hard line. Chelsea was not with him. He barely spoke to me. He said congratulations, but that was about it. He didn't smile. During the ceremony, he sat next to my mom, and I could see from the stage that they were sitting rigidly, with a noticeable gap between them. My mom told me later he was very

curt with her as well. After the ceremony, my mom had planned a small celebratory lunch for us. My dad came, but it was incredibly awkward. He picked at his food, answered questions from my mom and monosyllables, and barely looked at me. He kept checking his phone. After about an hour, he made an excuse about needing to get back and left. He gave me a stiff, one-armed hug and said well done before he walked out. My mom tried to make the rest of the rest of the rest of the of the day nice, and I appreciated her efforts so much. But I felt a huge cloud hanging over everything. The atmosphere at home since graduation has been unbearable. It's gone beyond silent treatment. My dad is now actively hostile in small ways. He'll make critical comments about me leaving a

cup in the sink, or how much electricity I'm using in the garage, where I still am, for a few more days. Chelsea is back to her loud sighs and muttering under her breath about ungratitude whenever I walk into a room. She makes a big show of comforting my dad, patting his arm and giving me pointed looks. Dean and Nora have completely iced me out, clearly taking their mom's side. Dean even made a comment about how I ruined graduation for dad. The good news, if you can call it that, is that I finalized the room rental. I'm moving out in two days. I've been packing like crazy, just trying to get out of here. The thought of having my own small, safe space, even if it's just a room, feels like a lifeline.

So, that's where things stand. I stood my ground, Chelsea didn't come, but my relationship with my dad is pretty much in tatters. I don't know if it can be fixed. Right now, I'm just focused on getting out of that house. Thanks for reading. I'll post another update when I'm settled and if there's a little bit of anything more to say about the situation with my dad. Update 3, Hello Everyone. It's been six months since my last update, which was right after my graduation. A lot of people have

messaged asking how things are, so I figured I'd post what is probably my final update on this situation. I moved out of my dad's house two days after that last post. A friend helped me with my few boxes of belongings. The relief I felt when I closed the door to that garage for the last time is hard to describe. My new place is just a small room I rent with my friend's older sibling, but it's warm, it's clean, it's safe, and most importantly, it's mine. It has proper walls, a window that closes properly, and no spiders building empires in the corners. For the first few weeks, I just enjoyed the peace and the ability to sleep without shivering or sweating. My relationship with my dad has completely deteriorated. It's basically non-existent now.

After I moved out, there was silence for about a month. Then, he called me. I was hopeful for a moment, thinking maybe he wanted to talk, but the conversation quickly went south. He started by saying that Chelsea was still very hurt by my actions regarding the graduation and that she felt I owed her an apology. He said I needed to be the bigger person and tried to mend fences. I told him that I couldn't apologize for protecting myself and that he needed to acknowledge the reality of what I went through living in that garage. I asked him if he ever truly understood

how bad it was for me. He got very defensive. He said I was rewriting history and that the garage wasn't that bad. He actually said, you kids are all too sensitive these days. I had a tougher growing up. He accused me of holding on to anger and said I was being stubborn. The call escalated, and soon we were both yelling. He yelled that I was ungrateful. for everything he had done for me over the years, like providing a roof over my head, even if that roof was the garage. I yelled back that he let his new wife systematically mistreat me and emotionally abuse me for years, and that he chose her over his own child. He hung up on me. There have been a couple of text message exchanges since then. They were short and equally unproductive.

He'd send something generic like Hope You're OK, and if I tried to engage on any meaningful level about our issues, he'd shut down or reiterate that I was the one who needed to change my attitude. I found out through my mom that Chelsea has been very active in controlling the narrative. She blocked me on all social media platforms, not that I was trying to contact her, and, for a while, I think she was even screening my dad's calls or messages to me, as sometimes my text to him would go unanswered for days. Or he'd reply with something that sounded very much like her. My dad's number changed a few months ago, and I only got the new one through my aunt, his sister, who is one of the few family members who has been somewhat sympathetic to me. I have no contact with Dean or Nora. I assume they

fully believe their mother's version of events. I'm working a full-time job now, and I started taking a couple of classes at the community college. I'm trying to build my own life, independent of all that drama. It's hard sometimes, especially around holidays or when I see other people my age with supportive families, but I'm managing. So, that's the current state of affairs. The relationship with my dad is, for all intents and purposes, over. Maybe someday that will change, but right now, I don't see how, not unless he's willing to take some responsibility for his part and what happened, and I don't see Chelsea ever letting that happen. Thank you to everyone on Reddit who listened and offered advice and support. It truly helped me get through a very difficult period.

This will be my final post on this matter. I wish you all the best.