Reddit Stories - Mother in law DECLINED to ACKNOWLEDGE my daughter from an earlier RELATIONSHIP and...

Episode Date: December 6, 2025

Summary: My mother-in-law refuses to acknowledge my daughter from a previous relationship, causing tension within the family. Despite my efforts to foster a connection, her rejection has created emotional strain. I struggle with balancing my loyalty to my mother-in-law and my responsibility to support and protect my daughter.

I hope you enjoy this story. Mother-in-law declined to acknowledge my daughter from an earlier relationship and labeled her as a nuisance. Later, they organized a birthday celebration for me featuring a cake that displayed my husband's ex-wife's name on it. I, 37F, have been married to my husband, Joshua, 37M, for three years. We have a blended family. I brought my daughter, Erica, 6F, from a previous marriage into the marriage and Joshua has a daughter, Lucy, 10F, with his ex-wife, Camilla, 35F. Joshua and I met through mutual friends and fell for each other pretty quickly. He was open about his past marriage and his daughter, and I was honest about Erica.

Camilla and I have always gotten along really well, which surprised me at first. She was never jealous of my relationship with Joshua and was always supportive. But there was one conversation we had early on that stuck with me. Camilla warned me about Joshua's parents, Susan, 65F, and Jack, 67M, saying they had been awful to her throughout their marriage. She told me that no matter what she did, she could never win their approval. They would constantly compare her to other women, Joshua's exes, and make her feel inadequate, especially when it came to parenting Lucy. I wanted to think that things would be different for me. But she was right. Unfortunately, Susan and Jack were

were not thrilled when we got married. They made no effort to hide their disdain for me or for the fact that I was bringing my daughter, Erica, into their son's life. Right from the start, they made it clear that Joshua already had a daughter and did not need to take on another burden. Can you believe they actually called my daughter a burden? Their dislike for me was not just subtle jabs or awkward silences. It was open hostility. Susan once remarked at a family dinner that single mothers should stick with their own kind and that Joshua was too kind-hearted for his own good. Jack, who rarely speaks unless it is to say something cruel, muttered under his breath that Joshua should have thought about the baggage he was taking on before

marrying me. Around Joshua, they would put on a fake front of politeness, barely, but as soon as he was not an earshot, the claws came out. Susan would corner me in the kitchen during visits and make comments like, you really should focus on finding Erica's real father so he can take responsibility. It is not fair to Joshua. She also loved to tell me how much Camilla, Joshua's ex-wife, used to do for the family and how hard it is to replace someone so perfect. Jack was not much better. He would not even pretend to include Erica when the family was together. He would make a big show of doting on Lucy, calling her his princess, while ignoring Erica completely. On one occasion, he even told Erica to go sit somewhere else when she tried to join in.

on a game he was playing with Lucy. My heart broke watching my daughter's face fall, but I bit my tongue to keep the peace. The worst, though, was their blatant favoritism. For birthdays and Christmas, they would shower Lucy with expensive gifts, designer clothes, toys, and electronics, while giving Erica little to nothing.

One year, they handed Erica a used coloring book with half the pages already scribbled on while Lucy opened up a brand new tablet. When I tried to say something, Susan just smiled and said, well, Lucy is our real granddaughter, you understand. Joshua started noticing the mistreatment and would step in, but his parents always had excuses. They would say things like, oh, we did not realize Erica would feel left out, or it is not our fault if you cannot afford to give her more at home. Their obsession with Camilla did not help. They acted like she was the gold standard of women, constantly bringing her up in

conversation. Susan would go on and on about how much she missed Camilla's cooking or how Camilla used to organize family vacations. Jack would chime in, saying Joshua and Camilla were such a beautiful couple and that it was a shame their marriage ended, which was so ironic because they were absolutely terrible to Camilla when she was with Joshua. Once, Susan had the nerve to tell Joshua to reconsider his decisions since second marriages hardly ever succeed, especially with a step kid in the mix. I was completely. I was completely taken aback. Later, Joshua brought it up with them, but they just waved it away, saying they were just being realistic. Things hit a peak last month when Joshua had to leave town

for a work conference. His trip coincided with my birthday, and we had originally planned to celebrate the weekend before. But out of nowhere, Susan called me up and offered to throw me a birthday party. I was totally taken aback. Susan and Jack had never shown me any kindness before. I figured this might be their attempt to reach out or make things right, but something still felt off. Joshua was happy that his parents wanted to do something nice for me, so he suggested that I take them up on their offer. So, against my better judgment, I agreed.

I brought Erica along, thinking maybe it would be a chance for everyone to get along. The house was decently decorated, and there were a few family members present. At first, everything seemed fine. Susan was unusually warm, and even Jack was more talkative than usual. I began to think that maybe I was overreacting about their treatment of me before. But deep down, I had this nagging feeling that something was not quite right. Then, when it was time for the cake, that is when everything turned. Susan brought out this beautiful cake, and I could feel the tension rise.

When she set it down on the table, I froze. Written in big, bold letters on the cake was Happy Birthday, Camilla. At first, I could not believe it. I thought I was seeing things. But then I saw the smug look on Susan's face and the way she tried to play it off as a joke. They had not just messed up a name, they were clearly trying to make a point. It was a slap in the face. And when they started talking about Camilla, praising her for everything she used to do,

it was clear they were only there to rub salt in the wound. When Susan saw my face, she quickly tried to cover it up. She said it was just a joke, it is no big deal, and I should not overreact. She said it did not mean anything. It is just a silly mistake. But it did not feel like a joke. Her attempt to brush it off only made it worse. Jack did not even look at me.

He just stared at the cake like it was not a big deal and did not say anything. The room went quiet, and I could feel everyone waiting for me to say something, but I could not. I was too hurt. I just sat there, holding back tears, while Susan kept talking, pretending nothing was wrong. She was not really sorry. She did not understand how much it stung. It was just a joke, I could not take my mind off of that.

They did not care. To them, it was just another way to remind me that I did not belong. The whole party felt like a performance. Everyone was talking about how great Camilla was, how they wished she were still in the picture, and how I could never live up to her. The passive-aggressive comments never stopped. I wanted to scream, but I just sat there, feeling humiliated. I should have never trusted them.

It was like they had invited me there to destroy me, and that cake was the final punch. I did not want to cause a scene in front of Lucy or Erica. Instead, I excuse myself, grabbed Erica, and left. When Joshua got back from his trip, I told him everything. Without hesitation, Joshua called Susan and Jack right away, telling them they needed to meet in person. He did not ask, he told them they had to understand how much they hurt me and how wrong their actions were.

I could tell from his tone this was not going to be a casual conversation. The next afternoon, they came to our house. and Jack sat there acting like nothing was wrong, but I could feel Joshua's anger building. He wasted no time and directly told them how they made me feel unwelcome in the family. He pointed out how they treated Camilla terribly, and now they are suddenly acting like she was perfect while pushing me and Erica aside. He called out their favoritism towards Lucy and how everything always revolved around Camilla. Susan tried to apologize, but Joshua was not having it. He told them if they could not show respect, they had no place in our lives anymore. After that, he asked them

to leave, and Joshua was so done with them. A few days after the party, Camilla called me up. She was really sorry and felt like it was her fault for what went down. She wanted me to know that she never meant for me to think she supported how Joshua's family treated me, and she was genuinely upset about what I had to deal with. I quickly reassured her that it was not her fault at all. She had warned me, and I knew she was not responsible for Susan and Jack's behavior. That was their problem, not hers. I told her I appreciated her looking out for me. But then Camilla talked about the irony of this situation.

They had treated her the same way, never really accepted her, and made her feel like she could not fit into their family. They always compared her to other women, trying to make her feel inferior. And now, I was going through the same thing. I could not shake off that bitter irony either. It felt like they just could not help themselves, and I was just another target for their bitterness. It hurt even more knowing that Camilla totally got what I was feeling. I have gone no contact with Susan and Jack since the party.

Joshua has been supportive, but his parents have been calling him nonstop, trying to guilt him into forgiving and forgetting. They have even started bad-mouthing me to other family members, claiming I am tearing the family apart. I feel like I did the right thing by cutting them off, but a small part of me wonders if I am overreacting. They are my husband's parents, and I do not want to create a rift in the family. I'd offer cutting them off after what they did. Update 1. Lucy's birthday was just five days ago, and it was such a beautiful day. She turned 11, and we celebrated it at our house with all of her friends. I could tell she was so excited. She had been looking forward to it for weeks,

and it was everything she imagined it would be. What made the day even sweeter was seeing how well Lucy and Erica get along. They have become so close, and it warms my heart to see them so happy together. Lucy absolutely adores Erica, and Erica looks up to her. They have become real sisters now. It was so sweet when Lucy made a special request for the party. She wanted Erica to dress similar to her. Lucy had picked out a new outfit for herself, and she really wanted Erica to match her.

It was such a small thing, but it meant so much to me. Watching them together, seeing how much they care for each other, made me feel so grateful. I could not be happier about it. It made the whole day even more meaningful. But, of course, not everything about the day was easy or pleasant. Later that night, after the party had ended and all the guests had left, Susan and Jack decided to show up. The party had wrapped up around 7 p.m., so everyone was winding down, and we were all feeling pretty content. But Susan and Jack decided to make an appearance

uninvited. They rang the doorbell, and Camilla went to answer the door. At first, they acted as though everything was fine, hugging her and pretending to be happy to see her. But it did not take long for them to start complaining. The first thing they said was how hurt they were that Joshua had not invited them to Lucy's birthday. They made it sound like it was a huge personal insult. The way they said it was so dramatic and over the top. They were clearly upset. They assumed that Camilla had been excluded as well and immediately jumped to the conclusion that she was there to protest. They could not seem to understand why they had not been invited. I had no idea why they expected to be invited in the first place, given how poorly they had treated us in the past.

It was honestly a bit shocking, especially given how much tension there had been between them and Joshua over the last few months. They did not even seem to consider how their behavior might affect us or how we might feel about having them there. Joshua heard their voices in the background, he got super annoyed, and he went to the door to talk to them. He had clearly had enough. The way they started yelling at him was unreal.

They began accusing him of things, demanding explanations, and acting like, they had every right to be there. It was so uncomfortable. Susan and Jack had assumed Camilla would take their side, thinking she would feel left out like they did. They did not stop to consider her point of view. Instead of seeing her as part of our family with her own boundaries, they thought she would join in their complaints. They were wrong, though. Camilla was not going to side with them. She saw their behavior for what it was and was not about to let them cause trouble, especially when it came to the kid's well-being. But before they could make things worse, Camilla stepped in. She did not shout, but she was calm. She told them clearly

that she did not want their toxicity around Lucy and Erica. She said that she did not want them to disturb the peace in her home and that Lucy deserved to grow up in a place where she and Erica were treated equally. They were completely caught off guard. Susan and Jack did not know how to respond. For a moment, they just stood there, speechless, as if they could not believe that someone was standing up to them. Camilla's words clearly shook them, but instead of taking it to heart, they just continued to argue, trying to make excuses for their behavior. Joshua, clearly done with their nonsense, told them to leave. He shut the door on them without hesitation. The way they reacted was so childish. It was like they thought they could just

barge in and demand attention, and when they did not get what they wanted, they threw a tantrum. They started ringing the doorbell repeatedly, trying to get our attention, but we ignored them. We did not want to engage with them, especially after everything that had already happened. After a while, they finally gave up and left. It was such a relief when they were gone. The whole situation left a bad taste in my mouth, though. It was exhausting dealing with their drama, especially on such an important day for Lucy. They just could not understand why they were not welcome, and instead of respecting our wishes, they tried to push their way in. It felt like they did not care about anyone but themselves. Since that night, they have been calling

non-stop. They have left several voicemails, but we have just been ignoring them. It is honestly so frustrating dealing with their constant need for attention, and I have no interest in engaging with them anymore. It is clear they have not learned anything from their actions or the way they have been treating us. They continue to make excuses, thinking that they can just apologize, and everything will go back to normal. But I am done with that. I have made it clear to Joshua that I will not tolerate this behavior, and he agrees. We do not need that kind of toxicity in our lives. Update 2, Susan and Jack actually called CPS on us. Can you believe it? I could not believe it when we found out.

It was honestly so shocking and hurtful. The whole process was exhausting, and I will not go into all the details, but it was honestly one of the most tiring experiences I have had to go through. The officers who came to investigate reassured us that everything was fine and that we did not have anything to worry about, but the fact that we even had to go through the process was just overwhelming. At first, we had no idea who had made the call. It did not make sense to us.

We were trying to figure out why someone would do such a thing, especially when we had done nothing wrong. Then, out of the blue, Joshua's aunt, Susan's sister, Sally, 58F, called him to tell him what had happened. Sally is not really close to Joshua, but she is not okay with how Susan and Jack are treating me. Apparently, she had heard about it and thought Joshua needed to know. When he got the news, he completely flipped out. Joshua was furious. The moment he heard that it was Susan and Jack who had made the call, he immediately went to their house. I went along with him. Before leaving, I dropped Erica off at Camilla's. She already knew about the CPS situation, but when I told her that it was Susan

and Jack who made the call, she was shocked and furious. Camilla could not believe they would stoop that low, especially knowing how much it could hurt the kids. She agreed that we were absolutely doing the right thing by going to their house and confronting them. I knew exactly what was going to happen, and honestly, I was nervous. I had never seen him so angry, but I understood why he was upset. It felt like a total betrayal. After everything that had happened with his parents, we were already in a tough situation, but for them to call CPS was a whole new level of craziness.

When we got to their house, it was like all of his frustration and anger poured out. he did not hold back he screamed at them in a way i had never heard before saying the worst things you can imagine he accused them of trying to ruin our family he told them they were disgusting for using their granddaughter as a pawn in their twisted games he told them that they had no right to try to destroy what we had worked so hard to build he made it clear that they were toxic manipulative and selfish and he did not want anything to do with them anymore The worst part was how they just sat there and accepted it all. No apologies, no real signs of regret. Instead, they tried to shift the blame and come up with excuses for their actions.

Susan downplayed the situation, claiming it was just a misunderstanding and that their intentions were good. But Joshua was not having any of it. He called them out on their lies and their messed-up logic. He made it clear that if they ever tried to meddle in their lives again, he would take serious action to keep them away. He was not going to let them keep pulling the strings, especially when it came to his family's well-being. After that, Joshua did not waste any time. He grabbed everything he had left at their house, everything he could think of that had any

kind of emotional value or connection, and packed it up. He was not leaving a single thing behind. He brought it all back to our place and made it clear that we were never going back there. That was it. There was no more going to their house for family gatherings or any sort of normal visits. He was done. He also made one thing abundantly clear to Susan and Jack. He told them, without hesitation, that they would never see Lucy again.

That they had crossed a line that they could not uncross, and that was the end of it. There was no room for negotiation. He said they had hurt not just us, but their own granddaughter, and there was no way he was going to allow them to continue having a relationship with her. As far as he was concerned, they had lost that privilege the moment they decided to interfere with our family in such a damaging way. It was not just about what they had done to us, it was about what they had done to Lucy. The decision was made, and Joshua meant it. We did not hear from them for a while after that, but they did not stop trying to reach out. They called constantly, left voicemails, and tried

to show up at our place. But we did not answer. We just ignored them. It felt like we had said everything we needed to say, and they needed to understand that we were done with their manipulation. Joshua's aunt tried to intervene a few times, asking if we could find some middle ground, but there was no middle ground to be found. This was not just about a small issue that could be solved with a conversation. This was about a complete breach of trust and respect.

It was not something that could be swept under the rug, and we were not going to let them manipulate us back into their lives just because they were sorry for what they did. Even though they kept calling and leaving messages, we held our ground. Joshua and I both knew that what they had done was completely out of line, and there was no way we could forgive them for trying to hurt our family Update 3 after the CPS incident and the confrontation at their house, we decided enough was enough. Joshua and I agreed to completely cut ties with Susan and Jack. We blocked them on every platform, calls, messages, social media, anything that could allow them to contact us. We were desperate for some peace after everything they had put us through. But, of course,

Susan and Jack were not about to let us live in peace. A few days later, they sent us a letter. A letter. I feel like I am living in the 1980s. When it arrived, I wanted to scream and tear it off. it was typical of them, always needing the last word, always needing to assert their so-called authority over Joshua's life. Joshua was furious but also drained from everything that had happened. He refused to open the letter, and honestly, I didn't want to either. We just left it sitting on the table, just there. Just seeing it there was a reminder of all the toxicity we were trying to escape. A couple of days went by, and the letter just sat there. Neither of us wanted to read whatever things they might have written, but at the same time, we could not bring ourselves to throw

it away. It felt like dealing with it would make everything worse yet ignoring it did not feel right either. Then Erica accidentally opened the letter while playing. Now, even with the envelope open, we hesitated to look at it. Joshua and I kept going back and forth on whether we should just toss it into the trash, but curiosity eventually got the best of us. We decided to read it, and honestly, I regretted. The contents of that letter were worse than I could have imagined. The letter started with a typical guilt trip. Susan and Jack listed everything they had done for Joshua, acting like perfect parents. They accused him of being ungrateful for cutting them off, ignoring how badly they had treated me and Erica. It was the same selfish story they always told,

and I just wanted to scream into a pillow. Then, they turned their attention to me. They wrote that Joshua had the worst taste in women, claiming every woman he had been with had tried to drive a wedge between him and his parents. They portrayed themselves as innocent victims who had done nothing wrong. It was infuriating to read, especially knowing how much pain they had caused, not just to me but to Joshua and even to Camilla in the past. As if that was not bad enough, they went on to accuse me of putting some kind of spell on Joshua. According to them, I had trapped him under my control, and they insisted he needed to wake up. leave me, and come back to them. The sheer audacity of whatever they wrote was beyond belief.

They even wrote that I was a terrible influence and bad luck for their family. But the part that completely broke me was when they brought up my late husband. I have not shared much about him before, but he passed away six months before Erica was born. He had cancer. Susan and Jack wrote that I was the reason he died and that Joshua would face a similar fate if he stayed with me. Their words were baseless, hateful, and deeply hurtful. Even though I knew it was all nonsense, it still hit me hard. How could anyone be so heartless? Joshua, who had been trying to tolerate their nonsense up until that point, completely lost it when he read that part. I have never seen him so angry. He immediately picked up his phone and called his, but instead of yelling, he spoke in a

calm, cold tone that was almost more frightening. He said that they have crossed every possible boundary we set up, and now if they made any other move, even the slightest move, he will take legal action against them. I did not know exactly what Joshua was planning to do at that moment, but I could tell he meant every word he said. For days after that call, he was still fuming, and I could not blame him. The letter had taken things to a level we never thought they would go. In the end, Joshua did not take any legal action against them. Maybe he decided it was not worth the effort, or maybe he hoped they would finally back off. Whatever the reason, it has been two months since the letter arrived, and we have had complete silence from Susan and Jack. No calls, no messages, no surprise

visits. For now, it seems like they have finally gotten the message, but I do not fully trust that they are gone for good. After the call, Joshua kept checking on me to make sure I was okay. He saw how much it hurt and stayed by my side. He apologized to me a million times. and it was not his fault at all. He stood up for me, and that is all that mattered to me. The rest of the letter was pretty much the same old story. They kept complaining about how they had not done anything wrong, trying to make themselves look like the good guys

while casting us as the bad ones. They said we were harsh and unjust for cutting ties and not letting them back in, reading it was like getting hit in the face repeatedly. It was all about their emotions and viewpoints, with zero recognition of the hurt they had caused. It was just annoying, there was literally no hope for them. Update 4, I recently found out that I am pregnant, and we are all really happy after everything

that has happened. It is a relief to have something good to focus on. A few days ago, Sally called and passed along a message from Susan and Jack. I was not expecting to hear from them, especially after everything that had happened. But they said they wanted to congratulate us on the pregnancy, which was a surprise. I did not think they would say anything nice after how things went down. They also said they would not bother us anymore, which felt like a relief. I was glad to hear they would not be trying to get into our lives again.

But they added that if we ever wanted the kids to get to know their grandparents, their door would always be open. It was strange to hear, especially since they treated me and Erica badly. But I guess they are trying to do something nice for their son and grandchildren. But honestly, hearing that did not exactly. change anything for us. Joshua and I talked about it, and we decided to keep things the same. Since the whole CPS situation and the way they treated us, we do not want the kids around them. If, one day, the kids want to see them, we will be more than happy to take them for visits.

But for now, we think it is better to leave things as they are. I know that one day the kids might have questions about our grandparents, but we will deal with that when the time comes. for now, they are happy. We have decided to do what is best for the kids and for us, and if that means keeping things as they are, then that is what we will do.