Reddit Stories - STEPMOM'S Power STRUGGLE How I Took Control And Fought Back Against Family BETRAYAL

Episode Date: May 30, 2025

#redditstories #askreddit #aita #family #betrayal #stepmom #powerstruggle #fightbackSummary: A gripping tale of a power struggle with a stepmom, fighting against family betrayal. Discover how one took control in a challenging situation. Tags: redditstories, askreddit, reddit, aita, tifu, familybetrayal, stepmom, powerstruggle, fightback, familydrama, overcomingchallenges, personalgrowth, relationships, familyconflict, assertiveness, resilience, copingstrategies, emotionalstrength, supportnetwork, communication, conflictresolutionBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/reddit-stories--6237355/support.

I hope you enjoy this story. Father separated from my mother for his assistant, now stepmother attempts to dominate me and destroy my existence, so I evicted her from my residence. My dad separated from my mom. In his 50s. Yes, you heard it right. Not for any other reason but because he fell in love with a younger woman. Well, my dad is 54, and my mom is 52.

For years back, my dad was promoted to be the woman. the director of the company he was working for 25 years. Yeah, it was a great achievement for him, and we all were so proud to see him leading the company where he joined as an intern 25 years ago. My mom, on the other hand, owns her own advertising company. Though mom's company is not as huge as dad still, she is the boss there. So yeah, I come from a rich pedigree. As for me, I'm 26am and a successful graphic designer. No, I don't work for any company but my own. I'm a freelancer and on my way to start my own venture soon. Finger crossed. I owe this to my mom because she was already in this digital space ever since the internet revolution happened. And I got exposure to this

freelancing world pretty early. I started graphic designing in my teens, and by the time I passed high school, I was earning thousands per week. I won't say my parents had a perfect marriage because I had hardly seen them together for many years. They both are so busy leading their individual life and flourishing in their career that they barely have time for each other. But it was not always this way. Growing up, my parents were the best teammates you would ever see. It was like they vibed so much on everything, especially their passion for work. They were ambitious, lively, and most fun-loving people. I had a very happy and fulfilling childhood. It was during college that I noticed them drifting apart and leading their individual life. I thought it was a

natural process of focusing on individual lives after a certain age, because I never saw them fighting or talking evil about each other. But later, I got to know it was something different. My father had lost interest in my mom after she hit menopause. He said her hormones were getting too unbearable, and guess what? He found solace in his secretary. After Dad's promotion to director, he was assigned a secretary. No, the affair started long before that when the rumors of dad's promotion floated in the office. But after his official promotion, Dad got serious about her. When Mom got to know about him, she wished him good luck and set him free without any fuss. That's what I love about my mom the most. She is the most sophisticated and

bold woman I have ever seen. But before setting him free, she ensured to take what was hers, the house in which they lived and a huge part of Dad's savings is alimony. No, she was not the gold digger. She and Dad had together built that wealth and she cannot let a freeloader enjoy her hard-earned money. So, after the divorce, Dad was left with practically nothing except his car and some of his savings, which he was lavishing showering on his new profound love slash secretary. My parents' divorce was smooth, and dad complied with whatever mom demanded because he knew there was no point fighting with her, she would have destroyed him. Thank God I had moved out to my own place before all this came into the picture. I had rented a grand two-bedroom apartment

during my college to enjoy my life to the fullest. I was earning enough through my freelancing projects to pay my rent and utilities. So yeah, why not? I didn't want to pick up sides. I loved both of them. I'm a grown-up man, and I understand both of their poves. I was closer to Mom but also on good terms with Dad. I respected Dad because he was always good to Mom, he always supported and cheered for her success. Dad and his secretary or lover, whatever you call her,

started living together in a rented apartment because Mom had kicked him out of her house. Dad's company had a strict no-dating co-worker policy. Dad wanted to keep it low-key until he figured out his next move, but his lady Love was too excited to tell her work best friends about hitting the jackpot. Yeah, Dad was a jackpot for a single mom working as a secretary taking calls and messages. No one is a friend at work. Her best friend leaked out that she was dating Dad, and they both were fired. Yes, Dad lost his director's position because of this woman.

Mom had the last laugh, yes. A few months back, I bought my own house. It is a lavish three-bedroom penthouse. Thank you. The thing is, last week, my dad visited me and asked me for a favor. He requested that I let him and Linda, his lover, 29F, stay with me in my house. Dad is planning to marry this woman next month, and he wants to move in with me. Dad is currently jobless.

He is trying his hands on new ventures, but it would take time to hit off. Meanwhile, he is surviving on his savings after he and Linda both lost their job. I told Dad that I needed time to think about it because I moved out to enjoy my privacy, and their stay at my place would interfere with my personal life. Dad assured me that he and Linda would not bother me at all and I could continue to live the way I wanted. I discussed this with Mom, and she said it was my choice. See, she is not a vindictive woman. She told me that I was old enough to make all these decisions by myself.

I want to help Dad, but I don't know how this woman is going to be. I'm just so confused about it. My dad has always been a loving and caring father. I'm feeling bad for turning him down, especially when he needed the help most. Would appreciate it if anyone could share your learnings from a similar experience. Update 1. Hey guys. it took a while for me to update. I'll start from where I left off. After much discussion and contemplation, I agreed to let Dad and Linda stay at my house. Dad said they would move in after their

wedding. I thought the wedding to be a simple one because it was a second wedding for both, but no, they had a lavish wedding. And after the wedding, they were off to their honeymoon. I was wondering where all that money came from for the wedding and honeymoon, but it was none of my business. It's been a couple of months since they have moved in. As I said, Linda is a single mom to a five-year-old daughter who is a little monster version of her mom. She roams around in the house, creating a mess. Mind you, she is not that cute little girl that you're imagining. She is one of those entitled brats who wants everything they see, or else they break off things at the house. Dad is yet to set up his business. He is after the investors to get them to get them to. He is after the investors to get

them to invest in his business. Meanwhile, I don't see Linda going for interviews. I guess she is happy to lounge on Dad's money. She has a visitor every other day. Sometimes it's family, sometimes it's her friends, and sometimes some random strangers whom she had befriended at the supermarket. So basically, she is one of those gossip-mongering women who calls themselves a social animal. But in reality, what they do is warm the cushion and gossip. It may sound normal for others, but it seems odd for me to see her whole day, sitting at the house doing nothing. This is because I have never seen my mom lounging at the house day in and day out, except on the days when she was sick.

Mom used to work even on weekends, even though for a few hours when everyone was slumbering. I don't know if Dad has told Linda about his finances. seeing her lifestyle, it doesn't look like Dad has money problems. It is either that Dad has not told her about his exact financial situation, or it is that he was lying to me. The second one is likely to be true because I have witnessed his divorce situation and how he had to give most of his things to Mom. This lady has to be told that Dad had no money and she needs to move her ass if she wants to

lead a decent life. Anyway, they are the least of my concerns now. Currently, I'm over the moon after meeting Alice, 23F. She is a vlogger, not that famous, though, yet I can't reveal her identity. I have fallen head over heels for her charms. I was a fan of her work. Recently, I started editing her videos, so yeah, she was my client. We had never met in person.

Our conversation was only virtual calls. It sounds classic romance, but yeah, I fell for her while editing her videos. I mean, she is gorgeous in her travel videos, but the raw, uncut footage of hers is the one that drove me crazy. Okay, no more oozing over her beauty. Coming straight to the point, after much hesitance, I finally asked her out last month. It wasn't a date parse but more a work-related meat.

She is prettier IRL. She understood I was hitting on her, and she reciprocated my advances. We have been meeting regularly after that, and I'm hoping this goes a long way. Alice and I usually hang out at her place. Privacy is not a concern. She lives with her teenage sister, two dogs, and three cats. She lives in the house the sisters have inherited from their grandfather. Alice's parents are separated, and they married different people.

Hence, the two sisters lived with their grandfather until he passed away four years ago. Since then, Alice has been the guardian of her little sister. So, even if my house was empty, Alice wouldn't have moved in with me. Still, I just hope that Dad's business kicks off and they move out of my house. Linda and her daughter don't bother me much, but of late, I find Linda crossing her boundaries. It has happened just twice when she has commented on my living style, but I have snapped her away. I'm not someone who is going to let her inside my territory. If she crosses her line, I'll put her in place.

Update 2 Hey guys, today is exactly one year to my last update. There's a lot to catch up on, so hang in there. First of all, I'm engaged. Yes. I went down on my knees last week and proposed to Alice. I know it might sound too early for others, but I think I have always been sure about her ever since I met her for the first time. coming to the situation at my house, not good.

Linda is an evil woman. I won't blame her completely because I think Dad has also kept her in delusion about his financial status and has given air to her narcissism. For the initial few months, she didn't bother me. Though she had friends and family visiting her every other day, they didn't disturb me. But eventually, I found Linda crossing her boundaries. She started commenting that I keep my room mess with. and that I need to clean my laundry often. I mean, who was she to tell me all this?

My mom never entered my room ever since I grew up. I'm living a life on my own. I ignored it a few times, but when she started nagging, I involved Dad. I told him privately to keep Linda in check. He apologized on her behalf and told her to stay away from me. She didn't take it well that I had reported her to Dad, but she didn't do anything. After a few months, Dad went on an official trip to San Francisco to meet his investors. Linda used this opportunity to torment me, at least, she tried to. She started ordering me to do the household chores, like doing the dishes, cleaning the laundry, and even mowing the lawn.

Of course, I didn't listen. I cooked my own food and did the dishes and laundry whenever I wanted to. It was my house, and no one got to set rules for me in my house. My ignorance didn't go down well for her, and once she screamed at me that I was a lazy bum, lounging on my dad's money and doing nothing. What? This woman seriously doesn't know the truth. She thinks I was living at my dad's house and surviving on his money, while the truth is just the contrary.

The thing is, I work from home because of the nature of my work, oh, come on, I'm self-employed, and this woman thinks I'm jobless, surfing the internet or passing time on my lap, top. Huh, I wanted to confront her regarding the house thing, but I didn't know what Dad had told her. I feared that the truth might strain their relationship, so I let this woman live inside the bubble until Dad came back from his work trip. I didn't want to disturb him when he was already in a stressful situation dealing with the investors. If one Linda was not enough, I had a mini version of hers, bringing down my house. I tell you, she is growing monstrous day by day. She pulls down my curtains, plays with my important electronic gadgets, and breaks

them off every other day. Linda doesn't care to impart any discipline to her. In that one month when Dad was away, Linda tested my patience to the extreme. Day by day, her demands grew. On some days, she asked me to clean the house, and sometimes, she would urge me to do the dishes. Of course, I didn't do it, but her constant nagging was in. getting on my nerves. I stopped hanging out in the living room to avoid her, but she started knocking on my door and ordering me to do household chores. I was on a house arrest in my own home. When Dad arrived, I didn't waste any time and confronted him about Linda's behavior. I told him I couldn't share the roof with her. She has to tone down or leave the house.

Dad apologized on her behalf and said that she was three months pregnant and it was her hormones which was creating a problem for her. I remembered that Dad divorced mom because of her raging menopausal hormone. Now how he is going to deal with Linda's. Anyway, I wanted to chase Linda out of my house, but Dad pleaded to give him some more months to sort this out. I told him about Alice and that I was thinking of settling down with her soon, and by then, I would need privacy in my house.

I hadn't proposed to Alice at that time. He assured me that within six months, his business would kick off, and he would be able to find a place of his own. I asked him if he had told Linda that the house was mine because she was bossing around. He didn't respond to this question and diverted to some other topic. I'm guessing he is not, and he did not intend to tell her the truth. God knows what he has seen in that woman that he had put everything at stake for her. Whatever. I'm mostly staying at Alice's house these days, so it's a relief for me. I hope I get rid of Linda as soon as possible. Update 3, this Linda woman is just unstoppable.

In my last update, I mentioned that I proposed to Alice and intend on marrying her in the next few months. But this Linda has sworn to trouble me. Just a month after I engaged with Alice, she visited my house. Usually, she doesn't come to my place because I stay at her place for most of the days, but this time, I got a viral fever, and it was so intense that I was not able to lift my head. She knew about my family dynamics but not in the detail that Linda thinks the house to be hers and all that. I'm not a gossiper, you know, so I avoid small talk. My fever was so intense that Alice stayed with me for a couple of days to take care of me. Linda used the opportunity to turn Alice against me. She told her that I was a lazy bum doing nothing.

nothing. Alice knew about my profession and my earnings, so she defended me. Linda changed her approach and said that it was not just about earning money, a man should help his wife with the household chores, but I don't lift a finger in the house and that Linda cooks, cleans, and does everything for me. She said that it is because of my patriarchal upbringing, my dad also doesn't help her with anything. Even during her pregnancy, she has to do everything in the house. Alice is not a gold digger behind my money, but she definitely looks forward to a man who would help her with household chores and not leave everything to her. This topic may sound trivial to men, but for women, it's a deal breaker, trust me. If this was not enough, Linda also told Alice

that I have a cheater's blood, like Dad cheated on Mom to marry Linda. She went on to lie that I had already cheated on Alice and brought other women to the house. Alice asked her the details of the woman, and as per Linda's description, Alice said that those women were just my friends and co-workers, but Linda said that she had seen me doing them. It was all a BS. I was too sick to notice the change in her behavior. Alice left for her house on the next day. I recovered after a week and went to meet Alice. She sounded very often doubtful about continuing the relationship. When I asked her, she said nothing, just that she thinks we are rushing into things. I instantly knew that it had to be something about Linda because Alice is not a confused person.

She said yes to my proposal, and she meant it. I straightaway asked her if Linda had told her anything. Initially, she was reluctant to admit it, but when I pushed her, she told me the truth. I told Alice about the whole truth about how Linda is an evil woman and was delusional, about Dad's financial condition and all that. Alice's concern was not money, she needed a supportive partner and not someone who treated her like a doormat. I realized that the damage was done, and the more I tried to convince her at that point,

the more she would drift away. I decided to give her the time she needed. But I had to cut out the poison from my life, and that was Linda. I went home shouting at Linda about what she had told Alice. She smirked at me and said, truth. I stormed into her room and started throwing her stuff out in the living room. She hurled abuses at me and dared me not to cross the line. She swore to make me homeless if I didn't stop.

She threatened to call the cops and report me to Dad. I yelled at her to do whatever she wanted. She shouted that it was her house and I dared not mess with her. I gave a mad laugh and burst her bubble. I told her that the house was mine and Dad had pleaded with me to let them live here. So it would be better if she stitched her dirty mouth and leave the house. She abused me and tried to pull me by my collar to drag me out of the house. I freed myself and threatened her to dare not lay her fingers on me.

Dad arrived home in no time. I guess she had called him right when I was throwing her stuff. Dad held me and tried to pacify me. I didn't spare him either and told him that he had committed a grave mistake by bringing that re in his life. She wanted Dad to thrash me for that word, but Dad yelled at her to stay shut. She insisted Dad to throw me out of the house. Finally, Dad had to reveal the truth that the house was mine.

She was shocked and called him a cheater and all sorts of names. Dad took me aside and pleaded with me to give them one last chance to Linda. I said no way because she had tried to break my engagement, and I could not let her ruin my life. She had tormented me enough. I crossed my line and said, You can take that re-where you want. I can't let her make my place a slut house. Dad gave up after that, packed all their stuff, and left.

All these while, I heard Linda cursing me, dad, and even my mother. I wanted to go out and smack her head but didn't want any more trouble in life. And now, when the troublemaker was about to leave. It's been a week since then. Although it was satisfying to give back to Linda, it's a fact that my relationship with Dad is ruined. I know I crossed the line by abusing Linda in such a way, but I hope Dad understands that Alice means everything to me, and Linda tried to sabotage that. The next day, I went to meet my mom and told her everything.

She laughed her heart out with a glass of wine. I told you she is a woman of class. She asked Alice out for dinner and clarified the air of her. about the patriarchal thing in the family. Mom's statement was comforting to Alice because she spoke the truth about Dad being supportive and respectful even though they were separated. Mom doesn't push her opinion, but the way she speaks with her guts, anyone can get convinced. Mom asked me to give some space to Alice and let her make the decision.

I'm hopeful that things will get better as she still wears my ring. Mom says that Linda would soon start manhunting after knowing that Dad is broke. Mom calls Linda a serial chaser, funny, yeah, because she chases wealthy men one after another. I don't know about dad's status, and I no longer feel bad for him because he had brought this on himself. He made a wrong choice. Now on to the next story. Story 2. My boyfriend's young flirty professor keeps inviting herself on our dates and trips. Should I be worried? My BF. 24M became friends with his former professor, 25F, sometime last year. I don't know what to make of it, they seem to be friendly and talk consistently every week,

and from what he tells me, it's usually very surface level. Some time last year after the course ended, my BF, his professor, and some of his male classmates went somewhere to eat together. My BF brought up that he was going to be attending an event, plastic modeling show, and his professor showed interest and invited herself to the event and asked if she could stay at his Airbnb with his friends. My BF and his friends were all okay with it. I unfortunately couldn't attend the event, but from what my BF told me, he and a few of his friends met up at their Airbnb. That same day, his professor comes to my BF's Airbnb and tagged a few of her girlfriends along. I believe they all stayed in the same place. The next

day, they go to the event, went to a bar afterwards and got drinks. A lot of them, except my BF, got pretty drunk and my BF took the liberty of being the designated driver for his professor and her friends. His professor won some model kit from the event, and even in her drunken state, asked my BF if he could stay up with her to work on the kit together. From what my BF tells me, nothing else happened that night. After the event, everyone from that group created a group chat and they continue to plan and talk about future events together. Since then, my BF and his friends had met up with his professor and got to meet his professor's fiancé at an anime convention and it sounded like they all got along well. His professor continues to express interest in other events

and it sounds like she may be attending another event with my BF and his friends in the near future. I trust my boyfriend and don't think he is hiding anything from me. Honestly speaking, I think it's hard for me to understand their friendship as it is his professor. I've had a conversation with him on this, and he's let me know that I have nothing to worry about. I would like to hear others' opinions and see what y'all think of this friendship. Is this something I need to be concerned about or is it really nothing? Thank you all. Edit. The professor was my BF's former professor. She is classified as an adjunct faculty and works as an accountant as her full-time job, which explains why she is a young professor. My BF has not graduated college yet and is still a student at his university.

Update, my boyfriend and I had a more heart-to-heart talk regarding his teacher and he recognizes that it crossed some of my boundaries. He believes that she may be behaving the way she does because when she hangs out with her fiancé's friends, she gets bored with them and may possibly be seeking attention from other people. Several weeks later, my boyfriend had a conversation with his college instructor regarding their friendship and told her how I didn't feel comfortable of their friendship and how he thinks they should keep communication at a minimum. She brought up how she understands because her fiancé also had an issue with how she chose to share an Airbnb with my BF. She mentions to my boyfriend that she sees him as a brother

and that's why she feels really comfortable with him, but that she will try to respect my boyfriend's wishes of keeping conversations at a minimum. Well, even after that talk, she continues to still message my boyfriend weekly on random life updates. And because she is also part of my BF's chat and Discord, one of his friends invited her to attend another plastic modeling show, it occurred recently, and dinner. Since she accepted the invitations, I chose to attend as well so that I could personally meet her. The dinner occurred first and it was very uncomfortable because she practically ignored me the entire night. When she joined us at the table, she greeted my BF but didn't say anything to me, even my BF noticed and got annoyed, but then introduced us. She got increasingly drunk

throughout the night and was saying random stuff about my BF to his friends like he could have been the best student in my class, but it's because he missed some assignments and, BF's name, gave me a five-star review on rate my professor. She ended up not going to the show, but my BF had a chat with his guys and they told him that they want to respect my feelings too and make it a guy's night next time. I would like to hear others' opinions and see if you also think she is acting suspicious.