Reddit Stories - The CRUEL STEPMOTHER_ ABANDONING Me in His Final Hour_

Episode Date: June 9, 2025

#redditstories #askreddit #aita #stepmother #abandonment #familydrama #relationships #heartbreakSummary: A heart-wrenching tale of a cruel stepmother abandoning her stepchild in his final hour, sparking family drama and heartbreak. The emotional turmoil and betrayal leave lasting scars on the protagonist, highlighting the complexities of relationships and the pain of abandonment.Tags: redditstories, askreddit, reddit, aita, tifu, stepmother, abandonment, familydrama, relationships, heartbreak, emotional, turmoil, betrayal, lasting, scars, complexities, pain, cruel, finalhour, stepchildBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/reddit-stories--6237355/support.

My father's new wife was extremely unkind to me for a long time, and she departed when he fell ill with cancer, leaving behind her own child. Presently, she has returned and is insisting on seeing him after I have cared for him. For three years. My parents divorced when I was just six years old. My mom and dad would fight all the time. They were clearly not happy in their marriage and would take their frustrations out on each other. Though they were never too violent, their loud shout,

and verbal abuses did leave an emotional scar on me. My happy place was whenever I went to school. I would go to school and watch kids sitting happily, talking about their lives, while I dreaded going back home. My mom would constantly complain to me about how much she hated her life with us. She was a homemaker, and after doing all the household chores, she would sit on the sofa for hours watching TV. Looking back, I do think my mom suffered from depression because she hardly ever got up from the couch unless she had to go to the bathroom. She didn't even bother to check if I ever had lunch after coming back from school. Since my school was only a block away, my classmates' mothers would pick us up and drop us off together. My mother would remain on the couch

until it was time for her to cook dinner. Even though my mom tried her best, she was not the best cook. Her dishes would sometimes have too much or even no salt at all. As you can imagine, dad hated this as much as me, which would be generally how they would start arguing. If my dad ever brought back takeouts, not always but sometimes, my mom would throw a fit and say how she can cook better than all those filthy restaurant people and how he's just throwing away money. Their arguments would then lead to them throwing insults at each other's families and insecurities. My dad would say how my mom sat on the couch the whole day like a potato,

and my mom would mock my dad for not earning enough. Well, this was pretty much my childhood until they got divorced. I was quite happy about their divorce actually and didn't even flinch when they informed me one night during dinner time. However, my lack of emotions made my mother really pissed. She started questioning if I was a psycho for not having any emotions, and when I replied that I did but I was happy with their decision to be separated, she started yelling and accusing me that I was just selfish like my father and I didn't care what happened to her.

She went off on how no one in the family loves her and respects her and that she is done with all of us. Her accusations came out of nowhere, and I could not understand what I did to bear the brunt of it. During the divorce proceedings and custody battle, my mother was finally diagnosed with bipolar disorder and depression after she went for a psych evaluation due to her increasing mood swings. She was deemed unfit to be a parent, so my dad was awarded full custody. The judge informed my parents that if she ever turned her life around with proper medications and got a job, then she could have a chance to win back custody in the future. However, until then, it would be the sole responsibility of my dad. My dad and I moved into a small flat near his workplace, which was much

further away from my school, so I had to opt for a school bus for going to and from school. The locality wasn't that good, and the neighbors were too loud. My dad would reassure me that this was only temporary and that he would take up extra shifts to make sure that he could give me a better life. True to his word, in a year, we moved into a much better locality. This is when he met my stepmother, Stephanie, or Steph for short as she liked to be addressed, seemed like a wonderful person. She was our neighbor and had two dogs which I loved because whenever she would come over to meet my dad, I could play with her dogs. Slowly, day by day, I watched my dad and Steph get close to to each other. She was quite respectful to me during this time and would stay out of my way

mostly. However, things changed when she started spending a few nights over at our place. Then suddenly she had a problem about why I was watching TV after finishing all my homework, why I wasn't helping my dad with the dishes, or why I didn't cook my own meals. Mind you, I was just eight years old, and I understand that children should be taught early to be independent, but I just feel like eight years old is too young. I could hardly stand above the kitchen counter, but she would force me to wash my own dishes or yell at me if I forgot. I wish my dad could have noticed these red flags and avoided her.

However, he was love-struck, maybe because he had been lonely for so long. When Steph finally moved into our place with all her dogs, she told me that I needed to move out of my bedroom because her dogs needed a place to live. My dad and I were shocked that she would even suggest something like this, and my dad tried to reason with her that this was my bedroom and there was no reason why the dogs could not sleep in the living room or even in their bedroom during nap time. But Steph tried to justify how the dogs needed to have their own space since she had always given them an entire bedroom and told me how it would be fun for me to live in the closet under the staircase. I threw a tantrum and started to cry because I was terrified of living in that dark space. This led to Dad and Steph having an argument, and she started to threaten how she would move out. But my dad told her how her demand was ridiculous.

So at the end they compromised when my dad proposed that he would build a small house for the dogs in our backyard. Steph agreed, but she was clearly pissed at me for not giving in to her demands. She would not let me play with her dogs after that and would yell at me even though her dogs would come near me. I did notice that immediately after Steph moved in, she left her job. I don't know if my dad and her ever had a conversation, but she never continued her job when she started living with us. This is how she had too much time on her hands to complain about me or find issues with me. I think she saw me as an unwanted object in my dad's life and would constantly ask me why my

mother abandoned me or why I could not live with my mother instead. My mother had not even once contacted me since her divorce, nor did I have any interest in getting in touch with her. Steph started finding reasons to complain to my dad about me more and more. She would have an issue if I didn't clean my room according to her standards or stayed out a bit too late with my friends from the neighborhood during the weekend. Whenever my dad and I went to watch any Disney movie because he knew how much I liked watching those, she would tag along but then tried to convince my dad to buy tickets for another film in

the ticket booth. My dad never obliged, which I guess must have pissed her off even more. If you were wondering why my dad was ever with a woman like her, it was because other than their arguments about me, Steph and my dad had a loving relationship. They were a pretty solid couple, but I don't know what it was about me that made her tick off so much. When I turned 11 years old, according to Steph, I was too quiet and too introverted for my age. She would constantly complain about how she was embarrassed I wasn't a popular kid at school. She would also plunge into a story about herself and how popular she used to be because she was a cheerleader. Steph would also have issues with me sleeping too much during the weekend and not helping her out enough around the house.

I did try to make efforts to improve whenever I could. I set alarms to wake up earlier so I could get ready for school on time or wake up early on the weekends and help wash the dishes or walk her dogs or literally, offer help with anything that she wanted. However, no matter what I did, there was always something for her to criticize about me. Her negative words started to affect me so much that I started feeling anxious around her for no reason. To give you an idea of how much it affected me, during the worst times of my anxiety, the critical voice in my head sounded like her voice. It was that bad for years. She once accused me of being very selfish because I ate a lot of food during a family event. Steph had invited her parents and her side of the family for a barbecue.

I had just come back home after playing basketball with my friends, and like every other teenager, I was probably really hungry. She took me aside and told me how it was selfish of me to eat this much food when this was not meant for me to begin with. I pointed out to her how my dad had bought all this, but she started to whisper angrily at me that I was being a bad stepdaughter and I should not embarrass her in front of her family eating so much. As I started growing up, Steph would often assign me more and more chores even if I'd spent the entire day doing homework and was exhausted.

She expected me to cook every Wednesday for the three of them, and every day I was assigned to take out the trash. She would also ask me to clean the stove. Even if I did what she wanted, it was never enough because she would complain to my dad about my cleaning habits, saying I didn't clean like she wanted or didn't know how to. However, when it was her turn to clean, she would overlook any issues. When I started going to swimming classes, she would point out to me how I was only wasting my dad's money and that I was a spoiled brat. She would tell my dad that the money could be better used for something else. Once her dogs got sick, and she asked my dad to pay for her dogs, telling him that if he could afford to pay for my stupid swimming lessons, then he could very well pay for her dog's

vet bill. My dad refused, and she had to borrow money from her parents in the end. When I turned 13 years old, my dad and Steph informed me that they were pregnant. This was a shock to me, but they looked delusionally happy. My dad told me how Steph had proposed to him and they would be getting married before the baby came because it was the right thing to do. I remember just feeling numb because I hated this decision and I wanted to scream at my dad for getting into yet another horrible marriage. However, he and Steph were adults who made this

decision. What could I do as a 13-year-old? My dad and Steph had a quick court marriage where her parents and I were present as witnesses. For their honeymoon, Steph had insisted my dad take her to Lake Tahoe, so I was left in the care of her parents for a week. Steph's parents were just as nasty as her. They would ask me invasive questions about my mother. They would then comment. They would then comment, about how maybe I was just as flawed as my mother because of her mental health disease and how I should feel lucky that Steph decided to marry my dad despite him having a daughter like me. Somehow they made me feel inferior, as if I didn't have any value. In the months that followed, Steph gave birth to a baby boy. From the first moment I ever laid eyes on Paul, he has always

been my brother. I never felt animosity or resented him. Being an only child, I had been lonely for a long time, so having a sibling felt welcoming. Paul was born premature. My dad would tell me how he was collicky, so he would sometimes cry through the night. Dad would take care of Paul throughout the night and go to sleep only in the early morning, and then Steph would take over. When I would come back from school, Steph would dump her baby on me and ask me to feed the baby or change his diaper if he started to cry. I know my dad and Steph were exhausted, but she treated me like a babysitter and expected me to spend time taking care of her baby even if I had homework to finish or friends to spend time with. If I made plans with my friends to watch a movie or go for a hike, she would scold me about

being selfish, how I should help out the family. My dad never treated me this way, though. In fact, he would encourage me to live my life as normally as I did. Once when my dad went away for a work trip for three days, my situation with Steph worsened. She would expect me to take care of Paul even at night and would yell at me if he was crying too much. She would tell me how as a woman, I needed to learn to take care of a child, otherwise, no man would want to marry me. She taught me how to warm milk for him, check the bottle's temperature, burp him, bathe him. If Paul would cry, then she would yell at me to check on him as if I was his mother and not her. When dad came back home, I broke down and told him everything because I felt sick of working so hard, and I was

exhausted. He and Steph had a screaming match, and he warned her to not parentify me and that if she felt tired, then he could help her out more. She didn't like that and told my dad that she didn't like being a mother and this journey was not for her. She packed her bags and left. My dad spent weeks pleading and begging her to come back because he had to take leave from work to look after Paul. Steph's parents also scolded my dad for standing up for me. They told him how every family expects the oldest child to help out the mothers with the youngest and that this is just tradition. I don't know, maybe it was because my dad grew tired, or he just decided to keep his mouth shut since he felt helpless, but when Steph finally decided to come back, he didn't care

anymore if she expected me to take care of Paul. She started making Paul's sleep next to me so she would not be disturbed at night. If I had plans with my boyfriend or with friends, she would force me to cancel them or threaten to take away my phone. When Paul started to crawl, she expected me to baby-proof my room so that her child would not get hurt. I think I started resending my dad for the first time throughout all this. He didn't stand up for me anymore and let all of this slide just to save his marriage. He would knowingly come back home late so he would not have to hear me complain about Steph. Steph would also go out drinking with her friends at the bar and would come back home drunk and pass out before she,

could reach the bedroom. I knew I had to work hard so I could leave this house behind if I ever wanted any shred of independence. So that's exactly what I did. I put my head down and studied. I made sure my grades were excellent, and I secretly looked into what universities were far away from home. When I finally got into a good college with scholarships, I informed my dad. He was proud that I had done it all on my own, but Steph wasn't. She accused me of knowingly a place. to a college that was miles away. I didn't fight the accusations, so then she started yelling at me about how I needed to find a college nearby and that family came before my education. I refused and moved out to my college dorm with the help of my boyfriend.

Since then, my contact with Steph and my dad reduced significantly. Steph completely stopped talking to me because she didn't like the fact that I was moving away and not helping her out with Paul, while my dad was tired of being the mediator between us. I got busy with my college and made new friends. In my second year of college, one evening, my dad called me 23 times. I was out with my friends, and my phone was on silence, so I never noticed. However, when I got back home, I called him immediately, and my dad picked up the call while I could hear a lot of screaming and glass breaking in the background.

I asked him if he was okay, and he sounded choked up. I felt worried, and I asked him if something had happened. and this is when my dad told me that he had stomach cancer. I didn't believe him at first and asked him three times to clarify. When it finally clicked in my head that he had stomach cancer, I felt like I could not breathe. My dad then informed me how Steph was freaking out after he gave her the news and threatened to leave him, saying how she can't live with a dying man. I felt so pissed and asked him why the hell would she say something like that, and dad told me how she was saying that she didn't picture her life this way and that she wanted more. I think every child's worst fear is

watching their parents die, and I didn't want to be far away from my dad, so I decided to take a few days and fly back home. I talked with my professors, and most of them were okay with it as long as I submitted my assignments. When I reached my dad's place, I found out that Steph had actually left him just like she had told him, but that's not all. She had left Paul with my dad. imagine leaving your child in the hands of your dying husband. I felt so bad for Paul, who looked terrified. I hugged him and offered him some cookies while Dad and I talked. He kept repeating that Steph had told him that she didn't want to be with a dying man,

but what pissed me off was that she left her six-year-old behind like it was nothing. I knew exactly how it felt as a six-year-old to have your entire life turned upside down. I could not understand why Steph couldn't have taken Paul with her if she, she was really leaving my dad just for the mere fact that he got cancer. Something didn't make sense, and I felt it had more to do with the fact that she disliked being a mother and now had found an easy excuse to abandon her child. I tried to get in touch with her and her parents several times, but no one picked up my calls. I could always drive and check on them, but I didn't want to waste what precious time I had

with my dad. I wanted to spend time with him, and honestly, I loved spending time with Paul too. I looked after my dad as well as Paul, and this went on for a few weeks. I went with my dad to all his appointments while he went through chemo. Since I had to go back to college, I decided to admit my dad to a cancer treatment center since he needed to be watched 24 to 7. I had no choice but to drive Paul back to Steph's parents' place since I didn't know what else to do. When they opened their door, they were surprised to see me standing there with Paul and asked me what I was doing there. I was so pissed that I confronted them about their daughter just getting

up and leaving Paul and my dad without giving them any reason. Her parents were very reluctant to tell me anything, but I kept yelling at them, and this is when Steph finally decided to come out of her room. I was shocked that this woman was living right here while ignoring all my calls. Steph asked me to stop yelling at her parents and threatened to call the police on me. I swear if Paul wasn't there at that moment, I would have lunged at Steph and given her a good bashing right then and there. I told her that I honestly didn't care what reasons she had to leave my dad, but that she needed to take care of her child. Steph started to refuse, telling me how Paul was my brother, so I should step up since I was already here taking care of my

dad. I took a deep breath just to calm myself down and told her that my dad was admitted to a cancer treatment center, and I was going back to college, so unless she wanted me to call CPS on her, Paul would be staying with her. I kissed Paul goodbye, and my husband. I kissed Paul goodbye, and my heart did break for him, but I had no option at that point. I tried my best to concentrate on my studies as best I could because I had hoped to get a good job so one day I could support my dad if he got well and Paul if the situation arose too. It's hard for me to write this, but unfortunately, my dad didn't survive for long. My dad and I would talk every day, and he would tell me how he was improving, but clearly, he was not. Throughout all this, Steph never

reached out to him or even allowed Paul to visit his dad. I would try to call her, but as usual, she would ignore my calls like I was nothing to her. Two months later, I was informed by the doctors that he had passed away in his sleep in the early hours of the morning. I had to go back home and make all the arrangements for his funeral. For the first time in my life, I felt alone and had no one. During my dad's funeral, Paul came with Steph's parents with Steph nowhere in sight. He knows, noticed me and ran to hug me. I broke down on his tiny shoulders because he was literally all I had left in this world to call family. After the funeral, Steph's parents informed me that Steph had decided to leave that morning. I asked them what they meant, and they told

me that they had found out in recent months that Steph had been having an affair with one of her ex-boyfriends the entire time that she had been married to my father. Her parents explained that she had been wanting to leave my dad for a long time after she realized that motherhood was not cut out for her, but she was stalling, and now that he finally had cancer, she got a reason to leave. I asked them why they were telling me all this when they should have asked Steph to stop, but her parents went on to tell me that since Steph didn't want Paul, they wanted me to take him in. I stared at them for a second because my mind was foggy as I was still going through the grief of losing my dad. They tried to apologize and assured me that they could babysit Paul whenever I needed

them to, but since they were too old and had health issues, they could not look after him full-time, so they wanted me to take him in. I vehemently refused and told them that we needed to call the police and CPS right then and there, but they informed me that even if CPS was called, they couldn't help much, and Paul might end up in the system. They tried to guilt me by saying that I was all that he had left and I was the only one who could help him out. Maybe it was because I had lost the only family member I had, but I knew in my heart that I could not abandon him. So on the day that I lost my dad, I realized I would have to start taking care of my half-brother. I wish I could say that it was easy, but it was not. I had to take a gap here from college because there was no way that I could

manage everything along with my studies. My professors were really disappointed since I was a top student, but everyone understood my plight. Luckily for us, my dad had left everything in my name, so I worked on selling his house and car so I could have the resources to help me and Paul. I wanted to leave this town behind, and I would be taking Paul with me. He was sad about leaving his friends behind, but he was also excited to go to a new city with me. Paul trusted me implicitly, and he knew I would take care of him no matter what. Steph's parents did not care that we were leaving town. Paul and I lived in a tiny apartment near my college campus on rent, and I enrolled him in a nearby

school. I wish I could write that the next three years were easy, but they were not. Over the next three years, I juggled my responsibilities as a college student and guardian to Paul. It was challenging balancing academics, work, and parenting, but seeing Paul thrive and grow made it all worthwhile. I also applied for legal guardianship for him since his mother had clearly abandoned him, and his grandparents were not of sound health. There was no question that I would be his legal guardian. I had also done everything in my power to take care of him, so it was a natural transition for me to become his legal guardian. The process wasn't easy, involving paperwork and legal consultations, but I was determined to go through all of this just for Paul. In the end,

I was granted legal guardianship. Through all the hardships, our tiny apartments slowly started to feel like home. Paul adjusted well to his new school, making friends and excelling academically. I continued to work hard, knowing that every effort I put in was for Paul's future. As time has passed, I have secured a good job after my graduation, and I was able to move us into a better neighborhood in the city. Paul has blossomed into a confident and happy child, and I couldn't be prouder of the young man he's becoming. He does remember Steph and sometimes brings her up, but he also understands that I am his

real family. We do talk about Dad all the time since I want him to remember him. A week ago, I received a call from Steph's parents. They would occasionally check up on Paul between a few months, so I didn't think anything of it when I picked up the call. To my shock, it was Steph who had called me. She started asking me where the hell I was and why I sold my dad's house. She demanded to know where I lived and if Paul was living with me.

I told her that Paul was indeed living with me because I would not have ever abandoned him just like she did and that she could not come near him. Steph started to tell me how she knew I was Paul's legal guardian, but that didn't mean that she as his biological mother could not know where he was. She threatened to go to the police if I didn't tell her. I laughed hearing this and calmly explained to her that she was free to do whatever she wanted. But since I was appointed by the courts to look after him, I would not hesitate getting a restraining order against her. I told her how she was the worst mother in the world for abandoning her own son and she is lucky that I love Paul so much that I had said.

stepped up, otherwise, God knows where he would be. Steph's voice broke, and she burst into tears. She told me that she regretted what she did, but she was also going through grief, so I should not blame her. I asked her to not call me back since both me and Paul wanted nothing to do with her, and I cut the call. After the call, I felt a mix of anger, sadness, and relief. Anger at Steph for causing so much pain and disruption in our lives, sadness for the loss

of my dad and the struggle we had faced and relief that Paul and I had managed to overcome these challenges together. However, ever since then, I do feel a bit guilty and have wondered if others have gone through this and what have they done in this situation. Am I the A-hole for keeping Paul away from his biological mother? Update 1, when I posted this, I did not expect to get thousands of comments. Thank you, everyone, for weighing in with your suggestions and comments. It's been heartwarming to hear from many others who, like me, are the oldest siblings and have faced similar challenges. Your stories have made me feel understood and seen, and I appreciate each and every one of you for reaching out. I have listened to all of you, and I'm glad that most of you agree that I do need to keep Paul away from Steph.

I'm also going to start documenting our conversation just in case she ever does decide to go to the police or if there is any dispute, although I know she won't have any legal standing. I also had a talk with Paul regarding his mother reaching out to me. I was up front and told him how Steph had called asking about him and that if he wanted, he could have a conversation with her, but Paul refused. He told me that he understood why I'd kept him away from Steph and that he didn't want to have any contact with her. He said that he felt loved and cared for by me, and that was all he needed.

I respected Paul's decision and assured him that I would continue to prioritize his well-being above everything else. I also made sure to reassure him that he was not at fault for Steph's actions and that he deserved all the love and happiness in the world. Update 2, sorry for the late update. A lot of you have been asking me for an update, so here it goes. This is the email I sent to Steph and her parents about Paul. Just like some of you advised me to do so, hello, Steph, I'm writing to inform you about Paul's well-being and current living situation since you had called me on this date. As you may be aware, I have been appointed as Paul's legal guardian

as I have been taking care of him for the past three years since you abandoned him and your parents refused to take care of him. I have taken on the responsibility of providing for Paul and ensuring his safety and happiness. Paul is currently living with me in this city where I have enrolled him in a nearby school. He is thriving academically and socially, making friends and adjusting well to his new environment. I want to assure you that Paul is a very important.

in good hands and is receiving the care and attention he deserves. I understand that you may have concerns or questions about Paul's upbringing. However, since you decided to walk out of his life on the day our dad passed away without giving any explanations, I think you have lost the right to ask for any updates. I am open to maintaining communication for Paul's sake with his grandparents only since I must prioritize his safety and stability above all else. So hopefully, you don't disturb us ever again. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. I hope after this email, Steph leaves me and Paul alone. Update 3. It's been six months now since my last update, and I want to assure everyone that Paul is very much still with me. As expected,

Steph never really did anything after my email, and her parents called to let me know that she had left yet again. They also filled me in as to why she had called me out of nowhere. It turns out that the ex-boyfriend she had left us for had broken up with her and is now engaged to someone else. So Steph, being Steph, thought it would be completely fine to just come back into our lives and act like nothing had ever happened. They assured me that Steph would never go the legal way when she had, in fact, abandoned her own child, and they were also getting tired of her behavior. They assured me that they would support my decision and continue to stay in touch to check on Paul's well-being. By the way, Paul is doing well in school. He recently celebrated his

birthday with his friends, and he has started to learn rollerblading. I've been working hard to provide for us and ensure that Paul has everything he needs to grow and succeed for his future. It's not always easy, but seeing Paul's smile and hearing his laughter makes every challenge I face worth it.