Dysfunctional families affect the quality of life of each of the members, especially the children. These troubled relationships cause chronic feelings of guilt, shame, or worthlessness, as well as attachment issues.
The teenager who shared her story on Reddit some time ago comes from such a family where the father is basically absent from his children’s lives despite living under one roof with them.
She took to the Reddit thread AITA to explain that it was her mother who took care of her and her siblings while the father wasn’t really involved in their upbringing.
One day, as he got home and left his mobile phone on the table, OP could read the message that he received at that moment which said, “last night was amazing, can’t wait to see you again” and some emojis.
After thinking about it for a short time, she decided to tell her mother that her dad was cheating on her. “She got pretty emotional which I felt bad about, and told me not to worry and that I should just worry about being a kid and let her take care of the rest, so I just let it go cause I didn’t want to hurt her more.”
One evening, the entire family gathered for dinner at OP’s grandfathers. There, her cousin shared the news that she started a new job. Everyone was pleased with the news, but then OP’s father told OP that she should be more like her cousin because she wasn’t any good according to him. But he didn’t stop there. In fact, he continued shaming OP telling her she should focus more on school and a lot more.
At one moment he mentioned that OP lacked respect for him, and that was the final straw.
At this point, OP had it enough. “Hard to respect you when you openly cheat on Mom and don’t even try to hide it,” she said in front of everyone.
The room went silent at first, but then her father started yelling both at her and her mother. The mom then took her kids and told her husband she shouldn’t be returning home.
Once home, OP started receiving text messages from her relatives who accused her of ruining the evening and the family. Her mom, however, told her “that she understood my frustration and I probably should have expressed it better privately but what’s done is done.”
Redditors were quick to comment that OP was NTA.
What are your thoughts on this?
I Paid an Actor to Be My ‘Groom’ at a Fake Wedding to Get Revenge on My Ex, but Then We Had a Dramatic Plot Twist
I hired an actor to be my “groom” at a fake wedding, all to get revenge on my cheating ex. But as we stood at the altar, exchanging fake vows and a not-so-fake kiss, I never could have predicted how this elaborate charade would completely upend my life.
I never thought I’d be the kind of person to stage a fake wedding for revenge. But there I was, staring at my phone, scrolling through photos of Charlie and Samantha’s latest date night. My stomach churned.
“Screw this,” I muttered, tossing my phone aside. That’s when the idea hit me. If Charlie wanted to flaunt his new relationship, I’d show him I could do one better.
I called my cousin Tess. “Hey, you still friends with that actor guy?”
“Ryan? Yeah, why?”
“I need a favor. A big one.”
Two days later, I was sitting across from Ryan in a coffee shop, outlining my ridiculous plan.
“So let me get this straight,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “You want me to pretend to be your fiancé at a fake wedding?”
I nodded, feeling a bit ridiculous. “I know it sounds crazy, but —”
“I’m in,” Ryan interrupted, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Sounds like fun.”
Over the next few weeks, I threw myself into wedding planning. Dress shopping, venue booking, inviting friends who were in on the plan — it was exhausting but exhilarating.
“You sure about this, Nat?” my friend Kira asked as we picked out flowers.
“Absolutely,” I lied, trying to ignore the knot in my stomach.
I nodded, and our lips met. It was just acting, I told myself, ignoring the unexpected flutter in my chest.
After the ceremony, we posed for countless photos. Ryan’s arm around my waist felt oddly comforting.
“You’re a natural,” I murmured as we smiled for another shot.
“What can I say? I’m a method actor,” he winked.
That night, I posted a flurry of wedding photos on social media. “Found my true love,” I captioned one. “New beginnings,” on another.
“Are you sure about this?” Kira asked when I told her. “It’s not just part of the act?”
“It’s real,” I assured her. “Unexpected, but real.”
Things were going great until Charlie found out. He started spreading rumors that our relationship was a sham, that I was paying Ryan to be with me.
When Ryan heard, he was upset. “I thought we were past all this,” he said, his voice tight.
“We are!” I insisted. “Charlie’s just being a jerk.”
I smiled, watching Ryan chat animatedly with the photographer. “Sometimes the craziest plans lead to the best outcomes,” I mused.
As I reflect on everything that’s happened, I can’t help but marvel at the journey. What started as a misguided attempt at revenge led me to true love and personal growth I never expected.
Life has a funny way of working out sometimes. And while I wouldn’t recommend staging a fake wedding as a path to happiness, I can’t regret the choices that led me here — to Ryan, to love, and to a future brighter than I ever imagined.
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