This is a dynamic meant for therapy, not Reddit, but we can’t look away.
Family dynamics are…messy especially when it comes to rocky parent/child relationships.
Here’s hisstory: “My ex-wife and I finalized our divorce last year.
Long story short, she was having an emotional affair with a guy at work.
Shes now in a relationship with him.”
“We also have a coparenting arrangement for our daughter, who is 14.
My daughter is very close to her mom, and she even sided with her on her affair.”
I gave her gifts, I never blamed her mom, I tried my best.
But my daughter was always extremely cold with me.
“I broke down really bad that night and took the next couple of days off work.
All this time, my sister was the only one there to support me.
I had no other family; my parents were long gone.
My sister had gone through a similar thing a few years ago; her husband had cheated on her.
“This wasnt a one-way thing.
We also went on a two-week vacation to Europe.”
I have plans to never speak to her ever again after she turns 18.”
“I just want to finish off my legal and financial obligations to her.
My daughter has noticed this change in my behavior but hasnt said anything yet.”
And I’m just not convinced.
I’m not alone here.
“Kids with great dads don’t randomly ditch that dad.
It sounds like, whether you saw it or not, you were not a present or connected parent.
You haven’t been someone she feels safe with or reliant on.
Consider this: You wrote your daughter off completely after just a few months of bratty teen behavior.
And she hasn’t said anything.
You did what she expected.”
“I dunno.
I don’t think this is the whole story.”
“What else did you do for discipline as she grew up?”
“Not the asshole,” userMangoSaintJuicesaid.
“This sounds like her mom is poisoning her against you.
“This is impossible to judge.
I’m always very wary of a story when a kid acts this way.
I’m having a hard time picturing you two being close if she casts you off this easily.
And then you remove all financial ties which seems very manipulative.
But I’m not going to judge your whole circumstance by reading between the lines.
That’s not fair,” userFictionalContextsaid.
“Grow up.
The fact that youre plotting revenge on your 14-year-old child, is very immature,” userwatermelon-jellomoonsaid less sensitively.
Overall:
This is a dynamic meant for therapy, not Reddit.
