A woman has been supported online after sharing the reason why she asked her pregnant teen stepdaughter to move out of the home she shares with the girl’s father. The woman had taken to Reddit to share her exasperation at her stepdaughter’s “bad attitude,” and why she came to the unconventional decision to kick her out of their family home while in a vulnerable position.
“I have been with my fiancé for 3 years now he has two kids, a daughter who’s a lovely girl and other daughter [aged 19],” the 35-year-old woman opened up online.
“[The 19-year-old] has always had a bad attitude, especially me now. She is currently 3 months pregnant and is living with us because we have more room for her and the baby, the baby’s father stays with us sometimes.
“It’s been mainly me taking care of her. Today, her boyfriend came over so my fiancé suggested that we let them have the house to themselves and go for a walk, about two hours later I came home and noticed that my cat, who my stepdaughter hated, was missing.”
The woman went on to share that she felt strongly suspicious about her stepdaughter’s involvement in the cat’s bizarre disappearance, and that after challenging her on the matter, she became extremely defensive.
The woman recalled the heated exchange: “I checked our ring security camera and as expected [she] had thrown whiskey out that had ran the cat off. My fiancé tried saying that because she is pregnant her hormones are all over the place.
“I was in tears. I looked over at her and saw that she had a smug satisfied look on her face.”
The woman then screamed at her stepdaughter that she has an hour to locate the cat, otherwise all her belongings would be dumped and she would no longer be supported.
“She said that she wasn’t looking for my stupid cat and told me to back off as she was pregnant, my fiancé told me to claim down and reassured me that we’d look for the cat instead.
“I told him to leave and that she better start packing.”
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Expert Comment: Keep the Cat, Leave the Guy
Helena Roman, a relationship coach at Sage Love Advice, an online dating service, told Newsweek that it’s important for people to stay informed about abusive relationships, and exit one swiftly if they ever feel that they’ve gotten caught up in one.
“In this case, the victim was astute enough to recognize the importance of picking up on red flags before the marriage,” she said. “While it may be easy to blame her stepdaughter, she’s actually a victim too in her father’s triangulation and plot against his fianceé.
“The poster is the real victim, though, as she was being used for her resources such as her home. Narcissistic abuse can leave victims questioning their own sanity. Kudos to the woman for having the strength and courage to extract herself from a toxic, parasitic relationship.”
Roman went on to say that while it’s easy to make excuses for our partner’s behavior toward others and even toward ourselves, how a partner treats our pets also speaks volumes.
What Do the Comments Say?
Since it was shared to the social media platform on August 4 by u/Wise_Hall2842, the Reddit post has been upvoted by 96 percent of the users who engaged with it and commented on more than 1,200 times.
The majority of the Redditors reacting to the post have supported the woman in her decision.
“As a cat owner, I salute you. I mean, yeah, you might lose the relationship over this, but from the sounds of it, if this doesn’t do it, something else likely will,” one user wrote.
“The relationship where the woman is so blatantly disrespected and the daughter is not worth keeping. It would be good riddance for her,” another user added.
The Reddit post can be seen here.
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