Source: Reddit
My father married his wife when I was 12, four years after my mom died from cancer. My father’s wife had a 3 year old daughter who a year into their marriage was diagnosed with a form of cancer that is tricky to treat. She underwent chemo and radiation but the treatment did not work. They were told about this alternative treatment that was not offered in any local hospital and it would require staying someplace else for at least three months with her. The treatment itself was also expensive.
My father was never wealthy, neither was his wife and her daughter’s father and his family were not in her life. There was only one thing that was easily sold and would make enough money to get started on the journey and that was my mom’s engagement ring. It was left to me, in her will, and was mine. Before my mom it was her mother and grandmother’s ring. My great-grandparents helped someone out and it was a gift that was then passed down because of its value. It was extra sentimental because my grandma was in a nursing home with dementia at the time and I had no other living maternal family left. My father decided that it could be sold to pay for the treatment. I said no, I begged him not to, he and his wife told me her daughter’s life was more important and that it would be selfish to keep a ring and let her die. I told my father I would never forgive him if he sold the ring and that he was stealing from me, because it was mine. He went ahead and sold it anyway and I stayed true to my word. I never forgave them.
I moved out in March, before turning 18, and cut them out of my life. I still hate the two of them and wanted nothing more to do with them again. My father tried to stay in my life but I told him I hoped he knew he lost his daughter (me) and that I wish it had been him to die instead of my mom.
His wife’s daughter’s cancer has returned and now they want money that my dad saved for me before he married her. It’s not a lot of money at all. But I guess they still have lingering stuff from when she was sick before. I told him I would not give him the money and the fact he would ask for it showed that he didn’t give a sh*t about me. His wife told me that it’s not about me, it’s about saving her daughter’s life and me being hung up on losing a ring that went on to save the life of a child. I told her that the ring meant more to me than they did and that I would not give them any money, so they needed to leave me alone and figure out another plan. My father’s parents got involved and I ended up deleting most of my social media and ignoring them. But then I saw my father’s wife while I was grabbing groceries and she told me I’m evil and selfish and I should be ashamed of myself.
I don’t know if it’s all just worn me down or what but I feel like I need to ask, Am I A Jerk?
Here are a few comments on the story where it was originally posted:
