Teen believed stepmom's cruel treatment of her was normal — until she witnessed her kind stepdad stand up for her like no one ever had
One might not notice that a person's behavior is not right until they get to compare it with someone else's. A teen realized that about her stepmom's behavior after her stepdad came into her life. After years of being ignored by her father's partner, she was surprised by the kindness her stepdad showed her in all aspects. The man even stood up for her in front of her dad and stepmom, helping her see that her stepmom’s behavior was never her fault, per a Reddit post by the teen, who goes by u/Master_Tangerine_670 on the platform.
"I feel like I've just gotten to know a new world where I'm basically treated like a person and not a nasty fly," the 17-year-old wrote. She shared that her dad had been married to her stepmom for about six years, and the couple had two kids. The teen shared on November 28, 2025, that she was not perfect, but she had stayed out of trouble. Nonetheless, she always felt like a "problem" around her stepmom. "I'm quiet, I clean all my things, I work part-time, so I even pay for a lot of my things." The daughter revealed that her stepmom showed "annoyance" whenever she went to her dad's house and even addressed her as a "weekend daughter."
Her mom had taught her to wash her dishes and clean up after herself. She also loved going on trips with her dad, but her stepmom didn't want her to be a part of "family vacations" anymore. "Then the Christmas photos started. It felt strange when they took a picture with me, and then she would say, 'Okay, now one with my family,' and I had to step aside." She asked people on a Facebook group who told her the stepmom's behavior was normal, and she tried not to feel bad about it. Until her stepdad came into her life.
She called her stepdad, Luigi, for privacy reasons. "He's been dating my mom for two years, but he's been a friend of my mom's for years. He has a son from a previous girlfriend." She added, "One day, he was organizing a vacation, and I was happy to hear him include me in his plans. His son and I get along well, so he even invites me on outings together!" Her mother’s current pregnancy brought back the old fears she had from her time with her stepmother. She worried Luigi would push her aside. But that never happened. He and her mother included both her and his son in every plan. Over time, this helped her recognize that her stepmother’s behavior wasn’t normal, even if acknowledging that still hurt.
The teen also told her mom about what had been happening after her dad and his family took a Christmas photo this year. Her dad had told her that he would take a photo with her later. "For the first time, I saw Luigi angry. He called my father, and I heard him tell him everything." Luigi described what she had been experiencing as psychological child abuse, and she finally understood that she didn’t deserve to be treated that way. The teen wanted to cut all ties with her dad and stepmom, but was worried that she was letting her stepmom "win."
People appreciated the stepdad's presence in the teen's life in the comments section of the post. u/daydreammuse wrote, "Telling a young girl she's a weekend daughter cut me deep. What a cruel woman. Glad you have a Luigi in your life!" u/FoldedTshirt commented, "You’re not letting her win, you’re choosing yourself. You shouldn’t put yourself in situations where you feel so neglected. Your father has to be the one to make things right between you and his wife." u/nwkraken remarked, "Well, we can see why Mom isn't with Dad anymore. Good for her. And good for Luigi stepping up and being a father to you, where yours had failed."
My mother's boyfriend made me realize how insecure my stepmother is.
byu/Master_Tangerine_670 inTrueOffMyChest
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