Take this woman’s father, for instance. Everything went downhill after the divorce, and the OP never had the chance to develop a close relationship with him – plus, as the cherry on top, he also managed to promise his daughter a college fund which, as you might’ve guessed, turned out to be a blatant lie. 

Uninvolved father promises his daughter a college fund

The woman later discovers he blew the money on his wedding ceremony

“AITA for telling my dad he’s not entitled to a relationship with me?” – this internet user took to one of Reddit’s most judgmental and philosophical communities, asking its members if she’s indeed a jerk for clapping back at her uninvolved father who failed to fulfill a promise. The post managed to garner over 9K upvotes as well as 482 comments discussing the situation.

Being a parent is a hell of a job – everybody knows that. First things first, it’s a huge responsibility to raise and care for another human being; there will be times when you’ll feel like you’re losing control; you’ll have to sacrifice a lot, including your old life; there’ll be financial pressure and guilt; your sleep schedule will be all over the place; and don’t forget about them raging stress levels too – in short, it’s a full-on emotional rollercoaster. 

That’s why most folks who are eager to bring another human into this world take it all very seriously and plan things to the best of their ability before finally committing to the journey. But! Life is an unpredictable thing, and stuff doesn’t always go according to plan. 

Did you know that based on the 2020 report from the U.S. Census Bureau, 24.7 million children (or 33%) in the United States lived in fatherless homes? Families fall apart for a variety of reasons; at the end of the day, you only truly get to know your partner once you go through some hardships – however, no matter what situation caused the breakup, it’s never okay to leave your children behind. 

Growing up without a parent, be it mom or dad, definitely takes a toll on a kid’s emotional and psychological health. Depression, low self-esteem, commitment issues, unhealthy relationships, etc. – it’s not pretty; yet, what’s worse is knowing that your second parent is around but understanding that there’s no possibility of developing any kind of bond. 

When she questions him, he says that she’s not “entitled” to his money, provoking her to clap back

The author of today’s post has a father who is not only uninvolved but also has turned out to be somewhat of a con man.

The man’s been cut out from the family since the OP was 10. Her mom won custody as she was able to prove that her ex was unfit for a dad role, and the guy has been bitter ever since. Every time the OP would visit him, his whole attention span would focus on video games and takeout unless her grandmother interfered and knocked some sense back into him.

Once the netizen got older, the man began mentioning a college fund he had allegedly set aside for her and promised the woman that the cash would be hers if she kept it up with her grades and whatnot.

Well, that’s exactly what the Redditor did. She was excellent in school, was a part of many clubs, and was always out of trouble! However, in her senior year, the so-called deadbeat dad tied the knot with his now-wife and had a grand wedding, the money for which he used from his daughter’s promised college fund.

Naturally, the truth was only disclosed later when the OP wondered about the fund. Needless to say, she was devastated – however, what made it all worse was her father’s reaction. The man didn’t apologize for essentially deceiving his own offspring, and when he realized that she was, in fact, incredibly upset, he dubbed her “selfish” and said that she was not entitled to his money.

Fortunately, the woman ended up getting a scholarship that covered her entire college tuition – plus, her mom and stepdad had also set some money aside.

Surprisingly enough, her dad did try to reconcile on numerous occasions, but each time he still made sure to push the narrative of how she’s not entitled to his money, essentially provoking the woman to snap back and tell him that he’s not entitled to a relationship with her either.

What is your take on this situation? Do you think the woman was out of line, or was she right to put her father in his place?

Fellow online community members shared their thoughts and opinions on the situation