The last comment that the wife wasn't a bad person is bonkers, OP had just lost his mother and she not only forced herself in as a replacement but also tried to erase all memory of her out of jealousy. Throwing these photos away in the deliberate manner he did echoes the way his mum's stuff was disposed of and was the least dad and his wife deserve.

I have to say, I admire the kid, he's a lot stronger than I was at 18, if I'd known then what I know now, I'd have gone NC with my parents a lot sooner. The piece de resistance, tossing the photo album, the symbolism of this feature is a mirror of what his father did with his mother's belongings, it was perfect. I think those telling him to seek therapy mean well, but I think he's well adjusted, and likely because he did have contact with his mother's family, which did some damage control, and helped him keep his memories alive. Maybe some for PTSD because of the trauma inflicted by dad and stepmonster.

all the esh are basically "hey, a heavily traumatized 18 year old isn't serenely taking absue from adults, how dare he!" They really expect sainthood or gtfo

For only being 18, this guy has some real healthy boundaries and responses to pretty toxic behaviors that he had to live though during such a formative period of his life.

I’ve read a lot of messed up stuff on Reddit for years, especially the “insane parents” subreddit, and never once has murder come to my mind. Dad definitely killed mom.

Yeah, all the ESH are forgetting that OP.was/is A CHILD. who traumatically lost his mom. And then lost her again as hus dad and new wife erased all physical memories of her. And he had no say, no choice in any of it. Stop expecting a child to step up and be the bigger person than the parents who can't even be half decent. WTAF

id bet step mom was the mistress way before the bio mom died

"Thrift, thrift, Horatio, the funeral bak'd-meats / Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables." --Hamlet Act 1, scene 2

My aunt died at age 31. The night of her funeral, her husband met another woman and had her moved in very quickly. She took all the photographs of my aunt, threw them away then threw away my eldest cousin when she objected to it! About 8 years later - I was only a child at the time - I contacted everybody I could think of and got copies of pictures of her and made my cousin a photo album of her mum. Apparently she still looks at it regularly and we're all in our 50s now. Grief never ever stops. Not for one moment. The stepmother and father are sick for thinking a 12yo should just move on after a matter of weeks!

Gotta have those downvoted YTA posts! 🙄

yes. nothing more to say, just yes.

Maybe I watch too much true crime but ITA with those that are side eyeing the manner of the mother's death, the timing of the new relationship & the erasing of all things Mom once the new lady showed up. Was SM a waitress at the restuarant, did Dad already know SM, did Dad make sure Mom didn't have her epiPen that night, was the erasing of all things Mom an effort to make sure the kid didn't start asking these questions? I don't know, I think Mom's family should have opened an investigation. Either way, kid is NTA for tossing the SM's gift. You don't clear all photos & memories of a kids Mom & expect a harmonious relationship to blossom. He had every right to remember his Mom & had SM & Dad respected that maybe their home life could have been better.