On the last episode of this high schooler's unfortunate saga, our teenager chose to live with someone who finally treats her like a human, even if they had a rough start, and everyone else lost their minds.
But this dad is here to double down. There's nothing quite like a parent's emotional baggage, carefully gift-wrapped and handed down to the next generation. After a blissful period of radio silence, Dad summons you for what you optimistically hope is a long-overdue apology. Instead, you get a TED Talk on heartbreak: apparently, clinging to the ghost of your late mother and never really liking your stepmom wasn't just a phase—it was a lifestyle choice. Turns out, dear old Dad married Stepmom not because love blossomed, but because filling a grief-shaped hole with a blended family seemed like a Lifehack article he half-read.
And just when you think the parade of therapeutic breakthroughs is over, he drops the real bombshell: he actively tried to sabotage any motherly bond you could've formed with Stepmom, because heaven forbid you dare survive childhood with any adult woman's kindness besides your late mom's. The logic is bulletproof if you're building a case for the International Guilt Guild annual meeting, but otherwise it's just emotionally bankrupt.
The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.
The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.
