My father (21M) abandoned me, my mom, and my sister when I was 5 years old. He left us to pursue a relationship with the woman he had an affair with, and from that moment, he completely cut ties. He never contributed financially, never visited, and didn’t even show up to my sister’s funeral when she passed away two years later. During her illness, he never reached out or offered any support. He fought child support relentlessly, and it became clear he wanted nothing to do with us.
Thankfully, my paternal grandparents, who were heartbroken over his actions, stepped in to help. They supported us financially when we needed it, despite their own strained relationship with my mom. They even set up an inheritance for me, ensuring that neither my father nor the children he had with his affair partner would ever see a cent. They made it clear from the time I was 10 that their estate would pass directly to me.
I’ve always known about his other kids, but I never considered them my siblings. My sister, who passed away when we were kids, will always be my only sibling. I grew up completely disconnected from my father and his new family.
Last year, my father reached out to me after being diagnosed with cancer, wanting to reconcile. I didn’t respond. Instead, he went to my grandparents, who told him I wanted nothing to do with him. My grandparents hadn’t spoken to him in over a decade, but they briefly replied out of sympathy for his illness, hoping he’d leave me alone.
Here’s where the real conflict starts. My father found out about the inheritance arrangement and realized that his children with his affair partner wouldn’t receive anything. The estate is legally protected, and they can’t contest it. My father, now knowing he won’t benefit, reached out to me repeatedly, begging me to “take care” of his affair family after his death. He acknowledged his and his partner’s mistakes and said he just wanted to ensure his kids would be okay.
At first, I ignored him, but his persistence forced me to reply. I told him that I had no connection to his affair family and wouldn’t be helping them. He became hysterical, bombarding me with texts and DMs, accusing me of punishing innocent people and urging me to get to know them and offer help if they ever needed it.
I refuse to change my mind. I don’t see why I should take on the responsibility of supporting a family that came from his betrayal.
AITA?
