- After a man parted ways with his cheating wife, he decided not to tell his children why they divorced. As a result, his children blamed him for the split.
- Soon, two of his children started speaking to him, but his youngest daughter didn't talk to him until she decided to get married.
- The man agreed to pay for her wedding, unaware that he would soon regret his decision.
A man sitting with his face resting on his hands | Source: Pexels
Going through a divorce is difficult for everyone, especially after spending years and sharing kids together. Besides telling the world what went wrong, the couple has to explain the situation to their kids in a way that they won't hold their parents responsible for what happened.
A child sulking while a couple argues behind him | Source: Shutterstock
On August 19, 2022, "CultureFantastic4947" shared his story on Reddit to seek advice from other users regarding a family issue. The then-52-year-old man had three children, Michael, 28, Linda, 25, and Victoria, 23, with his ex-wife, Tracy.
A man standing in a street | Source: Shutterstock
He parted ways with Tracy after learning about her affair with her now-husband, Stan. Back then, the Redditor and his wife decided not to tell their children about the reason for their divorce because he didn't want his children to blame either one of them. He had no idea that things wouldn't go as planned.
What Happened after the Divorce?
After the divorce, the children saw their mother move out of the house, while their father remained there and married another woman two years later. Watching their mother live in a small apartment as their father enjoyed a more comfortable life made the kids think he was "the bad guy."
A happy couple sitting on a couch | Source: Shutterstock
What added to their misconception was their father's strictness and their mother's leniency. The Redditor revealed that Tracy and Stan let the children do whatever they wanted while he made sure they completed their homework on time and met deadlines.
A man helping a child with her homework | Source: Shutterstock
However, Michael and Linda soon realized their father was not at fault. It happened when Michael needed money for college, but Tracy hadn't saved anything for his college fund despite knowing it was part of the divorce agreement. Instead, she asked the boy to take loans.
A boy sitting on a bench with his bag | Source: Shutterstock
Meanwhile, Linda realized her father was sincere towards them when she learned she needed good grades to secure a seat in her college program. She understood why her father tried his best to instill discipline in them. However, the man's third kid, Victoria, never had that realization and remained estranged to him.
A girl sitting on a bed with her forehead resting on her knees | Source: Shutterstock
One day, Victoria's boyfriend approached him to ask for her hand in marriage. The father was shocked and told the boy that his daughter wouldn't want him coming to him. But to his surprise, Victoria's boyfriend said it was Victoria who asked him to contact her father, after which, the Redditor recalled:
"She began spending time with me, being polite to my wife, and it felt wonderful to have my daughter back."
A young girl with an older man | Source: Shutterstock
As a result of their renewed ties, the man ended up visiting the venue of the wedding and even agreed to pay for the wedding. He made a deposit on the venue and paid for the first installment. Little did he know that things would take a different turn from that point.
What Happened after the Man Paid for the Wedding Venue?
Soon, the man noticed a change in Victoria's behavior. She started ignoring his messages and only gave one-word responses whenever she replied. She had also stopped visiting him frequently. The man only understood what was happening after Michael sent him a link to Victoria's Instagram post.
Close-up of a person holding a phone | Source: Shutterstock
It turned out that Victoria had an engagement party and did not invite her father. Moreover, the man saw a photo of his daughter with her stepfather Stan during the engagement party, which Victoria shared with the caption:
"Anyone can be a father. It takes a real man to be a Dad. This amazing guy has been my dad for 15 years, even though he didn't have to be. I am so blessed to have him walk me down the aisle next year!"
A man holding a woman's hand | Source: Pexels
Heartbroken, the father asked his ex-wife why he was excluded from the party. He had provided for his children all his life, even when they chose not to speak to him.
Tracy told him that Victoria didn't invite him because she didn't want his wife to participate in the engagement party. She thought the woman would create a scene at the party. To his wife's defense, the Redditor revealed that his wife had never done that before. He also asked Tracy if he would be walking Victoria down the aisle with Stan, but she didn't respond.
A man sitting with his face resting on his palm | Source: Shutterstock
"Victoria called me up demanding to know what my problem was," the man recounted. During the phone call, he asked her whether he would walk her down the aisle, but she refused and said only Stan would do that. At that point, the man decided not to pay for her wedding anymore. He politely asked her to tell Stan about the next payment date before ending the call.
A woman arguing on a phone call | Source: Shutterstock
In hindsight, the father wondered if he was mistaken for calling off paying for the wedding, considering Victoria and her boyfriend didn't have enough money to cover their wedding expenses. Confused, the man took to Reddit to ask others if he was at fault.
The Comments
Other Redditors immediately shared their opinions in the comments section of the man's post, most stating that he did the right thing. One netizen advised the man to tell his children why he had divorced their mother because "people need to be held accountable for their actions."
A second Redditor said Victoria was pretending to be back in his life because she wanted money for her wedding. The user supported the man and suggested he get a refund of the deposit and the first installment.
A third user also held Victoria accountable for deceiving her father for money, stating that she needed to stop talking to her father. The user called Victoria a "bad egg" because she made the man pay for her wedding without any intention of making him walk her down the aisle.
What would you do if you were in the man's shoes? Do you think he should get a refund and stop supporting Victoria? We would love to know your thoughts on this situation.
Here is another story about a man who refused to pay for his daughter's wedding after she excluded two of her siblings from the occasion.