To clarify: I agree that it’s a complex situation and especially painful for the daughter. To feel unwelcome in her (second) home is awful.

It must be terrible for her mom to witness.

My question: her father is also her parent. Why isn’t it just as painful for him? It seems to me that it is not painful enough for him to even have a conversation about it!

The author of the essay mentions no parental conversation, but she does mention that the daughter is scared to bring it up herself! (Why should she have to?)

There are a lot of red flags in this essay that sound like symptoms of a narcissist: the isolation, the need to walk on eggshells, the confused messaging to different parties, the harem, the “flying monkeys,” and the hoovering. I have no idea if this is the case or not: but there’s a lot of weird shit circling around this guy.

As for the stepmother’s relationship with the author, and the social media blocking, etc., it’s possible, given the fact that the author publishes personal essays online, that she’s read something that hurt her feelings and decided to spare herself some agony? I’d be devastated if I’d read this when I was trying to integrate into a new family.

So…that’s all. I’m not saying the hurt and anger aren’t justified. I’m suggesting its misdirected.

The father should be creating a psychologically safe and welcoming home for his child with his wife. His wife also deserves this, (as does he).