14 Step-Parents Who Took Things Way Too Far

Growing up in a split family isn’t easy, and not every child adjusts well to divorce. Some struggle to accept new family dynamics, while others find it impossible to connect with their step-parents. And sometimes, the step-parent isn’t who they first appeared to be. Behind closed doors, tension, manipulation, and even cruelty can surface, leading to shocking and heartbreaking experiences.

• When I was 13, my grandpa surprised me with a brand-new bike, the nicest thing I had ever owned. I rode it everywhere, and it meant the world to me.
  A few months later, I went to grab it from the garage, but it was gone. My stepdad casually told me he had sold it because I 'didn’t need it.' The worst part? He used the money to buy his son a gaming console.
  I was furious, but my mom just told me to 'let it go.' I never got the bike back, but his son’s console mysteriously stopped working after I spilled juice on it.

• My stepmom used to put a lock on the fridge and said I could only eat during meal times. No snacks, no exceptions. Her kids, though? They had full access. They’d grab ice cream, leftovers, whatever they wanted, while I had to wait until she decided it was time to eat.
  One night, I got so hungry that I picked the lock with a bobby pin and took a sandwich. She never found out, but from then on, I made sure to take extra food at dinner and hide it in my room. Her rules didn’t change, but at least I stopped going to bed hungry.

• "Step-mom drove a wedge between my dad and I. I haven't spoken to him in probably 6 years. When I used to call, she'd pick up most of the time and tell me he was busy and she'd tell him to call me back. I confronted him about it when I spoke to him years later, he said she never told him I called and he figured that I never called, so why should he? When I used to see him, he always treated my Step-Brother better than me and if I wanted to go off to have a day with my dad, my stepmom would complain and say that if I went, my stepbrother had to go too.
  My stepmom only talks to people when she wants something. She and my dad only call my grandma (my dad's mom) when they need money. Grandma made the mistake of cosigning for their new car that recently got repoed because they weren't making the payments. Stepmom (Who was the one that begged for the car) won't even pick up the phone when my grandmother calls.
  The last conversation I had with my stepmom, the first thing out of her mouth was 'So you're turning 18 soon, huh? Guess that means your dad doesn't have to pay child support anymore.'" Miranda_Motionless / Reddit

• "When I was about 17 I got a call to come home from my mother, she said someone was on the roof trying to get in the house, and she had called the police but I was closer. When I got home I found my stepdad trying to get in the window of my bedroom. I went to the side of the house and told him to get down and leave, that the police were on their way, and that it wouldn't look good if he was stumbling around on the roof. When the police did arrive, they got him down and arrested him, forcefully. He blamed me, thinking I locked him out, and called the police. The police were not kind to him as he resisted so he got in trouble. Luckily he never attacked me, not sure who would have made it out of that one." Tea_EarlGreyHot / Reddit

• "My friend didn't wash the dinner dishes one night when it was her turn because she had so much homework. She came home from school the next day and her stepmom had left all of the dishes in her bed." GimmeTheG**Karen / Reddit

• "My step-mum canceled all of my family dinners for my 21st birthday. Didn't even wish me a happy birthday on the day. A month later when it was her birthday I didn't acknowledge it, she asked what was up and I told her why; her words were 'Get over it, it's just a day.' My reply was 'Well I couldn't care less that you're turning 52, you look 60 anyway.'" asapstocky / Reddit

• "When I was 12, my dad died of a heart attack. She became furious that she wouldn't get any money from the heritage, so she refused to give us any of his belongings. It was 14 years ago and all I have left are a few pictures..." Unknown author / Reddit

• When my stepdad moved in I had a strict 8 PM bedtime at 16 years old. His kids, who were younger, could stay up as late as they wanted. If I made any noise past 8 PM, he would barge into my room and take something as 'punishment.' First, my phone. Then my laptop. Once even tried to take my pillows. When I complained to my mom, she just sighed and said, 'Just do what he says. It’s not a big deal.'
  But it was a big deal. One night, after he took my blankets, I decided I was done. I started sneaking into the living room after he went to bed and taking his stuff instead, his remote, his phone charger, and even his car keys once. He never figured out it was me, but after a few weeks, he completely stopped taking my things. Maybe he thought the house was haunted. I didn’t care as long as I could finally sleep in peace.

• When my stepmom came into our lives everything changed. She had no kids, just five cats she treated like royalty. My sister and I, on the other hand, became her personal servants.
  She’d yell from the couch, shake an empty glass at us, and expect a Diet Coke with ice. If there wasn’t enough ice, we had to fix it. Sundays were for chores, no more seeing friends. We vacuumed, dusted, and cleaned multiple litter boxes while she sat sewing.
  Her room inspections were the worst. She’d walk in with a trash bag and throw away anything out of place. One day, I had my gaming controller on the floor after playing she picked it up and tossed it in the trash. My dad fished it out later, but he almost always took her side. By the time I graduated, she told me I’d start paying rent the next month. I moved out days later and never spoke to her again. Seven years later, my dad divorced her.

• "When I was 16, I was doing regular family shopping time at Walmart and my dad said I could get the Final Destination 3 DVD so I put it in the cart. My stepmom ended up taking it out of the cart so I had to wait a week for my dad to give me birthday money to buy it myself." ghostfaceinspace / Reddit

• "I used to have this beautiful handmade dollhouse that my dad made. It was huge and had to be moved through the window because it was too big to fit through the doorframe. My mom put little carpet squares and curtains in the rooms, and it was filled with doll furniture and I would use it all the time with my Barbies. When my mom remarried, my stepdad eventually sold it or gave it away (I'm still not sure) when I was at my grandma's house for the weekend. I love my stepdad now but I seriously hated him for the longest time because of that when I was younger." Unknown author / Reddit

• "I once got kicked out of my house for rolling a hula hoop around because it was in the 50-foot vicinity of my baby brother and it was 'dangerous'. I was kicked out for a week while my mom was on a trip... I had to walk 25 miles to my grandma's house. Funny enough it was on a school night during the winter. I hate that man..." Unknown author / Reddit

• I had my dog long before my stepdad moved in. She was my best friend, always waiting at the door when I got home. One day, I walked in after school, and she was gone. My stepdad shrugged and said she "ran away," acting like it was no big deal. I searched everywhere, made posters, and even asked neighbors, but deep down, something felt off. A few weeks later, I found out the truth. He had given her away to a coworker without telling me. When I confronted him, he just said, "You’ll get over it." I never did.

• When my dad remarried, I was 18 and away at college. One day, I heard from relatives that wedding invitations had gone out - but I never got one. Confused, I called my dad, thinking it was a mistake. His response? "Your stepmom wants a fresh start." Apparently, that meant without me.
  I sat there in silence, waiting for him to say he disagreed or that he wanted me there. He never did. The day of the wedding, I didn’t call. Neither did he. It was the moment I realized I wasn’t part of his new family.

After her mother-in-law scolded her for not changing the sheets, over the phone, she got suspicious. A few hours later, she found a hidden camera in her bedroom.