I Excluded My Stepmom From Our Family Vacation to Please My Mom

Families are complicated, especially when divorce, remarriage, and old wounds are involved. Sometimes you think you’re doing the right thing, only to realize later that you hurt the person who loves you. That’s what happened to me, and I don’t know what to do now.

Here’s what happened:

Hi Bright Side and people reading my letter, here’s my story. When my parents divorced, my real mom left me with my dad. She moved to another city, got a new boyfriend, and I barely heard from her. My dad was heartbroken, and honestly, so was I.

Then a year later, he met my stepmom. I hated her. I thought she was trying to replace my mom.

But she never pushed. She packed my lunches, helped with school projects, and waited up for me after prom. Dad wasn’t around much, always busy with work or emotionally distant. Over time, she became home.

My stepmom raised me with love, like her own. She’s one of those genuinely kind people who never raise their voice, never guilt-trip anyone, and somehow always know when you need a hug or a snack. She’s basically been my real mom since I was 13, even though she didn’t have to be.

She had one rule — No talking about “Mom”.

But for some strange reason, growing up, I wasn’t allowed to talk about my mom. Nobody spoke a word about her, and all photos of her were hidden.

She never visited either. I missed my mom deeply. I called my mom without telling anyone a few times, but that was it.

Fast-forward to now. I’m 25, living on my own, and thought I’d made peace with everything. But then, out of nowhere, my mom got in touch again. Her relationship had ended, and she said she missed me and wants us to “be a family again.”

I didn’t know how to feel. Part of me was angry, but another part missed her.

I chose to forgive my mom, but paid a huge price.

I was already planning a family vacation at the time, and I thought it might be a good chance to bring everyone together. I imagined maybe, just maybe, things could finally be normal. So I told my mom about it. That’s when she asked if my stepmom was coming.

When I said yes, she went quiet and then said something that froze me. She said, “If she’s going, I’m not. I can’t be around her.” When I asked her why, she revealed that the reason she never contacted me was because stepmom asked her to stay away. She blames her for not having a good relationship with me and doesn’t feel comfortable yet.

I just sat there, not knowing what to say. After everything my stepmom had done for me, how could I consider leaving her out? But at the same time, I didn’t want to lose the chance to rebuild something with my mom.

So, against my better judgment, I told my stepmom at the last moment that she should skip this one trip. She didn’t say much. She just smiled and said softly, “It’s okay, sweetheart. Go spend time with your mom. I understand.” My dad dropped out of the trip too.

When I learned the truth, it left me numb.

The whole trip felt weird. My mom acted like everything was fine, laughing, taking selfies, and pretending we were close again. She spent my money like water and tried to grab my family’s attention as much as she could. I couldn’t stop thinking about my stepmom, the woman who raised me, supported me, and never made me choose sides. The woman I had just left out.

When we got back, I rushed to my dad’s home, but my stepmom wasn’t there. My dad was angry. He said my stepmom was deeply hurt by my actions and left on a solo vacation to “clear her mind”. When I tried to explain myself, he looked shocked and told me my mom didn’t tell me the whole truth.

The reason my stepmom asked her to never contact us again is that my mom left because of ME. She said she wasn’t ready to be a full-time mom and needed to live her life. My stepmom chose to protect me from getting hurt. Mom’s only back now because her boyfriend cheated on her, and she’s running low on funds and needs a place to stay.

I am so angry and hurt. My mom managed to ruin my life twice. I don’t know how I can fix things now. I feel like I’ve lost the only person who truly cared about me...

When it comes to family and money, things can get messy fast. That is exactly what happened in this Bright Side reader’s case: I Refuse to Share My Husband’s Inheritance With My Stepson, Even If He’s Broke.