Man Leaves Wife & Little Children to Start New Family, Years Later He Comes Back Begging for Forgiveness

The man sacrificed his childhood and took over his dad's role to feed his family. Ten years later, the father who abandoned them came begging for forgiveness, saying he had cancer.

Fathers, like mothers, are the pivotal pillars contributing to the development of a child's emotional and mental well-being. Unfortunately, a 25-year-old man posting under PlayfulFood never had a chance to experience this.

He was around 14 when his father abandoned them to start a new family. Their relationship was cut off from the roots, and as time ticked by, the estranged dad reached out, saying he had lung cancer and pleading for forgiveness.

The Original Poster (OP) said his dad met his younger sister through Facebook and tried to rekindle their relationship. OP felt it was unfair considering how he had forgone his childhood to keep a roof over his family's head after his father left.

Life as a single parent was challenging for OP's mom as they were constantly pushed below the poverty line. Eventually, she became an alcoholic while easing her burdens on OP's shoulders.

OP started working young and focused on feeding his family while his childhood faded away, leaving only the darkest painful memories behind. After years of battling his destiny, OP landed a stable career. While all was well in OP's life, his father's sudden desire to reconcile left him dumbfounded.

Everything was happening quickly, and OP felt awkward about not wanting his father around. His father never regretted leaving him and tried to gain his sympathy with his lung cancer diagnosis.

He ordered the two most expensive dishes on the menu and had a gentle chat before unveiling his vengeance.

OP refused to give in and asked him to leave, much to his mom's and sister's frustration. The entire family backed up the father and teamed up against OP, having forgotten he was the one who held them together when the dad walked out on them.

Hurt by what his family put him through, OP turned to random strangers on Reddit's "Relationship Advice" forum and sought guidance on his plight. "What should I do?" he asked the internet.

Redditor Trilobyte141, in his top-voted comment, advised OP that he was indeed bursting the bubble of his mom and sister's dreams of wanting to reconcile with his dad. The person asserted:

"You can't force them not to have a relationship with him, but you can and should set boundaries for the house that YOU own/pay for."

Shortly after, OP had a little act of revenge brewing in his mind when he was invited for dinner with his family. Unsurprisingly, his father's new family was also there. OP ordered the two most expensive dishes on the menu and had a gentle chat before unveiling his vengeance.

He disclosed to his family that he'd forgiven his dad, but that still didn't mean he wanted to rekindle their relationship. OP's family lashed out at him, but he stood his ground, asserting his father's cancer was in its early stage and that he would refrain from attending any family event that might include the man.

When his sisters condemned him, saying "he" was their father, OP agreed and said: "Yes, he is...he needs to take over his responsibilities as a father." Then he revealed he'd withdrawn from paying for their lease, EMI's for costly phones, memberships, and subscriptions, asserting all these were now their dad's responsibilities.

Adding the cherry on the cake, OP left without settling the bill for his food and moved in with his girlfriend. He never picked up their calls or replied to any of their messages later. He posted about his decision not to take over his dad's role anymore and was left with sympathies and support from over 18K readers.

"I have so much respect for you. I can understand all too well the pain of having a parent abandon you… It's harsh, but you have worked hard to support your mother and sibling when it is not your responsibility.." Redditor nmrhog proclaimed.

In his response, OP stated that taking over his father's role should've never been his responsibility in the first place. "I didn't work out of love for my family or some sort of charity. It was out of desperation," he admitted.

From that point, OP decided to focus on his life. He predicted that the initiative he'd taken renouncing his responsibilities towards his family was just a wake-up call to help them become independent.

Questions to Ponder:

How would you react to an estranged parent wanting to reconcile with you?

OP said his father tried to gain sympathy by seeding his cancer diagnosis in conversations that OP felt weren't apologetic or remorseful. He was determined not to accommodate his dad in his life again, although he forgave him for abandoning the family.

What would your best decision be if you encountered a similar experience? Would you forgive your parents/family for leaving you and then welcome them with open arms later? Or would you do what OP did?

What would you do if your family gives you the cold shoulder in favor of someone who abandoned you?

Having realized his mom and sisters were on his dad's side, OP withdrew from paying for his family to help them recognize the importance of financial independence. How would you process the reality of your parents/family siding with someone who exposed you to an intense heartbreak or emotional trauma?

If you liked this story, here's one about a college girl reporting her stolen college money to her mother, unaware she was the one who robbed it.

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