My stepdaughter disrespected me for years, and my wife let it happen even threatened divorce if

The Years of Disrespect

My stepdaughter disrespected me for years and my wife let it happen, even threatening divorce if I spoke up. So I stayed silent, then moved on. Now they want me to reconsider, but my answer is still no.

Hello, Reddit Eyes Plus here. You know when people say marriage is about compromise? I don’t think they mean losing yourself completely just to keep the peace.

I married my wife, Rachel, when I was 38. She had a daughter from her first marriage, Kayla. At the time, Kayla was 14, moody, sharp-tongued, and determined to hate me from the start.

I figured it was normal teenage stuff. Her dad wasn’t in the picture much, and I assumed I just had to earn her trust. Kids lash out when they feel abandoned, right?

So I tried. I took her to school when Rachel had early shifts. I helped her with math homework even though it was way over my head half the time.

I sat through hours of cheer practice in the rain, waiting in the car. Through all of that, Kayla treated me like I was gum on her shoe. She called me names when Rachel wasn’t around, things like “wannabe dad” or “loser”,.

She mocked my job; I run a small landscaping company. She laughed at my clothes and even told me once, “You’re just renting space here till mom kicks you out too”. I brought it up with Rachel gently at first.

She brushed it off. “She’s a teenager, you’re the adult, don’t take it personally,” she said. I tried again months later after Kayla posted on her Fina that she hoped I’d get hit by a mower.

Still, Rachel just sighed and said, “You are kind of strict sometimes; maybe just give her space”. I started to notice a pattern. Whenever I mentioned Kayla’s behavior, Rachel didn’t just get defensive; she got threatening.