A teenager has shared her story of how she “ruined Christmas Day and left home because I didn’t get enough presents”.
She took to Reddit to ask if she was in the wrong for spoiling Christmas when she didn’t receive as many gifts as expected.
The girl explained that after her mum passed away when she was just seven, her dad moved his new wife Dory and her daughter Kylie into their family home the following year.
This was a big change for her, especially so soon after her mum’s death. She said: “Dory and I never got along, and Kylie and I only lived together a few years as she was already in high school at the time she moved in and so we were never close.”
The teenager explained her family’s history, saying: “My stepmum’s daughter is much older than me who I’ll call Kylie.” She added that her dad had quickly moved in with his new partner and her daughter because they were being evicted.
She admitted she struggled to bond with her new family, saying: “I chose to stay with other family on breaks from school starting in high school and continuing into college due to my poor relationship with Dory.”
The girl said she usually doesn’t spend Christmas at her dad’s house, but this year her step-mum asked her to join them as Kylie had recently got married.
On Christmas day, she was surprised to receive only one present from her parents, saying: “This was not something that was common in my family, as my dad makes a decent amount of money (Dory doesn’t work) and so Kylie and I would always get at least a few gifts each.”
She described how Kylie and her new husband received multiple presents, but when she pointed out the disparity, she was told the newlyweds needed lots of gifts for their new home. She revealed: “My present from my parents ended up being a hairbrush.”
She patiently accepted only receiving one gift because her step-mum made a fuss about forgetting the Christmas stockings: “I assumed this meant I was getting another gift in my stocking. When I was handed mine, there was a jewellery box in it. I was very excited but when I opened it, it was a golden K necklace.
“My name does not start with a K. When I pointed this out, Dory said that the necklace was clearly meant for Kylie and put in the wrong stocking. I agreed that made sense and then asked if Kylie got the one meant for me. Dory said there was not one for me.”
Naturally upset with the mix-up and finding out she’d missed out on another present, she asked if anything had been forgotten. “
Dory said: “If there’s nothing in your stocking, you clearly didn’t get anything else.
“At this point, I was frustrated and hurt and started to cry. My dad ended up yelling at me and saying I was being ungrateful and causing problems on Christmas because some kids don’t get anything at all.”
“He was mad because he said I caused a scene instead of talking to him after the holiday and that I ruined Kylie and her husband’s first Christmas together.”
The teenager ended up leaving home to stay with her grandma for the rest of the holiday. She said: “Dory still mentions how spoiled I am for ruining the holiday over not ‘getting what I wanted’ for Christmas.” So she asked Reddit users: “Am I in the wrong for how I reacted?”
One user was quick to defend the teen, saying: “Dory set you up. This was done on purpose. Shame on her.”
Another agreed, stating: “I’ve got to agree. No real proof, but the necklace thing feels really vindictive.”
One pointed out how neglected she’d been treated: “Not in the wrong, this isn’t about not liking your present, this is about you being an afterthought.”
Another concurred: “Not in the wrong. There is no justification for such a wide discrepancy in gift number and quality.
“Sounds like Dory was in charge of gifting and purposefully orchestrated this event to let you know how she feels about you. It almost sounds as if you were set up.”
