AITA for not taking my father’s minor children into consideration when I sued him for the inheritance he stole from me?
My 12-year-old niece needed vision correction, but her dad only sent $100 and told me to buy the cheapest pair possible. I paid for two pairs she loved and a short supply of contacts—and now the whole house is up in arms.
I’m the aunt who steps in when Haley’s parents can’t. They told me to buy the bare minimum, but I wanted her to actually see well and feel good about it—so I paid for two pairs she loved and let her try contacts, and that choice blew up the fragile peace at home.
Haley (12) has four younger step-siblings (two boys, two girls, roughly 5–10). Money is tight; one pair of shoes, reused school supplies, and no new clothes if last year’s still fit. I’m better off financially but don’t hand her dad cash because it gets spread across all five kids. There’s simmering resentment because I reported concerns about the kids being left alone; since then, I keep Haley with me after school and won’t drop her off unless an adult is present. The core friction: I prioritize Haley’s needs when I’m the one taking her, and her dad wants strict “cheapest only” parity.
“They gave me $100 and told me to get the cheapest pair we can find.”
At the clinic, Haley asked about contacts, and a same-day fitting was available. I okayed it. She found two frames she genuinely loved, so I said yes to both and later picked up a few boxes of contacts after school. When the glasses arrived, she was thrilled—but her dad was furious. He said she could keep only one pair and that the other glasses and contacts had to stay at my house so she wouldn’t be “rubbing it in” around her step-siblings.
“He told her she gets to keep one pair of glasses and everything else has to stay at my house.”
Haley responded by packing most of her things and walking to my place. She’s now refusing to go home. CPS came again, and the younger kids told them Haley “doesn’t live there anymore,” which isn’t helping her dad’s case. He’s demanding that I make her return and stop “spoiling” her, insisting that simply having two pairs visible on her dresser was unfair to the others.
