AITA for responding to my father’s request for a relationship with a detailed PowerPoint on why he will never be forgiven?

It’s often said that time heals all wounds—but what if some wounds feel impossible to mend? This question shapes the story of a young woman who lost her mother at seven, only to then face years of neglect from her father. After her half-brother’s tragic illness, she felt completely invisible in her own home. No phone calls. No warm support. No acknowledgment of her pain.

Growing up with such loneliness, she found solace in artistic journaling—a practice inspired by her late mom. Recently, her father resurfaced, seeking a new beginning. But old hurt still ran deep, and she found an unconventional way to express it: a PowerPoint presentation of personal journal entries highlighting every slight and disappointment. Whether you see it as brutally honest or unnecessarily harsh, the emotional impact of this presentation reverberates through the entire family.

‘AITA for responding to my father’s request for a relationship with a detailed PowerPoint on why he will never be forgiven?’

Below is the original Reddit post, where the young woman details her past, the PowerPoint she created for her father, and how everything unraveled:

Navigating grief and complex family dynamics can be an emotional minefield. In this scenario, a father’s neglect and a daughter’s festering anger set the stage for a painful confrontation. Though it may appear dramatic, professionals often stress the value of unfiltered honesty when healing longstanding rifts. According to Dr. Terri Orbuch, a psychology professor and author of 5 Simple Steps to Take Your Marriage from Good to Great, “Addressing deep-rooted pain authentically can be cathartic, but it requires care for both parties’ emotional states.”

First, we have a father who lost a child and likely grappled with crippling grief. Depression, guilt, and a sense of helplessness may have immobilized him, overshadowing his responsibilities to his other child. While it’s not an excuse, understanding those layers can shed light on how he arrived at such neglectful behavior. The daughter, however, had her own suffocating sorrow—her mother gone, her brother terminally ill, and her own emotional needs abandoned.

Second, her PowerPoint was essentially a timeline of betrayal and heartbreak. From a mental health perspective, acknowledging hurt is an important step, but it should ideally be paired with a willingness to move forward in some capacity—whether that means setting firm boundaries or seeking therapy. The daughter chose to share her experiences in a stark, visual format, perhaps aiming to jolt her father into seeing how his actions shaped her reality.

Lastly, it’s worth noting that “extreme honesty” can sometimes cause new wounds. As Dr. Orbuch notes, “Effective healing takes place when both sides are emotionally prepared for open dialogue.” In this case, one might argue the father had no chance to brace himself for such raw revelations—yet the daughter may have longed for him to truly confront the hurt. Ultimately, we see the limits of empathy: each person’s pain may block them from fully grasping the other’s perspective. Professional support or counseling could help them navigate whether reconciliation—or at least a more peaceful form of no-contact—is possible.

Check out how the community responded:

Reddit users didn’t hold back. Some hailed her as a hero for forcing her father to face the consequences of his neglect, while others felt she delivered a devastating blow at the worst possible time. Many comments, however, agreed on one thing: if the father was reeling from her presentation, it only underscored how deeply his past actions had impacted his daughter.

In the end, can we truly fault someone for laying bare the reality of their suffering? Sometimes, the unvarnished truth is the only way to make sure it’s truly heard. The daughter here seized on a powerful—and yes, potentially harsh—method to illustrate why she can’t forgive. What do you think? Would you ever lay out your pain so vividly, or is there a gentler path to closure? We invite you to share your thoughts, experiences, and perspectives on forgiving—or choosing not to forgive—family members who’ve caused deep hurt.