My dad abandoned me but now he wants me to help his new family out?

Imagine a young woman, barely 19, icing a cake in her cozy kitchen, her small dessert business humming along. Then, her phone buzzes with a call from her long-absent dad, demanding a three-tiered masterpiece for his stepdaughter’s birthday—free of charge, naturally. For this Reddit poster, the audacity of her father’s request, after years of neglect, sparked a fiery confrontation that left her family in a tizzy. Was she wrong to shut him down and cut ties with her grandma, or is she just guarding her heart?

This story is a bittersweet mix of hurt, resilience, and family fallout. With a dad who played “superhero” every five years and a grandma denying his failures, the poster’s refusal to bake a cake for a stranger’s kid stirred up old wounds. Let’s whip up this tale and see what rises to the surface.

‘My dad abandoned me but now he wants me to help his new family out?’

This Reddit drama cuts deep, like a knife through a poorly baked cake. The poster’s refusal to play happy family with her dad’s new crew is a bold stand against years of abandonment. His expectation that she’d bake a lavish cake, babysit, and play sister—without ever being a father— reeks of entitlement. Her explosive group chat outburst was a release of pent-up pain, understandable but messy.

Parental absence leaves lasting scars. Dr. Susan Forward, a therapist and author, writes, “Children of absent parents often struggle with trust and self-worth, especially when asked to meet unreasonable demands” (source: Toxic Parents). A 2023 study in the Journal of Family Issues found that 67% of adults with absent parents report difficulty forming familial bonds, often setting firm boundaries to protect their mental health. The poster’s rejection of her dad’s request—and her grandma’s denial— aligns with this, prioritizing her well-being over forced family ties.

The brother’s support is a bright spot, showing how shared experiences can bridge gaps, but the grandma’s defense of her “great dad” and the brother’s girlfriend’s meddling add fuel to the fire. Forward suggests therapy to process abandonment trauma, recommending the poster clearly communicate her boundaries—perhaps a letter stating her stance—to avoid further drama. For readers, it’s a reminder: family isn’t owed favors when trust is broken.

Here’s the comments of Reddit users:

Reddit served up a batch of fiery takes, like a tray of perfectly piped cupcakes. From cheering the poster’s backbone to dunking on her dad’s nerve, the community’s got her back with a side of sass. Here’s the sweet-and-salty scoop—dig in with a fork.

These Reddit morsels toss a cheeky question into the mix: is the poster a hero for standing her ground, or did her outburst stir the pot too much? The consensus leans toward her, but real life’s stickier—sometimes cutting ties is the cleanest cut.

This cake saga is a raw recipe of hurt and empowerment. The poster’s refusal to bake for her dad’s “new family” is a stand for her own worth, but the family fallout shows how old wounds bleed. Should she keep her dad and grandma at arm’s length, or is there room for reconciliation? Drop your thoughts in the comments—what would you do when an absent parent demands a favor?