On August 15, 2023, an anonymous teenage girl took to Reddit’s “AITA” forum to share her story. Despite having a stronger connection with her mom, she had always been quite close to her dad. They typically spent time together three to four times a week. Several years back, her dad started dating “Anna.” She and the girl always got along remarkably well. When her dad finally proposed to Anna, the young girl felt genuinely thrilled, as she seemed like the ideal stepmother.

However, a few weeks before the wedding, after the young girl had already invested in everything necessary for the event, including her dress and shoes, her dad and Anna approached her to discuss something important.Having been close to her father for as long as she could remember, the young girl was shocked when he and her future stepmom suddenly expressed the need to “talk.” What Happened? Anna and the girl’s dad had made an unexpected decision regarding their wedding — it was to be a child-free event, a choice the girl understood, especially for younger kids. However, it turned out that “child-free” in their eyes meant excluding anyone under the age of 18, including her. The situation hit the girl hard, as her 18th birthday was just two days after the wedding date. Despite this proximity, she found herself barred from attending the wedding. It was a bitter pill to swallow, knowing she would be officially an adult in just a few days. The wedding occurred on August 12; her 18th birthday followed two days later. During this time, she had no communication with Anna or her dad, who had told her she couldn’t attend because she wasn’t yet an adult. Amid her frustration, her mom decided to take her on a birthday vacation, and on her birthday, she posted pictures on Facebook, declaring, “[Finally], an adult.” The youngster was grateful that her dad and Anna hadn’t included her in their wedding since she was under 18. However, after posting her birthday pictures on social media, the teenager said she felt more mature and confident. The post unleashed a storm of reactions from friends and family, as they questioned her dad and Anna’s decision and expressed their outrage on her behalf. In response to the backlash, the girl received a barrage of texts from her dad and Anna, calling her immature and a selfish brat. They argued that her actions only demonstrated her immaturity and justified their decision to exclude her.Conflicted and seeking perspective, the girl discussed the situation with her friends, some of whom suggested that she might have been wrong for her actions, advising her to let it go. Now, the girl turned to the Reddit community, asking for their opinions on whether she was right or wrong in publicly expressing her feelings and celebrating her 18th birthday despite being excluded from her dad and Anna’s wedding.