Stepdad Abandoned Me in Hospital to Go On Vacation With My Mom and His Kids. So I Called My Dad...

stepdad abandoned me in hospital to go on vacation with my mom and his kids so I called my dad and now CPS is involved because Mom wants me to lie about being abandoned I hate my stepdad Kevin he is one of the most frustrating controlling and inconsiderate people I have ever known ever since he married my mom my life has been turned upside down for context my parents divorced 3 years ago Mom and Dad just never got along and would fight frequently when my parents announced their divorce I wasn't much surprised my mom and dad

were never a great match from the start honestly they tried to make it work but there was always tension between them especially when it came to responsibilities around the house although my mom technically stayed at home she didn't enjoy any of the typical household duties that often come with that role cooking cleaning or even helping me with homework were not really her priorities and she made no secret of her dislike for doing those things instead she liked to spend a huge chunk of her time on her phone trying to build an online following she considered

herself a beauty influencer always recording or posting something even though her follower count wasn't exactly impressive when she wasn't glued to her phone she spent much of her time and a significant portion of my dad's income going out with her friends shopping spree brunches or beauty treatments those were her regular activities she never really fit the mold of what most people think of as a typical mom while other parents generally check on their kids' assignments making sure they are keeping up with their studies and asking about their daily lives my mom's primary concern was to

only look after herself she constantly stressed about her appearance and also expected me to stay thin at all times and put together it was almost as if she saw me more as a reflection of her own image than as an individual with my own needs anyways after the divorce both my parents got custody of me and my time was split between them initially it took me some time to adapt to living between two separate households and just as I was starting to settle in my mom met Kevin she seemed Smitten by him from the very

first date in just a few days they started to officially date and after a few weeks mom made me meet him suddenly this stranger was everywhere and I was expected to welcome him into our lives with open arms now I wouldn't have had any problem accepting Kevin if he were a decent person but the reality is he's not right from the beginning Kevin had these unrealistic expectations he assumed I would just happily accept him as my new dad even though he was in my eyes a total downgrade for my actual father he constantly meddles in

my life and seems to seize every opportunity to belittle me it feels like no matter what I do he finds a way to criticize or control me for instance he has two sons and he becomes visibly annoyed with me whenever he thinks I'm acting too girly as he likes to phrase it he has outright told me that I shouldn't wear frocks or tight skirts as if how I dress is any of his business he also insists that I shouldn't leave my hair down and expects me to keep my long hair tied up and a bun

all the time it doesn't stop there if I ever have friends over he always interrupts us claiming he's just checking in but it's not just a quick hello or a casual inquiry he literally barges in and hovers around as if he doesn't trust me and my friends to be alone it's incredibly intrusive and honestly it's humiliating when I protest or ask him to leave us alone he brushes it off saying things like girls require constant supervision and we should just pretend like he's not even here it's infuriating that he doesn't extend the same level of

interference to his sons or seem to feel the need to constantly oversee their every move when I've tried to bring up how much this bothers me with my mom hoping for support or understanding she brushes it off she tells me he's just being protective as though that excuses his behavior on top of everything Kevin's two sons make my life even harder they have no concept of personal space and their personalities clash with mine in every possible way they are also Relentless when it comes to bullying me whether it's teasing mocking or finding new ways to

make me feel small they pick on me constantly and instead of stepping in my my mom dismisses their behavior by saying that's how all siblings Bond when my mom decided to marry Kevin after just a year of dating she expected to just fall in line she told me in no uncertain terms that she loved Kevin and was determined to make their marriage work she knew I had my doubts and frustrations but she was clear about what she wanted from me to give Kevin a chance and not to make things difficult for her she urged me

to accept him as part of our family it felt like a lot to ask especially given how fast everything was happening but I wanted to support her and keep the peace so I agreed to try since then I've genuinely made an effort to accept Kevin and his sons I've tried to go along with his routines and adapt to the changes even though it's been far from easy one of the things that bothers me most is how Kevin insists that I call him dad it doesn't feel right and every time I say it I can't help

but feel resentment building up inside me I already have a dad and I don't want to replace him yet Kevin doesn't seem to understand or care that it's hard for me but beyond the name what's really painful is the shift in my mom's attention and priorities after her marriage she seems more focused on Kevin's Sons than on me she spends more time with them helps them with things she never did for me and acts more like a mother to them than she ever has with me I sometimes feel like I've lost my place in her

life she is only ever a mom to Kevin's Sons now I'd love to live with my dad especially since he is generally more understanding but he had to move away once he got a new job in another city which paid him significantly better he still visits me from time to time but I stay with Mom full- time Dad and I also talk on the phone regularly he knows about some of the issues I have with Kevin and his sons because I've opened up to him about it he's really supportive and has even tried to talk

to my mom about the situation I think he genuinely wants to help but every time he brings it up my mom shuts him down she tells him to back off and insists that he shouldn't interfere in her marriage over the years I've done my best despite everything to adjust a life with my new family I've really tried to make an effort with with Kevin and his sons hoping that if I stayed patient and open we could build some kind of positive relationship but despite my efforts I still feel invisible in my family this year Kevin

unexpectedly received a promotion at work when he came home he proudly announced that he'd be treating all of us to a family trip the news had us all excited especially since it had been so long since we'd gone on a vacation together he and Mom picked the place and book tickets and accommodations for all of us but as luck would have it just a day before our trip I got into a car accident with my mom we were driving home after shopping for a few outfits for the upcoming vacation when out of nowhere another car

slammed into us from behind it wasn't a massive Collision but it was enough to throw us off and cause some injuries my mom was mostly okay aside from a few scrapes and bruises here and there but I wasn't so lucky I ended up with a broken arm and a concussion from the impact the ambulance was called and before I knew it I was being admitted to the hospital when Kevin first heard about our accident he rushed to the hospital looking concerned at first I thought he was genuinely worried about me and my mom that he

was showing up because he cared about our wellbeing but then he kept bringing up the trip obsessing over whether or not we'd still be able to go and worrying that the money he'd spent would go to waste the doctors eventually informed us that due to my concussion I'd need to stay in the hospital for a few days for observation they wanted to make sure I was okay before clearing me to go home but travel was definitely off the table for me Kevin looked at me frustrated as if if it was my fault for getting into

the accident and wasting his money since I had to stay in the hospital my mom half-heartedly offered to stay back with me it gave me a glimmer of hope that she'd choose to support me during such a difficult time however Kevin was quick to jump in arguing that since our plane tickets were already paid for we were already losing money with me not going and that it wouldn't make sense for my mom to also waste even more money by staying behind he then turned to me and told me that at my age I should be

perfectly capable of staying at the hospital alone for a few days he pointed out how safe the hospital was with doctors and nurses on call 24/7 implying that I had nothing to worry about Kevin then went on to insist that once I was discharged he'd arrang for a babysitter to stay with me at home I argued with Kevin that I wasn't comfortable staying at the hospital alone or having a babysitter take care of me back home I begged my mom to stay with me instead my mom did try to stand up for me telling Kevin

that it wasn't right to just leave me alone in the hospital she knew that this was wrong however Kevin still pushed back he kept arguing that my mom's presence was unnecessary and that her staying would only mean sitting by my side and doing nothing productive the whole day he made it sound as though her presence was useless ignoring the emotional support she could actually provide for him not wasting his vacation money was more important than anything else clearly he didn't see me as his real child so he just didn't care about how I felt or

what happened to me I tried to plead that at 15 I shouldn't be left alone in the hospital I was was scared and in pain and the idea of going through all of this without any family member around was overwhelming I suggested a compromise saying that maybe Mom could call my dad to come down and stay with me while she and Kevin would be gone sure it would take a little time for him to get here since he lives in another city but I was confident he'd come in a heartbeat if he knew I was

hospitalized I thought this could be a way for them to still go on their trip while making sure I wasn't alone but Kevin shot the idea down almost immediately he dismissed my concerns saying I was being silly and making a big deal out of minor injuries he brushed off my suggestion of calling my dad claiming it would only make him worry unnecessarily according to Kevin there was no need to disrupt anyone else's plans over something as trivial as a concussion and broken arms injuries that would he'll just fine with a few days of Hospital rest

in the end Kevin's pressure worked I looked at my mom hoping she'd stand her ground and insist on staying with me but as usual she gave into Kevin rather than fighting for what I needed she agreed to leave she stayed with me for only a single night which brought me some comfort I clung to the hope that maybe after seeing how vulnerable I felt she would realize I needed her there but the next day Kevin showed up at the hospital to pick her up eager to head off on the trip as planned without any consideration

for how I was doing after my mom left me alone at the hospital I felt abandoned and betrayed after just a day of being there by myself I couldn't hold back the tears anymore one of the nurses noticed me crying and after realizing that I didn't have anyone around to check on on me she kindly offered to call my mom I told her it was fine that they probably wouldn't answer anyway but she insisted so I gave her my dad's number I was half expecting that my dad might scold me or tell me just like

my stepdad had that I was overreacting and that being alone in the hospital wasn't a big deal but the moment my dad picked up the phone and was informed by the nurse about my situation he was immediately concerned he sounded more worried than I'd heard him in a long time and asked me if my mom had really gone off on the trip without me I explained the whole situation telling him how Kevin had insisted it was fine to leave me because he didn't want the trip money to go to waste and how mom had ultimately

agreed to go along with it my dad was Furious as I told him everything he went quiet but I could feel his anger simmering he then told me that my mom had only mentioned we'd been in a minor fender bender downplaying the entire situation she hadn't mentioned a single word about my broken arms or my concussion or that she and Kevin would be leaving me alone in the hospital according to what she' told him there was nothing to worry about so he hadn't felt the need to reach out to me hearing that mom had knowingly

lied about my situation to dad made me feel even more hurt and betrayed my dad immediately assured me that he was going to come over as soon as possible he told me he'd drop everything and drive over to the hospital and stay with me no matter how long it would take but the first time since I'd been admitted I felt a sense of relief knowing that my dad was coming to be by my side and that finally someone was taking my situation seriously and as I sat there waiting I realized is just how much I

needed the kind of support in my life within just 2 hours my dad arrived at the hospital and seeing him walk through the door felt like a huge weight had lifted off my chest I started to cry as he hugged me and reassured me that everything was going to be okay he then immediately went to speak with my doctors making sure he understood every detail of my injuries I could see the relief on his face when he confirmed that while my injuries were painful and serious they weren't life-threatening he was very regretful for not being

there for me sooner and for not questioning my mom version of events he told me he regretted trusting that everything was fine without checking it on me directly and it was clear that he was beating himself up over it obviously my dad's anger toward Kevin was palpable he was Furious that my stepdad had the audacity to treat my needs so casually and then chose to go on a trip rather than ensuring I was taken care of the lack of respect and care Kevin showed by leaving me to manage alone in a hospital revealed just how

little I mattered to him his action spoke volumes making it clear that despite being in a relationship with my mom I was nothing more than an inconvenience to him my Dad tried to call Mom and Kevin but neither of them picked up his calls this made dad even more Furious and he swore up and down that he was going to teach Kevin and Mom a lesson for abandoning me like this over the next two nights my dad stayed right by my side having taken leave from work to make sure I wouldn't be alone he didn't

leave me for a moment until I was finally discharged and even then he wasn't comfortable with me going back to Kevin's house where I'd be left with just a babysitter until everyone returned instead he insisted I come home with him so I agreed once I settled in at my dad's place he tried reaching out to Mom again she claimed she had missed his earlier calls because she was having so much fun with Kevin and his sons hearing this only fueled his anger more and he didn't hold back he firmly told her that her behavior was

unacceptable that abandoning me in the hospital was a serious Act of neglect and that he planned to take legal action to hold her and Kevin accountable he even mentioned taking her to court if necessary so she could even lose custody of me making it clear that he was prepared to report both her and Kevin for their actions since then my phone has been constantly buzzing with calls and texts from both Kevin and my mom instead of acknowledging what they did or expressing any sort of apology they've been sending message after message accusing me of ruining

their vacation by telling my dad about my situation Kevin has even gone as far as to say that all I had to do was keep my mouth shut and quietly stay in the hospital without making a fuss according to them everything would have been fine if I had just complied with them I'd have for throwing my mom and stepdad under the bus update one for everyone asking now that I've had some time to think about it and have talked to my dad I realized that there have been so many times over the years that Kevin

and Mom neglected me and I just let it happen I stayed quiet hoping things would change but they never did it's hard to admit but I allowed myself to be pushed aside for their convenience and now looking back I can't believe I tolerated it for so long for example Kevin frequently undermined my relationship with my dad he he would constantly make negative comments about him saying things like he was a dead beat or a loser compared to him this was because Kevin strongly believed my dad wasn't a good husband to my mom and hence he

had the right to bash on my dad mom also never asks him to stop whenever I have had issues at home or tried to talk to my mom about them Kevin always dismisses my feelings by telling me that I make a big deal out of things or I am just too sensitive because I am a girl he often claims that this is why he is so lucky to have only Sons Kevin constantly shows favoritism toward his Sons even in the smallest day-to-day interactions he doesn't mind giving them money for any expense they have without hesitation

but whenever I ask my mom for anything Kevin interrogates me with countless questions he constantly claims that I am buying unnecessary things and wasting money even though it's not even the money that I spend to begin with it's my dad's money so I'm allowed to spend it however I want despite being in the same house we never spent quality time together as a family Kevin and Mom would often make plans with his sons and leave me out claiming they didn't want to bother me or that they wanted to spend some quality time together without me

this often left me feeling abandoned and unimportant they would go out for dinner or do things that they enjoyed without considering that I might want to be included this is probably why I was so excited to join them on the vacation because they rarely ever included me in their plans Kevin and mom also don't like to celebrate my birthdays they always tell me that since Kevin's Sons don't make a big deal out of their birthdays I shouldn't expect much either it's like they believe that I don't deserve any special attention just because it's it's not

their way and when it comes to gifts I end up getting things that I don't even like or use as if they don't care enough to put any thought into what I would actually enjoy whenever I was struggling with school Kevin would say things like you're just lazy that's your problem or why do you even bother with that stuff instead of asking what was going on or offering help he made it about how it inconvenienced him mom on the other hand would just stay Silent not offering any comfort or words of encouragement even though she

knew how much it was affecting me update too so my dad did report mom and stepdad to CPS it wasn't a decision he made lightly but he felt it was necessary to ensure that what had happened wasn't overlooked he couldn't just sit back and let them treat me like that leaving me behind in the hospital without a second thought when Kevin and my mom returned home they were contacted by CPS officials they had to answer a whole bunch of questions explaining the situation their actions and their decision I'm sure it was a wakeup call for

them one they probably weren't expecting but the authorities agreed with my dad that leaving me behind in the hospital especially after being injured was unacceptable they acknowledged that I had been neglected in a way that put my well-being at risk later my mom called me she wasn't exactly happy and I could tell from her tone that she was upset at me she told me that I had pushed both her and Kevin into a lot of trouble by involving CPS it felt like she was blaming me for what happened but I knew I hadn't done anything

wrong she warned me that CPS would be reaching out to me next to get my side of the story my mom then continued to strongly urge me to lie to the authorities telling me that if I didn't then I could end up being taken away from her and she would lose custody of me I argued with her that I wasn't comfortable lying to the authorities and that maybe she should have thought of the consequences of her actions when she abandoned me at the hospital that day Mom then tried to guiltrip me saying things like how

she had given me years of her life and that I needed to show my loyalty to her this time she made it sound like I was somehow going to betray her by being honest with the authorities as if I was the one at fault for everything that happened but what really struck me was when she told me that lying would also protect Kevin and his sons she explained that the CPS investigation could end up causing problems for Kevin especially with his ex-wife his ex-wife might find out and use this as ammunition to make Kevin pay

for it I just shook my head as I realized how my mom seemed more concerned about my stepdad's reputation and her own than about what I had been through not once did she ask me how I was doing or if I had recovered meanwhile she continued to beg me pleading with me to lie and protect her family I couldn't take her selfishness anymore I stood my ground and told her in no uncertain terms that I didn't care how this would affect her and Kevin but I would not be lying to the authorities I told her

that I would be telling them exactly what had happened and I wouldn't be covering up anything for anyone if this meant she and Kevin were in trouble then so be it they were the adults here they were the ones who had messed up so I wasn't going to protect them from the consequences of their actions my mom yelled at me some more and called me names but I didn't give in ever ever since then I feel guilty however I think I'm doing the right thing update three it's been almost 2 weeks since my last update

I have talked to the authorities and told them the truth for now I will be staying with my dad my dad has been looking into school so I can stay with him here permanently I have to say that it feels nice to live with him mom has continued to try to Guilt Trip me but there's nothing else that she can do for now she has been given a warning by CPS mom clearly neglected her responsibility to me and that could not be ignored CPS has asked her to make significant changes like attending mandatory parenting classes

and counseling to address her issues with neglect and her relationship with me Kevin was also scrutinized as he had shown a lack of respect and care for me especially during the hospital incident CPS made it clear that they would be closely monitoring the situation if and whenever I came over to stay with them and that any further neglect or mistreatment would lead to more serious consequences update four wow can't believe that it's been almost 4 months now since I've been living with dad I feel like I'm finally in a place where I'm not constantly walking

on eggshells or doubting my worth living with Dad has been such a huge relief he's supportive listens to me and most importantly he respects my space and my decisions it's been a complete 180 compared to what I was dealing with before I feel hurt here I can talk about my day my struggles my dreams and he actually cares I've been able to focus more on school and my mental health and I feel like I'm finally getting back to who I really am I've also made some amazing new friends at school and I genuinely love spending

time with them in fact last month for the first time in a long time I actually got to have a proper birthday celebration I invited all my friends over and we had a pizza party while watching cheesy romantic movies it was the kind of birthday I'd always wanted but never got when I lived with my mom and Kevin as for Mom things are still complicated she's been trying to contact me more frequently lately even sending me texts about how sorry she is and how much she misses me part of me feels guilty for staying away

but then I remember everything that led to this point I've made it clear to her that I'm still not ready to come back and while she tries to reach out I've established boundaries for myself her actions were damaging and she needs to take full responsibility for that as for Kevin he hasn't apologized or taken any responsibility for his actions honestly I'm not surprised he's never shown any real concern for me or my well-being the way he treated me especially when I was in the hospital is something I'll never forget get whether he ever changes or

not doesn't matter to me anymore I'm not waiting around to find out I've learned to rely on myself and the people who truly care about me and that's enough