So I (42F) have been married to my husband (45M) for five years. We both have daughters from previous marriages — his daughter Lena is 15, and mine, Sophie, is 16. They’ve lived together under the same roof since we got married, and honestly, it hasn’t been smooth sailing.
Lena struggles a lot in school. Bad grades, poor memory retention, and zero motivation. Meanwhile, Sophie is a straight-A student with dreams of med school.
This summer, we planned a beach vacation. Tickets booked, hotel paid. But as Lena’s grades kept slipping, I made a hard decision. I told her she wouldn’t be coming. Instead, she’d stay home, focus on schoolwork, and work with a private tutor I hired out of pocket. I genuinely thought this was a wake-up call she needed. Her father didn’t protest. He just nodded and said, “Maybe it’s for the best.”
Lena cried. A lot. Locked herself in her room for hours. But I stood firm — I wasn’t going to reward failure.
Fast forward to the day of the flight. We’re at the airport. Bags checked. Everyone’s excited — except Sophie, who suddenly realizes her passport is gone. We tear through bags, retrace steps, and panic. No passport, no flight. We have to cancel and drive home.
Guess what we find later that night? Lena had hidden Sophie’s passport behind a ceiling tile in her closet.
She didn’t say a word. Just sat at the table while we confronted her, staring straight ahead like a ghost. Her dad looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him. I was furious — not just about the trip, but the pure malice in what she did.
But now, to my shock, everyone says I went too far. That I singled Lena out. It wasn’t really about academics; it was about punishing her for not being like Sophie.
I still think I did the right thing. I didn’t scream, I didn’t hit, I didn’t abandon her. I gave her resources. Discipline. Structure. But now the house is frozen, and Lena hasn’t spoken to anyone in days.
So… did I cross a line?”
