My Stepson said that I am not his real dad, and I have no right to order him to do anything...

my stepson said that I am not his real dad and I have no right to order him to do anything you are nothing to me you are nobody so when it came to paying for college I told him to let his real father pay for his tuition I never thought I'd be sharing the story but I need to get it off my chest my name is Robert and I am 45 years old I own a very successful Elite wine bar in town built by myself from scratch and I am very proud of it that bar

introduced me to someone 5 years ago or so I thought at that time Melissa was a bookkeeper I had hired to help manage the financial side of my business she was smart efficient and had a quiet Elegance that intrigued me she wasn't just good at her job she had a warmth about her something that made late nights going over Financial reports a little less tedious at first we kept things professional she was new to the team and I didn't want to overstep but as weeks passed I found myself lingering in her office a little longer

coming up with excuses to check on her work just to be near her eventually I made the first move let me take you to dinner I said one evening after we'd finished reviewing the books she hesitated a moment then smiled are you asking as my boss or as a man as a man that dinner turned into another then another and before I knew it we were talking about a future together everything seemed perfect Melissa was attentive her son Ethan was polite and well-mannered and I felt like I had finally found the family I'd always wanted

one year into dating we got married and Melissa and Ethan moved into my house at first everything went really well I just Dove head first into being the best stepdad I could be I took Ethan to sports games helped him with school projects made sure he had everything he needed I paid for family vacations bought him all the latest sneakers he wanted and did my best to give him the type of life I wish I had when I was his age he would see his dad from time to time which if I am being frank

I was never fully comfortable with knowing what I did about the past from what I knew Kevin used to practically burned down their old apartment multiple times while drunk which is why he lost custody in the first place but Melissa had insisted it was important for Ethan to maintain that connection and that his father had gotten sober he's still his father she'd say whenever I voiced my concerns Ethan needs to know his dad still cares about him the one time I saw at a school event he didn't appear sober to me there was something about

the way he swayed slightly while standing still the way his eyes couldn't quite focus but I kept my mouth shut after all who was I to interfere I was just the stepfather right God if only I had known then what I know now if only I knew then my wish to be the perfect stepfather may have Blinded Me from what was really going on but hindsight is 2020 right and the real trouble hadn't even begun not even close before I knew it time flew and it was Ethan's 18th birthday both his birthday and graduation were

looming and that had him walking around the house like a nervous wreck he would always say what if something goes wrong what if people don't come what if this isn't perfect one evening finding him overthinking I put my reassuring hand on his shoulder hey everything's cool I said to him as a matter of fact I've got a brilliant idea why don't we hold your party at the bar we can reserve the best section in the house instantly his eyes lit up I knew my wine bar had become a hot spot in town and Ethan had

been dying to show it off to his friends really he said already reaching for his phone oh my God my Instagram is going to be insane everyone at school is going to be so jealous I flung myself into preparations I wanted everything to just be so so perfect for him I even took him shopping for a designer sud sleek black number which made him look like a junior businessman he looked every inch like a young professional in the suit I nodded to indicate my approval how many guests do you think you were going to invite

I asked one evening as we were going over the details he fiddled with his phone and seemed for a moment to hesitate about 30 people great can you send me a guest list so that I might make sure we have enough space and food for everyone oh I don't really have one yet he said hastily just plan for 30 okay in retrospect I wish I had pushed on the list but I was so in the throws of preparing everything the tables were set the lighting was golden and warm and the atmosphere at the upper west

wine bar was nothing short of just right it had been transformed into the perfect venue for an 18-year-olds birthday sophisticated yet young with a select menu of virgin cocktails and her deres Ethan looked smash ing in his tailored black suit standing near a cluster of his friends laughing and taking snapshots Melissa's family was there mingling with his classmates and all seemed to go smoothly and then he walked in I immediately recognized Kevin even before he opened his mouth he swayed slightly with each step uneven with eyes that were glassy he was drunk I'm here to

wish my son a happy birthday he declared loudly drawing attention from the guests I was sitting next to Ethan when his father stumbled toward our table his gaze landing on me with pure contempt get up he slurred waving his hand dismissively that's my seat I'm his real father not you I kept my voice calm and measured there is ample seating with the other guests at the next table why don't you join them no this time his voice was sharp almost growling this is my place you need to leave my place who Do You Think You

Are are I looked to Melissa to intervene to do something anything to diffuse the situation but she sat there her face pale staring down at her hands as if they held the answers to all her problems I took a deep breath and stealed myself this was Ethan's night I was not about to let it get completely ruined when I could prevent it let me be crystal clear I said my eyes deadlocked into Kevin's you have two options to have a seat at the next table with the other guests or to have security escort you out

his face contorted with anger oh listen to you Mr Moneybags throwing his weight around he spat swaying slightly as he leaned on the edge of the table for balance you think you can buy everything don't you by my son by my family's love other patrons were starting to stare I could see some of my regulars at tables nearby figting indifference yet clearly hanging on every word my staff hovered near the edges of the room awaiting my queue you just Walts in here with your fancy bar your big house Kevin spat on the pitch of his

voice Rising with every sentence think you can replace me just because you've got money well guess what you can't by family with that before anyone could react he reached out and pitched a plate of shakery onto the floor the crashing of glass hit the sudden Dead Silence of the bar and then another and another fine cheeses and cured meats splattered across the expensive marble flooring a bottle of imported sparkling water tipped over spilling across the polished wood of the bar I caught my security team's eye and gave a subtle nod they moved in smoothly professionally

just as they'd been trained sir it's time for you to leave the head of security said firmly taking Kevin's arm I watched them walk him out his drunken protests sliding into slurred incoherent screams that bounced off the hall until the front door swung shut behind him silence then gradually the murmur of the guests picked up again I Rose and dawned the brightest owner smile really sorry about this ladies and Gentlemen please let the evening go on drinks are on the house it didn't ruffle the feathers of the regulars who are used to it after a

few minutes they went back to their conversations but at our tables Ethan's friends and family sat there The Whispers were constant I could see them shooting glances at Ethan at Melissa at me the story would be all over social media by morning Ethan sat ramrod straight moving the food on his plate around the Sleek suit that had made him look so grown up earlier now seemed to swallow him making him small and vulnerable the Instagram Perfect Party he had dreamed of had quickly turned into a nightmare after about an hour he grumbled I have a

headache can we go home the party was soon over after that people made polite excuses but I could hear them whispering as they left poor Ethan did you see his dad can you believe what happened the minute we were inside the house Ethan went straight to his room I followed the girls upstairs and then went in his room to talk with him to say something the next morning the morning after the disastrous birthday party Ethan came down to breakfast with circles under his eyes he took his chair his eyes looking down into his lapow are

you feeling buddy I asked softly fine he grumbled to his cereal bowl and that was that one word the days to follow were like living in some sort of ghost house Ethan energetic and chatty became practically a stranger every time I entered some room where he was talking to Melissa he'd shut down like someone had hit a mute button one evening when Ethan had gone to bed I tried bringing it up with Melissa don't you think we should do something maybe get him to talk to someone she waved a hand dismissively he's fine he's just

processing what happened give him space but it wasn't fine none of this was fine despite the tension in our household we all attended Ethan's graduation ceremony Melissa and I sat in the audience and I clapped until my hands hurt when they called his name he looked great in his cap and gown and for a moment it seemed to me as he glanced our way and smiled maybe things were finally getting better of course we held a party later in the house I knew I needed did all of his favorites their truffle fries steak sliders the

little crab cakes he would constantly be swiping from the back of the kitchen in the bar even the outrageous three- tiered chocolate cake that really should have taken at least a week to get correct his classmates came over and for a while the house was filled with laughter and excited chatter about college plans and summer vacations for a few hours everything felt almost normal again Ethan was smiling talking looking like his old self I started to relax thinking maybe we had turned a corner then his phone rang Ethan went out into the Hall to answer

it and when he came back a few minutes later there was something different in his face a quiet resolve he came to me directly for the first time in days with any degree of willingness my dad's coming over he said he wants to congratulate me on graduating my stomach dropped absolutely not I said without a second's hesitation the fresh memories of his birthday disaster still fresh Ethan think about what happened at your birthday he showed up drunk caused a scene destroyed property that was your fault Ethan cut me off his voice Rising none of that

would have happened if you had just moved and let him sit down he's my real dad you should have just stepped aside I stood there feeling like I had just been punched in the gut all this time after days of Silence this is what he had been thinking that I was the one to blame I turned desperately to Melissa hoping for once she would say something just step up and be the mother Ethan needed Melissa please I said tell him how inappropriate his father's Behavior was at the birthday party but she sat there looking at

her hands as if they held the secrets to the universe the same silence the same cowardice I had witnessed at the wine bar that night something inside me snapped 5 years of being the perfect stepfather 5 years of treading on eggshells 5 years of making excuses for everyone else's Behavior 5 years of swallowing frustration and it all came pouring out listen to me Ethan I said clear but firm that was my wine bar I set that whole party up for you I got you that damn designer suit you wanted I did absolutely everything to make

that night that night and your dad he arrived drunk publicly shamed you and now has property damages he did not even get you a present Ethan what he did was bring chaos and embarrassment in an instant Ethan's face turned from Angry to Furious Ethan's face went from Angry to absolutely Furious in an instant oh my God here we go again he shouted throwing his hands up it's all about the money with you isn't it I paid for this I bought that you think because you have the money you can control everything he spun around to

face his classmates who were standing ing awkwardly in the living room obviously wishing they were anywhere else my real dad will be here soon he said with a bitter laugh it'll be nice to finally have a normal person here instead of this he gestured to me as if I was some filth he had stepped on your father is not coming into this house I tried to say modulating my voice against the rise of anger and hurt inside me not after what happened at the bar that was when Ethan totally lost it his face flushed red

and he began yelling at me in front of all the guests you're not my dad he shrieked you're nothing to me you're nobody who do you think you are to tell me what to do keep your nose out of my life you're just some guy my Mom married for his money the room fell dead silent I could see his friends fidgeting uncomfortably some checking their phones others fascinated by the ceiling Ethan turned back to them his voice dripping with Venom let get out of here I don't want to celebrate in his house anyway he emphasized

the word his like it was something filthy his friends quickly filed out no one making eye contact with me the front door slammed so hard the windows rattled I stood there alone amidst my own apartment surrounded by abandoned food and Scattered plates hit by a virtual truck this had to be it it had to have been enough that finally at last Melissa would say something she would have to rise to my defense after this wouldn't she Mel Alissa cleared her throat when she spoke she was cold detached you had no right to throw the house

and money in his face like that she said flatly you didn't need to remind him this is your house that your money pays for everything that was low I stared at her seeing her for the first time you've got to be kidding me right now where were you when your ex was hurling plates across my wine bar where were you just now when your son stood up in front of his entire graduating class and started screaming insults at me Melissa just shook her head as if I was the crazy one you're the adult here she

snapped you should know better than to get into an argument with a teenager I let out a bitter laugh and you should know better than to bury your head in the sand like a coward I shot back but that's what you do isn't it you just sit there silently while your ex-husband and your son treat me like garbage well guess what I'm done being everyone's punching bag Melissa's face clouded and she didn't say a word more turning she started upstairs and after a few minutes I heard the slamming of the guest room door the next

morning the breakfast felt like a funeral Melissa sat across from me sliding scrambled eggs listlessly around her plate while carefully avoiding eye contact I was just getting ready to rise and leave the table when Ethan lurched into the kitchen still dressed in last night's graduation party attire I caught his alcohol breath about halfway between his door and the table I glanced sideways at Melissa just waiting for something anything regarding her teenaged son wreaking of booze coming home at 9:00 in the morning but as was often the case she said nothing only stared at her plate

where have you been all night I asked neutrally Ethan turned to me his bloodshot eyes full of contempt none of your business he sneered you're not my dad you're not anyone just some empty space taking up room in this house then he turned and stumbled upstairs to bed Melissa just sat there silent again by this stage I was thinking silence was some kind of superpower that she possessed the week that followed was like trying to live in a house plagued by the Poltergeist from Hell Ethan wouldn't speak to me directly at all instead he'd talk

about me as if I weren't there dad he'd say to Melissa pointing at me like I was a piece of furniture can you ask your husband to pass the salt or he'd walk into a room and say to his mother this guy is in my way and then just stand there waiting for me to move I said nothing kept watching 5 years I had wasted trying to be the perfect stepfather now I was out let them show their real colors and boy was I in for a show and tell Sunday Melissa and I sat down

to another silent dinner when Ethan burst into the dining room waving an envelope around like he just won some kind of lotto dad I got in he exclaimed practically bouncing up and down NYU accepted me I got into my dream school I watched him run up to Melissa hugging her tightly both of them were grinning from ear to ear then Ethan turned to her and with a smirk that I will never forget said tell your husband he needs to pay for my tuition something inside me just snapped I smiled but not a warm happy smile

a cold old sharp one I won't be paying for your college education I said clearly you've made it very clear that I'm not your father I'm nobody remember well guess what this nobody's wallet is closed why don't you ask your real dad to pay for college Ethan's face went an alarming shade of red you vindictive piece of he started shaking tears brimmed in his eyes but I felt nothing you're doing this to punish me you're just evil I stood there feeling strangely calm as he hurled insult after insult at me it was like watching a

storm through a window I could see the chaos but it couldn't touch me anymore mom Ethan Whirled to Melissa make him pay he has to pay Melissa cleared her throat adopting that patronizing tone I had grown to hate come on honey quit joking around she said to me you know you need to pay for Ethan's education I pushed my chair back and stood up I've made myself perfectly clear I will not pay tens of thousands of dollars in tuition for someone who spent weeks telling me I'm nothing to him someone who treats me as if

I don't exist in my own home then I turned and walked out of the dining room Ethan screams following me up the stairs I could hear him throwing what sounded like another spectacular tantrum plates crashing chairs scraping theatrical sobs like father like son I thought grimly I sat in my bedroom listening as the chaos downstairs slowly died down but I knew it wasn't over Melissa would be up soon enough ready to play her part in this family drama sure enough about 30 minutes later my bedroom door burst open Melissa burst in red-faced with anger I'm

sick of it she spat at me sick of you and your games you need to grow up and pay for Ethan's education I looked calmly at her where I said sat on the bed no you and your ex can figure out how to pay for NYU I'm sure between the two of you you can work something out Melissa's jaw tightened she started pacing the room like a caged animal you're being completely selfish he's just a teenager for God's sake you're the adult here you need to be the bigger person I watched her remembering all the

time she had used that same argument be the bigger person Robert Let It Go robertt he's just a kid Robert always making excuses always smiling nodding and opening my wallet as they treated me like dirt I took a deep breath and slowly let it out a teenager who's old enough to know better I said quietly a teenager who has made it very clear how he feels about me why should I invest in his future when he has shown me nothing but contempt Melissa stopped her pacing and slowly turned in my direction her expression was cold

fine then let me make this simple for you either you pay for Ethan's education or I'm filing for divorce she clearly expected me to Cave to break down cry or beg her not to leave to pay instantly that is what the better of man would do right I Shrugged okay get divorced the expression on her face was almost comic her mouth opened and closed a few times but words wouldn't spill out apparently she had not expected Ed me to call her Bluff I will call my lawyer first thing in the morning I said my voice

firm until then you and Ethan can start finding yourselves a new place to live Melissa said nothing but stood looking at me almost for the first time finally with no words said she turned and left out the door closing it quietly behind her the next morning I came downstairs to find Ethan already at the dining table waiting for me like some sort of Ambush the scene was perfectly staged Ethan with his red rimmed eyes Melissa with her carefully practiced look of concerned Authority honey Melissa said smiling that manipulative smile I had somehow never noticed before

we've all had a chance to calm down and think about things Ethan nodded profusely like a well-bred puppet we all just overreacted yesterday he said his voice dripping with honey I stood in the doorway feeling a strange sense of clarity wash over me it was like I was seeing them both for the first time really seeing them Melissa kept going her voice taking on that reasonable tone she always used when she wanted something we're family families fight but they also make up and since you were the one who escalated things with this whole College situation

it would mean a lot if you took the first step toward reconciliation Ethan jumped in right on Q yeah and if you helped with tuition it would show that you're really sorry and want to make things right I almost laughed they really thought they could manipulate me this easily that all it would take was some fake remorse and rehearsed lines about Family actually I said pulling out my phone I just got off the phone with my lawyer 5 minutes ago the divorce papers should be ready by this afternoon their expressions changed in a flashh Ethan's

fake smile vanished and his face showed shock Melissa's face turned that familiar shade of angry red I turned to Ethan congratulations I said flatly you won't have to deal with your not Dad interfering in your life anymore isn't that what you wanted Ethan burst into tears real ones this time not the calculated ones from before but I was done being manipulated by teenage tears Melissa sprang to her feet so hard her chair almost toppled without another word she stormed upstairs moments later I could hear her yanking drawers open slamming closet door they packed in dead

silence no more abusive speeches no more insincere apologies just the sound of suitcases being filled and doors being slammed I thought it was finally over I was wrong the messages started that same night first from Melissa we all said things we regret let's talk about this like adults then from Ethan I am so sorry if I hurt your feelings but you are really being totally unfair about college when I said nothing they got meaner you are being obstructive and destroying this family I hope you enjoy being all alone with your money you'll be sorry later

when you are old and alone with nobody I said nothing the divorce was quick since I had made sure there was a prup naturally Melissa tried to fight it but my lawyer took care of it quickly she got nothing not a penny of my wine bars profits not a dime of my savings I still hear things about them sometimes through mutual friends they're living in a small apartment across town Ethan couldn't afford NYU and is now working at a mall somewhere Melissa is struggling to restart her accounting career but it's not going well I have

since then redecorated the house gotten rid of all the furniture that reminded me of them the place feels bigger these days lighter somehow or maybe that's just me finally free of the weight of trying to buy love from people who were only ever interested in selling