I Hate My Father and His Wife

[AlFrankenFan]

Howdy y'all. I just got back from Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, visiting my dad and step-mother. Everything went sub-par until I discovered that all the pictures of my relatives, their house, and dad and step-mom had been deleted by either one of them. How do I know? Because the only pictures remaining were ones of my brother, myself, and random scenery.

This is not the first time this has happened. The year previous they destroyed 3 of 4 rolls of my film of relatives I might never see again in Massachusetts.

Also, they have stolen pages from my personal journal two years in a row.

So I guess this is no surprise.

How am I reacting? Well, the way I figure it, I'm almost 16. Which means I'm practically old enough to stop going to a house full of people who don't respect my privacy and betray me. So I'm no longer going, and cutting contacts off with them, for good. May sound drastic, but I think it's for the better. They don't want me in their life, so I don't want them in mine.

[Arugula Latte]

1. Wow. I'm sorry.

Do you have a good relationship with your Mom?

[AlFrankenFan]

4. Yes, thank god n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. Why would they delete your pictures?

It sounds like they are in the witness protection program or something. Too bizarre.

[AlFrankenFan]

3. I know, it's fucked up

I think they're paranoid my mom would look at them...my mom's response to that being "I don't care about them anymore". Also, my step-mom has MS, though she doesn't show it nor did she tell us (learned from my grandmother), and I think she doesn't want her to see, but even that is BS.

[chookie]

5. Do they know that you are angry?

You didn't mention that you had confronted them with this... do you at least have a relationship where you can talk at all to them?

BTW -- do you live with your Mom or some other relative?

I'm sorry this happened to you. It is a sickening feeling to lose things like photos, which are unique and can never be replaced -- too bad you're the only one who realizes this.

[AlFrankenFan]

7. Haven't confronted them, somehow they'll turn it around

and we'll have a lawsuit, which we can't afford now (and has happened before). Unfortunately our relationship isn't at a "talking-it-out" point...never has been, never will be.

I hate losing photos >.< .

And yes, I do live with my mom and step-dad.

[skygazer]

6. I think you should confront them about this

Not in a shouting, rude, nasty way but in a rational, adult way. It is completely wrong of them to intrude upon your privacy like that. Whatever their motivations, that's just wrong.

If I were you, I'd write them a letter spelling out exactly what you are angry about and why. Tell them that as a result, you no longer want to have anything to do with them - perhaps it would wake them up. They sound very immature.

[AlFrankenFan]

8. That's what I've been thinking

Thanks ^.^

[Quakerfriend]

9. So sorry AlFrankenFan! Sometimes

family stuff gets so bizzare.

My mother-in-law goes to Colombia to visit her sister several times each year. And guess what...her own niece has been stealing from her the whole time. Everytime she goes there the 38-year-old niece takes money or something else.

And, my mother-in-law is the MOST generous person. Takes gifts and $$$ for everyone each time she goes to visit.

So, last time she went she SLEPT WITH HER PURSE BETWEEN HER LEGS, and she woke up in the middle of the night to find the niece rooting around in her suitcase!!

Anyway, sorry for the loss of your pictures.

[AlFrankenFan]

10. That sounds exactly like something they would do!

They stole my step-dad's cell phone and didn't give it back to us till we confronted them (which went along the lines of "Cell phone? You had a cell phone?" and then it mysteriously "reappeared"). This time I had to charge my own in a socket behind the bed they couldn't get to, then wake up in the middle of the night and hide it in my shirt.

Also, they used to watch us carefully unpacking too. I'm surprised they haven't stole money from me or my brother.