I Punished My Daughter for a Gift That Brought My Wife to Tears

I Punished My Daughter After Her Gift Made My Wife Cry — Is My Decision Justified?

At Christmas dinner, Daniel’s wife delivers him a tiny box, which he discovers is a terrible Christmas gift from his daughter Rachel. Rachel has treated her horribly, disregarding her past, even though Amelia is her stepmother. There is nothing Daniel can do but discipline her. Does he go too far, though?

As soon as I looked at my wife at supper, I knew something was wrong. She was really quiet, and when I asked her if she was alright, she simply shook her head and smiled tightly.

However, I could tell.

While we had visitors seated at the table with us, she was attempting to hide the fact that something was eating away at her.

As I said, “Come on, Amelia,” “Tell me, what’s wrong?”

After I asked her three times, she eventually gave in. A tiny box was pushed across the table by her.

“This was your daughter’s gift to me, Daniel,” she replied.

Confused, I opened the box.

I just stared at it at first, trying to make sense of what I was seeing. The significance then struck me like a kick to the stomach.

Amelia had been battling breast cancer for the previous two years. The woman was sitting at the dinner table on Christmas Day, blindsided by the harshness of a teenage girl, after enduring terrible abuse to remain with us.

There was nothing more from her. She simply stood up and entered the kitchen. It was when I heard her begin to cry that I became angry.

I got up so fast that the chair almost fell over.

“Rachel!” I yelled from the other side of the table.

My sixteen-year-old daughter blinked, her face full of innocent wide eyes.

When she said, “What, Dad?”

Amelia had been working on the Christmas buffet since the break of day, and I rushed around to her side of the table.

“What the hell were you thinking giving her this?” I yelled.

As though it were evidence from a murder scene, I held up the box.

Rachel rolled her eyes and folded her arms as if I were the one who was being irrational.

“It was only a present. Dad, my goodness, she’s so sensitive. Really, I do.”
“Rachel, do you find this funny? “Really?” My voice was quiet as I asked.

She put a forkful of turkey in her mouth and shrugged.

“She should relax. It’s only a bra.

What I was hearing was unbelievable. After spending days making Christmas special, my wife—who had embraced Rachel into our family despite the unwelcome treatment she had endured for years—was taken aback by this.

Amelia had spent hundreds of dollars on Rachel’s Christmas presents, including the pair of Doc Martens with the sunflowers, the fancy handbag she desired, and the beauty kit she had been teasing for months.

For what purpose?

To be handled in this manner?

I shook the package at her and shouted, “You did this on purpose,” “You believed making fun of her would be amusing. Even for you, this is a completely new low after everything she’s been through.”

Rachel laughed.

She remarked, “It’s not such a big deal,”

“Yes, it is,” I said with a scowl and clenched hands. “And you know it.”

Rachel’s attitude changed when she understood that I wasn’t going to overlook this. She became defensive and victimized herself.

“I’m not to blame for her rigidity. Dad, it seems like everyone thinks she’s weak or something. She was ill, but she is now well. She is now alright.

The last straw was those words. Something snapped within of me. I could no longer contain the tremendous rage.

“You’re tidying up after our visitors depart. The trash, the dishes, and all the decorations. Everything! You can spend the remainder of your Christmas season cleaning since you find cruelty amusing.

“What?!” Rachel’s face contorted in shock as she screamed. “I can’t be forced to do all of that! I’ll just go. I’ll call Cody or Mom.”
“You will do it, Rachel,” I encouraged her. “And you’re not going anywhere till it’s finished. Don’t attempt to dispute it.

She had her phone in her hand immediately, contacting her stepbrother to come get her. Did she think she could beat me? She was unaware of the extent of my willingness to go this time.

I am aware that I may come out as a strict father. And I agree to a certain degree. However, Amelia had endured a lot during her recuperation and surgery. In order to reach the other side, my wife had to fight to the death.

And Rachel choose to perform this trick when she was finally back to herself and in remission?

It was absurd. And really disappointed. It was unbelievable to me that my daughter had changed into someone I no longer recognized.

I felt ill from it.

Before her mother, Celine, and I got divorced, Rachel was the sweetest kid. However, our divorce was amicable; we simply needed to separate since our compatibility had diminished.

Celine even took good care of Amelia. Celine came over every few days to assist me with cooking and laundry when Amelia was recovering from surgery.

What, then, was wrong with Rachel?

I met Cody, her stepbrother, at the door when he arrived.

“She’s not going anywhere, Cody,” I firmly advised. “But you’re more than welcome to come in and have some dessert.”

He held up his hands as if I were a crazy person.

“Alright, man, I don’t want any trouble,” he replied. “And everything is OK. I’m going out. I’m heading to get together with some friends.

“There won’t be any trouble, Cody,” I replied. “Go on, I’ll bring Rachel home later.”

I closed the door and raised an eyebrow at Rachel.

Rachel snapped.

Tears filled her eyes as she screamed at me.

“This is really unjust! She used my name to say, “Daniel, you’re abusive.” “Mom’s going to hear about this!”

I remained unflappable in the face of this outburst.

“All OK. Give your mom a call. Inform her of your actions. However, you won’t depart until all of the decorations have been taken down and all of the dishes have been cleaned.

Rachel worked furiously through her tears for four hours, complaining all the while.

Amelia once approached me and drew me away, a guilty expression on her face.

“Maybe this is too much,” she muttered. “Despite everything, she’s just a kid, honey.”

I stated bluntly, “She’s old enough to know better,” “This is her way of paying you back for all the kindness you’ve shown her? No. She must realize that being nasty has repercussions.

After that, my wife remained silent, but I could see it in her eyes. Despite the fact that she had done nothing wrong, she detested being the target of the punishment.

It was much after midnight when Rachel finished. Although the house looked immaculate, there was enough tension to choke on. Without a word, Rachel snatched up her coat, ran out of the house, and slammed the door shut behind her.

My phone rang just ten minutes after I had finished pouring myself a glass of whiskey. It was my former partner.

Before I could even say hello, she yelled, “Are you out of your mind?”

Making her do the housework? During the Christmas season? What’s wrong with you?

I squeezed my nasal bridge.

Knowing exactly what that would mean to Amelia, Celine, she offered her a bra. Do you genuinely believe that she shouldn’t be held responsible? Do you genuinely believe she is not deserving of punishment?

She sighed, “She’s sixteen, Daniel!” “Young people tell dumb jokes. It’s not that important.”

“Not that serious?” I lost my temper. “Are you even paying attention to yourself, Celine? It is your fault if you are unable to recognize how incorrect that is. However, I’m not bringing her up to believe that it’s acceptable to harm people and then walk away with no repercussions.”

The other end of the phone was silent for a long time.

After saying, “You’re being way too hard on her, Dan,” she ended the call.

Feeling the weight of the day on my shoulders, I sighed and put down my phone. Amelia was sitting calmly at the kitchen island when I entered the room, her eyes stained with tears.

I said, “Maybe I went too far,” speaking to myself more than to her.

She smiled at me sadly.

“You did what you thought was right.”

I rubbed my face with both hands while leaning on the counter.

“I just can’t believe she did that,” I said. “How could she be so heartless?”

A quiet “She’s a teenager,” Amelia said. “They don’t always think about how their actions affect others.”

I said, “Darling, there’s no excuse,” “Not for this. Not after all that you’ve endured.”

Rachel and I met at a coffee shop two weeks later. I had been engrossed in my feelings for the last few days. Although I was aware that what I was doing was appropriate, I still wanted to make sure Rachel was alright.

She sat down opposite me and murmured, “Dad,” in a chilly tone. “Why are we here?”

When I said, “I wanted to talk to you,” “But let’s order first.”

Rachel remained motionless as she gazed at me. Then, however, she grabbed the menu and looked through it.

When she said, “I’ll have the waffles and a coffee,”

Until the waitress arrived and took our orders, we sat in silence.

“Look,” I said. “I need you to understand why I reacted that way over Christmas.”

Her words were, “Go ahead,”

“Rachel, when Amelia fell ill, it was terrible. Even though she underwent chemotherapy and surgery, there were still days when she wasn’t feeling well. She wanted to quit. In the past, she would darkly joke about using up all of her pills. I was constantly afraid. I was afraid I might lose her.

“What? Was it really so awful? With wide eyes, Rachel inquired.

I gave a nod. “Yes,” I said. “That period of our life was the worst. We had barely been married for a year at that point. I wanted to have another child with Amelia. However, after she became ill, things rapidly deteriorated.

We sat quietly when the waitress brought our food.

“I didn’t want to hurt you, sweetheart,” I replied. “But your Christmas joke was so cold and callous and… it triggered me.”

She said, “I’m so sorry, Dad,” with a crumpled face. “I didn’t know any of this.”

“Going forward, you have to do better, Rachel.”

She took a drink of her coffee and nodded.