For some people, becoming parents is the greatest thing that will ever happen to them, and they become the best versions of themselves for the kids in their care.

Other people really should not be parents at all.

OP grew up with her father and stepmother, and after they had a baby of their own when OP was 12, nothing she did was ever celebrated again.

My family has not celebrated anything to do with me since I was 12 years old.

My dad and his new wife had a baby that year and I was kind of forgotten about. I would get birthday presents and such but no party or anything.

She received gifts, but for birthdays, graduations, etc, OP went out with her friends because she knew her family wasn’t going to say boo about it.

Found family is better than crappy family, and she’s learned to be okay with it.

I got used to it and started a tradition of celebrating with my friends. We would go see movies or whatever.

One of my friend’s mom found out and started making me a cake every year for my birthday.

When I graduated from high school I had saved up enough money to go on a week-long vacation in NYC with my best friend and her mom to see Hadestown.

I just finished university and I am starting my new job right away.

Then, her father decided to throw her a surprise graduation party – but the real surprise is that OP didn’t show up.

I guess my dad had planned a big party for me as a surprise but I didn’t show up because I went out with my friends instead.

When people asked why, she told them the truth. Her father tried to call her a liar but had no receipts when she asked for them.

When my family started asking me why I didn’t show up after my father had gone through all the effort for me I explained that he hadn’t celebrated anything of mine in ten years and I didn’t know he had planned to do so this time.

He told everyone I was lying so I asked him to post any pictures he had from my birthday parties, extracurricular activities, or high school graduation.

He obviously couldn’t and everyone started turning on him.

Now everyone has turned on him, and he thinks OP shouldn’t have aired private family business.

Now he is mad for talking about private family matters.

I am just going to go over there and pick up the few things I have left in that house and just move to my new city without dealing with this anymore.

AITA?

Does Reddit agree with him? Let’s hear them out!

The top comment says if he didn’t want to be called a bad parent he shouldn’t have been one.

This person points out that none of those other people had been there for OP, either.

This commenter wonders if the dad even knows how surprise parties work.

They say OP doesn’t owe her father anything now.

I hope this girl continues to have great friends who care about her.

And let her dad regret his actions for a good long while.