Respect between a parent and their adult child should be earned, not demanded — especially when years of neglect loom large.

During a heated argument, one child seized the moment to express their true feelings to their perpetually absent father.

Read on to see how the story ends…

AITA for calling out my Dad for never really being a Dad?

Growing up, my dad was physically present, but emotionally and financially, he was checked out.

He spent most of his time gambling and leaving my mom to handle everything, from raising me to keeping the household running.

Despite all this, I’ve always tried to show him respect, even when he didn’t act like a father.

But one day, enough was finally enough.

Recently, things boiled over during a family disagreement.

My mom and dad had an argument about money again, and my dad tried to pull me into it.

He accused my mom of being the reason for the family’s financial struggles and even had the nerve to say, “You should be thankful for everything I’ve done for you.”

That hit a nerve.

So they really let their dad have it.

I finally told him, “You’ve never actually been there for me as a dad. Respect is earned, and you’ve done nothing to deserve it.”

The room went silent, and my dad just walked away.

Since then, things have been tense.

Their relationship is pretty bruised from the fight, and now the rest of their family is divided.

I still live with my parents, and I’m polite when I see him, but I’ve stopped going out of my way to interact with him.

Some family members think I crossed a line by calling him out and that I should “just let it go because he’s your dad.”

But they’re glad they spoke up and finally broke their silence.

But honestly, I’m tired of pretending everything is fine when he’s never been the kind of father I needed.

AITA for saying what I said and keeping my distance now?

It’s amazing what years of bottled-up angst can do.

Let’s see what Reddit had to say.

This user completely understands why they would react to their dad this way.

This father learned an important lesson that he wasn’t exempt from all of his past hurtful behavior just because his child has grown up.

The poster did not go too far, and, in fact, this commenter would have gone even further!

If he wants to be treated like a father, he needs to actually act like one.

The wounds this father had left on his child’s life may cut too deep for time alone to heal, but acknowledgment is often the first step toward change.

If he wants to be treated like a father, he needs to start stepping up and acting like one.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a daughter who invited herself to her parents’ 40th anniversary vacation for all the wrong reasons.