Imagine criticizing something a kid who is still learning made, just because of a personal bias.

That’s what was happening in this woman’s family when her mother kept criticizing her 14-year-old stepdaughter’s cooking.

Until she found an ingenious way to expose her mom’s behavior at her party.

Now she’s wondering if she was too harsh.

Let’s analyze the situation.

AITA for leaving my mother’s party after she insulted my daughter?

I (36, F) have a stepdaughter (14, F), “Anna.”

Her father and I married when Anna was two.

I consider her to be my real daughter in every way that matters, and love her just as much as my biological children.

Most of my family adores Anna, she’s a very sweet and hardworking girl who does her best to make them proud.

However, my mother (55, F) appears to not.

But it’s all very subtle.

She’s never outright said that she dislikes my daughter or why, but I’ve always thought it’s because Anna wasn’t my biological child.

I’ve been teaching Anna to cook for a few years now.

She asked me last year if she could start bringing her cooking to family gatherings and potlucks, and of course I agreed.

All of a sudden, her mom’s insults weren’t subtle anymore.

My mother started critiquing Anna’s dishes.

It began with just suggesting she add different spices or cook an ingredient a little longer, but over the past few months, it’s been getting worse.

She doesn’t criticize the dishes of any family members.

This Thanksgiving, she told Anna that the casserole she made was disgusting and inedible.

This was very rude of her. But apparently, she had more to say.

I told my mother to stop criticizing Anna and that she was doing her best, but she just brushed me off, which was the final straw.

My family was in town this week to celebrate my mother’s birthday.

And she had an ingenious idea.

I had some curry that my mother had made about six months ago and given to me to freeze.

I reheated it and brought it to the party, and told everyone Anna had worked very hard to make it just like her grandmother always did.

That was the perfect setup.

Immediately, my mother started criticizing the curry, saying how Anna had added too much spice and overcooked the chicken.

She even went so far as to tell Anna that she should stop bringing food to potlucks altogether.

I hadn’t originally intended to make a big deal out of this, but that comment crossed a line.

It was time to reveal the truth.

I informed my mother that it was her own curry that I had reheated, and Anna had not actually cooked it.

She immediately started sputtering and backpedaled, saying she was just trying to give constructive criticism and make Anna a better cook.

But I knew these were just excuses.

Then her mother also revealed the truth.

I asked her why she would treat my own stepdaughter so badly, and she admitted that she didn’t see Anna as her real grandchild.

This was the final straw for me. I found my husband, Anna, and my other children, and told them we had to leave, explaining what my mother said.

We probably won’t be attending any family gatherings for the foreseeable future, either.

Things got serious.

My mother has gone full scorched-earth on Facebook and most family members have taken her side.

She says that I ruined her party by leaving, and that I destroyed our relationship for someone who isn’t even my “real” child.

My husband is on my side, but he thinks that we shouldn’t have left the party, since I’d already proven my point.

This could seriously affect her daughter’s confidence.

Standing up for her and leaving was the right move, even if it felt extreme.

Let’s see what Reddit has to say about this.

A reader shares their thoughts.

This commenter breaks it down.

Someone shares their point of view.

Another reader chimes in.

This person keeps it simple.

Leaving the party after that moment established strong boundaries that she will know better than to cross next time.

You would think, anyway.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.