Not to downplay the connection that being a biological parent can be, but a TRUE parent isn’t just someone you share genes with.

A true parent is someone who does the job of parenting.

In the case of this girl’s dad? He’s not stepping up.

AITA for not inviting my dad to my wedding?

My (25F) ‘dad’ (we’ll call him Craig) has never been in my life.

I was IVF and he cheated on my pregnant mum and kicked her out of their house because he “didn’t want to be a dad”.

The only time he made attempts is when his mum, my nan, gets involved (she’s lovely)

He never reaches out to me and the only reason I’m kept up to date with his life is again, my nan (and a weird group chat we have with Craig, Nan and my cousin)

For more context he has since raised 5 step kids, put them through school, housed them etc. While ignoring my existence.

Well doesn’t he just sound like a peach.

I recently got engaged and called all of my family telling them the news before I posted on social media.

I called my nan who told me it’d be nice if I called Craig to tell him the news.

I didn’t really want to but thought there is literally no harm in a short FaceTime.

I called and it rung out all the way to voicemail.

I continued my rounds of FaceTimes and didn’t hear from him.

Seems like he just doesn’t care, right?

The next day I put a photo of my ring announcing my engagement in the group chat, giving him another chance to say something.

He read it and didn’t respond.

That afternoon I got the photos back and posted them on Instagram and Facebook (I am friends with him on both) he didn’t engage with the post at all and I still didn’t hear from him.

Ok so it REALLY seems like he doesn’t care.

After all of this, Craig was at a function with other family members I speak to.

I asked one of them if he said anything about my engagement, they told me he was “excited” about the wedding.

They told Craig that I tried calling to which he said that he has no missed calls and if he had got it he would have called me straight back or answered.

The family member who told me this asked if I had the correct number for him (we checked, I do.)

And even after now knowing I tried to reach out, I still haven’t heard from him. Not even in the group chat.

So he’s very clearly lying to save face.

No deep mystery there.

Even though this man has never been in my life and I have a dad who raised me and has been there, I’m still super offended, especially since I – the child – tried so hard to reach out and got nothing.

We’ve been planning the wedding and I was on the fence about inviting him before but now I’m not inviting him AND never reaching out to him again.

Am I the [jerk]?

Let’s see what the comments say:

Wishing never makes it so, unfortunately.

He’s not your dad. He’s an acquaintance.

He’s failed you.

Let’s be realistic, if he doesn’t care enough to answer the phone or comment on a dang post, he’s not going to care enough to actually show up.

Save yourself the aggravation. Invite the people you love.

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.