October 24, 2026 at 12:35 am

She Discovered Her Dad Had an Affair While Her Mom Was Dying—And Years Later, She Refused to Attend His Wedding or Speak to Him

by Jayne Elliott

upset young woman looking at her phone

Shutterstock

Imagine finding out your dad had an affair. Would you ever be able to forgive him? Would it be worse if he had an affair while your mom was dying?

In this story, one young woman is in this exact situation. She was only a teenager when her mom died and her dad had an affair, but years later, she still hasn’t forgiven him. She doesn’t think she’ll ever forgive him, and she definitely doesn’t want to go to his wedding.

Is it bad for her to feel this way?

Let’s read the whole story to decide.

AITA for not going to the wedding of my dad and his affair partner?

When I was 17, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.

2 years later she passed away

During these 2 years my dad was not around much. He was always working and going on business trips.

My aunt and grandma took care of mom.

Her dad is awful!

About 5 months after my mother’s passing my dad introduced me to his new girlfriend.

I was mad. I yelled at him how quickly he moved on from mom when they decided to tell me they had been in a relationship for 3 years.

My dad had been cheating on my mom while she was dying.

His business trips were to meet his affair partner.

I don’t blame her for how she reacted.

I was so angry I packed my stuff and left his house.

I haven’t spoken to him since that day.

Currently I am 25.

The only family I speak to is an aunt who helped me when I left my dad’s house.

Then her aunt called.

A few days ago my aunt called me, asked me how I was and then asked me if I heard from dad.

I said why would I hear from him again.

My aunt said dad is getting married to his affair partner and by going to his wedding it would help us mend our relationship.

I said why would I do that. He is dead to me.

She was not expecting this!

There was a silence on the phone for a bit before my dad replied asking if that was what I felt about him.

I immediately cut the call when I heard his voice. I realized he was with my aunt when she made the call to me.

I texted my aunt telling her I asked her not tell dad anything about me and she agreed back then.

She texted me back saying I was a jerk for saying what I said and my dad is crushed hearing that and that I should move on by now.

I did not want to argue with someone who helped me so I blocked her.

I’d block them all.

Over the next 2 days, I got sent a wedding invitation to my mail box.

The only person in the family who knew my address was my aunt. And she gave my number to various members of the family.

I am being bombarded with calls and texts from dad, uncles, cousins, aunts saying I should give him a chance and come to the wedding. Some calling me names for saying what I said.

She does not plan on giving in.

I got a text from the affair partner saying my dad is thinking of postponing the wedding and I should just talk to him. (For context, the affair partner was a friend of my mom and knew she had cancer).

I said its not my fault if he postpones the wedding. I don’t want to have relationship with dad or her. They are trying to force it.

It got quiet after that but being told by so many people from my dad’s side I am a jerk did leave me conflicted but I am sticking to my guns. So AITA?

They need to leave her alone. She shouldn’t feel forced to go to the wedding or to reconnect with her dad. What her dad did was awful, and she doesn’t have to forgive him.

Let’s see how Reddit responded.

Here’s a suggestion of what to say to her dad.

2026 10 23 at 12.31.21 PM She Discovered Her Dad Had an Affair While Her Mom Was Dying—And Years Later, She Refused to Attend His Wedding or Speak to Him

Another person thinks her family should back off.

2026 10 23 at 12.31.42 PM She Discovered Her Dad Had an Affair While Her Mom Was Dying—And Years Later, She Refused to Attend His Wedding or Speak to Him

This person suggests replying to the family members.

2026 10 23 at 12.32.15 PM She Discovered Her Dad Had an Affair While Her Mom Was Dying—And Years Later, She Refused to Attend His Wedding or Speak to Him

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a dad who can’t understand why his son can sleep in now that he’s not commuting to the office.

Here’s some more advice.

2026 10 23 at 12.32.30 PM She Discovered Her Dad Had an Affair While Her Mom Was Dying—And Years Later, She Refused to Attend His Wedding or Speak to Him

Blocking them is probably the best strategy for her mental health. Sure, she could reply to all of them, but that sounds stressful. They clearly don’t understand how she feels, and that’s okay. They don’t have to. She also doesn’t have to go to her dad’s wedding. It’s perfectly fine to RSVP “no” or, in this case, not to RSVP at all.

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Jayne Elliott | Contributing Writer, Life & Drama

Jayne Elliott is a contributing writer and editor for TwistedSifter specializing in human interest stories, internet culture, and family dynamics. With over 12 years of editorial experience in digital publishing, Jayne excels at analyzing complex online communities and transforming viral social debates into thoughtful, highly engaging narratives.

Rather than simply aggregating internet drama, Jayne brings a sharp, empathetic editorial eye to everyday dilemmas. She has a unique talent for unpacking the nuances of pop culture and online conflicts, providing readers with relatable, well-researched commentary.

Based in California, Jayne spends her free time outside the newsroom exploring theme parks with her family or beach-combing along the coast.

Follow Jayne's adventures and connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.