When my dad remarried, my stepmom had me eat at a small table apart from her daughters and the main family table, making me feel invisible and unwanted. One evening, my dad came home early, saw me alone, and silently joined me. Gradually, I was invited to the main table. Years later, I discovered my stepmom wasn’t trying to
exclude me—she was afraid of losing her bond with her daughters and thought separating me would preserve it. Despite my parents’ split when I was 4, my dad stayed involved, and my stepmom was kind, organizing fun activities for us. I share a strong bond with my half-siblings and grew up in a loving environment, which shaped me more than those early moments of isolation.
