When a woman decided to end her marriage after discovering her husband’s infidelity, she lost custody of her daughter. Over the years, her daughter refused to have anything to do with her, convinced that her mother was the one at fault. But when she could no longer afford her college expenses, she reached out to her mother again.

In January 2022, a 45-year-old woman anonymously shared her experience on Reddit’s “AITA” subreddit.

The woman explained that she had married a wealthy man and initially felt fortunate to have a partner who was so generous toward her family. Her husband showered her parents with expensive presents, paid off her sister’s credit card debt, and helped her brother land a well-paying position at a respected company.

Her family adored him, and whenever the couple encountered problems in their marriage, her relatives frequently took his side. This included the first time he was unfaithful, which happened shortly after she gave birth to their daughter, Kelly.

Even though she was still recovering from childbirth, the woman wanted to leave the marriage. However, her family convinced her to reconsider. They argued that Kelly deserved to grow up in a home with both parents and urged her to forgive her husband. Eventually, she gave in to their wishes and stayed.

She also tried to convince herself that her pregnancy might have prevented her from being the wife her husband needed at the time.

Years later, when Kelly was 12, her husband cheated on her again. This time, the woman was determined to end the marriage and move forward with a divorce.

Her in-laws strongly opposed the decision because they feared the scandal could damage their family’s reputation. Her own parents also discouraged her from leaving, partly because they did not want to lose the financial assistance and generosity her husband had provided.

Despite the pressure, she proceeded with the divorce. During the legal battle, she lost custody of Kelly. Her husband could afford highly experienced lawyers and had the support of her in-laws, putting her at a significant disadvantage. Still, she received alimony and what she considered a favorable financial settlement.

After the divorce, the woman tried to maintain a relationship with her daughter through scheduled visits. Unfortunately, her parents and former in-laws repeatedly spoke negatively about her to Kelly.

They portrayed her as a bad person and accused her of being hypocritical for refusing to forgive her father, even though he had apologized for his affairs. As Kelly entered her teenage years, she began to believe these claims and eventually refused to see her mother altogether.

During this painful period, the woman leaned heavily on her closest friend, Tina. She described Tina as her greatest source of comfort and support, admitting that getting through those difficult years might have been impossible without her.

Meanwhile, she continued reaching out to Kelly, hoping that one day her daughter would be willing to reconnect.

The woman also focused on rebuilding her own life. She studied accountancy, developed a new career, and eventually secured a well-paying job. Her former husband, on the other hand, began experiencing serious setbacks.

He lost his job and became involved in a lawsuit brought by one of his employees. Despite his worsening financial situation, he continued spending lavishly until his savings were exhausted. Eventually, he even spent the money he had set aside for Kelly’s college education.

With her tuition no longer covered, Kelly, now 21, reached out to her mother after years of estrangement.

The woman admitted that the circumstances surrounding their reunion were painful. She did not want to pretend she was unaffected by the possibility that Kelly had contacted her primarily because she needed financial assistance.

Nevertheless, she agreed to help pay for her daughter’s graduate school tuition. However, she wanted Kelly to sign an agreement acknowledging that she would no longer be entitled to inherit from her mother under the terms of her will.

The woman explained that she intended to leave most of her estate and assets to Laura, Tina’s 18-year-old daughter, who had become like a daughter to her over the years. Laura was also her goddaughter, and the two had developed a close bond.

Although the woman remained on good terms with some members of her extended family, several relatives disagreed with her decision. They believed she should divide her estate equally between Kelly and Laura, giving both young women the same inheritance.

The woman worried, however, that following their advice would undermine any chance of rebuilding her relationship with Kelly. She did not want their connection to become one in which money was the main reason for staying in contact, nor did she want to feel that she had to pay for her daughter’s affection.