Dad Ripped for Hiding Stepdaughter's Passport Before Family Trip: 'Floored'

Internet commenters were appalled after one parent revealed where she discovered her teenage daughter's missing passport.

In a viral Reddit post published on r/AmITheA**hole, Redditor u/Throwaway317515 (otherwise referred to as the original poster, or OP) said she financed an international vacation for the entire family, including her husband and three stepchildren, but was furious to find out that her biological daughter was effectively unwelcome.

Titled, "[Am I the a**hole] for canceling the entire trip after finding out that my husband hid my daughter's passport?" the post has received nearly 21,000 upvotes in the last 10 hours.

"My husband and I have been together for 3 years," OP began. "He has 3 kids from his previous relationship and I have one. She's the oldest (17)."

Continuing to explain that her husband constantly complains about her daughter's relationship with his kids, the original poster said the 17-year-old is often treated like a babysitter, and that household tensions have risen as a result.

The original poster also said she thought a family vacation outside of the country would give everyone a chance to spend time together, without as many caretaking obligations, but was sorely disappointed.

"My husband...suggested we let [my daughter] stay home and have the house all to herself since that's 'what she always wanted,'" OP wrote. "He kept [complaining] 'til I snapped and told him to stop.

"I booked (paid) for the whole family. However, my daughter told me she couldn't find her passport...my husband said maybe it was a sign from God," OP continued. "I ignored his comment but later while I was cleaning his office I found the passport, tucked away in the 3rd drawer under a ton of papers.

"I was floored by this [and] confronted him with it...I screamed my head off at him then canceled the whole trip," OP added. "He started arguing saying I overreacted and that he didn't want his kids to be 'miserable'...and said he wants to take some time to do some fasting and get some guidance from God about how he should deal with the disrespect."

Family vacations are the perfect opportunity for growing closer and bonding over seemingly magical experiences.

Unfortunately, opportunities don't always translate into success.

Family feuds during vacations are common, chiefly because of concentrated time together without the option of escape, according to parenting outlet Motherly.

"Most families don't spend every waking moment together," Motherly author Deborah Porter wrote this year. "Being on vacation can feel a bit overwhelming if you're used to or need to have time for yourself."

But even while the most tight-knit units struggle to contain emotions on vacation, blended families face additional challenges, including issues with noncustodial parents and the pressure to use time away from home to deepen newly minted family connections.

That pressure, however, can't manifest if the vacation never happens.

Throughout the comment section of the viral Reddit post, Redditors commended the original poster for pulling the plug on their trip out of the country and slammed her husband for using such shady tactics to prevent his stepdaughter from being included under the guise of protecting his own kids.

"[Not the a**hole]," Redditor u/AbbyBirb wrote in the post's top comment, which has received nearly 40,000 upvotes. "He can't use your daughter as free child-care for his children...so he intentionally alienates her from his family.

"Your husband wants to control you...your husband wants to control your daughter," they continued. "When he cannot easily do that, he uses manipulation and lying in order to accomplish it...when that doesn't work, he throws a temper tantrum."

Redditor u/Sel-Reddit, whose comment has received nearly 11,000 upvotes, echoed that sentiment.

"He's a lying, abusive, sneaky, manipulative [a**hole] who is trying to push out your daughter for himself and his kids," they wrote. "You need to open your eyes to his ACTIONS [versus] his WORDS.

"Book a trip for just you [and] your daughter," they added.

In a separate comment, which has received nearly 10,000 upvotes, Redditor u/Uh_Cromer called out the original poster's husband's claims of disrespect and put a label to his manipulative behavior.

"This is gaslighting," they asserted. "He wants you to think that you 'disrespecting him' (defending your daughter from a thief) is worse than him hiding her passport and lying about it.

"I want to reiterate that you are NOT THE [a**hole] in the slightest," they added. "Your husband is a liar, thief, hypocrite, and manipulator."

Newsweek has reached out to u/Throwaway317515 for comment.