Woman Invites Divorced Parents to Thanksgiving, but Cancels Dinner After Dad Shows Up with Shocking Plus-One

A woman was excited to host her divorced parents for Thanksgiving, but then her dad showed up with another woman, derailing the evening.

In a Reddit post, the 34-year-old woman explained that she decided to host her family at her house for the very first time this year. However, her parents are divorced and “do not get along,” so she “made it clear to both of them that it would be a ‘neutral ground’ dinner.”

While her dad told her he would be coming solo, he showed up with his new girlfriend, who also happens to be her mother’s former best friend.

“The tension was instant. My mom looked like she’d seen a ghost,” she recalled. “I pulled my dad aside and asked why he would do that, and he said, ‘I didn’t think it’d be a big deal, it’s been years.'”

After 10 minutes of “awkward silence at the table,” the woman decided it was all too much.

“I told everyone I couldn’t do this, packed up the food, and told my dad to leave,” she shared. “The dinner fell apart after that.”

“Now my dad’s furious, saying I ‘ruined Thanksgiving’ and ‘made a scene.’ My mom says I did the right thing. I just feel awful,” she concluded, turning to Reddit for advice.

People in the comment section agreed that she made the right decision, noting that her dad was at fault.

“You didn’t ruin Thanksgiving, your dad did when he brought emotional dynamite into your house. You were trying to host peace, not referee a soap opera. Not an overreaction, it was self-preservation,” one person commented.  

Another person wrote, “Your father should be ashamed of himself. I don’t even know him and I can see the smirk of satisfaction on his face to get that reaction from your mom. That was really an inconsiderate thing for him to do to you since you are just trying to make a nice meal and a nice day for everyone. Shame on him!”