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A woman has been left at a loss after being accused by her stepson of being an 'a**hole' for not giving him her heirloom engagement ring.
The stepmother, who remained nameless, took to Reddit to explain that once she married her husband, her two step children took some time to warm to her.
But while her step-daughter eventually grew out of her 'hostile' phase, her step-son never did - and now he wants her engagement ring.
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Distraught, the woman took to Reddit's popular r/AmITheA**hole to lay out her situation.
"I (49F) have been with my husband Bill (53M) for the past 20 years. Bill had two children from his previous marriage, Jim (31M), and Paige (27F). We also have one biological child together, Harry (16M)," she begins.
She acknowledges that it has been a rocky road trying to get to know Jim and Paige, since she met them two years after their mother had passed away when they were still just children.
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" I made it clear that I was not going to replace their mom and would be a trusted figure whom they could approach if they ever needed me," she wrote.
"That being said, I still made an effort to treat them like I would my own child.
"I would take them to school, pick them up, take them to doctor's appointments, make their lunches, ask my parents to get them presents for Christmas and birthdays etc.
After a while, her step-daughter Paige 'eventually warmed up' to her and even calls her 'mom' now.
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"Jim on the other hand continued to be mean and hostile," she admits.
"I have never treated him poorly or antagonized him. Nevertheless, he would make misogynistic statements like 'it's your job as the woman to clean the dishes' when I would ask him to clean his plate or call me a b**ch when my back was turned.
"My husband told him many times that the way he was treating me was uncalled for and for us to go to family therapy but he always refused."
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When her stepson reached adulthood and moved out, he made sure there was minimal contact between the two.
The step-mum continues: "Now I have an engagement ring that is a family heirloom for several generations. It is passed down from the mother to the oldest child.
"My husband got the ring from my mom to propose to me. I told all 3 children about this heirloom a few years ago.
"Anyway, Jim currently has a girlfriend whom he intends to propose to. He called me out of the blue one day and asked if he could have the ring.
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"I told him no. When he asked why, I told him it was because of how he has treated me all these years and how he continues to treat me and I don't want my family heirloom going to someone who sees me as vermin."
Instead. the step-mum had decided that the engagement ring would eventually go to Paige when she gets engaged.
"When he heard this he lost his s**t and accused me of playing favourites.
"I eventually hung up when he wouldn't stop insulting me and blocked his number. My husband is on my side but his maternal relatives have all been blowing up my phone telling me what an a**hole I am."
As you might have guessed, it was pretty unanimously decided that this poor step-mum was not the a**hole in this case.
"Jim has made it extremely clear that you aren't his mother and he isn't your child. Period. End of discussion," commented one Redditor.
Another agreed: "He isn't obligated to see you as his parental figure but then he isn't entitled to the family heirlooms."
And a third affirmed: "It's your engagement ring and your family heirloom. It's your choice whom you give it to. That's it."
Well, that's that, then!
Ali Condon