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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

My awful Stepdad has died…

33 replies

ThisIsntDanicaBritannica · 07/02/2022 14:37

Both my mother and my stepdad were awful. The things I’ve found out that my mother did when I was tiny like at 2 weeks old she put me in a cot in a different room and slept with ear plugs in. Cos she was tired. Was furious when Social services were called by the neighbours. Anyhow. She was a selfish woman with no normal maternal instincts who only had me so she could claim I was her ex boyfriend’s baby and use me to control him. I only found out who my dad was in my early forties!
My stepdad was a mean, nasty, volatile drunk who moved in with us after my mum knowing him for 2 weeks. He was vindictive and hated women. And a racist (possibly he amped this up as he would have known my wider family were mixed race, although I was totally unaware).
He got rather creepy and tactile as I hit puberty. Typing that makes me want to puke.
When I met my husband and began trying for a baby I realised no amount of contact with them could ever be safe for my baby, or me. So I told them why, and told them to go fuck themselves. I got the same back, with some additional mention of how well the lad who molested me was doing in his job (thanks) and taking the piss out of my ‘eating’ habits when I was an anorexic teen.
Now he’s died. His son has disowned him ( he stopped having contact with the poor lad as a toddler, with my mother’s encouragement) so I’ve been informing members of his family that I can find (good old Facebook).
Now my feed is full of ‘RIP uncle X, what a top bloke’ and ‘so many good times with X, great guy’ and I want to scream you don’t know, he made my life a misery, I was terrified of him and what he might do and slept with a chair wedged under my door handle after he asked if I wanted to look at porn with him.
I’m glad he’s dead.
I know that makes me a bad, broken person, but that’s who I am today.
Well done if you got this far! Don’t even really know what I’m asking.

OP posts:
pog100 · 07/02/2022 14:46

Just be glad you've ended up with a good sense of reality and what a shit he was. Fucking annoying as it is, there's probably nothing to be gained from correcting the FB impressions of the people who didn't have to know him like you.
Don't feel guilty or broken for being glad he is dead, it's perfectly reasonable and natural!

UltraVividLament · 07/02/2022 14:46

Of course it doesn't make you a and or broken person. It's an entirely understandable reaction and what you're feeling is totally valid and normal. The people posting presumably only saw one narrow side to this man, or are as bad as him.

I would block, mute or unfollow anyone who's posting this kind of stuff to get it out of your news feed.

UltraVividLament · 07/02/2022 14:47

*bad or broken

Thoosa · 07/02/2022 14:49

Hide it all. Block them all. You’ve gone above and beyond already. Flowers

gogohm · 07/02/2022 14:51

I sort out funerals (a church) every single time the person sounds amazing and well loved but I know it's not always the case - the truth comes out at the reception in the hall! People tend not to think ill of the dead

ReadySteadyTwins · 07/02/2022 14:51

No one with any decency or general clue in how to conduct themselves, writes Facebook statuses like that. It's not about the deceased. It's about broadcasting the fact someone they know has died, so they can get attention.

Look up the Kevin Bridges sketch about attention whores, and their "dead nans" on Facebook.

So don't for a moment, think because these people are desperate attention seekers, that they genuinely mean this guy is a "top bloke." It's literally just crass, cheap attention seeking.

You are not a bad broken person. I'd be glad if a piece of shit who abused me as a child died too. What are you supposed to do? Shed a tear for this scum?

I think what you're genuinely feeling though, isn't so much "hurrah, someone's dead" and more that the physical embodiment of so much hurt in your life, is gone. I imagine it's like a great weight lifting. Can't ever, ever darken your doorstep again. It's not so much time to celebrate, but absolutely, today is a good day Flowers

SpinningTheSeedsOfLove · 07/02/2022 15:08

@ThisIsntDanicaBritannica Flowers

@ReadySteadyTwins I googled the Kevin Bridges sketch.

I hope the OP gets a smile from it - Kevin Bridges is very astute and funny about the lazy shitness of human nature on Facebook.

BeanAnTae · 07/02/2022 15:15

You're a good person OP. So sorry you had all this crap. When you eventually die the memory of you will be a blessing to those around you - and that on top of all the decency you bring to everyday life right now. You stand for everything those people don't.

Georgeskitchen · 07/02/2022 15:20

You are not a bad person at all. I'm relieved for you that he can no longer hurt you, or anyone else x

Triffid1 · 07/02/2022 15:48

You are not a bad person. You would not be a bad person if you blocked all those people and stopped getting involved in any way with the administration and logistics of his death.

MonsterRehab23 · 07/02/2022 15:52

You’re not a bad person OP, please be kind to yourself. If you can I would take a step back from contacting relatives/social media/funeral arrangements etc. You dont owe him or his family anything.

My former stepdad died a few years ago. He wasn’t as awful as yours sounds but he was a master manipulator and became increasingly nasty as I grew up. Tbh I felt nothing, no sadness or anything. Take care of yourself OP and concentrate on your own little family Flowers

purplecorkheart · 07/02/2022 16:19

They are doing it for attention not grief. I would just block/hide these people and to be honest wouldn't be contacting them in the first place. You are not a bad person but you need to look after yourself. Personally I would not be going to his funeral or engaging with any of his relatives at any level.

Onthedunes · 07/02/2022 16:21

Block or delete Facebook at the moment, that may send a clear message about how you felt about him.

You sound quite young and maybe are not used to death as some of us older ones, not all deaths deserve remembrance.

You have no reason to feel bad about being glad he's dead.
Some people do not deserve respect even in death.

Horrible bastard, I'm please you don't have to put up with him anymore.
Forget him.

Veggielove84 · 07/02/2022 16:37

I think your feelings are valid. Hugs xx

justamushypea · 07/02/2022 16:48

You're not a bad person.
Block the posts you don't want to see and thank goodness that you have moved on now from all that shit.
I don't blame you for being glad he's dead. Sounds like the world is a better place without him in it
Take care of yourself Thanks

ThisIsntDanicaBritannica · 07/02/2022 17:18

I’m not young, I’m 45! But I regress to a child of 10/11 with anything to do with my parents, interesting that it obviously effects my writing style as well!
I’ve unfriended all of his family on Facebook. I’ve contacted his son so that’s me done as he’s next of kin.
The ‘today is a good day’ made me chortle.
I’m kind of glad more people weren’t hurt by him. I know they say misery loves company but not in this case.
My mother will go next. Apparently she has early dementia. I feel sorry for her but just like you would for your next door neighbours auntie who you’ve met once, years ago. It’s strange.
You have all made me feel less ‘evil’ and I totally agree about the phenomenon of Facebook grief!

OP posts:
Toanewstart23 · 07/02/2022 17:20

I was with you until
* so I’ve been informing members of his family that I can find (good old Facebook).*

Bad idea

EezyOozy · 07/02/2022 17:28

You're not broken. I had an abusive step dad too, I'm no contact with him and my mother but when I get wind of the fact that he is dead I will REJOICE. This must have brought back a lot of painful memories for you Op, you have my solidarity. I don't think trying to correct anyone's opinion of him will make you fell better, particularly if met with resistance.

Onthedunes · 07/02/2022 18:04

I’m not young, I’m 45! But I regress to a child of 10/11 with anything to do with my parents, interesting that it obviously effects my writing style as well

Sorry op, I in no way meant there was anything immature about your writing style, quite the opposite you sound very measured and intellegent. I meant it in the sense that as you age (and I"m older) your views on death can change, I know it sounds horrible but as more and mor people pass away in your circle, the more reasoned you are about the facts of death and the person who died.

This sounds awful but you get my gist.

There is no shame in feeling relief with this mans passing away, he hurt you and abused you and now you need not worry about guilt over his death.

Take care
Flowers

SazCat · 07/02/2022 20:55

@Toanewstart23

I was with you until * so I’ve been informing members of his family that I can find (good old Facebook).*

Bad idea

I think she meant informing his family that he had died, not about what he was like?
ThisIsntDanicaBritannica · 07/02/2022 21:24

Ooh I’ll be holding my tongue, no need to hurt his son, it’s in no way his fault.
Literally if I hadn’t trawled Facebook he would have no way of knowing his dad had died. People are going to assume I have all the answers about funeral etc literally I have no clue!
I’m going to do what my Nana did before she died, leave an envelope of instructions! But then, hopefully my family won’t have disowned me like everyone did to my parents - they’d never admit that, but that’s what it is when you haven’t spoken to someone for 20 - 30 years, and for good reason.
My mother was a nurse and the other nurses used to ask her to take the babies who had passed away down to the morgue, as she didn’t find it upsetting and was quite puzzled by these ‘hysterical’ nurses crying over babies…

OP posts:
ThisIsntDanicaBritannica · 07/02/2022 21:27

Sorry stream of consciousness word vomit…

I have Borderline Personality Disorder so I have BIG feelings that I struggle to deal with at the best of times…
I’d love to become more circumspect about death (and life for that matter!) but it’s unlikely I think…

OP posts:
ABCeasyasdohrayme · 07/02/2022 21:36

I have been in a similar place to you op.

My 'stepdad' abused me horrifically.

My mother allowed it and joined in at times, and blamed me.

I got some information that he had been hospitalised with something that was terminal, and it was his worst fear, he died in pain, and unable to communicate and scared and alone.

I laughed and laughed when I was told, I'm even smiling as I type this, and it was some years ago now.

I'm currently awaiting the news of my mother's death, and I honestly hope she suffers too.

I don't think it makes us awful people, we aren't doing anything to avenge ourselves or cause trauma, but I don't think its terrible to be realistic when someone who made you suffer dies.

Facebook isn't the real world either.

I had FB when he died and I didn't write a massive post about how much I hated him and hope he suffered. I know people he screwed over were writing 'RIP to my good friend" and the like. It's all for attention and likes so I wouldn't take it to heart.

I hope his death has brought you some peace and closure Flowers

ThisIsntDanicaBritannica · 07/02/2022 21:44

Bless you ABCeasy. If I admit to you that my initial and unexpected reaction when my dh told me was ‘Yessss!’ you won’t tell anyone, will you?!

OP posts:
ABCeasyasdohrayme · 07/02/2022 21:48

@ThisIsntDanicaBritannica

Bless you ABCeasy. If I admit to you that my initial and unexpected reaction when my dh told me was ‘Yessss!’ you won’t tell anyone, will you?!
I don't blame you one bit. I won't tell a soul Wink

Although your stepdad may have been able to put a front on for others, they are feeling the loss of a person who never existed.

You saw the real him, and you absolutely shouldn't feel bad that a final line has been drawn under the trauma he caused you. His death represents a freedom of sorts to you, and after what you've been through you thoroughly deserve to feel free Flowers