It turns out we raised an ungrateful daughter who only loves herself.
My husband and I have only one daughter—Alice. Tom always loved her dearly and spoiled her at any age. He bought her everything she wanted: new phones, scooters, bikes, gold jewelry, clothes, and gave her spending money without even telling me.
I often told him that this kind of treatment would have consequences, and sure enough, it did. Six months ago, our 20-year-old daughter announced she was getting married. You’d think there wouldn’t be anything wrong with that, but her fiancé, the same age, had no savings or job—just big dreams for the future.
All the wedding planning and expenses fell on our shoulders. The groom’s parents refused to pay for anything, claiming they didn’t have the money. The only thing our son-in-law could afford was the wedding rings. On top of that, they really got on my nerves—his mother didn’t like the restaurant or the menu. We even had to pay for the outfits for both the bride and groom.
There were 40 guests at the wedding, and only 10 of them were from our side. The rest were friends and family of the groom. Live music, photos, videos—everything just as Alice wanted.
I tried so hard to talk her out of it.
“This is a waste of money,” I said. “You should use that money for a down payment on a house. Then you’d have your own place.”
“You just don’t want to make my day special, that’s all,” Alice pouted.
My husband, who was always crazy about our daughter, didn’t hold back, and the wedding went ahead.
When the day was over, I at least expected a thank you, but instead, I heard:
“This isn’t what I dreamed of. You could’ve done better for your only daughter.”
And it didn’t end there. Alice said:
“That’s all you gave us for a wedding gift? A gift like that from parents?”
We not only covered all the wedding costs, but also gave them $1,000 as a gift. But even that wasn’t enough for Alice.
“I’m embarrassed in front of my husband for the pitiful amount you put in the envelope,” she said.
“And what did your in-laws give you?” I couldn’t hold back.
“Don’t change the subject. We’re talking about you, not them.”
Tom overheard the conversation and couldn’t take it anymore. Despite how much he loved Alice, he couldn’t tolerate such arrogance.
“So, you’re blaming us for not giving you enough and not throwing the wedding you wanted? You should’ve thanked us, not criticized. If we’re such bad parents, then you can pay for your own rent from now on. Go earn your own money or let your husband provide for you, but you won’t get another penny from us.”
I’ve never seen Tom so angry. He was so hurt that he didn’t even want to hear Alice’s name.
Alice, full of pride, packed her things and left, but that pride only lasted a month. Then she called me, asking for money because she couldn’t pay the rent and utilities. She said she didn’t even have money for bread.
I feel sorry for my daughter, but I can’t forget what she said. I don’t want to help Alice behind my husband’s back, and Tom is still upset with her.
What’s the right thing to do? Please, I’m at a loss.