Dear "Dad,"

I don't even know why I'm writing this. It's honestly a waste of my time. However, I need to get this off my chest.

Thank you for always putting yourself above me. You never spent time with me growing up. All I remember is being holed up in my room during the weekend, waiting for Sunday to come so my mom could pick me up. All I remember is spending time with my stepmother during my "time with you." She actually did stuff with me. She even taught me how to drive. What the heck were you doing?

Thank you for being absolutely clueless. Are you wondering why I'm so angry? Maybe it's because we haven't said a word to each other in the last two and a half years? Or maybe it's because you stopped wishing me a happy birthday since we've last spoken. Not even on my 21^st birthday. A simple phone call would've sufficed.

Speaking of which, thank you for not bothering to pick up the phone. You know that works two ways, right? I initiated phone calls more times than I can count, and you're still tallied at zero. I may be an adult now, but you're still the parent. You need to stop acting like I owe you my time, when, in reality, it's the complete opposite.

Thank you for depriving me of the love of a father. A girl NEEDS her father. She needs that relationship. I desperately needed a stable father figure in my life, and you couldn't even give that to me. But that's okay. My stepfather did it for you, because he's a real man.

Thank you for your lack of interest. My mother could've forced you to pay child support, but she didn't have the heart. You did pay half my school tuition, though. That was the only reason why you begged me to come over. When I switched to public school, and tuition was no longer necessary, your contact stopped. Wow.

Thank you for being selfish. I remember emailing you a few years about the exact same issues written here (the email was a whole lot nicer). The response I got from you? You played the victim. You made it all about you, denying every single truth I threw at you, saying I was the bad guy. At first, I thought maybe I needed to self-reflect, as if I really was doing something wrong. Then it hit me: you're just full of it.

Thank you for nothing. I have been getting along just fine without you. I'm in college, working part-time, and paying my bills. I have a loving mother and stepfather, always there to support and look out for me. I don't need you. I never needed you. I hope you're happy.

Sincerely,

Your "daughter"