A 17-year-old boy who refused to make a promise to care for her disabled stepsister said his father and stepmother, Rebecca, called him a "heartless monster."
The boy, who did not identify himself, posted on the "Am I the A-hole" subreddit, asking whether he was in the wrong.
In the Reddit post, the 17-year-old teen said his seven-year-old stepsister Yazmin is "severely disabled" and is unable to talk or "do stuff for herself." The boy noted that he barely knew his stepsister, especially because he mostly lived with his mother after she divorced his father.
When Did His Father Ask the Teen for a Promise?
The teen said his father invited him out to have dinner with him, his stepmother, and Yazmin. It was during that dinner that his father and stepmother asked the boy for a promise to take care of his stepsister when they're gone.
When the teen refused to make the promise, his father and Rebecca called him a "heartless monster" and added that he should be a "bigger man."
"I've hardly been around Yazmin, and I don't feel a family bond or loyalty toward her, and I said they won't bully me into it," the boy wrote of the encounter, adding that his father had already set aside a fund for his stepsister's future care. "He's invested more into her future than he ever did into mine, which is a sore point for me, but I know she needs it more and all."
Read more: 14-Year-Old Disabled Child Was Neglected So Severely Her Legs Rotted, Looked like Raw Meat: Report
How Did Redditors Respond?
Many of the Redditors who read the teen's story sided with the boy. One user, Orphen_1989, noted that the boy was not in a position to make the promise, adding that he is still a minor whose life is "just starting."
Another user, ForwardPlenty, called out the boy's father for asking him to make the promise, adding that the teen was not born to become a "surrogate parent."
There are no legal requirements for siblings to provide care for their disabled siblings, even if they become adults. An expert also noted that children should be allowed to focus on their own development and well-being without the burden of future caregiving duties.
