My stepdaughter Emily never saw me as anything more than an unwelcome guest. Despite years of trying, she never accepted me.

Just a week before her wedding, she gave me a heartbreaking ultimatum for a Father-Daughter dance. Shattered, I decided to teach her about love and family.

Emily’s father, John, struggled financially, and she saw my presence as a betrayal. She wouldn’t call me anything but “Arnold,” and our interactions were filled with resentment.

One evening, Emily confronted her mother, Laura, and me, accusing her mom of betraying her father.