I just found out that my dad has been cheating on my mom since before I was born. He has been in a close relationship with a woman 15 years older than him for the last three months. He has been spending who knows how much time with this woman’s daughter. He told my mom he still loves her and wants to be with her and that he wants my mom to MEET these people. (uh what????????) And here’s the kicker: this woman he’s in love with? She recently got FIRED from her job for STEALING MONEY. And my dad GAVE HER MONEY.

I have no idea how to even comprehend what the hell just happened. My whole life, my dad has raised me on two values: loyalty and integrity. He hasn’t always been a great husband (he’s very controlling and has a short temper), but the one thing I always admired about him was that (I thought) (a) he would never hurt my mother in this way and (b) he really cared about me and my siblings. He is a self-made man and (I thought) very smart. But now I feel like I know absolutely freaking NOTHING about him. The man wanted to be a freaking cop all his life and he’s CHEATING on MY MOM with A CRIMINAL. And, again, he’s been spending time with her daughter which seriously hurts because he always seems so angry around us and never attempts to spend time with me or my siblings, aside from conversation when he passes us in the house.

I feel like everything he ever told me was a lie. I am embarrassed to have come from such a man. I am ashamed to call him my father.

My mom and my siblings and I are going to leave (going out-of-state) when he’s not around. I am just so angry and depressed and confused. This could not have come at a worse time — I need to graduate high school in a couple of weeks, and I recently accumulated some medical bills I need to pay for (don’t currently have a job). I’m already stressed the f— out. I have no idea how to handle any of this. I feel like I just walked into a freaking soap opera. How do I handle this???