When divorced parents still share financial control over their adult child’s life, tensions can spill over into everyday decisions. Situations like split loyalties, family conflict, and pressure to “choose sides” leave many caught between love, money, and independence.

This is Katerina’s story:

So, quick backstory: my parents are divorced and hate each other’s guts. Like, decades-old, still simmering rage kind of hate. I live alone in an apartment that both of them help me out with financially. Yeah, I know, messy situation already.

Anyway, my dad recently asked if his girlfriend, who my mom obviously despises just by existing, could stay at my place while she was in town for some event. I figured it was no big deal, I’m an adult, it’s my space, and I wanted to be cool about it. So I said yes.

Big mistake. Mom found out and completely lost it. Like a full meltdown, calling me a “traitor” type of energy. Then, a couple of days later, I got a disturbing call from dad, “Your mom can’t stand the idea of her being in a house she’s paying for.”

Dad also helps me financially, and now he’s hinting that his girlfriend should feel free to stay over whenever. So basically, I’ve got Mom furious on one side, Dad laying expectations on the other, and me stuck in the middle just trying to not implode.

But the problem is, they both still hold financial strings over my life, and I don’t know how to set boundaries. What do I even do here? Do I set a hard boundary even though I’m financially dependent? Or just suck it up and deal with their drama, because they are my parents?

Source: brightside.me