Cold stares cast a shadow over one woman’s family gatherings. Her husband’s daughter always thought she married her father for money. But there’s a family secret that could change everything.

She explained what happened.

I’ve (38F) been married to my husband Rob (52M) for four years. Rob’s late wife passed away a year before we met, and we dated for two years before marrying. He has two children, Madison (28) and Brett (26). They’ve made it clear that I’m just their dad’s wife, not their stepmom, which is fine since I didn’t help raise them.

Our relationship has always been strained. Despite my efforts to be kind and generous, they remain distant. As a child of divorce, I understand the difficulty of seeing a parent move on, so I try not to push things.

Recently, Madison got engaged, and we were all excited for her. At a family gathering, she asked about the wedding budget. Rob offered $10k, but Madison was upset, hoping for more. Rob is still recovering financially because he spent his savings, cashed out his 401k, and took a second mortgage on his house for medical and living expenses before his late wife passed away. He also had to switch to a lower-paying job, so $10k is generous from him.

When Rob stepped out, Madison asked if I would give more. I told her we agreed on $10k. She then accused me of marrying her dad for his money. I got really angry and told her I’ve been paying the second mortgage her dad took out.

I explained that I earn more than Rob, have no debt, and cover 70% of our household expenses. The $10k we’re giving her is possible because I’ve been supporting her dad financially. I wanted her to know I’m not a gold digger, and I’m actually better off financially than my husband.

Madison called me stuck up and left. Later, she called Rob, claiming I blamed her mom’s illness for the budget issues. I explained what happened, and while Rob was angry with her, he also said I shouldn’t have shared his financial details with his kids.