Dad’s girlfriend ruins daughter’s treasured boots without asking to borrow them: “I feel like they’ve been disrespected and ruined”

A woman on Reddit’s “Am I Overreacting” subreddit is mourning her beloved Ariat boots after her dad’s girlfriend wore them out. The OP says that the boots had both high retail and sentimental value, but now they look like they’ve been through the rodeo circuit.

She didn’t even give permission for the other woman to wear them, and now she doesn’t know what to do because her dad is not on her side.

Bye bye boots

The Ariat boots in question are special to Reddit user u/cheetosmunch because they were her first major purchase as a teen. She says she takes great care of her things, but one day, she found the $200 footwear cracked and scuffed like she’d been kicking them around every day for years.

“They were a special purchase, my first expensive item at 16, and I kept them in perfect condition,” the now 20-year-old user wrote. “I didn’t even wear them until September 2023, and I only wore them twice. They still looked brand new.”

“I recently got them back from my dad’s house and noticed they’re now heavily worn in. The leather on the inside and sides is rubbed off, and they look nothing like how I left them. I’m extremely upset. I always take good care of my things, especially something this meaningful to me.”

The OP included photos of the before and after, and there’s no question that somebody has been using the Ariats. True to the sub’s name, her dad dismissed her complaints with accusations that she’s overreacting.

“These boots cost me over $200 and had sentimental value. I feel like they’ve been disrespected and ruined. What should I do?” she asked.

“Dad can buy girlfriend her own pair”

Commenters overwhelmingly disagree with Dad. Most people don’t approve of borrowing without asking, even when the items are returned in good condition. They didn’t feel any better about the dad or his girlfriend when they found out that this issue is part of a pattern.

The top commenter felt that both the OP’s dad and his partner owes her something and advised her to hide the rest of her stuff.

“Your father’s girlfriend should pay for the leather cleaner or, better yet, new boots,” said u/Significant_Fun9993. “If she refuses, dad owes you the money. The GF at least owes you an applogy [sic]. I’d also let her know that your stuff is off limits. You might want to check what else she has ‘borrowed’. I’d remove anything from the house that has value to you.”

The OP then revealed that this girlfriend can’t pay her back because she doesn’t work, only “mooches” off her dad. He even gets her out of eviction notices because he “works at her apartment complex.” (Apparently, this is standard among her dad’s partners.)

One commenter went as far as advising her to go no contact with her dad if his relationship issues keep impacting her.

“Some people never learn,” wrote u/Riksunraksu. “If he has a bad track record with trouble and these sort of relationships go no-contact and save yourself from having such dysfunction in your life.”

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