A Gen Z student has revealed that the “inheritance” his father gifted them was, in fact, their own child support, prompting fury online over the betrayal.

In a post on Reddit, user u/flexgj8 said that their dad presented them with just under $10,000 on their 18th birthday, calling it money he had been saving for them “for years.”

“He made a whole production of it,” the original poster (OP) wrote. “Gave me a check, shook my hand, told me to spend it wisely… it meant a lot to me.”

The student used the money to pay for college deposits, rent and a much-needed car repair—never questioning where it had come from.

It wasn’t until years later, during a chance conversation with their mother’s old friend at a wedding, that they learned the truth: their father had been paying court-ordered child support for 12 years—but their mother never received it.

“Turns out, my dad… opened a bank account in my name, funneled the money there, and gave it to me at 18 like it was some gift from him,” the OP revealed. “He basically gift-wrapped my own fking child support and called it generosity.”

Newsweek reached out to u/flexgj8 via direct message on Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case.

John Nachlinger, a New Jersey-based family law attorney with over 20 years’ experience, told Newsweek that this scenario is more common than people might think.

“A paying parent can’t unilaterally decide to reroute payments,” Nachlinger said. “A controlling parent, often one who is not subject to wage execution like a self-employed individual, will often try to dictate the terms of child support and dare the other parent to bring them back to court.”

Direct payments to the child don’t fulfill a court order unless specifically permitted by the order. Even if a child turns 18 or receives the money later, the law does not consider that compliance, Nachlinger said.

“The intent here is irrelevant, it doesn’t excuse noncompliance,” he added. “Therefore, whether the father calls it a ‘gift’ or not, the fact that it was not paid to the other parent constitutes a violation of a court order, and she can pursue him for all the child support arrears, which she is likely to win.”

The OP said that when they confronted their father, he shrugged and said, “I knew you’d need it more than your mom.”

The truth hit hard—not only because of the financial deception, but because of what their mother had endured.

“My mom worked two jobs. Skipped meals. Wore threadbare shoes so I could have new ones,” the student said. “And he let her suffer while hoarding the money and pretending to be the good guy.”

At the time of writing, the post had received 6,700 upvotes and over 240 comments. Many Reddit users were furious at the father’s actions, calling him a “manipulator” and an “a******.”

“He’s a jerk. Child support was meant to help your mom provide for you. But this isn’t on you, you had nothing to do with it…,” one Redditor wrote.

“Your dad is an emotional manipulator and uses money as his weapon,” a second user said.

“Your Dad is and was cruel to both you and your Mom. He knew exactly what he was doing and he didn’t even come clean about it until you confronted him,” wrote a third.

Another Redditor offered a different perspective, saying: “Your dad’s a p****. But coming from someone who was raised by a narcissist who also never received a penny in child support despite a court order…I wish my dad had done for me what yours did. But that’s my selfish and traumatised side speaking.”