Dear Prudence,
My father left when I was 3-years-old and didn’t visit or speak to me until I was almost 18. Since then, I’ve only seen him a handful of times. Currently, I’m 27 and keep in contact with him mostly because I want to stay in the lives of my two younger half-sisters. Lately, however, I’ve noticed that he has a habit of lying to his family about his role in my life.
At first, I brushed it off, but it’s getting more egregious. The last time I went to visit, for example, he mentioned at the dinner table that he had partial custody of me, which is not true. He also lied to my stepmom by saying that he called me everyday as a child and attended all my school events. Part of me wants to let this go for the sake of keeping the peace, but I also feel used and hurt. Is there a way I can bring this up without burning bridges?
—Conflict Avoidant