My dad remarried Carla a year ago, and ever since then, she’s been a thorn in my side. Carla constantly calls me by my middle name, Eunice, which I absolutely hate. The reason? Her daughter’s name is Jessica too, so she decided that her daughter deserved the name while I didn’t.
At first, I tried to be understanding. I corrected her every time, but she only called me Eunice when Dad wasn’t around, making it clear she was doing it intentionally. It felt like a power play, a way to undermine my identity in our new blended family. I was FED UP with it and decided it was time to finally teach her to respect my name.
One day, we were at the supermarket when Carla ran into her boss. I stood a few meters away, browsing the shelves, when I heard her call out, “Here’s my stepdaughter, Eunice.” Of course, she said it.
The most interesting part started then. I walked over, put on my most charming smile, and said, “Hi, I’m Jessica. Nice to meet you.” I made sure to emphasize my name, making eye contact with Carla as I did.
Her boss looked puzzled. “I thought your name was Eunice?” she asked, glancing between us.
I laughed lightly. “Oh, that’s my middle name. But I’ve always gone by Jessica. Carla must have gotten confused. It’s a common mistake.”
Carla’s face flushed with irritation, but she couldn’t correct me without looking petty in front of her boss. I could see her boss was now skeptical, wondering why Carla would make such a mistake about something so basic.
After we left the supermarket, Carla was fuming. “What was that about?” she snapped.
I met her gaze evenly. “I could ask you the same thing. You know I hate being called Eunice, yet you do it on purpose. Why? Because your daughter’s name is Jessica too? That’s not fair, and you know it. I’m not asking for much, just respect my name.”
She huffed, crossing her arms. “It’s just a name. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?”
“Because it’s my name,” I said firmly. “It’s part of who I am. And if you can’t respect that, then how do you expect us to ever get along?”
Carla seemed taken aback by my directness. For a moment, she didn’t say anything. Then, she sighed. “Fine, Jessica. I’ll try to remember.”
“Thank you,” I said, feeling a small sense of victory.
From that day on, Carla made a conscious effort to call me Jessica, especially in front of others. It wasn’t an immediate fix, and she slipped up occasionally, but the deliberate attempts to undermine me stopped. She began to understand that respecting my name was a fundamental step towards building a better relationship
Teaching her that lesson wasn’t just about a name. It was about standing up for myself and demanding respect in my own home. And while our relationship is still a work in progress, it’s on a much better path now, with mutual respect at its core.
