When I was a teenager, my family found out that my dad had been secretly gambling for years. He had remortgaged the house and wasted more than £100,000 of family money. I am the only one in the family with whom he is still in contact, albeit irregularly (I have not seen him for five years). He has never acknowledged any responsibility for what he did and has never made any effort to maintain a relationship with us. I am getting married this year and I do not want him at my wedding; it would be stressful for me and my family. He doesn’t know it’s even happening. I want to keep it that way and just tell him that we eloped so that I don’t hurt him. But others believe I should tell him. Either way, I feel guilty and would appreciate any advice on how to handle this.
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