My ex and his wife just had a baby. Last night, my teenage daughter—sobbing—called me. She’s stuck babysitting the baby overnight as her stepmom told her, “This house isn’t a free hotel. You need to pay me somehow!” I was furious.

Next morning, I had a plan: I arranged a surprise visit from Child Protective Services. They interviewed my ex-husband, his current wife, and my daughter. In the end, CPS determined there wasn’t enough proof to proceed further. My ex saw this as a harsh move—and to my surprise, so did my daughter.I can’t shake the guilt that I may have stirred up unnecessary chaos in her life. Still, as her mother, I’m heartbroken and worried. It’s not right for a teenager to lose sleep because she’s being made to care for an infant that isn’t her responsibility—especially when she has school the next day. Now I’m torn, unsure of how to advocate for her without escalating the situation further.