I’m a 30-year-old woman, and my brother (43M) has a 4-year-old daughter from an affair. The situation surrounding her birth was messy—he hid her from his wife for as long as possible until everything came out when she was around two. Since then, he’s tried to stay involved, visiting her occasionally, sending money, and bringing gifts. But her mother put her foot down: either he legally recognizes his daughter and provides consistent support, or she won’t allow him to visit anymore.
His inconsistent presence was deeply affecting his daughter, as she’d never know when—or if—he’d show up again. Now, he’s trying to do better. For the first time, he wanted her to spend Christmas with us as a family. However, at the last minute, he claimed he had an urgent business trip overseas and couldn’t attend. The little girl, already excited about meeting her grandmother and celebrating with us, was understandably disappointed. My brother asked me to take her to the family dinner without him, and I agreed.
My niece is a sweet but shy and sensitive child. She made a little drawing for our mom as a gift, but when she presented it, my mother—who had been drinking heavily (something she does often)—was cold and dismissive. Then, she dropped a bombshell, telling the girl that she was a child no one wanted and that her very existence had destroyed our family.
My niece began crying and begged to go home to her mother. Instead of comforting her, my mom doubled down, calling the girl’s mother a “little h0e.” For context, my mom had been close to my ex-sister-in-law and has been drinking even more since the divorce. She has always blamed the affair partner, the girl’s mother, for the family fallout. Ironically, they met through my mom when the mother was doing her nails at home.
I was horrified and called my brother immediately. He was furious and declared that he would cut off all financial support to our mom. To give some background, we grew up very poor because both our parents were drunks. Our father disappeared years ago and is likely homeless, but we kept our mom in our lives despite her behavior.
That night, I took my niece to a hotel and told my mother I never wanted to see her again. The damage she caused can’t be undone. My brother was a serial cheater, and while his ex-wife tolerated it for years, the existence of a child was too much for her. However, my mother’s anger wasn’t directed at my brother, who was the root of the problem, but at an innocent 4-year-old.
To make matters worse, my niece’s Christmas was utterly ruined. I didn’t buy her a gift because I thought my brother had arranged for something. He told me he had given our mom money to buy her a present, but of course, she hadn’t. Meanwhile, the other children her age at the gathering had plenty of gifts under the tree, and my niece had none.
Despite this, she was heartbreakingly mature for her age. She watched the other kids open their gifts and politely asked to see their new toys. She even told one girl, “You must have been nice to get such a gift.” Her words crushed me.
I feel so much guilt for what happened. I hate that she had to experience this, and I hate that my family—especially my mother—treats her this way. My mom seems to resent the child deeply, possibly out of fear that my brother’s financial support will now be directed solely toward his daughter.
Christmas was ruined for this little girl because of our family’s toxicity. I don’t know how to fix it, but I know one thing: I refuse to let my mother be part of her life after this.
AITA for cutting contact with her?