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AITA for Cutting Contact with My Mother on Christmas Eve After She Told My 4-Year-Old Niece She Was an Affair Child That No One Wanted?

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A heart-wrenching scene capturing a tense family moment on Christmas Eve. A distraught young woman, visibly upset, is leaving a warmly lit living room

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?

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Confessions

Am I the Asshole for Making the Nurse at My Hysterectomy Pre-Op Appointment Feel Stupid?

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A tense and awkward scene set in a medical office during a pre-op appointment. A patient, looking frustrated but composed, sits across from a nurse wh.

Apparently, the nurse thought I was rude and combative because she literally noted that in my medical records.

I had a pre-op appointment with my hysterectomy surgeon today. During the triage portion, as the nurse was checking my vitals, she started asking me routine questions. But then she asked why I was choosing such a “drastic” procedure for period pain.

I explained that it’s not just period pain—it’s debilitating. The pain has gotten so bad that walking my 5-year-old to school leaves me on the verge of tears, and I bleed so heavily that I have to plan my kids’ lives around it. I’m exhausted and tired of living like this.

She then asked what I would do if I ever divorced my husband and a future partner wanted children. I responded, “Well, I already have three. They can pick one.” She corrected me, saying, “No, I mean their own child.” I shrugged and replied, “Well, that sucks for them, then.”

She went on to suggest birth control pills to slow the bleeding. I told her that’s just a bandaid solution to the problem. She then proposed an endometrial ablation, and I countered, “But ablation also means I can’t have kids. So what’s the difference? Why not just solve the problem altogether instead of using another temporary fix? Plus, the tissue could grow back since I’m only 32 and still have 15 to 20 years of dealing with this nonsense.”

At that point, she rolled her eyes and led me to the exam room to wait for the doctor. When I got home, I checked my medical notes, as I always do, and found that she’d written I was “rude” and “combative.”

Am I the asshole for how I handled this? The nurse was essentially trying to talk me out of a procedure that my doctor and I have been discussing for over a year.

Edit: Holy wow, I left after 10 comments and came back to 500! I’ve already emailed my doctor about the situation and am waiting to hear back tomorrow.

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Confessions

AITA for Promising My GF I’d Help with Her Loan but Backing Out After She Cheated on Me?

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A dramatic and emotional scene depicting a couple having a tense argument in a modern apartment living room. The man looks resolute and upset, sitting.

I (23M) had been with my girlfriend (24F) for almost four years. She was my first girlfriend, and I loved her deeply—too much, honestly. We were friends in school, and I genuinely thought we’d spend the rest of our lives together.

Early in 2024, she told me she wanted to apply for a master’s program and asked if I could help her financially. Without hesitation, I agreed. At the time, I envisioned her as my future wife and felt it was my responsibility to support her goals.

I approached my father, who is quite successful, and asked if he could help. He agreed but was cautious—he insisted that she take out a loan instead of directly giving her the money. My father promised to cover 60-70% of the monthly payments, and both her family and mine agreed to this arrangement.

Three months ago, everything fell apart. My girlfriend confessed that she had cheated on me. She told me she had gotten drunk at a party, kissed another guy, performed oral, and had sex with him—all in my car.

I was devastated. I loved her so much, but her betrayal crushed me. She apologized profusely, saying she made a terrible mistake and wanted to come clean because she didn’t want to hide it from me. I told her I forgave her, but honestly, I’m not sure if I meant it or if I was just pretending. Since then, I’ve been struggling with depression, hiding it from everyone.

Despite my heartbreak, her family went ahead and took out the loan with the understanding that my father would help with the payments. But as time passed, I couldn’t shake the resentment. I felt like she was expecting me to forgive her completely while also leaning on my family for financial support—using my father’s wealth as a safety net.

A few days ago, I finally told her I was breaking up with her and that she wouldn’t be receiving any more financial help from us. She freaked out, accusing me of being petty and saying she thought I had forgiven her. I simply walked away.

When I told my father about everything, he didn’t comfort me. Instead, he said, “This is why I insisted they take a loan instead of just handing over the money. You’ve learned a lesson.” At first, I was upset by his lack of sympathy, but I’ve come to realize he was protecting me in his own way. He planned for this possibility and always had my back, even if it wasn’t obvious at the time.

Now, my ex and her family are furious. They’re accusing me of ruining her life out of anger and saying I should have broken up with her earlier if I wasn’t going to help. They’ve even threatened to sue, but my father isn’t worried. He pointed out there’s no legal case since it was a verbal agreement and encouraged me to let them waste their time and money if they want to pursue it.

I feel conflicted. On one hand, I don’t regret setting boundaries and walking away after what she did. On the other hand, I can’t help but feel guilty. Was I too petty? Did I go too far in my anger? I’m still processing everything, and part of me wonders if I’ve made the right decision.

AITA?

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Confessions

Am I the Asshole for Not Immediately Confronting My Brother-in-Law About His Tattoo and Asking Him to Leave My House?

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A dramatic and tense scene set in a modern living room. The image shows a family gathering gone wrong, with a focus on the host (a person looking conf

I (26F) recently hosted my husband’s two sisters, their partners, and their children. They live about six hours away and were passing through on their way to a camping trip, so they spent the day with us before continuing on.

One of my brother-in-laws (BIL) and I couldn’t be more different, and to an extent, the same goes for his wife, my sister-in-law (SIL). While she mostly keeps her opinions to herself, he’s outspoken about his political and religious views, often in ways I find uncomfortable. For context, a few years ago, he caused a stir within the family by wanting to plaster political messages on his work vehicles (he owns a business). After backlash from friends and family, he didn’t go through with it but still complains about feeling “silenced” and frequently mocks people who disagree with his views.

Despite all this, we’ve maintained a surface-level relationship. When we’re together in person, he’s generally polite, and we’ve even shared a few laughs over the years. I chalked up his strong opinions to cultural differences, as I’m originally from a less religious country. In eight years of being part of the family, I had never heard him make overtly racist remarks in my presence—until now.

During their recent visit, BIL casually revealed that he had bought a tattoo gun online and had tattooed a small but unmistakable swastika on his upper thigh. He showed it off, joking about how no one would see it because it’s always covered.

I was stunned. My husband and I discussed it quietly in the kitchen, deciding not to escalate the situation in the moment. We wanted to keep the visit civil, especially for the sake of the children.

After they left, SIL messaged me to ask if everything was okay, as she had noticed our reactions. While my husband and I hadn’t yet decided on a course of action, I took the opportunity to express how deeply uncomfortable we were with her husband’s tattoo. I told her we didn’t feel comfortable having him in our home anymore and that any future interactions would be civil but distant. I explained we would focus on her, the children, and my other SIL during visits, but we wouldn’t be staying with them or hosting her husband.

She was very upset and seemed fixated on why we didn’t say anything in the moment if it bothered us so much. I explained that I didn’t want to escalate things or create a scene in front of the children. I also admitted feeling guilty for not speaking up right away and being, in a way, a bystander to his actions.

I don’t regret setting boundaries or distancing myself from him, but I’m disappointed in myself for not confronting the situation head-on. Part of me feels like I failed to act in the moment.

So, AITAH for waiting until they left to address the issue?

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