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AITA for Leaving My Husband and Stepdaughter Stranded on Christmas After He Gave Her My Big Christmas Gift?

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A dramatic and emotional illustration depicting a woman walking away from a family scene on Christmas, holding a suitcase. In the background, a man an.

My husband (41M) has always been terrible at gift-giving. After our first year together, during which he didn’t give me anything for my birthday, anniversary, Christmas, or even Mother’s Day (with the excuse that I’m “not his mother”), I decided to start matching his energy.

For example, on Father’s Day, instead of putting together a big meal and driving 30-45 minutes to pick up his daughter (A, now 16) so they could spend time together, I spent the day doing my own thing. When he called in the afternoon to ask when I was picking her up, I told him I had plans and wasn’t aware it was my responsibility. When he got upset and reminded me it was Father’s Day, I threw his own words back at him: “You’re not my father.”

Anticipating his anger, I had left a letter on the table explaining how much it hurt to go out of my way for him and never have that effort reciprocated. He later called, apologized, and promised to try harder. Since then, he’s been better—not great, but better. When it comes to gifts, he usually just tells me to pick something out and he’ll pay for it, which I don’t mind.

Fast forward to Christmas. About a week before, he surprised me with my favorite coffee, breakfast out, and a trip to the mall to pick out my Christmas gift. I rarely splurge on myself, especially since I have a preteen son from my first marriage and tend to prioritize him. My stepdaughter, however, is quite materialistic and always wants expensive items, which she usually gets from her father, her mother, and their respective families.

I’d been saving for months to buy my dream designer purse, so imagine my excitement when I saw it in the store. My husband hesitated at the price, but I offered to contribute with the money I’d saved. He told me I deserved it and insisted on getting it for me, warning that this would be my only gift since it was pricey. I was overjoyed and told him I didn’t need anything else.

Afterward, he asked if he could pick up his daughter to take her Christmas shopping. I agreed since it gave me time to prepare for the holidays. When we got home, I reached for my purse, but he stopped me, saying he wanted to put another gift inside it for me to open on Christmas. I was thrilled and left it with him.

Fast forward to Christmas Day. After hosting Christmas Eve at my house, I woke up late and barely had time to get ready before we headed out to pick up his daughter and visit his family. I fell asleep during the drive and woke up to find his daughter in the backseat—holding my purse.

“Where did you get that purse?” I asked, and the car fell silent. My husband kept his eyes on the road, saying nothing. His daughter finally mumbled, “My dad gave it to me.”

I lost it. I screamed, “YOU WHAT?” and demanded to know how he thought it was okay to give her my Christmas gift. He explained that she had begged him for it after seeing it in the car, saying he owed her for all the times he hadn’t gotten her a gift. He caved and gave it to her.

Heartbroken, I told her to give it back, but she refused. I couldn’t stop crying. My husband pulled into a gas station, and his daughter bolted inside with the purse. When he tried to comfort me, I slapped his hand away and told him not to touch me.

As he went inside to give her money for snacks, something in me snapped. I got into the driver’s seat, peeled out of the parking lot, and left them both there. I turned off my phone, went to my cousin’s house, and spent the rest of the day with my family.

Later, my stepdaughter’s mother called, leaving a hateful voicemail about how I was jealous her father bought her a purse. I called back to set the record straight, explaining the purse was my Christmas gift, and her daughter guilt-tripped her father into giving it away. She apologized and tried to suggest solutions, but I told her the damage was done.

My husband’s brother eventually picked them up, and the story came out. His mother sided with him, but the rest of the family sided with me and scolded his daughter.

Since then, things at home have been tense. I’ve become distant from my husband. I only cook for myself and my son, and I avoid talking to him. At night, when he reaches for me, I cry. I feel nothing but disappointment and sadness. He’s back on the road now, and I miss him, but I can’t shake the hurt.

I know Christmas isn’t about gifts, but this felt deeper. It was about being thoughtless, inconsiderate, and dismissive of my feelings. I’m looking for perspective—was I wrong to leave them stranded?

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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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