While their house was being renovated, a woman and her fiancé chose to stay at the woman’s sister’s place. During their stay, the woman noticed the complete lack of support her pregnant sister received from her husband. Despite working over 40 hours a week, the pregnant sister also managed all the household chores alone. At Thanksgiving dinner, the woman decided it was time to teach her brother-in-law a lesson.
In November 2021, an anonymous woman posted a touching story on Reddit’s “AITA” forum. The 24-year-old woman shared a story about her 32-year-old sister and her 38-year-old husband, who exemplified weaponized incompetence.
Despite working full-time for over 40 hours a week, managing all household responsibilities, and caring for their four children—10-year-old daughter, 8-year-old son, 5-year-old son, and 3-year-old daughter—while pregnant, her sister’s husband did nothing to help.
The woman was shocked to see her sister wake up at 4 a.m., handle breakfast and chores, and get the kids ready for school while her husband stayed home, worked, and played video games after she picked the children up. Remarkably, the woman noted that her sister earned more than her husband.
What Happened When the Woman and Her Fiancé Stayed with Her Sister?
While their home was being renovated, the woman and her 26-year-old fiancé stayed at her sister’s place for six weeks. Since they worked from home, they could help, and their support made the woman’s sister feel happy and relieved.
The woman helped her sister with the kids, and her fiancé even drove her to doctor’s appointments. In contrast, the husband only acknowledged his parental role when his family was around, pretending to be a god-fearing and hardworking father of five.
Despite the woman’s sister wanting to stop having children after the last baby, her husband insisted on having more boys. The original poster worried not only for her sister but also for her children, especially as the oldest began to notice the situation and tried to help. However, OP’s sister, driven by pride, refused to let her child take on any responsibilities.
OP admitted she never got along with her brother-in-law, and his behavior had been consistent since the birth of his eight-year-old son. Despite discussing the option of leaving, her sister was resistant and feared her children would grow up in a broken home.
Her views on divorce differed from OP’s, as her experience with their parents’ divorce was very different. She believed her kids needed both parents together and was reluctant to consider the potential benefits of a divorce.
The Thanksgiving Dinner
The weekend before OP shared her Reddit story, her sister and brother-in-law hosted a pre-Thanksgiving potluck, attended by both families. Expecting her brother-in-law’s lack of help, OP stayed with her sister a few days prior to assist.
During dinner, OP mentioned that she and her fiancé were trying to start a family. Her brother-in-law made an “off-handed comment” to the woman’s fiancé about the challenges of fatherhood. This remark triggered OP, prompting her to respond, “[Like] you would know.”
Startled, he asked about her comment, and she unleashed her frustration, calling him a pathetic excuse for a man who left her 8-month pregnant sister to handle everything for their family. OP expressed her feelings for nearly ten minutes, leaving her brother-in-law visibly uncomfortable. After that, she left the scene.
Later that night, OP received a call from her sister, who thanked her for standing up for her and appreciated her support. However, the next day, OP received a nasty message from her brother-in-law, accusing her of being a terrible person. He claimed her supposed lie in front of his family had angered his mom, who decided to move in with them to help her sister.
He claimed the incident made him the laughingstock of his family. Despite his perspective, he firmly believed she was at fault for the consequences. After everything that happened, OP couldn’t help but wonder if she was wrong for calling out her brother-in-law’s questionable behavior.
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