There are few better feelings than when a friend wants to show their appreciation for you.
Even the smallest of gestures can make up for whatever shortcomings or hurdles you’d been facing earlier.
Something the godmother of Redditor bibbleaddict took advantage of, resulting in a strain on her relationship with their family.
Concerned about how well they handled the situation, the original poster (OP) took to the subReddit “Am I The A**hole” (AITA) asking fellow Redditors:
“AITA for making my relative pay for her uninvited guests’ dinner?”
The OP first shared they completed a recent milestone in their life, and how their family intended to celebrate this notable accomplishment.
“I recently graduated from college and to celebrate this accomplishment, my family and I chipped in to have a buffet for my immediate family and some extended relatives and my godmother (also a distant relative) on a very nice restaurant.”
“It’s not exactly cheap so everything is accounted for and we informed them that those who are invited are the only ones who can eat.”
On the day of the celebration, however, the OP’s godmother arrived having either ignored or missed the instructions on the invite.
“On the day of the celebration, to our surprise, my godmother brought in 3 co-workers of hers.”
“They are total strangers to me.”
“My dad said he would just pay for the surprise guests but I put my foot down on it and pulled my godmother aside and told her she would have to pay for the guest she brought because we only have the budget for the people we originally invited.”
“She told me to consider it and this is a celebration, no need to be cheap about it.”
“I firmly told her no.”
“She would either have to leave or pay for them.”
“She replied ‘Okayy fine’.
But the OP’s godmother proved to be anything but ‘fine’ about their agreement when it came time to pay the bill.
“After the 3 hours buffet, when it is time for billing, I specifically told the waiter to only account the original number of guests we reserved and the 3 extras will be on a separate payment.”
“My godmother was furious that we didn’t relent and pay for her co-workers.”
“She started ranting about it.”
“But my dad told me and my mom to go home and he will deal with my godmother.”
“After that incident, my phone was blown with texts from my godmother who told me I embarrassed her in-front of her co-workers.”
“Turns out her co-workers ended up paying for themselves even if my dad offered to pay for them.”
“He guessed that the co-workers of hers didn’t want to make the situation become more awkward and it isn’t a big deal for them.”
“But my godmother was furious and told me paying for her friend’s dinner is nothing compared to the gifts she gave me since I was little baby.”
“AITA for doing this?”
Fellow Redditors weighed on on where they believed the OP fell in this particular situation by declaring:
- NTA: Not the A**hole
- YTA: You’re the A**hole
- ESH: Everybody Sucks Here
- NAH: No A**holes Here
Redditors were unanimous in taking the side of the OP, with no doubt in their minds that they were most definitely not the a**hole by refusing to pay for their godmother’s friends.
Just about everyone agreed the OP’s godmother was being beyond presumptuous by bringing her co-workers to their graduation dinner, particularly as the OP had never met them.
“NTA.”
“Who the heck brings strangers to a relative’s celebration?”
“Your godmother was beyond tacky for thinking this was ok.”- MommaGuy.
“NTA.”
“She can’t force costs on you to save herself an awkward conversation.”
“You didn’t invite those people.”- Hi_Im_Dadbot
“NTA.”
“Who invites their own guests to a celebration for someone who has never even met them, without asking beforehand and then expects the meal to be paid?!”
“Block her number.”
“She embarrassed herself and continues to do so with this behavior.”- Imhere4allthedramass
“Nta, why would your godmother bring her coworkers when you don’t know them then expect you to pay for them?”
“It was your celebration your godmother put herself in that situation.”
“NTA: Clearly your godmother assumed she’d get her way, she should learn her actions have consequences and next time read the invite more carefully.”- FluffyTurnover5029.
“NTA.”
“Your godmother was totally out of line.”
“And she knew it.”
“I don’t know what she was thinking.”
“Nor do I understand what her coworkers were thinking crashing a graduation party of someone they didn’t even know.”- RevolutionarySea15.
“NTA your godmother is a MAJOR one, it’s a celebratory meal for family why on earth would she think it is fine to bring strangers and have their cost covered, 3 of them at that.”- TCGislife.
“NTA – you don’t bring along uninvited guests!”
“That makes your aunt the a-hole right there.”
“My MIL tried to invite guests to our wedding (that my husband and I were paying for 100% ourselves).”
“They were all either business associates of FIL’s or relatives that my husband had either never met or hadn’t seen in 20+ years.”
“These people were basically nothing to us.”
“She had the nerve to ask us to give her ‘extra’ invitations so she could send them out.”
“We told her we’d be happy to do that if she gave us the $75 plate cost up front for every extra guest she was inviting.”
“We’d happily refund her for any guests who declined.”
“All of a sudden, it wasn’t so very important to invite these people once it was on her dime!”-SuchLovelyLilacs.
“Nta, why did she even bring them?”
“Trying to impress them?”
“What was her game plan here?”- SpiritOfSpite.
“NTA – a) she should not have bought 3 uninvited guests that you didn’t even know, and b) you told her on arrival they weren’t being paid for.”
“She is being completely out of line – and anything she’s done for you a child is irrelevant in this.”-Betweentheminds.
“NTA.”
“Godmother embarrassed herself by assuming she could get her colleagues a free meal.”
“Also, good on you for not letting your dad pick up the tab.”
“You protected him there.”- Crepusculatum.
Indeed, it is fairly shocking not only did the OP’s godmother not seem to appreciate being taken out for a nice meal by good friends, she didn’t see the problem with bringing additional guests.
Who knows if the OP’s family has any interest in mending this potentially burned bridge, but here’s hoping the godmother might at least see the error of her ways.