A man was stoked after he planned the perfect wedding proposal to his girlfriend at one of their favorite romantic spots.
Unfortunately, things went downhill when he made the mistake of agreeing to have his sister join the occasion to take some candid photos before the moment of surprise.
When he made a reactionary decision that caused family drama, he visited the "Am I the A**hole?" (AITA) subReddit to seek judgment from strangers online.
Redditor Dirimndz asked:
"AITA for Not Inviting My Sister to My Wedding After She Ruined My Proposal?"
The original poster (OP) explained:
"I (29 M[ale]) recently got engaged to my girlfriend (28 F[female]), and it was supposed to be one of the happiest moments of our lives. I had planned a romantic proposal at our favorite spot, a secluded beach where we had our first date."
"I had everything ready: flowers, a small picnic, and a photographer hiding nearby to capture the moment."
When the day came, my sister (32 F[female]) insisted on tagging along. She said she wanted to take a few 'candid' photos of us before the proposal. I was hesitant but agreed, thinking it might make the moment more special. Big mistake."
The OP explained why he regretted agreeing to this.
"As we reached the spot, my sister started acting weird, making snarky comments and trying to direct the whole scene like a movie. My girlfriend could sense something was off, and the mood was getting ruined."
"Then, out of nowhere, my sister grabbed the ring box from my pocket and yelled, 'Surprise! Look what he's going to do!' My girlfriend was shocked, and I was furious."
"I managed to salvage the proposal somewhat, but the moment was tainted. My girlfriend said yes, but we both felt the proposal was ruined."
"Later, I confronted my sister, and she just laughed it off, saying she was 'just trying to help' and that I was overreacting."
"Fast forward to our wedding planning, and my fiancée and I decided not to invite my sister. We wanted our day to be about us, without any unnecessary drama."
That didn't go well. The OP said:
"When my family found out, they were furious. My parents called me heartless, and my sister is playing the victim, saying I'm tearing the family apart over a 'little joke.' "
"Now I'm feeling conflicted. AITA for not inviting my sister to my wedding after she ruined my proposal?"
It turns out this was not the first time the sister caused problems in the past.
The OP wrote in edits:
"Here are a few other, not so minor, instances in which my sister has done me wrong:"
"1.My sister has a long history of attention-seeking behavior. She's the type to fake fainting at parties just to get everyone's attention. She once 'accidentally' set off the fire alarm at my fiancée's birthday party, causing the whole place to evacuate and ruining the celebration."
"2.This wasn't the first time she's crossed the line with me. When I got my first big promotion, she announced she was pregnant at the same party, only to later admit she was joking. At another family event, she spiked the punch with alcohol knowing I was on medication that strictly prohibited drinking."
Anonymous strangers weighed in by declaring:
- NTA - Not The A**hole
- YTA - You're The A**hole
- ESH - Everyone Sucks Here
- NAH - No A**holes Here
Many Redditors thought the OP was not the a**hole (NTA) here.
'Then, out of nowhere, my sister grabbed the ring box from my pocket and yelled, "Surprise! Look what he's going to do!" '
"What she did is so ludicrous that my first reaction was that perhaps this post isn't real, no one could be that obtuse. I don't blame you one bit for not wanting her at your wedding; you already made the mistake of allowing her to come along to the proposal. NTA"
"she just laughed it off, saying she was 'just trying to help""
"What might she try to do to 'help' at the wedding if she went?"
"My parents called me heartless"
"Perhaps your parents are part of the problem and have always enabled her behavior?" – StonewallBrigade21
"OP. Just fake her out. Don't involve your family in any of the planning. Get your sister the invitation to the wrong venue, a good hour out of the way. 'You were just trying to help your fiance have the wedding you wanted her to have.' " – desertboots
'My parents called me heartless'
"I'm guessing, based on your edit that confirms this is normal behavior for her, that your parents have a history of enabling and explaining away your sister's behavior."
'my sister is playing the victim'
"Of course she is, because taking accountability would mean admitting that she purposefully ruined your proposal."
'saying I'm tearing the family apart over a "little joke" '
"You finally having enough of her BS ≠ 'tearing the family apart.' Again, she just doesn't want to admit that she's facing the consequences of her poor behaviors."
"NTA. Stay strong and don't invite her. You should probably put your parents on a strict information diet and have security at your wedding to ensure your sister and/or your enabling parents don't pull some shenanigans."
"You should also be prepared for your parents to threaten to not attend if you don't invite her. Don't fall for it. If they actually follow through, that's their loss not yours." – Glitter_Voldemort
"What's the joke? And how was she helping? Your sister is beyond out of line. Im so sorry you have to deal with her nonsense.NTA." – MyTh0ughtsExactly
"NTA, but a bit of a dumba** for allowing her to tag along for the proposal."
"Never mind that the proposal should have been a private affair between you and your girlfriend, but you admitted in your own post that your sister has done outlandish things at the most inappropriate times to seek attention, so you were quite naive to think she would behave when you planned to propose."
"You don't bring a monkey to a picnic and then be upset at the monkey when it starts throwing poop at everyone." – Adogg1973
"NTA, but reading all those other instances of sister seeking attention, why in the world would OP agree to let her come? He should have known she'd do something like this. It's clearly intentional." – AlannaAdvice
'At another family event, she spiked the punch with alcohol knowing I was on medication that strictly prohibited drinking."
"I'm sorry what?!?! NTA and uninvite her from your whole life because that is unhinged. Tell anyone who says to invite her that if they don't drop it and respect the no then they can also be uninvited because they are enabling this toxic and frankly dangerous behavior." – Normal-Kangaroo9209
"I would go the way extra step of asking the groomsmen and bridesmaids to BOLO. Or hire security."
"She should be barred from the ceremony and reception venues. She WILL do something to sabotage your day."
"Do not let her know any details of the day or about the vendors. I wouldn't put it past her to try canceling your arrangements or ruining your plans." – AirportPrestigious
"NTA. Your sister sounds like an attention-seeking narcissist. You and your fiancee need to present a united front and make it clear that your sister will not be invited. She already ruined your proposal, and you don't want her to ruin your wedding."
"If your parents do not respect your wishes, you tell them they will be uninvited. It's time to go NC with your sister, OP. This is your wedding, and you don't have to tolerate stupid, immature or unacceptable behavior. Your parents also sound like enablers." – Popular_Document1399
"NTA- your sister is a pick me that wants to be the main character in everyone's story. She has no boundaries and your parents have allowed her to live in this self centered fantasy world of a bubble."
"At 32 it is well past time for her to grow up and understand there are consequences for her behavior. Your parents failed as parents to you and her." – DuePromotion287
"NTA at all. The majority of my family weren't invited to my wedding because they either behaved like that, or enabled the ones who did and would absolutely have told them when and where to let them crash the wedding and make a scene. I have 0 regrets about doing it that way. It was a truly lovely day."
"Weddings are a celebration of the new couple with people who appreciate and celebrate them. Your sister does not celebrate you, therefore, she is not a fit guest for any wedding."
"If you can, hire security to keep her out of the venue building cause I wouldn't put it past her to pull the fire alarm in the building as petty retaliation by the sounds of it." – BibbleBean
"NTA. I think your examples of her past behavior are alarming. Go over the list with your parents. Ask them what are the chances she will be capable of behaving at your wedding. Tell them you find it sad she is so mentally disturbed and unable to behave."
"Say you trusted her to come to the proposal because you were trying to do what your family has always done and give her a new chance despite her inability to apologize, change, show remorse or even recognize the gravity of her actions."
"It was the very last time you will trust her to not ruin your special moments. Tell them it is very obvious she needs intense therapy. Perhaps if she gets a good therapist and really makes an effort to change and be normal rather than horrible, you will consider in a year allowing her to attend an important function of yours."
"But for now, the way she is and has always been, it is impossible. You will have security at your wedding to keep her out. You know it is hard for them to see her for who she is, but her actions speak louder than her meaningless words. You have made your final decision and you expect them to respect it. Good luck." – CatelinaBaylorfan
Overall, Redditors thought the OP disinviting the sister to the wedding was warranted, however, commenters also thought the OP shouldn't have agreed to letting his sister come along given her history of ruining things in the past.















Humiliated Redditor Ditches Friend's Birthday After She Publicly Mocks Them In Front Of Everyone
Fake people tend to show their true colors during pivotal moments, like weddings and major celebrations.
But when they want an audience to hurt someone else, it takes total sense that they would be called out in front of everyone, as agreed by members of the "Am I Overreacting?" (AIO) subreddit.
Redditor HollyyGinger went to their close friend's birthday party, expecting to have a good time and celebrate their loved one's special day.
But when their close friend made several mocking comments about them, and the party laughed along with them, the Original Poster (OP) took that as an indication of the state of their friendship and left the birthday party early.
They asked the sub:
The OP was excited to celebrate their close friend's birthday.
"One of my close friends had a birthday dinner last weekend, and I was genuinely excited to go."
"I helped her organize a few things beforehand, bought her a gift, and even rearranged some plans because I wanted to be there for her."
But the birthday dinner did not go at all how the OP expected.
"During dinner, though, she started making little jokes about me in front of everyone."
"At first, I laughed along because I didn't want to make things awkward on her birthday."
"But she kept going. She joked about dating life, brought up an embarrassing story I had told her privately, and made another comment about how I'm ''way too sensitive' sometimes."
"People were laughing, and I tried to act like it didn't bother me, but honestly, I felt pretty humiliated."
The OP tried to ask their friend to change the direction of the rest of the party.
"I quietly asked her when we were alone if she could stop making me the joke of the evening."
"She rolled her eyes and said I was taking everything too seriously and that everyone knew she was joking."
"I went back to the table for a while because I really didn't want to ruin her birthday."
"But then she made another joke about me, so I decided I'd had enough. I congratulated her again, said goodbye to everyone, and went home without making a scene."
The OP's friend tried to blame them for how the evening turned out.
"The next morning, she texted me, saying she was hurt that I left early and that several people noticed."
"She said that I made her feel like she had done something horrible when she was 'just having fun.' But her having fun was more of a public embarrassment to me."
"Now I feel guilty, because it was her birthday, and maybe I could have just ignored it for another hour or two."
"I wasn't trying to punish her or make the night about me. I just didn't want to sit there smiling while someone I trusted kept embarrassing me after I had specifically asked her to stop."
Fellow Redditors weighed in:
Some reassured the OP that she didn't have to stay at a party where she didn't feel welcome.
"She was having fun. You were not having fun."
"You’re not overreacting. You told her it was hurting you, and she kept doing it because hurting you was entertaining for her. She is not a good friend." - Dunquinn-
"I remember when I was really little, a bunch of adults were laughing at me as I cried."
"I cried to my mom, 'Stop laughing at me,' to which she replied, 'We aren’t laughing at you; we're laughing with you,' while giggling."
"My response was something I stand by to this day: 'Then why am I the only one crying?!'"
"It’s only funny if the person who’s being teased is laughing too. You weren’t laughing. It wasn’t funny; it was cruel. NOR." - XSmartypants
"She’s a bully. It wasn’t 'more like 'it was publicly embarrassing. It WAS publicly embarrassing."
"Then she tells you that SHE is embarrassed because YOU left early. That's bulls**t."
"NOR. Drop her." - WTH_JFG
"NOR. They make jokes about someone's privacy to humiliate that person. Anyone who would use info that was shared in confidence to get a laugh is an abuser. You don't do that, especially to a close friend, without the intent to hurt that person." - BungenessKrabb
"Would it have been fun if you did the same? Start telling her darkest secrets?"
"She made you into a punchline for other people’s entertainment."
"You told her to stop, and she didn’t; now she’s the victim?"
"NOR."
"But also, some people need to feel it to believe it. I hope you go to the next gathering with a few stories of your own and don’t let her rewrite the narrative." - beached_not_broken
"I’ve had it happen by my 'best friend' at the time, only it was in a professional setting event. Very personal details only she knew, all spilled for her amusement, embarrassing me in front of colleagues."
"NOR, OP. As you did, I left the gathering earlier than expected. My 'friend' called the next day asking why I left so early. I told her what she had said and done and how humiliated I felt."
"Her 'apology' was that flippant version that shows no remorse, like, 'Well, I’m sorry you feel that way.'"
"Over the subsequent years, she managed to alienate and burn bridges with most of those same people we were gathered with."
"I’m sorry this happened to you, OP. Anyone who thinks you were 'too sensitive' has no empathy and 'friends' like that don’t deserve your time." - Hungry_Tank9182
"NOR. She was being a jerk to you, and she was expecting you to just take it and not say anything or defend yourself."
"Because they think it's sooo funny to mock others, but I bet if the roles were reversed, she would be offended and upset."
"Honestly, you deserve better friends. I'm sorry you had to deal with this."
"I would've left and blocked her." - Cryslove
Others urged the OP to stop thinking about the event and let that friendship go.
"That was the point of her fun! Humiliating you with an audience!"
"Sharing something deeply personal, told in confidence? Immediate dealbreaker."
"She is not (and likely never was) your friend. Friends do not treat friends with such disrespect. Block her, and go no contact. She brings nothing good to your life, and she’s not worthy of your energy and time."
"NOR." - MizPeachyKeen
"It’s called bullying. She is not your friend. Friends don’t humiliate their true friends, or tell them 'they are too sensitive.'"
"That is what bullies do. She keeps you around to put you down and make herself look or feel better."
"Her actions, attitude, and behavior are those of an immature high schooler. She could actually be jealous of you and not want one or all of the following: you to succeed, have more friends, feel better about yourself, look better, etc."
"Please slowly distance yourself, find new hobbies and activities with more mature, well-rounded, healthy people." - Freeling_Fab_U_lous
"How DARE you spoil her fun; didn't you know that part of your gift was letting her make you the butt of her jokes? (sarcastic comment)"
"What an awful person. No one should need to put others down to raise themselves up. She doesn't deserve the title of friend, to be honest. You showed much more grace than I would have managed." - tphatmcgee
"She was using you as her punching bag to make the others attending laugh. Probably thinking you’d just take it. That’s not a good friend. NOR." - Additional-Start9455
"'Someone I trusted kept embarrassing me after I asked them to stop.' NOR."
"First, you shouldn't have had to ask her to stop because a friend wouldn't have started in the first place. One of her 'jokes' was about you being sensitive, so she knew you didn't like it and did it anyway."
"Second, you asked her privately to stop, because you didn't want to embarrass her. Think about that. You didn't want to embarrass her. But she couldn't show you the same consideration, even after being asked to stop."
"That's not how I treat my friends, and I suspect that's not how you treat your friends, either." - calminthedark
"I would have answered her text that she's a s**tty friend and to f**k off. You have class."
"I probably would have made a comment at dinner that I asked her to stop with the insults."
"NOR. You did everything right." - Particular-King218
The subReddit was disappointed on the OP's behalf that a friendship they were so committed to, they were excited to celebrate their friend's birthday and even helped plan the event, came apart at their expense, and on very public terms.
If the friend didn't want to be "embarrassed," maybe she should have thought about how she was embarrassing others first.