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Guy Furious After His Stepbrother Ruins His Engagement Party With A Cruel Prank

Thomas Barwick/ Getty Images

Sometimes pranks get out of hand. If it’s all in good fun it is easy to enjoy them and have something to laugh about.

But, some people take it too far.

Pranks involving someone’s health or safety are generally not okay. We just have to learn to set and respect boundaries.

30 year-old Redditor 6657ThrowAway__ encountered this very issue with his stepbrother and his friends. So he turned to the “Am I The A**hole” (AITA) subReddit for moral judgment.

He asked:

“AITA For kicking my stepbrother and his friends out after what they did at my engagement party?” 

The Original Poster (OP) explained.

“I (M 30) have a younger step brother Kevin 22. I let him move in to my old apartment and pay cheaper rent along with his two other friends because they’re struggling with college. They needed a cheaper place but couldn’t find one.”

“I’d help him out by getting his car fixed, lend him money, bring him meals.”

“I, also, take care of my mom who’s at the hospital.”

“My fiancée and I decided to have a small celebration at a restaurant. 8 people. There were a lot of people I wanted to invite, including mom, but couldn’t.”

“I have high blood pressure that, despite medication, gets worse. Kevin wanted to bring his friends to my engagement party.”

“I declined and explained that we’re having a small celebration. He was upset but then dropped it.”

“We got to the restaurant. And just as we started eating, I got a call from Kevin saying he is at the hospital where mom’s staying.”

“I asked him why, and he sounded worried telling me mom was very sick and that I needed to get there because it seemed like she was having a stroke.”

Understandably, OP panicked.

“I dropped my fork. My fiancée and parents noticed how pale I was.”

“I hung up and was getting ready to leave. They asked what was going on I told them mom was very sick and I needed to go to the hospital.”

“My fiancée wanted to come but I didn’t take her.”

“I got there. I went to the nurses who were handling my mom’s care and they denied her having any sudden issues let alone a stroke. I couldn’t stand on my feet.”

“I called Kevin several times until he picked up. He started laughing along with the others in the background.”

“I was so confused. He told me it was a prank and that I fell for it.”

“He said we’re even since they couldn’t show up to my engagement party. I started yelling at him ’til he hung up.”

“My fiancée’s parents were calling. I felt terrible because I didn’t know what to tell them.”

“My fiancée’s family thought I was lying when I kept saying my mom’s doing okay. I drove to my apartment where Kevin was staying and got into an argument with him and his buddies.”

“I yelled at them for ruining my engagement dinner and causing me stress knowing I have high BP. I told them to pack their things and move out.”

But that was the last straw.

“Kevin started begging saying I can’t do this over a prank and they had nowhere to go. I told him it wasn’t my problem.”

“They kept saying it was a prank and they didn’t expect me to react like that.”

“My aunt called me saying Kevin was an a**hole for what he did but kicking him out was extreme and I was too harsh on him. Eventually that my brother and I need to be supportive of him even though he’s acting stupid.”

“I take some of the blame, as my fiancée said because they did things before and I should’ve stopped them, but I couldn’t imagine them going this far.”

“Kevin’s mom is deceased. I help him with whatever I can because I know he’s struggling.”

“His aunt isn’t my biological aunt but I respect her enough to consider her family. But defending this behavior isn’t acceptable.”

Redditors gave their opinions on the situation by declaring:

  • NTA – Not The A**hole
  • YTA – You’re The A**hole
  • NAH – No A**holes Here
  • ESH – Everyone Sucks Here

Most Redditors agreed OP was not the a**hole.

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THIS POST?”

“I believe you, it’s too insane to make up, I am just … I have no words other than”

“Obviously NTA. OBVIOUSLY NTA.” 

“Let your aunt take his prank a** in then.” ~ Dszquphsbnt

“Literally every time I see a post like ‘I’m helping a family member with money/housing/etc… and they did something horrible to me so I stopped helping them, my family says I need to help them because they’re family’ I’m always like… if they’re not willing to help then they’re not allowed to tell you how to and where your boundaries should lie. Drives me nuts.” ~ usernameemma

“Obviously NTA. Whenever he or anyone else says it’s just a ‘prank.’ Just say ‘You joked about my MUM DYING.’ And just repeat it again and again until they stop.”

“Put lots of emphasis too and like you’re ending a conversation. Because he did.”

“He did joke about your mum dying because HE didn’t get what HE wanted at YOUR engagement party.” ~ Osiria07

Some Redditors asked for more context, and OP responded.

“Kevin’s mother is deceased. I’m the one who’s always supported him especially after my mom got sick. I felt what he felt because losing a mother is not easy and is terrifying.”

“I wanted to help him as much as I can. I don’t know he might be getting influenced by those guys but that is not an excuse for him to do this to me.”

Others shared their own experiences.

“An ex and his friends pulled a pretty similar stunt when I was in my early 20s. Mind you the stunt was pulled when he was an ex, not when we were dating.”

“New Years Day, I woke up to a voicemail from one of his friends saying ‘ex is in the hospital and wants you to come see him’. There was some mention about a wreck.”

“I freaked out, called and called, and eventually left work (got in trouble for that) and went to search for him.”

“I found him in bed with some random girl and his friends passed out around his apartment. I lost my shit, screamed at all of them, and then could hear them all laughing their a**es off at me when I was outside storming back to my car.”

“I don’t understand how people are this cruel, but they are.” ~ tossedavocado

Op added.

“Not only him but the others as well. I was shocked I really thought those were decent guys who are struggling and I was a fool for feeling sorry for them.”

“What they did, and how they made me look in front of my fiancée’s parents, they made me look like a liar and caused me so much stress and got me worried sick about my mom.”

Pranks should be fun, not cruel. Pranking about someone’s life is never okay.