8. AITJ For Calling Out Boxer Hypocrisy In A Shared House? ...Continued

I just think the same rule should be applied to everyone. Either we all have to wear shorts or not. One guy agreed with me (we’ve had conversations about how we don’t like the rule). Before any of you come for me for wanting to wear the V-shaped undergarments again, we’re all runners.

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I’ve seen these guys in shorts not much longer than my undergarments. We go for runs shirtless in compression shorts. I don’t see the big deal.

AITJ for calling this hypocrisy out and WIBTJ for just ditching the pants again without waiting for their input?”

Another User Comments:

“YTJ.

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This isn’t about the length of the shorts. It’s about how tight they are. It’s kind of wild that you actually need this explained to you. It wouldn’t magically be okay for you to wear boxer-briefs that go down to your knees, because they’d still be able to see the complete outline of your private part.

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I don’t know why you’re confused that this isn’t something your roommates want to see, lmao.” Fairwhetherfriend

Another User Comments:

“YTJ. There’s absolutely a difference between briefs and boxer shorts, and also short shorts.

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Now, if your roommate is wearing those boxer shorts that are skin tight and very nearly briefs (similar to women’s boy shorts), he could be called out for that. But when it comes to most boxer shorts, they’re definitely pretty different than briefs when it comes to being around roommates.

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So are short shorts. Trying to argue that you should be able to wear briefs around when people are uncomfortable with it is silly. Also, it’s a bit odd of you to (a) not be aware that walking around in just briefs with roommates who aren’t, like, partner or best friend level, might be weird, and (b) mention that you’re in shape, as if that would make any difference in making people you’re not super close to uncomfortable by walking around in your undergarments.” cheesecup6

Another User Comments:

““I’m in shape” – Bro, no one cares.

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You can’t be in shared roommate spaces in your tighty whities. It’s clear you think being fit excuses your lack of clothing because you correlate physique with attractiveness and acceptability. Your attitude shows clearly through this post and your comments; you’re so dismissive and disrespectful.

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Your roommates don’t want to see your private parts. Wear normal clothes or get your own place. YTJ.” catsweedcoffee


7. AITJ For Slamming My MIL And Stepmom For Mocking Mental Health?

QI

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“Last year was really hard for me because I lost my mother to cancer. Then, not even two weeks later, I lost my grandmother to old age/a broken heart.

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My mom was my best friend. I seriously could tell her anything. My grandma was always like a second mom and would always make sure that I was taken care of (my parents weren’t the richest while growing up).

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After losing both of them, I spent some time in a mental health clinic because I had a mental breakdown.

Since then, my MIL has been making rude comments about people who are in the hospital for the same thing.

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Saying things like “People like that just need to suck it up and stop being so dramatic.” “Those people are just there for meds. Stop giving them meds and they’ll miraculously be better.” There’s worse than that.

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My stepmom makes comments along the same lines and agrees with MIL every time (they’ve known each other for nearly 15 years and are partners).

Last Friday, we had our weekly family dinner at my dad’s house, where my stepmom, of course, always invites MIL.

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Long story short, they started making fun of mental illnesses and even tried imitating some of them. I tried to ignore them by going outside with my dad, but not even a minute later, here they came, saying that I was disrespectful for leaving while they were talking to me.

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I just snapped and said some horrible things about them (basically calling my stepmom a promiscuous person and my MIL the Devil incarnate). I immediately walked to my husband and said that I’m leaving. If he wants to stay, then stay, but I will not be mocked anymore.

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He, of course, came home with me, and I even had to stop him from going back and having his own words with his mother (their relationship has always been kind of rocky but has gotten worse since we got married).

Of course, my stepmom started crying to my dad, saying that I was being rude and that she was just being honest about her feelings regarding mental health hospitals.

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My dad sent me multiple texts, saying that he raised me better than that and that I needed to apologize for calling his wife a promiscuous person. I refused, and he sent a message saying that I’m no longer welcome in his house until I apologize.

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I said that was fine, and not to hold his breath waiting for me to apologize to her.

AITJ? Should I apologize just to keep the peace?”

Another User Comments:

“Ask your dad if he expects stepmommy dearest to apologize for mocking the death of your mother and grandmother.

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Or are you supposed to just allow her to be that dense? Then tell him he didn’t realize he hated your mother that much. Then say you are going no contact for a while because you no longer know if you even want him as a father.

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Let your husband deal with MIL, but she would be skating on very thin ice.” Ok_Resource_8530

Another User Comments:

“NTJ. And keep that apology filed under things I won’t say until heck freezes over. You keeping the peace sounds like them expecting you to lick their boots after they wiped said boots with dog doo before you start cleaning them off.

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They obviously don’t give two bits for your feelings, and it sounds like your dad is more worried about access to his member receptacle than he is about your mental health. Why bother keeping a peace that is basically like the equivalent of you being the one to get hit over and over again and being expected not to make a noise when their metaphorical fist breaks your nose, and then being expected to apologize for letting them tie you up to do it in the first place before they will even consider granting you access to their presence so they can do this all over again?

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You know you don’t need to keep putting yourself in those ropes, don’t you?” Candid-Sense-7523

Another User Comments:

“NTJ – So your dad and husband both know you were in the hospital and, since then, have been around when this has happened, and at no point have they stepped in?

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Why did it take you blowing up for your husband to grow a pair? Ask your dad why he hasn’t stood up to her about her words or comments at any point. Ask why he hasn’t been a dad to protect his child from someone being evil, but expect you to be the bigger person just because he’s sleeping with her.

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Tell him to step up as a real father and stop her from bullying his daughter. If he says you are an adult, then say so is she, and you want your child to apologize to a bully.” Ok_Objective8366


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6. AITJ For Taking My Cake After My Family Ignored My Sobriety Milestone?

QI

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“I (27F) hit one year sober (from booze) at the beginning of the year. This was a huge accomplishment for me.

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It meant more to me than finishing college. I told my family that next time we were together for a family dinner, I had something to celebrate. This all happened at my mom’s. The kids were playing, and the adults were hanging out.

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I took the moment to share that I’d reached one year sober and how good I felt about it.

They responded, “Oh, that’s what you were talking about,” and “Has it been a year already?”

I am embarrassed to admit that I had hoped someone would say they’re proud of me.

My BIL Steve looked at my sister, and they both said “Well…” at the same time.

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Then she said, “Since we’re all here, (Niece) just got into (a specific gymnastics thing). It’s been a long road, but she did it!”

Steve popped some wine they had brought and started giving everyone glasses/cups.

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He made eye contact with me, and his face fell. I had this gnawing feeling, so I got up from the table. I took a walk.

I tried to work through the moment mentally so I could be present for my niece to celebrate her success.

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But when I got back to the house, my sister asked me why I left without saying anything. I said that I needed a minute to myself.

She looked at me oddly and said, “Okayyyy…”

I said that I’d shared something I was very proud of, but she bulldozed over it.

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My mom put her hand up and asked me what my news was. I said that I’d told them: I hit one year sober. Mom said that my generation always wanted praise for doing the bare minimum, and that it wasn’t an accomplishment but just what I needed to do, like graduating high school.

I tried to make it through dinner, but I just wasn’t in the mood anymore.

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I decided to go home.

Here is the direct thing I am being called a jerk for: I’d brought a small berry Chantilly cake (my favorite) to share after dinner. It was the thing I decided I had earned.

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The kids had definitely seen it. On my way out, I decided to take it home with me.

I guess when they realized that the cake wasn’t in the garage fridge anymore, my sister called to ask me why I took it.

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I said that I did because it was my cake to celebrate my accomplishment.

She said, word for word, “Are you freaking serious? Oh my god Emma, GROW UP. You are such a freaking baby.”

My mom later texted me directly to tell me how disappointed she was that I threw a tantrum because my niece got more attention than me.

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I don’t think her account of what happened is right, but that is why I am asking you guys. Am I the jerk because I took home the cake in the end? Was that really childish of me, considering the kids saw it and then didn’t get any?

As I was putting on my shoes to leave, Steve found me, apologized, and said that he had been completely oblivious in the moment.

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I know he did not do anything intentionally to hurt me.”

Another User Comments:

“Sweet OP – first, I am not only thrilled for you but I am SO proud of you. Honey, you didn’t end up with addiction because you had SUCH a supportive and functional family.

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You are looking for love in the wrong places. When you have a milestone to celebrate, do it with friends, do it at a meeting, do it here, do it on a Zoom call with random strangers – but your family of origin has lost access to the happy occasions in your life.

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They do not deserve you. Your sister and BIL are rude and petty, but your mom really takes the cake. Being 365 days sober is a BIG freaking deal!! She strikes me as the type to tell someone who lost 100 pounds that they’ve done the bare minimum and are still fat.

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She’s mean. It’s time to significantly limit contact with your family. It’s very hard, but you’ve done something way harder. Put yourself first. Love yourself. Celebrate yourself. They know where to find you when they are ready to stop being petty and nasty and self-absorbed.” AlbanyBarbiedoll

Another User Comments:

“NTJ.

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And I want to say it since your family didn’t. I’m so proud of you. Addiction is so difficult to overcome, especially a socially acceptable one like booze. Drinking culture is freaking pervasive and darn close to unavoidable.

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Case in point, your family pops champagne to celebrate a gymnastics achievement!? That’s the strangest thing I’ve ever heard. Unless she’s going to the Olympics. You were hurt that your family wasn’t ready to celebrate you.

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I’m sorry they don’t realize what a big deal it is for you. I hope you enjoyed every bite of that cake!” specialkk77

Another User Comments:

“The problem is that it doesn’t matter what you tell your family – they showed you they don’t care, so why would they listen to anything you have to say?!

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They won’t. You will be told that YOU are the problem. And it is absolutely NOT about the cake. You clearly struggled with booze and managed to keep clean for a year! Looking at your post, I am only assuming that your family dynamics have something to do with why you abused booze.

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I would suggest going Low Contact with your family. Don’t let them push you towards booze because they will ruin your hard work! You can’t make people understand your feelings as a sister or a daughter if they don’t care about you as a human being in the first place!

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NTJ and massive congratulations.” Skyeblue0922


5. AITJ For Refusing To See My Cousin After His Horrific Birthday Prank?

QI

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“Last year, I (19F now) celebrated my 18th birthday on January 5th. In the Philippines, this is a “debut,” which is similar to a quinceañera.

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It was a huge event for my family, especially since everyone was already together after New Year’s. I had professional photos taken for the occasion, but I also wanted a special picture with my cat on the special day.

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I have a male orange tabby who was once a stray and is now fixed, named Tang. He’s a huge part of my life, and I always keep him inside the house unless I’m with him.

On my debut, I was looking for Tang to take that special photo, but I couldn’t find him anywhere.

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I started panicking because he is an indoor cat and never goes far. I asked my cousins to help me look for him, but it was difficult as there are a lot of orange strays in the area. Eventually, my cousin (25M) came up to me and said he had “found him.” He pulled what looked to be meat out of a bag, and my heart dropped; I thought he had killed my cat.

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I completely broke down, crying and freaking out in front of everyone. (As much as I hate it, both dog and cat still get butchered for meat here but hidden away from the authorities.)

As it turned out, my cousin was pulling a prank.

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What he had was actually rabbit meat to be cooked for my birthday (rabbit meat also made me fully uncomfortable. I didn’t eat that dish.) It just seriously looked like a cat’s anatomy and it freaked me out.

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I found out that he had taken Tang to my uncle’s without asking me because my family thought Tang was “getting in the way” while food was being prepared for my party. I was furious. I yelled at my cousin, told him to return Tang immediately, and demanded that he leave the celebration.

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He left. I was upset, but I didn’t let it bother me as Tang was safe.

Fast forward to this year. I didn’t want my cousin at my birthday party because of what happened last year, and I made that clear to my parents.

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Despite this, my aunt insisted that I was being dramatic and said my cousin should be allowed to come. He showed up uninvited. I confronted him and told him again that he wasn’t invited. He told me to take a joke and that it was in the past.

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I snapped and told him I didn’t ever want to see him again. My aunt jumped in, calling me a “big jerk” and accusing me of being narcissistic for making my birthday about myself. (Isn’t it supposed to be about myself?)

The argument escalated until my dad and granddad stepped in.

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My aunt and cousin eventually left, but it didn’t end there. A few days later, my aunt started posting in the family group chat, calling me rude, difficult, and selfish. That I couldn’t take a joke or that I don’t know how to forgive and that I will be sent to heck.

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She claims that I ruined my debut and this year’s birthday celebration with my behavior.

AITJ for refusing to see my cousin after what happened last year?”

Another User Comments:

“NTJ op. I was ready and willing to throw hands with my mother a few years ago because she said she wanted to put my old boy down ‘because he wasn’t cuddly enough.’ That non-cuddly cat slept by my head and purred so loud for four more years, cancer took him, and I was ready to fight God himself for my boy to live.

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I’m not kidding, Ace will always be my soul cat. And if anyone messes with his little urn, I will also throw hands. No one messes with my little marshmallow boy.” Caffeinedlaughter

Another User Comments:

“NTJ!

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I am really sorry you had to go through that. What makes it worse is that the Filipino culture of where the elders are always treated as if they are right, even when they are not. You now get seen as the child who cannot take a joke, instead of her as the aunt who cannot act her age.

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That being said, you have a lot of self-control. If anyone made me believe they harmed my furbabies, I would have shoved my fist into their face and followed it up with another when he showed up again. Stay strong, ignore your aunt and the idiot cousin… and you know Filipinos, strong belief in karma!

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So enjoy every moment with Tang while you guys wait for karma to hit!” District_Secrets


4. AITJ For Setting Boundaries After My Friend Lied About Her Abusive Partner?

QI

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“I (24F) had been friends with B (24F) since freshman year of college. We met in the same class and instantly connected and soon became best friends.

About a year ago, B met her current partner and started seeing someone.

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As any friend would be, I was excited for her. I wanted nothing but the best for my friend, and she seemed enamored with him, even telling me that she thinks he’s the one. Over time, flaws in the relationship started to show.

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He was unfaithful to her, and they broke up and got back together. They argue almost constantly, he always criticizes her, he gets very jealous, acts immaturely, and has hurt her on so many occasions.

As a friend, I hated seeing my friend like that, but I offered advice and listened to her for hours on multiple occasions.

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I had long calls with her, reading over texts that she would send to me in which she asked for my opinion on the situation. I was always honest with her and told her that being treated this way is not normal.

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It hurt me to see my friend accepting being treated like this. I want better for her.

One day, she called me crying. He told her he didn’t care about the relationship anymore. I told her that love shouldn’t be this hard and that a lot of the traits he showed were narcissistic and emotionally abusive.

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I gave her the push and confidence to know that this was not okay. She said she understood and agreed with me, and they broke up.

I spent the next month trying to cheer her up: hanging out at cafes, going to the mall, checking in on her to see how she’s feeling.

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Whenever I would ask her about how she’s feeling about the breakup, she would be a little quiet and say, “I’m doing okay, I’m fine.” I did not push it because I wanted to give her space.

One month later, I find out from another friend of ours that they got back together hours after that fight.

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She never told me, and I felt betrayed. I had been nothing but a good and honest friend to her, but she had basically kept this from me. I confronted her, and she essentially said that she knew I didn’t like her partner, so she did not want to tell me.

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She said that she was too quick to judge his actions and felt like my only advice was to break up instead of solving their issues. (Which was not true, as I tried to help them with their issues on many occasions.) I was incredibly hurt and told her that I no longer wanted to speak with her about her partner moving forward.

I felt like the advice I was asked for was being taken advantage of.

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I spent so much time trying to support and help as a friend, but I felt like she did not appreciate my honesty. Yet, somehow, I feel guilty and that it was my fault, almost as if I tried to tear them apart.

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Since that day, despite us trying to remain friends, our friendship has undoubtedly changed. Our conversations have become drier. We don’t hang out as much as we used to. Part of me feels like putting that boundary up was wrong of me because I should support a friend no matter what.

Am I in the wrong as a friend to do that?”

Another User Comments:

“NTJ, I get people telling you to be a safe space for her but honestly I’m against that.

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You gave her your time and energy when she was being treated unfaithfully and horribly by her partner and then she lies and gets back together, all the while blaming you. Personally, I’m not having that because now it’s clear she’s choosing the pain, so let her have her fill.

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It’s not your job to follow her around and make sure she’s okay; she’s a grown woman making dumb decisions that will mess her up, but you’ve done your part. Let her ruin her life.

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You can just move on with uni and make new friends who don’t show overly negative qualities like she does.” Pimp-Juggernaut21

Another User Comments:

“NTJ. You just walk away from this. Some people are just going to ruin their own lives and there’s nothing you can do about it.

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She loves this jerk, and nothing you say will change that. Allow me to give you a metaphor: She is in a car right now, driving towards a cliff. You can try to get into the car and take the wheel, but you’re fighting her the entire time and there’s every chance you go down that cliff with her when inevitably she keeps driving.

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If she ever comes to her senses, you can be her friend again. But for now I’d just walk and move on. You’re getting too embroiled in the drama.” Vargoroth

Another User Comments:

“No jerks here, except the jerk partner.

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You’re definitely not a jerk and your friend is in an emotionally abusive relationship and has been taken advantage of too badly to realize how nonsensical it is to lie. This guy definitely knows you don’t like him and likely told her she didn’t need to tell you they got back together.

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I had this situation with two friends post-college, and friend A told friend B the same thing—she didn’t want to hear about her lousy on-and-off-again partner anymore. It definitely killed their friendship because friend B felt more offended by friend A saying this than she ever had been about her lousy partner being unfaithful to her.

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Unfortunately, things like this happen; friends mature at different ages and can grow apart. Friend B stayed with a lousy partner for years; they moved in together, he gave her many hints that he wanted to marry her, and then he dumped her and told her he’d just been stringing her along and had no intention of marrying her.

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She’s doing so much better now that she doesn’t have the dead weight. Like I said, people mature at their own paces, and hopefully your friend figures her stuff out in the next 10 years.” MustangTheLionheart


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3. AITJ For Refusing To Pay A Surprise Invoice For My Rescued Kittens?

QI

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“Personally, I felt I was scammed by a rescue. This is a statement I never thought I’d make, because usually I regard a rescue as a very honorable and respectable organization that only intends on helping.

However, I ran into a particularly unfriendly rescue helper who responded to a post I had made requesting help with two kittens I had rescued from outside.

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(In AZ, where temperatures get up to about 120 degrees).

I had mentioned in the post that I am a young mom who just bought my house and cannot afford to spay/neuter them, and if there’s anybody out there who could help me help them, to please reach out.

She contacted me, asked me to explain why I felt that I needed the help, and then proceeded to ask me to bring the kittens for the procedure.

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I thanked her profusely, and she never mentioned once that I would have to pay her back.

She also blew up my phone the day of the procedure, telling me I must call her back NOW or else she will not see the kittens, even though I had sent her a text message the night before letting her know that I would be there.

Anyway, now that the kittens have found a new home, she sent me an invoice saying that I owe her $120 for the spay/neuter.

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She charged me more for the male kitten than the quote I got at a local clinic, and I would have definitely declined her offer for “help” had I known she would charge me at this price.

So, WIBTJ for ignoring her texts or reaching out to tell her I didn’t agree to pay her back at this price?”

Another User Comments:

“NTJ.

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You would not be the jerk. What most people are missing is that you didn’t go out & get these cats on purpose. You took in 2 strays to help them, & not to get yourself some pets. You were clear that you couldn’t afford to fix them and needed help.

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At no point did she tell you there would be a cost to you. Then, instead of burdening the rescue with further care, you were proactive about finding them homes. You were an unofficial foster home. You did exactly what rescues say they want, stepping up to the plate to help animals in need.

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I would absolutely say you aren’t responsible for the costs. It would be nice if you could donate whatever you received from the new owners, but that’s it.” kris3343

Another User Comments:

“This is all very unusual, and I don’t know that we have the full story.

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I’m a veterinarian, and I’ve donated a lot of spays/neuters in my area. The one thing I don’t understand is why there was no paperwork. I’ve always had the owner, rescue, or foster sign a standard anesthesia release form and a form that shows the fees if there are any add-ons.

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Even though they are also done at a low cost, it still should be documented and agreed upon before the service is performed. The whole thing is just odd. I’m not sure why the rescue didn’t discuss this with you beforehand, but it is also a little weird that you handed these kittens over to a random rescue person without getting more details.

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Was she with a legitimate rescue? If so, can you not contact that rescue’s board members to find out what their policies are on this type of thing? If this were a local shelter or veterinarian, they definitely should have had you sign some sort of paperwork.” gingrbreadandrevenge

Another User Comments:

“NTJ.

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You asked in the post for a rescue to do it for free. Her agreeing to get it done and not mentioning payment means she was agreeing to your request. You stated your terms, she agreed, and now she is claiming new terms.

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By not stating new terms originally, the obvious conclusion would be that she agreed to yours. Also, I will say that the people arguing that nothing is free and that, of course, you have to pay, tend to deal with rescues other than the ones with which I am familiar.

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My friend rescues and fosters cats and even once fostered a cat because the owner could not afford its medical care. The owner was not told, “You can only surrender if you also pay for the medical care.” Some rescues do things for “free” (aka through donations).” I-hear-the-coast


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2. AITJ For Punishing My Daughter For Stealing Her Step-Sister’s Heirloom Necklace?

QI

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“I married my wife five years ago. I have two daughters from my first marriage, Rose (15) and Nicole (13), while my wife has Becca (16).

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Becca’s father is absent, so her grandfather played a big role in her life until he passed away a year before I met my wife. It was very hard on Becca, and though she’s doing better, she still carries that loss.

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I’ve stepped up as a father figure, and we’re very close.

Becca has a necklace with her grandfather’s wedding ring on it, gifted to her by my wife when she was 13. She wears it only on special occasions or when she wants to feel close to him.

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Rose and Nicole know its significance. Rose once asked to borrow it because she found the ring beautiful, but Becca refused, and Rose seemed to respect that.

Last week, after Rose and Nicole returned to their mom’s, Becca noticed her necklace was missing.

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She was frantic, insisting she hadn’t taken it out since a dance a month ago, but had seen it in her jewelry box since then. While searching, Nicole called, overheard the situation, and passed the phone to Rose.

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Rose hesitated but eventually admitted she had borrowed it for an upcoming romantic outing. I told her she needed to return it immediately and that we’d discuss how wrong it was to steal it. Becca calmed slightly but was still deeply upset.

I went to my ex’s house, where Rose, looking embarrassed, said she couldn’t find it.

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We searched everywhere—her room, bag, my car, and her mom’s house. I even brought her back to retrace her steps. When Becca saw her, she exploded in anger, calling Rose a brat and saying she’d never forgive her if it wasn’t found.

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Rose was crying, looking to me, but I just told her to keep looking and hope we found it.

Eventually, Rose thought to check under her mom’s car—it was there, thankfully undamaged. I grabbed it and told her she was lucky.

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I grounded her, and while she kept apologizing, I told her I appreciate that and know she feels bad but it wasn’t okay. She later called Becca to apologize again, but Becca said she’d never trust her again.

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We got Becca a locking jewelry box and a door lock at her request.

My ex thinks we’re being too hard on Rose and that we should have comforted her. She says Rose is just a teen who made a mistake.

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I disagreed, saying this wasn’t a simple mistake—she knew the necklace’s importance, was told not to take it, and nearly lost it. If it had been run over, it would’ve been gone forever.

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I told Rose I love her, but any more comforting would be coddling, and she needs to learn from this. My wife, Becca, and even Nicole agree with my approach. AITJ?”

Another User Comments:

“NTJ After a cooling-off time, you might sit down with Rose.

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Talk through what she did and why (is she feeling jealous of your relationship with Becca?). That is the time when you tell her that she made a huge mistake, hug her, and tell her you love her. I’d do the same with Becca.

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But in this conversation you need to talk about that people in our lives sometimes screw up, that you understand her anger (and that it WAS warranted), but also explain that continuing to be angry is only punishing herself. My mother used to say that fine China, once broken and mended, is stronger.

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While it was your job to discipline Rose, it is also your role to try to build a loving and trusting relationship between your daughters.” SkiPhD

Another User Comments:

“NTJ. You are absolutely not being too hard on Rose.

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She coveted the necklace for some reason. And when she asked for it, she was told no. Becca had every right to refuse to loan it because it has a tremendous amount of sentimental value to her, but even if it didn’t, it was entirely her decision to make.

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I have no idea what made Rose think it was okay to steal the necklace. This is a very worrying trait for her to have. Yes, I realize she is a teen still, but she is absolutely old enough to know right from wrong.

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And obviously Becca was right to refuse to lend it because Rose promptly lost it! Not on purpose, but she was careless. The fact that her mother thinks she should be comforted rather than punished is concerning. That may be part of the reason why she figured it was okay to steal it.

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Has she done something similar in the past and mom comforted her instead of punishing her? She is not doing that child any favors. If Rose doesn’t get the message that stealing is very wrong when she is still young, even though I’m sure she planned to slip it back in Becca’s room before anyone noticed it was missing, she is going to end up with more than being grounded to worry about.

Adult thieves don’t start stealing as an adult, they take things as a child, doing more and more, building up their confidence and technique.

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They become proud that they were able to get away with it. Then it could snowball into taking things from a store, just for the thrill of it. I wouldn’t want to take that chance with my daughter.

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You only have a limited number of years to teach kids to do the right thing. I am not sure grounding her is enough of a punishment. Maybe have her write an apology letter to Becca? Having to think of the wording and writing it down will reinforce it in her mind.” 77Megg77

Another User Comments:

“NTJ – Rose is 15 years old, not 5.

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She knows the difference between borrowing and stealing. She and your ex need to explore the concept of ‘not yours.’ You may not always know who owns something, but you always know who doesn’t. You. Even toddlers get the concept of not yours, so it begs the question, why didn’t your ex or your daughter understand that taking something that is not yours had another name.

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Theft. She’s lucky your stepdaughter didn’t call the cops.” PomegranateReal3620


1. AITJ For Calling The Cops On My Rabbit-Obsessed, Noise-Making Neighbor?

QI

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“I live in a townhouse community. My neighbor recently installed a high-pitched whining noise device, allegedly to “keep out bunnies.” I’m on the East Coast, so it’s 12:30 am while posting this.

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He has a weird obsession with the local rabbits… not because he has a garden or anything. To my knowledge, these bunnies have not wronged him in any way. Nothing seems able to explain his vendetta, and his thick accent makes it really hard for me to take him seriously when he’s ranting about “the bunnies.”

The noise is loud enough that my dogs go nuts, and people who sleep on the front side of the house have great difficulty sleeping.

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I’m usually a “just talk about it” kind of guy, so earlier this evening I knocked on his door and asked him if he could turn it off so people could sleep. He said to get lost and joked that I should call the cops.

So I found the non-emergency number for the local cops and called.

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I’ll update this if anything fun happens. As a person who generally isn’t a fan of police, AITJ for calling them?”

Another User Comments:

“Guy probably doesn’t like dogs, so he got a device to make them the problem, so that after a few nights he could file a complaint, but you beat him to it so now it’s on record that the reason your dogs make noise is him….

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So he’s salty and now trying to drive your dogs crazy with the noise or drive you out… or both. NTJ.” Sheylenna

Another User Comments:

“NTJ, but I’m wondering if it’s not about rabbits, but your dogs.

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Yes, you say they’re sweet and suggest that they only bark sometimes at the high-pitched noise. But is that true, or are you just used to it? I say this as someone who is considering anti-bark devices for my neighbor’s dogs.

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They can bark for ten minutes without apparent notice from the humans. Or more, if something catches them. Especially if the dog four houses over barks, then, let’s all do it…” Available-Love7940

Another User Comments:

“NTJ.

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You tried the diplomatic route, and Elmer Fudd Neighbor told you to buzz off—literally. If his anti-bunny siren is loud enough to drive dogs crazy and keep people from sleeping, it’s a noise complaint waiting to happen.

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Also, the fact that he has no garden and just hates the bunnies for sport is unhinged. Glad the cops actually handled it, but yeah, something tells me this isn’t over. Maybe start pricing out that Elmer Fudd sign now.” _imjustarandomdude_


These stories remind us that setting boundaries and speaking up for ourselves isn’t always easy—especially when family, friends, or neighbors test our limits.

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Each tale, filled with quirky dilemmas and raw honesty, challenges us to reconsider what we truly deserve. In confronting hypocrisy, disrespect, or unexpected pranks, we unearth hard truths about responsibility and respect.

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