Family Fallout: Uncle Cancels Niece’s College Fund Because She Accused Him Of This
A Reddit user shares that he and his ex-wife decided to split up due to infertility problems. However, after everyone learns that the ex-wife was able to get pregnant with her new husband, the Reddit user’s 16-year-old niece said that he was “the one with the problem for not being able to have a baby.”
He Overheard A Discussion He Wasn’t Meant To Hear
The original poster (OP) has a close relationship with his sisters. One of his sisters and her 16 year-old-daughter live with OP’s mom. So, OP visits his mom’s home every weekend to spend time together.
One weekend, OP woke up in the middle of the night and decided to get a drink of water from the kitchen. As he was walking downstairs, he could overhear his sister talking with his niece about his ex-wife. His ex-wife is expecting a baby with her new husband.
OP felt frozen and shocked after hearing this news.
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The Niece Said He Had a “Fragile Masculinity”
Once the niece heard the news, she reacted toward her mom by repeatedly saying, “I told you so,” while not knowing OP was listening from the other room.
The niece always believed it was OP who was the one with the problem of not being able to have a baby with his ex-wife. She also said that OP was “too afraid” to admit what she said because of his “fragile masculinity.” And lastly, the niece said the ex-wife was smart to get a divorce before “it was too late.”
After hearing those comments, OP went back upstairs and stayed in this room for hours.
He Was Hurt and Devasted
The following day, OP tried to leave, but everyone noticed a problem. OP revealed he heard everything his niece said about him. So, his sister tried saying his 16-year-old niece is just a kid who doesn’t know much about this stuff and that she was “spouting nonsense.”
OP left his mom’s house and sent a message later to his sister, saying he was “hurt and devasted” because of what her daughter said. He also added that he would no longer be responsible for funding his niece’s education.
OP’s sister kept trying to call and left messages saying his niece “didn’t mean what she said” and offered to make her apologize. But OP didn’t feel comfortable being in the same room with someone who blamed him for something out of his control and ultimately impacted his marriage.
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The Masses Weigh In
The Reddit community says that OP’s sister and niece learned the hard way that they can’t talk badly behind someone’s back and still expect that person to give them a “life-changing gift.”
The Reddit users also point out that niece was caught saying, “I told you so,” which implies this isn’t the first time OP’s family has discussed this topic. It was only when OP caught them that they changed their tune.
Another Reddit user says, “Generosity stops when you are unkind to the hand that feeds you.”
Is OP wrong for canceling his niece’s college fund? Is the family only being apologetic because they got caught? Is this the first time the family discussed this topic behind OP’s back? Is the niece’s age an excuse for her behavior?