Unable to Tolerate Her Mother's Humiliating Remarks, the Daughter Immediately Shuts Her Up

At a seemingly ordinary family dinner, a woman's choice of attire sparked a confrontation revealing a history of abuse. As she defended her priorities, the past came to light, exposing the painful truth behind her strained relationship with her parents.

On January 8, 2024, an anonymous female contributor shared her story in Reddit's "AITAH" forum. The Original Poster (OP) revealed that due to a tumultuous upbringing marked by physical abuse from her father and emotional neglect from her mother, she maintains low contact with her parents. Recently, during a family dinner convened to reconnect with other relatives, the painful dynamics of her past resurfaced.

For some context, OP shared that during various holidays, her boyfriend typically presents her with a significant "main gift" and a couple of smaller side gifts, such as humorous T-shirts or stuffed animals. Recounting her past birthday, she disclosed that among the smaller gifts, her boyfriend gave her a Costco sweatshirt adorned with the store's logo.

Describing it as a simple gray sweatshirt, OP explained that her boyfriend chose it thinking she would appreciate it, a sentiment she echoed as she expressed her fondness for the garment.

OP chose to don the Costco sweatshirt for the family dinner a night before sharing her story online. When a fellow diner complimented the attire, she graciously thanked them and noted that it was her boyfriend's birthday gift to her.

However, her mother, displaying a disapproving expression, vocalized her disdain, exclaiming loudly, "[He] got you a sweater from Costco for your birthday?!" Undeterred, OP clarified that the sweatshirt was just one part of the birthday gifts, prompting her mother to retort, "[Oh] good, I would never stay with a man who gave me a sweatshirt from Costco as a gift."

Feeling disheartened, OP voiced her convictions, stating, "Well, I wouldn't stay with a man who hits my kids, so I guess we have different priorities." Her mother offered no immediate response, and the tension from her comment became palpable, with OP sensing her father's anger.

The atmosphere at dinner remained tense as the parents, uncomfortable with any mention of past abuse, stayed quiet. Later, when others departed, OP found herself confronted by her angry parents.

They expressed displeasure, contending there was no need to embarrass her mother during dinner. Despite their request for an apology, OP remained steadfast in her decision. Left pondering the situation, she questioned whether she might have been in the wrong.

OP's Reddit story garnered widespread support from commenters, with an increasing majority of users affirming that she was not at fault. "NTA. She tried to embarrass you in front of others by criticizing your relationship. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. She should have kept her mouth shut if she didn't want you to likewise comment on her relationship choices," said one user.

"Seriously, [OP's] mom stepped on a landmine trying to throw a grenade. Lol," added a second user. "I'm surprised OP has a relationship with these people at all. In my mind there is nothing worse than a child or animal abuser. I would have been NC long ago. They embarrass themselves- in no way are you an AH. Please don't ever let them near your kids if you have any," opined a third commenter.

"More than toxic and entitled. They're still abusive. She's bullying her kid and her bf even as adults," wrote a fourth netizen. "NTA. You told the truth and if that embarrassed them then it's their problem. They are toxic entitled people who like to embarrass other people, but don't like when others doing the same to them in response. If you can, just break up all contacts with them and block them," expressed yet another user.

What do you think about this story? In your opinion, was OP wrong to shut up her mom, or should she have overlooked the humiliating remarks? How would you handle things if you were in OP's place?

Click here to read another story about a man whose rude treatment of his daughter leads him to miss out on a grand prize.