When her husband’s dad passed away, a lady didn’t want to bring in her husband’s younger sister because they both had agreed not to have kids together.
A Reddit post, limited twice, shared a man’s struggle caring for his younger sister. Though he wanted to help her after their dad passed away, his wife disagreed.
They’ve been married for two years, and since the man’s father died, he sees his sister more like a daughter than a younger sibling.
The person sharing the story had a younger sister who was eleven when their dad died. They, along with their spouse, hadn’t had kids and didn’t plan to, which caused the issue.
What Happened Between the OP and His Wife?
The person telling the story and their family went through a big sadness, and while dealing with it, they had to make tough choices. But those choices led to unexpected stress, as the person explained:
“My dad died of pancreatic cancer. Now, my sister has two choices: to stay with me or with my uncle (dad’s brother). We asked her, and she picked me. But there’s an issue: my wife and I agreed we didn’t want kids.”
Both guys understood it was a big choice, so they let the little girl decide where she wanted to live. She chose the person sharing the story.
But trouble started when the story-sharer’s wife said she didn’t want kids, and taking in the sister would be like having one. The wife thought the sister’s uncle could adopt her instead, so they shouldn’t have to.
The person sharing the story mentioned that because their sister had no parents left after their dad died, they wanted to make sure she healed well. Since the sister wanted to be with them, they didn’t want to make her stay with their uncle.
This choice caused a lot of stress between the guy and his wife. Eventually, the person told their wife that the sister would stay with them whether she agreed or not. They even said they’d get a divorce if she couldn’t accept it. After that, they didn’t talk for a while.
Later, the person who shared the story updated, mentioning that they and their wife discussed things again and chose to split up. The person quoted their wife saying,
“You’re really picking your sister over me.”
The story-sharer told their wife they didn’t want to talk about it more and that whatever she grasped about the situation was fine. They clarified that their sister was their top priority at the moment
That was the final talk between the person sharing the story and their wife. They also mentioned, “I’ve been staying with my sister for a week now. Being like a single dad to her is tough, but I’m really liking it.”
What People Said?
A lot of folks had strong views on the person’s post, agreeing that they did the right thing for their sister. Many thought the wife was selfish for not welcoming a young girl in need into their home.
Suggesting that if the person sharing the story or anyone else had kids, they should create a will to decide who takes care of the children if something happens to them.
Another person shared their own story, mentioning that after their parents passed away, their half-sister took them in, but it was clear they weren’t welcome. They eventually ran away at 15, and neither the half-sister nor her husband reported it.
One person mentioned it’s good that the person sharing the story and their wife separated because the sister would sense if she wasn’t welcome. Another person without kids said it would be a dealbreaker for them too.
Some defended the person sharing the story’s wife, saying she knew her limits and couldn’t handle a child going through such tough times. Another person mentioned the wife didn’t want to be a mom, and looking after the sister would essentially make her one.
Someone else mentioned they would usually support the wife, but since she acted immature by saying the person sharing the story chose their sister over her, they didn’t think it was fair to the story-sharer and their sister.