Woman Backed for Telling Friend the Father of Her Baby Will Never Love Her

A woman was praised for telling her pregnant friend that the child's father would never love her after they had a one-night stand.

The Original Poster (OP), known as u/brummumdrama, posted about the situation in Reddit's popular "Am I The A**hole" forum where it received nearly 9,000 upvotes and 2,000 comments. The post can be found here.

One-Night Stands and Pregnancy

An estimated 60 percent of Americans admit to having at least one-night stand—or casual sex with a stranger or acquaintance.

While common, healthcare experts warn that these hookups, especially unprotected, can result in an unplanned pregnancy or various STDs. But even while using either birth control or condoms, healthcare professionals recommend individuals get tested for STDs at least once a year.

'AITA?'

In the post titled "AITA for telling my friend that she will never be a part of my family-in-law?" the 29-year-old woman said she met her friend Laura, 29, at university.

While Laura thought of the OP as a best friend, the OP said she only saw her as a close friend who "latched on pretty tightly."

After graduating and moving to separate cities, the OP said she and Laura stopped seeing each other until recently.

"I got married 6ish weeks ago and I invited Laura," the post read. "Laura ended up sleeping with my husband's brother 'Liam' (24M). I admit I raised my eyebrows at this but we're all adults and I thought that was that. Nope."

Recently, the OP said she received a call from Laura saying she was pregnant and needed Liam's phone number to tell him since she knew he was the father.

"I offered to be there for her in any way that I could but I genuinely did not think she would keep the baby," the post read. "Less than an hour later my husband phoned me (he was at work and I hadn't yet told him the news) stating that Liam had called him distraught and stressed and scared."

Liam said Laura wanted to keep the baby and that she was willing to move so he could be "closer to their child."

'Family Helps Family'

The OP said she was receiving calls from Laura saying how happy she is for her to be an auntie and that she's excited for Liam to get to know her better. She also asked the OP for help looking for potential apartments nearby.

"I couldn't listen to her excitement whilst watching Liam's despair grow and eventually I just stopped answering the phone," the post read. "Well, two nights ago she turned up at my home unannounced with an overnight bag in hand."

When the OP asked Laura what she was doing at her home, Laura responded that they are "family now" and that "family helps family."

"Here is where I may be the a**hole," the post read. "I snapped and told her we weren't family and that we would never be family."

The OP said she also told Laura that trying to force her way into the family "through an unplanned one-night-stand baby" was not the same as marriage.

"I told her to get whatever fantasy she had conjured of Liam falling in love with her out of her head and to accept that he does not want this baby as it will ruin his life," the post read. "She didn't say a word to me, she just turned and walked away from my front door."

The OP said Laura was not responding to phone calls and that a mutual friend told her that Laura is going to "book an abortion" so she isn't "tied to such toxic people."

After Laura informed Liam, the OP's in-laws got angry that she convinced Laura to "kill their first grandchild." The OP's sister-in-law also said she is "just jealous" she wasn't having the first baby in the family.

"So Reddit, AITA for getting involved in the situation?"

Redditor Reactions

Nearly 2,000 users commented on the post, many supporting the OP for giving Laura a "reality check" while others thought she was too harsh.

"I'm divided, but I would go with NTA. I don't think she is mentally well," one user commented.

"I personally think that having a baby [conceived] by a stranger—especially one that does not want the child—is very unlikely to go well," another user commented. "Laura needed a reality check but maybe it would have been better for you to encourage Liam to stand up for himself and be firm with her rather than wallowing in self-pity."

"The fact that after she was apparently head over heels about this baby and then immediately jumped to aborting it says to me that there was never a baby to begin with," one user commented. "And she has some strange obsession with OP and is using this invented situation to force herself into her life."

"NTA. Laura sounds unhinged and seems to be living in a fantasy," another commented. "It is very unlikely that the pill AND a condom failed. BIL should insist on proof of pregnancy and a paternity test. But honestly it sounds like Laura is in a mental health crisis and needs help."

While the OP was officially declared "NTA," some users did believe she was in the situation with some offering support to Laura.

"Sorry to go against the grain but YTA," one user commented. "I know you said that Liam isn't planning on running away from his responsibility but it sounds like he kind of was in the way he treated Laura. Also it's messed up for you to stop taking her calls because of Liam."

"ESH. Liam is a big boy," another commented. "He screwed up and although his anxiety is understandable, it's his problem to deal with. You don't need to defend him."

Newsweek reached out to u/brummumdrama for comment.

Other Viral Posts

In another viral Reddit post, a woman was slammed for suggesting that her husband go no contact with his 3-year-old son and another was criticized for refusing to "coddle" her "struggling" single-mom sister.

Another woman was praised by commenters after she told her friend she should have "thought" before having children.