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Internet commenters were left shaking their heads after one 30-year-old woman revealed why she deserted her sister's highly anticipated concert before a single song was performed.
In a viral Reddit post published on r/AmITheA**hole, Redditor u/Advanced_Fee_5698 (otherwise referred to as the original poster, or OP) said she and her family arrived at the venue at the same time but provided a detailed account of how—and why—she was treated much differently than her parents and siblings.
Titled, "[Am I the a**hole] for leaving my sister's singing performance after she got tickets for others but not for me?" the post has received nearly 11,000 upvotes and 900 comments in the last day.
"My...sister (f23) 'Sandra' is building a career as a singer in a band," OP began. "She's landed some great gigs [and] I always go to her performances when I can."
Continuing to explain that her parents, brother, sister and their respective partners were set to attend her sister's most recent show, the original poster said that when they all arrived, they walked straight past the line and into the venue.
The original poster also said she quickly learned that, unlike the rest of her family, she was not included on the special-access guest list, or allowed into the club's VIP section, to which her family was also privy.
"When we got to the entrance, everyone's names were on the guestlist except for mine," OP wrote. "At the same moment, Sandra popped out...I asked her why I wasn't on the guestlist too. She just kind of made an awkward [embarrassed] face and said sorry quietly.
"I felt kind of insulted, but I stayed and paid for my ticket," OP continued. "When I got in, the rest of the group was in a VIP section of the club, and I was not allowed in...[Sandra] told me she only had 6 tickets and figured it would be weird to split up one of the couples.
"At this point I felt really dry. So I said, 'Wow, alright. I'm not going to stay in this club alone, so I'm gonna split' and I left," OP added. "My brother and his girlfriend left shortly after me...[but] after the show, I got a text from my mom saying that I was being dramatic by leaving and left my sister feeling nervous and unhappy."
An individual's relationship with their siblings can have a major impact on their career path, and career success.
Five years ago, researchers at Duquesne University posited that as children grow into adolescence and then adulthood, sibling configuration and identity within that configuration plays a role in determining what an individual chooses to do for a living.
Where firstborns are often subject to higher expectations, as well as greater support, second-born and other consecutive children are treated differently, usually as a result of parents being forced to divide attention between multiple kids, as opposed to just one.
This discrepancy, intentional or not, can lead to heated sibling rivalries and unhealthy comparisons which, in some cases, last a lifetime.
"Siblings are a convenient comparison due to the permanence and proximity," 2017 Duquesne graduate and current mental health counselor Alyssa Sullinger wrote.
"Sibling rivalries are born when an individual struggles to define clear identity within the family against the standards of another sibling," Sullinger added.
But not all sibling relationships are hostile, and like the original poster described, some family units routinely go out of their way to support one another.
However, when that support is not reciprocated or appreciated, bonds between siblings are tested quickly.
Throughout the comment section of the viral Reddit post, Redditors defended the original poster's decision to leave her sister's performance early and laid out exactly how the leftover awkwardness and tension could have been avoided completely.
"[Not the a**hole]!" Redditor u/Major_Barnacle_2212 exclaimed in the post's top comment, which has received nearly 19,000 upvotes. "She should have at least TOLD you the situation, but you have every right to feel...left out as you literally were."
"She could have said...that she could only get 6 tickets, so someone would have to pay," Redditor u/Emotional_Fan_7011 echoed, receiving nearly 4,000 upvotes. "Then, she could have made arrangements ahead of time to make sure #7 go into the VIP area after they bought their ticket."
"Your sister didn't owe you a ticket and comps are often limited," Redditor u/illuminantmeg chimed in. "But she should have told you the score so you could decide whether you wanted to come and sit on your own."
In a separate comment, which has received more than 8,000 upvotes, Redditor u/skidoo1033 shifted focus to the original poster's brother, who also left the show early in protest of how OP was treated.
"Props to your brother for having your back," they wrote. "The rest of your family sucks."
"[Not the a**hole]," Redditor u/JeemsLeeZ added, receiving more than 5,500 upvotes. "I like the cut of your brother's and his girlfriend's jib by the way. Classy f**kers."
Newsweek has reached out to u/Advanced_Fee_5698 for comment.
About the writer
Taylor McCloud is a Newsweek staff writer based in California. His focus is reporting on trending and viral topics. Taylor ... Read more