A woman says she was initially over the moon when her husband bought her a romantic, all-inclusive trip to Paris as a Christmas present, with France being top of her dream list of travel destinations. Unfortunately, her enthusiasm has since been dampened by the reaction of her widowed sister-in-law, who begged her to bring her along instead of her husband.
As the 28-year-old woman explained, her brother tragically died in an accident two years ago, leaving her sister-in-law Brittany, who had been eight months pregnant at the time, saddled with 'a mountain of debt'. Her bereaved parents allowed Brittany and her now two-year-old daughter Lilac to move in with them, helping out with childcare while she studies for her degree.
After she told her parents about her exciting travel plans, Brittany called her 'in floods of tears', asking that she turn the romantic two-week getaway into a 'girls' trip' instead.
According to this conflicted woman, she is 'very close' to Brittany, and has been since they were about five or six years old. But she had been looking forward to spending Valentine's Day in Paris with her husband, not a pal.
Taking to Reddit, where she goes by the username u/Ice-Ice-Revolution, the woman wrote: "She said that she will never be able to experience a romantic getaway like that with her own husband and that we (my husband and I) could just go again at another time. She said she gave up everything to raise Lilac and she would love for us to have a girls' trip like we did when we were younger.
"I told Brittany that that was not possible, this was a gift from my husband to me and I fully expected to have a romantic getaway with him. Brittany told me that I was punishing her for being a widow and that it was unfair I would have a 'love affair in Paris' while she cried at my brother's grave."
Her husband believes Brittany is deliberately trying to make her feel guilty but has also said he would let Brittany take his place.
She continued: "The thing is that I want to go with my husband, but my parents have since called to tell me that they would watch Lilac and that I should not rub my happy marriage in Brittany's face. My mum told me I would be selfish to leave a grieving widow over Valentine's Day."
Reaching out to Reddit users for advice, she wondered whether she should just let Brittany come along in her husband's place, even though this isn't what she wants.
One person advised: "I have empathy for Brittany's loss. That said, she is being exceptionally manipulative here. This is not okay. She cannot just demand things from others because she feels she deserves it or use her grief as a bargaining chip.
"I would firmly tell her and your parents that this is not happening - and be a bit more direct with the parents that they cannot expect you to damage your own marriage or hurt your husband because Britany wants a free trip."
Another commented: "That's such an unreasonable request and frankly if that's the way she feels, she should be going for therapy. You're not throwing your marriage in her face, you're celebrating your marriage between you and your husband."
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