Nothing hurts quite as bad as when family members cause you pain.

What would you do if your family said hurtful things at a wedding reception?

That’s what the woman in this story endured.

Let’s read it to see how she handled it.

AITA for decline my Step Dad’s call when they couldn’t find me at my Step Brother’s wedding?

I (27F) was at my stepbrother’s (29M) wedding a couple of days ago.

For some context, my mum (59F) and his dad (57M) have been together for 10+ years at this point.

My stepbrother even included my mum in the family photos at the wedding and thanked her for looking after his dad in his speech.

I could not be happier for her as this meant a lot to her.

Ouch.

However, I was not included in family photos.

This hurt me a little but it was his and his now wife’s day so I’m not going to complain and I certainly would never bring it up to them or anyone else other than my partner.

Especially not to my mum who was so shocked and happy that she was included.

Anyways, this leads on to the matter at hand.

My stepdad was talking to the bride’s mother later in the night whilst I was sat near them, half listening and bopping along to the music.

The brides mum says to him that it’s lovely to have my stepbrother in the family and that now she has 4 children instead of two (both her daughters are now married).

Wow, that’s rude.

This is when my step dad turned around and said that he feels the same and he is very proud of his four. (My two stepbrother and both their wives).

This instantly felt like a dagger to my gut (I should probably add that my mums previous partner said to my face as a 7 year old that he never wanted to be a father to me when I asked if I could get him a father’s day card.

Plus my own father left when i was two and was abusive for context as to why this hurt me so much and my mum started questioning if I was okay.

I said I was fine and to leave it but she kept badgering me and then asked me if I had been eavesdropping when I shouldn’t have been.

I barely nodded when she said she had heard it too and said that it hurt her too but that he hadn’t been thinking.

Her comforting me set me off with tears that I’d been trying hard to keep in so I got up and said I was going outside for some air.

Poor woman.

I went outside and walked a little bit away and had a cry to myself.

I even sat on a swing at the small playpark near and in eyesight of the hotel.

When I got myself together I was walking back when my stepdad rang me.

I could see him and mum in front of the hotel, he then rang me and I waved and declined the call but they did not see me.

My mum questioned me when I did walk back inside the hotel asking if I declined the call to which I replied yes.

Seems very reasonable to me.

She then told me that was a stupid thing to do.

I tried to explain that I could see them and waved at them but she said they could not see me.

The next morning, my stepdad did apologize and say he messed up but I’m still a little upset.

I’ve not said anything to my mum about how I’m feeling cause I know she will just tell me to move on and let it go.

Should I have just answered the phone?

Was I being petty?

Should I just let it go?

AITA?

NO! NTA at all, in fact, she handled it better than most would have.

Let’s see what people in the comments have to say.

This commenter has some great insights.

This person is blaming the mom.

Yup, this commenter has it spot on.

Mom was doing damage control.

Yes, talk it through on her terms!

The stepfather apologized, so that’s good.

Still, it might be a bit before she feels better!