Even the smallest conflicts can spiral out of control when tempers flare, and frustrations boil over.

So, what would you do if you found yourself caught between trying to mediate a problem and protect a relationship you care about? Would you stay silent to keep the peace? Or would you speak up, risking an even bigger blowout?

In the following story, one woman finds herself in this exact situation with her boyfriend and his mother. Here’s what happened.

AITA for asking my boyfriend to talk nicer to his mom?

Just for context, we live together in the same apartment complex with his mom and share a carport.

His mom has been having issues because my boyfriend is supposed to keep his belongings covered in the carport. Management doesn’t want them out.

This time around, it was his brother, who also lives with us, who had his stuff out, and his mom called my boyfriend, upset that stuff was out after asking them many times to keep it covered.

Here’s where it all started.

On the phone, my boyfriend listened to his mom upset, and when it was his turn to talk, he said with attitude, “Are you done??? Are you done??? That’s my brother’s fault, not mine. Why don’t you call him???”

Then, he hung up on her.

After the call, I asked my boyfriend, “Can you please talk to your mom nicer?”

Then everything broke loose.

Irate, he started yelling at her.

I understand his frustrations of being accused, but he didn’t have to give her attitude and could have said what he did in a healthier way. “Okay, Mom, I hear you, but this isn’t my fault. The stuff isn’t covered. It’s not mine this time, so please go call my brother instead.”

Instead, he got triggered by her and my question, got up, stood in front of me, and started yelling.

He was ranting about how his mom was in the wrong and should have called his brother, not him. He also claimed I don’t defend him when he is right.

She tried to explain her thoughts, but he didn’t want to hear it.

When I tried to explain that I just wanted him to talk to his mom in a nicer tone, he wouldn’t have it, got more upset, said I never have his back, and told me to move out.

I understand that maybe he was triggered, and it wasn’t the right time for me to ask, but I feel he took it to a level 10x worse when all he could have said was, “Not right now. I’m not in the mood to talk about being nicer to my mom.”

Instead, he told me I should have known to stay out of it and not said anything at all, and in my defense, at least I asked him nicely.

AITA?

Wow! She meant well, but that boyfriend sounds like something else.

Let’s check out what advice the readers over at Reddit have to offer her.

Harsh words, but this person is so right.

As this person points out, all she did was ask him to not treat his mother so badly.

Exactly! She didn’t disagree with him at all.

She does seem like a nice person.

She should leave this guy.

If you liked that post, check out this story about a guy who was forced to sleep on the couch at his wife’s family’s house, so he went to a hotel instead.