One of the best things about no longer being in school is never having to deal with “group projects” ever again.

Honestly, how often does that go well?

You’d think professors would have come around by now, but maybe they enjoy making their students miserable in the name of a “valuable lesson.”

This teacher certainly seemed to – but read on to find out how the group’s hardest worker made out in the end.

AITA for refusing to help my group after my groupmate’s grandmother blamed me for her granddaughter’s lack of effort?

The way the question is phrased is a little bit confusing, but bear with us.

So I’m 17 (F) and in senior high, and I’ve basically been carrying my group as the leader.

We’ve been working on a major research project, and while we were supposed to have made a lot more progress by now, my group has been doing the most basic parts of the work.

My group has been kind of a mess, with me being the youngest (just turned 17 in September), and the oldest being 21 (M).

There’s always that one person in the group, right?

Everything was going fine until recently.

I had been working hard, staying up late to meet the deadline, making sure all the research and papers were in order.

I even reached out to validators to ensure everything was accurate.

It seemed like we were on track.

Enter grandma…

But then, my groupmate’s grandmother—who isn’t even involved in the project—decided to talk to the teacher.

She claimed that I was making her granddaughter’s life harder, saying that she “doesn’t get enough sleep” and that it was my fault.

She even went as far as saying that I “ordered” her granddaughter to do all the work.

Honestly, I was in shock.

Last time I checked, the groupmate (18 F) barely showed up to meetings and was often out with her friends at the arcade.

Meanwhile, I had bags under my eyes from staying up late working on everything.

Never a great sign when you go running to the family.

When my teacher asked about the situation, they were confused because I was always the one doing the work.

The teacher even asked if my groupmate had contributed at all, and all I could say was “I guess” because I honestly didn’t know how else to respond.

I just stayed silent the rest of the day.

“I guess” is not the most ringing endorsement.

After that incident, I stopped working with the group altogether and started helping other groups instead.

I don’t feel like putting in any more effort when they don’t even acknowledge what I’ve done.

So now, the rest of the group is behind, and they’re upset with me for not helping anymore.

AITA for refusing to help my group after what happened with my groupmate’s grandma?

A lot of commenters thought it was a good example of boundaries:

Was grandma being manipulated in all of this?

Though maybe she should have spoken up.

Oh, and as for that one weird detail:

If you’re in a group project right now, best of luck!

Just know that there is light on the other side.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.