Some people believe that doing the right thing should always be rewarded.

But when her ex’s father erupted over her rescuing a baby squirrel, she realized that, in his eyes, compassion was a crime.

Now, she’s left wondering why some good deeds come with a penalty.

Read on for the full story.

AITA for rescuing a baby squirrel and “back talking” my (now) exes father?

A few months ago, I found a baby squirrel in my (25F) (now) 32M ex’s backyard.

Concerned, she called for help.

I called a wildlife rescue, and they told me to wait for a specified period.

If the mother didn’t come back within that timeframe, I was to bring it in to their center.

Momma squirrel never came back, so I scooped up the baby squirrel and took it 45 minutes to the rescue.

But not everyone was happy with her good deed.

When I came back to my ex’s house, his father was irate to the extent it was abusive.

He asked me if I was dumb and told me I put his family at risk of rabies.

He told me that he didn’t want me around ever again because I was clearly stupid and dangerous.

He said a few other things, but these were the worst.

She stuck up for herself, and began to reflect on all the times he’s treated her poorly in the past.

It’s his house that his son is living in, so I obliged, but not before I told him that I will always help anything or anyone who is unable to help themselves, and I won’t let anyone speak to me like that.

He demanded I leave and called me a “disrespectful brat.”

This was the first time that I ever spoke back to him, but it is not the first time that he had bullied me into allowing him and his son to treat me poorly.

She had experience rescuing animals and she knew she would never willingly put herself or anyone else in danger.

I volunteer in animal rescue, so I am very aware of signs and symptoms of rabies and the likelihood that this animal was rabid was slim.

I also have protective gear on standby in my car that I used when handling the animal.

Additionally, I was the only person in the household who had handled said squirrel, and I was not in contact with any body fluids, nor was I bitten or scratched.

She knew what to do in situations like these and she’s confident she would have made the right decision if something went wrong.

I understand his sentiment that I COULD have been bitten, but in the event that I was, I would receive guidance and treatment from a physician and do not need someone else making decisions for me.

I’ve rescued countless dogs from emergencies, some of which were sick or hurt and aggressive as a result.

I know the risk this involves, but I am adequately trained to protect myself to the furthest extent possible and know what to do if this fails for any reason.

In the aftermath of the event, she begins to wonder if she handled the interaction correctly.

We have since broken up as a result of several things, one of which being his parents attacking me and invalidating me on numerous occasions.

I recently had a few mutual friends bring up this situation, and people seem mixed on whether or not I’m an AH because I “back talked” his father, which was disrespectful.

So Reddit, AITA?

She thought that saving the baby squirrel’s life would be bring relief, not resentment.

What did Reddit have to say?

No one should have to feel bad for doing the right thing — in this case, rescuing an animal in need.

This user suspects maybe the breakup was for the best, in the end.

This woman is not a child; therefore, she doesn’t deserve to be treated like one.

This user thinks the father’s aggression was about more than just a baby squirrel.

People’s true characters come out at times you least expect.

In rescuing a helpless creature, she uncovered who the real animals were.

If you liked this post, you might want to read this story about a teacher who taught the school’s administration a lesson after they made a sick kid take a final exam.