Even the most generous soul doesn’t want to be taken advantage of.

In this story, that worry dances its way into the picture.

Let’s pirouette into this one…

AITAH for cutting my niece off (financially)?

For the past few years my niece (f10) has been in a dance company. She does amazingly well but my sister can not afford the classes so I pay for the dance lessons.

Aw, cute. What’s the catch?

In March my niece was accepted into a very prestigious summer dance camp with a big ballet academy. My sister could not pay so I paid the full tuition ($2000) for two weeks, which includes a few other things.

Now, I am not rich but I do well and don’t have kids so I have expendable funds.

Nice of him to offer anything. When’s the big dance?

Recently on the phone with my niece I ask which session she is in because I am coming to visit. She tells me she is no longer going.

When I asked why, she said because her friend couldn’t go too. Her friend was accepted but apparently her parents couldn’t pay the fee and had hoped for a scholarship.

Upon hearing this I was livid, because I am sure if the other kid could pay, they would have went without my niece.

Oh, never. I mean, livid is a little strong, but… I’d be mad.

What will OP do?

When I ask my sister about this she says, “Oh yeah I was going to tell you but I forgot.”

When I asked about a refund, she told me they reimbursed her 75% of the tuition and she would pay me when she can. She already got the money and spent it.

Ugh. Not cool, sis.

At this point I am beyond upset, my niece dropped out for a dumb reason and my sister got the refund and kept it.

I don’t want to cause a scene at the time but I tell my niece, “I thought you wanted to be a ballerina, you don’t just throw away these experiences because someone else can’t go.”

She just shrugged.

Ballerinas can shrug too, I guess. But OP probably doesn’t feel great about this.

I understand she’s young but this is the time to be serious. And I actually blame her mom.

Later, I tell my sister I won’t pay for any more monthly classes until I’m made whole on my $2K. She tells me that will take her months and I know she can’t pay for the classes.

I tell her I’m not rich, and could have used that money for the new mattress I have been wanting to get (I have had mine for 10 years now). She asks how will I explain this to my niece.

Uh, maybe mom can explain it?

I tell my sister at the very least, they should have told me when she changed her mind and that not telling me and keeping my money was the last straw. She says I’m being an AH to take away an opportunity from her but they both threw it away.

Am I the AH here for not wanting to pay for lessons anymore?

What do we think? Scrooge McDuck or squanderous Black Swan?

Let’s check with the comments.

This person says, sis needs Parenting 101.

Someone else says… sis better have your money!

Another user suggests cutting out the middle-mom.

One commenter says this is thievery.

Another poster says, no need to be an ATM atm… or ever.

This tiny dancer’s thievery was not on pointe.

Talk about being ungrateful.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a daughter who invited herself to her parents’ 40th anniversary vacation for all the wrong reasons.