Families are usually on their best behavior when a guest joins them for dinner, but in this story, things went quite differently.

When a woman was brought to a family dinner and watched the table turn into an ambush against her best friend, she pushed her chair back and took the floor.

And what she had to say left everyone speechless.

Keep reading for the full story.

AITA for standing up for my best friend?

In short, my best friend — let’s call her Emily — has a family that I would classify as toxic, in the sense that they constantly belittle her.

She recently invited me to a family dinner where they immediately said, “Maybe you don’t deserve a friend like her.”

The dinner quickly got off on the wrong foot.

As soon as I sit down and start eating, the air already seems tense, and before long, Emily is completely demolished by her family.

At one point, they even tell her, “You’re too stupid to go to medical school” — the school she attends with me.

At that point, I lose my patience.

She decided her friend didn’t deserve this mistreatment.

I stand up and slam my chair against the table — ok, it was wrong — and raise my voice slightly, saying that none of them had the right to say these things to Emily, citing her mother’s failed studies.

I told her that, in my opinion, she married her husband to be financially comfortable, her aunt’s divorce, and other family issues.

The two stormed out, but soon she began to question whether she stepped out of line.

Then I took Emily’s hand and led her out of her house.

She stayed with me that evening, thanking me for defending her, but I’m thinking maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned her mother’s studies, her marriage for money (in my opinion), and her aunt’s divorce.

HELP?

Emily really needed a friend in this moment.

What did Reddit think?

This user thinks she may have taken her insults a step too far.

This family is about as dysfunctional as it gets.

This commenter just can’t get on board with how the situation was handled.

Messy? Maybe.

Necessary? Absolutely.

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.