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Sibling rivalry isn't meant to go so far.
By Jonathan Alfano — Written on Apr 16, 2022
A 26-year-old man came to his father in a rough spot.
He recently left his wife after discovering she was having an affair and has been burning through his money to stay at a motel every night. Despite his struggles, he refuses to move back in with his dad while he picks himself back up.
After learning why, the father kicked out one son to let the other move in.
That’s because the man's 27-year-old brother is the one his wife cheated on him with, and he’s staying with his dad.
Now, the father is wondering if he was wrong for housing his son who got cheated on, and kicking out the one who wronged his brother.
The man made a post to the subreddit r/AmItheA**hole (AITA) about the situation, looking for outside perspectives on it. Commenters on the subreddit can determine whether or not you were in the wrong, voting that either “You’re the A**hole” (YTA) or “Not the A**hole.”
The father says his youngest son, Jack, didn’t tell him the details of the affair for a long time. Jack always wanted to meet with his father in public places so he wouldn't see his brother, Andrew, at his dad’s home.
When Jack finally told his father what Andrew had done to him, his dad was irate.
He told Andrew, who had been staying with him since losing his job to COVID, that he was no longer welcome in the house and gave him a deadline to pack up and leave.
Andrew pleaded with his father to let him stay, but his efforts did nothing to sway his dad.
“But I told him as of right now I only have one child because we sure as heck didn’t raise our kids to betray their own family and involve themselves in someone else’s marriage,” the father wrote.
After Andrew moved out and Jack moved in, their father’s family members strongly opposed his decision.
Their mother and Jack’s ex-in-laws, who can’t house Andrew either, criticized him for “playing favorites.” They also told him he should have tried to remedy the situation so they could coexist with each other.
The dad says he doesn’t want to make Jack live with the one who hurt him so much.
“He cries himself to sleep every night and during the day he’s just so detached from everything,” the dad wrote in a comment. “It’s hard to see your child hurting that way and not get angry at the ones responsible for it (his ex and brother).”
He concludes the post by saying that Andrew has been sleeping at different friends’ houses since he got kicked out, and asks readers if he is in the wrong.
Commenters took the fathers side and voted that he was NTA.
Many commended him for considering Jack’s wishes and not forcing him into an uncomfortable situation for the sake of family.
“I'd never want to put my child in a situation like that either,” the top commenter wrote. “I respect you for thinking of your son's feelings. A betrayal like that, and I'd never want to look at that child again.”
They also questioned why Andrew was able to have an affair with his brother’s wife, but unable to find himself a job in the time since he lost his previous one.
"If Andrew is able bodied enough to have an affair with his brother’s wife, then he’s able bodied enough to get a job and support himself — and not try to get busybodies from around the world to harass you after you housed him rent free for two years without any thanks,” another top commenter wrote.
Getting cheated on is a terrible feeling, but having a sibling be the one responsible makes it all that much more damaging.
Jonathan Alfano is a writer who focuses on news and entertainment topics. He majors in journalism at the University of Central Florida with a minor in sports business. Follow him on Twitter.