A woman went viral on social media for her story about her future sister-in-law who bullied her in high school. Was she wrong for exposing her to family members?
The Plight of Victims of School Bullying
Bullies are the villains of many students’ stories. They torment, harass, and ostracize others simply because they can. The psychological effects of bullying can linger long after grade school.
One young woman thought she’d put her bully squarely in the rearview, only to find the girl back in her life in a terribly permanent way.
Her Brother Got Engaged
The woman’s family is fairly close. They’d host parties together with aunts, uncles, cousins—everyone. A few days prior to one of these get-togethers the woman’s brother, Carter, shared some exciting news: He’d just gotten engaged!
“Our family was happy for him, but we were surprised at the same time since we didn’t know he was dating anyone,” the woman shared, “He said he’d introduce her at an upcoming family party.”
It Was Their First Time Meeting The Fiancé
Everyone looked forward to meeting the fiancé, despite the engagement coming as a bit of a shock. When the day came, Carter walked in with his future wife on his arm—and his sister felt the ground slip out from under her.
“I honestly thought I was hallucinating, and I felt sick seeing her again.”
She Got The Shock of Her Life
Carter’s fiancé, Annika, was the sister’s high school bully. The pair used to be close friends, or so the sister had thought.
Around their junior year, she learned Annika “had been spreading false rumors” about her for the entire duration of their friendship.
“However, even after I stopped being friends with her, she continued to make up lies about me and made my life hell right up until we graduated,” she wrote.
She Had Enrolled in The Same College As Her Brother
The girls went their separate ways, attending different colleges. Annika just so happened to enroll in the same college as Carter. Ten years later, she ended up engaged and back in her old ‘friend’s’ life.
He Had Known About The Bullying
Carter had confronted Annika about the bullying upon that realization. According to Carter, she had “claimed to not remember [his sister] or anything she did.” Completely smitten with Annika, Carter had decided then and there to let it go.
The Brother Addressed The Situation
With the party in full swing, Carter left Annika with some relatives and pulled his sister aside. He wanted to explain himself and ease any tensions.
He told her that he’d met Annika at a party. He hadn’t recognized her, “but it was love at first sight.” Only later, when he found out Annika’s full name, did he realize who the charming girl he’d fallen for was.
Be Nice To Her
After providing this context, Carter pleaded with his sister to be nice to Annika.
He said his fiancé didn’t remember and advocated on her behalf. “She [is] a good person,” he declared.
She Needed Some Fresh Air
His sister took some space to recover from the conversation. When she returned to the party, she actively ignored Annika. The fiancé ignored her back.
She Still Held Resentment
The party continued without a hitch until dinner—when “all hell broke loose”.
“One of my aunts asked me how I felt about my brother getting married. I tried changing the subject, but she kept pressing, so I eventually snapped and said something like: ‘I actually don’t feel great about it considering his future wife bullied me and never apologized.’”
Things Got Very Heated
The entire table looked at Annika—at Carter’s exciting, new fiancé, at the person they’d been so eager to meet and had spent all night getting to know. Now they saw her in a different light entirely.
Annika burst into tears and fled the room. Carter chased after her, and the couple left early. The family turned to the sister for details, which she provided.
Get Over Your High School Drama
The fallout was intense. Carter called his sister later on and said she was “a horrible person for embarrassing Annika in front of the whole family and [she] was being petty over ‘high school drama.’”
He told her that she needed to say sorry to Annika, emphasizing that Annika had no recollection of the bullying and therefore could not apologize.
She Wasn’t Planning On Letting It Go
His sister wasn’t having it. “HE was the awful one for blindsiding me with this,” she told him, “And if [Annika] never bothered to reach out and apologize for what she did while [you] were dating, I wasn’t going to let it go now that [you’re] engaged.”
Why Should She Lie For Her?
She didn’t believe her that she couldn’t remember and thought it a flimsy excuse. “The way I see it, I was asked a direct question and I provided a direct answer. Also, I don’t think I have any obligation to cover for her when she made my life hell, especially when she’s obviously lying about not remembering.”
Social Media Reacted To The Story
Social media users sided with the sister. “I don’t buy she doesn’t remember,” one user wrote, “Plus your brother did and choose to ambush you at the family event.”
Many argued that Annika’s tearful getaway was proof that she remembered. “She remembers, or else she wouldn’t have started crying and running out of the room. She would have been confused and asked what you were talking about.”
Social Media Users Reacted To The Story
Carter and his sister have a lot to work through. Some users felt Carter was to blame because he did remember and chose to blindside his sister anyway. “He got exactly what he deserved.”
Her Parents Asked Her To Apologise
The siblings’ parents are mostly on the sister’s side. They remember the years of bullying and how much she struggled thanks to Annika. However, they’re asking her to apologize to “keep the peace”.
Whatever choice the siblings make, hopefully the family can move forward together.
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This article was produced and syndicated by TPR Teaching. Source.
I'm an Irish tutor and founder of TPR Teaching. I started teaching in 2016 and have since taught in the UK, Spain, and online.
I love learning new things about the English language and how to teach it better. I'm always trying to improve my knowledge, so I can better meet the needs of others!
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