Even people in the same family might have different relationships with one another depending on the kind of bond they’ve formed. Unfortunately, some close family connections might not be as innocent as they seem on the surface, and only outsiders might see the truth at first.
This is exactly what one woman realized when she noticed that her husband’s adopted sister seemed to have a crush on him. Even though she was able to keep her sister-in-law at bay for a while, things got dramatic when she reappeared on the scene.
More info: Reddit
It can be hard to deal with toxic family members, especially if other relatives keep enabling their behavior
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The poster explained that she met her husband 9 years ago and that during that moment itself, she noticed how clingy his adopted sister, Tina, was with him
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The poster became more uncomfortable with Tina’s behavior over the years and lost touch with her after she threw a tantrum at her proposal
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Unfortunately, after many years of no contact, Tina planned to show up at her baby shower and tried to create drama by sending texts to her brother beforehand
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The woman didn’t want to let Tina come to the baby shower, and luckily, her husband took her side by confronting his adopted sister and blocking her
Image credits: The Yuri Arcurs Collection/ Freepik (not the actual photo)
The man also told his parents and his other sister about Tina’s behavior and made sure they’d not let her create such a ruckus ever again
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The poster also got to know that her father-in-law had actually been keeping Tina’s obsessive behavior in check by hospitalizing her several times before the incident
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Through conversations with family, they also got to know that Tina had initially been crushing on her other brother, Sean, until he abruptly left
Image credits: Apprehensive-You-913
Even though the woman had gone through so much due to Tina’s behavior, she ended up enjoying her baby shower and was relieved to be free of the drama
The poster noticed that her sister-in-law, Tina, had actually shown obsessive feelings towards her brother right from the start. Even when the OP and her husband had first met, it seemed like Tina was just trying to get between them by throwing tantrums and sulking when she didn’t get her way.
This kind of crush is not uncommon or illegal, and experts state that some people also end up marrying their adopted sibling. Even though it might be frowned upon in many cultures, since there is no biological relation between the two people, it isn’t actually wrong for them to enter into a relationship.
The problem with this situation was that Tina was trying to force her feelings onto her brother and didn’t consider how it made him or his wife feel. That’s why when the OP found out that Tina might show up at her baby shower, she didn’t know what to do because she felt that the other woman would cause problems.
When dealing with toxic family members like this, professionals state that it might help to set boundaries or to ultimately go no-contact. This can help give people space from all the drama and conflict, which is exactly why the OP had been pleased that Tina hadn’t contacted her or her family for years.
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Unfortunately, Tina decided to lean into the drama and texted her brother multiple times about wanting to be close again, and also degraded the poster in the process. What she didn’t expect was him standing up to her, blocking her number, and revealing all of the things she had said to their entire family.
Although it must have taken a lot of courage for the man to stand up to his adopted sister like this, therapists advise that it’s important to set boundaries soon if things get uncomfortable. When an adopted sibling has feelings for the other person, it can cause conflict in the family, which is why it’s important not to rush things and to let everyone deal with the situation at their own pace.
Since Tina wasn’t respecting the OP or her brother’s personal space, the couple finally decided to cut her out of their lives to focus on their pregnancy. They also changed their numbers and told their family not to give Tina their address if she asked, since she seemed to be obsessed with finding and terrorizing them.
It definitely must be scary to have to deal with an overbearing and toxic family member like this, but luckily, the poster and her husband decided to protect their peace. By letting his family in on the situation, they can better protect themselves and enjoy the rest of the pregnancy.
What do you think would be the best way to deal with an obsessive person like Tina? Do share your thoughts in the comments.
Folks were glad that the poster’s husband took her side and cut contact with his possessive adopted sibling
