A wedding is an occasion when two families come together. Weddings are a joyful occasion. But what happens if your very own cousin tries to steal your spotlight? The story below tells the story of the disappointed bride. The Original Poster (OP) has been preparing for her wedding for the last three years, and they have sent out save-the-dates in anticipation of the big day. OP discovers, however, that her cousin—who has been legally married for the last 15 years—has planned a vow renewal for th…

The majority of the time, weddings are stressful events. On the one hand, they represent the coming together of two people in the holy bond of matrimony. However, they also signify the moment when secrets begin to come to light. Are the people you spend your time with genuinely interested in being your friends, or are they just your buddies for personal benefit? Put otherwise, is your friendship one that can withstand the most trying circumstances or is it merely one of convenience? The woman i…

A girl's wedding day is the most amazing day of her life. It's the day she marries the love of her life and shares the celebration with her nearest and dearest friends and relatives. This is the story of a really irritated sister-in-law. OP is ecstatic about both her impending nuptials and the attendance of her young nieces and nephews. Let me clarify by saying that OP is a proud aunt who can't image getting married without her adorable little lovebugs by her side. Finally, the big day was draw…

You should devote all of your loyalty to your family because they are the most important people in the world. The story below is of a frustrated stepdaughter. When OP was a small child, her parents divorced. Following the divorce, OP's mother married a different man, with whom she had a child. At first, everything was going great; finally, they had the family they had always dreamed of, but they soon found out that the husband had been having an affair since the wedding. A few years later, all…

What was the real reason the friend went in?

Some people firmly believe that blood is thicker than water and that family is the most important thing in the world. What happens, though, if you view your friends as family? Where do your loyalties lie? A frustrated sister recounts her experience in the story below. OP and her sister were never very close. Since childhood, OP's sister has been told she is the more attractive and successful of the two. But as soon as the girls entered high school, OP's sister got pregnant by a mysterious man.…

Women are supposed to have it all—a prosperous career, a family, a gorgeous home, and everything in between. In the story that follows, a successful manager of cyber security engineering, mother of one, prepares to become a mother again in the near future. OP is a woman who appears to have everything: a wonderful spouse, a successful career, a stunning child, plus a baby on the way. For OP, all seems to be going as planned, theoretically speaking. However, now that she is expecting her second c…

It is never simple to prepare for a baby. Before the baby arrives, there are a ton of things that need to be done. But what would happen if, as luck would have it, you were laid off just when you needed the money most? When you are completely unprepared and your wife is having her first child. The story that follows is an account of a soon-to-be father who was recently laid off. At the worst possible time, OP loses his work; his wife is pregnant, and he lacks the funds to assist with the baby's…

Every marriage navigates life in a different way. Some stay at home with the kids while the other works, some hire a nanny, and some, well, they choose not to have babies in the first place. The story below is of a confused husband who truly believed he was being helpful. OP works to provide for his family, while his wife stays at home to look after the children. But because of a severe back problem, OP is confined to his home and is unable to work. He has decided that, while he is at home prep…

An inborn, uncontrollable response to another person is attraction. But what if the once-steamy attraction vanishes without warning? The story that follows centers on a frustrated wife whose partner has lost interest in her. For context, OP has been married to her spouse for six years. Four years ago, they welcomed their first child together. OP gained a lot of weight during and after her pregnancy, and giving birth had a detrimental effect on her health. For want of a better phrase, OP let her…

The individuals you select to surround yourself with are your closest companions. No one forces you to stay in a relationship with a person you dislike. However, what happens if the relationship is obviously one-sided? Do you try to repair the relationship that you cared so much about, or do you give up and let it go? The bride in the following story is upset and wants to know if her response is appropriate. To put things in perspective, OP has worked extremely hard to organize her wedding and…

Essentially, siblings are just naturally born best friends. Somehow, people have a tendency to think that having an odd number of children is a recipe for disaster. Since the eldest will always be their parents' first love, it is said that they have it easy. The youngest child will always be the baby of the family, so they will have it even easier, but the middle child always seems to receive the short end of the stick. In the story that follows, an older sister expresses her anger at the birth…

A wedding commemorates the union of two individuals in the sacred bond of matrimony. Weddings also celebrate the union of two families. What would happen, though, if the families were at odds? Better yet, your prospective mother-in-law feels that you are 'stealing' her son from her... Well, the story below is an account of a frustrated bride-to-be. OP is ecstatic to be getting married to the man of her dreams. At first, everything appeared to be going smoothly, but when the monster-in-law—sorry…

The joining of two people under the holy vow of matrimony is referred to as a wedding. A joyous occasion that, in theory, ought to signify a day full of love and happiness. But what happens if the lovely bride is already turning into a bridezilla a year before the wedding even takes place? The story that follows, however, is from a concerned future sister-in-law. OP's brother, who is now engaged, has asked her to be a bridesmaid. At first, OP felt happy and privileged to be a part of her future…

Stepping in and taking on the role of stepmother could result in two distinct results. A happy blended family with strong bonds amongst all of the members would be the ideal result. On the opposite end, the second scenario can entail a disagreement about the appropriate level of parental authority between the biological parent and the stepparent. The story that follows is that of a frustrated wife who had, up until this point, happily welcomed her husband's daughter into her home. Since getting…

There are many different ways to make a living. There are various fields one might explore while seeking a quick fix or a career. Having said that, what would happen if someone's whole financial strategy consisted of taking advantage of others? The story below tells the tale of a frustrated young lady who refuses to see gold-digging as commonplace conduct. To put things in perspective, OP comes from a middle-class household, but her cousin—who we will refer to as Rachel for the purposes of this…