It costs zero dollars to bite your tongue...

"She started making small talk with him, asking him where he was from, what his intentions were, basically giving him the third degree right in front of me."

"I’m tired of it. I feel like I’m enabling him to live irresponsibly, and it's starting to feel more like I'm being taken advantage of than helping family."

“I swear that he could've whispered it from across the ocean and I would've heard.”

In a relationship, sacrifice and compromise are necessary. But what would you do if you began to suspect that your partner was taking advantage of you in order to finance her lavish lifestyle? Would you stick to the truth and insist she make some financial contributions, or would you give her everything she wants because you love her and want the best for her? The story below is an account of a frustrated boyfriend. The original poster (OP) had moved in with his girlfriend. At first, everything…

Birthdays and weddings are supposed to be joyful occasions to celebrate. An appreciation of life and all that it has to offer, a celebration of our past successes and our goals for the future. However, how would you respond if your loved ones decided to compare the two events, painting one as extravagant and the other as inexpensive? Would you take what was said at face value and run with it, or would you end the conversation before it even got started? The story below is an account of a confus…

Nothing is more important than family. You can always count on your family to support you in good times and bad. Who, though, do you regard as family? Who raised you and molded you into the person you are today, or is it the individuals who brought you into this world and then abandoned you to fend for yourself? The story below is the story of a confused individual. The Original Poster (OP) entered foster care at the age of eleven weeks. At four years old, he was formally adopted by his amazing…

Nothing is more important than family, but even so, it's important to think about what a family actually consists of. Is your family the group of people you value most, whether or not they are your biological relatives? The story that follows is the account of a confused sister. Neither the Original Poster (OP) nor her spouse have a close relationship with either of their siblings. As a direct result of the strained relationship, the children rarely spend time with their aunts or uncles. Thus,…

Families are difficult to deal with at times. Each member brings with them their very own opinions, ideals, and so forth. Therefore, it is imperative to keep all channels of communication open since this is the only way to preserve harmony and sincere friendship within the family. The story below is an account of a frustrated sister-in-law. In order to generate future passive income, the Original Poster (OP) made the decision to buy and renovate a holiday home. Having said that, OP put in a lot…

Life soon teaches us that no one can look after us as well as we can. Ultimately, as strong, independent women, we ought to be able to look out for our own interests and take care of ourselves. That being said, I came across a Reddit thread discussing whether or not the woman at the hotel bar ought to have accepted a free drink that was extended to her by an unknown person. The Original Poster (OP) explains that she wasn't comfortable accepting or returning the act of kindness because she wasn'…

Nowadays, women are not valued based on traits from a bygone era that defined femininity. Contemporary women have the liberty to showcase their individuality in any way they deem suitable and to advocate for their convictions. There are various ways to express oneself. While some women express who they are through dress or music, others do so through fashion. What follows is the story of a woman who is protective of her daughter. The Original Poster (OP) is a mother to a 13-year-old girl. OP's…

In the corporate world, men are the majority—or at least they were until bold female entrepreneurs and businesswomen ventured into the ring. However, as everyone knows, everything is fun and games until money is involved. So, what would you do if someone tried to minimize your abilities and potential solely because of your gender? Would you run away in fear, or would you put in even more effort to prove them wrong? The story that follows centers on a female academic who has been subjected to cr…

Taking care of her child and maintaining the house are the responsibilities of a stay-at-home mother. As long as you are awake, you are essentially at work. You cannot clock out or call in sick. It's one of the most difficult yet rewarding jobs out there. That being said, not everyone is cut out to be a stay-at-home mother. The husband in the following story is upset because he doesn't realize how difficult and demanding a stay-at-home mother's job really is. The Original Poster (OP) conveys hi…

What characteristics define a woman? Clothes? Name? Perhaps the way she carried herself? A woman's external attributes do not define her. What makes any modern woman amazing is that she can express her personality in whatever way she chooses. The story below is an account of a frustrated mother. The original poster (OP) feels pressured to get her daughter's ears pierced by her parents. For years, they had been bothering her about this issue. However, things took a turn for the worse when the yo…

Planning a wedding takes a lot of work. Eventually, it becomes unfeasible to keep up with the extensive list of things that require immediate attention. One task that often goes unnoticed, or at the very least put off until the very last minute, is getting gifts for the bridesmaids who have devoted their time and energy to making your big day even more memorable. In the post below, a blushing soon-to-be bride asks her fellow Redditors what constitutes a meaningful bridesmaid present. Naturally,…

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…