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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Sister ruined Christmas with stupid affair drama - AIBU to be really stressed?

243 replies

aerisgainsborough · 09/01/2026 13:32

It’s a long one, grab a brew and a biscuit.

I’m 36, sister B is 33, sister C is 31. All married, I have 3 children, we’re close knit, live within 5 miles of each other and do stuff with each other and our parents all the time. Middle sis has always had issues with self-esteem and either hates herself or loves herself. Has always been impulsive and attention-seeking (my youngest sis and I think she may have BPD).

B’s husband is a bit of a wet lettuce and very surface-level, is a bit ignorant and only speaks to my kids to tell them off in a really patronising voice.B He has “not made his mind up” on whether or not to start a family so B is kind of stuck in limbo on that and they won’t discuss it. She tries to let on that she doesn’t want children, but it directly contradicts what’s she’s said before and she flip flops constantly. They have very few commitments, a cat and a weekly board game club, and sit playing online games all weekend and that’s about it but reckon they live busy lives.

However, B cheated on him 10-ish years ago and he forgave her, which made us all lose respect for both B and for him because she really was horrible to him. He then proposed and they’ve been married for 5 years. He struggles a lot with anxiety etc and she says she feels more like his carer, but we’ve never seen any behaviour to support this so just generally have to take her word for it.

Recently B started a new job (she changes jobs nearly every year) and has got friendly with a male co-worker who is 10 years younger and they’ve started up a fling, despite them both being married. She “left” her husband almost immediately and declared her love for him. He strung her along for weeks, saying he couldn’t leave his girlfriend yet, going through phases of constant messaging and then ghosting her. Eventually she confronted this lad and said she loves him and he’s told her he regrets it all and nothing can happen. I was sworn to secrecy during all of this and nobody else knew but me, which was horrible and during Christmas week so I spent the whole Christmas period hosting the rest of the family while B and her husband went and played happy families with his side. I’m autistic and had a very intense internal struggle with all this. I was crying, feeling sick, unable to think about anything else. I was trying to cope with everything changing, her betrayal and not being the person I thought she was, them already being split up but not telling anyone, When it finally all came out and she told everyone, they were all angry at her for putting me in that position. It’s all everyone has been able to talk about since and my mum keeps trying to get me to find things out. I’m the eldest default child who gets leaned on by everyone and I’m just so tired.

So B is now just living with her husband as housemates and helping each other set up dating profiles. She is meeting up with a 40-odd year old she met on a kink app and during a phone call he told her that he had massive hands and could choke the life out of her if he wanted to. I’m sitting there listening as she tells me she’s meeting up with him at his flat in Manchester and I am now picturing her being chopped up and dumped in a bin. I’m trying to put some distance between me and her problems because we all get a bit enmeshed at times and it’s not good for my mental health but I am worried sick that something will happen to her.

My parents fully believe that B and husband will get back together and don’t know about B being “on the apps”. I’m sick of them asking about it and just don’t know what to do about it all. Thank you, if you’ve read this far.

OP posts:
aerisgainsborough · 09/01/2026 17:02

ReadingTime · 09/01/2026 16:59

It’s not up to her who else you talk to about things, that’s up to you. You don’t need to keep anything secret from your husband.

If these conversations with B that you don’t want are happening on the phone, you can say I don’t want to hear about your relationship dramas, and if you carry on trying to tell me about this I’m going to hang up. If they are happening in person in your house, say the same thing, but say if you keep trying to tell me these things you will have to leave. The boundary you set isn’t what she does, it’s being clear about what you will do if she continues to do something that isn’t ok with you.

When she says “you have to promise not to tell anyone what I’m about to tell you” you can say no, I’m not making any such promise, just don’t tell me anything that you don’t want others to know.

You don’t have to always agree to do what she wants.

That’s a really good idea, manage her expectations from the start. I will try this, thank you.

OP posts:
Wateron · 09/01/2026 17:02

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Boododedoop · 09/01/2026 17:04

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The sister is more than likely an emotional vampire who doesnt give a damn about the effect her life choices has on others when she’s leaning on/ sucking the life out of those around her.

aerisgainsborough · 09/01/2026 17:04

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My husband isn’t autistic. Apart from that, yes.

OP posts:
Wateron · 09/01/2026 17:05

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aerisgainsborough · 09/01/2026 17:05

Boododedoop · 09/01/2026 17:04

The sister is more than likely an emotional vampire who doesnt give a damn about the effect her life choices has on others when she’s leaning on/ sucking the life out of those around her.

Maybe, but I hope not.

OP posts:
Wateron · 09/01/2026 17:06

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aerisgainsborough · 09/01/2026 17:07

Keroppi · 09/01/2026 14:30

If she comes to you for advice just give slow replies and boring answers
Don't pick up her calls
You need to be less available
Perhaps you need some stock replies

"That sounds hard. I hope it works out for you xx I'm just heading out now, chat soon, bye"
"So sorry but nows not the best time, I'm just out/busy/dealing with some work/kid stuff, catch up another day, love you"
"Awww yeah, sounds tricky. I know that you'll come through it though as you're strong. What are you getting mum and dad for birthday/total subject change"

I like this idea a lot, thank you.

OP posts:
aerisgainsborough · 09/01/2026 17:08

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 09/01/2026 14:33

As others have said, I would take a massive step away from all of it.

If she tries to talk to you about it, tell her to stop, and that you don’t want to hear it.

Time to rethink being so “close knit” with all the family I think. Gives the false impression that her problems are yours, and allows both her and your Mum to overstep your boundaries (your Mum by trying to get you to find out information).

I agree with those saying being autistic can make you more emotional and more sensitive, especially for women and girls, and also makes you more easy to manipulate.

100% spot on. Time for a lot of changes.

OP posts:
Boododedoop · 09/01/2026 17:09

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Yes. Which is why she’s posting here as a start.

You’re on this thread to deliberately pick fault with the Op and it’s really not a good look. Perhaps ask yourself why you’re doing it. Why you see a ND poster as fair game for you to bully.

aerisgainsborough · 09/01/2026 17:09

itsnotagameshow · 09/01/2026 14:35

In terms of you feeling you have to help for her mental health, I would work on pointing her towards services which can help (counselling etc), saying that you are not the right person to support her in this, it needs to be someone professional.

Think about it like this: despite all your efforts, and all that it costs you emotionally, nothing is improved for your sister. And you can't pour from an empty cup for your own family.

Look after yourself.

Thank you, this means a lot

OP posts:
Moveoverdarlin · 09/01/2026 17:11

I’d have a lovely weekend with your own family and not give your sister or her husband a second thought. There’s no kids involved in her shit show which is good, so I wouldn’t worry. You’ve called him a wet lettuce so you don’t sound particularly loyal to your BIL so I really wouldn’t get so involved. There’s two options, they stay together or split up. Tell her to only text you this weekend if big hands gets too okey chokey.

Elsvieta · 09/01/2026 17:33

Don't discuss her with your parents at all, ever. Pick a phrase (like "you'd need to talk to her about that directly") and just don't say anything else.

deadbobaplace · 09/01/2026 17:41

aerisgainsborough · 09/01/2026 16:32

She’s not neurodivergent and she’s even said herself that she might have BPD in the past. She struggles with impulsiveness, fear of abandonment, aggression, no sense of self outside of a relationship, patterns of unstable relationships and splitting. As part of my training as a MHP, I learned a lot about it but I don’t diagnose people. Is it not an accepted diagnosis anymore, similar to Asperger’s not being diagnosed separately anymore because it’s archaic? What does current research offer as an alternative diagnosis for these patterns of behaviour?

In the unlikely event that someone manages to get a diagnosis in the UK, it'll probably be EUPD rather than BPD, since 'borderline' isn't a useful descriptive term and the acronym is easily confused with bipolar.

It's sort of academic since she's not getting a diagnosis unless things get radically worse, she's hospitalised and they can't find another label to pin on her. But since she has a number of the traits, it's not going to hurt to read up on techniques for dealing with people with BPD.

aerisgainsborough · 09/01/2026 18:04

FollowSpot · 09/01/2026 14:38

OP I think you have to tell your sister that you do not want to hear about her marriage or dating life. Not at all.

Tell your whole family that you will not in future agree to keep any secrets and they must not ask you.

Tell your family that you have stopped talking to your sister about her marriage / dating and will not enter into conversations with any of them about it either.

They are all just stoking their own drama by all this talk and discussion. Step right out of it.

There is nothing you can do to help them so there is no point in knowing about it.

You’re right. I’m tired. Tbh I’ve not had a great year mentally and I’ve not been looking after my own mental health. I’m helping everyone but myself.

OP posts:
rainonfriday · 09/01/2026 18:07

My take on it is -

Your parents are overstepping Bs boundaries and always asking her about it. She doesn't want to tell them and is getting cross that they won't respect that. That's why they're tiptoeing on eggshells round her as if she's the problem, because they think they're entitled to information about her, so they think her not telling them is the problem and they can't see how rude they're being always asking and that she's justified in being cross with them. I'm guessing it's this because my parents do the exact same thing.

Since they can't get information out of B they ask you to be their flying monkey and obtain it instead. This part you can control. Tell them no. If you do have information about B, refuse to discuss it with or pass it onto, your parents. They have no rights to know anything she doesn't want to tell them.

They don't have rights to use you as flying monkey either. If they get cross with you for refusing to do what they want in obtaining and passing on information, recognise their rudeness in that and respond to them as you would to any other rude person, which might include choosing not to hang out with them if they keep being rude. Just because you share DNA doesn't mean they're entitled to your company. If they keep stressing you, don't spend time with them.

You've been brought up to gossip and to think it's normal and ok. It isn't. You can change that by refusing to participate. If you must discuss your thoughts about B with anyone, make it your DH. Don't discuss her with other family members. If other family members try to drag you into gossiping, respond only with neutral comments like "she's an adult, I'm sure she'll work it out". Don't give a judgement or personal opinion, keep those thoughts to yourself. If you're inclined to gossip in general, ask other non-gossipy friends to point out if they notice you doing it. That way you can start to recognise it yourself and re-train yourself to be nicer. You can tell people it's your new year's resolution.

You're going to have to be really blunt with B, even if it pisses her off. If you tell her you don't want to talk about something and she keeps on, literally tell her to shut up.

Yes, it's rude, but so is she being rude by not respecting your wishes. Rude people often don't understand or pick up on subtlety, or if they do they ignore it because they want to carry on as they are. It's not at all subtle saying you don't want to hear about something, so if she's ignoring even that level of directness, you're justified in being incredibly blunt to the point of rudeness.

Don't feel guilty about it and if she gets cross with you and starts having a go at you, don't tolerate that either. If she doesn't want to face rudeness, she shouldn't dish it out. If she respected your wishes not to hear about it, you wouldn't have had to resort to rudeness to get her to shut up.

Tell B you're really busy at the moment and can she please text or call first if she wants to come over. If she shows up without doing this, it's ok to not answer the door. If she calls or texts first or gives you a chance to say if it's convenient for her to drop by or not. You don't have to give her access to your home just because she doesn't want to hang out in hers. It's not as if she's trying to escape domestic abuse.

Not sure you're asking for opinions on B or not but I do think she's right to leave the relationship because she wants DC and her husband obviously doesn't like them. IMO he has been stringing her alone with false hope that he might change his mind, hoping to do that until her fertility runs out so then she thinks there's no point in leaving him because her chance at motherhood is over anyway. Meaning he gets what he wants: to keep their relationship but not have DC, it's a mean approach that doesn't consider Bs happiness in life. No reason she should put up with that.

If she's got BPD she should get help before she fucks up any DC she has by neglecting them emotionally. If she can't even cope with her own emotions as a single woman, it'll be a whole lot harder looking after herself as a mother and being responsible for DC's emotional/physical wellbeing too. So seeing atl therapist to work through her situation is a good idea. It's not your job to make her do it though.

I'd run a mile from the creepy choking guy myself but then I'd never be on a kink dating site either, so goodness knows what B is into. I don't like discussing my own or other people's sex lives though, so I'd be same as you not wanting to hear it.

You're not a bad person for not wanting all the gory (and worrying) details. The guilt is because you've been brought up that it's your job to fix things for everyone, so refusing to do it is going against your training and making you feel bad. It's not your job though and it never was, so the guilt is misplaced and best to be ignored.

aerisgainsborough · 09/01/2026 18:10

AnnieLummox · 09/01/2026 14:38

I’m trying to put some distance between me and her problems because we all get a bit enmeshed at times

A bit?!

This is your sister’s life. Your sister’s marriage. Yet everything on the thread is about YOU. Right down to the subject line about how your sister “ruined Christmas” and how YOU’RE really stressed. Couldn’t think about anything else, being sick, making sure your parents turned on HER for causing YOU stress - it’s all about you. You’ve reduced your sister to the supporting role in her own story, while you’ve somehow become the star.

You judge her marriage, her lifestyle, even her hobbies. You judged her for the affair, her husband for forgiving her, yet still can’t cope when she does the same again, wailing that she’s “not the person who thought she was” - even though she’s exactly the person you knew she was! And you wonder why she has self-esteem issues?

You have a busy life of your own to manage. You don’t need to take on your sister’s as well - and you can’t blame her for you getting stressed over it. You have choices.

Look up Main Character Syndrome - and ask yourself why Julia Roberts or Nicole Kidman never play the confidante sister.

Also I didn’t tell my parents to turn against her. That whole conversation was had without me in the room. My parents made their choice to be cross with her because she trapped me into keeping a secret from everyone against my will. I will judge someone who acts like a dick and hurts others without any thought for her partner. Believe it or not, it’s a very uncomfortable position to be in. She’s my sister but she’s in the wrong.

OP posts:
aerisgainsborough · 09/01/2026 18:14

Ivyy · 09/01/2026 14:39

If you try to hold a boundary and your sister ignores it / insists on letting it all out to you, then I’d start to avoid seeing her on your own op. If she then tries to “get things off her chest” by phone, don’t answer or respond to messages. Tell your parents you can’t keep acting as family go between, it sounds like they’ve parentified you as the eldest and there’s also a level of unhealthy enmeshment.

I’m ND and I totally get it, all this would make me feel sick too. I think NT people would find it just as stressful though surely? Either way, you have to put your own well-being and mental health first, if you try explaining all this to your sister and she still doesn’t get it and continues to be selfish, then I’d honestly avoid seeing her, at least in the short term. Please start putting yourself first.

The reference to the guy with the big hands is clearly sexual / kink related, but I’d also be worried about her meeting this man now. All you can do is warn her to be sensible if she insists on meeting him, to do it in a public place and not go back to his place. Ultimately though she’s an adult and makes her own choices, you are not responsible for her potentially poor judgement and decisions. If your sister and parents don’t understand how negatively this is effecting you then there’s not a lot you can do, other than putting boundaries in place and not seeing your sister alone in the short term. Just make excuses for now if being honest feels too much at the moment, but please start putting your needs first right now Flowers

You’re right and I’ve been worrying that my reaction was completely unhinged and I shouldn’t have been upset but I hate any change, anyone being upset or slighted. I was under a lot of pressure from my sister, my parents, just normal Christmas stuff and mental health not being great. I did my best to keep a lid on it but keeping the secret is why I struggled to cope with because I just had to mask.
Thank you btw

OP posts:
OriginalUsername2 · 09/01/2026 18:17

Tell her you’ve realised you can’t deal with secrets because of your autism, it made you really anxious and upset over Christmas and that she has to find someone else to tell these things to from now on.

aerisgainsborough · 09/01/2026 18:37

ElegantFowl · 09/01/2026 14:42

How tedious; like a bad soap opera. I’d put some distance between you and leave her to it. I’d loathe to be this entrenched in my family’s private lives.

I’m not enamoured with it myself

OP posts:
aerisgainsborough · 09/01/2026 18:38

WallaceinAnderland · 09/01/2026 15:11

Yet another poster who wants someone else to change their behaviour but is not willing to change their own behaviour.

This is totally within your control OP and you are choosing to engage.

You say that if you don't there is drama. So what? There's drama anyway.

Use the skills you have been taught and your professional knowledge to put healthy boundaries in place. Stop blaming your sister for your own behaviour.

It’s all drama all the time and I’ve had enough. I guess I’m upset because a lot of change is needed and it’s overwhelming.

OP posts:
aerisgainsborough · 09/01/2026 18:40

Keroppi · 09/01/2026 14:48

Yes but you need to stop asking her if she's okay or inviting the conversation in. You need a cooling off period from her!

And you need to rebuff your parents with: "I'm sorry, I don't know anything about it anymore, you'll have to ask her yourself. What are your weekend plans?"

She's obvs a volatile character so you are
You work in mental health, you need to reread the Drama triangle as you are in the rescuer and enabler role. How would you advice boundaries with someone you're supporting at work? Time to Flex your communication muscles !!!

If she nips around just be busy on your laptop and CONSTANTLY talk about how swamped you are, don't have time for anything etc. Offer her a tea and say she can't stay long as you're nipping out soon
If she starts talking just say awww sounds difficult. Anyway....

I think rescuer and enabler are my middle names. I hate it and you’re right.

OP posts:
GreyBeeplus3 · 09/01/2026 18:41

Because you're the eldest ot doesn't mean you've to take on her and her life and she knows this whilst sussing out that you're the one she can manipulate most easiest without caring about yourself and your feelings
Why didn't she go to her mother?
Because she knew that's why
Just ditch her drama, she's a consenting big gobbed adult now and if she say was living abroad with her spineless husband
What could you do for her then?
Get on with yourself and your family
They deserve and need you
She on the other hand
Has a rotten selfish me, me, me, personality and can take care of herself, well she's doing that now via those hook up apps right?
She's her own problem
Let her dig her own hole and lie in it
But if she does try anything again
Tell her to go to her mumma!

aerisgainsborough · 09/01/2026 18:46

deadbobaplace · 09/01/2026 14:49

ND person here who has also had to deal with sibling drama.

Everyone here who is saying it's your fault for not setting boundaries? People like B ignore boundaries. I have said so, so many times 'I can't deal with talking about this right now, please can you stop' and they do. not. care.

If you block them that causes even more drama and you get everyone else on your back because they don't want to deal with the fallout.

So what you need to do is set your boundaries internally. Let the craziness carry on happening outside you (it's going to anyway) while you detach emotionally. You are not responsible for B's behaviour, you can't do anything to change it, and it's not your job to protect her from it. You can judge the hell out of her if you want, just don't bring that to your interactions with her. Think of her as a client or a patient. Lots of 'yeah, OK' and 'that must be hard for you', but your actual feelings stay with the people who are able to reciprocate them.

I feel seen by you, you get it. Boundaries ignored equals the same old shitty cycle and my inner people pleaser/empath/helper jumps out time and time again.

OP posts:
aerisgainsborough · 09/01/2026 18:58

CremeCarmel · 09/01/2026 14:57

As an eldest daughter I totally understand why you feel you need to be so involved in your sister’s life. Everyone has always leaned on you and you don’t know any different than to sort everyone else’s problems.

My advice is that you should free yourself from the enmeshment and enjoy your life.

I have a similar situation. I would be so much happier if I could take the advice I have just doled out to you.

This is it, I never take my own advice and it’s one of the parts of myself that I most hate.

OP posts: