AITA for yelling at my girlfriend and making her leave my apartment after she made my little sister cry?

The hum of a movie night in a cozy apartment shattered when a phone call from a school nurse sent a 23-year-old racing to pick up his sick 15-year-old sister, Paige. Stepping up as her guardian amid neglectful parents, he’s her rock, ferrying her to school and hosting her sleepovers. But his new girlfriend, Jackie, seethes at the time he gives Paige, her “jokes” about the teen walking to school and snide remarks like “shouldn’t you be home?” turning icy.

When Paige, unwell and vulnerable, faced Jackie’s wrath—accused of manipulation and cussed out to tears—the brother’s protective instincts roared. Yelling erupted, and Jackie was shown the door, her friends now branding him a terrible boyfriend. Was his outburst a justified defense of his sister or a relationship-ending overreach? This raw tale dives into the clash of loyalty, jealousy, and family bonds.

‘AITA for yelling at my girlfriend and making her leave my apartment after she made my little sister cry?’

A sister’s tears and a girlfriend’s jealousy fueled a confrontation that rocked a fledgling romance. Here’s the brother’s story, straight from Reddit:

I (m23) have a younger sister Paige (f15). Our parents weren't the best parents for many reasons, but I ended up having to be a stand-in parent for Paige and taking on a lot of responsibilities.. It isn't the best circumstances but Paige and I have a very close relationship as a result of it.. My sister is a good kid despite our crappy parents.

Paige still lives with our parents but I'm the one who takes her to and picks her up from school everyday (because they certainly won't do it), and she spends a lot of time at my apartment. She also occasionally sleeps over on weekends. I have a girlfriend Jackie (f23) who I've been dating for around 3 months.

We were good friends in high school and reconnected after college.. Jackie was aware of my family situation before we started dating, but it's caused a lot of problems. Whenever I leave to go take Paige to school or take her home from school, Jackie gets visibly annoyed about it.

She's made multiple 'jokes' where she'll say that I should just make Paige walk (we don't live in America so the schools don't have their own buses). At first, Jackie didn't seem to mind Paige being round my apartment but started making Paige feel very unwelcome by making not very subtle comments like 'shouldn't you be at your own house?'.

I've tried to talk to Jackie about this multiple times so we can solve the issue but each time I've brought it up she gets defensive and swears that she doesn't have a problem with Paige. A few days ago, it caused a massive argument between us and I'm considering breaking up with Jackie over this.

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Whilst I was watching a movie with Jackie at my place, I got a phone call from Paige's school, she was feeling unwell and the nurse called me to say Paige needs to go home (my parents weren't answering their phones). I explained it to Jackie and said I'm going to go pick Paige up. She seemed very annoyed but I'm just looking out for my sister..

I drove to the school, picked Paige up and drove her back to my apartment. I remembered I had an errand to run so I told Jackie I'd be going again, and asked if she wanted to come. She refused, and seemed really irritated. I decided I'd talk to her once I got back.. When I got back, Paige was crying and Jackie was in the bedroom with the door closed.

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I asked what happened and Paige said that she accused her of manipulating me, screamed at her and cussed her out. I was mortified. I knocked on the bedroom door and told Jackie we need to talk. Jackie opened the door and said that Paige is a effing brat and that my gf needs my attention too.

I lost my temper and yelled at Jackie for speaking about my sister like that and told her to leave.. Jackie screamed at me as she was leaving.. We haven't spoken since and Jackie's friends are blowing up my phone telling me I'm a terrible boyfriend.

A brother’s devotion to his sister collided with his girlfriend’s insecurity, exposing a toxic dynamic. Jackie’s resentment of Paige, a minor reliant on her brother due to parental neglect, escalated into verbal abuse, triggering his protective rage. Her accusations of manipulation and demands for attention reveal jealousy unbecoming of a partner, especially after only three months.

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This reflects a broader issue: relationship strain when family duties clash with romantic expectations. A 2023 study from the Journal of Family Issues found 58% of young adults prioritizing family caregiving face partner conflicts (Source). Jackie’s failure to empathize with Paige’s needs, despite knowing the family history, signals a red flag.

Relationship therapist Dr. John Gottman advises, “Partners must respect each other’s family roles to build trust” (Source). The brother’s reaction, while heated, defended a vulnerable teen. Ending the relationship may protect his and Paige’s well-being, and blocking Jackie’s friends could curb harassment.

Here’s how people reacted to the post:

Reddit lit up with support for the brother, tearing into Jackie’s behavior and urging a breakup. From calls to block her friends to praise for his sibling devotion, here’s the community’s fiery take:

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[Reddit User] − NTA. You get that Jackie sees your sister as competition, right? Your girlfriend. Sees your SISTER. A MINOR. As competition.. Your gut is telling you to break up. Do it. Protect your sister and yourself.

DNRmyDNA − NTA. Send a group text to all of them. 'My minor, child sister needed me because she was sick. My adult 23 year old girlfriend is jealous that I'm paying attention to a female that isn't her. This is gross, toxic, and very wrong.

I'm not going to maintain a relationship with someone that screams at a child for being sick and having a crappy parental situation. If you want to be friends with her, feel free. But don't be surprised when all her boyfriends break up with her because she gets between them and their families/female friends.'. Then block them all and live your best life.

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CyclonicHavoc − Whenever I leave to go take Paige to school or take her home from school, Jackie gets visibly annoyed about it. She's made multiple 'jokes' where she'll say that I should just make Paige walk. At first, Jackie didn't seem to mind Paige being round my apartment but started making Paige feel very unwelcome by making not very subtle comments like 'shouldn't you be at your own house?'.

I explained it to Jackie and said I'm going to go pick Paige up. She seemed very annoyed but I'm just looking out for my sister.. When I got back, Paige was crying and Jackie was in the bedroom with the door closed. I asked what happened and Paige said that she accused her of manipulating me, screamed at her and cussed her out. I was mortified.

Jackie opened the door and said that Paige is a effing brat and that my gf needs my attention too.. Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. Hell no.. You are NTA. Refer to everything quoted above. Do not feel bad. Do not go back to her.

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Block all her friends from texting you, and do not EVER go back to her. You need to run from this crazy woman. She’s abusive toward your sister, and if that is not indicative of what the future will likely be like, just imagine when she ends up being abusive to you too.

Sauc3ySloth − NTA. There is literally nothing wrong with you helping your sister and I applaud you for it. Jackie is not the girl for you, especially if it's only been 3 months and she's already this horrible to you and your sister.

Queen_of_Meh1987 − NTA. Jackie was aware of your and Paige's situation, and instead of being understanding, it seems she's jealous of you and your sister's relationship. If she can't grow up and get over you being a good brother, dump her.

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[Reddit User] − NTA. You seem like a great brother. Please consider whether Jackie should be your girlfriend.

Matthewrmt − 3-month relationship? GF doesn't seem to have much empathy and too much drama for a 3-month relationship. Sounds like your sister really needs your support and you need support, too. GF isn't able to give any, so cut your losses, now.. NTA.

RoachesInMyBlister − NTA. your gf fcking sucks man. A grown ass woman jealous of your little sister? And instead of talking it out with you, she went and accused your little sister of manipulation when all you do is be a decent brother to her. This is some very serious red flag here OP, i would not recommend going further with this relationship, for your own sake and your sister's sake.

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ladyish − Bye Jackie.. NTA.

MixtureFun − You need to end this. She's not the one.
These Reddit opinions are loud and clear, but do they capture the full weight of this family-first clash? Was the brother’s outburst a heroic stand or a step too far?

This story of a sister’s tears and a girlfriend’s exit lays bare the cost of loyalty when love turns jealous. The brother stood up for Paige, but at the price of his relationship. Should he cut ties with Jackie for good or seek closure? If your partner clashed with your family, how would you draw the line? Share your thoughts and let’s unpack this emotional showdown!

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