She Gave Back Her Engagement Ring After Her Fiancé Made Her Choose Between Him And Raising Her Seven Siblings, Who Were Abandoned By Her Mother Two Years Ago
This young woman is only 21-years-old, but two years ago, her mother abandoned her family – leaving her to take care of her seven younger siblings entirely alone.
Her siblings range in age from 3 to 11, and every single child has a different dad. On top of that, none of their fathers are in the picture or pay child support.
“So I’m the only adult in their lives. I work one full-time and two part-time jobs to support them. I’m constantly exhausted. I work over 80 hours a week,” she explained.
Yet, she somehow had the time to hit it off with one of her coworkers, and they eventually got engaged. From the very beginning, she told her fiancé all about her situation as well.
She detailed all of the sleepless nights she experienced, as well as how hard it was to juggle her siblings’ school and daycare schedules. Additionally, she talked about the time she spent cooking them meals, helping out with homework, and attempting to create a sense of stability after their mom walked out.
Plus, she was upfront about how she never wanted her siblings to end up in foster care. She’d already experienced that herself when she was younger, and she ultimately endured some horrific abuse.
“I can’t risk that happening to them, so I’ve done everything in my power to keep us together as a family,” she said.
When she and her fiancé first started going out, he was understanding of everything, too. In fact, she even thought that he was quite supportive.
However, once they officially got engaged just last year, his perspective seemed to change. Her fiancé suddenly wanted them to focus on “their future” and to move in together – which she just couldn’t do.
Grustock – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
“That wasn’t an option for me. I’ve got seven kids to care for, and I couldn’t leave them behind. They’ve already been abandoned once,” she reasoned.
About a week ago, she found out her fiancé wasn’t on board with this anymore, either. He actually sat her down, claimed he couldn’t handle it, and accused her of throwing her life away for children that aren’t even hers.
Then, he proceeded to give her an ultimatum – saying that she either needed to choose between him or her siblings.
Her fiancé admitted that he couldn’t spend the rest of his years raising someone else’s kids. He also felt that she was being selfish by prioritizing her siblings over him.
Well, the ultimatum probably didn’t pan out as her fiancé had planned because she did not even wait before immediately giving her engagement ring back.
“I love him, but my siblings come first, always,” she revealed.
“They need me more than he does, and I already spend enough time working and caring for the kids. I don’t have time for [drama].”
Since she called off their engagement, her fiancé’s family has heard, and they’re absolutely livid.
They keep blaming her for being selfish, believing she’s acting like a “martyr” and ruining her life for children who shouldn’t be her responsibility.
To make matters worse, her fiancé’s mother tried to say that she’d regret her decision when she was alone and miserable in the future.
Now, one part of her does wonder if her fiancé’s family is right. After all, she never thought she’d end up raising her seven siblings by herself. She also misses fantasizing about a future with her fiancé.
“But at the same time, I can’t abandon my siblings. They’re my responsibility now, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure they’re safe and loved,” she vented.
Still, in the wake of her engagement ending, she genuinely isn’t sure if that makes her a jerk or not.
Can you understand why her siblings will always be her top priority, at least until they’re adults? How would you have reacted in this situation?
You can read the original post on Reddit here.
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