Deciding when to share sensitive information with someone can be a delicate matter, particularly if it has the potential to harm them.
If you witness something that directly affects someone you know, would you inform them? It’s challenging to determine the boundaries and whether it’s your place to get involved, as sometimes you might exacerbate the situation, while other times it could be crucial to let them know what you’ve seen.
One man faced this predicament when he caught his brother-in-law engaging in behaviour he shouldn’t have been, and he felt compelled to tell his sister-in-law what he had witnessed. Despite knowing it was the right thing to do, his own wife – the woman’s sister – has since chastised him for intervening and “ruining” her family.
The man shared his story on Reddit, explaining that he was out for dinner with friends when he spotted his brother-in-law with “another woman”. Initially, he thought nothing of it, assuming they were just having dinner, but after witnessing a “light kiss”, he realised his brother-in-law must be cheating on his wife.
Upon returning home, he told his wife everything and suggested they inform her sister about what he had seen. However, his wife advised against it, citing her sister’s pregnancy and the potential for it to break up their family.
Nevertheless, the man couldn’t keep the secret, so he went behind his wife’s back to reveal the truth to her sister.
He revealed: “I confessed everything to my sister-in-law, and at first, she was hesitant to believe me, asking me to leave her home. However, a few hours later, she called me in tears, acknowledging the truth and regretting her initial doubts. She’s now planning to leave her husband.”
The brother-in-law then informed his wife about the impending divorce, which led to her lashing out at her husband, accusing him of “ruining her sister’s life” unnecessarily. She’s currently giving him the silent treatment.
Nevertheless, the man is convinced he made the right decision, and many commenters share his sentiment. One commenter stated: “I don’t understand your wife. I would always tell my friends or family the truth. Does your wife not feel any loyalty to her sister? You did the right thing.”
Another commenter added: “If she decides to divorce you over this then she wasn’t the person you needed to be with. Her not telling her sister may be a sign of how she feels about cheating. Your brother-in-law ruined her family and her sister’s life, not you.”