Sometimes a secret is better left unsaid.
Certain bombshells can truly destroy a family and stir all kinds of mess within a household. But we all know it can be difficult keeping a confession from your significant, so you’re forced to share the details even though it might hurt them.
Now one woman is currently in that situation after her brother-in-law dropped a mega bombshell on her which he’s kept to himself for a total of five years. And the bad thing is, the secret could potentially ruin the relationship with his sibling.
Posting on Reddit, the woman said she was out wedding dress shopping with her future sister-in-law and some friends, and when they got back to their house, they had some mimosas to celebrate having found the perfect gown.
Later on, the woman was in the kitchen alone with her brother-in-law, who said he had something he needed to tell her because it was “eating away at him”. But nothing could have prepared her for the five words he uttered next: “I have feelings for you.”
He added he’d been feeling this way “for a few years” and hadn’t been able to say anything about it, but wanted to know if there was any chance she felt the same way.
She said: “I completely froze and just shook my head; I told him that no, I have never thought about him in any way other than as a friend and a brother, and I never would.
“Before he said anything else, I bolted back to his fiancée and the other girls there. I very discreetly told her I got my period and wasn’t feeling well and would have someone come get me, and then come by soon for more wedding planning. She thought nothing of it, and I called my best friend to pick me up.”
The woman – who has been in a relationship with her husband for five years and married for two – said there is “no question” she would tell her husband exactly what happened when he got home from work that evening. However, she’s worried that it could fracture the relationship between her partner and his brother, and she’s also unsure whether she should say anything to the bride-to-be.
She added: “I just have no idea where to go from there. Do I tell his fiancée, do I make him tell her, do I leave it, do I have my husband talk to him?”
Commenters on the post were supportive of the woman, encouraging her to tell her husband first and then decide as a team what to do next with the information. However, most backed the idea of telling the bride as she deserved to know.
One said: “Tell your husband first and agree on the next steps. The best outcome for this situation would be for you and your husband to confront the brother and tell him that HE needs to tell his wife, not you.” Another added: “I think your response, actions, and plans to discuss with your husband are perfect. Certainly, discuss with him and follow his lead. I wouldn’t tell his fiancée before discussing it with your husband.”