Following the death of his beloved wife, a widowed father found a second chance at love with his fiancée. But during a family dinner, she made a joke about his late wife that profoundly disturbed him and his children. This incident forced him to make a difficult decision about their future together.
On October 13, 2023, an anonymous male poster turned to the “AITAH” subreddit to share his story. He provided some background details about his life, starting with the fact that he was a father to two children, Sam, 21, and Liz, 16, from his late wife Kayla. The man, 43, lost his wife when their kids were 15 and 10 years old, respectively.
Kayla was a victim of a drunk driving accident on her way home from work. Her loss had a profound impact on the family, and the widowed father made a personal vow not to enter the dating scene for a few years, prioritizing the well-being of his children.
Three years after his wife’s passing, the man met a woman referred to as Amanda. Their relationship progressed at a cautious pace, and he waited a year before introducing her to his children. By that time, he and Amanda had been together for three years and had gotten engaged.
Liz remained silent, refusing to communicate with her father or Amanda since that night.
Although Amanda had initially shown insecurity about the man’s past with his late wife, questioning hypothetical scenarios, he responded by emphasizing the importance of their current relationship over dwelling on “what ifs.” Eventually, Amanda stopped making such comments, and the man found relief from his initial concerns about the situation.
Everything seemed to be going well for the couple until the man’s parents invited them over for dinner to celebrate their engagement. The gathering included the man’s parents, his late wife’s sister and her husband, Sam, Liz, and of course, him and Amanda.
Initially, the atmosphere during the dinner was warm and friendly. The conversation flowed smoothly, including casual topics as well as the engaged couple’s wedding plans. However, the pleasant ambiance was shattered when the man’s mother made a seemingly innocent remark about his ability to find a similar spark with Amanda as he had with his late wife, Kayla.
While this comment might have gone unnoticed, Amanda’s response changed everything. She shockingly laughed and uttered, “I’m happy she died, otherwise I would have never gotten him to myself.” The room fell into an abrupt, uncomfortable silence. Everyone, especially the kids, became visibly tense.
Amanda seemed to realize the impact of her words and attempted to salvage the situation with forced laughter as if trying to pass off her comment as a joke. The man, caught off guard and deeply disturbed by Amanda’s statement, found himself unable to react.
His children, particularly Liz, expressed disgust, prompting her to leave the table and head out to the car. Sam hesitated, waiting for his dad to respond, but the man remained speechless, still processing the shock of Amanda’s words.
In the aftermath of the disastrous dinner, the widowed man bid farewell to his family, ushering Amanda away from the tense atmosphere. As the car pulled away, the weight of the evening hung heavily in the air. Days passed, and the rift between the father, his daughter Liz, and Amanda grew. Liz remained silent, refusing to communicate with her father or Amanda since that night.
Feeling the strain on his family, the father sought counsel from his son, Sam. In their conversation, Sam expressed a sentiment that echoed his sister’s feelings—he didn’t want someone in their lives who could speak so disrespectfully about their late mother. Sam’s words resonated deeply with the man, planting seeds of doubt about his relationship with Amanda.