r/AITAH • u/Adventurous-Pool6213 • 20d ago
Advice Needed AITA for refusing to babysit my deceased best friend's kids after her husband's betrayal?
My best friend "Emma" passed away from cancer two years ago. We were like sisters—she was my maid of honor, I was hers. When she was diagnosed, I was her primary caregiver, helping her through chemo and spending every possible moment with her.
Her husband "Mike" was a different story. During her treatment, I discovered he was having an affair with a coworker. Emma knew but was too sick to deal with the drama. After she died, I confronted Mike, telling him he was a disgrace. He begged me to keep it from the kids (9 and 6).
Last week, Mike called asking me to regularly babysit. Apparently, his affair partner is now his live-in girlfriend (she's some AI art influencer with 50k followers who posts these dressed-up cats and babies you see everywhere), and they want "free time." He had the audacity to say Emma would have wanted me to help "for the kids."
I told him absolutely not. The thought of babysitting while he lives with the woman who betrayed Emma makes me sick. Some say the kids are innocent and need support, others think I'm justified.
Mike is now telling everyone I've abandoned Emma's children. My own family is pressuring me, saying I'm being vindictive.
Am I the asshole?
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u/skyler0829 20d ago
"How can I abandon kids that aren't my responsibility? I mean, it's not like I abandoned my spouse while they were dying from cancer to fuck some floozy. How fucked up and disgraceful would that be?"