The internet has thrown its support behind a man whose seven-month-pregnant wife staged a “prank,” claiming their unborn child might not be his.
Redditor u/Ok-Swimming9365, a 31-year-old self-described “gullible” man, took to the AITAH (Am I The A*****) sub to recount the incident. He shared that his wife Lisa, known for her sense of humor and love of pranks, took things a step too far with this particular ruse.
The post quickly gathered over 15,000 upvotes, with many users flocking to express their sympathies.
“Today when I got home from work, Lisa had tears in her eyes and told me she needed to talk to me about something. I was seriously worried and sat down with her immediately. I asked what was wrong several times, and she kept saying it was hard to talk about and she was terrified I’d leave her,” he shared.
After his insistence, Lisa confessed that she had supposedly cheated with her boss and wasn’t certain of the baby’s paternity.
“I asked if she was serious, and she said she was 100% serious and started crying even harder.
“I got up, started pacing, and tried to gather my thoughts. After a few minutes, Lisa bursted into laughter and said she was just joking. I was furious. I said it wasn’t funny in the slightest to make jokes about cheating and the child not being mine,” he added.
When he questioned Lisa about her prank, she insisted it was harmless and blamed him for overreacting, even expressing surprise that he “actually thought she’d cheat.” Frustrated, he decided to leave the house and spent the evening at a bar to clear his mind.
Expert Weighs In
Certified life coach Marni Goldman, author of True to Myself: Peace, Love, believes there’s a line between humor and harm in relationships.
She told Newsweek: “This situation is a classic example of gaslighting, which is a form of psychological manipulation where one person seeks to make another doubt their reality or feelings.
“The wife not only planted seeds of doubt about their relationship but also invalidated her husband’s response. Expecting him to dismiss his feelings and accept her prank as harmless fun is manipulative and unfair.”
Goldman emphasized that everyone deserves the space to process feelings at their own pace and that “no one has the right to dictate how another person should feel or how quickly they should recover from emotional sadness.”
She pointed out that even though Lisa labeled her confession as a prank, it planted a seed of doubt that may take time to heal. “This prank was not just a harmless joke; it was an act of emotional cruelty.”
Reddit Reacts
Redditors rallied in support of Ok-Swimming9365, many calling out the insensitivity of Lisa’s prank.
“NTA. Send her fake divorce papers and let her see how funny it is for her,” suggested one user.
Another agreed, writing, “NTA: The worst part about this to me isn’t even the prank. It’s after the prank she sees you are upset, and instead of apologizing she blames you for believing her and begins to question you.”
One Redditor, xLilyLove, summed up the sentiment, saying, “NTA. The real issue is her response after the prank. Instead of apologizing for crossing a line, she blamed you for believing it. That’s not how you handle someone’s feelings.”
Newsweek reached out to u/Ok-Swimming9365 for comment via Reddit and the account has since been suspended. We could not verify the details of the case.
Newsweek’s “What Should I Do?” offers expert advice to readers. If you have a personal dilemma, let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice on relationships, family, friends, money and work and your story could be featured on WSID at Newsweek.
Read the full article here
