Reddit Stories - Sibling covertly captured me DISCUSSING my EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING to shame me at my

Episode Date: November 21, 2025

#redditstories #askreddit #aita #siblings #emotionalwellbeing #familydrama #privacyinvasion #trustissuesSummary: My sibling secretly recorded me discussing my emotional well-being to shame me. It caused family drama, trust issues, and invaded my privacy, leaving me feeling betrayed and vulnerable.Tags: redditstories, askreddit, reddit, aita, tifu, siblings, emotionalwellbeing, familydrama, privacyinvasion, trustissues, betrayal, vulnerability, covertrecording, siblingrivalry, personalboundaries, emotionalhealth, mentalwellness, familyrelationships, privacyviolation, emotionalvulnerabilityBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/reddit-stories--6237355/support.

I hope you enjoy this story. Sibling covertly captured me discussing my emotional well-being to shame me at my celebration, so I revealed her risque internet images to all and now my guardians expelled her. Me out for embarrassing the family. Hi, I'm Dixie, 18F, and I have an older sister named Bethany, 20F. Let me start by saying, Bethany is basically the definition of the golden child. She's got it all super pretty, super smart. was the president of the student council, and was even prom queen. She was always the star,

the one everyone looked up to. Meanwhile, I'm more of the quiet, laid-back type. I do well in school, but I'm not really into all the extracurricular stuff. My parents love to compare us, which honestly gets tiring after a while. They would always hype up Bethany and kind of brush off my achievements, no matter how hard I worked for them. It was like they could never see me as good enough. We have this weird situation with birthdays. You see, my birthday is only two days after Bethany's. So every year, they would throw this massive party for her, inviting all her friends, all the extended family, everyone.

It was a big deal, like full-on decorations, cake, presents, the whole shebang. But when it came to my birthday, oh, they'd be like, we can't invite anyone over again so soon, and I'd end up with this small, almost forgotten celebration. It wasn't that they didn't celebrate me, it just always felt like they didn't want me to take any attention away from Bethany during her week. It hurt, honestly. I always felt like I was standing in her shadow,

and it was so obvious that I wasn't the one they were proud of. Bethany was always indifferent about it. Sometimes, she'd act like I didn't exist, but other times she could be a real bully. I don't think she realized how much of her. it bothered me, but the constant comparison to her was really getting to me. I remember there were times when I'd ask for a little attention, and she'd just brush me off or make me feel dumb for it. It wasn't the best, to say the least. But then, about a week before Bethany's

birthday, something totally unexpected happened. She started showing interest in my life for once. Like, actually asking me how I was doing, what was going on with me, and for the first time ever, she wasn't acting like the perfect sibling and I was some kind of background character. We stayed up all night talking, literally all night. I started opening up about some stuff that had been bothering me, like how anxious I had been feeling lately, especially with college coming up. I even mentioned I was thinking about seeing a therapist because, well, things had just gotten overwhelming.

I couldn't believe I was actually talking to her about it, but it felt good. It felt like I was finally being heard. For once, I didn't feel like the Invisible Sister in the background. It was like, finally, we were connecting. So, naturally, when my birthday came around, I was pumped. I thought, hey, maybe this year will be different. Bethany actually insisted I should have a big birthday party, and to my surprise, my parents agreed.

They were all in, and for the first time, I wasn't going to be left in the dust. I was ecstatic, you guys. I invited all my friends, I invited the family, basically everyone I could think of, and they all showed up. Bethany was even making this super cool video for me that she planned to show on a projector during the party. She said it was going to be a highlight of the night. Everything was going great, I thought.

This was it. The birthday I had always dreamed of. But then, something totally unexpected happened. Ruby, 45F, pulled me aside during the party, and I thought she was just going to say something like, hey, happy birthday. But no, she had something else on her mind. She asked me if I needed help with something, and I was all confused, like, what do you mean? That's when she dropped the bombshell. Apparently, Bethany had shown her this video she made of me talking about my anxiety, how I was planning to see a therapist, and just basically all these vulnerable moments I had

shared with her. I was shocked. Like, seriously shocked. Not only did she record me without my permission, but now she was showing it to everyone? In front of Aunt Ruby? I was so mad I didn't even know what to do with myself. And then it got worse. Aunt Ruby goes on to tell me that Bethany had tons of other videos, too.

Videos where I talked about my crushes, some weird dates I had been on, and just random personal stuff I thought was private. And then the worst thought hit me, was she planning to show them all during the party? In front of the family? The thought of it made me want to scream. It felt like I was about to have my entire life exposed in front of everyone, and I couldn't do anything about it. My sister, the person I thought I could trust, was just throwing my privacy out the window. Now, I'll be honest, at this point, I was beyond angry.

I wanted to do something back, something to make her feel what I was feeling. So I decided to get a little petty. Bethany has this secret Instagram account, right? One that she uses for all her private stuff. She even has one specifically for her parents and family, but I never had access to it. But, like I said, I was mad, and I was going to make sure she knew how it felt. So, I did what any petty sibling would do, I stole her phone. I know, I know, not the best idea, but honestly, I wasn't thinking straight.

at the time. Her password was super easy to guess, I mean, really? So I logged into her secret Instagram, and there it was, her entire hidden life, the one she thought no one knew about. I grabbed all the pictures from her account. Pictures of her partying, kissing guys, and one even where she was kissing a girl. I don't know why, but seeing that last one felt like an extra slap in the face. It's like she was this perfect, untouchable person in the family, and now I had something to hold over her head. So, what did I do? I took those photos and showed them to everyone at the party through the projector.

Yep. I did that. I'm not even going to lie. It felt kind of satisfying to watch her face turn bright red when people started seeing her secret life. Now, here we are. My parents are furious, Bethany is furious, and honestly, I'm not sure if I've crossed a line. I mean, yes, I'm petty, but it's not like I exposed anything that was truly harmful. It was just her own little secrets that she thought she could hide from everyone.

But now, the entire family knows everything. And yeah, I probably shouldn't have gone that far, but in the moment, it felt like a way to get back at her for betraying my trust. So, Reddit, did I go too far with this? Was I wrong for exposing her secrets like that, or was it a justified response? to her betrayal. Honestly, I'm torn, but I don't think I can take back what happened. What do you think? Update 1, hi everyone. It's been a week since I posted this story, and things have gotten so much worse. I honestly thought things would settle down after the party, maybe some awkwardness,

a few tense conversations, and then life would go back to normal. But nope. My parents went nuclear. Like full-on, no coming back from this level of mad. After the projector incident, my parents were furious. At both of us. You'd think they'd at least hear me out and understand why I did what I did, but no. In their eyes, I committed some horrible crime by airing out family secrets. The irony is, Bethany did the exact same thing to me, except worse, because she filmed me without my consent and was ready to publicly humiliate me in front of everyone. But somehow, that didn't matter. What mattered was that I had exposed the golden child, the perfect daughter, the one they could never find fault with. My mom was yelling about

how ashamed she was of Bethany, which, okay, fine, I get that. I mean, some of those pictures were a lot, partying, kissing guys, kissing a girl, which, let's be real, wouldn't have been a problem if our family wasn't so traditional. But instead of focusing on how messed up it was that Bethany had violated my trust first, they turned on me. They said I was just as bad for doing something so vindictive, for embarrassing the family in front of all our relatives. My dad kept saying things like,

you had no right to do that, and this is not how we handle problems in this family. But like, what am I supposed to do when every time I try to handle things the right way, I get ignored? When I try to tell them how I feel, they brush me off. When I try to stand up for myself, I'm causing drama. And now, apparently, when I get even a tiny taste of justice, I'm ruining the family's reputation.

And then they drop the bombshell, they're kicking me out. Yep. They actually said that. My dad straight up told me that I had one week to find a place to stay because they can't have someone who disrespects family living under their roof. I was speechless. I honestly thought they were bluffing at first, just saying it in the heat of the moment. But no, they're dead serious. I tried to explain my side again, but they weren't having it.

My mom just kept shaking her head, saying, You crossed a line, Dixie. You don't do that to your own sister. Like, oh, but it's totally fine for my own sister to do it to me. That's not crossing a line. Bethany, by the way, hasn't even tried to defend me. Not that I expected her to, but part of me thought maybe she'd feel some guilt. But nah, she's just sulking, playing the victim, acting like I ruined her life. I overheard her telling my mom that she didn't even mean to hurt me and that the video she made

was supposed to be funny and lighthearted, as if showing everyone my private thoughts, my anxieties, my embarrassing crushes, and personal struggles is something to laugh about. and what's worse? My parents believed her. My mom actually said, She wasn't trying to humiliate you, Dixie. She just made a mistake. Oh, so she makes a mistake, and she gets sympathy.

I retaliate, and I get kicked out. Make it make sense. So now I have a week to figure out what to do. I was supposed to be taking a gap year before college. I'm still waiting on my college acceptance, so it's not like I can just pack up and move into a dorm. I do have a job, but it's not nearly enough to afford a place of my own, not even a tiny studio.

I've got some money saved up, but again, nowhere near enough for rent, deposits, and, you know, just surviving. I'm freaking out, honestly. I've never lived on my own before, and I have no idea how I'm going to make this work. I guess I could try to crash with a friend, but I don't want to impose. Most of my friends still live with their parents, and I doubt their families would be thrilled about taking in an extra person, especially one with family drama attached. I have some extended family, but considering they were all at the party and saw the whole

thing go down, I doubt they'd be willing to take my side in this. Aunt Ruby might be an option, since she at least seemed concerned when she warned me about the video, but she's always been pretty hands-off with family conflicts, so I don't know if she'd want to get involved. I've been looking at cheap rooms for rent, but the prices are insane, and most of them require deposits I just don't have. I could try finding a second job, but that would take time, and I only have a week. I feel like I'm running out of options. And honestly, I'm heartbroken. Not even about leaving home, but about the fact that my parents were willing to throw me out so easily. Like, I always knew they favored Bethany, but I guess some part of me

hoped they still loved me enough to not just abandon me like this. It hurts. A lot. So, Reddit, any advice? What would you do in my situation? I'm open to anything at this point. Update 2. Hi everyone. I know it's been two months, but things have been chaotic. I thought I'd have a little time to process everything, but nope, my life has been one thing after another. So, after my parents kicked me out, I first asked Aunt Ruby if I could stay with her for a few months until I got my college results. She said no, claiming she didn't have the space. Which, fine, I get that. But then I asked my grandparents, thinking for sure they'd say yes because, you know, they're my grandparents, and they basically told me the same thing. That one hurt. I always thought

that, no matter what, family was supposed to have your back. Guess not. At that point, I was kind of panicking. I had a job and some savings, but definitely not enough to get my own place. I was seriously considering sleeping in my car or crashing on random couches. But then my amazing friend Brenda, 18F, stepped in. She asked her parents if I could stay with them for a while, and they actually agreed. I almost cried when she told me. It was the first time in weeks that I felt like someone actually cared about what was happening to me.

So, I moved in with Brenda's family, and honestly, they have been so kind to me. They don't make me feel like a burden, even though I definitely feel like one sometimes. I try to help out however I can, doing dishes, cooking meals, running errands, because the last thing I want is for them to regret taking me in. But then my parents decided that wasn't enough drama for them, so they started harassing Brenda's parents. literally pulling them aside a church to tell them that they were ruining their plans by letting me stay. Apparently, they thought kicking me out would teach me a lesson, and Brenda's family

was getting in the way of that. Like, what even was the lesson supposed to be? That I should just accept being treated like garbage? That I should apologize for existing? Thankfully, Brenda's parents are actually decent people, and they shut that down real quick. They told my parents that kicking out their own daughter over some petty drama wasn't teaching a lesson, it was just cruel. And that meant so much to me. It was the first time in my life that I felt like someone was actually standing up for me. Meanwhile, Bethany got off with just a warning.

Like, my parents said they'd cut her off if she didn't change her ways, but of course, they didn't actually do anything. She's still in her hostile, living her life, and probably feeling zero consequences for what she did. typical golden child treatment. And I won't lie, living with Brenda's family has been weird. Not because of them, they've been amazing, but because I feel this weird mix of gratitude and guilt. Like, I'm beyond thankful they took me in, but I also keep thinking, why did it have to come to this? Why did my own family throw me away so easily? It's hard not to let that mess

with my head. I have also been receiving messages from Bethany, who keeps telling me that she's going to ruin my life, just like I ruined hers. And honestly? At first, I thought she was just being dramatic. Like, yeah, I exposed her secret Instagram, but let's be real, she was not some innocent victim in all this. She literally recorded me without my consent and planned to humiliate me in front of our entire family and my friends. But according to her, I'm the villain. At first, I ignored her messages, but they just kept coming. Some of them were. were just petty, like, hope you enjoy being homeless, loser. Others were straight up unhinged. Like, I'll make sure you regret ever messing with me. I don't even know what she thinks she can do,

but the constant harassment got to me. I started feeling this pit of anxiety every time my phone buzzed, thinking it was another message from her. It got so bad that I actually started seeing a therapist. Admitting that I needed therapy felt huge for me. My family has always been the type that thinks therapy is for people who are weak or making excuses for their bad behavior. So even though I always knew I needed help, I never really considered it an option until now. But Brenda's parents were the ones who encouraged me, and honestly, therapy has been helping. It's slow progress, but just having someone listened to me and validate my feelings has been

kind of life-changing. But just as I was starting to get a little bit of control over my life, of course, something else had to go wrong. Last week, I got accepted into one of the colleges I applied to. It wasn't my absolute dream school, but it was better than my safety schools, so I was actually pretty excited about it. For the first time in months, I felt like things were maybe starting to turn around. The problem? My formal acceptance letter and financial aid package were mailed to my home address, which means I had to go back to my parents' house to get it. I knew it was

going to be awkward, but I figured, okay, maybe they'll just let me grab my stuff and leave. Like, at the very least, they could pretend to be civil for five minutes, right? I showed up at the house and knocked. No answer. Rang the doorbell. Nothing. I tried calling my mom's phone and it was straight to voicemail. So I knocked again. And again. And again. I must have been standing outside the door for a full hour, just waiting. At one point, I even saw movement through the window, so I knew she was in there. She was just straight up refusing to open the door for me. Like, how petty can you be? You kick your own daughter out, and then when she comes back for literal college documents,

you just ignore her? I was getting more and more frustrated, but I didn't want to start yelling outside like a crazy person, so I left. Now, I have no idea what to do. My financial aid package is in that letter, and I need it. The college said they send it through regular mail, so there's no tracking number or anything. I already called them, and they said they could send another one, but it would take a couple of weeks, and I don't know if I have that kind of time. I also don't know if my mom actually threw the letter away or if she's just holding on to it to be spiteful. Does anyone know what I can do? Like, legally, do I have any rights here? Or am I just screwed?

Update 3, wow, I honestly didn't think I'd get to this point, but here we are. I'm officially done with them. Like, for real this time. So yeah, I ended up waiting for the second package because there really wasn't much else I could do. But, of course, nothing in my life is ever simple. Turns out, I still needed a bunch of stuff from my parents for financial aid, things like tax documents, signatures, proof of income. You know, all the stuff that normal parents would just give their kid without turning it into a full-blown war. But, as we've established, my parents aren't normal. At first,

I tried asking them nicely through text. No response. I called, straight to voicemail. Brenda even suggested that I try having one of my aunts talk to them on my behalf. But yeah, no. Aunt Ruby barely wanted to help me when I needed a place to stay, and the rest of my family was either indifferent or actively avoiding me. So, I had to get creative. And that's when I realized. I knew exactly where my parents would be that Sunday. Church. Now, before you guys think I went in there and caused some dramatic soap opera-style scene, I didn't. I just waited for the service to end, walked right up to them in front of the pastor and started talking loudly. I was polite. I was respectful. But I made sure everyone within earshot could hear me. Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad. I really need those

documents for my financial aid. Can we talk about that now? And oh my God, you guys, the looks on their faces. My mom looked like she just swallowed a lemon, and my dad went bright red. I could see the gears turning in their heads, like, do we make a scene in church, or do we play along? They reluctantly agreed. But the second we stepped outside, my mom grabbed my arm, pulled me aside, and hissed at me. Like, actually hissed in that low, angry mom voice. What kind of game are you playing. And I just, snapped. I was done playing nice. I looked her dead in the eyes and said, if you try to screw with my college admissions, I will make sure everyone in this church knows exactly what kind of parents you are. I'll make sure you're so embarrassed that you won't be

able to show your face here ever again. And just like that, I had them. It was kind of funny, actually. My whole life, they've used shame and public image as a weapon against me. They've ignored me, belittled me, made me feel like I was less than just because I wasn't Bethany. But the second I flipped the script and used their own game against them? Oh, suddenly they wanted to cooperate. Long story short, they handed over every single document I needed. I got their signatures. I double-checked everything before walking away.

And the best part? That was it. I don't ever have to deal with them again. No more begging for scraps of attention, no more fighting for what should have been basic parental support, no more feeling like an afterthought. I have everything I need to move forward. I won't lie, it still hurts. There's a part of me that wishes they had just been better.

That they had loved me the way they loved Bethany. But at the end of the day, I can't change them, and honestly, I don't even want to anymore. I'm free now. and I'm never looking back. Update 4. Wow. I really thought I was done with all of this. I thought I had finally gotten everything sorted and could just move on.

But nope, my mom had to pull one last stunt before I left. So, yeah, I'm leaving for college tomorrow. It still doesn't feel real, but I'm excited and terrified at the same time. I was trying to be responsible, making a list of everything I needed to pack. and I realized there were still a lot of my things back at the house. Stuff like clothes, blankets, and a few personal things that actually mattered to me. You know, normal things that any reasonable person would assume they'd be able to take. I sent my mom a text, just to be polite.

I wasn't even asking. I just told her, hey, I'll be coming by to grab the rest of my stuff. She left me on scene. Didn't even bother responding. I should have known right then that she was about to pull some crap. Anyway, I went over the next day. The front door was unlocked, so I just walked in. I figured, hey, it's still technically my home too, right?

I used to live there. My room was still my room. My stuff was still my stuff. Or so I thought. I started packing, just minding my own business, when my mom suddenly barged in. No knock, no warning, just straight up stormed into the room like she was catching me robbing the place. What do you think you're doing?

She asked, all dramatic. I just blinked at her, holding a half-folded hoodie in my hands. Um, packing? She crossed her arms and gave me that look, you know, the mom look. The one that means she's about to ruin your whole day. That's not your stuff, she said. I actually laughed because I thought she was joking. Like, what? I literally bought some of these things with my own money. My clothes, my books,

my freaking bed sheets, what was she even talking about? But no. She was dead serious. She said that because she and my dad had technically bought most of these things over the years, they belonged to her. And since I had decided to disrespect this family, I wasn't entitled to take anything with me. I was standing there, staring at her, trying to process. what kind of insanity I was dealing with, and she just, took my suitcase. She physically took it from me and told me to get out. I honestly don't even remember what I said after that. I think I just stood there for a solid minute, too stunned to speak, before I grabbed my phone and walked out. There was no point in arguing. I wasn't going to win. She wanted a reaction

from me, and I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction. But, man, that hurt. I had already come to terms with the fact that my parents didn't really care about me. But this? This was something else. This was spite. This was just a final, petty little way for my mom to make sure I knew that I wasn't welcome anymore. So yeah. I left with nothing.

I don't even remember venting about it that much, but I must have mentioned it to Brenda, because the next day, her parents took me out shopping. And I don't mean, like, a small shopping. trip. I mean, they spoiled me. New clothes, toiletries, towels, bedding, literally everything my mom had refused to let me take. They even got me a few dishes and a cute little lamp for my dorm. I cried. I never cry in front of people, but I just lost it in the middle of the store. These weren't even my parents, and yet, in that moment, they had done more for me than my actual family ever had. Honestly, the last few days have been a blur. Between packing, last

minute shopping, and trying not to completely break down, I haven't had much time to process everything. But now that I'm sitting here, thinking about it all, I realize something. I don't feel as angry as I thought I would. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm mad. I'm mad that my parents could be so cruel that they made it clear I was never really wanted, but at the same time, there's this weird sense of relief. Like, I don't have to keep hoping for their approval anymore. I don't have to spend every holiday pretending that I don't see the way they favor Bethany. I don't have to deal with my mom's passive-aggressive comments or my dad's indifference. I'm free. And maybe that's the best thing that could have happened to me.

Brenda's family has been incredible. They even threw me a little going. away dinner last night, just to celebrate this new chapter in my life. Brenda's dad told me that their home is always open to me, no matter what happens. And that meant more than I can even put into words. I also want to say thank you to everyone who has been listening and helping me through this.