卂几ᗪㄚ 丂ㄒ卂尺Ҝ

AITJ for refusing to pick up my niece anymore after finding out my sister was lying about working late? For the past four months, I've been picking up my sister's 7-year-old daughter from school two or three times a week. My sister kept telling me that her manager was scheduling mandatory late shifts and that she had nobody else who could pick her daughter up before after-school care closed. Since I work from home, she assumed it would be easier for me. It wasn't always easy, but I love my niece and didn't want her to be left without a ride. Picking her up usually meant ending my work early, driving about 25 minutes to her school, bringing her back to my apartment, feeding her dinner, and keeping her until my sister arrived around 8 or 9 p.m. I had to cancel plans a few times and reschedule meetings, but my sister always acted extremely grateful. She kept saying she hated having to ask me for so much help. Then something happened last Thursday. Around noon, my sister texted me saying someone had called out at work and she urgently needed me to pick up her daughter again. I already had plans that evening, but I rearranged everything because she made it sound like refusing could get her into trouble at work. Around 6 p.m., my niece asked if we could get ice cream, so we stopped at a shopping center near my apartment. That's when I saw something I wasn't expecting. My sister was sitting outside a restaurant with three friends, drinking cocktails and laughing. She looked shocked when she noticed us. At first, she claimed her shift had ended early. But then one of her friends casually mentioned that they had been shopping together since around 2 p.m. I looked at my sister, waiting for an explanation. That's when she finally admitted the truth. She had used me for school pickups several times when she wasn't actually working. According to her, it was the only chance she got to "have a life." She said being a single mother was exhausting and that I wouldn't understand. I was honestly hurt. I told her I would no longer be her regular pickup person. She needed to arrange after-school care or speak to our parents. I explained that I would still help during a genuine emergency, but I wasn't going to keep rearranging my work and personal life based on stories I couldn't trust. She became furious. She accused me of punishing my niece for something her mother had done. Since then, she's been telling our family that I suddenly abandoned her after promising to help. My mother thinks I should continue picking up my niece but establish clearer rules. She says my niece loves spending time with me and shouldn't suffer because of her mother's dishonesty. I love my niece too.

Everything was fine between us until one day, she suddenly stopped talking to me. I tried calling her, but she wouldn't answer. I sent messages, but she left them unread. I kept asking myself what I had done wrong. The most painful part wasn't the silence itself; it was knowing that someone who once couldn't go a day without talking to me could now spend days without saying a word. I finally sent her one last message: I don't know what happened between us, but I miss the way we used to be. If I've hurt you, please tell me. I'm not perfect, but I never wanted to become someone you regret loving. She read the message. But her reply left me speechless.

A week after the incident at school, I thought everything had finally settled down. My wife had been trying to move past what happened to our daughter. She was still upset about how the school had publicly embarrassed her, but I kept assuring her that everything would be fine. Until one afternoon, she received a phone call from the school. At first, she thought it was another complaint about our daughter's behaviour. But when she returned home, her face looked completely different. She walked straight into the living room, dropped her handbag on the sofa and asked me: Honey, is our daughter pregnant? I froze. What are you talking about? She pulled a folded document out of her handbag. The school nurse called me. They said our daughter has been visiting the clinic because she keeps feeling sick. They asked me to come in immediately. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Did they actually say she's pregnant? My wife looked at me with tears in her eyes. They asked me to take her for a medical examination. Just then, our daughter walked into the living room. She stopped when she saw both of us sitting there. Her mother stood up. Sweetheart, I need you to tell me the truth. Is there something you've been hiding from us? Our daughter lowered her head. For several seconds, nobody spoke. Then she started crying. Daddy, please don't be angry with me. My heart sank. I moved closer and gently asked her what had happened. She wiped her tears and finally said: Mum, I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you, but I was scared you would hate me. My wife covered her mouth. Then our daughter said something that left both of us speechless. The person responsible is someone you both know... My wife immediately asked: Who is he? Our daughter looked at me, trembling. And when she mentioned the name, I stood up so quickly that my chair fell backwards. Because the person she named was someone I never imagined could betray our family.