Groom's Distant Stepbrother 'Demands' to be Made Best Man or Threatens to Skip Wedding

A man turns to nan Reddit organization for proposal pursuing a family fallout complete his wedding plans.

The 24-year-old groom-to-be says he is now questioning his prime for champion man aft his stepbrother and stepmother confronted him astir it.

The man explains that picking his champion friend, “Charles,” was “a no-brainer” because his narration pinch his stepbrother, “Pete,” has ne'er been close.

“Yeah, we’re measurement brothers, but we ne'er lived together,” he shares. “I utilized to unrecorded pinch my mom and he lives pinch my dada and measurement mom.”

According to him, nan 2 ne'er went to schoolhouse together and only spent constricted clip together erstwhile he visited his dad. “Even then, nan times he came retired of his room erstwhile I was complete were fewer and acold between,” he writes. “Even successful nan past 6 months, I tin count connected 1 manus nan number of times I’ve talked to Pete.”

In contrast, his enslaved pinch Charles is heavy and long-standing. “Whereas I’ve talked to Charles beautiful overmuch each time successful nan past 6 months,” he writes. “I utilized to induce Pete to do things pinch maine and telephone to chat truthful we could really person a brotherly narration but he ne'er accepted immoderate of my invitations aliases answered immoderate of my calls truthful I gave up trying.”

He notes that Pete “made it clear” he didn’t want overmuch to do pinch him, while Charles has been a changeless presence. “Charles and I person known each different for 11 years and we utilized to bent retired beautiful overmuch each day,” he explains. “He chose maine arsenic his champion man for his wedding.”

The groom describes Charles arsenic “like an older brother” and personification he has turned to for guidance galore times. “If I’m being wholly honest, I spot Charles arsenic a relative while I don’t really spot Pete arsenic a brother, aliases moreover a measurement brother, conscionable nan boy of nan female my dada married,” he writes.

He insists he has thing against Pete personally and that his stepbrother will still beryllium astatine nan wedding. “He seemed for illustration a decent feline and he was (and still is) invited to nan wedding,” he shares. “He conscionable wasn’t successful nan wedding statement because he’s fundamentally a stranger.”

But tensions escalated erstwhile Pete recovered retired astir his prime for champion man. “He said he was wounded that I didn’t take him, past he demanded I make him my champion man,” nan groom recalls. “I apologized and said I was sticking pinch Charles and he messaged back, saying he wasn’t coming if he wasn’t my champion man.”

Roughly 30 minutes later, his stepmother called, and nan speech quickly turned heated. “She went disconnected connected maine for not choosing Pete arsenic my champion man,” he writes. “She said I should person chosen him because ‘we’re brothers.’ ”

The telephone ended pinch an ultimatum. “She ended her rant by saying she wasn’t coming if Pete wasn’t my champion man, past she hung up,” he writes. Shortly after, his begetter texted, urging him to springiness successful to “keep nan peace.”

Now, pinch only 2 weeks until nan wedding, he admits he is torn. “There’s this small sound successful nan backmost of my caput that’s wondering if I should conscionable make Pete my champion man,” he writes. “AITA for choosing my champion friend alternatively of my measurement relative arsenic my champion man?”

The station has sparked a activity of support for nan groom’s determination to support Charles successful nan role. One commenter tells him, “This is your day. Charles sounds for illustration nan BEST MAN for nan job. Tell your family that you’ll miss them astatine nan wedding, but Charles is it.”

Another points retired that Pete had years to build a narration but didn’t. “The stepbrother had galore opportunities to beryllium person to nan OP complete nan years and ne'er met nan OP half way,” nan commenter replies. “The OP made nan correct prime arsenic champion man because he picked personification who he is really adjacent to not because they are ‘family.’”

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The groom’s communicative resonated pinch galore readers who spot his prime arsenic a reflection of genuine relationship complete obligation. While his family pressures him to change nan lineup, his enslaved pinch Charles remains nan strongest statement for his decision. “Charles and I are really close,” he adds. “I’ve been location for him erstwhile he needs me, and he’s been location for me.”

Whether aliases not Pete changes his mind astir attending, nan groom seems to cognize who he tin count connected erstwhile nan large time arrives.