Woman Pays for Mom’s Entire Visit in Return for 1 Favor, but Her ‘Golden Child’ Brother’s Reaction Ruins the Holiday

A woman turned to the Reddit community for advice after a holiday went wrong, ending in a family fight and a shortened visit. Now, she’s unsure if she was wrong for pushing back on her younger brother’s request after she had already made plans with their mom.

The 34-year-old explained in her post that she and her 31-year-old brother live in different states but work in healthcare and earn similar salaries. “He’s the only boy and very much the ‘golden child’ in the eyes of our mom,” she writes.

Wanting to spend a holiday with family, the woman invited her mother to visit from their home country. She paid for her mom’s round-trip flight and even offered to drive her six hours each way so she could see her brother too.

Her husband and child were part of the plans, and the family looked forward to celebrating together. “When we talked about her visit, I asked if she could bring some wine from home, up to the legal duty-free limit,” she says, noting that the wine she wanted is rare and expensive locally.

The woman offered to pay her mom back for the wine, making the request practical and thoughtful. But things changed when her brother found out about it.

He asked their mom to bring him a bottle of specific liquor, which is “very easy to find here for the same price as back home.” Unlike his sister, he didn’t offer to pay and just expected it as a gift.

The woman spoke up, telling her mom to say no. “I was paying for the trip, reimbursing her for the wine, and my request was for something I couldn’t get here. His wasn’t,” she explains.

Their mom didn’t want to upset the brother, saying “he wouldn’t understand.” Trying to compromise, the woman suggested: “She could bring him one bottle, and I’d take one less of mine.”

Adding context, she explained the family dynamics. “My mom has always expected more from me. She says it’s because I’m the oldest and married to someone who makes good money.”

She also mentioned that culturally, parents often expect financial support from their children, but she feels the burden has mostly fallen on her, not her brother.

Even after agreeing on a compromise, her mom told the brother about it. As the woman feared, he reacted badly. “He got angry and called me entitled,” she writes, “saying that just because I paid for her ticket didn’t mean she should only bring things for me.”

To avoid conflict, she backed down. “To keep the peace, I said fine, bring me one less bottle and give him what he wants.”

But the holiday didn’t go smoothly. When the mom gave the brother his bottle, he “exploded,” the woman says. “He accused us of tricking him and claimed we must have bought it after my mom arrived.”

The two women insisted the bottle came from their home country, but the argument escalated and ruined the celebration.

The woman explains the main issue: the brother thought their mom giving her what she wanted instead of him meant she “had chosen [her] over him.”

“He yelled that I was selfish and had manipulated the whole situation,” she shares. The tension became so high that the visit was cut short, and they drove back the same day.

Now, she’s left trying to understand if she was wrong for asking her mom not to bring the liquor for her brother. “Is it really my fault that everything escalated?” she asks.

In the comments, many readers supported her, pointing out the unfair way she’s treated compared to her brother. One wrote, “Why go through all that hassle for a parent who always wants you to compromise when we damn well know it’s a sacrifice.”

Another commented on the emotional toll of giving in too much: “Stop setting yourself on fire to keep others warm,” echoing many in the thread.

Even though the woman tried to plan a thoughtful holiday and include everyone, her efforts to avoid conflict ended up causing more. Now, with the visit over and the damage done, she turns to Reddit looking for clarity and understanding.