'AITA for not hiring my husband’s son to work at my bakery?'
"AITA for not hiring my husband’s son to work at my bakery?"
Short version; I got with my hubby 6 months after he called off his wedding to his baby momma. His baby momma thought I was the mistress and told that to everyone and my hubby and I were shunned.
She and her family didn’t let me be a figure in the life of my hubby's son (with baby momma) so we aren’t close. My hubby's son still believes that I broke up his parents marriage. He now wants to work at my bakery but I don’t want to hire him since we don’t get along.
Long backstory ahead: My husband Russel and I met when we were 7 - we were childhood friends and then dated. Things ended when I had to live with my dad in San Francisco and we pretty much lost contact.
We met again at 22 when I moved back to Texas. He already had a kid, Jon, with his ex-fiancée Laurie. We fell in love again and started dating. I don't know where it started.
But, Laurie began to believe that I was his mistress since I had gotten with him 6 months after he called off their wedding. She went on to spread rumors to any and all who would listen. His family believed her and shunned me.
Russel did try to set the record straight, but his mom said she would never accept me in her family and he and I needed to understand that. Laurie was very clear that she didn't want me to be part of Jon's life at all - didn't want me to be a figure at all, just be Russel's wife/girlfriend.
After that, I really couldn't care less and just focused on my relationship with Russel. We got married and had to do it in a courtroom wedding since his family wouldn't show up and I don't have a family outside of him and our kids. But we made the best of our wedding and I loved every part of it.
His family did try to come around when Russel and I started having kids, but they would make snide comments at me and him, and we’ve now have minimal to no contact with them.
My relationship with Jon is really strained. He really believes that I broke up their parents' marriage and doesn't interact with me when he comes over. I don't mind since he's a good brother to my kids and that's all that matters.
I own a pretty bakery in our city and have 2 locations. I hire mostly close friends and my kids to work there (they get paid well, don't worry). I didn't hire Jon since I don't know him and I'm not close with him, which is why this whole problem started.
Jon is getting ready to go to college and needs a job during his gap year to save up money (I don't know why my husband is paying for his whole college tuition, and he would be staying with his aunt in the city the college is in). He asked me if I could hire him, and I told him no because I was fully staffed. He said okay, and I thought that was that.
Well, it wasn't. Since he told his mom, my mother-in-law, and my husband what happened. My mother-in-law demanded I hire him since it's a "family business." Again, I said no. My husband is on my side since it's my business at the end of the day, and I get to call the shots.
Jon's mom and my mother-in-law have been blowing up my phone with some other family members, all calling me a monster. AITA? I don’t want to hire him because I truly don’t know him and we don’t get along. I am not trying to be cruel, I just don’t think it would be a good employee-owner relationship.
Here were the top rated comments from readers in response to the OP's post:
Live_Western_1389
MIL thinks you should hire Jon because it’s a “family business”? I would remind them: “True. But you made it very clear that I am not your family. And Jon’s mother has raised him to believe that I broke up their marriage, which is a lie.”
Curl8200
NTA. I would have told him straight up why I wouldn't hire him. He doesn't like or respect you being the mains. The audacity out here is it's own pandemic. And then he runs and tattle tales. Real mature.
Majestic-Strength-74
Group text time!: Baby Mama, despite the fact that you KNEW Russel & I didn’t get together until 6 months after your relationship ended, you deliberately spread lies so you could pretend to be a victim.
Kirbywitch
I honestly don’t get it. They want him (your stepson) to have nothing to do with you. Now they want him to suddenly work for you. Something smells rotten… NTA. I wouldn’t hire him. There are plenty of other places for summer jobs.good luck ?
Abject_Sleep383
“It’s a family business!”
“No it’s MY business and you all have made it VERY apparent that I am not family!”
mladyhawke
Don't hire him if he has a grudge against you and is working in your business he can sabotage your business young people don't have fully developed empathy yet because they haven't faced any personal consequences.