Definition: Given a real-life anecdote of a complex ethical situation, generate a suitable title that describes the main event/root cause of the situation. Imagine that the given text is a social media post, and you have to write the title of the post, so the users can decide to read the main text or not.
Input: Let me preface this off by blaming all of you, the entirety of reddit for desensitizing me, and giving me major trust issues on April fools day.

So here it goes... Yesterday I got a group text from my wifes (sarah) side of the family stating there was an emergency family meeting happening that night over dinner at my mother in laws (Barb) house. 

I immediately had april fools spidey senses starting to tingle, but we haven't all got together since Christmas birthday so I overlooked it and said we (my wife and I ) were in. 

We were the last to arrive and it was pretty somber when we walked in. We all sat down at the table and my wifes brother (Tim) informed the family that his wife (Ashley)  has been having an affair and they are divorcing. The affair was with a long time close family friend (Chris) who lived a block away.


Chris' wife (jen) had caught them when she came home early one day last week and broke the news to my brother in law Tim. 

Both families have been friends for years. They live less than a block from each other, they each have been married for 15+ years, have 4 kids right around the same age. Honestly, I have always thought both of them were picture perfect families. Hell, all four of them and their kids were at our house two weeks ago for a bbq. 

Anyways after airing a lot of dirty laundry, and their plans to divorce, how it could effect future family functions, and opening it up to the group of any questions... there was silence. 

I broke the silence with laughter and a slow clap. Saying this was the best april fools gag I've ever seen but I wasn't falling for it. I told Ashley and especially Tim they need to consider going into theater, their performances were top notch and tears seemed genuine. 

Being the newest member of the family (my wife and I married 6 months ago) this was probably not the best thing to say in hindsight. I probably should not have said anything. 

Everyone in the room looked horrified. 

My mother in law, who had been crying the entire time, lost all composure. She left the room in hysterics and did not return before we left. 

Tim, just shook his head, and his cheating wife actually let out a brief chuckle before calling me out for being a dumbass for thinking this was a ruse. Then berating me for being so insensitive. 


The rest of the family sat in silence shaking their heads as my wife berated me for trying to make a joke out of a serious situation...


I am still dumbfounded. In hindsight, I probably should have sat in silence... but I honestly still feel like I was calling out an april fools gag. 


Am I the asshole?




thinking a divorce announcement due to an affair was an April fools joke