She also recognized that Noah’s mother wished for a genuine jewelry box, so she chose one the older woman had previously admired. For her fiancé’s father, she purchased a spacious office frame capable of holding family photos.
The gift addressed his longstanding complaint of not finding one large or elegant enough to hold family photos.
She filled it with images provided by Noah. For her fiancé’s other sister, she bought her favorite makeup, alleviating her recent budget constraints.
She also gave Noah’s brother a signed piece of memorabilia from his favorite sports. For the remaining nieces and nephews, she fulfilled wish list items their parents had yet to acquire.
Noah assured her that his family would love her carefully selected gifts.
However, on Christmas Day, OP noticed a shift in the atmosphere. Though Noah had suggested that her efforts weren’t necessary, emphasizing the extensive time and effort she had invested in tracking down specific items, OP couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss during the celebration, with her saying:
“I spent the whole time worrying that I had bought them stuff they didn’t like anymore or something.”
Her fiancé’s family didn’t say anything, but the next day, they asked Noah what she had been thinking: buying them such personal items like a stalker since she was almost a stranger to them. OP was left distressed and offered them her sincerest apologies during their subsequent encounter.
Sadly, her attempts to make amends were futile, with one of Noah’s sisters calling her a stalker to her face.
The sister even went as far as telling her that it was no wonder OP’s family didn’t want her if she was so “creepy” to do things like that.
Noah intervened, defending his fiancée and expressing his disagreement with his family’s reaction. OP apologized again and told them she didn’t mean to hurt anyone and would learn from it. Sadly, they told her she had overstepped.
Her fiancé believed she hadn’t done anything wrong and didn’t deserve his family’s hard criticism.
He felt she deserved an apology, but the emotional turmoil left OP grappling with whether she should seek external opinions on her actions.
Adding a layer to the complexity, OP revealed her difficult upbringing, growing up in an unhappy home with unkind parents and a strained relationship with her older sister. Her sister’s animosity stemmed from their shared experiences with their parents.
It led to OP being left with no familial support by the age of 16 and experiencing homelessness for a significant period. Despite having spoken with her fiancé’s family on the phone, she had only met them in person recently due to the challenges posed by COVID-19 and living in different cities at the time.
Their familial dynamics were reportedly harmonious before these events unfolded.
She mentioned that the family did not return the gifts but gave her gift cards. OP also noted Noah’s plan to address the situation with his family once he calmed down, highlighting his readiness to reconsider their relationship if apologies were not offered.
