When you're in a friendship group, sometimes you just have to accept that some people attract the "spotlight" more than others - but that doesn't necessarily mean that they have to act up more to their reputation.
One woman was left fuming after her friend told her that she wanted to announce her pregnancy at her birthday party, but she didn't want the shine to be taken away from her special day because it had been a while since she'd had a "big gathering with all her friends."
When the woman received a message in a group chat about her friend's "exciting news" she was left baffled at what it could possibly be - so when she did some digging, she was horrified that her friend would try and take the attention away from her on what was supposed to be a really significant day for her.
She wrote on Reddit: "Leah has always been one of those people who always wants to be in the spotlight. This never l bothered me as I am quite an introverted person. Anyways skipping to my birthday. We have been planning this party for a long time as I have been really depressed the past couple of years and this was my first big gathering with all my friends and family who were also there to support my recovery.
"I was sending out the invites and was really excited. We were ordering pizzas and KFC which are my two absolute favourites. Anyways I tell everyone in the group chat that we will be ordering this and everyone is excited but then Leah messages and says she 'can't have that' because she is vegan. She then went on to say it was disrespectful that I wasn't being inclusive to everyone.
"In private messages she started going on about how it was really rude of me to not have asked before organising food and that I was 'discriminating against her being a vegan' so I got really stressed and didn't know what to do. I then said I would order her some food separately from a vegan place and that I would pay and she went quiet."
But the drama didn't stop there, as the day before the party, Leah sent a message in the group chat, tagging everyone, saying that she had some "exciting news" she wanted to share at the party.
She continued: "Confused about this, I messaged her personally and asked what this was about as I didn't quite understand why she had to announce it on MY birthday. It also p***ed me off how she was texting the group chat as if she was the one who was organising the party. We have quite a lot of mutual friends but at the end of the day it was MY GROUPCHAT and she was treating it like it was some mass gathering for her.
"Leah said she was 'planning on telling everyone about her pregnancy'. I was shocked. Not only did I feel like she was purposefully trying to ruin my birthday but I was even more hurt she didn't even ask me first. After all it was MY birthday party.
"I told her I did not want her to announce it on my birthday and that I found it really rude of her to not have asked me first. She then went OFF at me and started complaining about how this was her 'only opportunity to do it' as 'everyone would be there' and the 'timing was so perfect' and that I had 'ruined her plan' and that I am a 'selfish and bad friend' for not being happy for her.
"She then said she can do 'whatever the f she wants and I can't stop her from announcing it'. I was too stressed that I sent her a text uninviting her to my party and then blocked her. All day I got calls and texts from her family saying I was 'selfish and rude' and that I 'was narcissistic' and that I was a 'bad friend'. They all basically called me an a**hole for uninviting her and for being really 'mean' to her too. All these texts made me feel really guilty and like an a**hole", and she then asked whether she was in the wrong.
In the comments, people were wondering why the friend would want to hijack her birthday event to share her own news.
One wrote: "It's rude to steal someone else's event for your own announcements. I would disinvite her. You know she is going to make a scene. Or I would be petty and make an announcement and tag everyone invited about Leah's pregnancy."
Someone suggested a "passive-aggressive" method of revenge, commenting: "I would go on the group chat and respond, 'oh is this about your pregnancy? I'd prefer it if you did not use my event for your announcement. Maybe we can set up a lunch with friends for you to announce it?' Then break out the popcorn."
Do you have a similar story to share? Email: danielle.wroe@reachplc.com
