I Refuse to Cancel My Travel Plans to Help My Fiancé’s Dying Mom

When your partner’s mom fakes a terminal illness, turns your home into a gothic horror show, and hijacks your life one guilt trip at a time — there’s a fine line between compassion and being emotionally blackmailed.

This is a story about weaponized fragility, where one woman’s unconfirmed “cancer” diagnosis becomes a wrecking ball for her son’s relationship, her potential daughter-in-law’s mental health, and everyone’s basic human boundaries. And the worst part? The boyfriend’s playing along.

From creepy midnight bedroom invasions to ER theatrics, 16-hour chore marathons, and twisted emotional tests like “If I were dying, would you quit your job?” — this saga has it all. But now the woman is finally saying no. She’s choosing sanity over sacrifice.

And he says she’s being selfish. So, is she heartless — or finally waking up? Click to read the full chaos. You won’t believe how deep the manipulation goes.

A desperate woman turned to Reddit with her explosive story.

The OP wrote, (Edited by Bright Side) “I (25F) live with my boyfriend Liam (24M). About a month ago, his mom Tanya began claiming she’s dying of cancer, but no diagnosis has been confirmed. Every hospital visit ends with her being sent home. A nurse even told Liam she might be faking.

It started when she stayed ‘one night’ at our one-bedroom apartment. That turned into a week of chaos. She refused AC and fans (said they hurt her skin) but blow-dried her hair daily. The apartment smelled awful, everything had to be dark and silent, and she constantly demanded help.

To our shock, she even stormed into our bedroom at 3am asking Liam for massages (we sleep with minimum clothes on, so that was awkward). She criticized our souvenirs, and complained non-stop.”

Things gradually got even more unhealthy.

The woman shared, “She suggested we move in with her, an hour from our jobs/school. I’m a full-time student with two jobs and a 4.0 GPA, and I was falling behind. Liam, who works full-time, switched to remote work (his boss hated this) to care for Tanya.

Her health ‘updates’ were always shifting: MRI, canceled surgery, then chemo postponed due to infection, then E. coli. Always a new reason. No clear diagnosis or paperwork.

When her husband David (who funds her lifestyle) was away, she made us go to her house to get her jewelry because she thinks he’ll steal it when she dies.

We were supposed to take her to the ER right after, but we ended up staying 16 hours doing chores. I folded more than 400 clothing items, cleaned the whole house, and felt like her unpaid maid. Not a single please or thank you.”

The OP’s patience was tested so many times, and not only hers.

The woman said, “She was stalling to go to the ER, and when we finally got there at 5 am, she said she’d check herself in, and sent us home. Three hours later, she called again, sobbing for help. She had been rejected by the ER. I suspect she faked it.

Liam and I have both been skipping meals, losing sleep, and falling behind at work to help her. He once said he’s looking forward to moving to Europe. He’s been forced to manage her divorce, lawyer meetings, and funeral prep.

Meanwhile, David (who’s paying the hospital bills and had been kept in the dark about all this) sent Liam aggressive texts like, ‘Don’t show up at my house no more,’ then later apologized.”

The woman got fed up with such attitude and insisted on setting boundaries.

The OP shared, “Tanya called again begging for help. But this time, she wanted me, because David is jealous of Liam. I had clearly told Liam I needed that weekend to study for final exams. And going to that house alone seemed sketchy.

Now, I’m planning a 2–3 week Europe trip to see my mom, whom I haven’t seen in over a year. Liam says he supports it but called it ‘a little selfish.’ He’s asked, ‘If I were dying, would you quit your job to be with me?’ and ‘If it were your mom, would you help her?’ I felt pressured to say yes.

But the truth is, my family wouldn’t lie to me or use me like this. I love Liam and want to be there for him. But I don’t trust his mom, and this is starting to affect our relationship.

Am I wrong for refusing to help Tanya and going home to Europe?”

Redditors rushed to comments section to express their thoughts.

One user commented, “Since I’m pretty sure she is not sick (at least not physically) you are definitely not in a wrong.

It’s time for your BF to get real and tell his mom to set up a family meeting with her oncologist to discuss her treatment and next steps, or he’s done. This is the normal progression when treating this disease. In and out of ERs is not.”

Another one added, “In my line of work it’s called ’factitious disorder’ and it’s extremely difficult to deal with patients like that. Even if it’s not intentional, a lot of people either mishear what doctors tell them or they hear what they want to hear.

Or, it could just be malingering. At the rehab where I work, we will send clients to a nearby hospital for medical clearance of some kind if they have a medical concern above our level of care, and they’ll come back claiming they have a bowel obstruction when the medical records said it was just severe constipation, or they’re in kidney failure when really it’s just kidney damage. I could see her falling into either camp, tbh.”

The third person wrote, “She needs to sit Liam down and speak with the oncologist, all 3 together, or all bets are off. Mom sounds like she is looking for attention and control.”

And here’s a story of a woman who refused to sacrifice her unborn baby to save her niece’s life, now her family calls her a monster.