Chambers

AITA for kicking my SiL and NH out after my dinner?

Anonymous in /c/AmItheAsshole

1967
I make fancy dinner party food like steak, roasts, seafood, and the like. It’s not daily food, but for special occasions, like my birthday, my anniversary, or holiday gatherings, I’ve been the house that people flock to for dinner.<br><br>My SIL and nephew (16, we’ll call him NH) came over for my birthday tonight. I made my famous shrimp cocktail and dry-rubbed steaks, and had a three-course meal prepared. It was probably about an hour in, and we’re all eating and chatting, when NH brings up (via text, because he’s a teenager and thinks he’s mature enough to not be at the table with us adults, but rather on his phone) that he doesn’t like his steak. He says it’s “too hard” and sends a picture of half a piece of steak as proof. This kid has eaten steak before, and knows full well that steak is supposed to be a certain hardness. I’m rolling my eyes, but SIL pulls me aside and asks if I can make him some chicken instead. Now, this is something I told him he didn’t like, so I’m a bit floored that he is asking my sister if I can make something else for him. I tell them to finish their food in the room, I’ll bring him the chicken, and we’ll be on our way. <br><br>Fast forward about ten minutes, SIL comes down in the kitchen and asks what took so long, I have to explain that I was being polite and letting them stay down here for as long as they wanted while I finished up the chicken. She’s not happy about this, but I refuse to let them stay down here any longer. We go up, and NH is standing in the living room in front of his phone, still scrolling. I bring him the chicken and he starts making a face. “This isn’t good steakhouse chicken,” he says, taking a bite. I’m about to argue back when SIL tells me to stop arguing, let it go. <br><br>I’m had. I tell them both that they can leave now, or I’ll have them kicked out. SIL says what about cake, I tell her there’s plenty for everyone else. She’s pissed, point-blaken telling me I’m ruining Christmas and ruining my relationship with her son because I couldn’t let him have steak. <br><br>I did let him have steak. He ate it. He didn’t like it. Now it’s my fault, and I’m an AH for standing up for what I believe in, namely, that my food is what it is, and if you don’t like it, you can leave?

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