The thought of accidentally getting pregnant is the worst nightmare for people who have never wanted kids. One of our readers fits into this category. Her friend, who knew this fear all too well, got her a pregnancy test. To her absolute horror, the results were positive. What's even stranger was her friend's reaction.
Our reader dropped us a message.
Thank you for reaching out to us! We’re sorry this happened to you. We’d like to share some tips that you might find useful.
Evaluate your friendship.
A true friend respects your boundaries and wouldn't intentionally hurt you. This prank was a big boundary stomp because it targeted your biggest fear and caused you serious emotional distress.
Did your friend offer a sincere apology? A real apology acknowledges the severity of her actions and expresses remorse for the pain she caused. It's not just a mumbled "sorry" while scrolling through social media.
Know your worth.
Don't blame yourself for your friend's actions. This prank wasn't your fault. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking, "maybe I overreacted" or "maybe I should have known better."
But here's the truth: your friend made a conscious decision to disregard your boundaries and exploit your deepest fear. Don't take responsibility for her actions.
Try talking to her.
This prank was a major betrayal, and it's completely understandable that you need time and space to process your emotions. This conversation won't be easy, but it's important to be clear and assertive about how her prank affected you. Let her know how much it hurt you. Be clear that pranks like this are unacceptable, especially when they target your deep fears.
Give yourself some space.
Taking a step back from this situation is important. Give yourself some space to process what happened and reflect on your feelings. Distance can help you gain perspective and decide how you want to move forward with this friendship, if at all. Prioritize your emotional well-being and surround yourself with supportive people.
Pregnancy can be a wonderful thing for some women and really tough for others. In this situation, our reader’s sister really wants to have a baby but hasn’t been able to get pregnant. Meanwhile, our reader did get pregnant but kept it a secret from her sister to avoid making her feel bad. However, the truth eventually came out, and now their family relationships are strained.