11 People Who Had to Suffer First to Realize “No” Is Enough

Some people think saying “no” is rude. But here’s the truth: saying “yes” too often is how you end up babysitting for free or stuck at your ex’s wedding. These stories are living proof that every time you ignore your gut and agree to something you don’t want to do, the universe rewards you with chaos, regret, and a brand-new entry for your personal “never again” list.

• Got a text from my ex asking if I could “help him out real quick.” Against my better judgment, I said sure — thinking maybe his car broke down or he needed a ride. I show up at his place, and he hands me a suit and a stack of papers. Turns out, I’m supposed to pretend to be his wife at some meeting so he can get a better mortgage rate.

• On my first day at work, a colleague baked strawberry biscuits and was giving everyone the treat. I didn’t want to eat the biscuits. So when it was my turn, I couldn’t think of anything better to say than, “Oh, I’m allergic to strawberries.”
  Suddenly, out of the blue, my colleague threw them all out! The whole tray of biscuits went straight into the bin. And told everyone not to bring strawberries to the office. So, I’ve been pretending that I’m allergic to strawberries for 3 years.

• My ex is French, and the first time I ever met his family, they asked me if I’d ever had andouillette. I said no, and that I’d never even heard of it. That’s when his father laughs and goes, “Only French people like andouillette”. I pointed out that I’m Spanish, and that a lot of Spanish food features intestines and offal. I love black pudding, zarajos, brain, stomach — you name it, I will probably eat it. But no, his father insists that — as I am not French — I will not like it. His mum said that the next time I was over, she would make some.
  A few weeks later, we come for another visit and they’ve made andouillette! Finally, I get to try some! As soon as I saw that thing on my plate, I knew I was done. But his fucking dad goes “she wont like it”. So I ate an entire god damned sausage. And then, when it was finished, I asked for seconds. I honestly gagged while eating, and had to coat everything in mustard-cream sauce just to keep it down. But I ate a sausage-and-a-half. Every bite was torture. But I sure showed him! © Ilodie / Reddit

• My sister asked me to babysit “just for one Friday night.” That was four months ago. Now she sends me her kids like Amazon Prime deliveries, no warning. Pretty sure she’s started planning her social life around me being her free childcare service.

• My boss was like, “Do you want to stay extra tonight?” So I said yeah, and then a different boss said, “Do you want to cover the morning shift too?” So I said yes, and then I was asked if I wanted to cover the evening shift as well, so I said yes.
  And this is how I was once a bartender for 34 hours straight. © lukhgsdkhgdkhgdkhgdkgh / Reddit

• I once sang for 2 hours in a crowded restaurant while my friend accompanied me on guitar. She literally begged me to work with her. I was hoping that at rehearsal she would hear how terrible I was singing and back off.
  But no. The look on the guests’ faces (something between sympathy and shock) will haunt me forever.

• Not sure if this is the worst, but I stopped at a gas station on my way to Pittsburgh and a hitchhiker asked me for a ride. The girl I was bringing with me had also gotten out of the car to go to the bathroom and came back to a random hippy-looking guy in the backseat. I started driving and a mile or two down the road he realized I went the wrong way he wanted to go, so I dropped him off at the exit just so he could walk back to the gas station. © rekd1 / Reddit

• My friend, freshly divorced, calls me in tears asking if I can be her plus-one to an event “for moral support.” I say yes, picturing some awkward business dinner. I put on a nice dress, we arrive, and only then I realized that it’s her ex-husband’s wedding. She swears she “just wanted closure” but then hands me her phone to take “a few casual photos of the ceremony.”

• There were complaints about a colleague, and my superiors sent me to check on him. I turn up at his department and he’s bought an expensive cake. I say, “No, thanks, I can’t have that much sugar.” “But you can have one slice, right?” “No,” I reply, “I’m diabetic.”
  “Oh, but your doctor won’t know...” Another colleague explains, “Cake will make him sick.” The guy wouldn’t stop, “How about a pie? Chocolate croissants?”
  Turns out, this dude knew I was overweight and decided to bribe me with cake. We ended up firing him. © punkwa*** / Reddit

• My father had many brothers and sisters, so there is a lot of distant kin. We live in Canada, and the extended family is in Europe. And every time someone flies to Canada on holiday, they head to my parents’ house!
  My parents pick them up from the airport 2 hours away, let them stay in their place for a month, feed them and give them tours. And then the guest goes back home. It’s so infuriating! But the parents can’t say no. © 10S_NE1 / Reddit

• My aunt is getting divorced from her douchebag husband of 15 years. She still does his laundry because she can’t say no. The divorce has been in progress for about 8 months. No idea how she manages to actually be the one to initiate a divorce, but can’t tell him to back off about his stained tighty whiteys. © white-dog-***s / Reddit

If you take anything from these stories, let it be this: “no” is a full sentence, not a negotiation. People might pout, guilt-trip, or act shocked when you set a boundary — but it’s better than becoming the unpaid therapist, moving crew, or accidental plus-one to a wedding you didn’t even want to attend.