Dear Prudence,
So my half-sister (mom’s side) hooked up with my stepbrother (dad’s side), which I repeatedly said was a bad idea. Lo and behold, the pair of idiots didn’t use protection and my half-sister got pregnant. She wanted the baby, he didn’t, and they broke up.
During that time, my half-sister lost her shit. She got together with a new guy and claimed the baby was “really” his. They broke up around the birth and a DNA test proved it was my stepbrother’s. Then suddenly, my stepbrother was this colossal deadbeat who could never do anything right. My half-sister would constantly need cash for the baby’s needs and then refuse to accept items like diapers or clothes from my stepbrother. She hated that my stepbrother started dating his current girlfriend even though she was seeing plenty of other guys, including baby daddy #2.
I refused to get in the middle of it for three years—until now. I needed a roommate so my stepbrother and his girlfriend moved in with me. They don’t drink or party. Both of them are employed. Those are my standards. My half-sister meets none of them. That hasn’t stopped my mother and her from treating me like a family traitor. My half-sister was fighting with various family members and wanted to move in with me. I said no and she has carried a grudge ever since. I would just avoid her, but I am very close to my 12-year-old half-brother and he needs all the support he can get with all the craziness. What do I do here? My half-sister tries to pick a fight with me every time I go over.
—Stuck With Crazy