A woman recently turned to Reddit, puzzled over why her boyfriend was so upset about how their Thanksgiving turned out with his family. She wanted to find out if she was in the wrong.

This woman, at 30 years old, began dating a man who had broken up with his high school sweetheart about a year before they started their relationship. While he had moved on, his family hadn’t quite followed suit.

This lingering attachment was especially true for his mother, who was heartbroken by the breakup. The ex-girlfriend had been like part of the family, having grown up alongside them.

The split between the old flames was an amicable decision as they had simply grown apart. However, this didn’t prevent the boyfriend’s mother from expressing her lingering disappointment towards her son’s new girlfriend.

How Did the Boyfriend’s Mother Treat Her? The new girlfriend accepted that it might take his family some time to adjust to their son having a new partner. She hoped his mother would take the time to get to know her, leading to an improvement in their relationship.

However, that hope was short-lived. The mother consistently called her by her son’s ex-girlfriend’s name for the entire first year. She recounted the experience:

“…until [my boyfriend] got angry once and told her to be nice. She laughed it off and said it was just a habit.”

Even after stopping calling her by the ex’s name, she still got the new girlfriend’s name wrong. Instead of Janet, she called her Jenny, among other names.

Initially, the woman corrected her boyfriend’s mother each time, but she soon realized it was becoming an intentional slight, so she decided to stop correcting her.

Aside from this ongoing issue with her boyfriend’s mother, she faced another challenge during a significant holiday, which left her feeling unsettled and distressed.

What Happened At Thanksgiving? A few weeks before Thanksgiving, the woman attended a barbecue at her boyfriend’s sister’s home. While gathered in the kitchen with her boyfriend’s mother, one of his sisters, and the sister’s husband, an awkward conversation ensued.

The sister mentioned how her brother had praised his girlfriend’s cooking to her husband, prompting the boyfriend’s mother to sarcastically propose she cook the turkey for Thanksgiving, again using the wrong name, Janet instead of Jenny.

Amused by their mother’s comment, the sisters giggled, but instead of correcting her, the woman replied,

“That’s a great idea!”

This moment became the turning point for her plan to finally make the point clear that her boyfriend’s mother needed to remember her name correctly. It all came to a head at Thanksgiving in her boyfriend’s mother’s house.

On the day, as the woman and her boyfriend arrived, bringing the usual wine and dessert, everyone was surprised to see that she hadn’t brought the turkey, which had been a topic weeks ago.

The woman calmly explained that she assumed Janet would be responsible for the turkey, given that her boyfriend’s mother used that name during the discussion.

“There was yelling, crying, and then we got kicked out.”

Following that night, her boyfriend stopped speaking to her, leaving her to wonder if their relationship had ended. Seeking clarity, she asked Redditors if her actions were justified.

Rather than criticizing her, many commended her response, seeing her as a hero for how she handled the situation. They noted her reaction was minor compared to the insult of being called the wrong name repeatedly.

Others suggested she should have directly confronted the mother, but many believed the woman’s clever response was the only way to make the mother realize her mistake.