AITAH for refusing to make my SIL’s wedding cake for free?
The user (29F) operates a successful bakery business built over five years, specializing in custom cakes for events like weddings and birthdays. She takes professional pride in her work, which has grown from a hobby into her livelihood.
The user's sister-in-law (SIL, 33F), who has previously minimized the user's professional efforts, requested a complex, four-tier wedding cake.
After the user provided a quote with a family discount, the SIL immediately stated she expected the cake to be a free wedding gift, leading to a disagreement that resulted in the SIL hanging up and spreading negative rumors about the user wanting to "profit off her happiness."
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The user is facing a conflict where her professional boundaries regarding her es**blished business are being challenged by family expectations, specifically from her sister-in-law, who previously disrespected her career.
The user is standing firm on not providing a high-effort, expensive product for free, despite the potential for family drama.
Should the user yield to the pressure from the SIL and the MIL to provide the cake as a gift to maintain peace, or is maintaining professional boundaries and self-respect, even at the cost of immediate family friction, the correct course of action?
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