AITH for not feeling bad for the mentally challenged girl who bullied my younger cousin in high school?

AITA for not feeling bad for the mentally challenged girl who bullied my younger cousin in high school?

So basically, my cousin sister is now in her early 20s. Back in high school, about 5 years ago, she was bullied by her former best friend. The twist? They had been best friends since kindergarten.

I remember how my cousin’s face would light up whenever someone mentioned this girl. She always reminded us that the girl was her best friend and practically her other half.

Here’s how it all went down:

I had never met the girl personally, but I’d heard a lot about her from my cousin. According to her, the girl was beautiful, intelligent, always ranked high in academics, and was a favorite of the teachers. Naturally, I assumed she must have been a good person. But my aunt (my cousin’s mom) told me that the girl’s parents were extremely strict. They rarely let her out of the house, and whenever she wanted to play or do projects, it always had to be at her place. She wasn’t even allowed to go on school trips. At that time, I felt sorry for her.

Her younger sister, on the other hand, was given full freedom and lived a normal, happy childhood.

Fast forward to 10th grade: my cousin has always had an outgoing personality, the type of person who can make friends easily and brighten up any room. The girl, however, was constantly anxious and on edge. My cousin always tried to protect her and keep her company so she wouldn’t feel lonely.

For tuition, my cousin attended a small local class where students mostly studied independently but got access to important notes. The girl, being wealthier, went to a prestigious tuition center with AC classrooms, attentive teachers, and regular academic tracking.

As expected, my cousin made friends at her tuition center and enjoyed her high school life. She often shared gossip, pranks, and fun stories with her best friend. But maybe out of jealousy, the girl decided to switch to my cousin’s tuition. At first, my cousin was thrilled. She introduced her to everyone, and things went smoothly for a while.

Then my cousin noticed people behaving strangely around her. Her classmates stopped talking to her properly, avoided her, and gave her cold stares—while at the same time happily chatting with the girl.

One day, things escalated. While using the school washroom, my cousin was locked in by some girls and left there. That day, my aunt had just given birth and was staying with us in another city. In the evening, when my uncle came home and realized my cousin wasn’t back yet, he went searching. Assuming she might be at her best friend’s house, he went there—only to be told she wasn’t. The girl acted innocent and even suggested my cousin might be roaming with the “wrong crowd.”

My uncle panicked and filed a police complaint. CCTV footage showed that my cousin hadn’t left school. The caretaker eventually found her unconscious in the washroom with a high fever. She was taken to the hospital, where she remained unconscious for an entire day.

Later, police discovered that girls from another class had locked her in. But here’s the shocking part: the mastermind behind everything was her so-called best friend. She had spread lies, telling everyone my cousin was taking their photos and selling them online. She even created a fake Instagram account in my cousin’s name and blackmailed people.

When confronted by the principal and police, she broke down, admitting she was jealous and wanted my cousin to only be friends with her and no one else.

The other parents demanded strict punishment, but her wealthy parents bribed the principal and police to bury the case. They even tried offering money to my uncle, but he refused. Instead, he told them it was best their daughter didn’t attend the same school. Eventually, they withdrew her and sent her to her grandparents’ house.

Meanwhile, my cousin was deeply traumatized. She developed panic attacks, flinched at the sound of doors closing, and refused to use public restrooms, often holding her pee until it made her sick. A doctor even warned her that this habit could cause long-term damage to her organs.

To help her recover, my aunt sent her to live with us for a year. She got admission at a nearby school, and another uncle supported her tuition fees. I personally witnessed how much she suffered and how long it took her to heal.

Now, just yesterday, she told me that the girl who bullied her is currently mentally unstable. After the incident, her parents became even more controlling, checking her every move. Around the same time, her father was caught having an affair and blamed her for their family’s problems. She failed academically, and her younger sister started treating her like a punching bag. All of this eventually broke her down.

When I heard this, I felt a tiny pang of pity—but it was quickly replaced with the thought, karma works. Because after everything she put my cousin through, I honestly don’t feel bad for her.

So, AITA for not feeling bad for the girl who bullied my younger cousin?