A guy took to Reddit to ask if he was being a fool by refusing to associate with his brother-in-law, who demanded they repay him for the money he’d gifted them to spend on their son’s funeral! Read on to find out more.
His Toddler Son Had a Rare Form of Cancer
Meet our storyteller, a man who has been dealing with a family drama that has been ongoing for almost two decades. It all started when his toddler son was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.
The original poster (OP) and his wife went through the heart-wrenching journey of watching their son fight for his life for three and a half years, but unfortunately, he passed away on the same day he would have started kindergarten.
Their son’s last two years were full of drama, complexity, hope, lost hope, and disappointment. The couple had to deal with financial setbacks and had no idea how they would afford a funeral for their son.
Her Family Paid for the Funeral
Thankfully, the OP’s wife’s three older brothers stepped up to offer to pay for their nephew’s funeral. They were doing well in their respective businesses at that time, so it wasn’t much of a sacrifice for them.
They even told the OP and his wife that this was a gift from them to the couple, and they were beyond grateful and expressed that on numerous occasions.
Fast forward to Thanksgiving 2021, and things took a turn for the worse. His wife’s youngest brother, who is the most contentious of the siblings, got into an argument with the OP’s wife that soon escalated into a full-blown argument!
“You Never Paid Me Back”
He threw out that they “never paid him back for his part that he paid for their son’s funeral.” This was a shock to everyone in earshot, and his wife was surprised. She asked if he always felt he was supposed to get repaid.
He belligerently told her that was exactly what he was saying, claiming he had never intended to help pay for the funeral and felt forced into it by the older two brothers.
Well, the OP had had enough and told his brother-in-law, “You know what…since you feel so strongly you have been wronged, as soon as we get home, I’m going to write you a check for $5K so you can consider yourself paid in full, and with interest.”
Blown Out of Proportion?
His brother-in-law got defensive, claiming that they were “blowing it out of proportion.” But his words had already caused the damage, and the OP and his wife gathered up their brood and left Thanksgiving early.
The OP sent the check via certified mail the following Monday and wondered when her brother-in-law would cash it. He received it Tuesday and cashed it in in the afternoon!
It turns out that while her brother may have intended it as a gift at the time, a messy divorce and COVID decimating his businesses meant he was hurting for cash. The OP knows that he would have been too proud to ask for a loan and had to make it about them owing him money.
Avoided Him for Years
Since then, he has refused to associate with his brother-in-law. He has avoided him for years, but it has never been an issue until this week.
Her family is doing a big Easter event this weekend with around 20-30 people invited, and his brother-in-law will be there. The OP has no desire to be around him and has refused to go, which has caused tension between him and his wife.
His wife believes that the OP is being a fool and ruining the weekend by refusing to attend the event. She thinks he needs to let it go for the sake of the kids.
He’s Not Backing Down
However, the OP is not backing down, stating that he flat-out refuses to associate with his brother-in-law. He has even gone as far as preparing to let his wife and kids go to the event without him!
At this point, the OP is not sure what to do. He’s torn between his loyalty to his family and his need to stand up for what he believes is right.
He knows that if he goes to the Easter celebration, it will be uncomfortable and awkward, and he might have to interact with the youngest brother.
He’ll Be Deemed the Bad Guy
On the other hand, if he doesn’t go, he’ll be seen as the bad guy, and his wife will be upset with him.
He feels bad that money has caused a rift between him and his wife. Her giving and caring nature is one of the qualities that made the OP fall in love with her, but he thinks she’s been a doormat for her brother far too often.
He’s setting a hard boundary, and he thinks she’s uncomfortable with that.
You Are Not Wrong, but Support Your Wife
Reddit users didn’t think this guy was in the wrong at all, but they thought avoiding going to the Easter party began to set a dangerous precedent, where his wife may eventually have to stop seeing all her family.
They advised him to go and support his wife and ignore her horrible brother.
Sleeping On Constructive Suggestions
The OP later posted an update saying, “17 hours later – After reading everyone’s constructive suggestions and sleeping on it, I’ve decided I’m going to go and just ignore him.”
Hopefully, the Easter event goes off without a hitch, and maybe the OP can get over his anger in the future.
What do you think about this story? Should he let go of his anger?
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The post His Brother-In-Law Demanded They Repay Him for the Money He’d Gifted Them to Cover Their Son’s Funeral Costs! Now There’s a Rift in the Family, Who’s in the Wrong? first appeared on The Net Worth Of.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Antonio Guillems. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Reddit