My Sister-in-law Wants To Kick Me Out

Clarissa, my sister-in-law, is throwing a fit and being totally shameless, all to squeeze some cash out of me to buy a house.

When I visited home for the holidays, the pregnant Clarissa started crying as soon as she saw me. She said her baby was doomed to have a tough life, being born without even a room to call his own.

Her eyes lit up when she noticed the bags and packages I brought with me.

“Natalie, why save all that money? You’re better off buying a house in a good school district for your nephew now. Once he’s successful, he’ll treat you like his own mom and take care of you.”

I figured she was just emotional from the pregnancy, so I smiled and didn’t think much of it. But not long after, she knocked on my door with a house purchase agreement in hand, asking me to sign it.

“Since you’re not getting married or having kids, and your nephew will inherit everything when you’re gone, why not buy a house now?” she pressed.

I couldn’t help but laugh. I tore up the agreement and threw it in her face. “First, are you even sure that baby is my brother’s? Second, what if I outlive your son?”

I hurried to catch the last train home for Christmas Eve. But when I walked through the door, instead of being welcomed by the smell of holiday cooking, I was met with Clarissa’s tear-streaked face.

As soon as she saw me, her crying intensified. “What’s going on?” I asked, stunned.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” she sniffled, patting her belly. “I just miss having a real home. Simon promised me one, but now the whole family’s stuck in this tiny place, and there won’t even be a room for Oliver when he’s born.”

Her crying drowned out the Christmas music playing in the background. My mom stood there, looking awkward, half-reaching to comfort her but not quite knowing what to do.

My brother, Simon, quickly tried to calm her down. “It’s okay, next year I’ll make more money…”

“Next year? Oliver’s coming next month!” she wailed. “We don’t even have a proper nursery, let alone a house in a top school district. What kind of mother does that make me?”

Then, just as suddenly, she stopped crying and looked at me with those pleading eyes. “Natalie, could you give up your room so your nephew can use the crib?”

I frowned, listening to her.

When she and my brother first talked about getting married, she insisted they buy a new house in an upscale neighborhood. My brother didn’t have enough money, so she convinced my parents to sell their old home for the down payment, promising they’d all live together to take care of them.

Later, she came to me, overwhelmed by the pressure of buying a house, and promised that if I chipped in 34,000 dollars, there’d always be a room for me in the family.

At the time, I was skeptical because the new place only had three bedrooms. Where would they sleep once they had a kid? But she assured me the baby could share their room, and they’d figure out how to upgrade the house when the time came.

I thought it’d be nice to have a room whenever I visited my parents, and I bought into her vision of a happy family, so I handed over the money. But I didn’t expect her to start causing trouble less than a year after moving in.

I slammed the gifts I brought back onto the table. “So where am I supposed to stay when I come home?”

“You only visit once a month,” she said, completely unfazed. “Sleep on the couch or have Simon set up a camp bed in the living room.”

I laughed in disbelief. “That’s not going to work. Give me back the 34,000 dollars I put in, and I’ll find a place to rent.”

“That’s not happening,” she replied, frowning and clutching her belly as if about to cry. “I’m about to give birth, and you’re demanding money? Do you want me to have a difficult recovery? You’re a woman—you should understand and be supportive!”

Looking at her smug expression, I could barely contain my anger. I was about to fire back when my mom stepped in, pulling me aside. “Let’s not argue about this now. Come, I saved some dumplings for you.”

Mom shot me a desperate look, urging me to calm down, so I bit back my frustration and sat at the dining table. But my sister-in-law wasn’t done.

“Natalie, I have another idea,” she said, following me. “You’ve saved 350,000 dollars for a down payment in your work city, but the housing prices there are ridiculous. Why not use that money to buy a house here in full and give it to your nephew?”

“Why should I buy a house for your kid?” I snapped.

She touched her belly, glaring at me like I was being unreasonable. “You’re your parents’ daughter. The money you earn is their money, and their money is for their grandchild.”

My face darkened, and I had to resist the urge to throw a plate of dumplings at her. “Yeah, we’re all one family, so the money we make isn’t just for you. Why don’t you ask your own parents for 350,000 dollars to buy a house?”

“A daughter married is a daughter gone,” she retorted, getting flustered. “How could I ask my parents for money? Besides, what’s a girl like you going to do with a house? Even if you buy one, it’ll just benefit your future husband’s family. You should leave the money for your nephew—he’s your real blood relative!”

She turned to my parents, looking for backup. “Mom, Dad, don’t you agree? I’m only thinking about your grandson!”

Strangely, my usually hot-tempered father sat there in silence, his face dark with anger.

My mom shot a fierce look at Simon and said, “It’s getting late. Take Clarissa back to the room to rest.”

But Clarissa suddenly jumped up, pounding her belly and crying, “I’m still carrying your grandson, and you won’t even let me speak! How am I supposed to live like this? We don’t even have a proper house! If I give birth, it’s going to be such a struggle. Maybe it’s better not to have the baby at all!”

My mom panicked, quickly grabbing her hand. “We didn’t mean it like that, Natalie, please don’t get upset.”

The more Clarissa cried, the more pitiful she sounded. She leaned on my brother’s shoulder, blaming him for being useless and calling me ungrateful for spending the family’s money without giving anything back.

My brother tried to comfort her while shooting me a look. “Natalie, seriously? You made Clarissa cry on Christmas Eve. Can’t you just be nice for once?”

Yeah, right. It seems Simon has forgotten all about his sister now that he’s got a wife.

I couldn’t be bothered to deal with this dramatic couple, so I focused on my turkey, shoving them in like it was a competition.

“Whether we get a house or not, we’ll figure it out after Christmas Eve. Stop ruining the holiday!” My dad finally lost it and shouted.

As soon as my dad mentioned the house, Clarissa’s eyes lit up. She nodded, still sobbing, “Dad’s right. Oliver will definitely be good to you when he grows up.”

Seeing her calm down, my brother quickly hugged her and led her back to their room.

My mom sighed, shook her head, and then took my hand, spilling all the frustration she’d been holding in for months.

Turns out Clarissa had been throwing tantrums and threatening to hurt herself for the last three months. Since she was in the later stages of pregnancy, she’d use it to get her way every time she got upset.

First, she pressured my parents into using their retirement savings to book 13,000 dollars stay at a luxury postpartum center. Then she got them to take out a loan and give 34,000 dollars to her brother for home renovations, all under the guise of “borrowing.”

Even though my parents have pensions, we’re just an ordinary family, and we can’t keep up with her demands.

“Aren’t you going to do something about this?” I was furious.

“What can we do? She’s still pregnant,” my mom said, worried.

With Clarissa acting up like this, even the already dull Christmas Eve TV special became unbearable. After midnight, I couldn’t wait to escape to my room and sleep.

Thank goodness I always lock my door when I’m out. Otherwise, Clarissa would have filled it with all sorts of baby stuff by now with her impulsive shopping.

On the first day of Christmas, before seven in the morning, someone pounded on my door.

Suppressing my annoyance, I opened it to find Clarissa standing there, fully made up as if nothing had happened the night before. She smiled warmly and took my hand.

“Natalie, my mom and I are going shopping after breakfast. Come with us.”

I wanted to say no, but she practically dragged me to the dining table. “Skipping breakfast is bad for your stomach. You’re going to be an aunt—you should set a good example for Oliver.”

“I just want to sleep during my vacation; I’m not hungry,” I snapped, pulling my hand away.

Her eyes got all teary, “I’m just trying to look out for you, like a real sister would.” She clenched her fists, on the verge of crying.

My mom quickly stepped in, giving me a pleading look. “Natalie, just eat something after you freshen up.”

Even Simon joined in, trying to persuade me. “Come on, just go with Mom for a quick shopping trip. I heard there’s a big sale at the mall next door.”

Not wanting to mess up my Christmas luck, I reluctantly agreed to go to the mall.

It was obvious that my mom didn’t want to be there either, but Clarissa was all excited, dragging us from store to store.

When we passed a jewelry shop, she pulled us inside. “That longevity lock in the window looks perfect for our little Oliver,” she said with a smile, looking right at me.

I didn’t even bother looking up, pretending not to catch her hint. Yeah, like I’m going to let her drain my wallet too!

She picked out the heaviest, most expensive ones in the store, none of which looked like they were for a child. “What do you think, Natalie? Which one would suit your nephew better?”

“They’re all nice. If you like them, let Simon buy one,” I said, continuing to play dumb.

“Simon doesn’t have the money,” she sighed. “Why is it that the Aunties buy stuff for their nieces and nephews as soon as they come home, but you can’t even splurge on a longevity lock?”

“You work in a big city; you could buy one with just a month’s salary. It’s true what they say—the richer you get, the stingier you become.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I love that my brother has a kid, so whenever he sends me a payment link saying the baby needs something, I’ve always footed the bill without a second thought. Between Clarissa’s supplements and baby stuff, I’ve already spent over 5,000 dollars.

But money doesn’t grow on trees, and it’s not my job to fund everything.

My mom couldn’t take it anymore. “Clarissa, didn’t we already buy a gold lock?”