“My In-Laws Decided to Transfer Their House to Their Younger Daughter. Since Then, I’ve Cut Ties with Them”: I Can’t Understand Their Unfair Treatment of Their Own Son

Ever since Michael and I got married, we’ve been a team. Both of us believe in earning our keep, even if that means long hours and less time together. We’ve always managed, balancing our modest incomes to maintain a simple, yet comfortable life. Michael’s parents, Matthew and Lillian, had always seemed supportive of our choices, or so I thought until last month.

It was a regular Sunday dinner at Matthew and Lillian’s when they dropped the news. The house, a beautiful, sprawling property that had been in the family for decades, would go to Gabriella, Michael’s younger sister. Gabriella, with her lavish lifestyle and constant need for financial bailouts, was their choice. I glanced at Michael, expecting to see shock or anger, but there was only resignation, a look that said he had seen this coming long before I did.

The explanation from Matthew was wrapped in flimsy reasoning about Gabriella’s need for stability and her struggles to keep a job. “She needs this more than you do,” Lillian had added, as if that justified the decision. Michael tried to speak, to argue that we had been the ones supporting them whenever Gabriella’s recklessness drained their savings, but his words fell on deaf ears.

From that day, the dynamic changed. Conversations became strained, visits less frequent. I could see the hurt in Michael’s eyes each time his parents praised Gabriella’s latest, fleeting venture into some new career path or business, always glossing over Michael’s consistent hard work and our efforts to build a stable life without their help.

The breaking point came when Gabriella decided to throw a lavish party to celebrate her new ownership of the house—a house she had never earned, never even cared for. Michael and I were invited, expected to show up and smile, to celebrate what felt like a betrayal. We declined the invitation. That decision marked the end of our regular interactions with Matthew and Lillian.

Since then, I’ve struggled with mixed emotions. Anger, resentment, and an overwhelming sense of injustice dominate my thoughts. Michael does his best to hide his feelings, focusing on our life, our future, but the pain is there, simmering beneath his calm exterior. We’ve discussed moving away, starting fresh somewhere new, where the shadow of his family’s unfairness doesn’t darken our days.

I’ve learned a hard lesson about family and fairness. Sometimes, those who should support you the most are the ones who let you down the hardest. As for Gabriella, we hear about her through mutual acquaintances—parties, trips, and endless spending. The house, once a symbol of family and warmth, is now just another accessory in her glamorous life.

Michael and I have each other, and we’re moving forward, but the ties with his family, once so strong, have frayed beyond repair. In choosing Gabriella, Matthew and Lillian didn’t just give her a house; they lost a son. And I can’t understand, nor do I think I ever will, why they thought that was a price worth paying.