Family relationships can be hard, especially when you’re at loggerheads with an in-law. That’s precisely what happened to this woman. She took to Reddit to tell the story of her entitled sister-in-law and the things she’d done. Unfortunately, she ended up ostracising herself from the family.
Her Husband Had Terminal Cancer
Our storyteller, the Original Poster (OP), a kind-hearted woman, had been married to her husband, Dan, for several years when they received news that Dan had stage 4 cancer. It was a devastating diagnosis that rocked their world.
Despite the difficult journey ahead, OP was going to be there for her husband and provide him with the best care possible. She worked hard to balance her job, care for her husband, and handle the expenses of his treatment.
Dan’s mother, OP’s mother-in-law, was also in declining health during this time. She had suffered a stroke and was showing signs of early-stage dementia. After a bad fall, her mother-in-law got hospitalized, and the care team recommended full-time care.
Her Mother-In-Law Was Also in Declining Health
Family meetings got held, and 5 of her 6 children were in favor of a nursing home. However, OP’s sister-in-law, who she referred to as “Saint Theresa,” was adamant about not sending her mother to a nursing home.
“Saint Theresa,” who lived in a mountainous area out west, claimed that the state she lived in would pay her for taking her mother in and caring for her. OP was against it but had no say in the matter. “Saint Theresa” took her mother in and promised to take care of her.
Her Sister-In-Law Offered to Care for Her Mother-In-Law
However, after about six months, “Saint Theresa” contacted the rest of the family for financial help, claiming that her state had compensated her for caring for her mother, but took a portion of her mother’s Social Security, leaving them short on money.
It was then that OP’s spidey sense went up. She had always been suspicious of “Saint Theresa’s” overzealous religious views and tendency to follow serious evangelical preachers on the internet, sending them money without ever meeting them.
Despite her suspicions, OP was concerned about her mother-in-law’s well-being and wanted to help in any way she could.
They Offered to Help
“Saint Theresa” reached out to Dan, asking for money for propane to heat her home, which was a common method in her area. Dan explained the situation to OP, and they decided to pay the propane company directly instead of giving “Saint Theresa” cash.
After contacting the propane company, OP and Dan paid around $400 to fill “Saint Theresa’s” propane tank. “Saint Theresa” never called to say thank you, and OP wasn’t sure if she ever called Dan again!
A few months later, Dan took a turn for the worse, and doctors placed him in hospice care. Despite the difficult situation, “Saint Theresa” remained silent until a few days before Dan passed away.
Her Husband Passed Away
At that point, she called to say goodbye and expressed that she was still praying for total healing. Although Dan was almost comatose, OP held the phone a bit away from him. However, she never received another phone call or sympathy card from “Saint Theresa,” even after her husband had passed. For OP, this confirmed that “Saint Theresa” just wanted their money to use for other purposes.
Fast forward six months and her mother-in-law also passed away. As soon as she had made arrangements to transport her back to her home state for burial next to her last husband, “Saint Theresa” announced that she was getting married to a man from a different country and relocating to his country.
The Sister-In-Law Was Nowhere to Be Found
She did not attend her own mother’s funeral because she had “already said her goodbyes.” This behavior left OP feeling hurt and angry, and she couldn’t understand how anyone could be so callous and self-centered.
The situation with “Saint Theresa” had caused tension in the family, and OP couldn’t help but feel frustrated and hurt by her actions.
Not only did “Saint Theresa” fail to care for their mother adequately, but she also seemed to prioritize her own interests and tithing habits over her mother’s well-being. OP felt that “Saint Theresa’s” lack of gratitude and compassion for their family’s situation was unacceptable, and her absence from her own mother’s funeral was the final straw!
OP no longer had any desire to be in contact with “Saint Theresa,” and although OP doesn’t know where “Saint Theresa” lives now or whether she’s still married, she no longer cares. To her, “Saint Theresa” is a person who is better off being avoided, and she’s content to let her go.
What Redditors Said
Redditors empathized with this woman’s story. One user said, “I think your SIL was lying. Social Security is a federally funded program, so there’s no situation where a state would have the authority to change the amount of a federal program to compensate funds in a state-sponsored program.
I think your sister-in-law was dipping into her mom’s accounts. I am so sorry for your losses.”
OP responded to this comment and explained, “MIL had little to no money, so that wasn’t an issue. I tried to tell SIL to investigate how her state would be paying her, but she ignored me. Lots of other events happened with her blaming her family because her car was repossessed because she wasn’t making payments, and she blamed that on being in her home state to take care of MIL.
I reminded her that MIL had a stroke and fell after SIL got there. She was livid and accused me of lying and listening to gossip. I was done with her at that point.”
This was certainly a sad story about a sister-in-law with strange priorities. Hopefully, OP is thriving now – she deserves it after all this trauma.
What do you think? How would you act in this situation?
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The post She’s Juggling Her Husband’s Death and Her Money-Hungry Sister-In-Law Who’s After the Carer’s Money for Her Mother-In-Law! first appeared on Wealthy Living
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Mix and Match Studio. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Reddit