This summer, my wifes beloved younger sister came to stay with us. I used to call her the golden child in jest, because at every family gatheringMum, Dad, and everyone else would go on and on about her. Shed been the star pupil at school, graduated from university with flying colours, landed a job in her chosen field Of course, she was the perfect daughter, wasnt she?
Meanwhile, my wifethe eldestnever even finished her studies before we got married. But oddly enough, that never seemed to matter to her parents, likely because I was comfortably well-off, running my own business. I had a flat, a car, and a reliable income. Yet, no matter what I did, the youngest sister still outshone us all in their eyes.
So, her little sister arrived for her summer visit, and one evening she came to me with a request: could I lend her some money for a mortgage deposit? She wanted to buy her own flat but hadnt managed to save quite enough for the down payment. It wasnt such a significant sum for me, so I agreed without hesitation. She assured me she was working for the council and promised, hand on heart, shed pay it back every month without fail.
She took the money, practically swearing shed stick to her word. But scarcely a week passed after that, and suddenly she was off to Brighton for a seaside holiday. Ill admit it, I was completely thrown. How could someone who needed a hand to cover her mortgage deposit afford a getaway to the coast?
Apparently, shed taken leave from work and was telling the family shed spent all year squirreling away for this tripbut funnily enough, she still hadnt actually applied for the mortgage. When I asked her about it, she simply said shed changed her mind and didnt want the flat after all.
So I politely asked her to return the money. To which she replied, not a trace of guilt, that she was skintthe whole loan had gone on the beach break. Thats when it dawned on me: she never intended to buy any flat.
I kept my composure and asked her just to pay me back as soon as she could, pointing out that the money had been for her home, not for a holiday on the south coast. Her reply stung: Oh, Ill be making plenty soon, you can wait, theres nothing left now.
How do you suppose this story ended? Exactly as youd guess. She went running to my mother-in-law and told her I was after my money ahead of time, complaining thats no way to treat familyso once again, the little sister was cast as the family angel, and we were painted as the cold, greedy rich!
