My brother-in-law’s son was diagnosed with leukemia. Instead of using their own assets, they wanted me to sell the house I bought before marriage to cover the medical expenses. I refused. My husband said, “My nephew is sick, and you can’t even sell a house for his treatment. Do you even deserve to be his aunt?” Do I look like someone easily fooled? So, I filed for divorce and left. I had to get away from a family with such distorted values. 0After a busy day at work, I got home and opened the door to an unexpected sight. Sitting in my living room were Grant and Debbie Hawley, my in-laws, along with Mason Hawley, my brother-in-law. I was puzzled. I hadn’t spoken to Grant and Debbie for years because of some past conflicts. Ryan always went back to see them on holidays by himself, but they hadn’t set foot in our home for as long as I could remember. Mason, who was always taking sides with his parents, never missed an opportunity to show me a cold shoulder. I was so fed up that I cut ties with him too. So why on earth were they all here, sitting together in my house? As soon as I walked in, Ryan rushed over to take my bag and shoes, acting like the perfect husband. Debbie, who had never been overly friendly, actually greeted me warmly. This was all too strange, and I knew something was up. Sure enough, the moment I sat on the couch, Debbie burst into tears, covering her mouth as she spoke. “Luke is sick.” I quickly asked, “What’s wrong with him?” Debbie’s tears fell even harder. “Leukemia.” I was shocked. I looked at Mason and saw his eyes were red, like he’d been crying. Even though Mason and I didn’t get along, his son Luke was a sweet kid—smart and adorable. Sometimes, when Mason was busy, Ryan would bring him home, and Luke would always greet me with a cheerful “Aunt Savannah.” The thought of such a well-behaved child being diagnosed with something so serious really hurt my heart. Debbie continued, “The doctors said it’s acute leukemia. There are only two treatment options: chemotherapy or a bone marrow transplant.” At this, I immediately spoke up. “With modern medical technology, leukemia has a high cure rate. Luke will be fine. Let’s all go to the hospital and get tested for a match.” Debbie nodded in approval at my response. “But,” she added, “the treatment, the hospital stay, and the surgery afterward will all cost a fortune. The doctors said it would cost at least $500,000 to $600,000. Mason only makes $5,000 a month, even if he worked himself to death, he wouldn’t be able to cover it.” As she spoke, Debbie began to cry again. That’s when I realized where this was going. Though I didn’t care for Mason, when it came to a child’s health, I knew what mattered most. I turned to Ryan and said, “We have $60,000 in our account. Go ahead and transfer it to Mason. It’s not much, but it’s something from us as his aunt and uncle.” Sixty thousand wasn’t a huge sum, but it was everything we had. We had a mortgage, a car loan, and regular expenses. By the end of the month, we barely had anything left. I thought I had done my duty as part of the family. Just as I was feeling proud of my generosity, I heard Grant scoff, “Sixty thousand? That’s not going to do much.” In that instant, all my goodwill evaporated. I didn’t say another word, just leaned back on the couch. Debbie took over, playing the good cop. “I feel like we’re all family, and in tough times, we have to pull together. Savannah, I know we’ve had our misunderstandings in the past, but I also know you really care about Mason. Now that he’s in trouble, you won’t just sit back and do nothing, right?” I let out a cold chuckle in my head. They were buttering me up, trying to squeeze more money out of me. I was already thinking about whether I could borrow more from my parents when Debbie hit me with something even worse. “Savannah, don’t you have that house over in Lakeview? You’re not living in it now, so why don’t you sell it to help with Luke’s treatment? Don’t worry, we’ll remember your kindness. When Luke grows up, he’ll be sure to show you his gratitude.” If I didn’t see their true intentions by now, I’d have to be a complete fool. I glanced at Ryan, noticing how he avoided my gaze. He clearly knew about this. But why should I sell my house? That house was bought for me by my parents before I got married. They poured all their savings into it to give me some security in life. Now they wanted me to sell it? The nerve. It was obvious they had discussed this before I even got home. Before I could respond, Debbie spoke up again, “Ryan agrees with this plan.” I glared at Ryan. “I don’t care what Ryan agreed to. That house is mine. I bought it before we got married. He has no say.” Debbie looked embarrassed for a second, but she didn’t give up. “Why are we even talking about what’s yours and mine? We’re all family, and this is about the Hawley family.” “Savannah, are you still holding a grudge because Mason said some mean things to you before? If that’s the case, I’ll apologize. But Luke’s life is in your hands.” Debbie was trying her best at emotional manipulation. Seeing through their schemes, I finally dropped the pretense and said coldly, “Don’t put that on me, Debbie. I’m just the aunt. Luke has his parents, and you and Grant are his grandparents. If a house has to be sold, why don’t you sell yours?” “That’s ridiculous! We need our house to live in.” “And yours is just sitting there empty. Why are you being so selfish?” So that’s how it was. They were a family, and I was the outsider. Their child was sick, and instead of selling their own home or cars, they expected me, the aunt, to make the sacrifice? Too bad for them, I’m not the pushover they think I am. No matter how much they tried, I refused to agree. In the end, Mason lost his temper and threw his glass on the floor with a loud crash. It startled me, but I stayed quiet. He stormed out, shouting, “Fine, if she won’t help, so be it! It’s not like Luke won’t survive without her.” With that, he slammed the door behind him. Grant banged his fist on the table, yelling, “Our family is cursed! Cursed!” Debbie joined in, crying out, “She doesn’t even consider us family! At a time like this, she’s still thinking about herself. So selfish.” Finally, when they saw there was no winning me over, they left in a huff. Ryan ran after them, but they slammed the door in his face. It was all a disaster. When Ryan came back, he was furious with me. “Savannah, you were way out of line today!” “How could you speak to my parents and brother like that? They’re going through a really hard time.” I raised my eyebrows and snapped back, “Oh, I haven’t even started with you, Ryan. Who do you think you are, agreeing to sell my house? You can’t make that decision! My parents bought me that house. You don’t get a say.” “Your brother has a house and a car. Why isn’t he selling those? Why are your parents’ assets off the table? And you want me to sell mine? Do you think I’m an idiot?” “You think I’m being harsh? I don’t care. Helping him is a kindness, not an obligation. And by the way, $60,000 isn’t nothing. It took us years to save that.” Ryan’s face turned red with embarrassment. He scratched his head. “But they only have that one house. They can’t sell it; where would they live?” Ryan was always like this—kind-hearted but spineless, with no principles. We met in college, and during our dating years, I loved how gentle and caring he was. But when it came to real life, his wishy-washy attitude drove me crazy. I gave him one final warning. “If you go behind my back and do something I can’t accept, we’re done.” 0Even though I had laid down the law with Ryan, I could tell from his expression that this wasn’t over yet. And I was right. One evening after work, I came home to find Ryan showing our house to a couple of strangers—potential buyers. Fury boiled inside me. I waited until they left before I let loose. “What the hell are you doing?” Ryan couldn’t even look me in the eye, but he tried to stand his ground. “If you won’t sell your house, then I’ll sell mine, alright?” I let out a bitter laugh. “Your house? Are you sure this is your house?”
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