When my sister-in-law Candace invited my kids to her lavish six-bedroom mansion—complete with a resort-style pool, trampoline, and top-tier gaming consoles—I believed I’d given them a dream holiday.
My daughter Annie (10) and son Dean (8) were ecstatic. Candace assured me their company would actually be a favor, so I dropped them off with swimsuits, snacks, and even $150 each for treats—plus the same for Mikayla (12), to keep things fair.
But days passed with no messages. I chalked it up to no signal or busy fun. Then, on day four, a text from Annie shattered my calm: “Mom, come save us. Aunt took away our phones. This is my only chance.”.
Racing over, I stumbled upon a frozen scene: Dean scrubbing pool tiles with a heavy brush, Annie dragging a garbage bag, and Mikayla lounging carefree. On a clipboard stood the chilling chore list—mopping, dishes, toilets, skimming the pool, prepping lemonade—all in exchange for scant pool time and 30 minutes of cartoons, adorned with Candace’s mocking smiley faces.
Candace breezily claimed the kids offered to help—but Annie’s voice broke the lie. “We didn’t offer. She said if we refused, she’d take our money and make us sleep in the garage.”
I kept my fury in check, had the kids pack, and demanded their phones back—locked away in Candace’s safe for their “distraction”. We left without a word. The next morning, I invoiced Candace: “Labor Services Provided: 2 children × 3 days = $600,” plus a cheeky note threatening to send photos to her book club if she didn’t pay.
She paid immediately. I spent it all on two full days at the amusement park: cotton candy breakfast, rides until dizzy, laughter until late—no chores, no threats, just joy.
As we collapsed with pizza and movies that night, Annie whispered it wasn’t just the work that hurt—it was that Mikayla spent the days lounging and hosting parties while my kids cleaned up.
Candace sent texts and apologies, yet I remained silent. She’d stolen my children’s joy—but they learned something far more valuable: that their mom will always come when they call, their time and effort deserve respect, and that family should never take advantage.
