“Five Years Ago, My In-Laws Borrowed a Large Sum of Money. ‘Let’s Forgive the Debt,’ Says My Husband, But My Mother Disagrees”

Five years ago, my in-laws borrowed a significant amount of money from us. At that time, it was a lot for us. It was money from my maternity leave benefits and our savings. The money was just sitting there. My in-laws urgently needed to fix something in their vacation home. My mother-in-law, Mrs. Linda, loves her vacation home.

I remember the day vividly. My husband, John, and I were sitting in our small living room when his parents, Linda and Robert, came over. They looked distressed and anxious. After some small talk, they finally revealed the reason for their visit.

“Elaine, John,” Linda began hesitantly, “we need to ask you for a favor.”

John and I exchanged worried glances. “What is it?” John asked.

“We need to borrow some money,” Robert said bluntly. “The roof of our vacation home is leaking badly, and we need to get it fixed before the rainy season starts.”

I felt a knot form in my stomach. We had just had our first child, and I was on maternity leave. Our savings were meant to be a safety net for our growing family.

“How much do you need?” John asked cautiously.

“Twenty thousand dollars,” Linda replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

I gasped. That was almost all of our savings.

“We’ll pay you back as soon as we can,” Robert promised.

John looked at me, his eyes pleading. I knew he wanted to help his parents, but I also knew how much we needed that money.

After a long discussion, we reluctantly agreed to lend them the money. We transferred the funds the next day, hoping that they would be able to repay us soon.

Years passed, and the repayment never came. Every time we brought it up, Linda and Robert had an excuse. First, it was medical bills, then car repairs, and finally, they just stopped mentioning it altogether.

Our financial situation became more strained as we had more children and faced unexpected expenses. I grew increasingly resentful of my in-laws’ apparent disregard for our agreement.

One evening, as we were going over our finances, I brought up the loan again.

“John, we need to talk about your parents’ debt,” I said firmly.

John sighed. “Elaine, they’re my parents. They did so much for me growing up. Can’t we just let it go?”

I felt a surge of anger. “John, this isn’t just about the money. It’s about the principle. They promised to pay us back, and they haven’t even tried.”

“My mom thinks we should remind them,” I added.

John looked torn. “I know it’s frustrating, but they’re getting older. Do we really want to strain our relationship with them over this?”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “So we’re just supposed to forget about it? What about our kids’ future? What about our financial security?”

John didn’t have an answer.

The tension between us grew as the months went by. My resentment towards his parents spilled over into our marriage, causing frequent arguments and sleepless nights.

One day, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I called Linda and Robert and asked them to come over.

When they arrived, I didn’t waste any time. “We need to talk about the money you owe us,” I said bluntly.

Linda looked taken aback. “Elaine, we thought you understood our situation.”

“I understand that you promised to pay us back and haven’t,” I replied coldly.

Robert looked uncomfortable. “We never meant to cause any trouble.”

“Well, you have,” I said sharply. “We need that money.”

Linda’s eyes filled with tears. “We’re sorry, Elaine. We just don’t have it.”

I felt a pang of guilt but pushed it aside. “Then you need to find a way to get it.”

The conversation ended on a sour note, and my relationship with my in-laws was never the same again.

In the end, they never repaid the loan, and the strain it put on my marriage was irreparable. John and I eventually separated, unable to overcome the resentment and financial stress that had built up over the years.

Sometimes, I wonder if things would have been different if we had never lent them the money or if we had just let it go like John wanted. But it’s too late for what-ifs now.