A lovely couple, Ellen and David, were over the moon with excitement about their daughter Lisa’s approaching wedding. Lisa, their firstborn, seemed perfectly content with her fiancé, Ric. Having just completed medical school and begun her career as a doctor, marriage felt like a natural progression for her.
Ellen and David decided to purchase a house for Lisa, believing she more than earned it with all her hard work and dedication to her studies. Though the house wasn’t expansive, it was just right for Lisa’s needs.
One evening, Lisa called her parents with a proposal. She wanted to discuss Ric moving in with her into the house.
David hesitated initially, but ultimately, they agreed. After all, Ric would soon join the family as Lisa’s husband, and living together made sense.
Before diving into wedding plans, Lisa and Ric decided to arrange a family dinner so both families could meet. Ellen and David were eager to finally meet Ric’s parents. Little did they know, the dinner would become quite the debacle.
When Ellen, David, and their younger daughter Leah arrived at Lisa’s home, Ric’s parents were already present. After chatting for a bit, Ellen, David, and Leah stepped outside to prep for a barbecue. However, while David and Leah returned inside to fetch some spices, they emerged hurriedly, urging Ellen to leave immediately.
Ellen followed suit without questioning, knowing David wasn’t one for exaggerations. If he deemed something urgent, it certainly was.
Their hurried departure was cloaked with an excuse: Leah wasn’t feeling well.
Once in the car, David revealed the shocking scene he’d overheard: Ric’s parents planned to keep Ellen and David away from Lisa and Ric’s wedding, though they wanted them to foot the bill.
Ellen was stunned. How could her future in-laws consider excluding them from their own daughter’s wedding? And how could Lisa agree?
The next day, Ellen headed straight to Lisa’s house. Ric’s parents’ vehicle still occupied the driveway. Ellen knocked repeatedly but was initially ignored. With persistence, Ric’s mother answered and accused Ellen of having undue influence over Lisa. Continuing, she mentioned that she and her husband had moved in with Lisa and Ric.
Despite being uninvited to the wedding, Ric’s mom said they’d still expect Ellen and David to cover part of the expenses.
The disbelief was palpable for Ellen. Shocked, she phoned Lisa, urging her to reconsider excluding her side of the family. But Lisa stood by her in-laws’ decision.
Faced with such a situation and as the legal owner of the house, Ellen took serious steps. She gave them a 10-day notice to vacate. When they resisted, Ellen and David made the decision to sell the property.
“I’ve given our future in-laws a serious lesson on respecting boundaries,” Ellen reflected.
Afterward, Lisa moved to a small apartment closer to her work, while the whereabouts of Ric’s parents remain unknown. Lisa and Ric still remain a couple, though they’ve yet to wed.
When sharing her story, Ellen sought opinions on her actions. Did selling the house and buying a much-desired car for her younger daughter make her wrong?
What do you think? Discuss this interesting tale with your friends and family.
