My in‑laws, Steven and Doris, were never generous—practical gifts, minimal effort. When my husband Shawn and I bought our first house, they sent only a potted plant.
Then one night at their house, they announced they wanted to contribute to our son Johnny’s college fund—$80,000. I was shocked; they were wealthy but always stingy. It should’ve felt amazing, but something felt off.
Johnny, usually lively, went silent the next week. Every time college money was mentioned, he went pale. When I asked him what was wrong, he said, “I’m not allowed to talk about it.”
Coming home early one day, I overheard them pressuring Johnny: the money came with a condition—if he told me what he saw, he’d lose it all and ruin the family. I knew it involved Shawn.
I tracked Shawn’s car one night and found him with Johnny’s school counselor—kissing her. That was what Johnny saw. Steven and Doris were bribing him to keep quiet.
For my birthday, Doris hosted a party. I played the audio of their threats and the photos of Shawn cheating to everyone. It went silent.
I told them to leave. Johnny apologized; I held him and told him it was never his fault.