Syda Productions - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
Years ago, after this 28-year-old woman graduated from college, she was forced to move in with her older brother Tom, who’s now 37, and his wife Karen.
Upon earning her degree, she didn’t have a great job and was struggling to make ends meet. She knew that Tom had a guest room in his home, too, and he eventually offered to let her live with them until she could get back on her feet.
“I was beyond grateful, and I made sure to help out however I could, cooking, cleaning, and buying groceries when I could afford it,” she recalled.
Around six months later, she also landed a better job and started contributing more money to her brother’s household. Her newfound income made her feel like she was finally on the path to becoming independent.
Yet, at the same time, her sister-in-law Karen happened to get pregnant, and it changed everything.
At first, things actually seemed fine at her brother’s home. Then, Karen began dropping a ton of hints that they’d need more space for their newborn.
“The hints soon turned into direct conversations about how they needed the guest room for a nursery. Tom assured me that I could stay until I found a new place, but Karen was clearly becoming more agitated by the day,” she explained.
So, one afternoon, she arrived home from work and found all of her belongings sitting in the hallway, completely packed up. Her brother claimed that his wife decided she needed to move out as soon as possible.
She was given absolutely no warning, and it made her feel humiliated. Tom did offer to help pay for the security deposit if she found a new place, but she still ended up couch surfing for a couple of months until she was able to afford a small studio apartment.
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