My husband (32M) and I (30F) live in an apartment that belongs to his mother. The lease is under her name, but when we moved in, she told us we could rent it. Fine by me — no problem there.
Here’s the twist: for the past two years, I’ve been the one paying all the rent. Every single cent. My husband hasn’t contributed a dime. Don’t ask me why — he keeps saying it’s “between me and my mom.” And like an idiot, I went along with it because at the time he was between jobs and I had a steady income.
Fast-forward to now: I just lost my job last week. My mother-in-law actually called me to offer comfort, saying everything would be fine. Sweet, right? Wrong.
Later that same day, I got a text from her that completely floored me:
“From now on, you must start looking for a job, because I accept no delays in payment.”
I immediately called her, thinking there had to be some kind of misunderstanding. But no — she stood by every word. She told me I still had to keep paying rent because her son is her son, and I’m “just a tenant.”
She even added that since I don’t have children with her son, I’m not actually related to her in any way. If I don’t pay, she said, I’ll be evicted. So apparently, in her mind, her son gets free housing forever, while I’m just an ATM with a pillow.
To make things worse, she told me that once I find another job, I need to inform her — so she’ll know I can start paying again. Like, excuse me? Am I married, or did I accidentally sign up for some twisted landlord-tenant version of The Hunger Games?
I feel utterly humiliated. My husband just shrugs and says, “That’s just how she is.”
Am I crazy for thinking this situation is completely messed up? Shouldn’t he be the one paying rent if his mom insists on collecting it? What on earth am I supposed to do in this mess?
Source: brightside.me