Letting my sister-in-law stay in our house over Christmas felt like the right thing to do. We were finally taking our first real family vacation in years, and she claimed her apartment was unlivable due to renovations. She begged, promised it would just be her, and swore she’d leave everything exactly as it was.
We trusted her.
Our trip was perfect—until we came home.
The moment we opened the door, it was clear something was wrong. Trash everywhere. Empty bottles. Stains on the couch. Broken glass in the carpet. My kids’ rooms had been disturbed, and my son’s lamp was shattered. It looked less like someone stayed over and more like a full-blown party had happened.
When we confronted her, she brushed it off, saying we were overreacting and that she planned to clean later. That’s when my husband went to her apartment—and discovered the truth. There was no renovation. She had lied from the start.
She had secretly rented out our house to strangers for a Christmas party and pocketed the money, fully intending to leave us with the mess.
We stopped being polite.
We confronted her directly, made it clear we were prepared to involve lawyers and the police, and demanded she pay for professional cleaning and all damages. Faced with real consequences, she backed down and paid.
The house was eventually restored, but the trust wasn’t.
She no longer has a key. She’s never alone in our home. And the family now knows exactly why.
The stains came out. The broken things were replaced.
But the relationship will never be the same.