When Entitlement Breaks Your Gear: How I Made My Sister Pay After Her Kids Shattered My $2,200 iPad
I built my freelance design career from nothing—pulling all-nighters, skipping meals, and using secondhand tools until I could afford better. My $2,200 iPad Pro wasn’t a luxury—it was my studio, lifeline, and rent-payer.
Over the holidays, I left it charging at my parents’ house. The next morning, I found it shattered on the floor. My sister, Josie, casually admitted she let her kids use it so she could “watch a movie in peace.”
No apology. No offer to replace it. Just a smug, “You can afford another one.”
That was the last straw. I’d loaned her money countless times—no thanks, no payback. But this time, I sent her an invoice. She ignored it, so I filed a small claims case. That got her attention. Days later, $2,200 hit my account.
Eventually, she texted: “I didn’t think you’d really do it… Maybe you were right.”
It wasn’t an apology, but it was a start. Months later, over coffee, she finally said the words: “I’m sorry—for everything.”
That moment changed everything. We started setting real boundaries, rebuilding trust, and treating each other with respect—not guilt.
Sometimes, the only way to stop being the “fixer” in your family is to let something break—and hand over the bill.
