My cousin demanded that I give her my house as a WEDDING GIFT.

The Outrageous Demand

My cousin demanded that I give her my house as a wedding gift. My cousin Rachel announced her engagement to Brian at Thanksgiving dinner and immediately turned to me, saying she knew what my wedding gift would be.

I thought she meant the crystal vases I’d been collecting for family weddings. But she said no; I’d be giving them my house.

Not helping with a down payment, not lending money, but giving them my actual house that I’d bought two years ago after saving for a decade.

She said it out loud in front of 30 relatives like it was already decided. I laughed, thinking it was a joke, but Rachel was serious.

She said I was single with no kids, so I didn’t really need a three-bedroom house while they were starting a family and deserved a proper home.

She actually used the word “deserved” while sitting in my dining room, eating the dinner I’d cooked.

My Aunt Helen, Rachel’s mom, nodded along, saying it was so generous of me to help the young couple get started.

I said I wasn’t giving anyone my house and Rachel’s face turned red.

She said I was being selfish keeping a family home all to myself when I could easily go back to renting an apartment, like someone my age without children should be doing anyway.

She actually said those words to me, a 31-year-old homeowner, while she was 26 and living in Brian’s mom’s basement.

The whole family went quiet, but nobody defended me. My Uncle Tom said sharing was important in families.

My own mother said I should consider it, since I could afford another place eventually. My dad stayed silent, which was him agreeing without having to say it.

Rachel spent the rest of dinner telling everyone about the renovations they’d make to my house. She discussed how they’d turn my office into a nursery and how they’d repaint everything because my color choices were too dark.

She was planning my house like she already owned it. After dinner, Rachel pulled me aside and said she’d already told Brian’s family that I was giving them a house as a wedding gift, so I couldn’t back out now without making her look like a liar.

She said his parents were so impressed that her family was generous enough to provide housing. She’d apparently been bragging for weeks about her rich cousin who owned property and was going to set them up for life.

She said if I didn’t follow through, Brian’s family would think she came from trash who made false promises.

I said that was her problem for lying, and she actually started crying, saying I was ruining her wedding before it even happened.

For weeks after that, Rachel kept acting like the house was already hers. She’d bring Brian over without asking to measure rooms and plan furniture placement.

She’d tell people we were doing a title transfer and just working out the paperwork. She had mail sent to my address, claiming she was updating her information early.

She even told the neighbors she’d be moving in after the wedding and asked them about the neighborhood association rules. Brian’s family started contacting me about the house, too.

His mother called thanking me for my generosity and asking about property taxes. His father sent me an email about transferring utilities and whether the roof had been recently replaced.

They were all discussing my property like it was a done deal. Rachel had convinced everyone I’d agreed to this insane plan.