When my sister-in-law Candace invited my kids to spend a week at her mansion—with a pool, trampoline, and endless snacks—I thought it was the perfect summer getaway. I even gave each of them money for treats and drove off smiling, imagining a week of fun.But after three days of total silence, I got a text from my daughter: “Mom, come save us. Aunt took away our phones. It’s my only chance.”

I rushed over, and what I found left me cold. My son was scrubbing pool tiles, my daughter dragging garbage bags, while their cousin lounged by the pool sipping juice. A clipboard listed daily chores: cleaning bedrooms, dishes, laundry, toilets, even preparing barbecues—for the privilege of pool time.My daughter whispered the truth: Candace threatened to take their money and make them sleep in the garage if they refused. Furious,

I packed their things and demanded their phones back. Candace tried to spin it as “teaching responsibility,” but I wasn’t having it.The next morning, I sent her an invoice: 2 kids × 3 days of labor = $600. She paid within an hour. I used every penny to take my kids to the amusement park for two days of rides, cotton candy, and laughter—no chores required.

Later, my kids admitted the worst part: Candace had her friends over daily, and they were forced to clean up after all of them. She called it “teaching gratitude.” I called it exploitation.She still tries to reach out, but I’ll never forget how she turned my children’s vacation into forced labor. She stole their summer—but I made sure she paid for it.