On a typical Tuesday evening, I walked into my in-laws’ house to find my children with completely empty plates, while their nieces and nephews were eating their third helping of lasagna from a “real” dinner set. Eighteen minutes later, I quietly decided I’d had enough of being their personal ATM, and that something in this family was about to go wrong in a way no one expected.

“And you were making payments. Significant payments. The property taxes alone are enormous. What about Roger’s truck? You mentioned a loan.”

“I guaranteed it with my credit history. They wouldn’t have approved it themselves.”

Rachel paused, and I could almost hear her legal mind weighing her options.

“Leah, do you understand what this means? You’re not just giving them money. You’re legally responsible for their debts, which means you also have the right to be released from those obligations.”

My heart started beating faster.

What are you saying?

“I’m saying that if you want to send a message—a very clear and powerful message about what happens when you take someone for granted—you have the right to immediately stop all child support payments. You can withdraw your mortgage guarantee. You can cancel your truck loan guarantee. You can stop all payments you’ve made on their behalf.”

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