When Jeremy and his wife, Nina, returned from a relaxing vacation, they expected a quiet evening at home. What they walked into, however, was anything but peaceful.
Their living room looked like a disaster zone—beer cans scattered across the floor, dirty clothes piled up everywhere, and an awful smell in the air. And sprawled out on their couch, as if he had every right to be there, was Jeremy’s older brother, Ted.
Jeremy’s patience wore thin instantly. “Ted, what the hell? What is all this? Why are you in my house?” he asked, his voice shaking with disbelief and anger.
Nina stood by the doorway, her arms crossed as she took in the mess. Jeremy could tell she was already upset, and he knew he had to do something fast or else he’d be dealing with an angry wife on top of everything else.
Ted barely glanced up, completely unfazed. “Oh, hey, Jeremy,” he said casually, stretching out on the couch like it was his own home. “Mom and Dad figured it’d be easier if I just moved in while you guys were gone. You’ve got all this space, and it’s not like you’re using it. You’re either at work or on vacation.”
Jeremy’s jaw dropped. “You moved in? Without asking? Into my house? Are you crazy?”
Ted yawned, putting his feet up on the coffee table. “Yeah, so what? I needed a place to stay, and it’s not like you’d have said yes. So, we just skipped that part. Chill out, Jeremy. Help a brother out.”
Jeremy’s blood boiled. Ted had always lived off their parents, making excuses for his irresponsible behavior, and now, he had crossed the line. He had taken over Jeremy’s home, without even the decency to ask. How had it come to this?
Just as Jeremy opened his mouth to speak, his phone rang. It was their mom. Of course.
He answered, trying to stay calm despite his boiling anger. “Mom, did you and Dad seriously let Ted move into my house while I was away?”
Ted snickered from the couch. “Why are you using my full name?”
Ignoring him, Jeremy continued, “Mom, why didn’t you even ask me? Ted is 42 years old. Why does he keep needing to move in with someone?”
His mother’s voice was smooth, almost dismissive. “Oh, don’t be so dramatic, Jeremy. Ted needed a place to stay, and it’s not like you’re using all this space. You and Nina are always at work or on vacation. What’s the harm in helping him out?”
Jeremy closed his eyes, trying to hold back his frustration. “Mom, he’s a grown man. Why should I have to take care of him? You’ve been enabling him for years, and now you want me to do the same?”
His mother quickly switched to defense mode. “Oh, so now you’re calling him a freeloader? He’s been through a lot, Jeremy. You don’t understand what it’s like for him. He needs some help, and as family, you should be there for him.”
Jeremy clenched his fists. “You want me to just keep coddling him forever? He has kids and can’t even support them! Why don’t you take him back?”
Before he could say anything else, his father grabbed the phone. His voice was even more stern. “Jeremy, stop being selfish. You’ve got the house, the wife, everything. What’s the big deal? Ted is your brother. He’s staying with you.”
This was the breaking point for Jeremy. He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and said, “It’s not about space, Dad. It’s about respect. I don’t mind helping Ted, but he can’t just take over my home. Nina and I have worked hard for everything we have. And you want her to just put up with it?”
Ted snorted from the couch. “Oh, come on, don’t act like you’re all that. It’s just a house.”
Jeremy snapped, “But you’ve been freeloading off Mom and Dad for years! Why should I trust you to do anything different here? Why don’t you stay with one of your kids?”
Ted rolled his eyes. “Because I’m family, that’s why. Why do you always treat me like I’m some stranger? Mom and Dad knew you’d act like this, but I didn’t think you’d be this bad.”
Jeremy’s temper flared, but he didn’t let it show. He was done. “Fine, Ted. You want to stay? Let’s see how that works out.”
Later that night, Jeremy sat with Nina and explained what had happened. She was livid. “Jer, you can’t be serious. You’re letting him stay?”
“I’m going to fix it, Nina. I promise,” Jeremy said, but she wasn’t having it.
“I’ll be at my sister’s if you don’t get him out of here within a week,” she said, packing her suitcase. “I can’t live with him.”
Jeremy nodded, his resolve firm. “I’ll fix it, I swear.”
For the next week, Jeremy turned Ted’s stay into a living nightmare, all without ever yelling. First, he disconnected the Wi-Fi. Ted, who spent most of his time on his phone or watching TV, was completely lost. When Ted complained, Jeremy just smiled and shrugged. “Oh, the internet? Yeah, it’s been spotty.”
Then, Jeremy cut off the hot water. Ted, who loved long, hot showers, was now stuck with freezing cold water every morning. “Must be something wrong with the plumbing,” Jeremy would say with an innocent smile.
Jeremy also filled the fridge with nothing but tofu, vegetables, and healthy food. Ted groaned every time he opened the fridge. “What is this? Where’s the greasy food?” he whined.
Jeremy would reply casually, “It’s for your health, Ted. You’ll get used to it.”
But the best part was the early mornings. Jeremy would blast loud music while running on the treadmill in their gym room. By day five, Ted was a walking zombie.
“Jeremy, man, this is BS,” Ted complained. “No Wi-Fi, no hot water, and the food… I can’t live like this.”
Jeremy raised an eyebrow. “I thought you’d be grateful, Ted. You’re not paying rent, and you’re not contributing anything. What’s the problem?”
Ted muttered something under his breath. “Forget it. I’m going back to Mom and Dad’s.”
And just like that, Ted packed his bags and stormed out, leaving Jeremy with a satisfied smirk.
But he wasn’t done. Jeremy cleaned the house, stocked the fridge with real food, and prepared a nice meal for Nina. He’d already called her and told her that Ted was gone. “Come home, honey,” he said.
“I’ll see you soon,” Nina replied, her voice full of relief.
Later that evening, Jeremy made the final call to his parents. “Mom, Dad, Ted is out of my house. And he won’t be coming back. He’s your problem now.”
His mother’s voice was furious. “Jeremy, you can’t just kick him out! Where’s he supposed to go?”
Jeremy was calm. “That’s up to Ted, Mom. He’s 42. If you guys want to keep babying him, go ahead. But I’m done.”
From what Jeremy heard later, Ted had moved back in with their parents, but they finally demanded he get a job and convert the garage into his own space. Ted wasn’t happy about it, of course, and blamed Jeremy for everything. But Jeremy didn’t care. He had his home back, and peace had been restored.
Nina came home to a much quieter house, and for the first time in a long time, they both felt like things were finally in order again.
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