Every Sunday after church, I made it a point to stop by my sister-in-law Marla’s small shop. She’d gone through a rough divorce and was raising her teen alone while trying to build her business from scratch. I bought candles, soaps, anything she sold — sometimes more than I needed — because I truly wanted to support her and see her succeed. It felt good to help family.

Last week, I decided to surprise her with coffee and stop by early. The door was cracked open, so I let myself in, expecting to find her setting up for the day. Instead, I heard her laughing with someone in the back. Then I heard my name — and everything froze. “Hannah?” she said. “She’s a walking wallet. I triple prices when she comes in. She basically begs me to rip her off. What else is she going to do with her money?”

I felt like I’d been punched. I quietly stepped out before she saw me, my face burning and my stomach twisting. All those visits, all that support — and behind my back she saw me as nothing more than a paycheck, a fool with “nothing better to do.” I didn’t confront her. I just walked away, devastated and embarrassed. But after sitting with it for a few days, I knew exactly how I wanted to handle it.

The next Sunday, I returned — but not to shop. I brought a clipboard, a camera, and a calm smile. When she greeted me, expecting me to spend, I told her I’d been thinking about how to best support her moving forward. Then I handed her a handwritten note: “Good luck with your business — without me.” I walked out and left a Google review describing the price manipulation. Sometimes the kindest thing you can do is stop allowing someone to take advantage of you — even if they’re family.