My Grandparents Demanded to Live in My Honeymoon Villa – Am I a Bad Person for What I Did?
After we recently got married, my husband Tom and I made the decision to give our families a one-week, all-expense-paid vacation to Bora Bora. We used this as a means of fostering family unity. We rented a property for ourselves and bungalows for our family members. On that side, it was the only villa available. To put it mildly, my grandparents weren’t pleased.
The bungalows are pleasant. With one bedroom, one bathroom, and a comfortable outdoor area, they are 1,000 square feet in size. We saw to it that everyone had everything they needed and was comfortable.
In contrast, our villa is fantastic. The 4,000 square feet have a living room, a large outside area with an outdoor bathtub, a pool, a slide that plunges directly into the ocean, a bedroom, and a bathroom with a sauna. We were so excited to spend the week here, I don’t believe I need to explain.
But a struggle has already started after just 24 hours of our arrival. My cousin Lisa first suggested wanting to come over and utilise our slide over supper.
“Hey, Amy, can I come over tomorrow and try out your slide?” Lisa smiled and questioned.
“Sure, why not?” Grinning back, I said.
My grandparents heard our chat from where they were sitting.
“What slide?” Grandpa enquired, seeming interested.
“Our villa has a slide that goes right into the ocean,” I said. “It’s pretty cool.”
Grandma insisted, “Show us some pictures.”
I took out my phone and showed them our villa’s photos. Their looks shifted from curiosity to something more serious as their eyes enlarged.
“This is where you and Tom are staying?” With a harsher tone, Grandpa inquired.
“Yes,” I answered, a little uncomfortable.
Shaking her head, Grandma remarked, “This is unacceptable.” “Your elders are us. We shouldn’t have to live like slaves and be forced to work while you are able to live in luxury.”
“Peasants?” Stunned, I repeated. “This is Bora Bora, Grandma. Nobody in this place is a peasant.”
“In our section, there was only one villa available,” Tom added, attempting to defuse the situation. “If there had been more, we would have given one to each set of grandparents and kept one for ourselves.”
“This entire trip was paid for by us,” I said. “We thought it would be nice to have the villa for ourselves since it’s a celebration of our marriage.”
Grandpa reddened in the face and said, “You’re holding money over our heads.” “You’re being disrespectful and not following our orders.”
“Orders?” Sickened, I questioned. “Grandpa, we’re celebrating our marriage with a vacation. Instead of whining, wouldn’t you just be happy that you are on a free vacation?”
My response did not sit well with my grandparents. They roared to their feet.
Grandma said, “Fine,” her voice quivering with wrath. “We’ll take the first flight out tomorrow morning and leave.”
Tom tried to intervene, saying, “Wait, let’s not get too worked up.” “We’re here to enjoy ourselves, not to fight.”
My grandparents, though, did not listen. The rest of us were shocked as they stormed off. There was tension at the dinner table. Nobody was sure what to say.
Tom said in a low voice, “Maybe we should just let them have the villa,” after a short while.
“No,” I firmly said. “We too should take pleasure in this. Everything was covered by our payments. They must realise that.”
My dad answered, “I agree,” breaking his silence up to this point. “The villa is yours to have, you two. It’s absurd that your grandparents are acting this way.”
“With a slight sense of relief, I answered, “Thank you.” “I just don’t know how to handle this.”
In an attempt to seem upbeat, Tom remarked, “Maybe they’ll cool down by tomorrow.”
I answered, “I hope so,” but I wasn’t entirely sure.
After supper, we returned to our villa in peace. I couldn’t help but have a mixture of sadness and rage. This needless argument destroyed what was intended to be a joyful moment.
I was worried about what could happen, so I woke up early the next morning. Since Tom was still asleep, I thought I would go for a walk on the beach to get my mind off things. Even though the sound of the waves was relaxing, I couldn’t get rid of my sense of fear.
Tom was standing when I got back, looking worried. He enquired, “Any news?”
“Not just yet,” I replied. “But we should probably check in with them.”
We headed to my grandparents’ house after supper in the hopes of reaching a calm conclusion. My heart fell when I heard voices inside as we got closer. It wasn’t quite over yet.
I could hear them screaming from within about how unappreciative I was. My granddad opened the door when I knocked.
“Have you come to apologise or lord even more of your money over us?”
“I’m attempting to make apologies, Granddad. Not to be rude, but we are paying for everything because this is our honeymoon. If you won the villa and Tom’s parents didn’t, how would that make them feel?”
“I don’t give a damn. We should have the villa because they are being married into our family and you are paying for this trip.”
“What? Tom, Granddad, and I are dividing the price. They are just as entitled to the villa as you are, by your reasoning.”
My grandmother spoke up from inside the bungalow, using the same voice she used to tell me to eat my food when I was a child: “Listen here, young lady, either you give us the villa and show us the respect we deserve, or your part of the inheritance goes to your brothers!”
And that was all. After wishing them a good night, Tom took hold of my hand and we hurried away. I knew something was really wrong when my hubby became agitated like that.
I wanted so badly to be petty, to tell them to toss their inheritance away. However, I made the decision that it would be best to murder them politely so that they would have minimal material to work with should they want to deny that I was being disrespectful.
If I was present for breakfast, my grandparents would not come. All others who attempted to contact them were met with the response, “Nope, we’re not coming because our disrespectful granddaughter is there.” My tiny cousin eventually persuaded them to join, even though I had instructed them to go back to their room and pout.
I initiated contact by inquiring, “Have you checked any departing planes yet? The paystub can be forwarded to my cell phone.
Their expressions on me were a mixture of shock and outrage. “We haven’t looked yet,” gruffly said. “You should be the one finding flights, since you’re the one kicking us out!”
I spoke in a soothing tone. “I won’t throw you out. You expressed a desire to return home. To give you a little more time to enjoy your stay here, I’ll send some staff to your room to pack up your belongings. Perhaps you could even receive a free massage.”
With their forks halfway to their mouths, they both halted and exchanged startled looks. This is the closest anyone has ever come to opposing them. I was tired of their game of threatening to leave in order to get what they wanted, even though it had always worked. I was going to enjoy my honeymoon, of course.
“So, you’re really okay with us leaving?” Uncle asked, almost shyly. Even his voice sounded unsure.
“Yes,” I firmly said. “I want you and everyone else to have a great time while we’re here. I’ll see to it that everything is taken care of if you decide it’s better to leave.”
They appeared to be speechless. There was a little pause before Grandma said, “We’ll think about it.”
I discovered a flight that was leaving at five o’clock after breakfast and went to the main desk to request that the reservation for that room be cancelled for the remainder of the stay and that personnel be sent to assist with packing. Too ashamed to spend much time with the family, my grandparents spent the day touring the sights alone. They received no massage at all.
After helping with packing for thirty minutes, the staff left. After they left, I returned to my villa to unwind before supper. After being married into the family, a few uncles walked in and informed me they were weary of my grandparents’ entitlement. It seems like I’ve gained the favour of some family members.
“Maya, you made the right decision,” Uncle Joe patted my shoulder. “They’ve been a nightmare for years.”
I said, “Thanks, Uncle Joe,” as if a burden had been lifted.
When my cousins arrived, they genuinely didn’t seem to be bothered that my grandparents had passed away. “They ruin the atmosphere,” said Lisa.
I grinned and added, “So everyone’s happy right now.”
Yes, Lisa replied. “Everyone is utilising your slide. It’s a lot of fun. And I’m eager for supper. This place has excellent meals!”
I laughed and splashed in the pool with them at the slide. Since our arrival, I had not felt like I could unwind and truly enjoy our pre-honeymoon holiday. I felt all of the stress from the argument with my grandparents evaporate as I enjoyed seeing my relatives.
The atmosphere had lightened later when we were all together for dinner. There was easy conversation, and everyone appeared to be in a positive mood. From across the table, Tom smiled encouragingly at me, and I knew we had made the right choice.
“This is how a vacation ought to feel,” I told myself.
I made the decision to speak to the group during supper. “I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for coming and for their encouragement. Let’s make the remaining portion of our journey one to remember.”
“Cheers to that!” Uncle Joe held up his glass, and everybody else did too.
We made our way back to our villa after supper. Tom and I were sitting on the terrace outside, taking in the quiet evening.
“I’m proud of you,” Tom remarked as he took my hand. “You handled that perfectly.”
I leant against him and whispered, “Thanks, hon.” “I’m just glad it’s over.”
My grandparents are still in my mind even though Tom fell asleep to the sound of the waves. Though I adore them so much, I’m not sure if I was right to ask them to stay. Do you believe what I did was appropriate?