The apartment was her dream—sunlight in the kitchen, laughter in the walls, and most of all, security. Though she and her husband, Alex, both contributed, it was her parents who gifted the majority of the down payment, making sure Mo started married life with stability. But that foundation shook the night Alex and his mother made an unthinkable demand:

they wanted her to give the apartment to Alex’s sister, Katie—a single mom with three kids. Mo was blindsided. In front of family and friends, Barbara, her mother-in-law, announced the plan like it was charity. Alex agreed, casually suggesting they could “start fresh” with more help from Mo’s parents. What they didn’t know was that Mo’s parents had planned ahead. The deed was in Mo’s name only. A prenuptial agreement sealed it. When Mo handed Alex the paperwork,