We all do our best to sidestep unnecessary family drama, but sometimes, dealing with difficult relatives requires a little creativity. One Reddit user found the perfect way to settle the score with her in-laws—through an act of petty (yet hilarious) revenge.
“I finally got even with my ungrateful SIL—and it was priceless.”
For years, my wealthy sister-in-law gifted us nothing but secondhand junk, never once showing appreciation for the thoughtful presents I gave her. And to be clear, this woman isn’t struggling—she’s a trust-fund paralegal living in luxury while my brother-in-law boasts about scamming disability benefits to cover their mortgage. They flaunt their fortune every holiday, my SIL draped in designer bags as if she were gracing a runway.
“I even tried giving her a not-so-subtle hint.”
I once gifted her a pack of thank-you cards—stamps included—hoping she’d take the hint. Spoiler: she didn’t. It became painfully obvious that gratitude wasn’t in her vocabulary, and she fully expected my generosity without a second thought.
“What I got in return? Not even worth wrapping.”
While I spent time picking meaningful gifts, my in-laws treated the holidays as a chance to offload their junk. My gifts in return? Garbage. Cheap Goodwill castoffs—puzzles missing half their pieces, tacky Disney trinkets, literal trash. The kicker? These people own multiple luxury cars.
It was never about the money. It was about respect. But instead of starting a family feud, I opted for a little playful revenge.
“Enter my nephew—my unwitting accomplice.”
Her young son, a sweet but spoiled little terror, was just as oblivious to gratitude as his mother. So this year, I found the most obnoxious, ear-piercing toy imaginable—a popping toy that never, ever stops. Then, I waited.
When Christmas rolled around, I wrapped it beautifully and sent it over, conveniently skipping the family gathering.
“The fallout? Absolute chaos.”
I didn’t even have to be there to enjoy the spectacle. My mother-in-law gleefully filled me in later: my plan worked better than I could’ve dreamed. My nephew was obsessed with the toy, popping it nonstop until everyone’s nerves were fried.
Even my sister-in-law’s parents—who usually love basking in her riches—couldn’t take it. The noise drove them out of the house within minutes. My mother-in-law’s recap had me in stitches. My message was received—loud and clear—without me having to utter a single word.
Other Reddit users shared their own masterful revenge stories.
One person revealed: “I once gifted my ex-husband’s niece a recorder and a book on how to play ‘Frozen’ songs. Best Christmas ever.”
Another chimed in with a legendary sibling payback: “My brother tormented me as a kid. As an adult, I got even. One Christmas, I gifted my nephew an electric drum kit, my niece an electronic guitar. The next year, keyboards. The final year? A giant piano mat.”
And then there was this expert-level chaos-bringer: “Loud toys are fine, but if you REALLY want to drive someone crazy, give their kids something messy: glitter, kinetic sand, jewelry-making kits. Anything that requires non-stop supervision and an eternity of cleanup.”
Moral of the story? When relatives show no appreciation, a little mischievous gifting might just be the best holiday tradition.