Brother-in-law borrowed the car and deliberately crashed into the neighbor’s vehicle

The damaged headlight may not cost much, but it speaks volumes about a person’s character.

I’m not sure about others, but for me, a car is just a means of transportation. Depending on circumstances and timing, people choose the most suitable mode of travel.

For many years, I used a motorbike for my daily commute. Financially, I could afford to buy and maintain a car, but I didn’t find it necessary until recently.

It wasn’t until last year, when my husband and I bought a house far from both our workplaces and our child’s school, that we decided to purchase a car for convenience, safety, and overall well-being.

At the time, my sister-in-law was planning to upgrade her car and offered to sell us her old one at a price far below its value. She said, “I’m selling this to help the kids out. If I have something to give, I won’t hold back.”

Unlike many families, we’ve been fortunate to receive support from my husband’s side of the family, both emotionally and financially. On the other hand, I’d be relieved if my own family just left us alone. That would already be a blessing. To be fair, we haven’t had any major disputes, but their way of living doesn’t sit well with me.

Whenever my husband and I achieved something—be it buying a house, a car, or supporting our children—his family always showed up to help. Especially my sister-in-law, who is straightforward and generous. If I ever did something careless, she’d call me out immediately, but once the matter was addressed, it was forgotten. There was one time she scolded me, and I thought she’d stop associating with me entirely. Yet that same weekend, she came over with her nieces and nephews as if nothing had happened. Over time, I realized she never held onto grudges over minor issues.

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Although my own family hasn’t contributed much to my children or me, they’ve started to behave differently since we bought a car, and it’s been bothering me. I usually don’t hold grudges and let things slide, but this time, I can’t.

My family is actually wealthier than my husband’s side, but I’m the least favored among my siblings, so I’ve never received any benefits from them. However, whenever something comes up, they expect me to take responsibility.

Things improved slightly after I got married, as they knew my husband would defend me. Though he’s quiet, he’s fiercely protective of his family, and they’ve learned to tread carefully around him.

Recently, knowing I had a car, they started borrowing it occasionally. I agreed a few times, but they took it too far. Once they got the green light, they began asking to borrow it constantly.

My car is used daily, even on weekends. After a long workweek, we like to use weekends to rest or take the kids out. But my family would borrow it for entire weekends, and if I refused, they’d get annoyed.

What’s worse, they never refuel the car or cover toll fees. They’d even call my husband to pay for them! Frustrated, I started declining their requests altogether.

Recently, my mom called to borrow the car but handed it over to my brother-in-law instead. When he returned it, one of the headlights was completely shattered.

Neither my brother-in-law nor my parents mentioned the broken headlight, let alone how they planned to fix it.

I called my brother-in-law to ask about the headlight, giving him a chance to handle things responsibly. But he laughed and proudly said:

“I was a bit tipsy driving back and couldn’t stand the sight of the neighbor’s car anymore, so I deliberately rammed into it. It felt great!”

After saying that, he didn’t even bring up the damaged headlight. Honestly, all he had to do was say, “Can you help me fix it?” and I wouldn’t have asked him to pay for it. But with behavior like this, I’ve decided he’ll never borrow my car again!