AITA for taking my sister and her husband to small claims after they lied about paying me to care for his hospitalized father?

I agreed to care for my brother-in-law’s recovering father under the promise of being paid—only to find out they told him I was “volunteering,” and now they refuse to pay me for over two weeks of exhausting shifts.

My sister’s father-in-law has been hospitalized for more than two weeks after a hip replacement, struggling with recovery and expected to stay even longer. I’m a 20-year-old college student who works at the hospital watching over mental-health patients and high-risk cases, and I can also take on personal patients for a higher rate. My brother-in-law asked me to look after his dad, agreed to my rate, and promised he would pay me in full once his dad was discharged. I trusted him completely. His dad was easy to care for—funny, kind, and he usually slept at night, which made the long shifts manageable while I studied. But one night he mentioned how grateful he was that I “volunteered.” That’s when I realized my sister and her husband told him I was doing this for free as a family favor.

I spent over two weeks working 10–12 hour shifts caring for someone under a rate we agreed on—only to learn my sister and her husband lied, called it “volunteering,” and told me to treat my labor as a gift for their unborn baby.

Once I confronted my sister, she eventually admitted they lied because money was tight with two kids and a third on the way. She told me to “consider it a gift” for the baby. Her husband doubled down, saying it “wasn’t real work” since his dad often slept and that he’d never pay my “stupid rate.” For context, I worked more than two weeks straight, mostly 10–12 hour shifts—with only one night off—and it easily added up to more than $2,000. I left the hospital furious, grabbed my things, and went home without saying goodbye.

"She told me to consider it a gift for their unborn baby."

My dad was outraged on my behalf and offered to connect me with a lawyer to take this to small claims. And honestly, I’m considering it—because I’m a college student without a college fund; my parents spent everything trying to save my mom from cancer before she passed last year. Working that many hours back-to-back drained me physically and mentally.

"He said it wasn’t real work and that he’d never pay me my stupid rate."

Now my sister is calling me heartless for leaving her father-in-law alone when he still needs help moving around. She accused me of stressing out a pregnant woman, but I told her I’m not their slave and they need to pay me for the work I actually did. The situation has escalated into a full-blown family dispute over fairness, expectations, and exploitation.

🏠 The Aftermath

I walked out, and since then, her father-in-law has been without the support they expected me to continue giving for free. My sister and her husband are furious, insisting I abandoned him and the family.

At their house, they’re framing it as me being selfish; in reality, they never planned to pay me for over two weeks of demanding work. At my place, my dad is fully backing me and urging me to pursue small claims if I want compensation for the labor I provided.

The fallout has strained our relationship severely—my sister is angry, her husband refuses to apologize, and the unpaid labor has become the center of a deeper conversation about how they value my time and boundaries.

"They expected free labor under the label of ‘family,’ even when it cost me my time, energy, and wellbeing."

I’m relieved I finally set a boundary, but frustrated that it came to this. The deception and entitlement made it clear they expected me to sacrifice simply because I was convenient and already in the hospital building.

💭 Emotional Reflection

This situation isn’t just about unpaid work—it’s about trust, boundaries, and the assumption that family labor is free labor. I offered my professional services under an agreed-upon rate, and they chose to lie, dismiss the value of my work, and emotionally guilt-trip me when confronted.

Yes, I could’ve let it slide, but two straight weeks of 10–12 hour shifts is not a favor. It’s a job. Their financial struggles shouldn’t be solved by exploiting me, especially when I’m juggling college, grief, and my own responsibilities.

People will differ on whether small claims is the right path—but the core issue remains: respecting someone’s time, labor, and boundaries, even when they’re family.

Here’s how the community might see it:

“They lied to both you and his dad. That’s not a misunderstanding—that’s manipulation for free labor.”

“Your work has value. Pregnancy doesn’t excuse exploiting a college student for 100+ hours of unpaid care.”

“Small claims exists for exactly this. Family or not, they agreed to a rate and benefited from your labor.”

Reactions lean toward recognizing the unfairness, the emotional manipulation, and the importance of enforcing boundaries—even within families dealing with stress and limited finances.

🌱 Final Thoughts

Working two weeks of long shifts without pay isn’t a family favor—it’s exploitation. Setting boundaries after being misled isn’t heartless; it’s necessary for self-respect and financial survival.

Some may say suing family is extreme, but so is lying about payment and dismissing someone’s labor as “not real work.”

What do you think?
Would you take them to small claims or let it go for the sake of family peace? Share your thoughts below 👇