I’m Naho (in my 30s). I live in a two-family house with my husband, Shota (in my 30s), our 3-year-old son, and my in-laws (in their 60s). Recently, my high-powered sister-in-law, Mitsuki (in her 30s), quit her job, moved out of her place, and started living with us. The reason she left her major corporation was a breakup; her boyfriend of eight years, Hiroaki (in his 30s), had been two-timing her. To make matters worse, the other woman got pregnant. Deeply hurt, Mitsuki seemed to be coping by blowing money on travel and shopping sprees.
After her brother Shota told her to “start saving money,” Mitsuki completely shut herself off. ”Weddings are too expensive,” she said, choosing to skip the ceremony and just send her gift through our in-laws. Shota seemed even more frustrated by her attitude. Honestly, I thought she could have just attended our cousin’s wedding, but her mind was made up. Gradually, Mitsuki stopped caring about how she looked, showered less and less, and spiraled into becoming a total slob.