My Mom Harassed Me At My Job Until I’d Give My Home To My Sister. I Installed Hidden Cameras And Uncovered A Terrifying Plot To Make Me Homeless. How Far Should I Go To Protect Myself?

An Unwelcome Morning Visit

Last week, things reached a new level. I just finished a 16-hour emergency shift. One of our pregnant giraffes had complications during labor, and I’d been part of the team monitoring her throughout the night. I was dead on my feet when my mother showed up at my door at 7:00 in the morning, my sister in tow.

“We need to talk about the apartment situation,” my mother announced, pushing past me into my living room.

My sister followed, already eyeing the place like she was mentally arranging her furniture.

“What apartment situation?” I asked, though I knew exactly where this was heading.

“Don’t be selfish,” my mother said, settling onto my couch as if she owned the place. “Your sister desperately needs this apartment. Her commute is killing her. You’re young and strong; you could easily find another place farther out. Plus, you make decent money at the zoo.”

I wanted to laugh. Decent money? I make enough to live comfortably, sure, but zookeeping isn’t exactly a path to riches. Most of us do it because we’re passionate about conservation and animal welfare, not because of the paycheck. Meanwhile, my sister, as a retail manager, actually makes more than I do—something my mother conveniently ignores.

“This apartment is rent-controlled,” I pointed out. “I pay 800 a month for a place that would normally cost 1,500. If I moved, I’d be paying nearly double for something probably farther from work.”

“You could bike,” my sister chimed in. “Or take the bus. You’re always going on about being environmentally conscious anyway.”

The irony of her suggesting I take public transportation while she refused to do the same wasn’t lost on me, but I was too exhausted to argue properly. I told them I needed to sleep and practically pushed them out the door.

Emotional Warfare at the Zoo

Since then, the guilt trips have been relentless. Daily calls from my mother about how I’m destroying family bonds and being inconsiderate. Text messages from my sister with links to apartments in sketchy neighborhoods 40 minutes from the zoo. Even posts on social media about the importance of family sacrifice that are clearly directed at me.

The worst part is my mother has started showing up at the zoo. She’ll appear during my lunch break, standing by the employee area with that disappointed look she’s perfected over the years. My co-workers have started noticing, and it’s embarrassing.

Yesterday she brought my sister along, and they stood there watching me clean the penguin habitat, shaking their heads as if I was committing some grave sin by keeping my own apartment. I’m exhausted, not just from my job, which I love despite its challenges, but from this constant emotional warfare.

After spending my days ensuring the welfare of creatures who depend on me—making sure the lions are healthy, the chimps are stimulated, the reptiles have proper heating—I come home to messages about what a terrible son and brother I am. My mother keeps saying my sister desperately needs this apartment, but from what I can see, what she desperately needs is to grow up and find her own place.

She’s been living rent-free with our mother for 3 years since she broke up with her ex. She has the money for her own apartment. I’ve seen her designer handbag collection and her frequent vacation posts. But why spend that when you can guilt your brother into giving up his home?

Reaching the Breaking Point

I feel like I’m going crazy. Am I being unreasonable? After working with potentially dangerous animals all day, is it too much to ask for peace in my own home?

The location of my apartment isn’t just about convenience; it’s about safety. When we have emergency calls, which happen more often than you’d think, I need to be able to get there quickly. Last month we had an escape situation with one of the smaller primates, and I was there in 8 minutes. If I lived where my mother wants me to move, it would have taken 40 minutes minimum.

I don’t know what to do anymore. The stress is affecting my work. Yesterday I nearly made a mistake with medication dosages for one of the bears because I was so distracted by another guilt trip text from my mother. My supervisor noticed I seemed off and asked if everything was okay. How do you explain that your mother is trying to force you out of your apartment without sounding like you’re dealing with some ridiculous family drama?

I love my family, I really do, but I’m starting to resent them. Is that wrong? I’ve worked hard to get where I am. I spent years volunteering, getting my degree in zoology, working unpaid internships, and finally landing this position. My apartment is part of what makes this life sustainable.

But according to my mother, I should sacrifice all of that because my sister doesn’t want to apartment hunt like every other adult in the city. I’m at my wit’s end here. Part of me wants to just go completely no contact, but then the guilt kicks in. They’re family, after all. But when does family obligation end and self-preservation begin?