My husband, Tom, and I recently got married and decided to treat both our families to a one-week, all-expense-paid vacation in Bora Bora. This was our way of getting our families to bond. We rented bungalows for our family members and a villa for ourselves. It was the only villa available on that side. And let’s just say my grandparents weren’t happy.

The bungalows are nice. They’re 1,000 square feet with one bedroom, one bathroom, and a cozy outdoor space. We made sure everyone was comfortable and had everything they needed.

Our villa, on the other hand, is amazing. It’s 4,000 square feet with one bedroom, one bathroom that includes a sauna, a living room, a grand outdoor space, an outdoor bathtub, a pool, and a slide that goes straight into the ocean. I don’t think I have to explain why we were excited to spend the week here.

But we haven’t even been here for 24 hours, and a fight has already broken out. It all started during dinner when my cousin, Lisa, mentioned wanting to come over and use our slide.

“Hey, Amy, can I come over tomorrow and try out your slide?” Lisa asked, grinning.

“Sure, why not?” I said, smiling back.

My grandparents, who were sitting nearby, overheard our conversation.

“What slide?” Grandpa asked, looking curious.

“Our villa has a slide that goes right into the ocean,” I explained. “It’s pretty cool.”

“Show us some pictures,” Grandma insisted.

I pulled out my phone and showed them pictures of our villa. Their eyes widened, and their expressions changed from curiosity to something more serious.

“This is where you and Tom are staying?” Grandpa asked, his tone growing stern.

“Yes,” I replied, feeling a bit uneasy.

“This is unacceptable,” Grandma said, shaking her head. “We are your elders. We should not be made to slave and live like peasants while you enjoy this luxury.”

“Peasants?” I repeated, stunned. “Grandma, this is Bora Bora. No one here is living like a peasant.”

“There was only one villa available in our section,” Tom chimed in, trying to calm the situation. “If there had been more, we would have given one to each set of grandparents and kept one for ourselves.”

“We paid for this entire trip,” I added. “We thought it would be nice to have the villa for ourselves since it’s a celebration of our marriage.”

“You’re holding money over our heads,” Grandpa accused, his face red with anger. “You’re being disrespectful and not following our orders.”

“Orders?” I asked, incredulous. “Grandpa, we’re on a vacation to celebrate our marriage. Can’t you just be grateful you’re on a free vacation instead of complaining?”

My grandparents were not pleased with my response. They stood up, fuming.

“Fine,” Grandma said, her voice trembling with rage. “We’ll take the first flight out tomorrow morning and leave.”

“Wait, let’s not overreact,” Tom said, trying to mediate. “We’re here to enjoy ourselves, not to fight.”

But my grandparents wouldn’t listen. They stormed off, leaving the rest of us in shock. The atmosphere at the dinner table was tense. No one knew what to say.

“Maybe we should just let them have the villa,” Tom suggested quietly after a few minutes.

“No,” I said firmly. “We deserve to enjoy this too. We paid for everything. They need to understand that.”

“I agree,” said my dad, who had been silent until now. “You two deserve to have the villa. Your grandparents are being unreasonable.”

“Thank you,” I said, feeling a bit better. “I just don’t know how to handle this.”

“Maybe they’ll cool down by tomorrow,” Tom said, trying to be optimistic.

“I hope so,” I replied, though I wasn’t so sure.

We finished dinner in silence and went back to our villa. I couldn’t help but feel a mix of anger and sadness. This was supposed to be a happy time, and now it was ruined by this unnecessary conflict.

The next morning, I woke up early, anxious about what might happen. Tom was still asleep, so I decided to take a walk on the beach to clear my head. The sound of the waves was soothing, but I couldn’t shake off the feeling of dread.

When I returned, Tom was up, looking concerned. “Any news?” he asked.

“Not yet,” I said. “But we should probably check in with them.”

After dinner, we made our way to my grandparents’ bungalow, hoping for a peaceful resolution. As we approached, I heard voices inside, and my heart sank. This wasn’t over yet.

From inside, I heard them ranting about how ungrateful I was. I knocked on the door and my grandfather opened up.

“Have you come to apologize or lord even more of your money over us?”

“Granddad, I’m trying to make amends. I’m not trying to be disrespectful, but it is our honeymoon and we are paying for everything. How would Tom’s parents feel if you got the villa and they didn’t?”

“I don’t care. They are marrying into our family and you’re paying for this trip, so we should get the villa.”

“What? Granddad, Tom and I are splitting the costs. By your logic, they have as much a claim to the villa as you.”

“Listen here, young lady,” my grandma chimed in from within the bungalow in the voice she used when I didn’t want to eat my food as a kid, “either you give us the villa and show us the respect we deserve, or your part of the inheritance goes to your brothers!”

That was it. Tom told them to have a good night, grabbed my hand, and we stormed off. If something riled my husband up like that, I knew things were getting bad.

I really wanted to be petty and tell them to take their inheritance and shove it. But I decided it’d be better to kill them with kindness so they would have little to work with if they decided to spin it around that I was disrespectful.

During breakfast, my grandparents refused to show up if I was there. Everyone tried calling them, but all they got was a “Nope, we’re not coming because our disrespectful granddaughter is there.” I told them to leave them sulking in their room, but my baby cousin eventually got them to join.

I made the first move by asking, “Did you look at any flights to leave yet? You can forward the paystub to my cell.”

They looked at me with a mix of surprise and indignation. “We haven’t looked yet,” Grandma snapped. “You should be the one finding flights, since you’re the one kicking us out!”

I kept my tone calm. “I’m not kicking you out. You said you wanted to go home. I’ll send some staff to your room to pack up your things so you can have a little more time to enjoy your time here. Maybe you could even get a complimentary massage.”

Both stopped with their forks halfway to their mouths and exchanged shocked glances. No one has ever really stood up to them like this. Their charade of threatening to leave just to get their way has always paid off, but I was sick of it. It was my honeymoon and I was going to enjoy it.

“So, you’re really okay with us leaving?” Grandpa asked almost sheepishly. His voice sounded uncertain even.

“Yes,” I said firmly. “I want everyone to enjoy their time here, including you. If you think leaving is best, then I’ll make sure everything is taken care of.”

They seemed to be at a loss for words. After a few moments of silence, Grandma said, “We’ll think about it.”

After breakfast, I found a flight leaving around 5 p.m. and walked to the main desk to ask them to cancel the reservation for that room for the rest of the trip and to send staff to help pack. My grandparents spent the day taking in the sights on their own, too embarrassed to spend much time with the family. They didn’t even get a massage.

Staff came to help pack, and they left half an hour ago. With them gone, I went to my villa to relax before dinner. Some uncles came in — who were married into the family — and told me that they were sick and tired of my grandparents’ entitlement. Looks like I just won over a few family members.

“You did the right thing, Maya,” Uncle Joe said, patting my shoulder. “They’ve been a nightmare for years.”

“Thanks, Uncle Joe,” I replied, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders.

My cousins came over, and honestly, they couldn’t care less my grandparents were gone. “They kill the vibe,” said Lisa, shrugging.

“So everyone’s happy right now,” I said, smiling.

“Yep,” Lisa agreed. “We’re all using your slide. It’s really fun. And I can’t wait for dinner. The food here is great!”

I joined them at the slide, laughing and splashing in the pool. For the first time since we arrived, I felt like I could actually relax and enjoy our pre-honeymoon trip. The tension from the confrontation with my grandparents melted away as I watched my family have fun.

Later, as we gathered for dinner, I noticed the atmosphere was lighter. Conversations flowed easily, and everyone seemed to be in good spirits. Tom gave me a reassuring smile from across the table, and I knew we had made the right decision.

“This is what a vacation should feel like,” I thought to myself.

During dinner, I decided to address the group. “I just wanted to thank everyone for being here and for your support. Let’s make the rest of this trip unforgettable.”

“Cheers to that!” Uncle Joe raised his glass, and everyone followed suit.

After dinner, we headed back to our villa. Tom and I sat on the outdoor deck, enjoying the peaceful night.

“I’m proud of you,” Tom said, taking my hand. “You handled that perfectly.”

“Thanks, hon,” I said, leaning against him. “I’m just glad it’s over.”

Tom dozed off to the sound of the waves, but I’m still thinking about my grandparents. I love them so much, but I wonder if I should have asked them to stay. Do you think I did the right thing?