Dear Lisi: We have a problem with our sister-in-law. We’re a family of seven siblings and our oldest brother was the first to get married. Initially, we thought this woman was “ideal,” as she was of the same religion, a professional, had good parentage and no known scandals in the community. She was also the first-born in her family of five siblings. So, it seemed a perfect match from the get-go.
While he was home, our father died and our mother needed help. As the eldest brother, the responsibility fell on him. His wife was uninterested in coming to visit until he threatened divorce. On the rare occasion that she did return home, she would tell all of us, his siblings, that once he becomes a doctor, we will never see him again or receive one penny.
It’s important to speak with your brother and make sure that he is happy in his new life, with his wife. She sounds controlling and potentially abusive from what you’ve written. The biggest red flag being that she has blocked your contact with your brother. But you can figure that out — call him at work, call one of his friends, call the house when she’s not home.