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DEAR ABBY: A few years back, my brother gave me a substantial amount of cryptocurrency. A couple of years after that, he did something that hurt me and my husband deeply and destroyed any trust I had in him. As a result, I have greatly reduced contact with him as well as my entire family.
When I explained how what he did made me feel and how it affected my life, my brother “sort of” apologized, but it wasn’t genuine — and during this fake apology, he mentioned he wanted his crypto back.
Because I had had some financial difficulties, I couldn’t give back the money. The cryptocurrency had been a GIFT. When he gave it to me, there was no agreement about paying him back or what to do with it. (He confessed that he had made a huge mistake by giving it to me.) When I told him I couldn’t give it back, he sort of let it go. But now we are barely on speaking terms, and I feel awkward because I can feel his resentment.
I no longer trust him, and I’m not sure how to proceed. I’m not angry; I’m just cautious because of his previous careless actions and because he lacks a verbal filter, especially toward my husband, who is sensitive. How do I deal with the fallout? — ONCE BITTEN, TWICE SHY
DEAR O.B.T.S.: I wish you had gone into more detail in the second sentence of your letter. If I have read it correctly, your problems with your brother have less to do with the cryptocurrency debacle and far more about how he treats your husband. As I see it, you have every right to proceed with caution where your brother is concerned. If he can’t watch his mouth around your husband, some distance may be better for all of you.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.