My sister-in-law was taking $1,300 from my remote work every month. When I told her to stop, she yelled at me to get out of the house.For almost a year, I worked from the corner of my brother Marco’s dining room table, convincing myself I was being practical.

It was supposed to be temporary.

That word can stretch longer than you think when you’re trying to rebuild your life.

After the breakup, I didn’t trust my own footing. Everything felt unstable — emotions, finances, even my sense of direction. So when Marco said, “Stay with us. Save money. Reset,” it sounded like the kind of lifeline people are lucky …