My fiance (27m) and I (28f) are in the same field of work. His family owns a business in this field and have expressed wishes for us to take over, when we are ready. My fiances parents, who have always been nice to me have completely supported this idea so far.
I really love my job and have a good employer and a decent loan where I am at. My fiance does too. We live a two hour ride away from his parents.
Now, the plan was that we both start in march of next year, which I found to be too soon, but my fiances parents insisted. We were supposed to start in two locations, two days in his fathers branch and another two in his mothers branch each. My fiance and his father convinced me it is all settled and safe a few times. I thought about splitting the days between my current job and the new one and comuting, but having two part time jobs instead of one full time job is really bad in term of taxes. So its either all or nothing.
Anyways, everything was set, I quit my job a month ago since my boss is my friend and I wanted her to know, my boss was sad but had no problem with it, said I‘d always be welcome in their company if anything happens.
Now all of a sudden my fiances mother says she doesnt need me in her branch, because she has too many people (she does, it includes her working 6 days a week but she’s fine with that at the moment). But at the same time she won‘t survive another day without „her own son“ coming to help her out. Both me and my fiance were extremely upset because the way things are: he has to move and work in his fathers branch either way, since his father has noone, but at the same time, I can‘t be moving with him or starting a job with them. His father is also sad about everything and understanding and he is trying to find a solution but he simply doesn‘t need anyone for more than part time once my fiance is there.
My finces mothers words yesterday were exactly: „I didn‘t realize I can’t get Jake (my fiance) without Sophie (me)“
So ofcourse I don‘t want to go work with or for her at the moment and I can‘t get to enough hours in the other branch, so that I am financially secure. Effectively this leaves my fiance and me to split up for a long distance relationship after 7 years together and all that 6 months before our wedding. Not what we want.
Because of our working hours we will be seeing eachother only every other weekend while planning the wedding!
I have no idea what the right course of action is, my fiance is not feeling well, he has to go live alone in the middle of nowhere, I have to stay behind, which isn‘t a problem jobwise for me, but that is not what i want for my relationship. We live together, we enjoy that, we function good together.
I was taken aback by his mother, but she does have enough people in her branch. I just don’t know why she let me quit my job before telling me that.
My fiance and his father still expect me to come work part time until there is more need and I can increase my hours, but I would feel so uncomfortable doing that after his mother behaved the way she did.
What should we do? How should we handle this so that it is not a problem in the future? Is this reparable? Should we continue working towards taking over their family business or look for something else? We both need constructive input here on how to navigate the situation.
My fiance would quit and stay with me but he doesn‘t want to punish his father for what his mother did.
Sorry for the long post, sorry for my english, not a native speaker.
TLDR: My fiances parents „tricked“ him into starting in their family business unter the premiss that I would start with him and basically withdrew their offer to me the moment it was certain he will start working for them.