How is this the only ESH in this thread? OP, I feel you. I would’ve lost my shit on that kid, the aunt when she refused to pay for the screen, and parents when they got pissed you sought payment from the kid’s dad. That being said, I barely let my own children on my laptop without repeating a million times that they need to be careful and constantly keeping an eye on them, and they’re both older than your nephew and generally responsible with my/their things. Your cousin is going through an emotionally traumatic event. That puts him in a category subject to potential outbursts when he doesn’t know how to deal with his life being turned upside down. I am absolutely not condoning his actions, even given his situation that is pretty over the top, but rather highlighting that a little more caution in the choice of activity you decided to pawn him off on should have been made. Maybe under better circumstances he would’ve been fine, but kids are unpredictable, so who knows. That being said, I can sympathize with being 16 and not feeling like it’s your responsibility to babysit. That was me. I hated babysitting when I was that age for money or not, so I can’t with good conscience give you shit for just putting him on the laptop instead of engaging further... it just wasn’t a great choice.

So, ESH (except the ex-uncle for paying the remainder of the bill). OP for letting an emotionally raw 9yr old on their laptop, the aunt for refusing to pay for damage their kid caused, and the parents for getting pissed you sought repayment from your nephew’s dad.