An older woman | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n
My MIL, Laura, is one of those people who thinks she\u2019s always right. No matter the topic, she insists on sharing her opinion, even when she has absolutely no clue what she\u2019s talking about.\n\n\n\n
Kitchen hacks? She\u2019s going to give you a list of things you\u2019ve never heard before.\n\n\n\n
Current affairs? Oh, she\u2019s going to make you feel like you\u2019ve been living under a rock.\n\n\n\n
Artificial intelligence? Scientific discoveries? That woman thinks she knows it all.\n\n\n\nAn older woman looking at the person sitting in front of her | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n
She also likes to believe she\u2019s the best mother in the world. Laura has two sons, Edward and Michael. The younger one, Edward, is my husband.\n\n\n\n
Ask Edward about his mother, and he\u2019ll give you five reasons why she\u2019s far from being the best mother.\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe always used to scream at us for no reason,\u201d he told me one day. \u201cShe would punish us for the tiniest of mistakes and make us feel like we didn\u2019t deserve to be loved.\u201d\n\n\n\nA boy crying | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n
Honestly, I feel terrible for Edward and Michael, and I can vouch that Edward isn\u2019t exaggerating about his mother. When I first met Edward in college, he was an underconfident guy, too shy to even talk to the girls in his class.\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m not one to brag, but I was the one who taught him how to take care of himself and made him believe he was worthy of love.\n\n\n\n
I still remember the time he shared his traumatic childhood memories with me before we got married. I was shocked.\n\n\n\nA woman looking straight ahead, surprised | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n
\u201cI remember shaking with fear when Mom used to argue with Dad in front of us,\u201d Edward told me. \u201cShe used to scream at us after that.\u201d\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat sounds terrible, babe,\u201d I shook my head. \u201cI\u2019m so sorry you had to go through all of that.\u201d\n\n\n\n
\u201cI just want you to know what kind of childhood I had,\u201d he said, looking straight into my eyes. \u201cIt\u2019s important for me to be honest before you decide to start a new chapter of your life with me, Ray.\u201d\n\n\n\nA man talking to his girlfriend | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know, Edward,\u201d I said as I reached for his hand. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry about anything now. I\u2019m with you, and I\u2019ll stay. I\u2019ll stay forever.\u201d\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s when I decided to marry the man I loved the most, but I never imagined his mother would turn my life into a nightmare. I knew she was difficult, but what she did a few weeks ago was beyond anything I expected.\n\n\n\nA woman talking to her daughter-in-law | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n
It was our second wedding anniversary, so Edward and I decided to host a small party at our house. We invited our close friends, my parents, Edward\u2019s brother, and my MIL.\n\n\n\n
I spent hours decorating the house and cooking up the best dishes for the celebration. I even ordered a beautiful anniversary cake that was so gorgeous I almost didn\u2019t want to cut it!\n\n\n\nA close-up shot of a cake | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n
Anyway, so the guests started coming in and everything was going well.\n\n\n\n
They chatted, enjoyed the food, played games, and thanked us for inviting them. Then, once everyone left, my MIL called me into the living room and handed me an envelope.\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s this?\u201d I asked with a smile.\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust a little gift from my side,\u201d she said as she stood up to leave. \u201cIt\u2019s only for you, okay? It\u2019s not for my son.\u201d\n\n\n\nA woman talking to her daughter-in-law | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, thank you,\u201d I said in a cheerful tone.\n\n\n\n
Then, she hugged Edward and me and left with a smile on her face.\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s strange,\u201d I said to Edward once she left. \u201cYour mom didn\u2019t make any mean remarks today. I\u2019m surprised!\u201d\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, she might have spared you because it\u2019s our anniversary,\u201d Edward laughed.\n\n\n\n
\u201cBy the way, what\u2019s that?\u201d he asked while pointing towards the envelope in my hand.\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour mother said it\u2019s a gift for me,\u201d I said. \u201cIt better be something nice.\u201d\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor you?\u201d Edward chuckled. \u201cYou\u2019re one lucky woman, Ray!\u201d\n\n\n\nA man standing in his house | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n
Once we finished cleaning the kitchen, I sat on the bed with the envelope, ready to open it.\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m opening your mom\u2019s gift!\u201d I called out to Edward who was in the shower.\n\n\n\n
\u201cGood luck, babe!\u201d I heard his muffled voice from behind the bathroom door.\n\n\n\n
I expected a few dollar bills or grocery store coupons inside the envelope, but what Laura had given me was something far beyond my expectations. My smile faded as I pulled out a piece of paper from the envelope.\n\n\n\nA woman opening an envelope | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n
When I unfolded it and read the first line, I couldn\u2019t help but stare at the paper with my eyes wide open. My mother-in-law had sent me a bill for all the \u201cexpenses\u201d she claimed to have incurred while raising my husband. I\u2019m not even kidding.\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s a snippet of the list she sent:\n\n\n\n
Diapers \u2014 $2,500\n\n\n\nSchool supplies \u2014 $1,200\n\n\n\nSports equipment \u2014 $1,100\n\n\n\nCollege tuition \u2014 $25,000\n\n\n\nEmotional support (yes, this was actually listed) \u2014 $10,000\n\n\n\n\u201cNurturing a loving son for you’\u201d\u2014 priceless (with a smiley face)\n\n\n\nA woman reading a note | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n
The list went on and on, and the more I read, the more my eyes twitched. She even added a little note at the end.\n\n\n\n
Since you\u2019re enjoying the benefits, you can help me recover the costs.\n\n\n\n\u201cWhat the heck?\u201d I said to myself. \u201cHow could she even think of doing this? She\u2019s asking me to pay her for raising such a wonderful husband?\u201d\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s when Edward stepped out of the bathroom.\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat happened, babe?\u201d he asked after looking at my face. \u201cIs everything alright?\u201d\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour mother needs help, Edward,\u201d I handed the bill to him. \u201cSerious help.\u201d\n\n\n\nA woman talking to her husband | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n
I watched Edward read the bill carefully, expecting him to react like I did, but he just brushed it off as a joke.\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure Mom\u2019s just playing around,\u201d he chuckled. \u201cShe can\u2019t be serious.\u201d\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe sent me a bill totaling $50,000, and you think this is a joke?\u201d I said, my tone serious.\n\n\n\n
Edward shrugged his shoulders.\n\n\n\nA man looking at his wife | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n
\u201cLaura and I aren\u2019t high school buddies,\u201d I said, rolling my eyes. \u201cI know she\u2019s serious. You know how she loves making people feel terrible. This is just another one of her stunts, I\u2019m sure.\u201d\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s when Edward agreed with me.\n\n\n\n
\u201cI won\u2019t let her get away with this,\u201d I told Edward. \u201cThis is just\u2026 absurd!\u201d\n\n\n\n
Once we went to bed, Edward fell asleep in a few minutes, but I kept tossing and turning, thinking about how to get back at Laura in the best possible way.\n\n\n\nBedroom curtains at night | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n
I wanted to make her feel as terrible as she made me feel today.\n\n\n\n
How did she even think of asking me to pay her back for all that stuff? I thought. How did she even think she was emotionally supporting her children when all she did was yell at them?\n\n\n\nThe next morning, I woke up with a brilliant plan. After breakfast, I grabbed a notebook and started listing everything Laura had put me through.\n\n\n\nA woman writing in a notebook | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n
Then, I made an itemized bill, just like the one she sent me. I even called my bank and asked them to send me a statement of the money I had spent in therapy during the last two years.\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s what my list looked like:\n\n\n\n
Listening to her criticize my cooking \u2014 $5,000\n\n\n\nSmiling through backhanded compliments at family dinners \u2014 $8,000\n\n\n\nPretending not to notice when she \u201caccidentally\u201d forgets my birthday \u2014 $1,000\n\n\n\nThe therapy sessions after her constant interference in our marriage \u2014 $30,000\n\n\n\nTeaching her son what a normal family looks like \u2014 $20,000\n\n\n\n\u201cEmotional support for dealing with her drama\u201d\u2014 priceless\n\n\n\nA woman smiling after writing a note for her mother-in-law | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n
I made a fake invoice with an outstanding balance of $5,000 and mailed it to her. I even attached a short note with it for her reference. It said:\n\n\n\n
Dear Laura,\n\n\n\nHere\u2019s a list of all the things you put me through during the past two years. Since you enjoyed passing insulting comments and making me feel horrible, you might as well help me recover the costs.\n\n\n\nYour loving daughter-in-law,\n\n\n\nRay\n\n\n\nA close-up shot of a handwritten note | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n
Sending that envelope felt incredibly relieving because it was the first time I stood up for myself, hoping it would set a boundary in our relationship.\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m not one to disrespect or hurt others, but what Laura did on our anniversary was unacceptable. This felt like the best way to make her realize her mistake.\n\n\n\nA woman reading a note sent by her daughter-in-law | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n
And you know what the best part is? She\u2019s been unusually quiet since the day she got the mail. I thought she\u2019d call and scream at me, but all I got was silence.\n\n\n\n
When I saw her a few days later, she couldn\u2019t even meet my eyes. It looked like she was embarrassed by what she\u2019d done, and I count that as a victory. I guess she finally learned she\u2019s not ALWAYS right!\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m so glad I finally stood up for myself. But more than that, I think I did it for Edward. The little boy from 20 years ago who never got the love and care he deserved.\n\n\n\nA woman smiling | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n
I hope, in some way, this makes up for all the harsh words and hurtful moments he endured. He deserved so much better, and I\u2019m proud to have fought for both of us.\n\n\n\n
Do you think I did the right thing?\n\n\n\n
If you enjoyed reading this story, here\u2019s another one you might like: I was stunned when my husband, Jake, handed me a schedule to help me \u201cbecome a better wife.\u201d But instead of blowing up, I played along. Little did Jake know, I was about to teach him a lesson that would make him rethink his newfound approach to marriage.\n\n\n\n This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.\n\n\n\nThe author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided \u201cas is,\u201d and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When my mother-in-law handed me an envelope at our anniversary party, I expected a sweet gesture or maybe some snarky coupons. Instead, I found a […]\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5032"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5032"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5032\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5033,"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5032\/revisions\/5033"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5032"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5032"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5032"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}