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I knew my mother-in-law, Linda, didn’t love me, but I never thought she would go this far. When she offered to take care of my dirty laundry while I was recovering from an illness, I let her, not knowing she had other plans for my clothes than washing them.
As soon as I married David, Linda made it clear that I wasn’t her ideal daughter-in-law. She criticized everything I did, including how I cooked and folded laundry.
A middle-aged woman standing in a room | Source: Midjourney
I thought keeping my distance would help, but Linda never liked being left out. And when I got sick, she saw it as an opportunity to do whatever she wanted.
I just didn’t know how weird things would get until it was too late.
My husband, David, and I have been married for five years and have two beautiful boys, Nathan (5) and Lucas (3).
Like any mother of two small children, my life is a whirlwind of messy bedrooms, sticky fingers and endless piles of laundry. And like any normal mother-in-law who doesn’t particularly like her daughter-in-law, Linda always had something to say about how I ran my household.
A woman preparing food | Source: Pexels
It was clear from the beginning that she didn’t approve of me.
“You’re not giving them enough protein,” she’d say, surveying my kitchen with a disapproving frown.
Or, my favorite, “You should dress the boys in something more presentable. You never know who’s watching.”
She had an opinion on everything, and it was exhausting.
Woman standing with hand in hair | Source: Pexels
But instead of arguing, I took a different approach. I simply stopped engaging and kept our interactions to a minimum. I made sure not to give him a reason to start one of his exhausting lectures.
The best part was that David recognized that it was for the best.
“You don’t have to force a relationship with her,” he told me one night as we cleaned up after dinner. “I know she can be very difficult. I’ll take care of her.”
And so he did.
A man standing in a living room | Source: Midjourney
He called her regularly, visited her, sent her gifts, and did everything a son would do to make his mother feel loved. And I never tried to interfere with their bond.
On the contrary, I encouraged him to stay in touch with her. Just because she didn’t like me didn’t mean he had to cut ties.
But Linda wasn’t one to let things slide. She noticed my absence.
“Why don’t you come with David anymore?” she would ask.
“You used to call me more often,” she would text me randomly.
Woman Using Her Phone | Source: Pexels
It was almost like she missed having someone to criticize.
It was annoying, but I let it slide. I mean, I was okay with it as long as she didn’t cause any major problems. I could handle a few nosy questions if it meant I didn’t have to see her as often.
My life was going well until two weeks before Valentine’s Day. That’s when I woke up with a fever and a stuffy nose.
I was sick. And things were about to get worse for me, since I had two small children who depended on me.
Woman holding thermometer | Source: Pexels
What started as a mild fever quickly turned into exhaustion, body aches, and a cough that wouldn’t stop. And sure enough, just as I started to feel a little better, Nathan and Lucas caught the disease too.
It wasn’t really that bad. It was just one of those stubborn bugs that knocks you off your feet for days. But by the time the worst of it was over, I felt like I’d been run over by a truck.
I was completely exhausted.
A woman sleeping | Source: Pexels
I barely had the energy to do the basics. The laundry was piling up. The dishes were sitting in the sink longer than they should have.
In short, the house was a disaster.
So, once the kids and I were finally on the mend, I decided to do something nice. I invited my sister and parents over for the afternoon.
The boys hadn’t seen them in a while, and I figured a little family time would do us all some good.
Brothers Stand Together | Source: Pexels
I didn’t tell Linda about this breakfast. Why would I?
But somehow, she found out.
It was exactly 1:30 when the doorbell rang.
As soon as I opened the door, Linda came in smiling.
“I heard you weren’t feeling well, dear,” she said. “I thought I’d stop by and help you.”
Help? Linda?
She’s never “helped” in the time I’ve known her. All she did was give useless advice and make mean comments.
A woman standing in her house | Source: Midjourney
I glanced at David who was standing by the couch. His eyebrows rose in surprise and I saw that he hadn’t invited her either.
“Oh… that’s sweet of you,” I said cautiously.
Linda smiled, but it wasn’t her usual expression. It was… sweet. Suspiciously sweet.
“How are the boys?” she asked, ruffling Nathan’s hair. “Oh, my poor babies, you must have had a hard time.”
Nathan chuckled and Lucas reached out to her. She cooed at them for a moment before turning to me.
“And you, sweetie? You look so pale. You shouldn’t be up yet.”
A woman talks to her daughter-in-law | Source: Midjourney
Was she… nice? I wondered. What’s wrong with her?
“I’m fine,” I said, still looking at her intently. “I’m just tired.”
Continued on next page
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