My mother-in-law really got on my nerves. She kept referring to our home as “her son’s” and then made this truly astonishing request.
I’d heard tales about difficult mothers-in-law before, but I thought mine would be different. When I married Daniel, I hoped our relationship would be founded on mutual respect and understanding. I adored his son and desired to be a part of their family. However, these past few years have been far more challenging than I anticipated.
It all began with minor things. She would make remarks about how I arranged the furniture or decorated for the holidays. At first, I merely regarded them as harmless opinions. But they weren’t. It was as if she intended to make me aware that this house wasn’t truly mine.
Then came this one particularly memorable comment.
One Friday evening, she came over for dinner. Daniel invited her in an attempt to strengthen our connection. Things were going smoothly. We were in the kitchen; I was plating the food while she leaned against the counter, chatting about her weekend trip.
Suddenly, out of the blue, she said, “It’s nice that you make this place feel so cozy for my son.”
Those words hit me like a cold stone in my stomach. I replied, “Your son? You mean… our home.”
She smiled at me as if I were a child she was indulging. She said, “Yes, of course. But he’s the one who truly made all of this possible.”
I couldn’t conceal my frown. I said, “We purchased this house together. We both work hard to maintain it.”
She waved her hand dismissively. She said, “Oh, sweetie, I know. I just meant he took the initiative. After all, men are natural providers.”
I was extremely angry, but I managed to keep my composure. I didn’t want to cause more trouble. Daniel was in the other room setting the table and had no idea there was tension in the kitchen.
I attempted to forget about it. I told myself her way of thinking was just old-fashioned. Perhaps she was raised that way and couldn’t help it. But then she said something else that really infuriated me.
