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It wasn’t the first time my mother-in-law had made me feel small, but it would be the last time she got away with it. Ever since I married her son, she’s made it clear that I wasn’t good enough. Not for her. Not for her precious boy. And certainly not for her family.

At first, I thought it was just in my head. Maybe I was being too sensitive. But as the years passed, her snide remarks and passive-aggressive comments proved that she didn’t want me around. It wasn’t just because I married her son.

No, it was also because I brought a child into the marriage, my child from a previous relationship. To her, that made me damaged goods.

And as if that wasn’t enough, she was convinced that her colleague, Laura, would be a much better match for my husband. Laura was everything my mother-in-law thought I wasn’t — thin, stylish, and childless. I’d heard her make comparisons more times than I cared to count, always hinting that my husband could do better.

“Why do you let her treat you like that?” my best friend, Claire, would ask. “You don’t have to take it, you know.”

“I know,” I’d sigh, “but it’s just easier to avoid a fight.”

But deep down, I knew Claire was right. Avoiding conflict had only made things worse. My mother-in-law grew bolder, more cruel, and it was only a matter of time before she crossed a line that couldn’t be ignored.

And that line was my birthday.

A week before, she called me out of the blue. “I’ve got a BIG surprise for you on your special day!” she said, her voice dripping with fake sweetness.

I tried to be optimistic. Maybe she was finally warming up to me? But something about her tone made me suspicious. My mother-in-law wasn’t exactly known for her thoughtful gifts. In fact, she wasn’t known for giving gifts at all. Still, I tried to stay positive.

On the day of my birthday, I woke up with a mix of excitement and dread. My husband was as sweet as ever, making me breakfast in bed and giving me a lovely necklace that our daughter picked out. I was feeling pretty good until my mother-in-law arrived.

She walked in holding a large gift bag. “Happy birthday!” she chirped, her smile a little too wide.

“Thank you,” I said, forcing a smile. I took the bag and peeked inside.

What I saw made my heart sink.

Inside was a floral-print dress. But not just any dress. This was the ugliest, most garish dress I had ever seen. And it was huge. Five sizes too big, at least.

“Oh, wow,” I said, trying to sound grateful. “This is… unexpected.”

“Isn’t it lovely?” she cooed, her eyes glinting with satisfaction. “I saw it and thought of you right away. You should stop eating, or you’ll need this dress soon enough. And when that happens, don’t be surprised if my son dumps you.”

I felt like I’d been slapped. My cheeks burned with humiliation, and my heart pounded in my chest. But I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of seeing me upset. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm.

“Thank you so much,” I said, my voice steady but cold. “This is… thoughtful.”

Her smile faltered, just for a second. She wasn’t expecting that. She was expecting me to cry, to break down, to give her another reason to mock me.

But I was done playing her game. This time, I would be the one with the upper hand.

If she wanted to play games, I’d show her how it’s done.

That night, as I lay in bed, I couldn’t stop thinking about how to get back at my mother-in-law. It had to be something subtle, something that wouldn’t make me look bad but would hit her where it hurt. I needed to make sure she understood that I wasn’t to be trifled with, without stooping to her level of cruelty.

Then, the idea struck me. A gift card. I knew how much she loved flaunting her supposed wealth and status, so I decided I’d give her a gift card to the most expensive restaurant in the city. The kind of place where a single meal could cost as much as a mortgage payment.

But here’s the twist. The card would be empty.

The next morning, I went to the restaurant and picked up a gift card. I took it home, wrote “$500” on the back with a black marker, and slipped it into a fancy envelope. Then, I waited for the right moment.

A few days later, I called my mother-in-law. “Hi, it’s me,” I said, trying to sound sweet and apologetic. “I wanted to apologize for being distant. I know we’ve had our differences, but I really want us to get along. So, I got you a little something.”

“Oh?” she replied, her voice dripping with suspicion. “What’s this about?”

“I just feel like we should bury the hatchet,” I continued. “And to show you I mean it, I got you a $500 gift card to that restaurant you love so much. I thought you could take someone special, maybe Laura?”

There was a pause on the other end of the line. I could almost hear her smirking. “Well, isn’t that thoughtful of you,” she finally said. “I suppose I could take Laura. She’s been such a good friend to me.”

I smiled to myself. “I’m glad you like it. I really hope this brings us closer together.”

“Oh, I’m sure it will,” she said with a chuckle. “Thank you, dear.”

I hung up the phone, feeling a mix of satisfaction and nervous anticipation. Now, all I had to do was wait.

A week later, my mother-in-law called me, her voice filled with rage. “You! What have you done?!”

“What do you mean?” I asked, feigning innocence.

“There was no money on the gift card!” she shouted. “I took Laura to that fancy restaurant, and when the bill came, they told us the card was empty! We had to call her parents to come and pay because neither of us had enough cash! It was humiliating!”

“Oh no,” I gasped, trying to sound shocked. “I’m so sorry. I must have made a mistake when I bought it. I thought I put $500 on it. My bad!”

“You did this on purpose!” she hissed. “You knew exactly what you were doing!”

“I really didn’t,” I said, keeping my tone calm. “But if you’re that upset, maybe Laura’s parents can cover it again next time. After all, she’s practically family, right?”

There was a long, tense silence on the other end of the line. I could practically feel her seething through the phone.

“You… you’ll pay for this,” she finally spat before hanging up on me.

I put the phone down and let out a long, satisfied sigh. The plan had worked even better than I’d hoped. Not only had she been embarrassed in front of Laura, but now she knew that I wasn’t someone she could push around anymore.

In the days that followed, I noticed a change in my mother-in-law. She didn’t call as often, and when she did, her tone was much more subdued. The snide remarks and passive-aggressive comments seemed to disappear overnight. It was as if she finally realized that her behavior had consequences. That I wasn’t just going to sit back and take her abuse anymore.

I didn’t expect her to apologize. Women like her never admit they’re wrong. But her silence was enough of an apology.

It was clear that she was rattled, and that was all I needed. For the first time in years, I felt a sense of peace. I knew she’d think twice before crossing me again.

And if she didn’t? Well, I still had a few tricks up my sleeve.

If you liked this story about an entitled mother-in-law, When a woman’s mother-in-law moved in temporarily, her home quickly became overrun with clutter and chaos. But with a clever plan involving a few surprises, she devised the perfect way to make her mother-in-law regret it.

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.

The 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 “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.