My DIL Secretly Ruined My Place after I Refused to Trade Houses with Her – I Had Nothing Left but to Teach Her a Lesson of Respect
A few months after her husband, Adam, passed away, Anne’s son, Charlie buys her a new home closer to him. Initially hesitant, Anne finally decides to move. But then she has to deal with her jealous daughter-in-law, Angela, who just wants the house. After Angela pulls a stunt that results in the house being fumigated, Anne has no choice but to teach her a lesson.
After my husband of 53 years passed away six months ago, I felt heartbroken. Everything in the house reminded me of Adam and the memories we had made there.
An old woman sitting down | Source: Pexels
Sometimes it was comforting, but at other times, the loneliness felt too suffocating, making me curl into a ball and sleep on Adam’s side of the bed for some form of comfort.
My son, Charlie, saw how difficult it was for me, and he wanted me to move closer to him and his wife, Angela.
An elderly woman sitting on a blue couch | Source: Pexels
“Mom, I’ve already found a place for you. It’s about five minutes away from us, and I’ve already put in an offer,” Charlie said.
“Honey, I can’t ask you to do that for me,” I said, speaking to him on the phone. “I cannot ask you to buy me a house.”
An old woman on a phone | Source: Pexels
“You’re not asking,” he replied, chewing on trail mix on the other end. “I’m offering. Mm… and we can have it ready for you to move in at the end of next week if you’d like.”
I was initially hesitant, but I eventually agreed to move. I knew that Charlie and Angela were trying to have a baby, and I thought that the most healing thing for me would be to care for that baby when it arrived.
A person holding a pregnancy test | Source: Pixabay
So, Charlie helped me pack all my things, and soon, I was ready for a new chapter. Despite missing Adam, I knew that I needed to move on.
I moved into my new home easily, because my son had sorted everything out for me.
A pile of packing boxes | Source: Pixabay
“Anything for you, Mom,” Charlie said when he came over on the first night in the new house.
He sat at the table and told me about work while I cooked our first meal in the kitchen.
An older woman in the kitchen | Source: Pexels
“Are you ready for the housewarming this weekend, Mom?” Charlie asked me. “I’ve invited everyone you said you’d like to see. And I’ve told Angela to come over early and help you with the food and drinks. Do you need me to do anything else?”
I shook my head. Everything was perfect, and my son had gone out of his way to make sure that everything was going according to plan.
A close-up of a plate of pasta | Source: Pexels
But then, things took an unexpected turn.
On the day of the party, I was actually excited. For the first time in a long time, I was looking forward to being around people. I was ready to sit in a group and not feel the weight of my grief for one of the first times since Adam had passed on.
I stood in front of the mirror and put on lipstick, something that I hadn’t done since I lost Adam.
An older woman applying lipstick | Source: Pexels
Angela came over early, as Charlie had said. She went around the kitchen, adding final touches to the dishes I had spent hours cooking.
Suddenly, Angela turned to me.
Platters of food | Source: Pexels
“Look, Anne,” she said, washing her hands. “You can’t live in this house. You just can’t do it. It’s too big and too modern for you.”
“What? No, I think that it’s absolutely fine for me,” I said. “I’ve spoken to Charlie about getting a dog, too.”
A golden retriever | Source: Unsplash
“You’re not listening,” she said. “I want you to trade homes with us. Charlie earns well, but he didn’t want to renovate our house to make it modern. He said that he would rather use his money to sort out your home.”
Angela went on for a long time. She spoke about how she understood that Charlie wanted to take care of me, but that he needed to put her first.
A smirking woman | Source: Pexels
I was hurt by her words but I said nothing, not wanting to cause an argument. Of course, I didn’t want to trade houses because Charlie and I had put so much effort into moving into the new home. I had also decorated it to my taste, with Adam’s belongings all over.
I had planted a garden and set up everything precisely how I wanted.
A modern living room | Source: Pexels
But little did I know, Angela left me with more than just hurtful words.
Two days after the party, I woke up to a horrible smell permeating the entire house. No matter where I looked, I just couldn’t find the source.
An older woman reading in bed | Source: Pexels
“Oh, my goodness, Mom,” Charlie said when I called him to come and take a look around the property, in case I missed something.
“This is so bad!” he said, checking the entire kitchen to find the smell.
A clean kitchen | Source: Pexels
“I know!” I exclaimed. “And I’ve searched everywhere I can think of.”
It was driving me crazy because no matter how much I looked, I just couldn’t find the source of the stink.
After a week of enduring the horrible smell, Charlie suggested bringing in a professional to locate the source.
A man blocking his nose | Source: Midjourney
“You cannot live like this anymore, Mom,” Charlie said. “I’m going to hire someone. You can stay with us or I’ll rent out a hotel room for you.”
It turned out that the expert discovered a rotten egg hidden in the vent in the living room. It had been deliberately placed there to ensure the stench would spread throughout the house.
A rotten egg in an air vent | Source: Midjourney
As the house was cleaned out, and fumigated because Charlie thought that it was necessary, I was devastated to have caused my son more hard work.
But I knew, deep down, that it was Angela. She was behind it all.
A person fumigating a house | Source: Pexels
I was determined to teach Angela a lesson. So, I devised a plan. I invited her and Charlie over for dinner and played the gracious host. When they arrived, I warmly welcomed them, acting as if nothing was wrong.
If Angela suspected anything, she didn’t show it. Instead, she smirked from the moment she came through the door.
“At least it doesn’t smell in here anymore, Anne,” she said, helping herself to the pile of freshly baked cookies that I had made for Charlie to take home.
A close-up of cookies | Source: Unsplash
We sat down for dinner, Charlie talking animatedly about his day at the office. Angela barely ate her dinner, just nibbling in between her smirks.
“Angela, I’ve always believed in treating others with kindness and respect, especially when it comes to family. Do you agree?” I asked her, looking her in the eye.
A person holding a fork | Source: Unsplash
She nodded.
“Good,” I continued. “Because respect is a two-way street. It’s about understanding and valuing each other’s feelings and spaces.”
My daughter-in-law’s discomfort grew, and I knew that my words were hitting home. On one hand, I did feel bad for Angela. But on the other hand, I wanted to make it known that I wasn’t going to be pushed into a corner.
An older woman sitting at a table | Source: Pexels
I wasn’t going to be taken advantage of, just because she wanted a house that she couldn’t have.
“Darling,” I told her. “You seem to have a knack for gardening. Would you mind helping me with a little project tomorrow?”
I knew that she wouldn’t refuse without appearing rude, so she agreed and turned away.
A side profile of a woman | Source: Pexels
The next day, Angela arrived at my house, expecting a simple gardening task. Instead, I handed her a pair of gloves and a shovel.
“I need help digging up the old compost pile,” I said with a smile. “It’s been neglected by the previous owners, and it’s time to start fresh.”
A compost pile | Source: Midjourney
Angela’s face paled as she realized the task ahead. The compost pile was massive and the stench was worse than the single rotten egg. But still, she had no choice but to help, considering the previous night’s polite agreement.
After hours of hard work, we finally finished the task. Angela was exhausted and covered in filth.
“Come, let’s clean up and have a drink,” I told her.
Glasses of lemonade | Source: Unsplash
But I had another surprise waiting.
I took her to the study, where I had kept most of the photos of Adam and myself, among other mementos of his. But more than that, I also had gifts from Charlie and Angela displayed.
“These are the things that remind me of the people I care about,” I said softly. “Respecting each other’s space and memories is so important.”
A vintage globe in a study | Source: Pexels
“Some of these things are from me,” she mumbled, her expression morphing her into a new person altogether.
“It was me,” she confessed. “I left the rotten egg in the vent. When I was doing the egg wash on the pastries for the party, I came across the egg. I’m so sorry. Please don’t tell Charlie, he would hate me.”
A woman with tears in her eyes | Source: Pexels
She apologized for her sudden wave of jealousy about my new home. But the twist wasn’t over. A few days later, Angela came to my house with a gift. It was a beautifully crafted wooden box. Inside were seed packs to many different types of plants and flowers.
And a note saying: Thank you for teaching me about respect. I hope we can plant new memories together.
From that day on, our relationship changed completely and Angela became more like a daughter.
A beautiful wooden box | Source: Pexels
What would you have done?
I Sent My Boyfriend Roses to His Workplace as a Sweet Surprise, but He Threw Them in My Face – I Taught Him a Good Lesson Later
It’s not every day that a man receives a bouquet from his girlfriend. So when I sent roses to my boyfriend’s workplace as a surprise, I thought he would be flustered and happy. The man who greeted me that evening was the exact opposite. The roses ended up in the trash can.
A woman holding roses | Source: FreePik
My boyfriend, Mike, is a mechanic. We’ve been together for about three years, and recently, it felt like the romance was slipping away. I felt like we were stuck in a boring routine, with barely any spark left in our relationship.
A mechanic fixing a car | Source: Pexels
We still loved each other, no doubt. But we were never really present when we were together. Often, we’d end the day in bed, on our phones, with nothing more than a “good night.”
A couple not minding each other | Source: Pexels
I wanted to remind Mike of how much we still love each other, so, one day, I decided to surprise him with a bouquet of roses at work.
I imagined his face lighting up when he saw the card that read, “Just because. Love, your GF.” It was a sweet reminder that I was thinking about him. I sent the flowers to the shop while he was at work, hoping to brighten his day.
A bouquet of roses | Source: Pexels
I waited the whole day for a message from him, thanking me or letting me know he received it. However, nothing came.
That evening, I was so excited to see him. I was practically bouncing with anticipation when he walked through the door. But instead of the smile I expected, he looked furious. Without a word, he threw the roses in my face and then tossed them in the trash.
Roses in a trash can | Source: AmoMama
“Are you kidding me?” he yelled. “Do you know how many jokes I got from the guys today? They teased me non-stop because of those stupid flowers. You embarrassed me!”
A man yelling at a woman | Source: Pexels
My heart shattered into a million pieces. I only wanted to do something nice for him, and here he was, throwing it back in my face – literally. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.
I was hurt and sad, but mostly, I was angry. I was determined to teach Mike a lesson. That night, I stayed up crying and thinking of a plan. By the morning, I knew exactly what I was going to do.
A woman in tears | Source: Pexels
The next day, Mike walked into the shop, expecting another round of teasing from his coworkers. Instead, he found something completely different.
Each of his colleagues and even his boss were holding a single tulip, a homemade cookie, and a thoughtful note. The notes read, “Thank you for being a great colleague/boss for the man I love.”
Tulips and cookies | Source: Pexels
As Mike stood in shock, his coworkers began to smile and greet him. “No one’s ever done anything like this for us,” his buddy Joe said, munching on the cookie. “Your girlfriend’s something special, man.”
“So this is what it feels like to receive flowers. No wonder girls love it,” another coworker said. “If my wife gave me flowers, I’d probably frame them,” a third added.
A mechanic smiling at work | Source: FreePik
His boss, Mr. Thompson, patted him on the back. “You’ve got a keeper, Mike. If she loves you this much, I might need to consider you more seriously for the next promotion. A man who can inspire this kind of trust and affection is someone we can trust with more responsibility.”
A boss showing approval | Source: Pexels
Mike’s face turned red, but this time it wasn’t from anger. He looked around the room, seeing his coworkers not as tormentors, but as people genuinely touched by my gesture. He realized he had let his pride and embarrassment get the better of him, and he had taken it out on the person who loved him the most.
A man thinking | Source: Pexels
As the day went on, the atmosphere in the shop changed. Instead of the usual teasing and ribbing, there was a sense of camaraderie and appreciation. Mike realized that his coworkers weren’t teasing him out of malice, but because they were jealous that he had someone who cared so much about him.
After work, Mike went straight to the jewelry store. He bought a ring, specifically the one he knew I would love. He also stopped by the florist to get a huge bouquet of roses, even bigger than the one I had sent him. He had a lot of making up to do.
A person holding rings | Source: Unsplash
That evening, when I got home from work, I found the bouquet waiting for me with a note: “I’m so sorry. I love you more than words can say. Please meet me at our favorite restaurant tonight. Love, Mike.”
My heart raced as I read the note. I brought out my new dress and put on makeup. I wanted to feel beautiful tonight, knowing that we were finally in a good place.
Bouquet of red roses | Source: Pexels
I quickly got ready and headed to the restaurant, my mind swirling with emotions. When I walked in, there he was, looking nervous but determined. He stood up as I approached and took my hands in his.
“I’m so sorry for how I reacted,” he said, his voice sincere and filled with regret. “You were trying to do something beautiful, and I was horrible to you. I promise I’ll never take you for granted again.” I immediately hugged him with watery eyes.
A woman hugging a man | Source: Pexels
Then, right there in the middle of the restaurant, he got down on one knee and pulled out the ring. “Will you marry me?” he asked. Tears streamed down my face, but this time they were tears of joy. “Yes,” I whispered, nodding my head. “Yes, of course, I will.”
A man proposing | Source: Pexels
The entire restaurant erupted in applause, and for the first time in a long while, I felt that spark again. The romance was back, stronger than ever.
We spent the rest of the evening talking about our relationship and how we could keep the romance alive. We made a pact to surprise each other more often and to always communicate openly about our feelings.
A couple celebrating | Source: Pexels
The next day, Mike’s boss called him into the office. Mr. Thompson had heard about the proposal and was genuinely happy for us. He told Mike that he had been considering him for a promotion and that seeing how loved and supported he was by me had sealed the deal.
“Anyone who can inspire this kind of loyalty and love deserves to be in a leadership position,” Mr. Thompson said. “Congratulations, Mike. You’re getting the promotion.”
Two men shaking hands | Source: FreePik
Mike was over the moon. He came home that evening with a big smile on his face and swept me into his arms. “We did it,” he said. “We’re going to start this new chapter together, and I couldn’t be happier.”
A couple hugging | Source: Pexels
Our relationship has been stronger ever since. We still surprise each other with little gestures of love, and we make sure to communicate openly about everything. That one dramatic incident ended up being a turning point for us, reminding us of the importance of love, respect, and appreciation.
A happy couple having a meal | Source: Pexels
So, if you’re ever feeling like the romance is slipping away, don’t be afraid to do something bold and unexpected. Sometimes, it takes a little drama to reignite the spark and remind each other of how much you care. And who knows, you might just end up with a ring on your finger and a promotion at work.
Mike was not the only person who was taught a valuable lesson by someone close to him. A stepmom to a daughter also learned a thing or two about respect the hard way.
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