A man was shocked to see his mother-in-law sitting next to his boss in his car a day after he kicked her out. “Oh my God!” the man gasped. He had no idea how his mother-in-law had become friends with his boss.
Even after working tirelessly for the past two decades, Jack believed he hadn’t achieved enough to call himself a successful man. At 43, he still thought he could do much better, but his wife, Laura, thought otherwise.
He met Laura at work, but she later resigned and started her own business. Since she was a marketing graduate from one of the best business schools in the country, she knew how to attract customers with little effort.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
When Jack saw her business flourish, he felt intimidated and developed an inferiority complex. “I don’t think I can ever be as good as her,” he would tell himself.
After tying the knot with Laura, Jack felt her parents didn’t like her because he wasn’t as rich as them. Laura came from a wealthy family, while Jack’s parents were not that rich. However, Laura always told Jack it was all in his head and that her parents had nothing against him.
Jack’s insecurity grew with time, but he never listened to his wife. To cope with his feelings of unworthiness, he paid more attention to his work and tried his best to get a promotion. He would spend most of his day at his office and come home late every night.
One day, Jack’s wife called him at work and told him something unexpected. “Jack… Please come home right now,” Laura said in a shaky voice. “Dad passed away.”
“Don’t you understand I don’t want her in my house?” Jack yelled.
Oh no! Jack thought and immediately left his workplace. He consoled his wife and helped with the funeral arrangements. A few days later, Laura told Jack she wanted her mother to live with them.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
“Jack, you know my mother has been feeling lonely after dad’s death,” she said. “I’ve offered her to stay here with us, and if―”
“What? How can you do that without asking me?” Jack looked at his wife with his eyes wide open.
“Why would I ask you? She’s my mother, and she needs me right now.”
“So what? You could have thought of something else. I don’t want her to stay at our house.”
“But why?” Laura frowned.
“She cannot deal with the grief of losing dad all by herself, Jack. She’s coming here once she accepts my offer.”
“No, Laura,” Jack shook his head. “That won’t happen.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
Two days later, Laura’s mother, Melissa, called her and said she was ready to move in with them. Laura was Melissa’s only child, so she had no option except to live with her daughter until she felt she was ready to live alone.
“That’s great, Mom!” Laura exclaimed while talking to her mother on the phone. “Jack and I will pick you up this evening, okay? Love you!”
“Was that your mom?” Jack asked after Laura ended the call.
“Yes. She’s ready to move in with us.”
“Don’t you understand I don’t want her in my house?” Jack yelled.
“It’s either her or me!”
Laura looked at her husband in shock. “Calm down, Jack. You need to think about this calmly,” she told him. “I’m her only child, and she needs my help. She will leave in a few months.”
“I don’t think she’s ever going to leave!” Jack yelled and stomped out of the bedroom.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
Once Melissa moved in, Jack tried his best to annoy her so she would leave soon. He would pick fights with her purposely and often argued with her.
One day, Jack was attending an online meeting with his boss from his bedroom when Melissa suddenly barged in. “I’m sorry, Jack. But you won’t be getting a promotion this year,” Jack’s boss told him.
Jack forced a smile and finished the meeting with his boss. Then, he turned around and was shocked to see Melissa in his room. “What are you doing here? Were you listening to my conversation with my boss?” he asked her.
“No, dear,” Melissa replied softly. “I was waiting for you to end the call. I came here to tell you dinner’s ready.”
“I know why you were here!” Jack yelled and stormed past his mother-in-law. “Laura! Look, your mom is spying on me!”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
He went downstairs and told Laura what had happened. “Ask her to leave out right now, Laura! I won’t tolerate this,” he said.
“That’s not possible, Jack,” Laura replied calmly.
“Look, I need you to kick her out before Christmas,” he told her. “I won’t let her ruin my Xmas dinner. You need to send her back home on Christmas Eve.”
“But, Jack…”
“I don’t want to hear any excuses, Laura. I’ve given this plenty of time and thought,” he said and stomped out of the house.
“I immediately recognized him when I saw him on your laptop screen that day,” she added.
Laura knew she couldn’t argue with her husband anymore, so she tearfully asked her mother to go back on Christmas Eve. The next day, Jack was happy because his mother-in-law wasn’t around. He decorated the house and ordered Laura’s favorite food for dinner.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
While sitting at the dinner table with Laura, Jack suddenly heard a car park in their driveway. “Who’s that?” he asked Laura.
“I don’t know,” she shrugged.
Jack went to the door and was shocked to see Melissa sitting beside his boss, Matt, in the car he recognized as his boss’. “Hi, Jack!” Melissa waved as she got out of the vehicle. “Hi, Melissa,” he smiled awkwardly before looking at Matt with his eyes wide open.
“Please come in!” Laura said and welcomed her mother and Matt inside.
Once everyone sat at the dinner table, Jack asked Melissa what was happening. “How do you know Matt?” he asked curiously.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
“I have known this boy for decades, Jack!” Melissa chuckled. “I used to work as a secretary for his father when he was a kid. I even babysat him a couple of times when his father wasn’t around.”
Melissa also told Jack she saw Matt while he was talking to him on a video call. “I immediately recognized him when I saw him on your laptop screen that day,” she added.
“What? Really?” Jack gasped. He couldn’t believe what his mother-in-law had just told him.
“Yes, Jack,” Matt smiled. “I had no idea Melissa was your mother-in-law. Such a small world, no?”
“Yeah, this is very surprising,” Laura laughed.
“Do you know why we’re here, Jack?” Matt asked sternly.
“To have dinner with us, right?” Jack smiled.
“Or do you have another surprise for me?”
“I do have one!” Matt said.
It turns out, Melissa put a good word in for her son-in-law with his boss. She told him how hard-working and deserving he was. As a result, Matt decided to promote Jack. “You’ve earned it, Jack!” Matt smiled and shook Jack’s hand.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
“I can’t believe this!” Jack looked at his wife. “Did you know your mother talked to my boss?”
“Yes, Jack,” Melissa smiled. “Mom told me she would come for dinner tonight with Matt.”
Jack was over the moon after learning that Matt had promoted him. He thought this was the best Christmas present and thanked his boss and mother-in-law for making his dream come true.
Later that night, Jack apologized to Melissa for being rude and allowed her to stay in his house for as long as she wanted. “You’re the best mother-in-law I could have asked for!” he told her.
What can we learn from this story?
- Never judge people based on your opinions. Jack thought Melissa didn’t like him, so he was rude and didn’t allow her to stay in his house. However, when he learned how kind his mother-in-law was, he instantly regretted judging her earlier.
- Actions speak louder than words. Melissa never told Jack what she felt about him, but what she did for him was enough to prove that she loved him as her son.
Share this story with your friends and family. It might inspire them and brighten their day.
This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life.
‘Top Chef’ star Naomi Pomeroy found dead at 49 in river, days after going missing
The search for missing Top Chef star Naomi Pomeroy has come to its tragic conclusion after she was found dead in a river.
As per reports, the Portland chef’s body was discovered on July 17, several days after she had gone missing following a tubing accident.
Benton County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a heartbreaking statement that Naomi had drowned. Its investigation found that three adults – Pomeroy, her husband Kyle Linden Webster and a friend — became entangled while on tubes and a paddleboard that were connected.
Tragic details in their report go on to say that Naomi was pulled underwater after the group encountered an “exposed snag in the water” and was thereafter unable to free herself due to the “paddleboard leash”.
According to sources, Corvallis Fire Department members were able to recover Webster and the friend at the shore, but Pomeroy’s body was not immediately located.
A search was initiated, with the sheriff’s office offering an update on July 17 to say that Pomeroy’s body had been found on the Willamette River about a half mile upstream of Hyak Park between the towns of Corvallis and Albany.
The office detailed how people canoeing the river had spotted a body which later turned out to be Naomi’s.
The 49-year-old was a self-trained chef who became popular within her industry after opening the acclaimed Portland restaurant beast in 2007.
Pomeroy appeared on Iron Chef as well as Top Chef Masters, while she also served as guest judge on Top Chef in seasons 10, 15, and 18.
The show and its network, Bravo, made a statement following Pomeroy’s death, writing on X:
“The Bravo and Top Chef family send our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Chef Naomi Pomeroy. Naomi was a powerhouse chef who made an indelible mark on the culinary industry.”
Rest in peace, Naomi Pomeroy.
Leave a Reply