In-laws are supposed to make life easier, right? Well, not in my case. This is the story of how I got back at Linda, who thought she could treat my eldest daughter, Tessa, badly and get away with it.
I have two daughters. Tessa, who is 10, is from my first marriage. She’s sweet, quiet, and always tries to make everyone happy. My younger daughter, Sadie, is 4, from my marriage to Grant, my current husband. Sadie is the opposite—full of energy and always asking questions. Grant loves both girls, but his mother, Linda, feels differently, especially toward Tessa.
Linda is the type of person who wants everything to appear perfect on the outside. But underneath, she’s judgmental and cold, particularly when it comes to Tessa. The reason? Tessa isn’t Grant’s biological daughter.
For years, I tried to keep the peace. Grant would say, “She’s just old-fashioned,” but it was clear Linda’s behavior wasn’t fair to Tessa.
“She’ll come around,” Grant would say. But Linda never did. Instead, she made small, hurtful comments toward Tessa.
Tessa, bless her, never complained. She stayed quiet, probably thinking it was her fault. But I noticed everything. I heard the comments, and each time, it made me angry.
Grant? He didn’t see it the same way. He loved his mom and thought she was just being her usual, quirky self.
I always thought in-laws were supposed to make life easier. But not in my case. This is the story of how I got revenge on Linda, my mother-in-law, who treated my eldest daughter, Tessa, like she didn’t matter.
I have two daughters. Tessa, 10, is from my first marriage. She’s sweet, quiet, and always tries to make people happy. Sadie, 4, is from my marriage to Grant, and she’s full of energy. Grant loves both girls, but his mother, Linda, acts differently, especially toward Tessa.
Linda often made rude comments about Tessa. Sometimes, she’d say things like, “Oh, Tessa, that dress is a bit too grown-up for you, don’t you think?” She would forget Tessa’s birthday but spoil Sadie with gifts.
Things got worse after my own mother passed away. I was crushed by grief, barely able to function. We had to travel out of state for the funeral, and Linda offered to watch the girls. I didn’t want to leave Tessa with her, knowing how uncomfortable she’d be, but I had no other choice.
Three days later, we returned home, and the house was eerily quiet. Linda left a note saying she had taken Sadie to the park, but I couldn’t find Tessa. My heart raced as I searched the house. Then, I saw a light coming from the basement. I went downstairs and found Tessa, curled up on the cold floor, sleeping under a blanket, with dried tears on her face.
“Tessa, why are you down here?” I asked, heartbroken. She told me Linda had made her sleep there, saying Sadie was her “real” granddaughter and they needed “special time” together.
I was furious but knew confronting Linda wouldn’t change things. Instead, I decided to get even. Linda’s family reunion was coming up, and it was her pride and joy. I offered to help her organize it, pretending everything was fine. But behind the scenes, I was telling the family how Tessa was treated, especially during the funeral.
At the reunion, I put together a slideshow of family photos. But in the middle of all the happy pictures, I included a clip of Tessa sleeping on the basement floor. The mood shifted immediately. People were shocked, whispering, “Why would she be down there?”
Linda’s perfect image crumbled as the family questioned her. She tried to explain, but it was too late—everyone saw her for who she truly was. I didn’t need to say anything; the photos said it all.
Since that day, Linda hasn’t spoken to me, and honestly, that’s just fine with me. I’ll always protect my daughter, no matter what.
I Was the Only One Who Went to My Grandma’s Birthday Brunch — After Seeing Her Tears, I Taught My Family a Lesson
My dear Gran-Gran invited our family to celebrate her birthday, and that’s when it all began. I had no idea that my family would let her down in such a painful way. I was resolved to impart a lesson on them that they would never be able to forget.
Gran-Gran is a remarkable woman who raised my siblings and me essentially during our parents’ divorce. She is everything to me, thus I found it incomprehensible that the other members of my family could let her down.
Rather than having us arrange something exceptional for her 83rd birthday, Gran-Gran decided to host a brunch at her home. She got up early to bake her own bread and pastries in spite of her health problems. Even though her hands were shaking, she wrote and assembled the invitations herself.
I was inspired to attend by Gran-Gran’s special day by the time and work she put into it. Regretfully, work obligations caused me to arrive ten minutes late. I was astonished to find my grandmother clearing dishes off the table and putting coffee down the sink when I first went in.
I questioned Gran-Gran why there was nobody else at the celebration, feeling both confused and worried. She told me, fighting back tears, that nobody had bothered to come. Her attempts to conceal her disappointment and act as though everything was fine crushed my heart.
I was unable to overlook this. I vowed to myself that I would make up to Gran-Gran and leave my family with a lasting lesson. I excused myself and went outside to make some phone calls after spending some quality time with her.
Initially, I informed my mother over the phone that my grandmother had fallen and was currently in the hospital. I put her under pressure by telling her that if she had gone to the brunch, the accident might have been prevented. My mother consented to send funds to pay the fictitious hospital expenses.
Next, I called my brother and asked him why he hadn’t been there. I informed him that Gran-Gran was hospitalized and that his presence might have had an impact. He said he would pay some money toward the imaginary bills.
I called additional relatives in a similar way, making them feel bad and persuading them to contribute money for the purported hospital bills. I surprised Gran-Gran with a trip to a stunning location she had always wanted to see with the money we raised.
We made wonderful memories together and lavishly celebrated her birthday during our time together. Gran-Gran was beaming with happiness when we got home. My family never missed another event after that day. Every birthday, holiday, and Sunday meal they attended.
I had no remorse about what I did, even though they still gave me the cold shoulder over it. Gran-Gran’s joyful expression made it all worthwhile. How would you have responded if you had been in my position? Tell me what you think.
Though it has been romanticized for artistic purposes, this work draws inspiration from actual individuals and events. For reasons of privacy protection and story improvement, names, characters, and details have been changed. Any likeness to real people, alive or dead, or real events is entirely accidental and not the author’s intention.
The publisher and author disclaim all liability for any misinterpretation and make no claims on the veracity of the events or character portrayals. The thoughts represented in this story are those of the characters and do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the author or publisher. The story is offered “as is.”
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