Intestines & Liver Like New! Detox in Just 3 Days with This Orange & Carrot Recipe! 🍊🥕🔥

My Future MIL Gave Me 10 Rules for Being the Perfect DIL, So I Followed Them in a Way She’d Never Forget — Story of the Day

My future MIL gave me a list of 10 rules to become the “perfect” wife for her son. I smiled, nodded… and decided to follow every one of them. Just not the way she expected.

I’d always been an ordinary woman with ordinary needs. Nothing extravagant. I wanted to work, have a few hobbies, maybe travel a bit, and one day build a family.

I didn’t equate life with grand happiness — I simply lived it and appreciated what I had.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Until I met Dylan.

My friends used to talk about him like he’d stepped straight out of a luxury shower gel commercial.

“He supports everyone, no matter what!”

“His suits are always spotless.”

“And he never forgets to open the door for a lady. Never!”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

I used to smile politely, not quite believing men like that existed outside romcoms. But the first time Dylan took my hand in his — I got it.

Dylan made my life feel cinematic. Almost too good to be true. I found myself blooming next to him, dreaming bigger, smiling more. I even started cooking with joy.

We moved in together pretty quickly, and strangely, domestic life didn’t ruin the magic. If anything, it strengthened it. The toothbrush next to mine and the grocery runs were small rituals that made me fall harder.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Everything felt… easy. The perfection of it didn’t scare me. It reminded me how simple love could be when two people were honest.

That evening, we were having dinner at our favorite trattoria. But Dylan seemed… different. Fidgety.

“You okay?” I asked, smiling softly when we finally went outside.

He nodded and suddenly… he knelt. In the middle of the street. With a proposal ring in a tiny box.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

“I knew it from the moment you said pesto was overrated,” he began. “That’s when I realized… I want to wake up next to you, even on the days you’re mad at me for forgetting to bring home oat milk. You’re my heart. Will you be my wife?”

Something in my chest melted completely.

“Yes… Of course, yes.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

He slipped the ring onto my finger. The tables around us erupted in applause. It was perfect.

Right up until the following day, when Dylan said,

“I think it’s time you meet my mom. You’re going to adore her…”

And that’s when I felt the tiniest tremor in our fairytale. The kind that makes you wonder… if the perfect story is about to take a turn.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

***

We didn’t wait long to plan the trip. Dylan was too excited to tell his mom the news. So the very next morning — it was Saturday — we packed an overnight bag and hit the road to his parents’ place in the countryside.

Dylan hummed along to some 80s playlist as he drove, while I tried to decide if I was overdressed.

“Just wait till you try her lemon tart. Mom’s a legend in the kitchen. And she’s so excited to meet you.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

I laughed, nervously. “Sounds… charming?”

“She’s amazing. You’ll see.”

In half an hour, the front door flew open before we even knocked.

“Diiiiilan!” a sing-song voice echoed, and there she was. Elen.

The woman wore head-to-toe baby pink — a satin blouse with a bow the size of a toddler and matching trousers.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“And you must be the darling girl!” she squealed, pulling me into a hug.

Elen smelled of roses and baby powder. I sneezed quietly into her shoulder. As soon as she inhaled the soft trail of my perfume, she gave a tiny cough.

“Oh my,” she said with a polite little wince. “Is that… jasmine?”

I nodded, already regretting it.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

“Lovely… if one can tolerate it. Tee-hee!”

Great… Two seconds into our first hug and we already have a mutual allergy to each other’s taste in perfume. Coincidence? Unlikely.

“Look at those cheeks! You are real!” Elen giggled, giving Dylan’s arm a little slap. “She’s prettier than your last girlfriend.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“Mom…” Dylan chuckled, clearly charmed.

We walked through the garden toward the house, and for a moment I let myself admire the rose bushes until my eyes landed on something… unexpected.

A small bronze statue, oddly placed between two ceramic bunnies. Elen noticed. Of course, she did.

“That’s my little Cupid,” she said proudly.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

The poor thing had a chipped wing, a dented face, and an overall expression.

“I found it in a darling little antique shop upstate,” she went on. “Of course, it arrived scratched. But he has character.”

Her voice wavered just enough to give her away — she adored the odd little creature.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

We walked in. The house was a shrine to florals. Floral curtains, floral sofa cushions, even a porcelain tissue box shaped like a bouquet.

Over tea (served in rose-patterned cups, naturally), Elen asked me questions so sweetly I almost didn’t notice the blades hiding behind them.

“So, do you actually work, or is it more of a hobby?”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

“Uh… well, I have a full-time job in marketing,” I said, trying to smile. “It’s…”

“She’s really talented,” Dylan cut in proudly.

Each time, she ended with a sharp little laugh, like a kitten pawing you after unsheathing its claws.

“Tee-hee!”

Dylan, bless him, looked enchanted.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“Isn’t she just the cutest?” he whispered to me later. “She’s always been so warm.”

Warm. Like a scented candle right before it gives you a headache.

After dinner, Dylan stepped out to the garage with his father to check on some old stereo system. Elen and I were left alone. She stood. Smoothed her pink blouse.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“Now that it’s just us girls. I think it’s time we had a little honest talk, don’t you?”

I froze, my spoon halfway to the crème brûlée.

“You’re going to marry my son. So it’s only fair that I tell you exactly what’s expected of you as a future perfect daughter-in-law.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

She reached into a drawer. And pulled out a pink sheet of paper with little roses printed along the edges.

“These are just a few small expectations,” she said sweetly. “I find it helps if we’re all on the same page.”

She placed it in front of me. Across the top, in pink script, I read:

“10 Rules for the Ideal Future Daughter-in-Law.”

At that moment I realized — I might be holding the contract to my horror movie.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

***

It was Sunday afternoon. My friends and I were curled up on the couch in my apartment with two open pizza boxes and three untouched oat milk lattes that had gone cold ages ago.

I didn’t need caffeine. I had rage.

“Start from the beginning,” Emma said. “I want to picture the whole pastel nightmare.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

I took a breath and stared into the middle distance, letting the horror replay.

“Okay. So we get there, and she’s dressed like a life-sized cupcake. Baby pink from head to toe. She hugs me, coughs at my jasmine perfume, and… And…”

Sasha snorted. “I knew it. I knew she’d be a tee-hee monster.”

“And the house? Floral vomit. Everywhere. The tissue box had roses.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Emma leaned in.

“Did she bring out the list immediately?”

I held up a finger. “Not yet. First, she asked if I actually work or if it’s just, you know, a hobby.”

“No!” Sasha gasped. “She did not.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

“Oh, she did. And then,” I continued, voice rising, “she pulls out a list.”

Emma’s jaw dropped.

“What kind of medieval sorcery is that?”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

“She reached into a drawer like it was a magic hat — and pulled out my personal horror scroll. Pink. Floral. Smug.”

I reached into my bag and tossed the folded sheet on the table.

“I couldn’t sleep that night. I read it so many times, it’s burned into my brain.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

My friends leaned over to read. I watched their faces twist with each line. Here’s what it said:

1. Lose 10 pounds before the wedding. No exceptions.

2. Agree with your mother-in-law. Always.

3. Get a proper job. Hobbies are not working

4. Handle all housework. Without complaining.

5. Clean my house every weekend. Bathrooms included.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

6. I will choose the baby’s name. No discussion.

7. Cut contact with all men except your husband. Even at work.

8. Give me a key to your home. I need full access.

9. Keep your phone’s location on at all times.

10. Do not argue with me. I am always right.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

Emma leaned back slowly.

“That woman is two pearls away from full-blown dictatorship.”

Sasha looked at me.

“So… what did you do? Did you tell Dylan?”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“No. I didn’t want to crush him. Not yet. But I knew I had to wake him up from the syrupy-pink fog Elen’s got him in.”

“You didn’t…”

“Oh, I did. I decided to follow the rules. Every single one. With my own interpretation.”

“You’re going to play her game?”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

“Exactly. I start next weekend. With item number five.”

Sasha grabbed it and read aloud.

“Clean my house every weekend. Bathrooms included.”

“Oh, I’m going,” I said, already feeling that fire in my chest. “But the cleaning won’t be quite what she expects.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

***

It was Saturday morning. Sun shining, birds chirping, my revenge plan locked and loaded. I had Dylan’s spare key from Elen’s house.

I arrived at 10 a.m. in full cleaning mode. Rubber gloves. A tote bag filled with goodies. A fresh can of ultra-strong jasmine air freshener. And a single red sock.

Let the games begin.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Step one: Laundry. I found her perfectly folded white sheets — Egyptian cotton, monogrammed — and casually tossed them into the washer with the red sock I’d brought for this very mission. The cycle began. I grinned.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

Step two: Scent domination. I sprayed jasmine air freshener in every corner of every room.

Two spritzes in the bathroom.

Three in the hallway.

One on the welcome mat — because first impressions matter.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

Step three: The rearrangement. I moved her ceramic angel collection from the fireplace mantel to the kitchen counter. The TV remote went into the wardrobe. Her favorite slippers? Her “FAMILY IS FOREVER” wooden sign? Hung upside down.

And then came the Cupid. That little bronze nightmare glared at me from the garden, as if daring me.

I wrapped him gently in a towel and carried him to…I’ll tell you later.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

By noon, the house was spotless. But it no longer screamed “Elen.” It screamed “new management.”

I closed the door behind me and practically skipped home.

***

The next morning, just as I was tying my sneakers to head out, someone started pounding on my door. I opened it.

Elen stood there, wild-eyed, hair slightly askew, holding a pink bedsheet like it was a crime scene photo.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“You turned my entire house into a scented circus!” she yelled. “Everything smells like cheap perfume! My shirts are pink! And where is my Cupid?!”

I blinked innocently.

“Oh, good morning. I think you are fond of pink.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“Don’t ‘good morning’ me! I want everything back the way it was! Now!”

“Oh… sorry. Can’t.”

She stared at me.

“I’m late for the gym,” I said casually, tying my shoelace tighter. “Punct number one on your list, remember? Lose ten pounds before the wedding.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Her mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.

“And the statue?” she hissed.

“Oh, I thought It’s trash. So I hired guys to get it out.”

“How dare you?!”

Just then, Dylan appeared behind me, rubbing his eyes.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“Mom? Why are you yelling?”

“Ask her!” Elen said, spinning toward him. “She sabotaged my home! She poisoned the air! And she… she threw out Cupid!”

Dylan blinked. “Cupid?”

“My statue! My precious little bronze guardian!”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“Cupid’s not gone. He’s just… enjoying a quiet retirement in the garage. I thought he deserved a break from all that pollen. I just followed the rules,” I said sweetly, pulling the crumpled pink paper from my bag and handing it to Dylan.

His eyes moved line by line.

“Mom… what is this?”

“A helpful guide! To support her! To prepare her for a life with you!”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“With me or with you?”

I grabbed my gym bag and smiled.

“Anyway, I really have to run. Zumba waits for no one.”

Elen’s nostrils flared. I looked over my shoulder with one last, sugar-sweet nod.

“Don’t worry. I’m taking your list very seriously. You might want to start your own.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

Just before I reached the door, Dylan turned to his mother.

“Mom, we really need to talk. And this time, I need you to listen.”

I stepped outside, letting the door click softly behind me, and left my future MIL standing face to face with her sin, the man I loved, finally ready to draw his own lines.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

Tell us what you think about this story and share it with your friends. It might inspire them and brighten their day.

If you enjoyed this story, read this one: I was working a night shift, exhausted but grateful—until I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw my husband in the back seat… with another woman. I stayed silent, already planning his downfall.