I got married a few years ago. My future husband set a condition right away—we would live with his mother. They have a small apartment, there’s no father, and my husband is her only child.
I didn’t object much, thinking an experienced woman would help me. At first, that’s how it was. We didn’t become friends, but we got along decently. Then I got pregnant. When I was suffering from terrible morning sickness, my mother-in-law, instead of offering support, kept saying nasty things. I was shocked—she’s a woman too, after all.
Then our baby was born, and things started to heat up. I dread being at home. When my husband is at work, I try to leave too. Sometimes he stays late, and I wander the streets. When she’s home and I haven’t managed to leave, I pretend to be asleep with the baby.
Someone might ask: what drives me so crazy? I’ll tell you—it’s her constant meddling where she’s not wanted. She insisted there be no locks on our bedroom door. My husband, of course, agreed. I hate it. I can’t feel free in my own home. She barges into our room without permission or knocking, not caring what we’re doing.
Once, she opened the door while I was changing. When she saw me half-dressed, she didn’t flinch or leave—she walked in and sat on our bed. She acts like she owns the place. I get it, it’s her house, and she can do as she pleases. But not in my room!
Recently, I noticed something that completely threw me off. When we’re not home, she snoops around like a bloodhound. She eavesdrops on my phone calls and chimes in with her “wise” opinions. If I try to walk away because I don’t want to hear it, she won’t let me. It’s just awful.
She sticks her nose into everything. When my husband and I talk, she’s right there, throwing in her opinion that no one asked for. When we first got married, it didn’t bother me as much. I figured she was bored, so she acted this way. But it’s only gotten worse. Since the baby was born, she’s become obsessed. She’s always trying to teach me how to handle my own son—not with helpful advice, but by nagging and criticizing everything I do.
I don’t mean to brag, but I’m a good mother, wife, and homemaker. My men are always well-dressed, well-fed, and never wear dirty or wrinkled clothes. I don’t have any desire to spend hours at the stove cooking elaborate meals. Once, I wanted to make pancakes, but she pestered me so much that I gave up and retreated to my room.
I recently talked to my husband about this. He sees it too and asks me to be patient. He says we’ll soon be able to get a mortgage for our own place, but it’s not possible yet. He argues with his mother too, but it’s pointless. People who don’t know her well would never believe she’s a vampire draining our energy. She can be so charming, treating everyone and helping out, but in reality, she makes life unbearable. It’s gotten to the point where she complained to my parents about us. And they believed her, not their own daughter.
Recently, she brought up our wedding. Can you imagine? Years later, she’s still dwelling on it. She demanded that my family pay her back half the money spent. Sure, our wedding was lavish, but no one asked her to do that. She wanted to show off her wealth to all her friends. And now my family or I have to pay for it?
I don’t know how to keep living with her. I can’t stand her. Honestly, I try to avoid conflict and stay in my room, but she bursts in anyway. I feel guilty for feeling this way about my husband’s mother, but I can’t help it. My husband and I have started fighting over this too. And she’s delighted.
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