After giving birth to my first children, I thought my husband would start choosing us more over his mother, but that wasn’t the case. This time, he’d chosen her side over me for the last time, so I exposed her for the bully and liar she was.
You’d think bringing home your newborn twins would be one of the happiest moments of your life. For me, it started like that, but it soon turned into an absolute nightmare!
An upset mother with her newborn babies | Source: Midjourney
After three days in the hospital, recovering from a grueling delivery, I was finally discharged and ready to head home with my beautiful twin daughters, Ella and Sophie. I’d imagined this moment for months: Derek, my husband, picking us up at the hospital with flowers, tears of joy in his eyes as he took one of the girls into his arms.
But instead, at the last minute, I got a hurried phone call that changed everything…
An upset woman on a call | Source: Midjourney
“Hey, baby,” my husband said, his voice clipped. “I am so sorry, but I can’t come pick you guys up as planned.”
“What?” I asked, adjusting the swaddle around Sophie. “Derek, I just had twins. What’s so important that you can’t—”
“It’s my mom,” he interrupted. “She’s in bad shape. Hectic chest pains. I need to pick her up and take her to that hospital close to her.”
His words hit me like a bucket of cold water. “What? Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Derek, I need you here.”
“I know,” he said, exasperated. “But this happened suddenly, and it’s serious. I’ll come to you as soon as I can.”
An anxious man on a call | Source: Midjourney
I gritted my teeth, fighting the urge to scream because of how disappointed and frustrated I felt, but I replied, “Fine. I’ll just get a taxi.”
“Thank you,” he mumbled before hanging up.
My husband’s mother lived in a different city, so the chances of him getting back that same day to get me and the babies were unrealistic. Knowing how obsessed Derek was with his mother, he wasn’t going to leave her by herself, hence the taxi.
An upset woman on a call | Source: Midjourney
As the line went dead, my heart sank. I wanted to believe Derek wasn’t being callous, just overwhelmed and a mama’s boy. Still, the disappointment stung. The same mother-in-law (MIL) who insisted we make a separate set of keys to our house so she could help me with the babies was now suddenly unwell.
I tried shaking it off as I bundled the girls into their car seats that their father had dropped off the previous day and got us into a cab.
A woman in a cab with her children | Source: Midjourney
When we pulled into the driveway, I froze. My suitcases, diaper bags, and even the crib mattress were scattered across the front lawn and by the doorstep! A knot formed in my stomach. I paid the driver and stepped out with the twins, glancing around nervously. Something was obviously very wrong…
A messy front yard | Source: Midjourney
I approached the front door, fumbling with my keys while absentmindedly calling out my husband’s name, even though I knew he couldn’t be home yet. The key wouldn’t turn. Confused, I tried again. Nothing. Then I saw it, a folded piece of paper taped to a suitcase.
Get out of here with your little moochers! I know everything. Derek.
My breath caught, and my heart stopped. My hands trembled as I read the note again and again, trying to make sense of it while hoping it was a hallucination. This couldn’t be happening. Not Derek…
A shocked woman reading a note | Source: Midjourney
Not the man who held my hand through every doctor’s appointment, who cried when we heard our daughters’ heartbeats for the first time. Then the worst part of that day began…
Wanting answers, I called him immediately. Straight to voicemail. Again. Voicemail. Panic set in as Sophie’s cries joined Ella’s. I rocked their car seats, forcing myself to think.
A stressed woman holding a phone | Source: Midjourney
“Mom,” I whispered. My hands shook as I dialed her number.
“Jenna?” Mom answered on the first ring. “What’s wrong? Are the twins okay?”
I choked out the words, barely able to hold it together. I hadn’t wanted to involve my mother due to her ailing condition, but I believed this was one of those dire moments.
“Derek… He changed the locks. He threw my stuff outside. Mom, he left this awful note.”
“WHAT?!” Her voice shot up. “Stay there. I’m coming.”
An upset older woman | Source: Midjourney
Minutes felt like hours before she arrived. Mom took one look at the mess and narrowed her eyes, fuming.
“This doesn’t make sense! Derek wouldn’t do this; he loves you and the girls!”
“That’s what I thought,” I said, rocking Ella to calm her cries. “But he’s not answering. And what does ‘I know everything’ even mean?” I asked showing her the offensive note.
“I am so sorry, my darling,” she said while hugging me close. “Let’s go to my place until we can get a hold of your husband, okay?”
An older woman hugging a younger one | Source: Midjourney
She helped me load the bags into her car and whisked us back to her place. After my mother and I dissected what had happened and repeatedly called Derek with no answer, my anxiety spiked. That night, I barely slept.
The next morning, I decided I needed answers. Leaving the twins with Mom, I drove back in her car to the house. The yard was empty, my belongings gone. I knocked on the door. No response. I walked around to the back, peering through the windows, and froze.
A shocked woman peaking through a window | Source: Midjourney
Derek’s mother, Lorraine, sat at the dining table, sipping tea! I banged on the door, and she looked up, startled, almost spilling her tea before she saw me and smirked.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded, banging on the door.
Lorraine rose leisurely and opened it just a crack. “Jenna. You’re not welcome here, didn’t you see the note?”
“Where’s Derek?” I snapped. “Why did he—”
“He’s at the hospital in my city,” she said smoothly. “Taking care of his sick mother.”
A nonchalant older woman standing by a door | Source: Midjourney
I stared at her, disbelief washing over me. “Sick? You’re standing right here!”
She shrugged, her lips curling into a malicious smile. “Maybe I’m feeling better. Miracles happen.”
“You lied to him, didn’t you? You faked being sick!”
Her smile widened. “And?”
My hands balled into fists. “Why? Why would you do this?”
She crossed her arms, her smugness growing.
A smug older woman | Source: Midjourney
“I told Derek from the start that our family needs a boy to carry on the name. But you? You gave us two girls. Useless,” she confessed unapologetically, finally speaking her truth after all these years I’ve been with her son.
Her words knocked the air out of me. I was too stunned to speak, and she took my silence as permission to keep going.
“I knew you’d ruin my son’s life, so I took matters into my own hands. The note was a bit much, but I needed you to believe he wanted you gone. I even ensured he couldn’t call you by taking his phone right out of his pocket when he wasn’t looking. You were supposed to take your things and get out of our lives, but here you are…”
An angry older woman | Source: Midjourney
I couldn’t breathe. This woman had orchestrated everything, lied to her son, and got him to take her to the hospital under false pretenses before sneaking away, locked me out of my home, and stole his phone all because she disapproved of my daughters!
“You threw us out over that?”
“Of course,” she said, unbothered. “I even bribed a nurse at the hospital to keep him there. And it worked, didn’t it?”
I felt sick. “You’re deranged!”
“Call me what you want,” she sneered. “I call it protecting my family. Besides, my Derek always takes my side and will see things my way as usual.”
An arrogant older woman | Source: Midjourney
Her words echoed in my mind as I drove to the hospital where my husband was still waiting. With every mile, my anger grew. How could she justify such cruelty? My hands gripped the wheel tightly, knuckles white with fury.
I knew my MIL was mean, but I didn’t think she was evil! She never approved of my relationship or marriage to her son, always believing Derek deserved someone wealthier and fancier, unlike me.
An upset woman driving | Source: Midjourney
When I reached the hospital, I found my husband pacing in the waiting room, his eyes shadowed with worry.
“Jenna!” he said, rushing toward me. “Where have you been? I don’t have my phone or know your number by heart, so I couldn’t call you!”
“Your mother took your phone,” I cut him off. “She faked her illness and locked me out of the house!”
He froze, confusion and anger flashing across his face. “What? That doesn’t make any sense.”
A man at a hospital | Source: Midjourney
“She set me up, wrote a fake note from you sending me away, and bribed a nurse to lie to you,” I said, my voice trembling. “Lorraine’s at our house, sipping tea like she’s the queen of the world!”
“Wait. What? Why would she…”
“Because our daughters aren’t boys,” I said bitterly.
The shock turned to rage on his face. Without saying a word, he grabbed his keys and stormed out, with me following close behind. When we got home, Lorraine was exactly where I’d left her, looking utterly unbothered.
An older woman having tea | Source: Midjourney
But her smugness vanished when she saw the determined look on Derek’s face.
“Mom,” he said, his voice cold and sharp. “What did you do? I thought you were in the hospital?”
She opened her mouth, likely to lie, but Derek cut her off. “Save it. I know everything.”
“Derek, I was just trying to—”
“You’ve done enough,” he snapped. “You made me abandon my wife and children for a fake emergency! Then you locked my wife, who just gave birth, and our newborn babies out of our home! On top of that, you cut our ability to communicate during such a crucial time by stealing my phone!”
An angry man shouting | Source: Midjourney
“Derek, darling… I just wanted to keep you safe. This isn’t how this was supposed to go,” my MIL replied pleadingly.
“Keep me safe from my wife and children? Who told you I wanted boys? What makes you think my girls aren’t good enough for me just because of their gender? That’s a problem you have, not me, and if you want sons, I suggest you go make them yourself!”
I stood with my mouth agape, having never seen Derek this angry! I won’t lie, a part of me was proud that he was proving himself worthy of me by defending my and the children’s honor. At that moment, I loved him more than ever before!
A happy woman | Source: Midjourney
“Pack your things and leave,” he demanded.
She gaped at him, tears forming. “You can’t mean that. I’m your mother!”
“And Jenna is my WIFE! Those are my daughters! If you can’t respect them, you’re not part of our lives!”
For once, Lorraine was speechless. She stormed upstairs to pack, slamming doors as she went. Derek turned to me, his eyes full of remorse.
“I’m so sorry, my love. I didn’t know.”
I let out a shaky breath, the tension easing just a little. “I just want us to move forward.”
A happy woman with her man | Source: Midjourney
Lorraine left that night. My husband apologized repeatedly, vowing to make things right. And he did. He changed the locks, blocked his mother’s number, and even reported the nurse who had taken the bribe!
It wasn’t easy, but for months we worked on rebuilding our life. One evening, as I rocked Ella and Sophie to sleep, I realized Lorraine had tried to destroy us but only managed to bring us closer together.
A happy couple with their twins | Source: Midjourney
Sadly, Jenna isn’t the only daughter-in-law who has had to face a difficult MIL. In the following story, Michelle’s MIL surprises her and her husband with a DNA test for their son thinking it would finally break them up. But things didn’t play out in her favor, the way she imagined.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
My Hypocrite Sister Demanded I Let Our Mom Live in My Home but I Made Another Plan
My Hypocrite Sister Demanded I Let Our Mom Live in My Home but I Made Another Plan
When my sister demanded I take our neglectful mother into my home, I decided to stand up for myself. What happened next tested family bonds, revealed painful truths, and forced us to confront years of unresolved hurt.
When we were kids, my dad worked hard to support us. My mom, though, stayed at home. You’d think she was taking care of us, but she wasn’t. She spent her days on the sofa, glued to the TV. She barely cooked or cleaned. It was like she wasn’t a mom to us at all.
Lazy woman on the sofa | Source: Pexels
My sister Amy and I grew up in the same house, but we had very different experiences. I was always the one picking up the slack. By the time I was 10, I was making meals and cleaning. Amy, on the other hand, didn’t lift a finger. She was Mom’s favorite, and it showed.
When I turned 18, my mom kicked me out. She said it was time for me to be independent. Amy, though, got to stay. She was 16 then. I remember Dad argued with Mom about it.
Young woman out on the streets | Source: Pexels
They fought a lot, and soon after, they got divorced. Mom moved on quickly. She remarried almost instantly, but then her new husband died. After her husband’s death, Mom had nowhere to go. She asked to move in with my family. Reluctantly, I said yes. It was a mistake. She acted like she owned the place.
She offered to babysit the kids but only watched them twice a week for half a day. And even then, she neglected them. One time, she didn’t change my baby’s diaper for hours. It was the last straw. I asked her to leave.
Angry woman with a phone | Source: Pexels
That’s when Amy got involved. She started calling me, shaming me for kicking Mom out.
“How could you do that to Mom?” Amy yelled over the phone. “You’re a terrible daughter!”
“Me? What about you, Amy? You said you had no space for her, remember?” I shot back.
Amy’s voice was sharp. “That’s different! I don’t have room. You do!”
Angry woman | Source: Pexels
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “So, it’s okay for me to take her in, but not you? That’s hypocritical, Amy.”
“You’re being selfish!” she cried. “She’s our mother! We owe her.”
“Owe her? For what? Neglecting us? Kicking me out? Ruining Dad’s life? She had her chance to be a good mom, and she blew it.”
“You can’t just abandon her! This is cruel!”
Furious woman yells into her phone | Source: Pexels
I took a deep breath. “She made her bed, Amy. Now she has to lie in it. If you’re so worried, you take her.”
Amy was silent for a moment. “You can’t do this. I don’t have space.”
“Figure it out, Amy. Just like I had to.”
Two days later, I called Amy again. “Mom’s moving in with you.”
Irritated woman talks on the phone | Source: Pexels
“Are you out of your mind?” Amy shouted. “You can’t just dump her on me!”
“Oh, so now space is an issue?” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “When it’s me, I’m supposed to accommodate her, but you can’t?”
Amy was furious. “You’re ruining everything!”
“No, I’m setting boundaries. If you can’t understand that, it’s your problem.”
Woman drives a car | Source: Pexels
The next day, I packed Mom’s bags and drove her to Amy’s house. Amy was waiting at the door, looking like she’d seen a ghost.
“She’s all yours,” I said, handing over the bags.
“This isn’t fair,” Amy said, her voice shaking.
“Welcome to my world,” I replied. “Maybe now you’ll see why I couldn’t take it anymore.”
Woman drives a car | Source: Pexels
As I drove away, I breathed a sigh of relief. I knew Amy was in for a tough time, but it was about time she faced reality. For the first time in years, I felt a sense of peace. I hoped it would last.
Two days after Mom moved in with Amy, my phone rang. I could tell from the caller ID it was Amy, and I knew she wasn’t calling to chat. I picked up, bracing myself for the onslaught.
“She’s driving me crazy!” Amy shouted before I could even say hello. “Mom’s been here two days, and it’s a nightmare.”
Worried woman | Source: Pexels
“Well, that’s how I’ve been living,” I replied calmly.
“You don’t understand,” Amy continued, her voice shaking. “She refuses to do anything. She sits on the couch all day, watching TV. She won’t even make herself a sandwich.”
“I understand perfectly,” I said. “I lived it, remember?”
Amy sighed, frustration clear in her voice. “I can’t take it. She’s so demanding. She acts like I owe her everything.”
Woman with a headache | Source: Pexels
“That’s what I’ve been dealing with for years,” I replied. “Now you see why I asked her to leave.”
Amy was silent for a moment. “I thought you were exaggerating,” she admitted. “But it’s worse than I imagined.”
“I’m sorry you’re going through this,” I said. “But I had to set boundaries for my family’s sake.”
Content woman | Source: Pexels
After hanging up, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. The house was quieter, more peaceful. My kids seemed happier, too. They weren’t on edge, waiting for the next outburst from their grandmother.
“Mama, can we play a game?” my youngest asked, smiling up at me.
“Of course, sweetie,” I replied, feeling lighter than I had in years.
Woman plays with her daughter | Source: Pexels
The days passed, and the peace in my home grew. Without Mom’s negative energy, our household felt warmer and more connected. My husband and I had more time for each other, and the kids were thriving.
One evening, as I was preparing dinner, my phone rang again. It was Amy.
“We need to talk,” she said, her voice calmer but still strained.
“Okay, what’s on your mind?” I asked.
Serious woman on her phone | Source: Pexels
“Mom is making my life hell,” she said bluntly. “But I think I understand why you did what you did.”
I paused, letting her words sink in. “Go on.”
“I thought you were being cruel, but now I see you were trying to protect your family,” she admitted. “I just… I don’t know what to do.”
“It’s about setting boundaries,” I said gently. “Mom never learned how to be a proper parent. She expects us to cater to her because that’s all she knows.”
Woman explains something over phone | Source: Pexels
“But how do I deal with her?” Amy asked, desperation creeping back into her voice.
“You have to be firm,” I advised. “Explain what you can and can’t do for her. It won’t be easy, but it’s necessary.”
Amy sighed. “I guess I never realized how much you were dealing with.”
“It was a lot,” I agreed. “But it taught me the importance of putting my immediate family first.”
Woman on her phone on the street | Source: Pexels
There was a long pause on the line. “I’m sorry I judged you,” Amy finally said. “I was wrong.”
“Thank you,” I said, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. “I’m glad you understand now.”
As I hung up, I reflected on how much things had changed. Growing up, I felt neglected and alone, bearing the brunt of Mom’s indifference. But now, I had a chance to create a different environment for my own kids. Setting boundaries with Mom was hard, but it was the right decision.
Hopeful woman | Source: Pexels
Amy and I had a lot to work through, but I hoped this experience would bring us closer. She finally saw things from my perspective, and that was a start.
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