Linda, my wife’s mother, has always made it clear that she doesn’t like me. I lost it, though, when she turned my adopted daughter Lily’s room into a storage area without our permission.
Since I married her son Jack, Linda has been meddling in our lives all the time. She was rude about our choice to adopt, said my wedding dress was bad, and even asked if we loved Lily, calling her not my “true” child.
Even though Linda didn’t like it, Jack and I went ahead and made Lily a loving home. Yet Linda’s most recent mistake went too far. When we got home from a family trip, Linda’s things had taken over our house, and Lily’s room had been turned into a storage unit.
I was furious. Linda’s lack of respect for our daughter’s room and feelings was not acceptable. I knew I had to do something when she refused to say sorry or take her stuff away.
While Jack was at work and Lily was at school, I packed Linda’s things and had them sent to different places, including her country club. I put things in there on purpose that would make her look bad in public.
A few days later, Linda called, angry and feeling bad about herself. I told her in a calm voice that she had hurt Lily and that she needed to respect our limits.
Linda hasn’t come near us since then, and our family is finally at peace. I’m proud that I stood up for my family and showed Linda that what she does has effects.
Now that I look back, I see how important it was to set limits to keep our family peaceful. I hope that my story makes other people want to do the same.
My “revenge” wasn’t meant to hurt Linda; it was to take back our room and make sure our daughter knows she is loved and cared for. Everything that matters to me is Lily’s happiness, and I’ll do anything to protect it.
