I covered my mouth.
“So they ran back in with the cash.
Probably thinking they were salvaging the deal,” Adam explained.
I looked at him, full of disbelief. “You didn’t have to do that!”
“Yes, I did,” he said. “New rule.
No more ‘surprises’ from my family. Not unless they’re cleared by both of us.”
I nodded, fighting back tears.
Claire and Richard didn’t speak to us for the next three months! It was the most blissful time since I started dating their son!
Then one afternoon, Adam got a voicemail.
He played it on speaker as we folded laundry.
“We hope you’ve learned not to weaponize family over a simple dinner,” Claire’s voice said, clipped and cold.
Adam didn’t even flinch. He just deleted the message.
Later that night, we sat on the porch, legs tangled on the swing, wrapped in a blanket.
“You okay?” he asked.
“I am now,” I said. “I spent so long trying to keep the peace with people who never even tried to respect me.”
He kissed my temple.
“Then let’s stop trying.”
“Deal,” I said. “And next year? Only pancakes in pajamas!”
He smiled.
“Only if I get to sing you ‘Happy Birthday’ with a kazoo.”
We laughed. And for the first time in years, I actually looked forward to my next birthday!
When my mother-in-law invited me to their lake house to get to know me better, I thought nothing of it. But when she started mistreating me during the visit, karma came knocking faster than expected!
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.
Source: amomama
