When my mother-in-law and sister-in-law showed up unannounced, criticizing my “lazy” ways, I bit my tongue. But when they publicly shamed me, I decided it was time to show them just how much this “lazy” mom actually does and cut them off where it hurts.
I knew from the start that I wasn’t what my husband’s family had in mind. From day one, his mother, Donna, and sister, Marissa, made it clear that I was an intruder.
Two unwelcoming women | Source: Midjourney
They always found ways to remind me that I “didn’t fit.” Marissa would add her little jabs whenever she could. Donna loved to bring up how I didn’t “contribute” financially or “do much” around the house.
“Must be nice to have so much free time,” she once said, barely hiding the edge in her voice.
An annoyed elderly woman | Source: Freepik
I almost laughed. Free time? “I wouldn’t call it that,” I said, glancing around at the scattered toys, the half-finished grocery list, and the laptop I’d abandoned in the middle of work to get the kids ready. “Between work and the kids, it’s pretty nonstop.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Hmm. Why work? You don’t make that much money anyway. Well, I suppose if you’re not working full-time…” She let the sentence dangle, her implication clear as a bell.
A disappointed elderly woman | Source: Freepik
“Actually, my hours are pretty full,” I replied. “I work part-time remotely, but with the kids and the house, it’s a lot to juggle.”
Donna gave a small, dismissive wave. “Well, back in my day, I did cooking and cleaning while managing a full-time job all by myself, and I never let the house look like… this.” She gestured around, her expression pinched, as if the sight of a few stray toys and dishes was unbearable.
An angry elderly woman | Source: Freepik
One Thursday afternoon, just as I was finishing up my last Zoom call for work, the front door swung open. In walked Donna and Marissa, unannounced, glancing around like they’d stumbled into some chaotic war zone.
“Oh my gosh,” Donna gasped, her eyes sweeping over the toys scattered across the living room. “What happened here?”
Scattered toys | Source: Pexels
I put a finger to my lips, signaling her to be quiet because I was still on my call. The kids were chasing each other around the house, squealing. I’d been juggling work and the kids all day, and dinner wasn’t even started yet. But that wasn’t their concern.
Once I wrapped up the call, I turned to them, exhausted. “Hey, I didn’t know you were stopping by.”
Exhausted woman turning away from her laptop | Source: Midjourney
“Oh, we just thought we’d come by and see how you were doing,” Donna said, but her tone was far from friendly. She kept looking around, her mouth pulled tight.
Marissa shook her head, smirking. “Is this how you leave things for my brother?”
I tried to laugh it off. “Well, it’s the end of the day. Kids have been playing, I’ve been working. Dinner’s next on the list.”
A smirking woman | Source: Freepik
Donna crossed her arms. “Your husband works all day, and he has to come home to this? Honestly, I don’t know how he does it.”
“Yeah,” Marissa said, laughing a little. “He deserves better than this mess.”
My jaw clenched, but I kept quiet, trying not to take the bait. I knew it wouldn’t help.
The next day, we had a family lunch planned. I’d been dreading it since they showed up unannounced, and I had a feeling it wasn’t going to get any easier.
A nervous woman setting the table | Source: Midjourney
We were barely ten minutes into lunch when Donna brought up yesterday’s surprise visit. “You wouldn’t believe the state of the house when we dropped by,” she announced to the table, shaking her head.
Marissa chimed in, leaning back with a smirk. “It was chaos. I mean, you’d think she’d at least keep things nice for him.”
A laughing blonde woman | Source: Midjourney
My face went hot, but before I could say anything, my husband jumped in. “She’s busy with work and the kids, Mom. You can’t expect everything to be perfect all the time.”
Donna waved him off. “I know, I know, but honestly, honey, she must simply be lazy.”
Marissa shrugged. “I mean, if she’s going to be home all day, at least…”
“Enough,” my husband said firmly. “I’m serious. She’s doing a lot, and I appreciate it.”
A frowning young man | Source: Midjourney
They ignored him. I felt the familiar sting, but this time, it was different. I was done letting them treat me like this. All that anger I’d kept bottled up was ready to come out.
Later, my husband and I sat on the couch, both of us quiet.
“They’ll never see me as part of the family,” I said finally.
An upset woman talking to her husband | Source: Midjourney
He sighed. “I know. I’m sorry. They’re unfair to you.”
I looked over at him. “What if I handled it my way?”
He paused, then nodded. “Do what you need to do.”
I smiled, feeling a strange sense of relief. It was time to set things straight.
A man consoling his wife | Source: Midjourney
That night, I lay awake, thinking over my husband’s words. “Do what you need to do,” he’d said, giving me full permission to handle his family however I saw fit. I was ready to remind them just how much I contribute, and I had the perfect plan.
A detail I’d almost forgotten came back to me, and it brought a smile: I had set up all of their streaming accounts. I’d added them to my subscriptions as a favor a while back, thinking it would be a nice gesture.
A woman on her laptops | Source: Pexels
I was the one paying for their favorite shows and movies every month, not that they ever knew or cared to ask. They just logged in and enjoyed it, never realizing who made it possible.
It just so happened they were counting down the days to a new episode of their favorite series, something they’d been talking about nonstop for weeks. The timing couldn’t be better. I decided that, just before the episode aired, I’d change every single password.
A woman with a sly smirk on her face | Source: Midjourney
When the time came, I logged into each account. With a few clicks, I reset all the passwords, locking them out completely. Then, I put my phone on silent, poured a cup of tea, and settled in to watch the episode they’d been waiting for.
As I sipped my tea, I felt a strange sense of peace, knowing they were likely scrambling to get logged in.
A woman drinking tea | Source: Pexels
Within twenty minutes, my phone started buzzing. First, it was my husband. He glanced at the screen, saw the stream of messages, and shook his head, chuckling.
“It’s starting,” he said, handing my phone back to me.
The next morning, as I was getting the kids ready for school, Donna called. I picked up on the third ring, keeping my voice calm.
A smiling woman on her phone | Source: Midjourney
“Hello, Donna.”
“Morning,” she said sharply, not sounding very cheerful. “I can’t get into Netflix, or any of the other streaming apps. They’re saying the password is wrong. It’s very strange.”
“Hmm,” I replied, sounding as casual as I could. “That’s odd. Maybe you should talk to the person who manages the accounts.”
A displeased elderly woman talking on her phone | Source: Midjourney
“Well, I would,” she snapped, her voice tightening. “But we assumed that was my son. You know, since he’s the one paying for everything. But he told me to call you.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, actually, Donna, I’m the one who set those up. I pay for them every month.”
She went quiet. Then I heard her whispering, and a second later Marissa’s voice came on the line.
An elderly woman talking to her daughter | Source: Midjourney
“So you’ve been paying for it all?” Marissa said, sounding almost offended. “Why would you lock us out? That’s really petty, don’t you think?”
I kept my tone steady, not giving them an inch. “Well, you two have made it pretty clear what you think of me. According to you, I’m lazy and don’t contribute, remember? So I figured I’d just act the part. Maybe my husband should take care of it instead.”
An upset woman talking on her phone | Source: Midjourney
Donna’s voice returned, sounding angrier now. “This is ridiculous. We just thought you’d understand what we meant—that you could keep the house a little nicer for him, that’s all.”
“Oh, I understand perfectly,” I replied, my voice calm. “It’s just that for a lazy mom who ‘depends on her husband,’ I seem to be covering a lot more than you realize.”
Donna stammered, clearly searching for a response. Marissa muttered something under her breath, but I couldn’t make it out.
An upset elderly woman | Source: Freepik
“So,” I continued, “if you’d like to keep enjoying those shows, you can either ask me nicely, or start your own accounts.”
There was a long pause. Finally, Donna let out a sigh. “Fine. We didn’t realize you were… handling all that.”
“I know you didn’t,” I replied quietly. “But maybe now you do.”
A smiling woman talking on her phone | Source: Freepik
The calls and messages stopped after that. I didn’t rush to restore their access, either. They finally asked nicely, days later, and I could tell by their tone that the lesson had sunk in. Donna even mumbled a half-hearted “thank you” the next time I saw her, though her smile was as tight as ever. Marissa, on the other hand, avoided eye contact entirely.
The power shift felt good. For once, I wasn’t just defending myself. I was showing them that I was more than what they thought, and I didn’t need their approval.
A young woman winking | Source: Freepik
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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
