My mother-in-law and I have never gotten along and she has always tried to get on my nerves. But when she pulled a stunt at my workplace, I had enough and decided to teach her a lesson right then and there, much to the delight of my co-workers and manager.
Yesterday, I was about halfway through my shift at the upscale grocery store where I work part-time when I saw her: Denise, my mother-in-law. She was strolling through the automatic doors as if she were entering her kingdom. Little did I know that her presence would lead to a confrontation where I would have to defend myself.
The faint background music of the store did nothing to muffle the sound of her heels clicking on the polished floor as she made her grand entrance, dripping in expensive jewelry. Denise had that look about her that said everyone should stop what they were doing and admire her presence.
And to be honest, she kind of expected it.
She was dressed in her usual attire: a custom-made designer coat, big sunglasses despite the perfect indoor lighting, and a diamond necklace that probably cost me more than I made in a year.
As she made a beeline for my register, a smirk already forming on her lips, my stomach lurched. What the hell was she doing here?
Denise had never been to my job before, and at that moment, part of me wished it would stay that way forever. This woman had a way of making me feel big, as if her disapproving glances and passive-aggressive comments weren’t enough to remind me daily that I wasn’t “good enough” for her precious son, Jack.
We’ve been married for five years, and yet my mother-in-law has found ways to remind me that I don’t live up to her expectations. My husband wasn’t very helpful and always seemed to take her side to avoid further drama, saying things like, “That’s how Mom is.”
His refusal to support me drove me crazy! But I love him and I thought my mother-in-law would eventually get tired of him. For years, I put up with his antics and continued to bite my tongue… until yesterday. Yesterday was the last time Denise bothered me because I taught her a lesson she would never forget.
Here’s how it happened…
She stopped at my register and gave me this fake smile that sent shivers down my spine. In her arms were two boxes of caviar, the specialty, high-end, top-shelf caviar that cost more than my rent.
I glanced at the price tags. Yes, it was as horrible as I thought it would be: hundreds of dollars for two tiny boxes.
“Honey,” Denise said in that sickly sweet tone she always used when she wanted something. She dropped the boxes with a thud on the counter and glanced over her shoulder, probably making sure we had an audience.
“I need you to take care of them.”
Baffled, I blinked, trying to figure out what she was asking.
“Sure,” I said, reaching out to scan the boxes for her, but she stopped me to clarify. “No, silly, I need you to take care of them, honey,” she replied, sounding annoyed but happy to put me on the spot.
“Take care of them?” ” I repeated, unsure if I had heard her correctly or understood what she really wanted.
Denise tilted her head and gave me a sympathetic look as if I were a child who didn’t understand basic math.
“PAY for the caviar, my dear. You’ve always been so slow,” she said as if she were explaining the most obvious thing in the world.
“See, I’m having a little dinner party tonight, and my friends expect ONLY the best. I’m sure Jack wouldn’t mind if you helped him out. After all, that’s what family does. And I’m sure you wouldn’t want me to disappoint my guests, would you?”
I stared at her, my hands still on the cash register. Stunned is an understatement for how I felt at that moment. I wanted to laugh, but the words stuck in my throat.
“Denise, that’s caviar worth hundreds of dollars,” I said quietly, trying to keep my composure. “I can’t—”
But she cut me off with a dismissive wave of her hand.
