I was cleaning the house: I swept the floor everywhere and started scrubbing the floors. And my mother-in-law purposely spilled the husks of sunflower seeds on my freshly cleaned floor. I looked at my mother-in-law surprised. I saw that she did it on purpose.
– Mom, why did you do that? I saw that you did it on purpose!
My mother-in-law looked at me with contempt and said:
– You’ll do it again! Nothing will happen to you!
Then she, satisfied with her prank, went back to bed. I went into the other room, got a broom and dustpan, and started sweeping the floor.
And my mother-in-law started reading the newspaper, which she had read many times before.
– Why do you hate me so much? What do I deserve that you are constantly making fun of me? I cook for you, and I do your laundry, and I bathe you, and I clean you. And my daughter is always helping you! Why do you hate me so much? – I asked my mother-in-law.
But she did not even turn to me and did not answer me anything. I waited neither for an apology nor for an explanation.
I cried. I finished the floors and left. I went to do laundry, and then I went to the vegetable garden. I always had so much to do at home. When I worked, I was always distracted and the time passed unnoticed. My husband died very many years ago. It happened when our daughter, was only 8 years old.
Immediately after the funeral my mother-in-law told me:
– You’re staying with me! I’m not letting you go anywhere! I don’t want there to be any rumors around the village that I kicked you out.
I, of course, agreed. After all, I had nowhere else to go. My sister and her two children lived with my parents. There was simply no room for me and my daughter. I really hoped that, despite my mother-in-law’s bad temper, we would eventually find some common ground with her. But alas, the miracle did not happen.
My mother-in-law behaved normally toward me in public, but when it was just the two of us at home, she constantly mocked me. She told me I had to do whatever she wanted.
– You’re so stupid! Who needs you?! No man would look at you! You’ve got a kid, too! Stay with me! And when I die, you get my house! And if you don’t do as I want, I’ll leave my house to my nephews! And you’ll be left with nothing!
I was very afraid of that, so I agreed and endured everything. I did everything to make sure that my daughter would be fine.
And my mother-in-law had no intention of dying. She was already in her ninth decade. She didn’t complain about her health. She spends her entire pension on herself. She demands that I buy her good, high-quality and delicious products.
I realized a long time ago that I made a big mistake many years ago. I shouldn’t have agreed and stayed with my mother-in-law. And now I have endured such humiliation for so many years.
My daughter is now graduating from university. She has a boyfriend whom she is going to marry. This guy is very nice. After the wedding they will live with him. I really hope that my daughter will have a good life.
I just feel so sorry for myself and my own ruined life…
