Revenge Only Makes Things Worse — a Story about My Former MIL That Proves It
When my husband’s repeated infidelity led to our divorce, I never imagined his mother would unleash a campaign of terror against me. What started with angry phone calls soon escalated into harassment at my workplace and home, pushing me to the brink of fear and frustration.
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I filed for divorce a month ago. My husband cheated on me repeatedly, and I finally had enough. His mother, though, seemed to hate me more than he did for leaving him.
A stern middle-aged woman | Source: Pexels
At first, our marriage was perfect. We were married for four years, and the first three were blissful. We laughed a lot, went on trips, and planned our future. I thought we had it all. We would spend weekends exploring new places, sharing dreams of a house and kids, and growing old together. I felt safe and loved.
But three years in, everything changed. I found out he was cheating. It was a random Tuesday evening when I stumbled upon the text messages on his phone. My heart sank, and my hands trembled. I confronted him, and he cried and begged, “Please, it was a mistake. I’ll never do it again.”
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A remorseful man | Source: Pexels
I believed him. I wanted to believe him. For a while, things went back to normal. We laughed again, went on a few more trips, and tried to rebuild our trust. But it happened again. And again. Each time, I forgave him. Each time, he promised to change.
“Please, don’t leave me,” he’d say, tears in his eyes. “I’ll be better. I promise.”
A sad crying man | Source: Pexels
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My heart broke a little more each time. The hope I had for our future started to fade. I tried to hold onto the love we once had, but the lies and betrayal were too much. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of broken promises.
The final straw came when I found out about yet another affair. I was in the grocery store when I got a call from a friend who had seen him with another woman. I felt numb. I couldn’t do it anymore.
A sad woman looks at her phone | Source: Pexels
“I’m done,” I said firmly that night when he got home. “I’m filing for divorce.”
“No! You can’t!” he pleaded. “I’ll change, I swear.”
But I’d heard it all before. My resolve was strong. I knew I deserved better. I packed my bags and left, feeling a mix of relief and sorrow.
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An angry woman packing her bags | Source: Pexels
After the divorce, he fell apart. He lost his job, started drinking heavily, and sank into depression. Friends would call me and say, “He’s not doing well. You should talk to him.”
I felt guilty, but I also knew I made the right decision. I couldn’t stay in a toxic marriage. His well-being was no longer my responsibility. I tried to move on, focusing on my own healing. But the guilt lingered, mingling with the relief of being free from the lies.
A sad woman looking out of the window | Source: Pexels
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Every now and then, I would hear about him from mutual friends. “He’s really struggling,” they’d say. “He misses you.”
It hurt to hear, but I reminded myself why I left. I couldn’t sacrifice my happiness and self-respect for someone who repeatedly betrayed me. I deserved better, even if it meant enduring the pain of leaving someone I once loved deeply.
After the divorce, the harassment from my former mother-in-law began almost immediately. The phone calls were the worst. Each ring filled me with dread, knowing what was coming.
An angry elderly lady | Source: Midjourney
“It’s your fault!” she would yell over the phone. “He’s drinking himself to death because of you!”
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I tried to reason with her. “I’m sorry he’s struggling, but this isn’t my fault. He made his choices.”
“You destroyed him!” she screamed. “How could you just leave him like that?”
A shouting elderly lady | Source: Midjourney
The blame and anger were relentless. At first, I tried to be patient. I understood her pain, but it was becoming unbearable. Then she started showing up at my workplace. She would storm in, eyes blazing, and create a scene.
“How can you work like nothing’s wrong?” she’d shout in front of my coworkers. “You heartless woman!”
My coworkers would look on, embarrassed and confused. I felt humiliated and scared. I asked her to leave, but she refused.
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Coworkers gossiping | Source: Pexels
“You can’t hide from this!” she’d yell as security escorted her out. “You’ll pay for what you’ve done!”
It wasn’t long before she started coming to my house. The first time, she banged on the door so hard I thought it would break. I opened it a crack, trying to stay calm.
“What do you want?” I asked.
“I want you to fix this!” she demanded. “Go back to him! Make him better!”
A desperate elderly lady | Source: Midjourney
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“I can’t do that,” I said, trying to stay firm. “You need to leave.”
“If you don’t, you’ll regret it,” she hissed, her eyes wild with anger.
I was terrified. I blocked her number and told her if she kept this up, I would call the police. But the fear and frustration were overwhelming. I didn’t feel safe in my own home.
One night, I woke up to strange noises outside my window. My heart pounded as I crept to the window to see what was happening. To my shock, I saw my former mother-in-law climbing over the fence with a small ladder, holding a canister.
An elderly woman climbing over the fence | Source: Midjourney
“What are you doing!?” I shouted, opening the window.
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Startled, she slipped and fell from the fence, landing hard on the ground and losing consciousness. I panicked and called an ambulance and the police. My hands shook as I dialed my ex-husband’s number to tell him what had happened.
The ambulance arrived quickly and took her to the hospital. Despite everything, I decided to go with her. I needed to make sure she was okay. On the way, she regained consciousness.
An ambulance arriving | Source: Pexels
“I just wanted to scare you,” she mumbled, tears streaming down her face. “I wanted to set your car on fire. I’m so sorry.”
My heart sank. This was all spiraling out of control. As we reached the hospital, I couldn’t shake the feeling that things were about to get even worse.
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We arrived at the hospital, and I waited anxiously for news. The police took my statement, and I explained everything that had happened. Then I got a call from one of my ex-husband’s friends.
The police walking into the hospital | Source: Midjourney
“He’s been in a car accident,” the friend said. “He was driving to the hospital. It’s serious.”
My heart pounded. Despite everything, I didn’t want him to get hurt. I felt a mix of worry, guilt, and a sense of inevitability.
The accident was severe, but thankfully, he survived.
Sitting in the hospital, I had a lot of time to reflect on everything that had happened. The cycle of blame and revenge had only led to more pain and suffering. My ex-husband’s actions had hurt me deeply, but my mother-in-law’s attempt at revenge had nearly caused a tragedy.
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A devastated woman in the hospital | Source: Midjourney
In the end, I realized that revenge only makes things worse. It creates a ripple effect of negativity that impacts everyone involved. I hope that my former mother-in-law and my ex-husband can find a way to heal and move forward. As for me, I’ve learned a valuable lesson about the importance of letting go and focusing on the future.
Revenge may seem satisfying in the moment, but it ultimately leads to more hurt and regret. Moving on and finding peace within ourselves is the true path to healing.
A hopeful woman | Source: Pexels
In a shocking twist to what was promised as a special Mother’s Day weekend, a wife discovers her husband’s betrayal. She found out not through a whispered secret or a careless text, but from his boss’s unexpected phone call the very next day.
A confused woman on the phone | Source: Shutterstock
Every Mother’s Day used to be the same. I’d go all out for my husband on Father’s Day, making it special, but when my day rolled around, it often felt like just another Sunday. This year, though, things were supposed to be different. My husband had been hinting at big plans for weeks. Finally, I thought, he gets it.
A Mother’s Day card next to a cup of tea and macarons | Source: Pexels
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This year, he promised a whole weekend just for me, something he’s never done before. I was so excited, thinking maybe he’d finally understood how much this meant to me.
All I’d asked for was a simple massage, but he insisted that wasn’t enough this time. “I’ve got something big planned,” he kept saying. So, as Mother’s Day weekend approached, I was full of hope, ready for my special days.
A woman receiving a massage | Source: Pexels
The weekend kicked off with what my husband dubbed the “Mother’s Day bonfire.” By evening, our backyard was bustling with about 15 people. Most of them were neighbors, and honestly, I barely knew anyone. It seemed more like a neighborhood get-together than anything for me.
Want to know what happened next? Click here to read the rest of the story.
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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.
