We made the decision to live independently and rented an apartment for the long term after my husband and I got married. It was difficult for me to handle on my own as a stay-at-home mother with two young children and my own mother who lived abroad.
Asking for assistance from my mother-in-law Nina Ivanovna was challenging because she frequently voiced health complaints. With a spinal hernia, my father-in-law wasn’t in the best of condition either. Despite the difficulties of running a family with two kids, I made an effort to keep things organized and prepared wonderful meals every day.
All I wanted was Nina to occasionally entertain us at her house rather than my mother-in-law frequently inviting us over for supper and complimenting my homemaking abilities. Six months ago, my mother-in-law called my husband late at night to say that her health had dramatically declined and that she required care. My husband set up her visit because he was worried, but she didn’t help me at all, so I was still responsible for all household duties.
In addition, my father-in-law began dining with us every night, increasing our food costs, and my mother-in-law never helped with the grocery bill. She recently had to go through another medical exam. I made the decision to go with her so I could understand her health situation better.
I was anxiously waiting outside for the consultation since she wouldn’t let me in. Later on, however, I was able to speak with her physician, who surprise informed me that my mother-in-law was exaggerating her health issues and that she was in fact OK. I called my husband to explain the issue after being shocked by this news.
In the late afternoon, I spoke with Nina and let her know that it was time for her to go back home and that we would visit her on Saturday for a celebratory supper. She resisted, but I persisted, and the following morning she left for home, leaving me wishing that I had exposed this ruse earlier.
