At six in the morning, my mother-in-law roughly ripped the blanket off her pregnant daughter-in-law: “Get up, you lazy woman! I’m hungry! How much longer will you remain in that position? — but she was unaware of what the following day would bring 
The first months of my pregnancy were incredibly challenging – frequent nausea, weakness, restless nights. And now, on top of that, my mother-in-law, who wouldn’t let me live in peace.
Every morning: scolding, yelling, and jeering. She would immediately complain to my husband and threaten to kick us out of the house if I dared to respond with even a single word.
That night I barely slept. Around five in the morning, my eyelids were finally shutting when a sharp voice directly by my ear startled me up:
“Get up, lazy girl, I’m hungry! You spend the entire day sleeping, so make me something to eat!
I tried not to cry as I squeezed my eyes shut.
I said, “Mama, I don’t feel well.” “I’ve been feeling ill all night.”
“Don’t share your illnesses with anyone!” She lost her temper. “Women in my time gave birth and didn’t complain!”
Something shattered inside of me as I got up and started to make breakfast. I recognized – this couldn’t go on. I needed to come up with a plan to teach that unpleasant mother-in-law a lesson. And here’s what I did…
When everyone was asleep that night, I switched on the speaker and listened to a recording of soft sighs, a baby wailing, and hushed murmurs. I adjusted the level very low, just enough to make it sound like it was coming from far away.
Nothing happened for the first few minutes. Then I heard the bed rattle in the adjacent room – my mother-in-law had woken up.
There was a faint female whisper coming from the kitchen, like if someone were crying, but otherwise the house was quiet. The sound ceased as she listened. She believed she had a hallucination.
A few minutes later, there was wailing once more, followed by a rustle and then the faint sound of a man’s voice. With her heart racing, my mother-in-law jumped up in bed.
“Who’s there?!” She yelled.
No response. The wall tapped softly, and then there was silence once more.
She hadn’t slept a wink by morning.
“Didn’t you hear someone talking last night?” Her eyes were filled with worry when she asked me in the morning.
“No, Mom, I was up all night reading, but I didn’t hear any voices,” I said with an innocent smile. Perhaps you had a dream.
The next night, it happened again. Knocks, whispers, and the gentle cry of a newborn.
My mother-in-law started muttering prayers and crossed herself. She believed that she was being pursued by her late husband.
She came to me trembling in the morning.
“I can no longer stand it. Something is happening in this house.
“Perhaps God is punishing you,” I murmured quietly as I carefully glanced at her. Perhaps you ought to try treating others with a bit more kindness.
She changed after that day. She ceased shouting at me, reprimanding me, and waking me up in the morning. Instead, she asked how I was feeling and offered me tea. And the house was completely silent at night. I had switched off the speaker, which is why the voices had disappeared.
