When my husband, Mike, threw $20 in my face and demanded I prepare a Thanksgiving feast for his family, I realized I was done being his personal chef, maid, and doormat. He thought I’d let him, but I intended to serve him something unforgettable this Thanksgiving.
For two years, I went above and beyond to keep Mike and his family happy. But every meal I cooked and every spotless room I cleaned only reminded them of what they felt I owed them.
So this year I decided it was time to show them how much they had underestimated me.
A woman in her house | Source: Midjourney
When Mike and I got married two years ago, I thought I’d found my life partner. We were happy, or at least I thought so.
Then, little by little, things began to change.
At first, it was little things like Mike leaving his dirty laundry wherever he pleased or expecting me to do the shopping. Then his parents, Maureen and Richard, started treating me as if I had entered their family to become their unpaid chef and housekeeper.
A woman working in the kitchen | Source: Pexels
Maureen made snide comments every time they visited me.
“A wife who cooks for her husband every night is a blessing,” she said.
Richard wasn’t any better. He always joked that I should consider opening a catering business since I was already running one for free. I tried to ignore them, but their constant nagging and waiting were exhausting.
But the worst thing is what happened a few weeks ago.
Maureen had called, announcing that she and Richard were “coming over for dinner.”
A woman using her phone | Source: Pexels
Passing by, of course, meant staying for hours and criticizing my cooking.
When I suggested ordering takeout, Maureen exclaimed, “Takeout? For the family? Oh no, Alyssa. You’ve set the bar too high to lower it now.”
Meanwhile, Mike just shrugged and said, “You’ll figure it out. You always do.”
Why didn’t I answer? Why didn’t I tell them to cook their own meals? The truth is, I wanted to keep the peace. I wanted Mike to be happy.
But the love I had for him was getting thinner day by day.
A man standing in his house | Source: Midjourney
This brings us to Thanksgiving.
I knew it would be a small celebration because we only invited Mike’s parents and two brothers. But even a small Thanksgiving meant a mountain of expectations for me.
Two weeks before the holidays, Mike decided to take his laziness to the next level.
We were sitting at the kitchen table, reviewing our budget. Money had been tight lately. Tight enough that I quietly set aside what little I could for groceries, knowing Mike’s spending habits weren’t exactly responsible.
A woman holding money | Source: Pexels
He threw the last $20 bill we had on the table and said to me with a smile, “Here, make Thanksgiving dinner with this.”
I laughed. “Mike, $20? That won’t even cover a turkey.”
“Well,” he said, leaning back in his chair, “Mom has always managed to make amazing dinners for no money. Find a way. Don’t embarrass me in front of my family.”
I couldn’t believe it.
For two years I had put my whole heart into this marriage, only for him to throw this in my face.
A woman looking at her husband | Source: Midjourney
As he walked away, smug and oblivious, something inside me snapped. I wasn’t going to cry this time. I wasn’t going to fight. I was going to plan.
Because if Mike thought I could “figure it out,” I’d show him how smart I could be.
Over the next few days, I played along, keeping my anger bottled up beneath a calm facade. Whenever Mike asked if I’d “figured out” Thanksgiving, I smiled and assured him everything would be perfect.
A man smiling while talking to his wife | Source: Midjourney
He even had the nerve to boast to his brothers over the phone about my “ingenuity.” Meanwhile, I quietly began to put my plan into action.
The $20 Mike so generously offered? It stayed exactly where he left it.
Instead, I dipped into my savings. The same savings Mike never heard about because he always assumed I didn’t need my own money.
I wasn’t just preparing dinner. I was preparing a statement.
A woman preparing food | Source: Pexels
I ordered a Thanksgiving feast from the best deli in town. It included a perfectly roasted turkey, creamy mashed potatoes, freshly baked rolls, three kinds of pies, and even a fancy cranberry sauce.
I also bought some beautiful tables and decorations, because if I was going out, I was going to do it in style.
The day before Thanksgiving, as I was busy setting everything up, Mike walked into the kitchen with his usual smug smile.
A man standing in the kitchen | Source: Midjourney
“I knew you’d make it,” he said. “You’re lucky to have a husband who believes in you.”
Lucky? I almost laughed.
He really thought he was doing me a favor by throwing me crumbs of validation. But instead of arguing, I smiled and said, “You’ll see tomorrow.”
His dismay was almost endearing. Almost.
On Thanksgiving morning, the house looked like it came straight out of a holiday catalog. The table was set with gold chairs and matching napkins, the food was ready to be heated to perfection, and the smell of roasting turkey filled the air.
A roast turkey | Source: Pexels
Mike didn’t notice the takeout containers carefully hidden in the trash. He was too busy imagining his family’s approval.
When his parents and brothers arrived, the scene was set.
“You’re going to enjoy yourself,” he told his family.
His mother, Maureen, scanned the living room like a drill sergeant inspecting her troops.
“Hmm, you missed a spot on that shelf,” she mumbled, pointing to a dusted surface.
I smiled politely. “I’ll make a note of that for next time.”
A woman smiling | Source: Midjourney
That’s when Richard chuckled and patted Mike on the back.
“You picked a good one, son,” he said, looking at the house. “Alyssa is the babysitter.”
“Yeah, she’s awesome,” Mike said, lounging on the couch like a king. “I gave her a good budget, and she still managed to pull it off. I can’t wait for you to try it.”
A good budget? I thought. Is that what you call a budget? Twenty dollars?
I wanted to confront him right away, but I stayed silent and waited for the right moment.
A woman standing in her house | Source: Midjourney
Finally, dinner was served. As they filled their plates, the compliments began to pour in.
“This turkey is so tender,” said one of his brothers.
“The cranberry sauce tastes homemade,” Maureen added, her usual condescension replaced by genuine admiration.
Mike then raised his glass.
“To Alyssa, the best cook in the family!” he said.
A person holding a glass | Source: Pexels
I took a deep breath and stood up, holding my own glass. “Thanks, Mike. That means a lot. But I’d like to say a few words before we eat.”
That’s when all eyes turned to me. The room fell silent as my gaze shifted from Maureen to Richard, then to my dearest husband.
“This year, I wanted Thanksgiving to be really special,” I began. “You see, Mike gave me a generous budget of $20 to work with, so I had to get a little creative.”
A woman smiling | Source: Midjourney
Maureen’s fork froze, and Richard glanced at Mike, who was shifting uncomfortably in his chair. Meanwhile, his brothers exchanged embarrassed glances. They couldn’t believe Mike expected me to cook a sumptuous dinner for only twenty dollars.
“But you know,” I continued, “while I was preparing that dinner, I realized something important. It’s not just about the food or the decorations. It’s about the effort and respect that go into making a home feel like a family. And then it hit me… I’ve been doing this on my own for two years.”
Mike cleared his throat. “Honey, maybe this isn’t the time…”
A man sitting down for dinner | Source: Midjourney
“Oh, I think this is the perfect time,” I said, interrupting him. “Because while I was cooking, cleaning, and making this house perfect for you and your family, I also realized I deserved better. I deserve more than to be treated like a maid or a personal chef.”
Maureen’s face turned red. “Alyssa, we’ve always liked you…”
“Really?” I asked, my voice calm but firm. “Because I don’t feel like it when you criticize everything I do or expect me to serve you like it’s my job.”
A distraught woman | Source: Midjourney
Suddenly, Mike stood up.
“Alyssa, you’re exaggerating,” he said. “Everyone’s enjoying the meal. Let’s not ruin the holiday, please.”
I smiled kindly. “Oh, don’t worry, Mike. The meal won’t be ruined. But before we continue, I have to tell you one last thing. This dinner? It’s takeout from the fancy deli you said we couldn’t afford.”
I almost wanted to laugh when I saw Maureen and Richard’s faces. They were looking at their plates as if they’d been betrayed.
“Did you hire a caterer?” Maureen finally spilled the beans.
A woman sitting in her son’s house | Source: Midjourney
“Yes,” I replied. “Because after everything I’ve done for this family, I thought I’d give myself a break. And you know what? It was worth every penny.”
I put down my glass and turned to Mike.
“Oh, and one more thing,” I said. “This is the last Thanksgiving meal I’ll ever make for your family. You can manage next year’s meal on your own. Maybe Maureen can teach you her magic. She can tell you how she makes meals with no money!”
A woman looking straight ahead | Source: Midjourney
With that, I grabbed my purse and headed out the door, leaving behind a table surrounded by stunned faces.
The crisp November air hit my face as I slammed the door behind me. And honestly, I didn’t feel bad. I felt so refreshed, and all because I stood up for myself.
I took my car and drove to the park I used to go to before I got married. I parked my car there, took out the bottle of wine I had brought, and poured myself a cup using the lid of the thermos.
A solo Thanksgiving has never been so liberating.
The interior of a car | Source: Pexels
Meanwhile, my phone buzzed with calls and texts from Mike. I ignored them at first, but curiosity got the better of me. The messages were a mix of anger and despair.
What’s going on, Alyssa? You embarrassed me in front of my family!
Come back and we’ll talk about it. You’re overreacting.
You don’t have to do this. We’ll fix it.
Fix it? The irony of the situation made me laugh. I’d spent two years fixing things for him, including his meals, his mess, and his reputation with his family.
Now he wanted to fix everything. It was almost comical.
An upset man | Source: Midjourney
When I got home later that evening, the house was dark and quiet. I walked in, expecting Mike to ambush me with another smug excuse or half-hearted apology.
Instead, the table was still set, the plates half-empty, and the caterer’s turkey untouched. A few chairs had been pushed back, as if my in-laws had left in a hurry.
I couldn’t help but smile. Maybe the shock had finally silenced them.
The next day, Mike approached me in the kitchen.
“You weren’t supposed to leave like that, Alyssa!” he protested. “You made me look like a fool.”
A man talking to his wife | Source: Midjourney
“Really?” I asked, arching an eyebrow. “Or did you make yourself look like an idiot by treating me like I wasn’t worth more than $20?”
His face turned red, but he didn’t argue.
Instead, he mumbled something about his parents being “too hard” on me. It was the closest thing to an apology I’d ever get from him, but it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t anymore.
A week later, I asked him to sign the divorce papers. He looked at me like I’d just told him the world was ending.
A man standing in his living room | Source: Midjourney
“Are you serious?” he asked, as if the thought had never crossed his mind.
“Very serious,” I replied. “Because I finally realized I deserved better.”
And that’s what I did.
In the weeks that followed, I felt lighter than I had in years. Mike moved out, and the house, once filled with tension and unmet expectations, became a place of peace.
Soon, I decorated my Christmas tree and treated myself to a tree adorned with decorations that I loved.
And for the first time in years, I didn’t dread the holidays. I looked forward to them. Because this time, they were mine and I didn’t have to worry about other people’s opinions.
A woman decorating a Christmas tree | Source: Pexels
Also read: My mother-in-law showed up to Thanksgiving dinner hiding something under her sweater — Everyone went pale when her secret was revealed
This work is inspired by real events and persons, but has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or to real events is purely coincidental and is not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims regarding the accuracy of events or character portrayals and are not responsible for any misinterpretations. This story is provided “as is,” and all opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the opinions of the author or publisher.
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