My mother-in-law and I never got along, something I tried to change, but to no avail. Then she suddenly changed and started being suspiciously nice to me, only for me to discover she had a valid reason for doing so.
For three years, Cynthia treated me like an intruder in her son’s life. Every holiday was a minefield. Her passive-aggressive insults were wrapped in a thin layer of politeness, just enough for plausible deniability. One day, her behavior toward me changed, and when I found out why, I was livid.
A woman with a mean look | Source: Midjourney
I always knew my stepmother, Cynthia, hated me. She didn’t say it outright, but she didn’t need to. It was all evident in her behavior, the fake smiles and sarcastic comments she made to me.
“Oh, Susan, I see you always wear your hair like that. That’s a brave choice,” she said.
At our wedding? She wore white. A floor-length, lace gown that could have easily been mistaken for a wedding dress. She hovered around the reception like a ghostly shadow, smiling sweetly as she introduced herself to my loved ones as “the real Mrs. Williams.”
A woman dressed in white | Source: Midjourney
My mother-in-law also insisted that my husband’s ex-girlfriend, Dave, be invited to our wedding, leaving no mystery about how she felt about me. During my pregnancy? She casually suggested to Dave, “You know, it wouldn’t hurt to get a DNA test, just to be sure.” I heard her.
Her voice sounded like it was a joke. Almost. And every vacation that followed? I was mysteriously “left off” the guest list. Dave would get a last-minute call. “Oh, I must have forgotten to invite Susan. You should still come!”
A woman on a call | Source: Midjourney
My husband, always the peacemaker, never stood up to him.
“That’s just the way she is, honey. Don’t take it personally,” he told me.
It was obvious to me that she didn’t think I was good enough for her son and never would be.
So, I stopped trying or caring about others and accepted that we would never be close. I stopped forcing smiles, starting conversations, and expecting her to like me. If she wanted to pretend I didn’t exist, fine. I could play along.
Then one day she changed.
A happy woman | Source: Midjourney
It was so sudden that I was sure it was a trick. Out of nowhere, Cynthia became nice. Not just polite—nice! Without warning, she started calling me to chat. At first, I thought she’d dialed my number by accident!
But no, she really wanted to talk. She even started calling me “honey,” a term that always surprised me. She also complimented me on my cooking. Once when she came over, she said, “Susan, darling, that shade of blue really brings out your eyes.” I almost dropped the casserole dish!
I didn’t know what to say, so I just mumbled, “Uh, thanks… Cynthia.”
A surprised woman holding a saucepan | Source: Midjourney
She even started offering to help me with chores whenever she visited! She would stand next to me, dry the dishes, and talk about mundane things like the weather or her favorite soap operas. It was so ordinary that it seemed unnatural! And honestly, it was very unsettling!
Then came the unexpected and completely useless gifts! The first was a delicate and expensive silk scarf! I eyed it suspiciously, still in its immaculate box. She gave it to me with a smile!
A woman holding a headscarf | Source: Midjourney
“It’s your color,” she said.
I thanked her, hesitating to take the scarf, still waiting for the catch.
A week later, I made an offhand comment about a handbag I’d seen online. It was beautiful but out of my budget. The next day, she showed up at our door holding that exact handbag!
“I remembered you mentioned it,” she said, her eyes sparkling. “I thought you deserved a little treat.”
A woman holding a handbag | Source: Midjourney
I didn’t know what to say! I just stood there, stunned! This was the same woman who had questioned my character, my marriage, and even the paternity of my child!
Who was this woman standing before me?
I tried to rationalize the situation because I was really suspicious. Maybe she was getting older and softening. Maybe becoming a grandmother had changed her perspective. Maybe she was finally accepting me. Maybe I was finally enough.
A woman who thinks | Source: Midjourney
But I should have trusted my instincts, because when I finally found out why she was so nice, I realized I was so wrong!
Without warning, she decided we were now “close enough” to go out together. Alone. And in public! One night, she invited me out for coffee. Yes, just me!
I agreed, more out of curiosity than anything else. Arriving at the cafe, I wasn’t expecting anything but chatter and forced politeness. But instead, she was already there, smiling, waiting with two cups of steaming cappuccino to warm us up.
A woman sitting with two cups of cappuccino | Source: Midjourney
She stood up and hugged me! It was surprisingly warm! I must have tensed up because she’d never wanted to spend time alone with me before, let alone have affectionate body contact!
“Susan, I’m so glad you came,” she said, her eyes slightly red. I wondered if she had been crying.
“Of course,” I replied, cautiously taking my seat. “You said it was important?”
She reached across the table, grabbing my hands desperately, and gave me the most intense look imaginable. Her hands were cold, her fingers trembling slightly.
A woman with her hands on a table | Source: Midjourney
“Susan… I need a favor.”
I felt a jolt of anxiety. “Yes?”
She took a deep breath, her eyes fixed on mine. “I need one of your kidneys.”
I blinked, waiting for her to laugh, to say it was a joke—a really, really bad joke! But she didn’t laugh.
“What ?”
She squeezed my hands tighter. “I have an illness. It’s getting worse. The doctors say I need a transplant, and… well, family is the best solution.”
A distraught woman | Source: Midjourney
Family. The word resonated in my mind, bitter and sharp.
This woman, who had treated me like a parasite for years, now wanted my organ because we were related!
“Cynthia, I… I don’t even know if I’m compatible.”
His face brightened. “Oh, but you are! I already checked!”
I took my hands away. “You what?!”
A shocked woman | Source: Midjourney
She smiled, almost proudly. “I asked Dave what your blood type was. He didn’t know why, of course! But he had you checked the last time you went to the doctor, remember? And when he told me, I knew you’d be perfect!”
I felt bad. It wasn’t just manipulation. It was… calculated. I remember Dave asking for my blood type during that visit. He mentioned something about how it’s good to know these kinds of things for future reference, and I didn’t make a big deal out of it.
But now I know why he wanted to know.
A distraught woman | Source: Midjourney
She had planned this. She had been nice to me for weeks—no, months—all because she needed my kidney! I looked at her, really looked at her, and for the first time, I saw the desperation behind the smile. But I also saw the manipulation. The entitlement.
It wasn’t about love. It was about survival.
“Of course, my Davey would do anything for his mother. I matched with him too, but I don’t want my little boy to get cut,” she smiled.
A woman smiling | Source: Midjourney
I took a slow, deep breath, forcing a smile onto my lips. “Cynthia, I’m… very touched. Really.”
Her eyes shine with hope. “Oh, Susan, I knew you’d understand!”
I leaned forward. “But like you always said…” I reached across the table. “Family isn’t just about blood. It’s about choice.”
A cheerful woman | Source: Midjourney
His face changed. “What… what are you saying?”
I stood up, picking up my purse. “I’m saying… I don’t feel close enough to you to make that kind of commitment.”
She looked at me, her face contorting in shock and hurt. “Susan, darling… please. I… I’ll do anything. We can get closer. I’ll make it up to you!”
“I’ll be sure to send you a ‘thinking of you’ card.”
And I went out.
A woman leaving a cafe | Source: Midjourney
Dave was furious when I told him! Not at me, but at his mother, for once! For the first time, he saw through her. He confronted her and told her she was wrong to manipulate me.
Cynthia called me, texted me, and begged me. She even showed up at our house once, tears in her eyes. I watched her through the window, standing on the porch, looking so small and vulnerable as she offered to “make things right.”
But I didn’t open the door.
A woman peering through a window | Source: Midjourney
She finally found another donor. It wasn’t me or Dave. And once she recovered? She hated me again, colder and crueler than before!
But this time, it didn’t hurt. Because now I knew the truth.
She never wanted a stepdaughter. She wanted an extra part of her body.
And I wanted nothing to do with her.
A happy couple | Source: Midjourney
Also read: Insolent woman lets her dog poop on airport floor and rudely orders staff to clean it up – So I taught her an unforgettable lesson
This work is inspired by real events and people, but has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the story. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental and 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 views of the author or publisher.
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