Mia and Bob’s anniversary trip was supposed to be a romantic getaway. However, their plans are disrupted by the unexpected arrival of Mia’s stepmother, Linda. She books a room next to theirs, sabotages every moment of tenderness, and whispers mean things to Mia. But Linda has no idea that Mia is about to teach her a lesson she’ll never forget.
Bob and I needed this trip.
After months of stress, juggling work, raising kids, living with her mother, Linda, after our house burned down, and barely having time to breathe, this Hawaiian getaway was our first break in years. And we were also celebrating our seventh wedding anniversary!
A seaside resort | Source: Midjourney
No kids. No responsibilities. Just us.
The first three days were absolute heaven.
We slept wrapped in the softest hotel sheets you could imagine. We ate breakfast on the balcony watching the waves crash against the shore. We spent afternoons lounging on the beach, sipping cocktails, and touching each other like we were newlyweds.
A couple relaxing on a beach | Source: Midjourney
For the first time in forever, I had my husband all to myself.
Until she arrives.
I turned my head slowly, like a horror movie protagonist who realizes the monster is standing right behind him.
She was there.
Linda.
My mother-in-law!
A woman holding her head on a beach | Source: Midjourney
“Mia! Bobby!”
That high-pitched, sing-song voice I’d spent the last three months trying to escape.
She stood there, wearing a bright floral dress, oversized sunglasses, and a smug little smile plastered on her face.
“I thought you’d be bored without me!” she chirped. “So, here I am!”
A smiling woman on a beach | Source: Midjourney
I didn’t move. I didn’t breathe.
Bob almost choked on his drink.
“Mom? What are you doing here? Seriously?”
She came up to us, planted her feet in the sand and started smiling.
A woman frowning on a beach | Source: Midjourney
“I bought a ticket last minute! I thought you two lovebirds could use some company. And honestly, I needed some sunshine too. I deserve it, too.”
“Linda,” I breathed. My throat was suddenly dry. “Where are the children? Are they okay? Is something wrong? Why are you here?”
She waved her hand dismissively.
A smiling woman on a beach | Source: Midjourney
“Calm down, Mimi,” she said. “Don’t worry, darling. The kids are with Irene, my best friend. She missed her grandchildren anyway, so she was looking forward to spending time with the kids. Her grandchildren are literally across the country. This is good for her.”
But what could this crazy woman possibly be talking about? I thought to myself.
I felt my jaw clench.
This woman, who had practically begged us to babysit so we could finally have some alone time, had just abandoned our three children… to stalk us across the Pacific!
Three smiling children sitting on a sofa | Source: Midjourney
I turned to my husband, Bob. This man looked like he was on death row. His face was suddenly hollow, and his eyes were sunken and tired.
How ?
We were so full of life just a few moments ago.
“What do you have to say about that?” I asked him, putting down my cocktail.
A cocktail on a table | Source: Midjourney
“She’s already here, Mia…” he mumbled. “We can’t just send her away like this. I’m sorry, darling. I think we just have to bear this.”
I felt something deep inside me open.
Was my husband really going to let his mother crash our holiday anniversary? Was he really going to push me aside to please her? Did he think this was acceptable?
Seriously ?
A man frowning on a beach | Source: Midjourney
“I’ll get Mom a drink,” he said, already heading towards the beach bar.
Oh, goodness. It had already started, I thought.
That’s when Linda took Bob’s place and leaned towards him.
“Mia, do you really think you’re my son’s main woman now? Don’t lie to yourself. It’ll always be me.”
I swear even the ocean has gone silent.
A woman sitting on a deckchair | Source: Midjourney
But what did she mean? I’d been with Bob for nine years. We’d been married for seven. I was the main woman. I was the mother of his children. I was his priority.
Isn’t it?
Isn’t it…
I didn’t say anything. I just sighed and waited for Bob to return.
But as the afternoon progressed, Linda booked a room right next to ours and spent the rest of our trip ruining everything.
A room in a resort | Source: Midjourney
The first night, Bob and I were supposed to have a picnic on the beach with other couples. We had already ordered the food from the hotel’s room service menu. All we had to do was grab the basket and head down to the beach.
But guess what happened?
Linda had taken the whole basket into her room and helped herself.
A picnic basket on a table | Source: Midjourney
But that wasn’t all.
The romantic sunset cruise?
Linda suddenly “felt dizzy” and needed Bob to take her back to her room.
Private dinner on the beach?
Oh, Linda had “accidentally” changed the reservations to a table of three.
A romantic dinner on a beach | Source: Midjourney
A couple’s spa evening?
She “couldn’t sleep alone” because of “nightmares” and begged Bob to “come back to his room for a second.”
I was furious.
But on the third night, when she knocked on our door for the fourth time, I broke down.
A couple’s spa set up | Source: Midjourney
“Bob, don’t open it,” I whispered. “Please. Don’t.”
“But she… what if she’s not well? What if she needs us?”
“Don’t you dare open that door,” I said through gritted teeth.
I’d had enough. More than enough. I was frustrated. I was exhausted. Our anniversary felt like a nightmare.
A woman frowning | Source: Midjourney
Then the next morning I made a phone call.
“Endless adventures, Hawaii. How can we help you?” a voice said.
“Hello,” I said, slipping into the bathroom so as not to wake Bob. “I need your most exclusive experience. No, I won’t be participating. But my mother-in-law will. She’s going to love it!”
“No problem, madam. We’ll send a program to your room soon. Give me all the details, including any health issues your mother-in-law may have.”
A woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
By the time Linda woke up, she had a busy day ahead of her.
- 6:00 a.m.: Sunrise hike (17 km and only one break).
- 9:00 a.m.: Visit to the volcano (barely a little shade and scorching temperatures).
- Noon: Traditional Hawaiian dance class (long, tiring and absolutely unavoidable).
- 3:00 p.m.: Cultural cooking class (required for the package. Three hours of chopping, stirring, and sweating).
- 6:00 p.m.: Private night safari (sleep-in for whom?)
A route on a table | Source: Midjourney
She came knocking on our door a little before 7:00 a.m. Bob opened it a crack, just enough for me to see Linda standing there, looking flustered, sweaty, and confused. He let her in.
“Mia, Bob, did you sign me up for something? My phone keeps sending me all these activity reminders… but it seems I missed a hike because I was sleeping.”
I jumped, hand on my chest, acting as if my life depended on it.
A man standing in a hotel room | Source: Midjourney
“Oh no, Linda! Did they sign you up for an activity program by accident? Maybe you agreed to something when you checked in. That’s really weird!”
Bob, my kind, oblivious, and annoying husband, blinked.
“Do you… do you want to cancel?” he asked.
She hesitated.
A woman standing in a hotel room | Source: Midjourney
Linda had a big mouth and a lot of pride. She would do anything to save face. If she said yes, she would have to admit she couldn’t keep up. She would have to admit she was struggling.
And we would all know that I surpassed her.
So she lifted her chin and forced a smile.
A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
“No… no, I’m going. I wouldn’t want to ruin this experience. And I don’t want them charging my room for things I didn’t do.”
That’s good. Very good.
She dragged herself to every activity. And every time she thought she was taking a break, someone was there to take her to the next thing. But at least she looked forward to the cooking class.
By the second day of the activity program, she was too exhausted to call or text.
A cooking class | Source: Midjourney
On the third day, she tried to find us, but every time she came close, a tour guide was ready to take her away.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, madam!” they always said.
On the fourth day, I received the call.
His voice was weak and desperate.
A woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
“Mia, please help me. Please make this stop. I just want to go home. You can do whatever you want here, but I want to go home. My body is aching…”
Oh, Linda.
Mission accomplished.
“Don’t worry, Linda,” I said. “I’ll call the front desk and cancel what they did.”
There was a pause.
A woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
“You did this, didn’t you?” she asked after a while.
“Yeah,” I said simply. “But you deserved it. Especially after what you said on the beach the first day. And the way you ruined all the romantic things we had planned.”
“I’m sorry,” she said.
I couldn’t believe my ears.
An elderly woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
“What?” I asked.
“You heard me, Mia,” she said. “I’m sorry. I was lonely. And I wanted to come on vacation with you. Irene told me to do it, and I did. It was impulsive and stupid.”
“You’ve crossed the line,” I said. “I understand. I understand that you feel stuck and lonely. I understand the need to get away. But you could have talked to us. You didn’t have to buy a ticket and go on our anniversary trip. You didn’t have to be mean to me and say you were my husband’s main woman.”
She fell silent again.
A woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
“Our house will be ready when we get back,” I continued. “We’ll move in and see you on weekends.”
“I’m going to miss having you around the house anymore.”
“I’ll book you a flight back this afternoon. Or tomorrow morning. I’ll see what’s available,” I said, ignoring him.
I managed to find a flight this afternoon.
The exterior of a house | Source: Midjourney
“Do you think she’ll make it?” Bob asked, eating an omelet.
“She flew here all by herself,” I said, sinking into mine. “She’ll be just fine.”
We took her to the airport that afternoon. She was slumped in the rental car, too exhausted to argue or plot anything further. But I had a feeling she was thinking about our conversation earlier.
An elderly woman sitting in a car | Source: Midjourney
As Bob helped her out of the car, I leaned down, my voice soft and deep.
“Maybe I’m not Bob’s number one, Linda,” I said. “But at least now you know I can outdo you when it comes to surprises.”
She froze. Her eyes were bloodshot and swollen, and they widened a fraction. And at that moment, she understood.
She couldn’t do that kind of bad thing anymore.
A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
“I’ll see you at home,” she said calmly. “And I know you’ll be moving out soon. I’m going to enjoy spending time with the kids while they’re still here.”
“Yeah, that’s what you should have done from the beginning,” Bob said. “But at least you learned how to make Hawaiian food. That’s always a good thing.”
Linda laughed weakly.
A woman in an airport | Source: Midjourney
“Well, it’s me,” she said. “Enjoy the rest of your trip.”
And you know what?
Linda never did that kind of bad thing again.
A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
What would you have done?
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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 the opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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