My mother-in-law took back the bike she gave my daughter for her birthday. Yes, you heard that right. A grown woman took back a gift from her own granddaughter. But what really drove me over the edge wasn’t the act… but the absurd reason behind it.
The morning of Jen’s sixth birthday had been perfect. Sunshine streamed through our kitchen windows as I arranged frosted cupcakes on a platter.
A little girl delighted to celebrate her birthday | Source: Midjourney
“Mom! Look what Grandma brought me!” said Jen.
Stepping out onto the porch, I found my mother-in-law, Jacqueline, standing next to the most beautiful bicycle I’d ever seen. It gleamed with pink paint, streamers dangled from the handlebars, a white basket adorned with plastic daisies sat on the front, and a silver bell chimed when Jen rang it.
“Do you love him?” Jacqueline asked.
Jen jumped up and down, her golden curls bouncing. “This is the best gift ever!”
It was… unexpected.
Close-up of a pretty pink bicycle | Source: Midjourney
In the seven years I have known Jacqueline, she has never shown such generosity towards us.
Our relationship had always been strained—polite smiles masking thinly veiled criticism. It was the basis of our fragile bond.
“That’s incredibly sweet, Jacqueline,” I said, watching Jen circle the driveway on her new wheels.
Jacqueline’s lips tightened slightly. “I’m her grandmother, and my granddaughter deserves the best!”
A little girl riding a bike | Source: Pexels
“Of course.” I forced a smile. “Come on in, the party’s about to begin.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she replied.
“Something to drink?” I asked, doing my best to be hospitable.
“Watching my granddaughter enjoy her gift is enough,” she said, patting my arm.
I should have known it was too good to be true.
A smiling elderly woman | Source: Midjourney
Five days later, I was folding laundry when I heard the screech of tires on our gravel driveway. Through the living room window, I saw Jacqueline’s silver sedan pull up.
Jen was already rushing to the door. “Grandma’s here!”
I smoothed my hair and smiled. “What a nice surprise,” I said as I opened the door.
Jacqueline didn’t even look at me. Her eyes were fixed on the bike leaning against the wall of our porch.
A pink bicycle under the porch | Source: Pexels
“Jen, darling,” she said in a sickly sweet voice, “Could you be so kind as to get Grandma a glass of water? I’m parched from the ride.”
“Okay!” said my daughter.
The moment the front door closed, Jacqueline threw herself onto the bike.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“I have to take it back,” she said, without even looking at me.
A scared woman | Source: Midjourney
“This is Jen’s birthday present.”
“Not anymore,” she replied, rolling him towards her car.
The door creaked open. “Here’s your water, Grandma,” Jen said, then froze. “Grandma? Why are you taking my bike?”
Jacqueline’s smile didn’t reach her eyes as she knelt down. “Oh, darling, I just need to borrow it for a little while.”
A little girl shaken to her core | Source: Midjourney
“It’s mine. You gave it to me.”
I took a step forward. “Jacqueline, what are you doing?”
She straightened up. “Teresa, I have to get back on the bike. You and Jen don’t deserve it.”
My fingers curled into fists. “Are you serious? Why?”
A furious woman | Source: Midjourney
She let out a sigh. “Mia saw it at the party, and now she can’t stop crying about wanting the same one. Kate told me I should get her one.”
Ah, Mia. My niece and, obviously, her favorite granddaughter. She was seven years old and already had as many rights as her mother.
“So… buy him one?” I suggested.
“Oh, I’d love to, but money is tight right now.”
I raised an eyebrow. This was coming from the woman who had just returned from a cruise last month.
A cruise ship | Source: Unsplash
“Kate said she’ll take me on vacation with her family next week,” Jacqueline continues, examining her manicure. “But only if I have the same bike as Mia.”
The pieces of the puzzle fell into place.
“Wait, so your solution is to take back the bike you already gave to Jen?”
“She’s six years old! She won’t even remember this!”
Behind me, Jen’s sobs grow louder.
“Oh, she’ll remember that, Jacqueline,” I said.
Annoyed elderly woman frowns | Source: Midjourney
Jen clung to my leg, her little body trembling. “Please, Mommy, don’t let her take it back.”
I knelt down, wiping away her tears with my thumb. “Sometimes, darling, we have to let people show us who they really are.”
I stood up and watched Jacqueline load my daughter’s bike into her trunk.
“Thank you for your understanding, Teresa,” she said with a satisfied smile. “Family first.”
As she walked away, I held my sobbing daughter close.
A woman hugging her sad daughter | Source: Midjourney
That night, I paced our room, my anger growing with every step. Adam sat on the edge of our bed, his face in his hands.
“I can’t believe she did that,” he muttered.
“Your mother has always shown favoritism, Adam. But this? Taking a child’s gift? That’s crossing the line.”
He shook his head. “Yes, and if I say anything, she’ll act like I’m the worst son in the world. You know how she is.”
A Discouraged Man | Source: Midjourney
I sat down next to him. “We have to do something.”
Adam sighed, rubbing his face. “I know. But what do you want to do?”
A plan began to form in my mind. “Let’s give her what she really wants.”
His eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean?”
A woman smiling | Source: Midjourney
“We talked about getting him this lake cabin for his 60th birthday, remember?”
Adam nods. “Yes…?”
“Well, we should announce it now. Publicly.” I paused. “But make sure she knows she won’t get it.”
His eyes widened. Then, his lips curled into a smile that matched mine.
“Oh… you’re evil…!” he whispered, a note of admiration in his voice.
I smiled. “I learned from the best.”
A couple talking | Source: Midjourney
The next evening, our dining room glowed with candlelight. I prepared a feast—roast chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, and Jacqueline’s favorite lemon tart. The table was set with our best china, and not a fork was misplaced.
My sister-in-law Kate arrived first, followed by Mia, both wearing matching designer dresses. Jacqueline followed, a bottle of wine in hand.
“This is a nice surprise,” she said, handing me the bottle. “Although I’m not sure what we’re celebrating.”
I smiled kindly. “Oh, you’ll see.”
An excited elderly woman in a dining room | Source: Midjourney
Throughout dinner, I was the perfect hostess. I refilled glasses, asked questions about Kate’s work, and complimented Mia’s new haircut. All the while, Jacqueline eyed me suspiciously.
As dessert was served, I clinked my fork against my glass. The room fell silent.
“I just want to take a moment to appreciate Jacqueline,” I began, my voice dripping with sweetness. “She was such a caring grandmother to Jen. She even went above and beyond to make sure another grandchild had the same special experience for their birthday.”
Kate and Mia beamed.
Jacqueline basked in the praise.
A cheerful woman looking at someone | Source: Midjourney
Adam stood up next to me, playing along. “And because of that, we had a special surprise planned.”
Jacqueline’s eyes lit up.
“A surprise?” she repeats impatiently.
I nodded. “We were going to get you a lakeside cabin, fully paid for… since you always say you want a peaceful place to relax.”
A silence fell around the table.
Kate jumped. “Wait… what?”
A house by the lake | Source: Unsplash
Adam sighs, shaking his head theatrically. “But after what happened with Jen’s birthday present, we realized something…”
I placed a hand over my heart. “Family shouldn’t manipulate others to get what they want.”
Jacqueline’s face drained of color.
“So,” I continued, “we decided to take that money and put it into a special savings account.”
“For… for me?” my mother-in-law asks.
An older woman completely surprised | Source: Midjourney
I smiled kindly. “Oh, no. For Jen. So she can buy a new bike if someone takes one from her again.”
The room fell silent.
“You’re not serious.”
“Oh, but I am,” I replied, cutting into my pie. “Someone needs to teach Jen that actions have consequences. Don’t you agree, Jacqueline?”
A shaken woman | Source: Midjourney
My mother-in-law’s hands trembled as she put down her fork. “This is ridiculous. Are you punishing me for a child’s toy?”
I leaned back in my chair, tilting my head. “No, Jacqueline. You punished yourself the moment you decided to steal from a six-year-old.”
“I think I should go.”
I smiled. “But you haven’t finished your dessert,” I said, holding out another slice. “It’s lemon… your favorite.”
A slice of lemon tart on a plate | Source: Pexels
Jacqueline gave me a fierce look before grabbing her purse and storming out the door.
“As you wish,” I told him. “But I heard that bitterness goes well with lemon.”
***
The next morning, I was watering the flowers when a familiar silver sedan pulled into our driveway. Jacqueline got out, her face screwed up with barely contained anger. She opened her trunk and took out Jen’s bike.
Without a word, she rolled it to our porch and set it down. No apologies, no explanations… just a stiff nod as she turned to leave.
“Thank you for giving it back to us,” I told him.
A bicycle under the porch | Source: Midjourney
She stopped and turned slightly. “Kate isn’t talking to me anymore.”
I shrugged. “Family is complicated.”
“I guess I won’t be joining them on vacation,” she continued, her voice bitter.
“Next year, hopefully,” I replied, trying not to smile.
As she walked away, I felt a small hand slip into mine. Jen looked up at me, her eyes wide.
An excited little girl | Source: Midjourney
“Is my bike back?” she asked.
I nodded, kneeling down to her level. “Yes, darling. And no one will take it away from you again.”
She smiled. “Can I drive it now?”
“Absolutely,” I said, watching her climb into the seat and pedal down the aisle, the streamers fluttering behind her.
A little girl on a bike | Source: Midjourney
Adam appeared in the doorway, a cup of coffee in hand. “Did I just see my mom return the bike?”
I nodded, leaning against him as he put an arm around my shoulders. “Turns out when you have to choose between a stolen bike and a cabin by a lake, the choice is pretty clear.”
He chuckled. “I’ve never seen her move so fast.”
“Some lessons are expensive,” I replied, watching Jen walk around the aisle, carefree and happy. “But I think this one was worth every penny we didn’t spend.”
A relieved man smiling | Source: Midjourney
In the distance, the phone rang. Probably Kate, finally ready to hear our side of the story.
But I was in no rush to answer. For now, I was content to stand in the sun, watching my daughter enjoy her birthday present… given twice, and finally to her.
“Do you think Mom learned her lesson?” Adam asks.
I smiled, watching Jen ring her bike bell with pure joy. “Let’s just say the next time she gives a gift, she’ll think twice before taking it back!”
A woman with a satisfying smirk | Source: Midjourney
Read also: My husband didn’t save me any food for dinner while I was feeding our newborn son
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.
Để lại một phản hồi