One day, after kicking out his mother-in-law, a man was surprised to see her sitting next to his boss in a car. “Oh my God!” the man gasped. He had no idea how his mother-in-law had become friends with his boss.
Even after working tirelessly for the past two decades, Jack felt he hadn’t achieved enough to consider himself accomplished. At 43, he still believed he could do much better, but his wife, Laura, disagreed.
He met Laura at work, but she later quit and started her own business. Since she had a marketing degree from one of the best business schools in the country, she knew how to attract customers with little effort.
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When Jack saw her business flourish, he felt intimidated and developed an inferiority complex. “I don’t think I can be as good as her,” he told himself.
After marrying Laura, Jack felt like his parents didn’t like him because he wasn’t as rich as they were. Laura came from a wealthy family, while Jack’s parents weren’t as wealthy. However, Laura always told Jack that it was all in his head and that his parents had nothing against him.
Jack’s insecurity grew over time, but he never listened to his wife. To cope with his feelings of unworthiness, he paid more attention to his work and did his best to get a promotion. He spent most of his days at the office and came home late every night.
One day, Jack’s wife called him at work and said something unexpected. “Jack… Please come home right away,” Laura said in a shaky voice. “Dad has passed away.”
“Don’t you understand that I don’t want her in my house?” Jack shouted.
“Oh no!” thought Jack and immediately left his workplace. He consoled his wife and helped with funeral arrangements. A few days later, Laura told Jack that she wanted her mother to live with them.
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“Jack, you know my mom was lonely after Dad died,” she said. “I offered her to stay here with us, and if…”
“What? How can you do this without asking me?” Jack looked at his wife with wide eyes.
“Why would I ask you? She’s my mother, and she needs me right now.”
“So what? You could have thought of something else. I don’t want her to stay with us.”
“But why?” Laura frowned.
“She can’t handle the grief of losing Dad alone, Jack. She’ll come here as soon as she accepts my offer.”
“No, Laura,” Jack shook his head. “That’s not going to happen.”
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Two days later, Laura’s mother, Melissa, called to tell her she was ready to move in with them. Laura was Melissa’s only child, so she had no choice but to live with her daughter until she felt ready to live on her own.
“That’s great, Mom!” Laura said, talking to her mother on the phone. “Jack and I will pick you up tonight, okay? I love you!”
“Was that your mother?” Jack asked after Laura ended the call.
“Yes. She’s ready to move in with us.”
“Don’t you understand that I don’t want her in my house?” Jack shouted.
“It’s her or me!”
Laura looked at her husband in shock. “Calm down, Jack. You need to think about this calmly,” she told him. “I’m her only child, and she needs my help. She’ll be gone in a few months.”
“I don’t think she’ll ever leave!” Jack shouted and stamped out of the room.
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Once Melissa moved in, Jack did his best to annoy her so she would leave quickly. He purposely argued with her often.
One day, Jack was attending an online meeting with his boss from his bedroom when Melissa suddenly burst in. “I’m sorry, Jack. But you’re not getting a promotion this year,” Jack’s boss told him.
Jack forced a smile and ended the meeting with his boss. Then he turned around and was shocked to see Melissa in his room. “What are you doing here? Did you listen to my conversation with my boss?” he asked her.
“No, honey,” Melissa replied sweetly. “I was waiting for you to finish the call. I came to tell you that dinner is ready.”
“I know why you’re here!” Jack shouted, rushing past his stepmother. “Laura! Look, your mother is spying on me!”
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He went downstairs and told Laura what had happened. “Ask him to leave right now, Laura! I won’t tolerate this,” he said.
“That’s not possible, Jack,” Laura replied calmly.
“Listen, I need you to throw her out before Christmas,” he told her. “I want you to throw this old bat out before Christmas. I’ve had enough!”
“But, Jack…”
“I don’t want to hear any excuses, Laura. I’ve thought this through,” he said and stomped out of the house.
“I recognized it immediately when I saw it on your laptop screen that day,” she added.
Laura knew she couldn’t argue with her husband anymore, so she tearfully asked her mother to come home on Christmas Eve. The next day, Jack was happy that his mother-in-law was no longer home. He decorated the house and ordered Laura’s favorite dish for dinner.
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As he sat at the dinner table with Laura, Jack suddenly heard a car pull into their driveway. “Who is it?” he asked Laura.
“I don’t know,” she shrugged.
Jack walked to the door and was shocked to see Melissa sitting next to his boss, Matt, in the car he recognized as his boss’s. “Hi, Jack!” Melissa waved as she got out of the vehicle. “Hi, Melissa,” he smiled awkwardly before looking at Matt, his eyes wide.
“Please come in!” Laura said, welcoming her mother and Matt inside.
Once everyone was seated at the dinner table, Jack asked Melissa what was going on. “How do you know Matt?” he asked curiously.
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“I’ve known that boy for decades, Jack!” Melissa giggled. “I worked as his father’s secretary when he was a kid. I even babysat him a few times when his dad wasn’t around.”
Melissa also told Jack that she saw Matt while he was talking to her on a video call. “I recognized him immediately when I saw him on your laptop screen that day,” she added.
“What? Really?” Jack breathed. He couldn’t believe what his stepmother had just said.
“Yes, Jack,” Matt smiled. “I had no idea Melissa was your stepmother. It’s such a small world, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it’s very surprising,” Laura said, laughing.
“Do you know why we’re here, Jack?” Matt asked sternly.
“To have dinner with us, right?” Jack smiled.
“Or do you have another surprise for me?”
“I have one!” said Matt.
It turns out that Melissa had spoken highly of her son-in-law to her boss. She told him how hardworking and deserving he was. As a result, Matt decided to promote Jack. “You deserved it, Jack!” Matt smiled and shook Jack’s hand.
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“I can’t believe this!” Jack looked at his wife. “Did you know your mother spoke to my boss?”
“Yes, Jack,” Melissa smiled. “Mom told me she’s coming over for dinner tonight with Matt.”
Jack was overjoyed after learning that Matt had promoted him. He thought it was the best Christmas present ever and thanked his boss and mother-in-law for making his dream come true.
Later that night, Jack apologized to Melissa for being rude and allowed her to stay in his house as long as she wanted. “You’re the best mother-in-law I could have asked for,” he told her.
What can we learn from this story?
- Never judge people based on their opinions. Jack thought Melissa didn’t like him, so he was rude and didn’t allow her to stay in his house. However, when he learned how kind his mother-in-law was, he immediately regretted judging her before.
- Actions speak louder than words. Melissa never told Jack how she felt about him, but what she did for him was enough to prove that she loved him like her own son.
Share this story with your friends and family. It might inspire them and brighten their day.
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