I thought my mother-in-law’s r.u..d.e little comments were bad, but nothing compared to seeing her on national TV saying something that made my blood run cold. What happened next? Well, she definitely got what she deserved.
My MIL, Debra, has never liked me much. Ever since her precious son Holden put a ring on my finger, she’s been quietly trying to bring me down. Most of the time, it was sneaky stuff.
She’d make comments about how happy Holden used to be with his high school girlfriend. I heard that story almost every time we had dinner with her.
“Oh, Holden and Sarah were perfect for each other. Do you remember how she used to bake him those cute little pies?”
Um, no, Debra. I wasn’t there because I’m his wife now.
Still, I kept things polite. “I’m sure Sarah was great,” I’d say, smiling so hard it hurt. And when she’d “accidentally” call me Sarah? I’d just laugh like it was no big deal.
Then, about a month ago, everything changed.
It was a quiet Saturday morning. I was flipping through channels, coffee in hand, just trying to relax.
One of those trashy talk shows came on — the kind where people share their personal drama just to be on TV. I wasn’t really watching, until I saw a face that made me sit up straight.
Debra. I froze.
“Is that… no way,” I whispered, leaning closer to the screen.
Yep. There she was, my lovely MIL, sitting on stage, acting like she was about to reveal some huge secret. I blinked, thinking maybe I was still half-asleep.
But it was definitely her, dressed up like she was at some red carpet event, chatting with the host like they were old pals. I turned up the volume, curious — and then almost spit out my coffee.
“I just want a real wife for my son. Someone who can give him the life he really needs,” she said.
I was stunned.
At first, I thought, “She can’t be talking about Holden.” Maybe it was another son?
But no. What she said next shocked me to the core.
“My son is a wi.d.o.wer,” Debra said, her voice full of fake sadness.
I gasped. A w.id.ow.er? What?! Last I checked, I was very much alive — and still married to her son!
I sat straight up, heart pounding.
“Holden’s l.at.e. w.if.e,” she went on, “was kind, but honestly? She wasn’t a great match. She didn’t know how to care for him properly. I’ve been waiting for him to meet someone who really fits in with our family.”
I blinked in disbelief. “La.te. w.ife”?! Not a good match?
There she was, live on TV, announcing my fake d.e.at.h and trashing my name — all so she could try and replace me. Like I was old food she could just throw out.
She kept going, her voice getting more dramatic with every word. “He deserves someone who can give him the life he truly dreams of. A real family. Kids. I’m just helping him move forward.”
My hands were shaking. “The one he lost”? Was she serious?
I didn’t know whether to laugh, scream, or throw my cup. Instead, I grabbed my phone and started recording. This was too insane. Holden had to see it. When it ended, I just sat there, stunned. Debra had completely lost her mind.
That night, when Holden came home, I didn’t even greet him. I just held up my phone and hit play.
His face went from confused to furious in seconds.
“What is this?!” he shouted, eyes wide.
“Oh, just your mom on TV announcing I’m dead and hunting for your next wife. No big deal.”
“She did what?!” he said, clearly shocked.
“We’re going to make sure she never forgets this,” I said, smiling as I started to come up with a plan.
And that’s when it began.
The next morning, we were ready.
Holden picked up his phone and turned on his most “heartbroken son” voice. He took a deep breath and dialed Debra.
“Mom,” he said, voice shaking, “I have terrible news.”
There was silence for a second, then Debra asked, “Holden? What’s wrong? What happened?”
Holden sniffed, sounding crushed. “You were right, Mom. Something bad happened. My wife… she’s gone. She pa.ss.ed. a.w.ay.”
I could hear her sharp breath from where I was sitting.
“What?! No! Holden, no!” she cried, panic rising in her voice. “What do you mean?!”
Holden cleared his throat, sounding serious. “It happened so fast. You always said she wasn’t right for me, and now… now she’s gone.”
Debra let out a loud sob. “Oh no! This is my fault! I didn’t mean for this to happen! I—”
“Mom,” Holden interrupted, “please come over. I need you.”
“I’m coming now!” she shouted. Then she hung up.
I looked at Holden, who was barely holding back laughter. “She believed it,” he said, shaking his head.
“You’re a natural,” I grinned, kicking my feet up and sipping my tea. “Let’s see how she reacts to the twist ending.”
About an hour later, the front door flew open. Debra stormed in, makeup running, eyes wild.
“Where is she?! What happened to her?!” she screamed, looking around like she expected a f.u.n.e.ral.
Instead, she found me sitting on the couch, calm as ever, scrolling through my phone.
Her eyes locked on me. She froze, pale as a g.ho.s.t. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out.
She’d been tricked.
I lifted my teacup and gave her a small smile. “Good morning, Debra. You look like you’ve seen a g.ho.s.t.”
Her hands flew to her mouth. “But… you—”
Holden stood and faced her, expression hard. “You thought going on TV and calling my wife dead would just make her disappear?”
“I didn’t mean—” she began, but choked on the words.
“Didn’t mean what?” Holden said. “To pretend your son was single again? To replace my wife like she didn’t matter?”
“I just wanted to help!” she cried. “You deserve better—”
“No,” Holden cut her off. “You crossed a line, Mom. A big one.”
Debra’s lips trembled. “I just wanted the best for you!”
“She IS the best for me,” Holden said firmly. “If you can’t respect that, then we’re done.”
Debra looked panicked. “You don’t understand—”
“I understand perfectly,” Holden said coldly. “You tried to control everything. But guess what — it’s not your life to run.”
Debra opened her mouth again, but Holden shut her down with a look. “Try something like this again, and I’ll be the one on TV… looking for a better mother.”
Silence.
Debra’s face fell. She looked at me, then back at Holden, clearly realizing she’d gone too far.
Without another word, she turned and left, crying as she slammed the door.
I let out a low whistle. “Well. That was something.”
Holden dropped onto the couch next to me. “I still can’t believe she did that.”
I handed him my tea. “Well, now she knows. Mess around, find out.”
He smiled faintly and said, “Maybe next time, we’ll hold a real f.un..eral. For her nonsense.”
