Lena thought getting married would be her fairy-tale ending — until cockroaches took over her house and her mother-in-law made her life miserable. But when a dark secret blurred the line between who was innocent and who wasn’t, Lena knew revenge was her only choice.
I’m Lena, and I’ve been married to my husband, Jacob, for about a year now. Life has mostly been great — really great, actually. We adjusted to being married easily, enjoying the little things and just being together.
Jacob is everything I hoped for in a partner. He’s sweet, always helpful, and there when I need him. But, like with most good things, there’s a problem.
And that problem is his mom — Agnes.
From the start, it was obvious she didn’t like me. Whether it was her cold stares or those little comments she’d make, her dislike was clear. I’m still not sure what I did wrong, but I quickly saw she thought I was stealing her son away.
Still, she’s Jacob’s mom, and because of that, I’ve tried to be nice. I smiled through her snarky remarks and kept quiet to avoid fights, all for Jacob’s sake. But no fake smile could prepare me for what came next.
Just when I thought I could handle her comments, things got worse.
For the past few weeks, our house has been a nightmare. Actually, scratch that — my whole life felt like a nightmare.
At first, I’d see a roach now and then. One crawling across the counter. Another one in the bathroom.
But soon, they were everywhere. I mean, the kitchen, the bathroom, the living room — even our bedroom! I’d wake up at night with something tickling my arm, turn on the light, and see a roach just hanging out on the bed.
We called pest control again and again. We tried traps, sprays — everything. But they kept coming back, like they were targeting me on purpose. And of course, Agnes just had to comment on it all.
“Really, Lena,” she’d say in her fake sweet voice, “you should take better care of the place. Jacob deserves a clean home. How can you live like this?”
She didn’t stop there. One afternoon, as she sipped tea in our living room, a roach crawled up the wall. Agnes gasped like she’d seen a ghost.
“Oh my, Lena,” she said, holding her chest. “I’d be so ashamed if I were you. When Jacob lived with me, this never happened.”
Then she brought over a box full of cleaning products, dropped them on the counter, and smiled like she was being helpful. “Thought you could use these, dear. Maybe this’ll help you keep things under control.”
Every word felt like a stab. Like she enjoyed watching me struggle. Her comments cut deeper each time, making me feel like a failure in my own home.
I wanted to scream. But instead, I smiled, nodded, and told her I was doing my best. Inside, though, I was boiling. This isn’t my fault, you evil woman! I wanted to yell. But of course, I didn’t. Not to Jacob’s mother.
Then one day, something unexpected happened. Agnes visited again, throwing her usual jabs. But when she left, she forgot her handbag on the couch. As I went to move it, a receipt fell out.
I almost didn’t look at it, but then I saw what it was.
A receipt from a reptile shop. And guess what it said she bought? LIVE COCKROACHES.
I froze, just staring at that little piece of paper. Then, slowly, it hit me. Agnes was behind all this. She had been planting roaches in my house — making me look like a slob.
Rage filled me. My whole body shook. But along with the anger came a darker idea.
I wasn’t just going to tell her off. That would be too easy. I was going to get even.
I grabbed the receipt and rushed to my car. I didn’t know exactly what I was going to do, but I needed to hit her back — hard. As I drove, an idea formed in my mind.
I stopped at that same pet store. If she wanted to be sneaky, I’d go all out.
Inside, I found what I needed — a strong animal scent that hunters use to attract wild animals. As soon as I saw it, my plan came together.
That night, I drove to Agnes’s house. She lives near the woods, which made things even better. I snuck around her yard, pouring the attractant everywhere — the plants, the grass, even right by the walls.
Then I slipped inside — she always leaves the back door open — and sprinkled some there too. My heart was pounding the whole time, but I didn’t stop.
When I finished, I drove home, crawled into bed, and smiled as I drifted off to sleep. I dreamed of payback. Of Agnes freaking out. Of sweet, sweet chaos.
Then, early the next morning, the phone rang. It was Jacob. I picked up, still groggy, and his voice was full of shock.
“Lena, you won’t believe this,” he said. “Mom’s house got… attacked last night!”
I sat up fast. “Attacked? By who?”
“Not who. What. Animals. Her whole yard got trashed — deer, foxes, birds — they destroyed the garden and fences. And the smell… she says it’s horrible.”
I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. “That’s awful! What’s she going to do?”
“She’s staying with us until everything’s fixed. She doesn’t have a choice.”
Oh no. I hadn’t thought that far ahead. But I stayed calm. “Okay. We’ll figure it out.”
When she showed up later, her face was a mess of anger and embarrassment. She barely looked at me as she walked in and saw — surprise! — more roaches.
“Oh, don’t mind those,” I said sweetly. “No matter what we do, they just won’t leave.”
Later that night, I showed Jacob the receipt. He stared at it, and I saw the realization hit him.
“She did WHAT?” he said, his voice rising.
“She’s been putting roaches in the house. I found this yesterday.”
He stormed into the guest room and confronted her. She tried to lie, but the proof was right there. She mumbled some excuse, eyes on the floor.
“I didn’t think it’d get this bad,” she said quietly.
“Well, it did,” Jacob snapped. “And you’re paying for all the pest work and the damage. Until it’s done, you can live with the roaches you brought here.”
I stayed quiet, but I smiled inside. I hadn’t planned for her to move in, but now she was stuck — with her own mess.
That night, as I lay in bed, I felt peace wash over me. Maybe revenge isn’t always sweet. But sometimes, it’s exactly what you need.
And as for Agnes? Let’s just say — she’ll be sharing her room with the roaches.
For a long time.
