I was stunned. Who does something like this? Asking me to pay for raising her own child? When Edward came out of the shower, he noticed the look on my face.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
I handed him the bill. He glanced at it and, to my surprise, chuckled.
“I’m sure she’s joking,” he said.
“No, Edward. She’s serious. She expects me to pay her back for raising you!” I said, my frustration building. Eventually, Edward agreed that his mom had crossed a line.
That night, I couldn’t sleep. I wasn’t going to let this slide. Laura had overstepped too many times, and this was the final straw. By morning, I had a plan.
I sat down and made my own list—an invoice for Laura, itemizing everything I had endured since marrying her son:
Smiling through her constant backhanded compliments: $8,000
Enduring criticism of my cooking: $5,000
Pretending to be okay when she “forgot” my birthday: $1,000
Teaching her son what a supportive family looks like: $20,000
Emotional support for handling her difficult behavior: Priceless
I wrote a note to go with it:
“Dear Laura,
Here’s a list of the emotional and financial toll you’ve taken on me since I married Edward. I figured you’d appreciate knowing how much it’s cost me to deal with it.
Sincerely,
Your daughter-in-law, Ray”
I mailed it to her, feeling a sense of relief. I wasn’t being mean—I was standing up for myself and setting clear boundaries.
The best part? Since receiving my “bill,” Laura has been unusually quiet. No phone calls, no comments. When I saw her a few days later, she couldn’t even make eye contact. For the first time, I think she realized she might have gone too far.
And you know what? I’m proud of standing up for myself and Edward, the man she didn’t always treat fairly. Hopefully, this was a wake-up call for her.
Do you think I handled it the right way?