One Dinner, One Disaster: Mother‑In‑Law Sold My House
When my husband and I drop by his childhood home for Christmas dinner, my mother-in-law, Melissa Potter, is the only one busying away in the kitchen. Everyone else is on their phones.
I've just taken a seat when Melissa begins to lecture me.
"What, are you just going to sit your ass down and wait for food to come? Don't you know when to lend a helping hand? Am I supposed to exhaust myself for your sake?"
From time to time, she keeps rattling the pots and pans loudly.
"I can't believe those with healthy bodies want a 70-year-old like me to serve them! Does anyone here have any conscience?"
Feeling a little uneasy, I gave my husband a tiny nudge.
"Why don't you help Mom out?"
After Melissa hears my suggestion, she gets even more pissed off.
Thinking that this is my first Christmas with my in-laws, I don't really want to cause a scene here, so I get up to my feet and help her out.
But the moment I enter the kitchen, Melissa delegates all the tasks to me.
I endure my fury as much as I can while finishing the Christmas dinner preparations. When I'm about to head back to the dining table and dig in, Melissa suddenly speaks up.
"Hold up. We got scores to settle before dinner."