When my mother-in-law, Jennifer, moved in, I tried to keep a positive outlook—despite her well-known reputation for being controlling and intrusive. At first, everything seemed fine. But soon enough, I noticed my things being moved around. My perfume wasn’t where I left it, my sweaters were folded incorrectly. I knew someone was snooping, and I was certain it was her. Mark, my husband, didn’t believe me. He thought I was imagining things. So, I decided to set a trap.
I wrote a fake journal entry, pretending to feel unloved and thinking of leaving Mark. Then, I hid it deep in my closet—where no one would find it unless they were looking. Three days later, at a family dinner, Jennifer suddenly exploded. “She’s hiding something from you, Mark,” she said, glaring at me. “Check her closet. She’s planning to leave you.”
Mark looked at me, stunned. I calmly asked Jennifer how she knew about the journal. She stammered. I smiled. “That diary was fake. I planted it to catch whoever’s been snooping.” The room went silent. Jennifer turned bright red. Mark finally saw the truth. Later, he apologized, saying, “I didn’t believe you. I should’ve.”
Now, the bedroom feels like mine again—peaceful. Jennifer avoids making eye contact with me. She knows I caught her, and that’s enough.
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