My Future MIL Demanded 25 Gifts for Herself Before I Could Join Their Family – ‘Repayment for Every Year She Put Into My Fiancé’
When my future mother-in-law, Linda, invited me for tea, I expected wedding bonding. Instead, she handed me a list of 25 luxury gifts—like Louis Vuitton bags and Cartier bracelets—to “repay” her for raising Jake, my fiancé. Shocked, I questioned what family I was marrying into.
Linda’s sweet demeanor hid her demand for “material appreciation” for her 25 years of motherhood. I refused, explaining marriage isn’t transactional. She doubled down, even shaming me at a family party, implying I didn’t value family. Jake was horrified and confronted her, but she stood firm.
For Linda’s birthday, I decided to make a point. I bought 25 dollar-store gifts—a plastic tiara, a chipped “World’s Best Mom” mug, and a toilet paper roll labeled “For all the crap you’ve put me through.” At her fancy birthday dinner, I presented them. As she unwrapped gummy worms, a rubber duck, and the toilet paper, the family erupted in laughter. Linda stormed out, humiliated.
Jake warned her to respect me or miss our wedding. Her silence since has been peaceful. Those 25 gifts, plus the family’s laughter, showed her demands were absurd, giving me the last word without saying it.
