Mother-in-Law Knows Best

Three months after my baby was born, I found out my husband, Joe, was cheating.

The other woman? Hailey. Pregnant and smug. Joe actually got on his knees, begging for a divorce.

I said yes.

Until I could find a place, Joe's mom, Claudia, let me stay at the house.

"Hailey," Claudia said, "you'll handle all the household responsibilities now."

Hailey, all fake enthusiasm, chirped, "I'll take good care of this family!"

Claudia replied, "Great. You'll start your day at five making breakfast. When Luca's hungry, you'll feed him and change his diapers. Once he's down for a nap, clean the house, grocery shop, and prep lunch. Laundry in the afternoon, tea service mid-day, then bathe Luca and cook dinner. After that, you'll put him to bed."

Hailey's face? Priceless.

The day after my divorce from Joe Powell, Hailey wasted no time. She had all her luggage delivered to the Powell house by a moving service.

"Joe told me to bring everything over," she said, full of herself.

She directed the movers to pile her belongings in the master bedroom, then jabbed a finger in my direction. "You're so pathetic. Divorced and still squatting here? Joe told me he never loved you. Said just looking at you makes him sick."

I was about to pack my things when Joe's mom, Claudia Caire, walked in.

"Vera, the guest room is available," she said.

Hailey practically glowed with victory.

Claudia, as always, had her own agenda. She turned to Hailey, her tone serious. "Since you'll be living in my house, you'll handle all the household chores. I'm up at five, so breakfast better be ready by then."

Then she glanced back at me. "Hailey's new. Teach her our routines when you can."

Hailey's eyes widened. "Claudia, I'm pregnant! You can't expect me to do chores. Hasn't Vera always done that stuff?"

Claudia didn't flinch. "Vera is a guest in this house. She'll move out when she's ready, and any help she gives is a courtesy, not a duty. Don't forget, she's also taking care of my grandson."

Hailey's lips twisted in a sulk. "Then Joe should hire a maid. He's some big-shot executive, right? He can afford it."

Claudia snapped, "The mortgage on this house isn't even paid off yet, and you're already dreaming of hired help? If you don't want to do the work, you're welcome to leave."

Hailey deflated, mumbling, "Fine. I'll do it."

I had just finished cramming my stuff into the tiny guest room when Claudia knocked, stepping in with a few books. She set them on the rickety table by the bed—guides on storytelling and writing.

"Luca's only three months old," she said. "You've got your hands full. But you were a language teacher, so writing isn't exactly foreign to you. If you're serious, you could make a career out of it."

I stared at the books. Sadness hit me like a freight train.

Claudia had told me I could stay at the Powell house until I found a place to rent. At the time, I thought she was just trying to push me into finalizing the divorce faster.

She smiled. "The road ahead is long, Vera. You'll have to learn to stand on your own. Husbands can be replaced. Losing one? It's not the end of the world."

Only then did it dawn on me that she'd lived this. Betrayed by Joe's dad, she'd raised him alone and built her success one word at a time.

When the door closed, I crumpled to the floor and sobbed until my chest ached.

When the divorce was finalized, my future felt like a blank void, full of uncertainty and fear.

My parents had died years ago, and my little brother had been kidnapped when he was five.

I had no one left. Even distant relatives had faded from my life long ago. I had nowhere to go.