Mother-in-Law Knows Best

Joe barely came home at night anymore. When I tried to bring it up, he'd shut me down with insults. "You're just a useless housewife," he'd snap. "All you do is obsess over me and the kid. You add nothing to my life."

Then Hailey entered the picture.

Fresh out of college, she was everything Joe wanted: young, beautiful, and full of energy. She joined the company as the CEO's secretary, and it wasn't long before she and Joe became inseparable.

The reason they refused to move out of this house was obvious: Claudia.

Over her career as a bestselling author, Claudia had built a fortune worth millions. If they left the house, that inheritance would inevitably go to Luca—Claudia's only grandchild. And since I was the one raising him, Luca would naturally side with me when he got older.

In their eyes, that money might as well already be mine.

***

At dinner, I stood up to help with the dishes, but Claudia waved me off. "Vera, you've got enough on your plate with Luca. Let someone else handle it."

So I sat back down.

To my surprise, the food Hailey put out looked amazing—picture-perfect and mouthwatering. And it tasted just as good.

Claudia, ever the first to dig in, speared a piece of baked ribs, chewed, and paused. Her brow furrowed. "This is from the restaurant down the street, isn't it? I know their ribs anywhere."

Hailey froze, her head ducking.

Claudia's eyes narrowed. "That place isn't cheap. What's your plan here—takeout for every meal? Are you trying to burn through our money? If you can't cook without shortcuts, what's the point?"

Joe, desperate to shield Hailey from the heat, jumped in. "Mom, give her a break. She just graduated. She's still figuring things out. Besides, Vera's not doing anything. She's freeloading—why not make her cook? That'll at least cover her rent."

Hailey gave me a smug look. "Exactly, Claudia. I mean, I'm a college graduate. Vera? She's just some small-town orphan who lucked out marrying Joe. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't even have this life. Housework suits her."

Her words hit like a slap. I'd spent years running their household, saving them the cost of a housekeeper—which would've been a small fortune in this city. And Joe? He'd handed me a measly $300 a month.

He didn't care that I'd graduated with better grades than him or that I used to be a respected language teacher. To make him and Claudia happy, I'd dropped my career to be the perfect wife.

Three years of marriage, and it all felt like a cruel joke.

Claudia set her fork down and pinned Hailey with a look. "How far along are you now?"

Hailey's hand flew to her stomach, a smug smile creeping across her face. "Nine weeks. The heartbeat's normal, and the baby's measuring 2.4 centimeters—"

Claudia cut her off. "Schedule a checkup soon. I'll go with you."

Hailey went pale. Guilty much?

Joe wrapped an arm around her, his tone sharp. "Mom, that's out of line! Hailey just had a checkup. She even showed me the report. What, you think she's lying?"

Claudia didn't flinch. Her instincts were razor-sharp, and she never said anything without a reason. If she suspected something, there was probably something to suspect.

When Joe proposed to me, Claudia had sent someone to dig into my background before she'd grudgingly approved. Humble beginnings she could tolerate—lies, not so much.

Taking a slow sip of soup, she answered coolly, "Why are you so defensive? I'm only concerned about the baby. If she's carrying a Powell, I have every right to know how things are going."