When we first got married, my mother-in-law took Vincent's paycheck card, saying he was reckless with money and had no sense for running a household.
I said no.
But Vincent told me, "You're just being petty. You think my own mother would steal from me?"
"She's only holding it for us. We'll get it back whenever we need it."
That holding lasted seven years.
Vincent's salary climbed from eight thousand to seventeen thousand, and the card never once came back into his hands.
Water, electric, gas, HOA fees, groceries. All of it came out of my pocket.
After our daughter was born, so did the formula, the diapers, the early learning classes, the preschool. All of it ran through my account.
The rare times Vincent bought groceries, he'd photograph the receipt and send it to me so I'd reimburse him.
I asked once how much of his salary had been saved.
Every time, my mother-in-law said, "What's the rush? The money's with me. It's not going to sprout legs and run off."
And Vincent backed her up.
"We're family. What's the point of counting every cent?"
Except that family never included me and our daughter.
One year our daughter spiked a high fever, and I spent the whole night at the hospital with her.
The next day, when it was time to pay the admission fee, my phone happened to be dead, so I asked Vincent to front five thousand.
He called his mother for the money.
She cursed at him over the phone for ten minutes.
"A little cold and you're admitting her? Two days of fever won't kill her."
"Girls are just spoiled."
Yet that same month, the nephew wanted twenty thousand for a summer camp.
My mother-in-law didn't even blink. She wired it straight over.
Only later did I learn that money came out of Vincent's paycheck card.
I made a scene once.
Vincent held me and apologized, said he'd get the card back.
I believed him.
The next day, his mother said her chest hurt, and he never brought it up again.
I looked at Vincent. He avoided my eyes.
"It's the kid's birthday. Let's not get into all this."
But my mother-in-law had no shame about it.
"You married into the James family, so you're one of us now, and the money you earn belongs to the James family too."
"Saying you spend my son's money? What's wrong with that?"
My mother couldn't hold back.
"Making my daughter carry the whole family's expenses on her own, that's not right, is it?"
My mother-in-law rolled her eyes.
"Mrs. Fox, I'm saving that money for my future grandson."
"If there's anyone to blame, blame your daughter's own useless womb."
Just then, my daughter, eyes rimmed red, tugged at my sleeve.
"Mom, I'm sorry, it's all Nina's fault."
"Nina won't make Daddy spend her birthday with us anymore, so don't fight with Daddy and Grandma."
I crouched down and wiped away her tears.
"It's not Nina's fault. You don't need to apologize."
"Some people's hearts are just crooked from the start."
Vincent frowned.
"Why are you saying things like that to a child?"
"She's so small, and you're bent on teaching her to resent her elders?"
"I already told you, my mother meant no harm—"
I cut him off. "No harm? She put fake funeral money in the kid's hands. Do you have to stick three incense sticks in her cake before you'll admit it?"
My mother-in-law pressed a hand to her chest and slumped back against the chair.
"Son, now I see it clearly."
"Your wife just wants to drive me to my death today."
"I raised you through all that hardship, and now I can't even say a word."
"If I'd known you'd forget your own mother the moment you got a wife, I never should've had you!"
Vincent rushed over to steady her.
"Mom, nobody's driving you anywhere."
Then he turned back to me.
"Kay, just apologize to Mom, and we'll let this go."
I laughed, furious, and walked straight to the door, pulled the private room open, and looked at my mother-in-law.
"This is my daughter's birthday dinner. Only people who truly wish her well are welcome here."
"Since you don't know the meaning of respect, this meal doesn't welcome you either. Please leave. Now."
