I read a story on Reddit about someone who finally confronted their mother-in-law (MIL) after enduring eight years of mistreatment and passive-aggressive behavior. The confrontation happened during a holiday visit, where the poster directly asked the MIL what they had done to make her dislike them. To their surprise, the MIL had no real answer, repeatedly apologized, and then shut down emotionally, claiming to have a stomach virus and avoiding everyone.
This behavior felt manipulative, as the MIL started randomly crying and isolating herself, which came across as a way to shift the narrative and garner sympathy. The poster felt frustrated, wondering why someone who had been so cruel for so long couldn’t handle a simple question about their behavior.
The MIL had a history of glaring, openly mocking the poster in front of others, and even bragging about her sharp tongue and ability to “cut people down.” For years, the poster tried to be nice, but it only seemed to escalate the MIL’s bad behavior. It wasn’t until this confrontation that the poster finally saw a change—though the MIL’s reaction was unexpected and left them feeling conflicted.
You called her out, and after 8 years of bad behavior, she didn’t know what to do. She didn’t expect you to stand up for yourself, and now she’s trying to turn herself into the victim. Don’t fall for it. From now on, keep your distance, set boundaries, and call her out when necessary.
Thank you for your advice! 🩷 I won’t let her behavior slide anymore. My husband has always been supportive, and he’s defended me from the start, but even going no-contact didn’t stop her from being mean. Her shutting down like this shocked me. I thought she’d lash out or fight back after all her talk about being intimidating. Now I realize it was probably all just an attempt to scare me.
The story resonated with many readers, who praised the poster for standing up for themselves and encouraged them to stay firm in setting boundaries. Most agreed that the MIL’s reaction seemed like an attempt to avoid accountability and that the poster should remain vigilant to prevent further manipulation. The husband’s support was also highlighted as a crucial factor in handling the situation moving forward.