My MIL threw hot water on me and kicked me out of the house, she didn’t know I was making $41,000!

The Move and the Criticism

After a challenging interaction with my mother-in-law where she harshly criticized my employment status and educational background, tensions reached a breaking point when she unexpectedly doused me with hot water.

This shocking act was completely unwarranted, and while I thkfullany escaped injury, the potential for serious harm was undeniable.

I was taken aback by her extreme actions, especially since it was my husband who was unemployed, not me. This grown resentment toward her unreasonable behavior became overwhelming.

“Enough is enough,” I resolved. “If this is what you want, I have no choice but to leave,” I declared firmly.

My mother-in-law seemed almost pleased by my decision to leave, showing no remorse. Unable to tolerate such a toxic atmosphere any longer, I decided to return to my parents’ home.

Unbeknownst to her, I had been the main financial supporter of our household, having taken up stock trading and earning approximately $41,000 a month after leaving my job. Despite being ousted, I was confident in my ability to sustain independently.

My relationship with my husband, Eric, began in college where we both studied economics and aspired to careers in finance. After securing jobs at different brokerage firms, Eric eventually proposed, and I eagerly accepted, looking forward to a joyful future together.

However, our plans took an unexpected turn when Eric asked me to quit my job and live with him at his mother’s home to avoid leaving her alone after his father’s passing. Despite my initial reluctance, I agreed, hoping it wouldn’t be a burden.

Yet given the recent events, I felt a deep sense of regret and determined never to assist my mother-in-law again, even as she faced financial difficulties.

When Eric was in middle school, he became the sole companion to his mother after his father’s passing. As an only child, he was deeply concerned about her well-being, which I understood and respected.

Consequently, I agreed to live with them, and three weeks later we moved into Eric’s family home. Initially, my mother-in-law seemed happy to have her son back home, but her demeanor changed drastically when she turned to me.

Her cold, unwelcoming gaze made it abundantly clear that she did not approve of me. Despite feeling unwelcome, I tried to stay positive, brushing off a faint muttering from her that I couldn’t quite catch. Maybe it was about me, maybe not. I chose to let it go.

However, living with her soon proved to be more challenging than anticipated. One morning I was jolted awake by her loud voice demanding that I get up and make breakfast. It was only 5:00 a.m.

“Don’t just lay around because you’re not working,” she scolded sharply.

Although it felt ridiculous early, I didn’t argue and started preparing the meal, all while enduring her constant critiques about my speed and efficiency. Breakfast was ready after what felt like an eternity, but it was only 25 minutes.

I apologized for the delay only to be met with more complaints about the time it took. Her next grievance was about the soup being too salty, which I honestly didn’t think it was.

But according to her, my cooking was a plot against her health.

“What are you saying? There’s something wrong with my taste? Are you trying to kill me quickly by feeding me such salty meals?” she accused.

Stunned by her harsh words, I found myself questioning her motives with a mix of curiosity and concern.

I finally asked, “Why are you so harsh on me?”

“What are you talking about? I don’t think I’m being harsh. Are you trying to make me the bad guy?”

“That’s not what I meant,” but I was too overwhelmed by my mother-in-law’s constant pressure to argue back.

“Finish eating and start cleaning. After that, there’s laundry to do, so there’s no time to rest,” she commanded.

From that point on, every day became a relentless barrage of criticisms and tasks that wore me down mentally and physically. As I cleaned, she would point out, “You miss the dust in the corner.” While doing laundry, she would complain, “There’s still a stain.”

About a month into living with her, I felt like I was nearing my breaking point, so I decided to talk to Eric about it.

“It’s about your mother,” I began hesitantly. “She’s been very critical every day, and it’s becoming difficult for me. Could you please ask her to ease up?”

Eric’s response, however, was non-existent, which momentarily irritated me. But then I noticed he looked unusually pale, as if burdened with something significant.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?” I asked after a pause.

Eric hesitantly revealed, “Actually, I’ve been fired from the company.” I was stunned, unable to process his words immediately.

“What is this, some kind of joke?”

It wasn’t. Eric explained that due to an economic downturn, the company had to downsize, and he was laid off.

“So you’ll be unemployed from tomorrow?” I asked.

“Well, I can work for one more month after receiving the notice of dismissal, but after that.”

Fortunately, I had been using my knowledge from my time at the securities company to trade stocks. Although it was challenging at first, I was now earning about $41,000 a month, so we weren’t struggling financially.

I comforted Eric and temporarily forgot all about the harassment from my mother-in-law. From the next day onward, I continued to endure her harsh treatment as Eric lost his job, feeling the need to be strong and support him. I persisted through the difficult situation.

A month passed, and Eric officially became unemployed. Initially, he started looking for a job, but gradually he began to spend most of his time at home making excuses.

“Shouldn’t you start looking for a job more seriously?” I suggested, hoping to motivate him to find a new path forward.

“I’m looking, but it’s tough to find a good company that fits me,” Eric responded, his voice lacking any real urgency or intent to find new work soon.

Reluctantly, I continued to be the main provider for us. As time went on, my mother-in-law’s harshness only got worse, and I found myself feeling more drained with each passing day.

Initially, I thought I needed to put up with it because Eric was out of work, but over time, that reasoning no longer seemed justifiable. My days became a blur of listlessness.

One morning, in a rare occurrence, Eric left the house early, possibly to finally start a serious job hunt. After he left, I began my usual chores.

“Make sure it’s clean. Do it properly,” my mother-in-law nagged from her spot on the living room sofa, sipping her coffee and throwing sarcastic comments my way.