“Revenge Gone Wrong: My DIL’s Secret Destruction and the Respect She Finally Learned”

My DIL Secretly Ruined My Place after I Refused to Trade Houses with Her – I Had Nothing Left but to Teach Her a Lesson of Respect

Anne’s son Charlie buys her a new house near her husband Adam a few months after his death. After some hesitation, Anne makes the decision to relocate. She then has to deal with Angela, her envious daughter-in-law, who is only interested in the mansion. Anne is forced to chastise Angela when she plays a prank that causes the house to be fumigated.

Six months ago, my 53-year-husband passed away, and I was devastated. I was reminded of Adam and our times together by everything about the house.

At times, the loneliness felt so oppressive that I wanted to curl up into a ball and sleep on Adam’s side of the bed, but other times, it was consoling.

Charlie, my son, saw how hard it was on me and asked that I come live with him and his wife, Angela.

“Mom, you already have a place here. I’ve already made an offer, and it’s only five minutes away from us,” Charlie remarked.

“Honey, I can’t ask you to do that for me,” I stated over the phone to him. “I cannot ask you to buy me a house.”

He said, munching trail mix on the other end, “You’re not asking,” “I’m putting out. And if you’d like, we can have it prepared for your move in by the end of the following week.”

Though I was apprehensive at first, I ultimately consented to relocate. I was aware that Charlie and Angela were attempting to conceive, and I believed that taking care of that child when the time came would be the most therapeutic thing for me.

Charlie assisted me in packing, so I was quickly prepared to start a new chapter. Even though I missed Adam, I realised I had to let go and go on.

My son had taken care of everything, so I had no trouble settling into my new house.

On the first night in the new house, Charlie walked over and said, “Anything for you, Mom?”

While I was preparing our first meal in the kitchen, he sat at the table and talked to me about his job.

“Are you ready for the housewarming this weekend, Mom?” Charlie enquired. “Everyone you mentioned you’d like to see is invited. Also, I’ve instructed Angela to arrive early so she can assist you with the food and beverages. Does anything further need to be done by me?

I gave a headshake. My son had taken extra care to ensure that everything was proceeding as planned, and everything was flawless.

But then something unexpected happened.

I must admit that I was looking forward to the celebration. I was excited to be among people for the first time in a very long time. I was eager to sit with other people and not feel as alone in my sadness as I had when Adam had initially died away.

I put on lipstick in front of the mirror, something I hadn’t done since Adam’s death.

As Charlie had mentioned, Angela arrived early. She moved around the kitchen finishing the dishes that I had spent hours preparing.

Angela turned to face me at that moment, and her comments really shocked me.

She said, “Look, Anne,” as she washed her hands. This is not a place you can live. You simply cannot succeed. For you, it’s too large and contemporary.”

“What? No, I believe it’s perfect for me,” I replied. “I’ve spoken to Charlie about getting a dog, too.”

“You’re not paying attention,” she smirked and added. “I would like us to switch houses with you. Charlie has a good salary, but he had little interest in updating our home. He stated that he would prefer to organise your house with his money.”

Angela continued for quite some time. She talked about how she knew Charlie needed to prioritise her even if he wanted to look after me.

Her remarks wounded me, but I refrained from speaking up to avoid starting a fight. Charlie and I had worked so hard to get settled in the new house that I naturally didn’t want to move. In addition, I had tastefully adorned it with all of Adam’s possessions.

I had made all the necessary arrangements and planted a garden.

I had no idea, though, that Angela had left me with more than just harsh words.

I woke up two days after the party to find the entire house filled with an awful stench. I was simply unable to locate the source no matter where I searched.

Charlie exclaimed, “Oh, my goodness, Mom,” when I asked him to come check the house in case I had forgotten something.

He said, hurrying to investigate the source of the scent in the kitchen, “This is so bad!”

“I know!” I let out a cry. “And I’ve searched everywhere I can think of.”

I searched everywhere for it, but I was unable to locate it, which had been driving me insane.

After putting up with the awful smell for a week, Charlie recommended hiring an expert to find the source of the stench.

Charlie said, “Mom, you can’t live like this anymore.” “I am going to make a hire. You may either book a hotel room with me or you can stay with us.”

As it happened, the specialist found a rotting egg concealed in the living room vent. It was there on purpose to make sure the stink would permeate the entire house.

I was heartbroken to have put my son through further hardship while the house was cleared out and fumigated because Charlie believed it was essential.

However, I had a gut feeling that it was Angela. Everything was driven by her.

I was going to make an impression on Angela. So I thought of a scheme. I played the part of the gracious host and invited her and Charlie to supper. I greeted them cordially and pretended everything was well when they arrived.

Angela didn’t express any suspicions she might have had. Rather, she grinned as soon as she walked through the door.

“At least this place doesn’t smell anymore, Anne,” she remarked as she helped herself to a plate of warm cookies that I had prepared for Charlie to take home.

Charlie was talking excitedly about his workday as we sat down to supper. Angela nibbled on her dinner in between smirks, barely finishing it.

“Angela, I’ve always thought that people should be treated with respect and care, especially those who are family. Do you concur?” Glancing directly into her eyes, I asked.

She gave a nod.

“All right,” I said. Because respect is reciprocal. It’s important to respect and acknowledge one another’s emotions and personal space.”

The more uneasy my daughter-in-law became, the more I realised that my remarks were being perceived. I did felt horrible for Angela, to be honest. However, I also wanted to let people know that I would not back down from a challenge.

She was not going to utilise me simply because she couldn’t have the mansion she desired.

I said, “Darling,” to her. You seem to be naturally gifted in gardening. Tomorrow, could you please assist me with a small project?”

She agreed and looked away because I knew she wouldn’t refuse without coming out as impolite.

When Angela came to my place the next day, she expected a straightforward gardening assignment. Rather, I gave her a shovel and some gloves. I grinned and added, “I need help digging up the old compost pile.” “It’s been neglected by the previous owners, and it’s time to start fresh.”

When Angela saw what lay ahead, her face went pale. The smell emanating from the enormous compost pile was far more repulsive than the one rotten egg. Still, given the courteous arrangement from the night before, she was forced to assist.

We worked on the task for hours before finishing it. After all, Angela was filthy and tired. I said to her, “Come on, let’s clean up and have a drink.” But there was still more in store for me. I led her into the study, where I had stored numerous souvenirs of Adam’s, including the majority of the pictures of us together. More than that, though, I had Charlie and Angela’s gifts on display.

“These are the things that remind me of the people I care about,” I replied softly. “Respecting each other’s space and memories is so important.” Angela’s eyes shot to tears in an instant.

“It was me,” she acknowledged. “I disposed of the bad egg in the vent. I discovered the egg as I was applying the egg wash to the celebration pastries. I really apologise. Charlie would detest me, so just don’t tell him.”

I was glad to have finally made amends with Angela since she seemed honest.

She expressed her regret for her unexpected jealousy of my new house. The twist, though, wasn’t finished. Angela delivered a gift to my residence a few days later. It was an exquisitely designed wooden box. There were seed packets for a wide variety of plants and flowers inside.

I am grateful that you taught me the value of respect. Together, I hope we can make new memories.

After that day, Angela started acting more like a daughter and our relationship dramatically transformed.

Though it has been fictionalised for artistic purposes, this work draws inspiration from actual individuals and events. For reasons of privacy protection and story improvement, names, characters, and details have been changed. Any likeness to real people, alive or dead, or real events is entirely accidental and not the author’s intention.

The publisher and author disclaim all liability for any misinterpretation and make no claims on the veracity of the events or character portrayals. The thoughts represented in this story are those of the characters and do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the author or publisher. The story is offered “as is.”