My MIL Said My Daughter Was Not Really Family and Tried to Get Rid of Her, but She Regretted It Very Quickly — Story of the Day

My MIL refused to accept the daughter who came from my first marriage. She said the child was a burden and denied any close relationship with her. One day, because we had no other choice, we had to entrust the girl to her care. No one predicted what took place after that.

I thought happiness was easily broken at one point. Just as glass, people might be beautiful and transparent but just one wrong act could bring it all falling apart.

I spent a lot of time being afraid to take a deep breath in case what I had done might all be undone.

Strangely, I was able to restore peace in my life. Real peace. The kind that stayed with you, even though you least expected it.

Because of everything my first husband did—his skill at lying, his empty promises and leaving me as soon as I told him about the baby—I really believed I would never marry again.

I had very little faith in myself and no faith in others either. Still, Brian revised that concept. He was sturdy. Warm. The sort of man who stayed when things got difficult instead of running away.

The ones who enjoyed cooking pancakes for breakfast each Saturday and remained up till late helping me with my science assignments. He had no resemblance to my first marriage partner.

Unfortunately, Justin and Angela’s story ended badly, but Sophie turned out to be the bright light from that relationship. At this point she was eight years old. Clever. Sensitive.

Always singing little tunes created on the spur of the moment, bringing a gentle and sweet atmosphere to where we were. Brian was very fond of her. He always made her feel exactly what she was: his daughter.

He attended all her school concerts and used to read her bedtime stories.

She suddenly began addressing him as Dad without warning and I saw how hard it made him not to cry.

Still, a lot of kids were meaner than Brian. Evelyn would not accept Sophie into the family.

Before getting married, she pushed him to reconsider. She wondered: “Why take on the responsibility of raising someone’s grandchild?” Make your own family. A beginning without anything from the past.

He rapidly made sure that didn’t work out. We both said it would be better to hold back. We did not want to get into a disagreement. Just peace. Yet, real peace is hard to maintain over the long run.

One Thursday, we were both sitting at the kitchen table with our phones. My emails started filling up while I was drinking my coffee and a buzz from my laptop caught my attention. I didn’t even manage to read what was inside. Brian had talked to our team in Chicago before the meeting.

“It’s time to leave,” he told us and set his phone aside. They are waiting for the both of us. Tomorrow morning.”

My stomach tightened and cramped as if someone was firmly holding and squeezing it. What will happen to Sophie?

He leant back on his chair, scratched his face and looked past the window, hoping the solution was somewhere outside. I am not sure. Nina has not gotten well enough yet. She declared she does not plan on coming back this week.

I got to my feet. I could really feel how tense my muscles were. I was walking back and forth in the kitchen, trying to avoid stepping on Sophie’s shoes. “My mom must be in Florida,” I told myself, just thinking out loud. “Perhaps Rachel is a good person to talk to.”

He didn’t speak back. It was clear from his silence that he had no other way in his mind but to go with the cruel option. The one we hoped not to face.

He let the tension out with a long breath. We might get some good advice if we ask my mom.

“No.” I looked him straight in the face. “Absolutely not.”

His mother has become less strict about things, he said. “She also wanted to know about Sophie at Christmas.”

I hugged myself with my arms. She often used the name ‘the little tag-along’ for Brian. She does not get along with her. She has never done that.”

“She couldn’t hurt her.”

“Have you thought that through?” My voice broke as I was speaking. “I am not able to.”

Laughter was silence to him. Noticed a yellow squirrel from near my feet.

I can’t let someone who only sees our daughter as a burden to be her guardian. An individual who feels like she doesn’t fit in.”

Something needs to exist where—

“No, I’d better not say that.” I told them I couldn’t do it already.”

So I began calling a long list of people and organizations. Neighbor. Coworker. An old babysitter who lived in a different state. No luck. I looked at my phone and slowly took a deep breath.

“It would be so nice if I could,” she said. I’m so near finishing now. I am constantly at risk of going into labor anytime.

You will finish in two weeks.

“I know. But what happens in the case that something goes wrong when she is with me?”

I said goodbye, got off the phone and started walking back to Brian. There is no other person like me. We have to scrap the road trip or your mother will have to look after Fiona. There was no reply.

“I’ll be sorry for this,” I added, in a soft voice. “I do right now.”

We put everything in the car quietly the following day. The sky was just beginning to lighten. As usual, Sophie was cheerful and swinging her legs from the back while we were on the road.

I didn’t tell her how tough it was for me. I attempted to act okay, but my chest was very tight. He leaned over and held my hand.

“You’ll get through this,” he replied so softly.

I didn’t say anything in reply. I looked out the window and briefly nodded, without really accepting what he said.

Just in front of Evelyn’s house, Sophie reached forward from between the seats.

“Has the zoo been mentioned?” she asked.

”No, dear,” Brian said, trying to speak softly and cheerfully. You’re visiting Grandma Evelyn for some days.

All signs of warmness vanished from Sophie’s face. She let her shoulders rest freely. I think it’s because she doesn’t like me.

My heart felt stretched and twisted as though being drawn. I turned around to look at her, butI was speechless.

Brian agreed: “She does.” He didn’t really feel like smiling, so his smile was fake. “She demonstrates it in an uncommon manner.”

He looked over at me. This is something we have to do, he told me. There are only four days to the test!

Evelyn was at the door with a narrow smile that didn’t show in her eyes.

“Still late!” she said.

This object is called Sophie’s bag. Her pet bunny is stored in the side pocket. She will be at tennis practice on Friday,” I blurted out speedily.

She arched one eyebrow in question. I never expected to be babysitting a child in my retirement.

Brian stiffened. She is your granddaughter.

She heard nothing in reply from Evelyn. It’s time for you to hurry up.

I got down on one knee next to Sophie. “We will be back again before long. It’s a quick four days from start to finish.”

Sophie hugged her bunny and nodded. “Okay.”

We left and I looked in the mirror until I couldn’t see her anymore.

Most of the visit was meetings and hotel rooms, but I wasn’t part of it at all.

I spent time listening to presentations and noted down things I never looked at again. I took part in all the smiling everyone else did. I didn’t stay in the moment. With Sophie.

I phoned Evelyn at the beginning of every day. I would call them in the evenings every night.

“Can we have a conversation with Sophie?” The question that comes to mind is.

“She’s taking a bath now”, “My child is tired” or “I believe she’s already fallen asleep.”

An excuse is always found. Always something stopped me from hearing her voice. On the first day, I told myself things had just gone wrong at the wrong time. I worked on staying calm the second day. It took me until day three to answer the phone and my hands were trembling as I did.

I sent the first text of the evening. I asked for pictures of the road being laid. A recording of videos that are brief. A message. Anything. I cannot think of any. No reply. No update. There was a deafening absence of noise.

He wanted to calm me after I got upset. He told me, “There’s no one here who can see you.” We would get a call when there was a problem with her health.

“Would she?” I looked at him with bitterness in my voice now. Asking, “Could she set up something to happen to prove a point?”

He didn’t respond to the question. He averted his gaze.

Then, at the end of the conference on the fourth day, Brian laughed and said something to me as we walked back to our car.

“You see? There were no negative outcomes. He held my hand for a moment. We also want to tell you some positive news. Perhaps now Mom will agree with us.

We got back home late in the day. We arrived at Evelyn’s while the sun was low and looked orange in the sky.

My heart was beating fast. I didn’t spend time hesitating. I opened the door and ran out immediately. Brian followed. We knocked the door. Evelyn took a moment to unlock the door and her expression was unknown to me.

“Hi,” was all I could say, as I leaned over to try and see what was going on. “Where’s Sophie?”

“She’s okay,” replied Evelyn, with an expressionless face.

Brian came closer. May we have permission to enter?

Evelyn did not answer me. She carefully moved aside without saying anything. We hurried as we went inside.

“Sophie?” I called.

“Sophie?” Brian tried calling a second time in a louder tone.

We hurried through the living room. There was no sign she was there. The cushions on the couch had never been sat on. There was no TV on. We entered the kitchen. The table was very clean.

Not one single bit. No cup. No plate. Nothing of Sharon survived. I ran up to the floor above. I entered the guest room by opening the door. The sheets were neatly tucked in the bed. Someone had taken her bag. She did not have her pajamas anymore. Her bunny—gone.

“I wonder where she is.” I tried to ask and my trembling voice had me look at Evelyn, standing still at the foot of the stairs, holding her arms in a cross-like position.

Without looking away, she told them, “I did you a favor.”

Brian went pale suddenly. I cannot find my daughter!

She looked up with a straight face. She does not belong to our family. She did not make herself, she was someone else’s mistake. You can now begin on clean slate. Among the members of your own family.”

Her appearance paralyzed me so much that my mouth grew dry. “Better? So what is the meaning here?

I don’t have to look far to hear her talk about tennis, said Evelyn. I decided to put her in a full-time day care. A boarding school was the educational institution.

“You what?” Brian shouted. Are you crazy?

Evelyn threw out, “She’s only your child in name, not in truth.” “Now you’re able to get your own too.”

“Listen to me—she has always been my child,” said Brian. It was wrong to insist on that.

I had the full right to do this. No one else is thinking with a clear head like I am.”

I said softly, “You are the one who kidnapped her.” You stole our little girl!

Evelyn told Brian, “CALM YOUR WIFE DOWN.”

He answered, “I refuse to.” Help is what you need, not me. Where did you bring her for the date?”

Her eyes and her chin both grew stern. You will learn it over time.

I said to her, “You’re crazy!” Assistance is necessary for you.

She stayed quiet and did not move. I walked out in anger.

Not a single second was wasted. That night, we were at the kitchen table together, with our laptops out, going through every sports boarding school in the area.

I wrote so much my fingers started to hurt. Brian would say the name and then I would read out the number. At seven the following morning, I talked to the first school.

The cycle continues with the next one. And another. He went through every school directory as if it was his last chance. I spent a lot of time doing it.

At last, one of them said it was true. She was present at the ceremony. The car was pointed west and we drove without pause. Not stopping for five straight hours.

We got there as the sun was about to set. Long shadows lay over the tennis courts in the evening. Then she appeared before me.

A small bench, just one person peaceful and still. She saw us and immediately climbed up and dashed away. I dropped down on my knees and hugged her to me.

“Mommy!” she cried while giving me a hug. “I was afraid that you didn’t want me anymore.”

No, honey, I couldn’t say it back. No, what you said is wrong. We care for you a lot. We looked in every place we could think of to find you.

Sophie dashed my hopes by repeating: “She said you aren’t my father.” “She told me that you are making a real family.” One that was missing me as a character.”

As Brian knelt down, he got hold of her hand. “You feel like our family,” he added. “Our daughter, you are. You are and always will be, a part of our lives.

Sophie didn’t say anything, but she nodded. She held even more tightly.

The drive home had her nestled in the back and holding her stuffed bunny tight. Looking in the window, I stared out into the darkness of the road.

“We must get this finished,” I replied. Unless we clearly say we don’t want it, she’ll continue.

Brian didn’t say anything. He simply nodded his head. It was obvious to both of us what the solution was.

We got to Evelyn’s house just as the day was ending. The porch light was turned on. The door opened and she glared at him.

Ah, seeing Sophie asleep in the car, she said angrily, “So what are we going to do?”

I moved into the pathway. Keep away from our children and grandchildren from now on.

She scoffed. I do not have any grandchildren. That means it’s not a real loss. I’ll wait. In the end, you will split up with her.”

I grinned and put my hand over my stomach. “I’m pregnant.”

There was a change in her expression. Her smile became brighter. “Finally. He is the proud father of his very first child.

Brian walked up and placed his hands on the mic. “No. My second. Waiting in the car is the first thing. It’s as if you have met the characters and will never see them again.

“You do not have the right to do that!” Evelyn shouted. I am the grandmother, not the mother.

Brian spoke up: “You refused to accept your granddaughter.” “That title is not yours for real.”

Afterward, without saying a word, he went to the car.

Evelyn gave me a harsh look. Everything you did destroyed everything. It was because of you that he was turned against me.

“Not me,” I said in a low tone. It was something you accomplished yourself.

I left the hospital and spent time with my daughter, my husband and my growing family. The family selection. The family who picked me.