I always knew my mother-in-law didn’t like me, but what she did at my place was something I had never imagined. But before I tell you what I saw, let me share a bit about my life.

So, Eddie and I have been married for five years, and these five years have been the best years of my life. We met at work, and honestly, it wasn’t love at first sight. Far from it!

I remember our first encounter like it happened yesterday. We were in a team meeting, discussing a new project for a big client.

“I think we should focus on digital marketing,” I suggested, feeling confident in my proposal. “It’s versatile and cost-effective.”

“Digital marketing?” Eddie scoffed “That’s so outdated. We need to think outside the box.”

I felt my face flush with anger and embarrassment. Who did this guy think he was?

“Excuse me? Digital marketing is constantly evolving. It’s far from outdated.”

“Well, I disagree,” he said as he crossed his arms. “We need something fresh. Something innovative. Not the same old tricks.”

Our coworkers watched us like a tennis match, heads swiveling back and forth. That argument set the tone for our relationship… for about a month.

Then one day, fate intervened.

We both got stuck in the elevator after a late night at the office. At first, we stood in awkward silence, both furiously pressing the alarm button.

“Great,” I muttered. “Just great.”

Eddie sighed.

“Looks like we’re gonna be here a while. Might as well make the best of it.”

Forced to talk, we realized we had more in common than we thought. We both loved indie movies, had a weird obsession with pineapple on pizza, and shared the same dry sense of humor.

“You know,” Eddie said as we waited for maintenance, “you’re not as annoying as I thought.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Gee, thanks. You’re not so bad yourself.”

From that day on, we became friends, and soon, something more. What I love most about Eddie is his kindness. He always sees the best in people, even when they don’t deserve it.

But it sometimes costs him a lot. You’ll understand what I mean.

Anyway, when we decided to tie the knot, Eddie told his mother, Stella. Let’s just say she didn’t break out the champagne.

“Mom,” Eddie said over the phone, “I’m getting married to Nicole.”

There was a long pause.

“Nicole? From your work? But what about Melissa? She’s such a nice girl.”

“Mom, I’ve never even met Melissa. Nicole is the one I want to spend my life with.”

Melissa was the girl Stella really liked for her son. She was her friend’s daughter.

As a result, Stella didn’t seem very happy at our wedding.

She barely smiled in the photos.

But Eddie assured me, “Don’t worry, honey. She’ll come around. This strange behavior won’t last long.”

He was wrong.

When I gave birth to our daughter, Kiara, Stella’s reaction was less than enthusiastic. “Oh,” she said, peering into the hospital bassinet. “I was hoping for a boy.”

Eddie just chuckled. “Mom, come on. Kiara is perfect.”

As time went on, Stella’s behavior only got worse. We often argued because of her constant taunts, but Eddie always tried to play peacemaker.

“Nicole, please try to understand,” he’d say. “That’s just how mom is. She doesn’t mean any harm.”

Recently, I invited Stella over for dinner. Big mistake. As soon as she walked in, her nose wrinkled.

“Oh my,” she said, looking around. “This place is a mess. Nicole, dear, don’t you ever clean?”

“I cleaned this morning, Stella,” I managed to say through gritted teeth.

Then, she sniffed the air.

“And what’s that smell? It’s stinking in here.”

Eddie and I exchanged glances. Now that she mentioned it, there was a faint, unpleasant odor.

After dinner, we checked every corner of the house but couldn’t find the source. We didn’t think much about it until a few days later.

The next day, I took Kiara to the park. As I was locking up, I noticed something odd about my keys. They looked… different.

That’s when I realized someone had made a duplicate of our house key. And I had a pretty good idea who that someone was.

I felt a chill run down my spine.

Lately, I’d been feeling like someone had been in the house while we were out. Things seemed slightly out of place, but I’d chalked it up to my own forgetfulness. Now, I knew why.

Without telling Eddie, I bought a security camera and installed it before he got home from work. I felt guilty about the secrecy, but I needed proof.

Two days later, I checked the footage while I was at work. I won’t lie, I could feel my heart pound against my chest so hard as I watched it.

There was Stella, walking into our house like she owned the place. The camera caught her walking straight into our bedroom and putting something in the bedside drawer.

Then, she climbed the ladder to the attic and left something there too.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. What was she up to?

When I got home, I checked the drawer. Inside was a mobile phone I’d never seen before. Curious, I turned it on. No password.

I opened the messages and felt sick to my stomach.

There were texts to someone named “Mike.”

“Hey babe, can’t wait to see you tonight. Eddie’s working late. ;)”

“Last night was amazing. When can we do it again?”

“I think I’m falling for you, Mike. But what about Eddie?”

I felt disgusted. Stella had planted this phone to make it look like I was having an affair! How could she stoop so low?

Next, I checked the attic. The smell hit me like a truck as soon as I opened the hatch.

There, in a corner, was a bag of rotten food. So that’s where the stench was coming from! I took a picture for evidence and quickly disposed of it, gagging the whole time.

I knew I had to expose Stella, but Eddie would never believe me without proof. So, I hatched a plan.

I invited Stella over for another dinner, playing the perfect daughter-in-law. After we ate, we all gathered in the bedroom for a board game.

Suddenly, Stella gasped.

“Oh my, what’s this?” She reached into the drawer and pulled out the phone she had planted.

Eddie turned towards her, his eyebrows furrowed.

“Whose phone is that?” he asked.

Stella handed it to him with a sly smile on her face.

“Why don’t you check, dear?”

Eddie scrolled through the messages, his face darkening with each swipe.

“Nicole,” he said in a low voice, “what is this? Are you… are you cheating on me?”

“What? No!” I exclaimed. “Eddie, I’ve never seen that phone before! You have to believe me!”

“Then how do you explain these messages?” he demanded.

I could see the rage building inside him. Meanwhile, Stella sat there with a smug expression on her face like she was enjoying every moment of our argument. I knew it was time.

“I have something to show you, Eddie,” I said as I pulled out my phone.

Eddie squinted at the screen as I played the camera footage.

“Who’s that?” he asked. “Is that… Mom?”

We watched in silence as Stella placed the phone in the drawer and the bag in the attic. I could see Eddie’s eyes slowly widening in disbelief.

“Mom?” he turned to Stella. “What… why would you do this?”

Stella’s face went pale.

“I… I… Eddie, you don’t understand. I was just trying to—”

“To what?” Eddie cut her off. “To ruin my marriage? To hurt Nicole? To tear our family apart?”

“No, sweetie, I—”

“I can’t believe this,” Eddie shook his head and ran his hands through his hair. “All this time, Nicole tried to tell me how you treated her, and I didn’t listen. I defended you!”

Stella reached out to touch his arm, hoping he’d listen to her.

“Eddie, please—”

But he jerked away as if her touch burned him.

“No. I want you to leave. Now. And don’t come back.”

“But—”

“Now, Mom!” Eddie yelled.

Stella immediately grabbed her purse and hurried out. At that point, she knew she couldn’t do anything to defend herself.

Once we heard the front door slam shut, Eddie turned to me. I could see tears in his eyes.

“Nicole, I’m so sorry. I should have listened to you. I should have seen what was happening. Can you ever forgive me?”

I pulled him into a hug, feeling his body shake with silent sobs.

“Of course I forgive you. We’re in this together, remember? For better or worse.”

As we stood there, holding each other, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. Finally, Eddie saw the truth.

And while I knew we had a lot to work on now, including our relationship and family dynamics, I was ready to face everything with Eddie. I knew we could overcome everything if we stuck together.