Aiste stopped the car a block before reaching her mother-in-law’s house. The clock showed 5:45 PM—she had arrived earlier than agreed. “Maybe, just this once, she’ll appreciate my punctuality,” she thought, smoothing the pleats of her new dress. The gift—an antique brooch she had spent months searching for among collectors—was carefully wrapped on the back seat.
As she approached the house, Aiste noticed the first-floor window slightly open. From inside, her mother-in-law’s voice rang out clearly:
“No, Beatrice, can you believe it? She didn’t even bother to ask what kind of cake I like! She ordered some modern dessert… Our son has always loved a classic Napoleon cake, and she—” a pause, “—doesn’t even understand that. Seven years of marriage!”
Aiste froze. Her feet felt glued to the ground.
“Of course, I’ve told you before—she’s not the right match for Daniel. She works day and night at that clinic of hers, barely shows up at home. What kind of housewife is that? I dropped by their place yesterday—dirty dishes, dust on the furniture… And she, of course, was busy performing some complicated surgery!”
Inside, everything went still. Aiste leaned against the fence, feeling her knees tremble. Seven years she had tried to be the perfect daughter-in-law: cooking, cleaning, remembering every birthday, visiting her mother-in-law when she was sick. And all of it…
“No, no, I’m not saying anything, but is this really the kind of woman my son needs? He needs a real family, warmth, care… And she’s always at conferences or night shifts. She doesn’t even think about children! Can you imagine?”
Her head was buzzing. Mechanically, Aiste pulled out her phone and dialed her husband’s number.
“Daniel? I’ll be a little late. Yes, everything’s fine, just… traffic.”
She turned around and walked back to the car. Sitting down, she stared blankly ahead. The words she had just heard echoed in her mind: “Maybe add more salt?”, “In my time, women stayed at home…”, “Daniel works so hard, he needs special attention…”
Her phone vibrated—her husband’s message: “Mom is asking where you are. Everyone’s already here.”
Aiste took a deep breath. A strange smile appeared on her face. “Alright,” she thought, “if they want the perfect daughter-in-law, they’ll get one.”
She started the engine and drove back to her mother-in-law’s house. The plan formed in an instant.
No more trying to please. It was time to show them what a “real” daughter-in-law could be like.
Aiste stepped through the door with the widest smile she could muster. “Mommy dearest!” she exclaimed, hugging her mother-in-law with exaggerated enthusiasm. “Forgive me for being late, but I stopped by three different stores looking for the exact candles you love!”
Her mother-in-law stiffened, caught off guard by such energy. “I thought…” she started, but Aiste was already continuing:
“Oh, and imagine this—I ran into your friend Beatrice on the way! Such a lovely woman, always speaking the truth, isn’t she?” Aiste gave her mother-in-law a meaningful look, watching her pale.
Throughout the entire dinner, Aiste put on the best performance of her life. She served her mother-in-law the finest portions, loudly admired every word she said, and endlessly asked for advice on housekeeping.
“Mommy, do you think borscht should be cooked for five or six hours? And should carpets be cleaned in the morning or evening? Maybe I should quit my job? After all, Daniel needs a real family, right?”
Daniel stared at Aiste in confusion, and the relatives exchanged glances. But Aiste carried on:
“I was thinking—maybe I should take home economics classes? Give up this silly surgery… After all, a woman should be the keeper of the home, right, Mommy?”
Her mother-in-law nervously tapped her fork against the plate. Her confidence faded with every passing minute.
And what happened next? Well, some stories are best read until the very end…
