I always knew my mother-in-law, Stella, didn’t like me, but I never imagined what she’d do in my own home. Eddie and I had been married five years, and while we loved each other deeply, his mom had always treated me like an obstacle. She barely hid her disappointment at our wedding and even commented on hoping for a boy when our daughter Kiara was born. Eddie always excused her behavior, saying, “That’s just how Mom is.”
One day, I noticed something strange—our keys looked slightly off. My unease grew, so I installed a security camera without telling Eddie. Two days later, the footage left me frozen: Stella had entered our home, rummaged through our bedroom, and placed something in the drawer, then went into the attic.
Inside the drawer was a phone with messages suggesting I was having an affair. In the attic, she had hidden rotting food—the source of the smell she had previously complained about. She’d tried to frame me.
I stayed calm and waited for the right moment. I invited her over again, played along, and when she revealed the phone to Eddie, I showed him the security footage. He watched, stunned, as the truth unfolded.
“Mom… why?” he asked, horrified. Stella couldn’t explain. Eddie turned to me, apologizing for not seeing the truth sooner. For the first time, I felt safe in our home again. Together, we finally set boundaries and faced the future as a united front.