I Accidentally Overheard My Husband Talking about Me to His Family & I Still Can’t Digest It
A trip that was meant to be an opportunity to build a relationship with her in-laws turned into a crushing realization of feeling unwelcome in her husband’s family during their annual vacation
The early stages of marriage can be a transition, especially when trying to fit into your spouse’s family. This woman was still trying to navigate her place in her husband’s family, but in the end, she was heartbroken and felt even more displaced.
The woman took to Reddit to share how it all unfolded. She explained that she and her husband had not been married long, so she had not spent much time with his family. However, her in-laws had an annual family vacation, and this year she asked her husband if she could join.
The husband was hesitant, but his wife argued it would be a great opportunity for her to get to know them better and for them to work toward building a relationship. Consequently, the husband agreed. Upon their arrival, she realized the family was a bit surprised to see her but still welcomed her.
Things were going well, but the truth came out on the third day of the vacation. The husband, along with his brother, mother, father, and other spouses, were sitting outside while the Redditor was inside preparing a fruit salad.
As she walked toward the door, she heard her mother-in-law say, “Did she really have nowhere else to spend the weekend?” At first, the wife did not know who she was referring to, so she stopped to listen further and heard her husband say, “I know!!! And I didn’t want to bring her with me, but what was I supposed to do?!!! You know how pushy she can get.” She instantly figured it was about her.
The statement shattered her heart, and she almost dropped the bowl of salad she was holding. “This whole time I was there, I cleaned, cooked, looked after the kids, and this is how they think of me? An inconvenience to them?” she expressed.
The original poster (OP) could not see herself spending another day with the family, especially after discovering her presence was unwanted. So, she quickly booked the next flight out. Her husband texted but did not respond; she simply told him she had made it home safely.
When he got home, he was extremely angry at his wife and told her she was “disrespectful and juvenile.” The OP told him that she had overheard what he said to his mother, but he still blamed her for eavesdropping and said his family was slowly warming up to her.
In the end, the wife started feeling bad, thinking she might have ruined the vacation for everyone. Thus, she turned to fellow Reddit users and asked if she was right to leave the family vacation after she heard what her husband said about her.
Contrarily, the OP’s story had many commenters riled up. Readers believed the OP was right to leave because she overheard her mother-in-law speaking ill of her, and her husband did not defend her, which was a big red flag to many readers.
Another commenter simply asked, “Does he even like you?” while another added, “NTA. Please don’t let him gaslight you.” Another reader was shocked that the OP was being treated in this manner when she was a wife, not a girlfriend her husband had been dating for two weeks.
One reader shared that she had experienced a similar situation with her ex-husband. She said he used to go on vacation with another family, and when she asked to join, her husband told her it was “only family.” The woman realized her husband never considered her family, so she spent that week with her friends and when he returned from his vacation, she served him with divorce papers.
What was even more shocking to Redditors was that all the other spouses were allowed on the family vacation except for her. “NTA. Other spouses are welcome but not you? What on earth is going on here??” pointed out a commenter.
Here is a story about a woman who could not believe what her fiancé said to his friends after her grandmother’s death.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
A young woman starts working as a maid and is shocked to find a framed photo of her mother in her boss’s bedroom
Caroline got a job as a cleaning lady in New York and went to her first assignment. It was a beautiful house in Manhattan, but something shocked her. There was a picture of her mother in the office. Then a man walked in.
“I’m going to do a great job,” Caroline psyched herself up in front of her first assignment. She and her friend, Melissa, moved to New York a few days ago to make their dreams of being Broadway stars come true.
But they needed to find jobs first to rent an apartment together. Luckily, Melissa got hired at a clothing store, and Caroline got a job at an agency for domestic cleaners.
It was perfect. It wasn’t that time-consuming, and she loved cleaning because it had a calming effect on her. Moreover, if no one else was home, she could practice her singing voice.
Unfortunately, her mother’s face popped into her mind before walking into her first home. Her mother, Helen, didn’t want her to chase after such silly dreams, much less live in New York.
Caroline was born and raised in Philadelphia, which wasn’t that far away. She didn’t have a father, and her mother never said a word about him. For some reason, Helen really hated New York. She also sheltered Caroline all her life, which was why she had to escape.
When she and Melissa planned their move, she knew her mother would not allow it. Caroline suspected she may even fake an illness just to get her to stay. But Caroline needed to fight for her dreams. It was her life. So, she left a tiny note on her mother’s dresser when she was asleep and ran away.
It had been several days, and Helen had not called her, which was weird. But Caroline assumed she was probably mad at her. Hopefully, she would get over it once Caroline debuted on Broadway. Now, it was time to focus on cleaning this house.
According to the agency director, an older man lives in the house alone, so it was not particularly messy in the first place. When Caroline finally walked inside using the key under the mat as was instructed, she wasted no time to start cleaning — first, the kitchen, then the living room, and moving towards the bedroom.
“I’m almost done, sir. But may I ask a question? Who is this woman?”
She hesitated a bit right at the entrance of a serious-looking office, but there were no instructions against coming in. She resolved not to touch too much around the desk and continued cleaning.
There was a beautiful fireplace with a mantelpiece on top and huge bookshelves along the opposite wall. It was the kind of office Caroline had only seen in movies.
She tidied as quickly and thoroughly as she could but stopped short at the mantelpiece. There were several pictures on top, but one caught her attention. A picture with her mother’s face. She was at least 18 years younger, but it was her. “Why is my mother in this man’s pictures?” she wondered out loud.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps and an older man entered the office. “Oh hello there! You must be the new cleaning lady. I’m Richard Smith. I own this house,” the man introduced himself with a warm smile. “Are you done in here already?”
“I’m almost done, sir. But may I ask a question?” Caroline hesitated, hoping that the man wouldn’t be mad if she asked about the image. “Who is this woman?”
“Who?” he wondered, moving closer to her and putting on his glasses. “Ah yes. That’s Helen. She was the love of my life.”
Caroline’s senses started pinging. “What happened to her?” She couldn’t help but ask.
“She died during a bus crash. She was pregnant at the time too. I couldn’t even go to the funeral because her mother hated me. It was crazy… I tried to move on and never did. To this day, I still love and miss her,” Richard responded, removing his glasses and moving towards his chair.
“Sir, I’m sorry to intrude like this, and thank you for telling me. But this woman… she looks so much like my mother. It’s insane,” Caroline revealed.
The older man frowned at her. “What do you mean?”
“Well, my mother, Helen, looks exactly like this woman. Obviously, she’s older now, but the resemblance is uncanny. I’m 98% sure this is her,” she continued, facing Richard but gesturing toward the photograph.
“Helen? Your mother’s name is Helen? Where did you grow up?”
“Philadelphia,” she answered, shrugging her shoulders. Her eyes widened now that she realized that if that was Helen, then this man might be her father.
Richard covered his mouth with his hands. “This is not possible…” he whispered. “Can I have your mother’s phone number?”
“Sure,” she said and gave it to him.
“Can you stay here while I call her?” he requested, and Caroline agreed.
He dialed right there from his office phone, and her mother’s voice answered after a few rings. “Hello? Is it you, Caroline?”
Richard looked up at Caroline for a second but decided to speak up first. “Is this Helen Geller?”
“Yes. Who am I speaking to?” Helen asked from the other end of the line.
“Helen, it’s Richard,” he continued, his voice starting to get emotional.
“Richard, who? Wait a minute. Richard Morris? What do you want after all these years?” Helen asked, her voice hardening for some reason.
Caroline and Richard started at each other in confusion, but he continued. “What do you mean after all these years? I thought you were dead!”
“What?”
Richard explained what he knew of the alleged accident when he had lost his future wife and unborn baby. He also explained how Helen’s mother didn’t allow him at the funeral and refused to tell him anything afterward. But Helen had no idea what he was talking about and told him what she knew.
“My mother told me that you called and decided you wanted nothing to do with me. So I raised my daughter on my own,” Helen revealed, and Caroline was shocked by this turn of events.
“That’s not… Helen, I would never abandon you. I never moved on. I still thought of you every day. I mourned you. I’ve been in pain thinking about you and our kid for almost two decades,” Richard continued, but Helen was quiet.
“I can’t believe Mom would do this. But well, that was her way. I don’t know what do now,” Helen finally stated. “Wait. How did you find out I was still alive?”
“Mom, I’m here,” Caroline chimed in at last. She hurriedly explained what happened and reassured her mother that she was fine in New York.
“I can’t believe this is happening at all. I can’t even ask my mother why she would do something so cruel to us. She died years ago. But anyway, when are you coming back home, Caroline?” Helen asked, in a firmer voice toward her daughter.
“I’m not coming back until I make it on Broadway. And now, well… now I have another reason to stay here,” Caroline continued, looking at Richard with a tiny smile.
“Fine, but I’m coming up to New York soon,” Helen said and hung up. Richard and Caroline started at each other in silence for a few moments before either of them spoke up.
“So, I guess you’re my dad,” she chirped. He laughed, and that’s how they broke the ice.
What can we learn from this story?
Let your children pursue their dreams. Caroline ran away because her mother was overprotective. You should guide your children but let them decide what to do with their lives.
Some parents don’t have your best interests at heart. Helen’s mother did something horrible to her and Richard, and they would never know why.
Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.
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