Is this how you should treat someone who doesn't give a damn about you?

From real life. "Instead of a normal Christmas present, I got something outrageous from my mother-in-law": She gave me used cosmetics

From the outside, it seems like I'm picking on a poor woman who's raising her son alone. But over the years I suffered so much from her that I could write a script for a melodrama.

Christmas was no exception – Maria decided to embarrass me. At my husband's request, I ordered her handmade chocolate and a beautiful crystal for sweets. The amount of money I spent was simply terrible! But for the sake of my husband and his peace of mind, I decided not to complain. Traditionally, we exchange gifts on December 25th. I prefer to spend Christmas Eve at home, in my pajamas, and only then go to visit.

This time we decided not to change the tradition, my mother-in-law welcomed us with bread and salt, you can't take that away from her. The table was piled high with various delicacies, she is always happy to have guests. After the cake, when we could barely move after what we had eaten, it was time to exchange gifts. A small box, hastily tied with a ribbon, fell into my lap. Burning with impatience, I opened it.

There were a few tubes of facial products. Previously, Maria had limited herself to chocolate or shower gel. The brand was not cheap, but I looked closely and saw the 60+ sign. And I had only recently turned 40! The packaging did not look fresh. Well, the protective foil was torn, the cream was lying on the bottom, the spray was without a lid. My mother-in-law, seeing my face, asked provocatively why, and when I told her what I saw, she made it clear that it should not be a problem for me, that she took the half-used cosmetics from her own shelf and put together an “expensive set” for me.

My husband suddenly came to his senses, sensing the likelihood of a scandal. “Mom, you are really going crazy!” he tried to smooth things over. He said that these cosmetics were not suitable for my age at all.

My mother-in-law clearly did not expect her son to criticize her. “It's no big deal if your beloved puts on some cream for the elderly,” my mother-in-law continued to mock. “Maybe she'll look better later.” I couldn't stand such rudeness. I left the box on the table and silently headed for the door.

Only when I stepped outside into the fresh air could I breathe freely. And tears immediately welled up in my eyes. Only a woman knows how to hurt another woman. Maria does it masterfully. Only this time she clearly overdid it! My husband and children ran after me after another 5 minutes. And then I went home, looked in the mirror and just smiled. Yes, I don't look 20 now, but I still look pretty fresh. And I plan to limit communication with my mother-in-law to regular phone calls.

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Natasha Kumar

By Natasha Kumar

Natasha Kumar has been a reporter on the news desk since 2018. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining The Times Hub, Natasha Kumar worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my natasha@thetimeshub.in 1-800-268-7116