At first, everything seemed normal.
When I got married, I imagined a life together full of love, mutual support and respect. I was young, full of dreams, believing that Adam and I would create our own little family. But at the time, I didn't know that along with him, I was also taking on his parents – and that they would turn my life into a nightmare.
At first, everything seemed normal. The in-laws were polite, praising my culinary skills and my “perfect housekeeping”. But over time, their demands began to grow. “Magda, can you do the laundry?” my mother-in-law asked. “Magda, don't forget to make dinner for dad,” my father-in-law added. At first, I thought it was just temporary. That they needed help because they were older. But what was supposed to be a favor became my daily duty.
Adam was silent. “These are my parents,” he would say when I tried to talk to him. “Helping them is normal. After all, they won't be around one day.” He couldn't understand that my life had turned into an endless list of duties: cooking, cleaning, shopping, doing laundry – all for them.
The worst thing was that I never heard the word “thank you. Instead, they kept criticizing me. “The soup is too salty,” my mother-in-law would say. “You can't iron a shirt,” my father-in-law would say. Every day I felt like I was losing myself. I had no time for my own hobbies, for rest, for anything. I was their maid, not their daughter-in-law.
One day, when I returned later than usual, I found my mother-in-law in the kitchen with an angry expression on her face. “Where have you been?– she asked sharply. “Dinner should have been on the table an hour ago. Can't you be more responsible? ?”
That was the moment something inside me snapped. "Responsible?– I exclaimed, unable to contain my anger any longer. "I've been doing everything for you for years! I cook, clean, take care of you, and you treat me like nobody. Have you ever thought that I have my own life too?”
My mother-in-law looked at me in surprise, but didn't budge. "It's your duty. After all, you are our son's wife.”
I looked at Adam, who was sitting on the couch, pretending not to hear. “Adam, say something,– I begged, but he just shrugged. “Mommy's right,– he said quietly. “This is your home, after all.”
That night I sat alone in my bedroom and started crying. I realized that in this house I would never be myself. I was not a partner, just a tool to fulfill their expectations. I decided I had to change something.
The next day I packed my suitcase. Adam looked at me in disbelief. „What are you doing?– he asked.
„I'm leaving– I replied firmly. „I'm not your servant. I have the right to my own life.”
He didn't try to stop me. And the in-laws? Finally realized that they had lost someone who had cared for them for years, forgetting about themselves.
Today I am alone, but I feel that I have regained my freedom. Every day I learn anew who I am and what I want from life. I will no longer allow anyone to destroy what I have built – especially myself.
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