My tale starts with what I deemed a difficult mother-in-law who disapproved of my relationship with her son. But it ended with me realizing I was wrong about her and her motives. After she passed, I learned some shocking truths about her, my marriage, and my life.
On the day Betty, my mother-in-law (MIL), passed away, I was out of town. Though she had been ill for a while, her death came suddenly, leaving me unable to catch a flight to return in time. Complicated is a mild word to use to explain my husband’s mother.
She was the type of person who bottled up her emotions, and she NEVER liked me. But as time progressed, she came to terms with the fact that I was married to her son, and that was good enough for me.
When I finally got back home, I found a cardboard box on my porch with a note attached. The note read, “For Maddie. Open When Alone. Love, Betty.” I was speechless. My MIL had never told me she loved me, so her note came as a shock.
With a mix of emotions, I grabbed the box and hurried inside so I could open it. I set the box on the kitchen table, eager to uncover its contents while my husband was still at work. My hands trembled as I opened it, and what I found inside turned my marriage upside down!
Inside was a letter resting atop an envelope stuffed with cash. The letter was also addressed to me, written in Betty’s delicate handwriting. I carefully unfolded it and began to read what my MIL wanted me to know after her death.
Dear Maddie,
I hope this letter finds you well, and I pray you are reading it alone, as I requested. There is so much I need to say to you, and I can only hope you will understand my reasons for not speaking up while I was alive.
First, I owe you a sincere apology. You must have felt my coldness and distance, and I am TRULY sorry for any pain that may have caused you. The truth is, I never hated you. On the contrary, I have always admired you. I saw how hardworking, trusting, and kind you are, and these qualities are rare and precious.
The reason for my distance was not out of disdain for you but out of disappointment that you married my son. Maddie, you deserve SO MUCH better! You have a lot of potential, and so many dreams that I fear you staying with him will only kill them.
My son is not the man you think he is. He is using you, holding you back from becoming the person you are meant to be. And there’s more, Maddie… I’ve known for a long time that he has been cheating on you. You deserve someone who will cherish and respect you, not someone who deceives you.
I could never bring myself to say these things while I was alive, and I regret it. I saw myself in you, and it broke my heart to think you might end up like me, trapped in a life of unfulfilled dreams. I regretted becoming a housewife, and I see you making the same choices.
But it’s not too late for you. I’ve left you the money in this envelope not only for your future but for your freedom. Use it for a divorce, if that is what you choose. Or you can use it to start your journey and to pursue your career and dreams.
My hope for you is that you live the life I was not brave enough to live. You have SO MUCH to offer the world, Maddie. Don’t let anyone hold you back. Be brave, and be the woman you are meant to be.
With all my love and regrets,
Betty
Tears streamed down my face as Betty’s words hit me. The woman I thought hated me had seen me for who I truly was and more clearly than anyone else! Her words were a call to action, a push to reclaim my life and pursue my dreams.
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