Honest to God you think you’re the only one who can’t stand their mother out law, then you read this thread and realise you’re not alone by a long shot… 🫣 my heart goes out to you all on here.
Mine and my sister in law are both detestable for different reasons.
Mum in law very quietly domineering - you daren’t argue with her over anything.
Years ago, before I met my husband - she was desperately trying to fix him up with a young colleague of hers at work (they were both teachers) and she saw her as a lovely, pliable middle class lady with ‘good family’ ideal for Golden Balls (son). Anyway, this lady wasn’t interested at all… neither was son. She was bitterly disappointed. So fast forward 5 years or so, he meets me and we get married. I’m not what she has in mind, I’m from a working class northern town and my family - though by no means poor are less well to do. There’s a constant running ‘joke’ about me being a poor, working class scrote, mixing with middle class people like them…
On the night we announced our engagement - at a family meal, everyone but her congratulated us. Afterwards, she said “oh, so sorry I didn’t get up and hug you but I have a bad back”, and knew from that moment she’d be an
hole.
So yeah, every opportunity she gets she brings up this other woman she wanted son to marry - 3 times on Xmas day, in front of me and him… everyone… in the end I said “there you go, married the wrong woman…” but he just laughed at me.
Proper narc, always needs to be centre of attention with all her various illnesses and ailments - bad back, always falling, bowel trouble, etc. she LOVES going to A&E every time she has a complaint - then straight on the phone to one of us wanting sympathy. The absolute glee in her voice, she loves it.
She absolutely insists on a weekly phone call - at weekend, but at a time that’s convenient for her, not us, and I get a WhatsApp ‘summons’ to do it
. So I’ve started making hubby make the call and leaving the room or going off to do other things as I’m so tired of her. He works away a lot - and on the times he’s not here she still insists on it - I’ve never anything to say to her and she never asks how I am, how my work is going etc. it’s all her, their family and all the wonderful things they’re doing.
I know it’s really daft, got to speak to her and father in law in a bit and just dreading it. It’s nearly her birthday and she always wants to go out for a fancy meal at this horrible posh restaurant the family like - so she’s planning that at the moment. We always have the same shenanigans, she’ll book it - then complain and nitpick the menu, nitpick the staff - then happily hand over the best part of £400 for it… I’ve been looking at the menu already and I literally can’t find a single thing to eat on there. Husband knows I hate it, he won’t argue as I’m the odd one out.
I live a long way from my parents and rarely see them - gave up everything to be with my husband and there are honestly times I don’t know what I’m doing or why I’m here anymore. I don’t fit in or belong and she just makes me feel downtrodden.
Sorry for the long rant. This is small fry compared to a lot of the stories.