I always knew my mother-in-law, Denise, didn’t like me. She wasn’t outright cruel, but she had this way of making me feel… temporary. Like I was just a phase in her son’s life.
So when my husband, Julian, invited her over for dinner, I wasn’t surprised when she suddenly got a “work call” right before we started eating.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she sighed dramatically, holding up her phone. “It’s my manager—I have to take this.”
Julian looked disappointed, but he nodded. “Of course, Mom.”
She stepped away from the table, pressing the phone to her ear. “Yes, I understand. No, that’s totally fine. I can leave now if you need me to.” She glanced at us with a fake grimace, like she was so sorry to be ditching us.
I wasn’t buying it.
She tapped the screen to hang up and lowered the phone. That’s when I saw it.
No call screen. No timer running. No missed call notifications.
Instead, her front camera was open, showing a confused reflection of her own face.
She quickly fumbled to turn it off, but it was too late—I had seen everything.
I looked at Julian. He hadn’t noticed. But I had. And now I had a choice to make.
I could have called her out right then and there. I could have laughed, made a joke, or even just given her a knowing look. But I didn’t. Instead, I smiled sweetly and said, “Oh no, Denise, are you sure you have to go? We made your favorite—lemon herb chicken.”
She hesitated for the briefest moment, her fingers tightening around her phone. She knew I had seen. I could see it in the way her eyes darted away from mine, in the way she shifted on her feet like a kid caught sneaking an extra cookie.
But she was committed to the lie now. “Yes, unfortunately,” she said, forcing a regretful tone. “I just—I have to handle something urgent at work. You know how it is.”
Julian gave her a small smile. “Of course. We’ll do this another time.”
Denise nodded quickly, grabbed her purse, and nearly sprinted out the door.
I let out a slow breath. I wasn’t angry—not really. I was used to her antics. But this? This was a new low.
After dinner, I casually mentioned it to Julian. “Did you notice anything weird about your mom’s call?”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
I hesitated. I didn’t want to start a fight. But I also didn’t want him to keep making excuses for her. “She wasn’t actually on a call. Her front camera was open.”
He blinked. “What?”
I shrugged. “I saw it. She faked the whole thing.”
Julian’s face was unreadable for a long moment. Then, finally, he let out a small chuckle. “I don’t know whether to be annoyed or impressed.”
I smiled, relieved he wasn’t mad at me for bringing it up. “So what do we do?”
Julian tapped his fingers on the table, thinking. Then, a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes. “We invite her again.”
The following week, Julian invited Denise over for another dinner. This time, we made an extra effort—her favorite meal, a beautifully set table, even a dessert she loved. I wanted to see if she’d pull the same stunt.
Sure enough, just as we were about to sit down, her phone “rang.” She barely glanced at it before standing up. “Oh dear,” she said, frowning at the screen. “It’s work again. I really hate to do this, but—”
This time, Julian cut in smoothly. “Oh, no worries, Mom. We’ll wait.”
She blinked. “Oh, no, it’s fine. I don’t know how long it’ll—”
“No problem at all,” I added, smiling. “We don’t want you eating cold food, so we’ll just hold off until you’re done.”
She stared at us, clearly thrown off. “Uh… well… it might be a long call.”
Julian leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “That’s fine. We’ve got time.”
Denise hesitated, phone still pressed to her ear. I could see the gears turning in her head. How long could she realistically pretend to be on a call? Would she fake a full conversation? Hang up and say she had to leave? Admit she’d been caught?
Finally, after an awkward pause, she sighed and set the phone down. “Alright, fine. You got me.”
Julian raised an eyebrow. “Mom, why?”
She let out a breath, suddenly looking tired. “I just… I didn’t think you’d notice.”
I softened a little. “Notice that you faked a call? Or notice that you don’t actually want to be here?”
Her face flushed. “It’s not that I don’t want to be here. It’s just… I’m used to it being just Julian and me. And it’s different now. I know that sounds ridiculous, but sometimes it feels like I’ve lost my son.”
Julian sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Mom, you haven’t lost me. But I have a wife now. We’re a team.”
She nodded slowly. “I know. And I know you love her. I just… I guess I felt like if I didn’t come, you’d eventually stop inviting me.”
My heart softened a little. For all her faults, I could see that, deep down, she wasn’t trying to be cruel. She was just struggling to adjust.
I reached for her hand. “Denise, you don’t have to pretend. If you need time to adjust, that’s okay. But I want you to know—you’re always welcome here. We want you here. Not out of obligation, but because we actually want to spend time with you.”
She swallowed, her eyes looking a little misty. Then she nodded. “Okay.”
Dinner that night was the first real, genuine conversation we’d had. She still wasn’t overly warm toward me, but she tried. And for the first time, it felt like maybe—just maybe—she saw me as more than just a temporary part of Julian’s life.
Sometimes, people act out not because they don’t care, but because they’re afraid of being left behind. My mother-in-law faked calls to avoid dinner, but in reality, she was afraid of losing her place in Julian’s life. Once we called her out—not with anger, but with understanding—things started to change.
Relationships aren’t always easy. They take patience, honesty, and a little bit of strategy. But at the end of the day, everyone just wants to feel like they belong.
If you’ve ever had a tricky in-law situation or dealt with someone who pushed you away out of fear, share your thoughts below. And if you enjoyed this story, don’t forget to like and share! You never know who might need to hear this today.