I always had a feeling my mother-in-law, Denise, wasn’t particularly fond of me. She wasn’t openly hostile, but there was a subtle coldness—like she saw me as a temporary guest in her son’s life.
So when my husband, Julian, invited her over for dinner, I wasn’t surprised when she suddenly had to take a “work call” just as we were about to eat.
“Oh, I hate to do this,” she said with exaggerated regret, holding up her phone. “It’s my manager—I need to take this.”
Julian gave her a disappointed look but nodded. “Of course, Mom.”
She stepped away, phone to her ear. “Yes, I can do that. No problem. I can leave right now if necessary.” She glanced over at us apologetically, like she hated to miss the meal.
But I wasn’t buying it.
As she ended the call, I caught a glimpse of her phone screen—and that’s when I saw the truth.
There was no call screen. No timer. No missed calls. Just her front camera, reflecting her face back at her.
She quickly turned it off, but I’d already seen enough.
I glanced at Julian—he hadn’t noticed. But I had. And now I had to decide what to do.
I could’ve called her out. I could’ve said something sarcastic or even just given her a knowing smirk. But I didn’t. Instead, I smiled sweetly and said, “Oh no, Denise—do you really have to go? We made your favorite—lemon herb chicken.”
Her hand tightened on the phone. She knew I’d caught her. Her eyes flicked away, and she shifted awkwardly like a kid who’d been caught in a lie.
But she stuck to the act. “Yes, unfortunately,” she replied, forcing a tone of urgency. “Something urgent just came up. You understand.”
Julian gave her a small nod. “Of course. We’ll do this another time.”
She grabbed her purse and was out the door in seconds.
I exhaled slowly. I wasn’t even angry—just surprised. This was a new level of avoidance.
Later, after dinner, I brought it up gently with Julian. “Did you notice anything odd about your mom’s call?”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I saw her phone screen. She wasn’t on a call. Her camera was open.”
His eyes widened. “Seriously?”
I nodded. “She faked the whole thing.”
He paused for a moment, then let out a half-laugh. “I can’t decide if that’s insulting or kind of clever.”
I smiled. “So what should we do?”
He thought for a moment, then smirked. “Let’s invite her again.”
The following week, we pulled out all the stops—her favorite meal, a beautifully set table, and dessert she loved. We were curious to see if she’d try the same trick.
Right on cue, as we were about to sit down, her phone “rang.”
She barely looked at it before sighing dramatically. “Oh no—it’s work again. I really hate to—”
Julian cut her off with a calm smile. “No worries, Mom. We’ll wait.”
She looked confused. “Oh, um… it might take a while.”
“That’s okay,” I chimed in cheerfully. “We’ll keep everything warm for you.”
She stood there, phone to her ear, clearly thrown off. You could see her calculating—how long could she pretend to be on a call? Would she fake a conversation? Walk out again? Come clean?
Eventually, she sighed and lowered the phone. “Alright, fine. You caught me.”
Julian raised an eyebrow. “Why go through all that?”
She looked down at the table. “I didn’t think you’d notice.”
I softened. “Notice what? That you faked a call—or that you don’t want to be here?”
Her cheeks turned red. “It’s not that I don’t want to be here. It’s just… I’m still adjusting. For so long, it was just me and Julian. I guess I feel like I’ve been replaced.”
Julian reached for her hand. “Mom, you haven’t lost me. But I’m married now. We’re building something together.”
She nodded slowly. “I know. It’s just hard sometimes. I thought if I kept showing up, you’d get tired of inviting me.”
I gently took her hand. “Denise, you’re welcome here. We want you here. Not out of duty—because we genuinely enjoy having you around.”
Her expression softened, and she gave a small nod. “Thank you. I’ll try.”
That night was the most honest conversation we’d ever had. She still wasn’t overly affectionate, but she made the effort. And for the first time, I felt like she saw me not as a threat, but as family.
Sometimes, people don’t act out because they’re mean—they’re just scared. Denise wasn’t avoiding dinner because she hated me. She was afraid of being replaced in Julian’s life. Once we showed her that she still had a place, things shifted.
Relationships take patience and openness. But deep down, most people just want to feel like they matter.
If you’ve ever had to navigate a complicated in-law relationship, you’re not alone. And if this story resonated with you, share it with someone who might need to hear it.