In-laws are supposed to make life easier, right? Well, not in my case. This is the story of how I got back at Linda, who thought she could treat my eldest daughter, Tessa, badly and get away with it.

I have two daughters. Tessa, who is 10, is from my first marriage. She’s sweet, quiet, and always tries to make everyone happy. My younger daughter, Sadie, is 4, from my marriage to Grant, my current husband. Sadie is the opposite—full of energy and always asking questions. Grant loves both girls, but his mother, Linda, feels differently, especially toward Tessa.

Linda is the type of person who wants everything to appear perfect on the outside. But underneath, she’s judgmental and cold, particularly when it comes to Tessa. The reason? Tessa isn’t Grant’s biological daughter.

For years, I tried to keep the peace. Grant would say, “She’s just old-fashioned,” but it was clear Linda’s behavior wasn’t fair to Tessa.

“She’ll come around,” Grant would say. But Linda never did. Instead, she made small, hurtful comments toward Tessa.

Tessa, bless her, never complained. She stayed quiet, probably thinking it was her fault. But I noticed everything. I heard the comments, and each time, it made me angry.

Grant? He didn’t see it the same way. He loved his mom and thought she was just being her usual, quirky self.

I always thought in-laws were supposed to make life easier. But not in my case. This is the story of how I got revenge on Linda, my mother-in-law, who treated my eldest daughter, Tessa, like she didn’t matter.

I have two daughters. Tessa, 10, is from my first marriage. She’s sweet, quiet, and always tries to make people happy. Sadie, 4, is from my marriage to Grant, and she’s full of energy. Grant loves both girls, but his mother, Linda, acts differently, especially toward Tessa.

Linda often made rude comments about Tessa. Sometimes, she’d say things like, “Oh, Tessa, that dress is a bit too grown-up for you, don’t you think?” She would forget Tessa’s birthday but spoil Sadie with gifts.

Things got worse after my own mother passed away. I was crushed by grief, barely able to function. We had to travel out of state for the funeral, and Linda offered to watch the girls. I didn’t want to leave Tessa with her, knowing how uncomfortable she’d be, but I had no other choice.

Three days later, we returned home, and the house was eerily quiet. Linda left a note saying she had taken Sadie to the park, but I couldn’t find Tessa. My heart raced as I searched the house. Then, I saw a light coming from the basement. I went downstairs and found Tessa, curled up on the cold floor, sleeping under a blanket, with dried tears on her face.

“Tessa, why are you down here?” I asked, heartbroken. She told me Linda had made her sleep there, saying Sadie was her “real” granddaughter and they needed “special time” together.

I was furious but knew confronting Linda wouldn’t change things. Instead, I decided to get even. Linda’s family reunion was coming up, and it was her pride and joy. I offered to help her organize it, pretending everything was fine. But behind the scenes, I was telling the family how Tessa was treated, especially during the funeral.

At the reunion, I put together a slideshow of family photos. But in the middle of all the happy pictures, I included a clip of Tessa sleeping on the basement floor. The mood shifted immediately. People were shocked, whispering, “Why would she be down there?”

Linda’s perfect image crumbled as the family questioned her. She tried to explain, but it was too late—everyone saw her for who she truly was. I didn’t need to say anything; the photos said it all.

Since that day, Linda hasn’t spoken to me, and honestly, that’s just fine with me. I’ll always protect my daughter, no matter what.