At three o’clock in the morning I received a message from my son: “Mom, forgive me, I know you gave us this house, but my mother-in-law doesn’t want to see you at our wedding” 

I replied briefly: “Okay.” But at that moment I already had a plan for how to put the ungrateful relatives in their place. 

I’m no longer twenty, not even forty. At this age, insomnia comes often — even if during the day you’re so tired that your legs ache and all you want is to fall asleep.

That evening it was exactly like that. I lay in bed, tossing from side to side, thinking about my son’s upcoming wedding. About where else to find money so everything would be beautiful. So that he could have the wedding of his dreams.

I had already bought them a house. Small, but cozy. The very one where they were supposed to start their life after the wedding. But it always felt like it wasn’t enough. He is all I have. My only child. All my life I tried to give him more than I ever had myself.

Suddenly the phone on the nightstand vibrated. Three in the morning. I reached out, picked up the phone — and froze.

A message from my son: “Mom, forgive me. I know you gave us the house, but my mother-in-law doesn’t want to see you at our wedding.”

I read the message several times. My chest felt empty.

I remembered everything I had given up for my son. How I worked from morning till night. How I denied myself everything, just so he would have it all. And now it turned out that strangers mattered more to him. And that I was a problem for them.

I replied briefly: “Okay. I won’t come.”

I put the phone down and didn’t cry anymore. That night I decided I had had enough. They thought I would swallow the insult. But it was exactly then that I did something that left everyone stunned  I told the continuation of my story in the first comment 

The next morning I opened the documents. The house had not yet been fully transferred to my son. The ownership rights were still mine. I called the notary. Then the real estate agent. Within a few days, the house was rented out to other people.

I also canceled all the wedding expenses. Every last penny.

And I bought a ticket and flew to the sea.

A few days before the wedding, my son called. His voice was shaking.

— Mom… there are people living in my house.

I replied calmly:

— No. It’s not your house anymore.

Because of lack of money, they couldn’t organize the wedding properly. They went into debt. And they had to live with the bride’s parents.

Well then. Let the beloved mother-in-law support them!