When my mother-in-law handed me an envelope at our anniversary party, I expected a sweet gesture, maybe even a playful joke. What I didn’t expect was a shocking bill, demanding compensation for raising my husband. What I did next? Let’s just say it’s something she never saw coming.

I’ve always had a rocky relationship with my mother-in-law, but this crossed the line. If you’ve dealt with a difficult in-law, you might think you’ve seen it all—but this was on another level.

Laura, my mother-in-law, is one of those people who think they know everything. From kitchen hacks to current events, she’s got an opinion, even when she’s completely clueless. And heaven forbid you disagree with her, because she’ll remind you just how “wrong” you are.

She also considers herself the epitome of motherhood. Laura has two sons, Edward and Michael. Edward, the younger, is my husband. But ask Edward about his mom, and you’ll hear a very different story.

“She was always yelling at us for the smallest things,” Edward once told me. “We felt like we couldn’t do anything right and didn’t deserve love.”

I couldn’t believe it when he first shared these memories with me. The confident man I fell in love with had grown up in such a harsh environment. I remember holding his hand and promising I’d never let him feel that way again.

When we got married, I knew Laura would be difficult, but I didn’t expect her to try and make my life miserable. Still, nothing could have prepared me for what she pulled at our second wedding anniversary party.

We’d invited a small group of family and friends, including Laura, of course. I spent hours preparing the house and cooking a beautiful meal. Everything was going smoothly; guests enjoyed the food, the laughter flowed, and the night was almost perfect.

As the party wrapped up, Laura called me into the living room and handed me an envelope. “Just a little gift from me,” she said, with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It’s only for you, not for my son.”