I Caught SIL Secretly Throwing My Meal in the Trash—So I Made Sure She Had Nowhere to Stay

Family & kids
3 weeks ago

Relationships with the in-laws can sometimes get complicated. But we’re guessing you’d never expect something as simple as a family meal to be the start of the drama. That was the case in the following story of a woman who shared how she handled her sister-in-law’s disrespectful table manners.

One of our readers reached out to us.

I spent hours making my famous chicken curry, excited to serve it to my husband, daughter, and my SIL, Rachel, who was visiting for the weekend.

When I stepped away to grab a drink, I caught my SIL secretly throwing my meal in the trash. To my surprise, my husband shrugged it off, “You know how Rachel is.”

Fuming, I didn’t say a word. I told Lily, my daughter, to grab her coat, and I ordered takeout—just for me and her. Rachel had crossed the line too many times.

Rachel came back later, holding a takeout box. “I didn’t mean to upset anyone,” she said. There was no apology in her voice. She didn’t even seem to understand the weight of what she’d done.

I stared at her, feeling the anger rise. “You didn’t even apologize,” I said. “And after everything, you still think you can walk in here like nothing happened?” She just stood there, blank-faced.

“I’m not letting you stay here tonight,” I said firmly, “If you can’t respect us, you need to leave.”

Rachel didn’t argue. She left without a word, and for the first time, I felt relief. No one, not even family, could undermine me in my own home. But sometimes I wonder if I did the right thing.

Was I wrong to kick her out like that? Should I have tried to have a conversation with her first? I keep wondering if I correctly acted out of anger or if I should have handled it differently.

Nta. SIL the AH who tossed the dinner into trash for unknown reason and didn't apologize. Hubby big AH who didn't do squat even have excuses for her. Would've tossed her out than ordered takeout

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Reply

Set clear boundaries and make sure your in-laws stick to them.

While it’s true you can’t control other people’s actions, you are solely responsible for the way you react. If you feel like your sister-in-law has been disrespectful towards you and the work you’ve put into feeding your family, you’re fully within your rights to react firmly. If a healthy boundary for you means inviting her to stay elsewhere, then that’s totally suitable.

For the future, if this behavior persists, keeping her at a distance might be the best solution to keep you from unnecessary conflicts.

The internet is filled with anonymous stories from people who’ve had struggles with their in-laws. This one might spark your interest too.

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