My MIL Publicly Mocks My Food, So I Served Her a Medium Rare Payback

Relationships with in-laws can be great. You can have vacations and outings together that could bring happiness and joy to the entire family. But things aren’t that simple if your in-laws don’t accept you. One of our readers shared her story about in-law drama.

Laura reached out to us.

Dear Bright Side,

I always thought my MIL liked me. We used to hang out often and always went on family vacations together without any problems. I’m always in charge of planning the family vacations, and this year I wanted to do something special.

I spent months planning what I thought would be the perfect family vacation with my in-laws. It fell on their anniversary, so I wanted to make it a weekend they would never forget. So last weekend, I cooked a special dinner for them with the hope of sniffing out some special details while they came over.

The evening was going great until my MIL loudly joked about my cooking. She said, “On our vacation, please cook something edible!” Everyone laughed, but I didn’t. I had put a lot of effort into the meal, which happened to be her favorite, and she was mocking it.

That was when I realized that my MIL never liked me as a person, she was tolerating me. She liked the lavish vacations I booked and paid for that she could show off to her friends. And I had never seen through her backhanded comments because I was too worried about impressing her.

So I gave her a sweet smile and said, “Don’t worry, the chef will be taking care of that.” She looked very impressed, but she had no idea what she was in for. On the first day of our vacation, I sat her down and showed her what I had planned, along with the invoice.

“You booked us a private yacht! The girls will go mad,” she said. “Yes, but this year things will go a little differently. You’ve got to pay your share, and the chef isn’t cheap.”

She gasped in horror, “But you always pay.” I gave her another smile and said, “That was before you started insulting me. From now on, you can pay for yourself.”

My MIL was furious. She stormed off and went to cry to my husband, telling him she’ll never be able to afford her share and that she’d have to be a servant on the yacht while we enjoyed ourselves. My husband thinks I went too far and should go easy on her, at least this year. But I think it’s only fair.

So Bright Side, is my husband right? Should I let my MIL have one more trip at my expense after the ways she’s been treating me?

Regards,
Laura M.

Thank you for sharing your story with us, Laura. We understand that this situation isn’t an easy one, so we’ve put together a few tips that might be helpful.

Flip the “planner role” into a team effort test.

Instead of being the default organizer, hand over one big piece of responsibility to your MIL next time and see if she actually steps up. This both exposes whether she’s invested beyond the perks and takes pressure off you. If she refuses, you’ve got proof that her interest lies only in what you provide.

Use humor as armor.

When your MIL makes those digs, try turning them into playful “self-owned” comments that deflate her jab. For example: If she says, “Please cook something edible,” you could reply with, “Perfect! I’ll sign you up for kitchen duty next time, then we’ll all finally eat well.” It reframes the moment, gets a laugh at her expense, and avoids you looking defensive.

Create “experience gaps” on purpose.

Plan future getaways where your side of the family or just your household enjoys a special upgrade she doesn’t have access to. You’re not punishing her directly, but you’re subtly shifting the spotlight back onto you and your husband instead of letting her be the star of the trip. Over time, she’ll realize the freebies don’t automatically include her.

Laura acted the right way here. If she doesn’t do something drastic, her MIL will keep taking advantage of her generosity, and that isn’t fair. But she isn’t the only one who’s having MIL issues.

Another one of our readers, Emily, reached out and shared her story: My MIL Called My Son a “Lottery Ticket,” but I Got the Last Laugh.