I gave my daughter a house as a wedding gift, thinking her marriage would be something to celebrate: elegant, joyful, everything a mother could wish for. But before the ceremony even took place, that supposed son-in-law showed up with his entire family—parents, brother, and sister-in-law—all moving in as if they owned the place. The first thing they said? «We’re taking the master bedroom.»
«She can handle all the chores.» I thought this was going to be a marriage. It turns out they saw my daughter as nothing more than a live-in maid.
But here’s what they didn’t see coming. They got proud too soon and realized it too late. My daughter is nobody’s stepping stone.
And in the next moment, I made sure every single one of them shut their mouths. My daughter’s fiancé, Curtis Miller, seemed like a nice guy: polite, attentive to Natalie, the kind of boyfriend any parent would cautiously approve of. But his family? That was another story.
No house, no car, and certainly no financial contribution to the wedding. His parents lived in a remote town, working as farmhands, while his brother and sister-in-law were barely scraping by with odd jobs in the city. Thomas and I had our doubts about this relationship from the very beginning.
But Natalie was in love—deeply, stubbornly, head over heels in love. She begged us, persuaded us, and insisted until, finally, we gave in. Wanting to make sure she wouldn’t struggle after the marriage, we gifted her a beautiful house in the suburbs of Boston, a standalone home, completely renovated down to the last detail.
Thomas oversaw everything personally, pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into custom designs, carefully selected finishes, and the best contractors money could buy. The day the renovations were finished, he was so excited he practically dragged me over to see the final result. But before we even stepped inside, an unmistakably shrill voice echoed from inside the house.
«My God, is this neighborhood a prison? Every house has its doors shut. How am I supposed to visit the neighbors if nobody leaves their doors open? Curtis, go and tell them to be more neighborly and stop locking everyone out. And that front gate? What the hell is that? It looks like a damn fortress.»
«The bars are so tight it looks like we’re guarding a bank. What happens when our relatives come to visit? Are they supposed to wait outside like beggars? Curtis, get some workers over here and tear that ridiculous thing down.»
I didn’t even need to see her to know. It was Curtis’s mother, Mrs. Miller. A slow, simmering anger began to build in my chest. Curtis had brought nothing to this marriage: not a house, not a car, not even an engagement ring.
Natalie had quietly bought one herself so we wouldn’t worry, claiming it was from him. Of course, we found out later. But in the end, Thomas and I decided to let it go. At the very least, we thought, they loved each other.
What infuriated me most was his parents’ reaction when they found out. Instead of gratitude or embarrassment, they scoffed, calling Natalie wasteful. A ring was just a formality, they argued, so why throw money away on something so unnecessary?
And now, standing on the threshold of this house, our house, listening to this woman complain as if she were inspecting a rundown motel, I could feel my patience wearing thin. Natalie, ever the peacemaker, tried to keep things calm. «Mr. and Mrs. Miller, there’s a wonderful community center nearby. If you’re looking for company, they have game nights, social events, plenty of opportunities to meet people.»
Mrs. Miller wrinkled her nose. «Card games? Please. You think we haven’t played cards before?» Then, as if we were invisible, Curtis’s parents wandered off to explore, peering into rooms and inspecting furniture, acting as if they already owned the place. Not a single word of greeting. Not a single glance in our direction.
Natalie was frozen between politeness and disbelief. Even Thomas, normally the calmest one, looked completely taken aback. Noticing my expression darkening, Curtis hurried over and whispered, «Mr. Dawson, Mrs. Dawson, I know my parents can be lively. They’re just loud talkers, that’s all. But please, I promise they really do love Natalie.»
Before I could answer, a loud, booming laugh echoed from the master bedroom. «Now, this is a beautiful room,» Mr. Miller’s voice called out. For a split second, I allowed myself to hope. Maybe, just maybe, they were finally appreciating what we had done for Natalie.
Then I walked in, and the breath caught in my throat. There was Mrs. Miller, sprawled out on the brand-new bed as if it were her own, legs crossed, shoes still on. The crisp, clean sheets were already smudged with dirt from the soles of her worn-out sneakers.
And next to her was Mr. Miller, casually lighting a cigarette inside my daughter’s new home. Before I could speak, he pressed the glowing tip against the solid wood nightstand, extinguishing it like it was an old ashtray. A dark, charred mark immediately appeared on the polished surface.
Thomas’s jaw clenched so hard I thought he might crack a tooth. Natalie, visibly embarrassed, nudged Curtis, silently pleading with him to intervene. But he just hung his head, shoulders slumped, looking like a chastised child. Not a word. Not a single protest.
And then, as if the audacity wasn’t already at its peak, Mr. Miller stretched his arms, let out a satisfied sigh, and said, «This room is perfect. Plenty of natural light and a great view. We’ll take this one.»
I almost swore out loud. For a moment, I thought maybe I had misheard. Maybe my ears were playing tricks on me. But no. They had just walked into my daughter’s house, taken one look around, and decided to claim the master bedroom for themselves.
Thomas, Natalie, and I stood frozen, too stunned to speak. This wasn’t a misunderstanding. This was an invasion.
Mr. Miller walked out of the master bedroom, barely acknowledging our presence, and headed for one of the smaller guest rooms. He scanned the space before nodding in apparent satisfaction. «This one is perfect, ideal for our grandson.» He turned to Curtis without a hint of hesitation. «Call your brother and tell him to break his lease. He and Jenny should move in with Luca right away.»
Then, as if the matter was already settled, he continued, «We’ll put the house in Travis’s name. That way, Luca will have a stable home when he starts school here. As for you and Natalie, you can move back in when you have children. Until then, there’s no rush.»
I felt my patience snap. I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could, Thomas grabbed my wrist and gave me a slight shake of his head. He wanted to see if our daughter could handle this on her own. If she couldn’t set boundaries now, what future could she possibly have with this family?
I exhaled sharply and turned my gaze back to Curtis. The boy who had always seemed polite, articulate, and respectable in our presence stood there with his head down, his back hunched, not uttering a word. A puppet with no strings.
Natalie, however, had reached her limit. Her voice turned cold. «This house was a gift from my parents. It’s not a boarding house for your entire family. Don’t you think you’re overstepping?»
The room grew tense. Mr. Miller’s expression darkened, a plume of smoke shooting aggressively from his nose as his voice grew sharp. «Your house?» he asked with a wave of his hand. «You really think this place belongs to you? It’s my son’s house, which means it’s our house. And you have the nerve to talk back to your future father-in-law before you’re even married? What, you plan to kick us out once you have a ring on your finger?»
He let his gaze sweep across the room, then scoffed. «Travis is still wasting money on rent every month. This house is huge. It’s a shame to let all this space go to waste. Why shouldn’t they move in?»
Mrs. Miller chimed in instantly, her tone rising. «I get it, I really do. It’s your wedding house. But honestly, isn’t it a little ridiculous? Two people living in a damn mansion?» She pointed a finger toward the smaller room. «What’s the big deal if Luca stays here? You don’t even have kids yet. So why let a perfectly good room sit empty?»
Then, as if this were all some grand act of generosity, she added, «We don’t want to take advantage of you, dear. We just don’t want you going through tough times alone. We came to help you, to support you. You should be grateful. Are you?»
And then, as if sensing how icy our expressions had become, she turned her attention to Natalie and smiled. «Besides, you’re about to be my daughter-in-law. It’s only right that you take care of us. Cooking, cleaning… You’re responsible for making sure we’re comfortable. Don’t you dare go slacking off just because you’re the bride.»
My fingers clenched into fists. Natalie’s hands were trembling at her sides, her breathing shallow and fast. And still, Mrs. Miller wasn’t done. «Honestly, looking at you, I can tell you’re not much of a housekeeper. Why don’t you save yourself the trouble and just ask your father to hire a maid to take care of us?»
Natalie’s entire body went rigid. Tears welled in her eyes, but instead of falling, they burned hot and furious. And then, finally, she snapped. «If you want a house in the city, if you want to be taken care of, then pay for it yourselves. Stop expecting my parents to hand you everything.»
A thick, uncomfortable silence filled the room. Mrs. Miller’s face twisted in fury. «Curtis, do you hear this? This is the woman you’re going to marry. She talks like we’re beggars. Since when is her family’s money more important than ours? A marriage is about sharing everything. Doesn’t she understand that?»
Curtis’s face went pale. His voice rose in alarm. «Natalie, you can’t say things like that. Apologize to my parents.»
Natalie’s sharp gaze turned to him, her voice as cold as steel. «Curtis, if you really believe that, then take your parents and get out of my house. My parents bought this for me. Not you. Not them.»
Curtis’s hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. «Natalie, come on. You always throw these tantrums, and I always let it slide. But couldn’t you show my parents a little respect?»
Natalie yanked her arm away, turning her back on him completely.
Mrs. Miller let out a bitter laugh. «You should be grateful you’re marrying a man like Curtis. You think you’re too good for us? Look at you. You’re selfish, spoiled, and completely disrespectful. Frankly, I don’t think you’re even good enough for my son.» She turned to Curtis, her eyes blazing. «You see now? She looks down on us, just like all these city people.»
Natalie stared her down, her voice steady. «We’re not even married, and you’re already trying to lay claim to what isn’t yours. That isn’t family. That’s greed.»
Curtis wiped his brow, his face strained. «Natalie, that was way out of line. You need to apologize.»
Mr. Miller took a slow step forward, exhaling smoke in our direction. His gaze settled on Thomas and me, his voice a mocking drawl. «Thomas, I’ve got to ask, how exactly did you raise your daughter? Because I’m seeing a serious lack of discipline here. She has no respect, no humility. It’s always, ‘my house, my house.’ It’s exhausting to listen to.»
He took another drag from his cigarette, breathing out slowly. «You wouldn’t be looking down on us country folk, would you?» He narrowed his eyes as he added, almost lazily, «You know, Curtis didn’t just turn out this way on his own. He had to be disciplined as a child. Tough love, a real upbringing. That’s why he’s polite, hardworking, and humble. That’s why he has a future in the city.»
