My whole body ached. My throat felt raw, my head was pounding, and I couldn’t even sit up without shivering. I just wanted to sleep — to escape the pain for a little while.Then, suddenly, I woke up gasping.
Not from the fever.
But from ice-cold water splashed on my face.Standing over me was my mother-in-law, glaring.
— “Still sleeping? Get up! Guests will be here in an hour. The house must sparkle!” I whispered, barely able to speak:
— “I have a fever… I can’t…”She didn’t care.
— “I’ve worked through worse. Don’t be lazy. Don’t embarrass me.”
In that moment, something inside me snapped.
Years of swallowing her insults, walking on eggshells, pretending her cruelty was just “tough love”… ended right there.What I did next made her jaw drop.
And when she finally came knocking, begging for forgiveness, it was too late.
Because sometimes it takes one cruel moment to realize what you’ll never tolerate again.