My future mother-in-law, let’s call her Mrs. Richardson, had made it abundantly clear from the beginning that she didn’t approve of me. As a nurse, I was apparently not up to her standards for her precious son. Despite her polite façade in public, behind closed doors, she was relentless in her efforts to break us apart.

For months after our engagement, Mrs. Richardson had waged a silent war against me, trying to convince me to leave her son and return to where I supposedly “belonged.” Her tactics ranged from subtle jabs to outright hostility, but she always managed to maintain a pristine image in front of others.

As the wedding date approached, Mrs. Richardson’s desperation reached new heights. With each passing day, her attempts to sabotage our relationship grew more brazen. And then, in a last-ditch effort to rid her son of me, she made a shocking proposition.

One evening, as I sat across from her in her impeccably decorated living room, Mrs. Richardson dropped the bombshell. “I’ll give you $10,000 to leave my son,” she said, her tone dripping with disdain.

I stared at her in disbelief, feeling a surge of anger and indignation rising within me. How dare she try to buy me off like some disposable commodity?

But then, a mischievous thought crossed my mind. Instead of reacting with outrage or hurt, I decided to turn the tables on her.

With a calmness I didn’t know I possessed, I looked Mrs. Richardson straight in the eye and said, “Deal.”

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise, clearly not expecting such a swift acceptance. But before she could respond, I continued, “But I have a condition. I want the money upfront, in cash, and I want you to sign a contract stating that you will never interfere in our lives again.”

Mrs. Richardson’s expression faltered, her composure slipping for the first time. But she quickly regained her composure and nodded stiffly. “Fine. You’ll get your money.”

True to her word, a few days later, Mrs. Richardson handed me an envelope containing $10,000 in cash. We signed the contract, and I watched with satisfaction as she left, defeated.

With the money safely tucked away, I proceeded with the wedding preparations, knowing that I had outplayed Mrs. Richardson at her own game. And on the day of the wedding, as I walked down the aisle towards my soon-to-be husband, I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of the sweet victory I had achieved.

From that day forward, Mrs. Richardson kept her distance, realizing that her attempts to manipulate and control me had failed. And as my husband and I embarked on our life together, I knew that no amount of money could ever come between us again.