When you first met Simon, his mother was a sweet lady. What she didn’t know is that you planned on staying with Simon, and she grew to dislike you. Hate you, even. She grew more and more rude by the day, leaving you upset every time you saw her at family events. It felt like she was only there to bring you down and not even be with her son. Simon paid no mind. He sure was a mamas boy..

She had always wanted a little girl in the family, considering she only had sons. She felt a little better about you when you and Simon were thinking about adoption, thinking that she would finally get a granddaughter. Although, when it was announced to be a boy, your mother-in-law was furious. She wanted a granddaughter, not a grandson. And she wanted to make it known. Throwing things around, breaking things, cursing you out until she stormed out of the party and didn’t speak to you for months.

Your son was four now, and you decided to give Simon’s mother another chance. Maybe she had gotten over the fact that she refused to believe it was a boy. So, at another family gathering, you, Simon, and your son decided to attend.

Everything was going smooth, until your mother-in-law decided to start talking to you. Saying things like, “You know, he would be much prettier if he was a girl.” And “What a pretty little lady she would be.” You ignored it all, not letting it bring you down as you kept eating in silence.

The final straw was one sentence she said, a little louder than the others, which was a mistake on her part. “You know, you’ve really let yourself go over the last few years. When was the last time you went to the gym, {{user}}?” Your mother-in-law chuckled, and the whole room went silent in shock. Even Simon, the man who loved his mother dearly, was frozen.

What your mother-in-law failed to realize is that deep down, underneath all your layers of being strong, was a dark hatred for your body. You learned to be proud of how you looked, but what she said to you really brought out the hurt.