07/22/2025
After My Husband Died, My MIL Made Me Sleep in the Garage â A Month Later, She Came to Me in Tears
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I used to think love could protect me from everything. That Theo, my husband, would always be there to catch me. When he asked me to leave my finance job to be a stay-at-home mom, he promised Iâd never have to worry. I loved him, so I said yes. We had twin girls, Hazel and Ivy, who became our whole world.
Then he was gone.
It was a gray afternoon when the call came. Theo was hurrying home from a business trip, excited to see us. The roads were slick, and his car skidded off the highway. The officer said it was quick, no pain. But all I heard was my heart pounding in my ears.
Days blurred. The funeral came and went. I held my girls close, replaying Theoâs last voicemail to hear his voice. I thought losing him was the worst pain possible.
I was wrong.
After the funeral, I stayed at the cemetery, needing a moment with Theo before facing reality. Selene, my mother-in-law, had taken the girls home. âWeâll talk when youâre back,â she said. âIâll get the twins bathed and settled.â
When I got home, Selene was waiting in the living room, her back stiff, hands clasped, her eyes cold and sharp. âThis house is mine, Nova,â she said. âI let you and Theo live here, but now Iâm taking it back.â
My breath caught, like Iâd been shoved. âWhat?â
She sighed, like I was wasting her time. âTheo never changed the deed. I offered after the twins were born, but he didnât do it. Itâs still mine. You can stay⌠in the garage.â
I searched her face for a hint of kindness, some sign she was grieving and didnât mean it. But her gaze was hard. She wanted me to beg. I knew it.
I looked at Hazel and Ivy, curled up on the couch, their sleepy eyes watching me. Theyâd lost their dad. I couldnât let them lose their home too. So I nodded.
The garage smelled of oil and rust. At night, the cold sank into my bones through the thin mat and blanket I slept on. When it got too bad, I curled up in the carâs backseat, hugging myself for warmth. I told myself it was temporary. Theo had left us money, but legal stuff takes time. Until it was sorted, I had nothingâno job, no access to our accounts, nowhere to go. Shame kept me from telling anyone.
I only entered the house to cook for the girls, do their laundry, or kiss them goodnight. I moved through my own home like a stranger. Selene barely looked at me. Why would she? Sheâd won.
One afternoon, I sat with Hazel and Ivy in the living room. Crayons scattered across the coffee table as they drew, their faces scrunched in focus. âIâm drawing Daddyâs eyes blue!â Hazel said, pressing hard on her paper. âLike the ocean.â
Ivy tilted her head. âMineâs smiling. Daddy always smiled,â she said, her own smile peeking through.
I swallowed hard. âHe did,â I whispered.
The air felt heavy with unspoken things. The only sounds were crayons scratching and little feet shifting on the rug.
Then Ivy spoke. âMommy? Why do you sleep in the garage?â
My hands froze. Hazel looked up, her eyes wide and trusting, just like Theoâs when heâd ask the girls about their dreams.
âYeah,â Hazel added. âGrandma sleeps in your bed. Why donât you?â
Pain twisted in my chest. I forced a smile, tucking Ivyâs hair behind her ear. âSometimes grown-ups make tough choices, sweethearts. Itâs not fun, but itâs for a bigger reason.â
Ivy frowned, thinking hard. âBut youâre Daddyâs wife.â
The words hit like a punch. âI am,â I whispered.
âThen why does Grandma get the big bed?â Hazel asked.
I opened my mouth, but no words came. A creak came from the hallway. I glanced up and saw Selene gripping the doorframe, her face pale. She wasnât looking at meâshe was watching the girls. For the first time, she looked like sheâd made a terrible mistake. But she didnât speak. She just turned and walked away.
One night, a knock came at the garage door. I opened it to find Selene. She wasnât the same woman whoâd banished me. Her neat hair was messy, gray strands standing out. Her face was pale, lips dry. Her hands shook.
I frowned.... (continue reading in the 1st comment)
