11/18/2025
Each morning, the young bride carefully laid fresh sheets â unaware that her mother-in-law would one day lift the blanket and uncover the blood beneath....When Emily Patterson married Daniel Harris, she thought sheâd stepped into a dream. The Harris family owned a sprawling ranch in Montana, and Danielâs mother, Margaret, seemed the kind of woman whose approval mattered more than anyoneâs. From the first night in the old farmhouse, Emily vowed to be the perfect wifeâtidy, cheerful, and uncomplaining.
Every morning, before dawn, she changed their bedsheets. Every single day. Margaret noticed, though she said nothing at first. Sheâd watch Emily carry a basket of fresh linens through the hall, lips pressed into a polite smile, as if afraid of making noise.
It was strange, Margaret thought. Daniel worked twelve-hour shifts at the veterinary clinic, and Emily stayed home. There were no children, no illness, no reason for that much laundry.
After two weeks, the curiosity turned to quiet suspicion.
One morning, when Daniel had left for work and Emily went to hang sheets behind the house, Margaret entered their bedroom. She lifted the blanket, just to straighten itâthen froze.
There, beneath the crisp white cotton, was a dark, rusty stain that spread across the mattress pad. Fresh blood.
Her first thought was the unthinkableâviolence. But there were no bruises on Emily, no arguments in the night.
When Emily returned, Margaret stood waiting by the bed.
âEmily,â she said carefully, âyou donât have to be afraid here. Are you hurt? Is Danielâ?â
Emilyâs eyes widened, terrified. âNo! Heâd neverânever hurt me.â
Margaret glanced down at the stain again. âThen what is this?â
For a long moment, Emily said nothing. Her lips trembled. Then she whispered, âPlease⌠donât tell him. Itâs me. It happens every night.â
The older woman frowned. âEvery night?â
Emily nodded, tears brimming. âI wake up andâitâs there. I try to hide it. I thought it would stop.â
Margaret sat down on the edge of the bed, heart pounding. âYou mean youâre bleeding in your sleep?â
Emily nodded again. Her voice was barely audible. âI donât know why. I havenât told anyone.â
For the first time, Margaret saw not a nervous daughter-in-law, but a frightened young womanâbarely twenty-twoâtrying to hold a marriage together with a secret she couldnât explain.
That morning, as the wind howled over the Montana plains, Margaret decided she would find out what was happening to Emilyâno matter what it revealed...Read more in Comment or Most relevant -> All comments đ