My 4-Year-Old Son Got Extremely Upset Every Time My MIL Babysat Him – When I Found Out Why, I Got Revenge

Working as a nurse, Zoe often relied on her mother-in-law, Denise, to babysit Leo, her son. But when the little boy becomes visibly shaken by his grandmother’s presence, Zoe has to question the old woman’s actions, only to discover that Denise has a hidden agenda.

I had always thought that my mother-in-law, Denise, was a little overbearing, but I chalked it up to her just being protective of my son, her only grandson, Leo.

A smiling older woman | Source: Midjourney

She was one of those women who carried herself with a certain authority that made you straighten your back and rethink your words. This had become more pronounced when Jeremy, her husband, passed away a few years ago, allowing Denise to reclaim her role as head librarian of the local library.

“Why shouldn’t I?” she asked Andrew, my husband, one day. “I have time now, so there’s no need to just have my part-time role there. And I can have my book club meetings at the library, too.”

“Okay, Mom,” Andrew said. “You do whatever you want.”

A smiling librarian | Source: Midjourney

She wasn’t mean, exactly, but Denise had a way of making you feel small without even trying. But still, she lived two roads away and was always willing to babysit Leo whenever I had a shift at the hospital, and considering Andrew’s unpredictable hours at the law firm, Denise usually had to step in often.

“It’s what grandmothers are for, right, Zoe?” she would say whenever I asked her to come over.

And despite how her moods could shift without a moment’s notice, she was reliable and didn’t complain about it once.

A smiling nurse | Source: Midjourney

But lately, Leo had been acting strange whenever Denise came over. At first, it was small things. He would cling to my leg a little longer than usual when I tried to leave or hide behind the couch when he heard her car pull up in the driveway.

I thought that my son was just going through a phase, or maybe even a bit of separation anxiety. I had seen it all the time with the kids in my ward, especially when they woke up and their parents weren’t in sight.

But then, last week, right before I was about to leave for a night shift, he started crying.

An upset little boy | Source: Midjourney

“I don’t want Grandma to stay with me!” he blurted.

Big, fat tears rolled down his cheeks, and he clutched my scrub with a grip that seemed stronger than a grown man’s.

I knelt beside him, brushing a lock of his blonde hair from his forehead.

A concerned woman | Source: Midjourney

“But why, sweetheart?” I asked gently. “Grandma loves you. And she always brings you treats. Remember the brownies and ice cream from last week?”

My son’s eyes darted to the doorway as if expecting her to walk in at any moment.

“Because… Grandma acts strange,” he said, his eyes wide.

I was about to press him further because I needed to know what was going on. But moments later, Denise’s familiar, clipped footsteps echoed down the hallway. Leo bolted off to his room.

An upset little boy | Source: Midjourney

“What’s going on?” Denise asked as she set her purse down on the hallway table. “Where’s my grandbaby?”

“Nothing,” I said quickly. “He ran to his room to play with his toys. Andrew is away for the next two days. He’s meeting with a client and running through a case.”

Denise nodded.

A little boy running down the hallway | Source: Midjourney

I left for work, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that settled in my stomach. I spent the entire night running between patients and thinking about Leo’s words.

“Grandma acts strange.”

What did that even mean to a four-year-old?

When I got home the next morning, I found my son sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the TV. His favorite cartoons were playing, but he wasn’t watching them. Instead, his eyes were red and puffy, like he had been crying all night.

An upset little boy sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney

“Leo?” I said slowly. “Did you sleep at all?”

He shook his head.

“No, Mommy,” he said. “I stayed up. I didn’t want to sleep.”

“Why not?” I asked, even though I could already feel my heart sinking.

I pulled one of the blankets under the coffee table and wrapped Leo in it, hoping if he felt safer, he would talk.

A woman wrapping her son in a blanket | Source: Midjourney

“Because Grandma scares me,” he said, his hands clutching his teddy bear tightly.

I felt a wave of panic wash over me.

“Scares you? What happened, honey? What did Grandma say or do?”

“She keeps trying to put something into my mouth,” he said. “She chases me with it, and it’s scary.”

An upset little boy | Source: Midjourney

“What is she trying to put into your mouth, sweetheart?” I asked, my voice tight as I strained to show my emotions.

Leo hesitated.

“Cotton buds,” he said. “You know, what you clean my ears with? She said that she wants to put my spit in the tube. I don’t like it. I don’t want it.”

A jar of cotton buds | Source: Midjourney

My blood ran cold. Ever since Leo’s accident a few months ago, where he fell off his bike and landed himself with a broken arm, he’s been terrified of doctors, needles, and anything that reminded him of his time in the hospital.

The thought of Denise running around the house with a cotton swab and a test tube made my blood boil. Why was she trying to get my son to take a DNA test?

“Where’s Grandma?” I asked Leo.

A close up of a little boy | Source: Midjourney

“In the guest room,” he said.

I marched to the guest room and found Denise sleeping peacefully, oblivious to the screaming match that was about to come. Without hesitation, I shook her awake.

“Wake up, we need to talk,” I said.

A sleeping woman | Source: Midjourney

“What’s going on?” she asked, blinking away her sleep.

“Leo just told me that you’ve been trying to swab his mouth for a test? Why are you traumatizing my son? Why do you want him to have a DNA test?” I demanded.

Her eyes widened, and for a moment, she looked like she was going to deny it.

“I’m sorry,” she said, sitting up. “I didn’t mean to frighten Leo. I’ve just been wondering about something…”

A home DNA kit on a counter | Source: Midjourney

“What? What would possibly be so important that you’d do this behind my back?”

“His hair,” she said simply. “Nobody has had blonde hair like that.”

“You think that my son isn’t Andrew’s because of his hair color?” I asked.

“I know it sounds crazy, but it’s been gnawing at me. I just needed to know, but I didn’t want to accuse you…”

A newborn baby | Source: Midjourney

“I can’t believe that you would go to such lengths, Denise.”

“I didn’t know what to think. I’m sorry, Zoe,” she said.

“Please leave, Denise,” I said. “I need time to process this. And I need to focus on Leo.”

She nodded, looking defeated.

A close up of an older woman | Source: Midjourney

Over the next week, things were tense between Andrew and me. While she drove home on the day of the confrontation, she had phoned Andrew and told him everything, firmly securing some seeds of doubt.

“I think we should do the test,” he quietly said one day, not meeting my eyes.

I stared at him, hurt.

“You really think that’s necessary? You believe what your mother is implying?”

A couple sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney

“It’s not that I believe it,” he said. “But if we do the test, we can put this all to rest. No more doubts, no more accusations. What if Leo was switched at birth?”

“I had a home birth!” I exclaimed. “You would have remembered if you were here and not in court.”

I sighed.

“Alright,” I said after a moment. “I’ll do the test for Leo, but on one condition.”

A close up of a frowning woman | Source: Midjourney

“What condition?” he asked.

“If I’m going to do this to prove our son is yours, then you’re going to do a test too. To prove that your father is really your father. Denise needs to know what this feels like.”

Andrew’s eyes widened, shock registering on his face from my request. “What? Why would you even suggest that?”

I could feel his brain overthinking it, but I also knew that he was trying to view the situation from my point of view.

I leaned forward, my voice firm, “Because your mother is the one who’s throwing accusations around. If she’s so obsessed with bloodlines, then maybe she should be sure of her own. So, if you want me to take a test, then you’re going to take one too.”

A close up of a man | Source: Midjourney

Andrew hesitated, clearly taken aback by my demand. But after a moment, he nodded. “Okay. If that’s what it takes, I’ll do it.”

A few days later, the test results came back. As expected, the test confirmed that Leo was indeed Andrew’s son.

But there was also another revelation that nobody saw coming.

It turned out that the test results for Andrew showed that his biological father wasn’t the man he had called Dad his entire life.

“What the hell, Zoe?” he said out loud.

“This is a conversation for you and your mother,” I said offhandedly.

A close up of a shocked couple | Source: Midjourney

As much as I wanted to know the truth and to know about Leo’s biological grandfather, I didn’t want to get caught up in Denise’s drama any further. No, thank you. I had a son to focus on. And there was just something about how Denise acted that I wasn’t going to forgive soon.

But eventually, my curiosity gave in and I asked Andrew about his conversation with his mother. It turned out that she had an affair in her youth, resulting in Andrew.

“She said that she had always suspected it, but she didn’t dare do a DNA test while my father was alive. Just imagine, I’ve gone my entire life thinking that my father was just that, my father. But he wasn’t, not biologically. I can’t forgive her, Zoe.”

An upset man | Source: Midjourney

My heart broke for him.

“So, what does this mean?” I asked.

“It means that we take our time and space away from my mother. And we focus on our son. She’s the one who betrayed our family. Not us,” he said.

I nodded, ready to move on and focus on our family.

Apparently, Denise’s guilt had eaten away at her for decades, leading her to project her insecurities onto me and our son.

A smiling mother and son duo | Source: Midjourney

What would you have done?

My Mom Thought No Man Was Good Enough for Me Until One Invited Her on a Date — Story of the Day

At 37, I thought I could finally date in peace until my Mom crashed dinner with a list of rules… and somehow ended up on a date with my boyfriend.

I always knew I had a mom. But sometimes, it felt like my mom was my whole life. I was 37, but that didn’t stop her from asking me every single day:

“Are you wearing warm socks?” or “Are you sure he looked at you with respect and not… interest?”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

I worked in a museum, adored art history, lived in my own apartment, had a bank account, and had two degrees… Yet every time I saw “Mom calling” on my phone, I instinctively straightened my posture.

She controlled everything. From when I should go to bed to what color I painted my nails.

Once, I ordered salmon delivery, and 20 minutes later, she called.

“I saw him go into your house. Was that him?”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

“Mom, are you spying on my house?”

“I just sat in the car nearby. In case of suspicious movement.”

She had binoculars. And a notebook. She called it “just in case.”

As a child, it was cute. At 20, it got annoying. By 30, I began to question our “normal.”

At 37, I met Theo.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For the first time in my life, I didn’t tell her right away.

It was my first grown-up secret. And, of course, it lasted exactly three days. Until Mom ruined everything.

But I’ll tell you that in a moment.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

***

I was preparing for my dinner with Theo. I baked a pie I found online, not from Mom’s sacred recipe book.

Even if it came out a bit burnt and the chicken was a little dry — those were my mistakes. My life.

I could already imagine my mother’s face if she saw the meal — a guaranteed explosion. I smiled quietly to myself while checking the candles.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

A week earlier, she declared, “I want to meet him. In person. At my house. At the table. With my questions.”

“Mom, let me be an adult for once. I’ll decide when to introduce you.”

She backed off for once. It felt odd, but I didn’t think much of it. Big mistake.

That night, Theo came over for the first time. He brought tulips, non-alcoholic wine (knowing I was tired after work), and a cake from the bakery I always visit during lunch.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“I just wanted to get everything right,” he smiled, setting the plates.

“Theo, with you, it always feels right.”

Something warm and calm bloomed in my chest. We talked for hours. Laughed. Dreamed.

“Imagine… a little house by an old lighthouse,” he said.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“And in the basement — an archive of old love letters.”

“You’d preserve them, and I’d write new ones.”

Candles were burning low. Music hummed softly. He touched my hand.

“I thought after all the heartbreaks, nothing would ever happen again. And then you came along…”

And at that exact moment…

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“ACHOO!”

From the closet. We froze.

“You’re not alone?” Theo shot me a look.

I got up. Opened the closet.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

“Mooom?!”

She sat in the dark. With a headlamp. And a thermos.

“What… what are you doing?!”

“Oh, hi! I was just checking if you’re storing things in your closet without lavender,” she mumbled, not even trying to sound convincing.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“You broke into my apartment?!”

“I was just making sure. Listening. Evaluating. I didn’t interfere!”

Theo, somehow, still managed to smile politely.

“Good evening. I’m Theo. Very nice to meet you.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“Theo. Short. Like most male patients,” Mom said, sitting on the couch. “Sit. Let’s get to know each other.”

I wanted to run. But Theo sat down. Bravely.

And the interrogation began.

“Do you have a job?”

“Yes. I teach literature…”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“Do you work 9 to 5?”

“Flexible hours.”

“So, no structure. Got it. Do you drink alcohol?”

“A glass of wine, sometimes…”

“Sometimes means regularly.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“Mom…”

“Quiet, Eliza. I’m asking.”

Then she turned back to him again, “How many women before my daughter?”

“I… excuse me?”

“Are you deaf?”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“No, I just think that’s a bit…”

“You should always think. Before approaching a woman with serious intentions.”

Theo looked at me. As if to ask, “Is this a joke?”

I tried to say with my eyes, “No. This is my life.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

Mom stood up. “Now, a test.”

“What?” we both said.

“Wipe the table. With a sponge. No streaks. If there’s even one mark — you’re not for her.”

“Mom, enough!”

I was desperate and angry. But to my greatest surprise…

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

Theo stood up, went to the kitchen, found the sponge… and wiped. It was perfect. She checked the surface and ran her finger across.

“Hmm. Survived. For now.”

Then, Mom dramatically handed Theo a paper. He smiled while skimming it, then slowly, he frowned before handing it to me.

“I think I should go. I’ll call you.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

He left. Just like that. I finally looked down at the letters she wrote in thick black marker.

RULES FOR DATING MY DAUGTER

1. Have a job.

2. Understand I don’t like you.

3. I am EVERYWHERE.

4. You make HER cry — I make YOU cry.

5. Be home 30 min early.

6. SHE is my PRINCESS. Not your conquest.

7. I don’t mind going to jail.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Celebritist

Daugter. With a typo. That said it all.

“Mom, it’s time for you to go.”

“Oh, sweetie, if he leaves at the first sign of trouble, is he even a man?”

“He didn’t leave me. He said he’d call.”

“Same thing.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“Maybe he just didn’t enjoy being around you?”

“You’re overreacting.”

“You crossed the line, Mom! Please, leave. I want to be alone.”

Mom’s words echoed in my head.

Has Theo really left… forever?

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

***

Three days passed. No texts. No calls. I caved and sent him a short message:

“I’m sorry for how everything went. You didn’t deserve that.”

Seen. No reply.

And then — a knock at the door. I opened it, my heart racing. It was him and he was there with flowers.

“Come on. I’ve planned a date… for you and your Mom.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

I blinked. “What?”

“Just trust me.”

We picked up my Mom. She barely got in the car before starting her usual commentary.

“Where are we going? I have to defrost the freezer!”

“Surprise,” Theo smiled.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

The first stop? His lecture.

Mom and I sat in the back. Theo stood in front of a class full of students, talking about love in literature.

“To be with someone doesn’t always feel poetic. But it’s always worth it.”

“Oh, I might fall asleep here,” Mom whispered.

“Mom. Shhh.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“If he’s trying to seduce us both with lectures — he failed.”

I gave her a look. But I held on. I knew this wasn’t all Theo had planned.

Next stop — a boat ride. On the lake, with a plaid blanket, strawberries, and tea in a thermos. (Yes, the exact tea Mom liked. He remembered.)

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“Yet another romantic coma,” Mom muttered, but this time, she was chuckling.

As we floated, Theo turned to her gently.

“So, Barbara. What are your hobbies?”

She raised an eyebrow.

“Hobbies? Suspicion. Avoiding scams. Crosswords when I can’t sleep.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

“I bet you’re good at them.”

“I once found three typos in The New York Times. Sent them a letter. And you didn’t find one.”

“You planted that typo?”

“Of course, sweetie — it was a test for your Theo.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

“A test? For spelling? Mom, he’s a university professor!”

“No, more like a test for politeness,” she smirked. “He passed.”

Then she leaned to move closer to the edge… and slipped.

SPLASH.

She fell right into the water. I gasped. Then, she laughed so hard I nearly joined her.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“YOU LAUGHING? I COULD DROWN!”

Theo jumped in without hesitation. Swam straight to her, helped her out, and wrapped her in a blanket. Soaked, shivering, furious — but secretly touched. Back on land, she was about to stomp away.

“I need to go home. I’m done.”

Theo calmly said, “There’s a sports store nearby. Time for a wardrobe refresh.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

He disappeared. Came back ten minutes later with two matching athletic outfits. One for me. One for Mom. She held hers suspiciously.

“How did you guess my size?”

“Easy. You’re built perfectly for a Medium. Athletic and classic.”

She smiled. Barely. Quietly. But I saw it. She loved attention.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

We changed. And then — the climbing wall.

“Last challenge, I promise,” Theo grinned. “Climbing wall. One climbs, the other keeps the rope. Trust exercise.”

“Oh no. I’m 60!”

“Exactly. Perfect age for adventure.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

To my absolute shock, Mom went first. Halfway up, she shouted:

“THEO! IF I FALL — I’M HAUNTING YOU!”

She didn’t fall. She reached the top. And when she came down, her eyes were gleaming.

“Okay, professor. Not bad.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“To end the day,” Theo said, “I’d like to make you both dinner. My place.”

Mom looked at me. “I have no choice. I need to see where this man lives. Maybe I’ll discover his secret lair.”

***

Theo’s house was beautiful. Clean. Warm. It smelled like citrus and cedar. I’d never been there before. And I was stunned.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

“Did you buy this on a teacher’s salary or rob a bank?” Mom asked, peeking into the kitchen.

“Started saving in high school. Plus I teach online courses on the side. Hard work pays off.”

“Well, look at you,” she muttered. Then, louder, “Does the fridge clean itself, or are you just this weird?”

Theo just laughed.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

We sat on the terrace. Theo grilled steaks nearby while the sun dipped low. Mom leaned back. Actually relaxed.

“You know… he’s not so bad, honey.”

“Really? Wow. Mom, you’re on fire today.”

“I was too distrustful. Because your father left. And I didn’t want you to get burned like I did.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“But Mom, it’s my life. I need to make my own mistakes. Walk my own path.”

“Theo is wonderful. It’s obvious he loves you. I mean, he jumped in a lake to save his future mother-in-law.”

We both laughed.

“And he could’ve dropped me on that climbing wall. But he didn’t. That’s some nerve control.”

Theo joined us, carrying two plates.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“Hungry?”

“Always,” Mom said.

“Even for this? Because I have one more course.”

Theo knelt on one knee.

“Eliza, these past three months have been the best of my life. You’ve brought color back into everything. And your mom… we’re friends now.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“Almost,” Mom added.

“Not even the rule list could scare me away. I want to share my home, my life… all of it. And yes, even see your mom — but no more than twice a week.”

He laughed. I gasped.