My sister-in-law, Candice, had always felt entitled to whatever she wanted, but nothing could have prepared me for her most outrageous demand—she wanted me to have a baby just so she could keep it as a gift. When she refused to take no for an answer, I decided it was time to teach her a lesson she would never forget.
Harry and I had been married for seven years, together for nearly fifteen, and we had two wonderful kids, Maya and Luke. Our little family was everything to me, but when it came to our extended family, things weren’t as simple. From the first day I met my mother-in-law, Charlotte, and Candice, I knew something was off. I told myself I was overthinking it, but I soon realized how much trouble they would bring into my life.
Before our wedding, Candice had already shown her self-centered nature. She threw a tantrum when I chose someone else as my maid of honor and even complained that my wedding dress was prettier than hers. It was as though my entire wedding was meant to revolve around her. Thankfully, Harry’s grandmother, Grace, stepped in and saved the day, but she lived too far away to be our frequent savior.
Just before Candice’s thirtieth birthday, something happened that made me question everything. Candice, who usually kept her distance from Maya and Luke, suddenly spent hours playing with Maya. Something about it felt off, and as it turned out, I had every reason to be concerned. During dinner, Candice made an announcement that stopped me in my tracks.
“I’m going to be a mom!” she said, her voice cutting through the room.
Harry nearly choked on his food. “Who… is the father?” he asked, his brows furrowed in confusion. “You’re not even dating anyone.”
Candice brushed it off, claiming she’d come to ask us to be the parents of her child. “I’m almost thirty, and I don’t have a husband,” she said nonchalantly. “The perfect birthday gift would be a daughter.”
I was speechless. My mind scrambled to process her words. Harry, equally stunned, asked, “You want us to have a baby for you?”
Candice’s response was chillingly casual. “Yes, I want you to have a baby for me. For my birthday.” She seemed completely unfazed by the absurdity of her request.
I was furious, but Candice only scoffed at my outrage, calling me selfish. Harry firmly backed me up, but Candice wasn’t done. She whined, asking why it would be such a big deal to have one more child.
I couldn’t take it anymore. “I am not an incubator! A child is not an object, Candice!” I shouted.
The argument escalated until Harry told her to leave. But I knew this wasn’t over.
Days later, Candice showed up at our house with Charlotte, carrying shopping bags full of baby clothes. She proudly declared that she had everything ready for the baby she expected us to give her. I was horrified. Charlotte, without hesitation, tried to justify their demands, claiming it was just “too hard” for Candice to have a child on her own.
But the moment that truly crossed the line came when I found Charlotte in our bedroom, poking holes in our condoms. “What are you doing?!” I screamed.
Charlotte calmly explained that she was trying to make life easier for everyone by helping Candice get what she wanted. I could hardly believe my ears. “You’re treating me like an incubator!” I yelled.
That’s when I decided to take matters into my own hands. I pretended to agree, knowing it would be the perfect setup for the ultimate lesson.
For the next nine months, I played my role to perfection. I smiled, touched my fake belly often, and reassured Candice that everything was going smoothly. On her birthday, the big reveal was set. Candice, completely unaware of my plan, eagerly awaited her “gift.”
When the moment came, I walked in with a baby carrier wrapped in a giant bow. Candice was practically vibrating with excitement as she reached for the carrier, but as soon as she opened it, her face twisted in shock and horror.
“WHAT IS THIS?!” she screamed, pulling out a doll.
The room fell silent, and Harry and I couldn’t help but burst into laughter. I smirked, “The only baby you’re fit to take care of.”
Candice, her face flushed with rage, couldn’t believe it. “You were pregnant! I saw your belly!” she cried.
“Fake bellies,” I replied, shrugging. “I went out of town to ‘give birth’ just to sell the illusion.”
Charlotte was furious, but I wasn’t done yet. “You honestly thought you could just take a baby like it was a gift? It’s not something you can order online, Candice.”
The tension was palpable, and just as Candice began to sob, Grace spoke up, her voice cutting through the chaos.
“Can someone explain to me what’s going on here?” she demanded.
I explained the situation—Candice had demanded a child for her birthday, expecting us to just hand one over. Grace’s face turned red with fury, and she stood, pointing a shaking finger at Candice and Charlotte.
“ARE YOU BOTH OUT OF YOUR MINDS?!” Grace roared. She then turned to Charlotte and said, “I warned my son not to marry you, Charlotte, but he didn’t listen. And this is the result!”
Grace’s words rang through the room, and then, in an unexpected move, she announced, “I’m writing you both out of my will.”
Candice and Charlotte froze, their jaws dropping. Grace, with her wealth and influence, had made it clear that she would not tolerate their madness.
“We’re leaving,” Grace said, taking my hand. “I want to see my great-grandchildren—the real ones.”
As Harry and I walked out, hand in hand, behind us, Candice sobbed uncontrollably, and Charlotte yelled in frustration. But we didn’t care. They got exactly what they deserved.
As we drove away, I couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of satisfaction. Not because of their downfall, but because we had stuck together and proved that the love we built was far stronger than their delusions.
And for the first time in years, I smiled, knowing I had taken control of my life and taught them all a lesson they would never forget.