Upon returning from their honeymoon, Melissa and Jake discover that their wedding gifts have been stolen, in addition to receiving a statement from Jake’s mother that is quite surprising. The subsequent events consist of a conflict between pride, treachery, and retribution, in which a single dumpster serves as the impetus for an act of justice that is carried out flawlessly.
To my surprise, when I returned home from my honeymoon, I discovered a bright red dumpster in my backyard. Inside, it was loaded with ripped wrapping paper, flattened boxes, and crumpled gift bags from our wedding, which had only occurred a week before.
Inside the house, each and every one of the wedding presents had been taken.
And who was it that they were taken by? This is Linda, my mother-in-law.
One week prior, Jake and I had said our vows in front of fifty of our closest friends and family members as we were standing in our garden under a string of lights decorated with lights. Due to the fact that we did not have a lot of money to spend, the gifts were quite important to us, not just in terms of their monetary value but also in terms of their emotional significance.
There were irreplaceable handmade pieces that I already knew I would pass down to our own children, as well as family heirlooms from my side of the family, expensive goods from friends who had pooled their money, and other objects that have been passed down through generations.
Following the wedding, we embarked on our honeymoon right after the ceremony. Jake gave his mother a backup key before we left so that she could water our plants during our absence.
Mel, she responded with a friendly smile, “Oh, don’t you worry about anything.” The location will be well taken care of by me. Take a break and enjoy yourselves, you two!
When I smiled back, I thought that it was a gesture of kindness. On the other hand, I didn’t realize what the flicker in her eyes actually was until a considerable amount of time had passed.
We arrived at the driveway one week later, sunburned and eager to begin our new life together. We were ready to begin our new life together. At that moment, I noticed the bright red dumpster that was located in the backyard.
“Did… someone start a renovation?” Jake wore a frown. “Why else would there be a dumpster here?”
The first thing that sprang to my mind was that Linda had been extremely kind and cleaned up the mess that was left over after the wedding.
In spite of the fact that my gut was tightening, I answered, “Perhaps your mother wanted to surprise us.”
At the moment that we entered the building, however, the reality struck me like a blow to the head. Everything in the living room had been removed, even the orderly stacks of present bags and boxes that had been wrapped in wrapping paper.
Of the wedding gifts, only the “Mr. & Mrs.” mugs remained on the table. Additionally, there was a candle that had been left half-burned after our cake cutting, and a small basket of dried rose petals that my niece had sprinkled down the aisle. Our furniture and other ordinary items were still in their original positions.
“Where’s… everything?” I had Jake in my sights.
Phone her up. Give my mother a call. As he spoke, his expression became more serious.
There was also a note present. Just a single statement, scrawled in a loopy handwriting that, despite the absence of a signature, had an air of superiority about it.
“I took your wedding gifts as payment for watering your plants.”
After staring at it for a considerable amount of time, I almost anticipated that the words would rearrange themselves into something that made sense. My chest became more taut.
It was impossible that this wasn’t a joke. Simply a tasteless attempt at humor that we would, at a later time, laugh about over a cup of coffee. On the other hand, when I looked at Jake, I noticed that the muscle in his jaw was twitching, and I knew.
That was not a joke at all.
Immediately, Jake placed a call to Linda. Her response was happy and upbeat, as if there were no problems at all.
“Oh, I unpacked everything for you and kept a few things… as thanks for raising Jake and for watering plants all week,” she said with enthusiasm. “I had a dumpster brought over for all the wedding junk.”
Her home was where she had brought the presents. All of the wrapping paper, ribbons, and packing that she couldn’t be bothered to retain was thrown away in the dumpster, which was only used for collecting rubbish.
“A few things?” I could hear the steel in Jake’s voice, despite the fact that his voice was steady.
It meant that a “few things”
The espresso machine that we received from my aunt and uncle for $800.
These crystal wine glasses were given to me by my buddies from college.
Jake’s coworkers had pooled their resources in order to purchase the KitchenAid stand mixer.
The cash envelope that was given to me by my parents.
And the quilt that was hand-made by my grandmother, who passed away.
The tone of her voice became as harsh as a razor when Jake informed her that she had no right to retain them herself.
“I deserve them more than you,” she stated in a dispassionate manner. You, Jake, are the product of decades of laborious effort on my part. In life, you will receive a great deal more presents. Have some self-control. Yes, you are both aware that I am deserving of this.
My face was becoming increasingly hot, and the feeling of astonishment was transforming into something more substantial.
“Linda,” I said, my voice shuddering slightly. It’s not like those were just items. Our loved ones were the ones who presented them to us as gifts. In addition, that quilt belonged to my grandmother—”
She interrupted. “You’re being dramatic,” she said.
“We are going to meet you. At this very moment, Mom,” Jake remarked as he grabbed his keys. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but this is ridiculous.”
During the trip to her residence, the only sound that could be heard was the hum of the tires on the road. Over and over again, the same idea kept running through my head: she did not merely steal our presents; she stole our happiness and the delight of opening each one together.
In an instant, a recollection came flooding back to me.
At the time, Jake and I were at his mother’s house, where we were sitting cross-legged on the floor of the living room with mugs of hot chocolate that were steaming up my glasses. It was the Christmas before our wedding.
As the tree sparkled with gold ribbon and ornaments that had been accumulated over the course of several decades, the aroma of gingerbread cookies lingered in the air, adhering to the perfume of pine that was emanating from the tree.
The evening had been spent meeting with his family and exchanging little gifts with them. Among the items that Jake retrieved from beneath the tree were knitted scarves from his aunt and a bottle of whiskey from his cousin. Jake then went for the final box. The wrapping was done in a deep red paper with a ribbon that was fastened just so. This was the kind of wrapping that Jake always went to great lengths to ensure that I received.
“Merry Christmas, Mel,” he remarked with a smile as he handed it over to Mel. “I’ve been holding onto this one for a while.”
I savored the sound of the paper rustling as I took my time with it, and when I finally raised the lid, I found that my breath had stopped. It included a beautiful gold necklace with a pendant that was shaped like a single rose. The petals of the rose were so intricately detailed that they nearly appeared to be soft.
In addition to being uncomplicated and romantic, it was the kind of jewelry that could be worn on a daily basis without losing its significance.
I looked at the charm and murmured, “Oh, Jake… it’s beautiful,” as my fingertips lightly touched it.
To prevent me from being able to remove it from the box, Linda leaned forward and grabbed it and pulled it out of my hands.
“Well, would you look at this?” she asked with a grin that nearly reached her eyes. “Well, would you look at this?” “Jake, you really ought not to have! Is it for me?
I blinked, half-preparing myself for her to hand it back to me immediately. On the other hand, she turned her head toward the reflection in the window that was darkened and held it up to her neck.
To tell you the truth, it is my personal style. The money that he spends is technically mine because I was the one who brought him up, she said as she turned to me with a sneer. “Well, it’s kind of mine, too.”
Even though there was a slight pop coming from the fireplace, the room remained silent for a moment. A very modest tightening of Jake’s jaw occurred.
“It’s for Mel, Mom,” he said in a level-headed manner. “That’s my fiancée’s Christmas present.”
“Oh, I’m only teasing,” she responded, with the word “teasing” being drawn out as if to remove the sting from the situation. She then re-placed the necklace inside the box and moved it in the direction of me. Go on, my dear. “Give it a shot.”
As Jake tightened the clasp, I smiled for his sake, but the warmth of the cocoa had left my hands, and it was replaced by a cool prickle that traveled up my arms. I continued to smile for Jake’s sake. It was the kind of statement that you could pretend was harmless if you didn’t look at it too closely, and the words that Linda had spoken reverberated in my thoughts even though they were as light as air yet harsh at the edges.
The fact that she was already reaching for another cookie while talking about her preparations for the holidays gave the impression that she had not simply taken possession of something that was intended for me.
I made an effort to shake it off by convincing myself that it was nothing more than an embarrassing joke, as well as the kind of casual comment that people make without being aware of how it sounds. On the other hand, when the rose pendant was resting on my collarbone, it felt not only heavier than gold should, but it also seemed to have a significance that I was not yet prepared to articulate.
Eventually, I would see that moment for what it actually was—not a joke, but a sneak peek into what was to come.
As soon as we arrived at Linda’s residence, she was standing at the doorway, as if she had been anticipating our arrival. Even though I was shaking, I was able to communicate.
“Linda, you need to return everything you took,” I indicated to her.
She smiled in that way that has always made me feel like a child being reprimanded, and she crossed her arms over her chest.
There were presents for the family to receive. Remember that I am the matriarch of this family; I am the head of the household. When people offer me gifts, I decide what gets kept and where it goes. If it is something that you do not like, then perhaps you should not have given me a key.
“We gave you a key because we trusted you,” I stated in response.
The muscles in Jake’s jaw tightened up to the point where I could see them ticking. That look, the one that indicated that he was trying to keep something from being said that would blow the whole thing up, was one that I was familiar with.
“Mom,” he asked in a calm tone. “You know this isn’t right…”
She simply shrugged, as if we were talking about a parking place while we were actually talking about hundreds of dollars worth of stolen items.
“Jakey, life isn’t fair,” she said. There is hope for you.”
A shouting match could have ensued from the chat, but we left before it could happen. Jake’s fingers were tapping on the driving wheel, which was the only sound anyone could hear on the drive home. While I was staring out the window, I kept reliving her arrogant face and the way that she said the word “matriarch” as if it were a crown that she had placed on her head.
During that evening, we were sitting in our living room, which was nearly empty, with the dumpster visible through the window. It seemed as though it was making fun of us. After moving in together, the only things we had left were the dispersed stuff that we had purchased before we moved in together.
“We could take her to small claims court,” Jake eventually concluded. “Our options are open.” “But it’ll be messy.”
“Jake, she appeared to be proud,” I said with a hesitant nod. “Actually proud, like she’d accomplished something.”
While we were each engrossed in our own thoughts, we both remained silent for a brief period.
“Doesn’t she take great pleasure in boasting? Every time she gets a new purse or a gourmet lunch, she is obligated to tell everyone about it, right? I inquired about it.
“Yeah… why?” My husband’s eyes became more constricted. “What are you thinking?”
“If she wants to show off, maybe we let her, but on our terms,” I responded in a straightforward manner.
The following week, Jake gave her a call.
When he informed her, “We want to make amends,” he did so in a tone that was friendly enough to be persuasive. “We are going to have a small barbecue in the backyard. It’s only for extended family and a select handful of our close pals.
“Oh, that is just wonderful! Her voice was filled with excitement as she announced, “I can bring the new espresso machine so that everyone can try it!” “Can I invite a few of my friends?”
Jake responded, “Of course, Mom,” while giving me a satisfied thumbs up. “There’ll be more than enough food, you know how much Mel loves to feed people.”
Just right.
When we arrived to the barbecue in the afternoon, we positioned my phone in the kitchen with the camera oriented at the location where she would be holding court. In typical fashion, my mother-in-law walked in with the espresso machine as if it were a medal from the Olympics, and she boasted about the new “fancy” wine glasses that she had acquired. The stand mixer that she used to make the “fluffiest cake ever!” was the topic of our conversation.
The fact that my quilt kept her warm as she watched movies at night was even mentioned by her explicitly.
And what is the most exciting part? All of it was captured on video.
The following morning, Jake and I were sitting at the dining table with our laptops open, and our coffee, which had not yet been consumed, was getting colder between us. By this point, the anger had transformed into something more acerbic; it had become purpose.
We invited each and every guest who had attended our wedding to join a secret Facebook group that we had created. Jake also included a few of her friends, the people to whom she enjoyed bragging, in order to ensure that the appropriate individuals were aware of it.
Immediately prior to composing the caption, my fingers were hovering over the keyboard for a little moment.
“We would want to express our gratitude to everyone for the lovely presents they have given us. Unfortunately, Jake’s mother made the decision to keep a significant number of them for herself… for the purpose of ‘payment’ for watering our plants while we were on our honeymoon.
In her own words, this is her explanation of the situation. In the event that you would need your gift returned, please get in touch with Linda directly.
That was the third time I read it. It was unequivocal and perhaps even nasty. Then, however, I recalled the red trash once more, as well as the empty living room, and the handmade quilt that had been passed down from my grandmother placed on Linda’s couch in such a way that it appeared to have always been hers.
It was my turn to press “Post.”
Immediate and explosive was the reaction that occurred. When my phone buzzed so loudly, it came dangerously close to falling off the table. Next to mine, Jake’s phone began to light up.
All of the messages piled up one after the other, and comments came pouring in. The others were from our close pals who were enraged on our behalf. Some were from her friends, people with whom I had only a limited amount of contact.
“I can’t believe she did this!”
“That’s beyond selfish, even for Linda!”
Linda, how are you? To what end?
“Give my daughter her grandmother’s quilt or I’ll call the police.”
The attendees of the wedding started tagging her immediately. Some individuals asked that she return their gifts without delay, while others inquired as to whether or not they should also engage the authorities.
All of this is theft! It’s that straightforward, Linda. Please give me one compelling argument why I should not go to the cops!
By the evening of that day, the calls had begun. Instead of phoning me, Linda went directly to Jake. She didn’t bother to call me. He picked up the phone and found that her voice was already shaking.
“Jake, please take off that. Kindly, my young man. I beg you… You have completely misread something. My mobile phone is being blown apart by people. To put it simply, I am very mortified.
Jake maintained a steady tone in his voice.
“When everything goes back to normal in our home, Mom, you will make sure that the video is removed from the internet. Not previously. Also, just so there is no confusion, you will never again be given a key.
On the other end, there was a prolonged period of stillness.
With a “fine,” she responded. “Just… fine.”
By the end of the week, she had completed what she had promised. It was discovered that the quilt, the mixer, the crystal wine glasses, the espresso machine, and the envelope with the cash were all returned.
A few of them were still in their packaging, unopened, which was evidence that this had never been about making use of them but rather about possessing them. None of it had been necessary for her. Her sole intention was to flaunt her ownership of it, rather than to take pleasure in it.
We did not extend an invitation to her to observe us reopen them. Instead, Jake and I decided to order Chinese takeout on a peaceful evening, before spreading a blanket out on the floor of the living room and beginning the process of unwrapping each item once more, slowly.
As Jake handed me the box that had been given to me by my aunt and uncle, he commented, “It feels like Christmas.”
“Christmas without the awkward family politics,” I responded proudly, despite the fact that I was feeling uncomfortable.
Through FaceTime, we personally thanked each person who had given us a present. Just about every single one of them laughed and remarked something along the lines of:
“I’m just glad you got it back, that’s where it belongs.”
I did not bring up Linda, and she was not referenced at any point in the conversation. In her presence, there was a sense of intentional quiet, as if everyone was making a decision together.
She has taken a significant and indefinite break from our lives at this point. Before the last call ended, Jake made it clear to her what he meant.
Despite the fact that you are my mother, you have no right to treat Mel or our marriage in such a manner. “Until you have a complete comprehension of that, you are not permitted to enter our residence,” he stated.
Things were returned to us, but what’s more significant is that we were also given something else. Evidence that Jake made the decision to prioritize us over Linda’s destructive behavior when it mattered.
That would have been the point at which the audience would have erupted into applause if this had been a play being performed. But this wasn’t a movie, and the justice didn’t come from a script that was perfect; rather, it came from the dumpster that Linda had purchased for our backyard, as well as our determination to make vanity into her undoing.