Tom, Layla’s husband, takes the family on a vacation every year, but she isn’t allowed. Layla finally asks Tom why she can’t join after being left out for years. Tom lies and says it’s because of his mother. But Layla and her mother-in-law find out a family secret that tears the family apart when Layla does her own research.
Since we got married, my husband Tom has taken a yearly trip to an island with his family. That’s twelve years of family trips without me.
He would leave our two kids and me behind every year.
“My mom doesn’t want in-laws on the trip, Layla,” he stated. “You already know this. Every year it’s the same thing. But you keep asking about it anyway.”
With his eyes rolling, my husband sat down on the couch and clenched his phone.
“Why don’t you just cancel this one, and we can take the kids on holiday instead?” As I tossed a salad for dinner, I asked.
He replied, “Why would I do that?” “It will be crazy because the kids are too young.” We can talk about holidays with them when they get bigger.
“And me?” I asked. “Are you sure your mom will mind?”
Lisa, Tom told you, “She doesn’t want you there.” “And if you come with, you will just embarrass yourself.”
I tried really hard not to let that excuse bother me for twelve years. There were other fights I wanted to take part in, but this wasn’t one of them.
Then, a few days before Tom was supposed to leave on his trip, I was lying on the couch and going through social media.
That’s when I lost it.
A slideshow of pictures from last year’s trip was posted on social media for everyone to see. Tom was there with his brother and sister-in-law, and he was smiling big. There were also pictures of their sister with her husband.
I was told that Tom’s mom didn’t want any of her in-laws to go on the trip, though.
I told myself, “It’s clear that she just didn’t want you there.”
Before I lost it with my mother-in-law, I needed to know more. No matter how much Denise seemed to dislike me, I knew she would answer me if I asked her straight out.
I chose to call Sadie, who is married to Tom’s brother. They had only been married for about a year, so she was a new member of the family.
“Hey, Layla,” she answered the phone right away.
I said “Hi!” and tried to get more energized so she wouldn’t think right away that something was wrong or that I was trying to hurt her.
She asked, “What’s up?”
I spoke slowly and said, “I was just scrolling through social media.” “I also saw your vacation pictures from last year.” “Everything looked great!”
Sadie laughed.
“Thank you,” she said. “I was living on an island. You didn’t have anyone to watch the kids, so you couldn’t come. It still makes me sad.
That’s what they thought. That I couldn’t go on their trip because my kids were sick.
“Listen, Layla,” she told her. “I need to leave because I have another call.” I’ll call you tonight!”
She hung up right away.
Going to see my mother-in-law was the next thing I planned to do. Denise is the one who would be behind this lie if anyone was.
“Why don’t you let Tom take us on vacation?” Don’t you think of us as family?” My mother-in-law opened the door and let me in. I asked.
“Darling, what are you talking about?” My mother-in-law asked, really not understanding. “Every year, my husband and sons take a vacation, but they’ve never brought me along.” Roger told me that none of the women go on these trips. There are only boys there.
“Wait, what?” I asked, shocked.
“Tell me what you know,” she asked as she poured herself a drink of juice.
I told everyone everything because I was so shocked. The pictures, Tom’s lies, and the years I was left behind with and without my kids.
My mother-in-law did the right thing by sitting there and listening in shock.
In a voice I hadn’t heard from her before, she said, “Let’s face them together.”
I asked, “Are you sure?”
She said yes.
We got on a plane and went to the same location two days after the men left. The ticket for my husband had been shown to my mother-in-law, so we knew where to go.
My sister was taking care of my kids while I was on a trip with Denise. We were never close, but this event brought us together in a way we didn’t expect.
My mother-in-law told me, “I’m so sorry you thought it was my fault.” “Lala, I would never tell Tom not to take you somewhere. You’re my first daughter-in-law. “Why would I hurt you like that?”
I smiled back.
We were angry and nervous when we got to the holiday spot. It was different to be here instead of sitting on the couch at home and fuming.
We drove to their rental house as the sun went down. When we told the front desk staff that we were the wives, they were happy to help.
The open windows let in a lot of noise, and the yard was full of people swimming and just hanging out.
“Let’s go,” my wife’s mom said as she put on a big hat. We just walked in with the crowd. No one paid attention to us at the party, which was good for us.
We looked from room to room as we moved around.
We found my father-in-law kissing a woman I didn’t know in one of the rooms downstairs. His face lit up with shock when he saw his wife. It looked like something out of a movie.
My spouse’s mom didn’t say anything. She was so angry that she just stood there.
“Where’s Tom?” I asked for.
“I don’t know,” my husband’s father stuttered, clearly upset that we were there.
While I kept looking upstairs, my mother-in-law stayed with him. Her anger filled the room. Tom was in one of the bedrooms with another woman. He had her arm around him, and they were both laughing at something on her phone.
They both turned when they heard me gasp.
“Layla, what are you doing here?” He stuttered as he tried to stand up.
“Really, why am I here? Hey Tom, why are you here?” What did I ask? My voice was strangely calm. “You’ve been lying to me for twelve years!”
His next-door neighbor sneaked out of the room because she could feel a storm coming. I didn’t care about her, though.
“We’re done,” I told them. “I’m leaving with the kids.” You can tell your mom about this.”
After that, I turned around and left.
It was hard to focus on the trip back home.
“I can’t believe it,” Denise said as she sat down next to me. “I can’t believe this is how our friendship ends.” Say what? Layla? How are both of them able to do that?”
I just stared at her for a moment. It seemed like this short trip was the main thing that made my mother-in-law older.
I couldn’t figure out how we had all been living a lie for so long. Things didn’t make sense.
Telling Denise, “I don’t know when or how this happened,” I was just waiting for the flight attendant to bring out the drink cart.
I went on, “But I’m telling you now that this has to end.” We’re no longer able to do this. We can’t be with them. “They’re not good for us now, and it’s clear they won’t be tomorrow either.”
“I agree with you,” my wife’s mom said. “My marriage has lost all of its appeal for me.” Roger didn’t care about me at all. All this time, Tom didn’t care about you or the boys.
“I already told him I want to split up,” I told her.
When we got home, Denise packed up her things and moved in with me. I, on the other hand, packed up Tom’s things and left them in boxes at her house.
“What he and his dad want to do is up to them,” she said with anger.
The effects were huge. She broke up with her kids because they were so mad that they told her the truth. In a strange way, our shared sadness brought us closer.
She also became a constant in my life, always wanting to be with me and help in any way she could. She also insisted on being an involved grandmother to my kids.
As we sat in the living room one afternoon, she said, “I never thought it would all come to this.”
“Neither do I,” I answered. “But at least we know the truth now.”
What would you have done?