Mother-in-law Slapped Me, I Want a Divorce!

1

When Landon’s mother stormed back again, Hazel was still asleep. In a daze, she heard someone banging on the door outside and shouting unpleasant words. Hazel initially didn’t want to pay attention, but the disturbance became unbearable. She rolled out of bed, stood at the table, took a sip of cold water, and resolutely grabbed a chair to open the door.

The old lady was clearly startled by Hazel’s posture, stiffening her neck like a combative rooster, but her voice weakened: “What, you dare to hit me? I made my son divorce you!”

This time, Hazel didn’t get angry but laughed. It seemed she was unaware that she and Landon were already divorced. Hazel turned back into the room, grabbed a red booklet, and confronted the old lady with a cold smile: “Take a good look with your wide-open eyes. It’s me who divorced your son!”

As soon as the old lady saw the three words “divorce certificate,” she completely lost her arrogance. She just wanted to make some trouble for the eldest, but unexpectedly, she disrupted the home of the second son.

Hazel took back the divorce certificate, sighed, and said, “Old lady, accumulate some virtue, or Landon will be turned into an old bachelor sooner or later by your meddling.”

She added, “Oh, by the way, the property deed is now in my name. If you come to smash the door again, it’s considered breaking into a private residence, and that’s against the law!”

After saying this, there was a loud “bang” as the door slammed shut. Even Hazel felt a hint of bitterness in her heart.

In just a few days, how did things suddenly escalate to the point of divorce? Their life with Landon used to be full of warmth, but because of the interference of the mother-in-law, their marriage collapsed like a house of cards.

2

This farce began more than twenty days ago.

On a Friday evening, the sky was adorned with a brilliant sunset. After work, Landon had his arm around Hazel’s shoulders, and Hazel held the rare roses he had given her. The two walked on the crowded pedestrian street, as if they had returned to the passionate days of their courtship.

At that time, Hazel’s mother had already taken their daughter Sadie for the weekend, and the young couple was about to enjoy a rare moment of togetherness. However, as the saying goes, no good deed goes unpunished.

When Hazel heard Landon say that his mother would come to help take care of the child the next day, the smile on Hazel’s face instantly froze, and the roses in her hands became uncomfortably sharp. Whether Landon believed it or not, Hazel didn’t. The mother-in-law had never liked Sadie; that was clear to her.

When Hazel was pregnant, she experienced sudden abdominal pain late one night, and it was Landon’s mother who rushed her to the hospital. Fortunately, Hazel was in good health, and the delivery went smoothly. When the nurse came out, both of them eagerly approached, one inquiring about the wife, the other about the child. The nurse congratulated them with a smile, announcing the safe arrival of a mother and daughter.

Landon quickly expressed his gratitude, but the old lady exploded at the mention of the word “daughter”: “What’s there to be thankful for? After all this effort, it turns out to be a girl.”

Ignoring her, Landon followed Hazel’s hospital bed to comfort her. Surprisingly, the old lady left without saying a word. When Landon realized she was gone, he anxiously called her, and she answered, claiming she had gone home, fallen ill, and couldn’t take care of Hazel during her postpartum period.

Hazel saw through the ruse; how could the mother-in-law leave the hospital if she was unwell? Unless the newborn granddaughter was the cause of her “illness.” Although it was uncomfortable, Hazel knew Landon was worried about his mother, so she said, “Husband, go and check on your mom. Don’t worry about me.”

At that time, Hazel’s parents had also arrived, so she wasn’t worried about being alone. Landon was grateful and went to see his mother with skincare products, even suggesting a medical checkup. Little did he know, in front of her son, the mother didn’t hide her true feelings: “I’m not sick. Even if I were, it’s your wife’s fault for upsetting my stomach…”

Unable to resist his mother, Landon couldn’t bring himself to tell Hazel the truth. He took leave from work to take care of Hazel. After being discharged, the young couple, along with the child, moved directly into Hazel’s house. The mother-in-law, on the other hand, returned to Landon’s elder brother’s house to do laundry, cook, and soothe the child. Of course, the elder brother’s child was a boy named Jacob, who had just turned one at that time.

3

In this way, from Sadie’s birth until she entered kindergarten, the mother-in-law never took the initiative to see her. Even during family gatherings on special occasions, she showed no interest in Sadie, favoring only Jacob.

Hazel had felt a chill, but she was not one to dwell on things. Her daughter was her responsibility, and no matter how biased the mother-in-law was towards boys, it couldn’t harm her. Over time, she found contentment in avoiding the typical mother-in-law conflicts.

However, when the mother-in-law suddenly announced her intention to help take care of the child, Hazel had no idea what she was up to. Hazel had no confidence in this sudden interaction and felt anxious.

Early Saturday morning, Landon drove Hazel home to pick up the old lady. On the return journey, although the atmosphere wasn’t harmonious, it was bearable. However, as soon as they entered the house, trouble started.

The mother-in-law inspected the house inside and out, her face gradually darkening. Finally, she stopped in the child’s room, shouting, “What a wasteful place! A girl needs so many toys…”

It was clear the mother-in-law was not pleased, and Hazel was itching to react, but Landon kept her in check.

On Monday afternoon, when Hazel brought Sadie back home, the mother-in-law was nowhere to be found. Sadie went straight to her room, and as Hazel was about to relax and change clothes, she heard her daughter’s voice: “Mom, where are my toys?”

Hazel went to check, and indeed, several toys were missing. Sadie’s favorite stuffed animals and toy cars were nowhere to be seen. Shortly after, the mother-in-law returned. Upon hearing Sadie’s complaint, she gave them both a disdainful look and said, “I gave the toys to Jacob. What does a girl need with toys?”

Hazel didn’t respond to her and turned to Sadie, saying, “Grandma lent the toys to your brother. How about we play with them in a few days?”

Sadie nodded understandingly. Although Hazel said this, she didn’t expect to get the toys back. The next day, she went to the mall and bought a new set of toys. While paying, she couldn’t help but wonder how the mother-in-law managed to take away so many things.

Hazel’s approach of avoiding conflict seemed to give the mother-in-law the upper hand. Subsequently, she gradually took away Sadie’s belongings to give to Jacob. Hazel couldn’t tolerate this and wanted to talk to the mother-in-law, but Landon insisted on finding a solution himself.

His so-called solution was to compromise and constantly remind Hazel to be more considerate of the elderly. In his view, it was just toys, and they could afford to buy more. There was no need to disrupt the harmony of the family over such matters.

4

But before one wave subsided, another large wave rose.

On the day Hazel had just brought Sadie back home and received an urgent call from her boss to work overtime, she left her daughter with the mother-in-law, thinking nothing significant would happen in such a short time.

However, when Hazel returned from overtime and heard Sadie’s heartbreaking cries at the elevator, her heart sank. She rushed back, pushed open the door, and was shocked by the scene before her.

The mother-in-law was dragging Sadie by her arm towards the corner of the wall, uttering a string of vulgarities. Sadie was screaming for her mom, tears streaming down her little face, and there was a red handprint on her cheek.

Hazel rushed over, snatched Sadie away, and comforted her in the room while the mother-in-law continued her foul-mouthed rant in the living room.

Listening to Sadie’s fragmented account, Hazel learned that during dinner, Sadie accidentally knocked over a bowl. The grandmother insisted she pick up the spilled noodles from the floor and eat them. When Sadie refused, the grandmother attempted to use force.

After soothing her daughter for a long time, Hazel finally managed to calm her down, and Sadie fell asleep. At that moment, Landon had still not returned, and Hazel sat by the bed waiting for him. This issue needed resolution.

After a long wait, she finally heard the door open.

Just as Hazel was about to get up, she heard the mother-in-law’s fake crying voice, “Son, are you going to let your wife and daughter gang up on me…”

Landon, worn out, responded, “Mom, what’s wrong now?”

Seeing her son’s impatience, the old lady instantly raised her voice sharply, “That brat of yours, your daughter…”

Hazel couldn’t stand the offensive language and immediately opened the door, addressing the living room, “Landon, take a look at your daughter.”

Landon glanced at both of them and reluctantly stepped into the room. Sadie’s forehead was sweaty, clearly traumatized, and the handprint on her cheek was still vivid. His heart clenched.

However, mindful that Sadie was still sleeping, he couldn’t directly blame anyone and found himself caught in the middle.

Moreover, knowing his mother’s explosive temper, he could only adopt a temporizing strategy. In a low voice, he said, “Let’s discuss this tomorrow. Get some rest for now.”

The next day, Hazel rose early to take the child back to her mother’s house. Landon, unwilling to confront the chaos, let her handle it herself. As Hazel reached the bottom of their building, Landon was waiting for her there.

Hazel didn’t want to engage with him. His evasive and ambiguous attitude toward the conflict deeply disappointed her. At this point, Landon probably realized that the situation was irreparable. Waiting downstairs, he hoped to persuade Hazel to lower her stance and avoid a direct confrontation.

5

Hazel understood that Landon was a filial son and reluctant to go against his mother. However, there were things she couldn’t compromise on.

Over the years, even though the mother-in-law invested all her energy and resources in Jacob without showing any concern for Sadie, Hazel had never raised any objections. Instead, feeling guilty for not caring for her properly due to their long separation, Hazel not only sent her money every month but also placed her year-end bonus into a card each year, hoping to make amends.

But now, seeing the mother-in-law completely disregarding her feelings, not only taking things away but also treating her daughter this way, Hazel had had enough.

She sidestepped Landon and entered the elevator, with Landon following her, letting out a barely audible sigh.

When they entered the apartment, the mother-in-law was sitting on the sofa, arms crossed, looking as if she was enjoying the show. Landon spoke up before Hazel could, “Mom, you should go home. Sadie is spending her vacation at Grandma’s, and you don’t need to bother taking care of her.”

Was her son chasing her away with these words? As soon as she heard this, the old lady stood up, mouth agape, unable to utter a word. She never expected her usually mild-mannered son to turn against her at this moment.

After a while, she began to roar, “You ungrateful child! Did I raise you just for you to drive me away? Ah…”

Landon furrowed his brow, unusually standing firm, “Mom, I’ll take you home when I come back tonight.”

Seeing that her son was determined, the mother-in-law gradually quieted down. Landon, sensing that the situation had stabilized, changed his clothes and left for overtime.

Hazel locked herself in the room, lying on the bed, utterly exhausted. After a while, she went out to use the bathroom, and the mother-in-law stopped her with an arrogant expression, “Let me go back; I have a condition.”

Hazel couldn’t be bothered to deal with her and replied with a casual “whatever” before making a move to leave.

The mother-in-law, angered by Hazel’s attitude, unexpectedly slapped her across the face. Hazel was shocked and didn’t know how to respond. The mother-in-law then grabbed Hazel’s hair, and Hazel struggled fiercely. The two ended up in a scuffle.

Worried about Hazel, Landon, who had left, called back. The ringing phone interrupted their fight.

The mother-in-law quickly rushed to the phone, tearfully saying, “Son, come back quickly! Your wife is trying to kill me…”

6

As Landon stepped inside the house, the old lady rushed towards him, grabbing his arm and pointing at Hazel, “Son, you must divorce this woman today.”

Landon was utterly bewildered. Both women had bloodstains on their faces, disheveled hair, and he weakly muttered, “Why must it come to this?”

Before Hazel could speak, the old lady shouted at her, “Even if you don’t divorce, make her hand over Jacob’s school enrollment!”

At the mention of “school enrollment,” Hazel exploded, saying, “What school enrollment for Jacob?”

Landon also asked, “What school enrollment?”

The mother-in-law, hands on her hips, spat on the ground, yelling, “Isn’t this house supposed to come with an enrollment for an experimental primary school? Give it to Jacob!”

Landon stammered, “Mom, the enrollment is for Jacob. What about Sadie?”

The mother-in-law retorted, “That brat can go to any random school. Who cares?”

Frustrated, Hazel kicked the sofa aside, stormed past them, and left the house.

Under the bright sunlight, Hazel walked for more than ten minutes, reflecting on the mother-in-law’s behavior these days. It finally dawned on her that the mother-in-law wanted to tear things apart to pressure and coerce them into giving her what she wanted.

Since the face was already torn, why bother giving in?

With a self-deprecating smile, she touched her face, feeling the pain from the bloodstains. Hazel exhaled sharply, took out her phone from her pocket, and called Landon, asking him to come out.

It took him over half an hour to arrive, likely being detained by his mother again. Most likely, he would compromise once more. Hazel found it somewhat amusing.

As Landon approached, wanting to touch her wound, Hazel tilted her head, declining the gesture. She smiled and said, “Let’s get a divorce, Landon.”

As the words left her lips, Landon furrowed his brow, his eyes turning red. He kept apologizing.

Seeing him like this, Hazel felt a twinge of sympathy, but she couldn’t soften her heart. She walked up to him, hugged him, and whispered in his ear, “Husband, there’s no better way, right? Let’s get a divorce. I don’t want to live like this anymore.”

7

Landon knew that Hazel was not joking. He understood that continuing in the current situation would only bring more significant harm to her and their daughter. His character and weakness prevented him from drawing a clear line with his biological mother. However, he couldn’t bear to see their family fall apart. So, he tried everything to persuade Hazel to stay, but all emotional strategies failed, and even using Sadie’s custody as a threat didn’t work. Hazel was determined to divorce, and he had no choice but to agree.

They even went to the housing authority to transfer the property deed into Hazel’s name. The last thing he could do for her was to ensure their daughter had a warm home and a school enrollment.

When they completed the divorce process and went their separate ways, Hazel waved goodbye to Landon with a heavy heart. She also cherished the home they had built together, but she truly didn’t want to continue.

This marriage, like a play, came and went swiftly. The sweetness was real, and so was the disappointment. The catalyst for the problem was indeed the mother-in-law. But Hazel understood that Landon never took the initiative to find solutions. His consistent attitude was avoidance, dragging on and waiting for either the mother-in-law or her to compromise.

Seeing no hope in him, Hazel questioned the purpose of continuing a marriage that brought pain instead of happiness. If marriage didn’t lead to joy but brought suffering, why continue?

Rather than lingering in this tug-of-war, feigning compromise, and entangling each other in endless quarrels and resentment, wearing away all patience and love, they would end up with both suffering and, most likely, compromising Sadie’s happiness.

It was better to stop here.

In this choice about family, Hazel made a decision for Landon; she chose to exit voluntarily. In the world, even the most challenging problems have solutions, and she had chosen the fastest and, hopefully, the correct way.

That’s how Hazel thought about it.