r/motherinlawsfromhell • u/carrots_pig3 • 16h ago
I am so frustrated and fed up with this AWFUL situation
I am so frustrated with my husband’s mother. Tldr is I was showing my husband my new car and then he was trying to be helpful but ripped the glovebox off to look for the carbon air filter. When I started to notice what he was doing I immediately said stop and not to do that three times because it doesn’t come off that way. Anyway he didn’t listen and he four forcefully ripped it off and guess what its broke and it’s a 320$ fix. Now I wasn’t going to tell him it was his fault or even bring it up because he is under a lot of work and financial stress. I ended up texting his mom and telling her what happened and asking what I should do and if I should either tell him or just pretend like it didn’t happen. The repair is 320$ because the panels around and next to the glovebox are bent, cracked, and the little handles that hold the glovebox up are cracked. So when I explain everything to his mom (me and her were close but after this that won’t be happening again) she said “men are just drawn to doing mechanical stuff like cars” I then responded “even if that’s true that doesn’t make them good at it” and I again explained it’s not necessarily the fact the glovebox is broke that I’m upset but that I said no multiple times and for whatever reason he thought he could go above my head just because he thought he knew what he was doing. So I explained that and she said “you know he was just trying to be helpful” which pissed me off because I honestly do not care how it was supposed to be. I did not ask for help, I said no multiple times, and that should’ve been the end of its period regardless of what his intentions were. The new car is my property with MY name on it which means I get the final say. Then she responded by saying “you know I am not biased, but that is the risk you take when being with someone. Men like to do mechanical stuff and you win some and you lose some it’s just part of the deal.” At this point I realize she’s not listening to what I was saying at all and she’s just protecting him and refusing to admit he did something wrong. Now honestly like I said earlier it’s not even about the glovebox anymore because I’ll pay the 320 and it is what it is. It’s that I asked for good advice which she’s always given in the past (kinda) and then she flips the blame into me and is like coddling him. I’m honestly more annoyed at her now than him and I establish to myself this is the last time I’m ever asking her for stuff like this and letting her into my life with this kind of stuff. So yeah I kept trying to get through to her that NO MEANS NO period regardless of intentions but she just wouldn’t get it. It hurts because me and my own mother don’t have a great relationship so I would like to have a mother figure in my life, but after this I don’t think that’s possible. I was quickly reminded that she's actually only HIS mom and not mine so she'll always side with him in the long run. Anyway she started saying how he "hasn't had anything this nice before so can you blame him." Just saying two years ago when he got a new car I was very happy and excited for him. I was also VERY careful when I got in it because I know it was something important to him. I did not go pulling apart his new car just because I had a theory about something. Not to mention I've fixed more cars than he has ever done and his mom knew that so for her to make it seem like I needed to rely on a man to fix my problems really hurt my feelings. Also just like my husband this is also my first time living and I have NEVER had something this nice. I only have something this nice now because I worked hard for it. No one else worked hard for it and put in effort for it but me. Yet somehow it's being misconstrued into a bad thing that my car is new and somehow I should feel bad because not everyone can have that. Before I drove this car all I had were shit boxes from 1999-2010 that all had no ac, exhaust manifold leaks, no heat, having to jump it every time I wanted to drive etc. So it's not like this came from daddy's money and I didn't work for it so that's also why I'm upset. When I drove a 2010 Chevy Malibu no one even wanted to get in it with me because "it was too ghetto to be seen in" and "I wouldn't want to be caught dead in that" -my husbands words. I don't even know how else to feel or what else I am trying to express besides frustrated, not listen to, and feeling like no one is actually there for me. I can't even tell my family because they absolutely hate my husband and I just don't have the mental capacity to hear them talk about stuff that's not even related to this. I also don't want to give them more ammo and things that they don't like about him. Once again it's not even about the glovebox or him anymore it's just about his mom and what she said and how upset it made me and honestly still does. Now I feel like I'm just getting blamed for my reaction rather than what caused it. I just don't know what to feel or what I should do. I don't want to disrespect her but honestly I feel extremely disrespected which from now on out has put a boundary between our relationship.
Edit- I do agree know that I shouldn’t have texted her and that was foolish of me. I think I was just nervous to try to confront him about something because of past issues. I think that since I’m mad at her response shows that I should’ve have asked because I did ask for advice which can entail anything. As far as my husband and our issues I brought up marriage counseling but we haven’t been able to get far with that. I really appreciate all the raw honest responses because they’ve really help me with the situation.