A 59-year-old woman wrote to us with her emotional story involving her daughter-in-law (DIL). She sought advice on whether it was justified to retaliate against her DIL, who had insulted her several times. She shared the details of their complex relationship and asked for our opinion on the matter. We invite you to delve into her family situation and share your thoughts.

A woman wrote to us to share her absolutely dramatic family story.

A 59-year-old woman named Rosa recently wrote to us about her situation.

She started by saying, “Hello, I’m Rosa. I never expected to take the actions I did with my son’s family. But the circumstances forced me to speak up and take action. Now I’m unsure if I did the right thing and need advice on whether my actions were too harsh.”

Rosa explained that she’s a widow living alone in a large country house inherited from her grandmother. This is where her son Nigel, 35, was born and raised, and where he brought his then-girlfriend and now-wife Helen for the first time.

Rosa vividly remembers her first meeting with Helen. She recalls, “I had a feeling right from the start that Helen and I wouldn’t get along. She seemed standoffish, asking probing questions about my education and background. It felt more like a job interview than a friendly introduction with my daughter-in-law.”

Rosa and Helen have never been in a peaceful relationship with one another.

Rosa continued her story, explaining that since their first meeting, Helen’s attitude toward her had hardly changed. Helen often made fun of Rosa, who had worked as a cleaner in the past, calling her job “undignified.” She also criticized Rosa as “uneducated” and suggested she should read more books.