The Woman Who Never Approved of Me
My name is Raina Cooper, and I’ve been married to Evan for four years. He’s a calm, gentle software engineer — the kind of man who avoids arguments at any cost. His mother, Lorraine, is his complete opposite: loud, proud, and convinced that no woman will ever be worthy of her son.
From the very beginning, she made sure I knew my place. I tried everything to win her over — cooking, bringing thoughtful gifts, remembering birthdays. But no matter what I did, it was never enough.
She would smile sweetly in front of Evan, but when no one was around, she’d lean close and whisper, “You’ll never really fit into this family.”
When I told Evan, he just sighed. “That’s just Mom,” he said, as if that made everything fine.
I wanted peace more than pride. So, I stayed quiet and kept trying.
A Card That Opened More Than Accounts
I work from home as an interior designer near Portland, managing small projects for local clients. Since Evan’s usually deep in his coding marathons, I handle our finances — bills, budgets, cards. I don’t mind. I like things organized.
But Lorraine had this habit that always made me uneasy. She’d call Evan out of the blue:
“Can I borrow your card, sweetheart? It’s an emergency.”
Sometimes it was a few hundred for car repairs or medical co-pays. Evan, being the devoted son, never said no. I didn’t like it, but I kept my mouth shut.
A few months ago, she started talking about a Mediterranean cruise. “I deserve it,” she said proudly. I assumed she’d saved for it. Then her social media filled with sunsets, champagne, and fancy dinners.
When she came back, she walked into our kitchen wearing designer sunglasses and too much gold.
“Oh, Raina,” she laughed, dropping her handbag on the counter, “your card funded my seventy-six-thousand-dollar vacation. You really have expensive taste.”
Evan chuckled nervously. My stomach sank. I excused myself, went to my desk, and opened our online banking.
There it was — a single charge: $76,243.18.
My hands trembled. She had really done it. And she was proud. I didn’t say a word. I just smiled and watched her sip wine, already planning what I’d do next.
