My mother-in-law and I never saw eye to eye, and she always tried to get under my skin. But when she pulled a stunt at my workplace, I had enough and decided to teach her a valuable lesson then and there, to the praise of my colleagues and manager.
Yesterday, I was about halfway through my shift at an upscale grocery store where I work part-time when I saw her: Denise, my mother-in-law (MIL). She was strolling through the automatic doors like she was walking into her kingdom. Little did I know that her presence would cause a confrontation where I was forced to stand up for myself.
A cashier in a grocery store | Source: Midjourney
The store’s faint background music did nothing to dull the sound of her heels clacking on the polished floor as she made her grand entrance, dripping with expensive jewelry. Denise had that air about her like everyone should stop what they were doing and admire her presence.
And to be honest, she kind of expected it.
She was in her usual “look-at-me” outfit: a tailored designer coat, big sunglasses despite it being perfectly lit indoors, and a diamond necklace that probably cost more than I made in a year.
A well-dressed woman in a store | Source: Midjourney
When she strutted straight toward my register, a smirk already forming on her lips, my stomach did a little flip. What on earth was she doing here?
Denise had never come to my job before, and at that very moment, part of me wished it could’ve stayed that way forever. The woman had a way of making me feel two inches tall as if her disapproving looks and passive-aggressive comments weren’t enough of a daily reminder that I wasn’t “good enough” for her precious son, Jack.
A man posing alone | Source: Freepik
We’ve been married for five years, and still, my MIL found ways to remind me that I didn’t measure up to her standards. My husband didn’t help much and always appeared to take her side to avoid further drama, saying things like, “That’s just how Mom is.”
His unwillingness to have my back drove me insane! But I love him and believed my MIL would eventually get tired. For years, I put up with her antics and continued biting my tongue… until yesterday. Yesterday was the last time Denise messed with me because I taught her a lesson she’d never forget.
Here’s how it happened…
A cashier in a store | Source: Midjourney
She stopped in front of my register and gave me that fake smile that sent chills down my spine. In her arms were two cans of caviar, the specialty, high-end, top-of-the-line kind that cost more than my rent.
I glanced at the price tags. Yep, it was as bad as I thought: hundreds of dollars for two tiny tins.
“Sweetheart,” Denise said in that sickly sweet tone she always used when she wanted something. She dropped the cans down with a soft thud on the counter and glanced over her shoulder, probably making sure we had an audience.
“I need you to take care of this.”
An arrogant woman placing caviar on the counter | Source: Midjourney
Confused, I blinked, trying to process what she was asking.
“Sure,” I replied, reaching to scan the cans for her, but she stopped me to clarify.
“No, silly, I need you to TAKE CARE OF IT, darling,” she replied, looking annoyed but thrilled to be putting me on the spot.
“Take care of it?” I repeated, unsure if I’d heard her right or understood what she really wanted.
Denise tilted her head and gave me a pitying look like I was a child who couldn’t understand basic math.
“PAY for the caviar, my dear. You’ve always been so slow,” she said as if she were explaining the most obvious thing in the world.
An unhappy woman with her arms crossed | Source: Midjourney
“See, I’m hosting a little dinner party tonight, and my friends are expecting ONLY the best. I’m sure Jack wouldn’t mind if you helped out. After all, it’s what family does. And I’m certain you wouldn’t want me to disappoint my guests, would you?”
I stared at her, my hands frozen on the register. Stunned is an understatement for how I felt at that moment. I wanted to laugh, but the words were caught in my throat.
“Denise, this is hundreds of dollars’ worth of caviar,” I said, my voice low, trying to keep my composure. “I can’t—”
But she cut me off with a dismissive wave of her hand.
A woman waving her hand dismissively | Source: Midjourney
“Oh, don’t be so dramatic,” she scoffed. “My Jack will cover it. You’re his wife, and it’s your job to help with things like this.”
Now, I had put up with a lot from Denise over the years, but this? This was new. She wanted me to shell out hundreds of dollars, on the spot, for some caviar that she absolutely didn’t need, just so she could impress her fancy friends!
My co-workers were watching, probably wondering what was happening. I could feel their eyes on me, the customers in line shifting awkwardly as they pretended not to eavesdrop.
Shocked customers staring in one direction | Source: Midjourney
“Denise,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady, “I’m not paying for your caviar.”
Her smile faltered, but only for a second. She quickly recovered, brushing off my refusal like a minor inconvenience.
“Oh, come on, honey,” she said, her voice dripping with false kindness. “Don’t be selfish. You know how important this is to me. My friends expect the best.” She leaned in closer and whispered, “If you don’t help me out here, I’ll make sure Jack knows exactly how uncooperative you’re being.”
A woman addressing someone | Source: Midjourney
That was it…
Something inside me snapped. I wasn’t about to let this woman blackmail me in front of a crowd, in my own workplace no less! I squared my shoulders and gave her a sweet but tight-lipped smile, pretending to go along with her demands.
“You know what, Denise?” I said, my voice a little louder now. “You’re absolutely right. I’ll take care of it.”
Her eyes lit up with satisfaction, convinced she had won. “I knew you’d see reason,” she said, already preparing to bask in her victory.
A woman smiling in a store | Source: Midjourney
I grabbed the cans of caviar and scanned them, feeling the weight of every dollar as it added up on the register. My heart was pounding, but I knew exactly what I was going to do. After I bagged the caviar when my MIL wasn’t looking, I leaned forward and pressed the microphone button at my register.
My voice rang out loud and clear over the speakers as I gave Denise a taste of her own medicine, but amplified…
A woman holding a megaphone | Source: Midjourney
“Attention, shoppers,” I said, trying to keep the glee out of my voice.
“I’d like to introduce you all to a very special guest today, my mother-in-law, Denise! She’s here to buy two cans of our finest caviar, and she’s asked me, her cashier daughter-in-law, to pay for them. Let’s give her a round of applause for being such a generous family member!”
For a split second, the store was dead silent. Then, someone in the back started clapping, slowly at first, but then others joined in. Soon enough, the whole store was clapping and cheering!
Customers clapping in a grocery store | Source: Midjourney
My co-workers were grinning from ear to ear, and even the customers in line were chuckling and clapping along!
Denise’s face turned a shade of red I’d never seen before!
“What the hell are YOU doing?” she hissed under her breath, glaring at me like I’d just committed a crime.
I kept smiling, pretending to be oblivious.
“Oh, I just thought everyone should know how generous you are, Denise. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
A smug cashier | Source: Midjourney
She snatched the bag from the counter, her lips pressed into a thin line. Without another word, she stormed out of the store, her heels clicking furiously against the tile floor as the applause continued!
It didn’t stop until she was well out the door, and by then, I was practically glowing from the satisfaction of it all!
After she left, my co-worker Rachel sidled up next to me, barely able to contain her laughter.
“That,” she whispered, “was the most LEGENDARY thing I’ve ever seen!”
A shocked cashier | Source: Midjourney
The store manager, who’d been watching the whole thing from the back, gave me a wink as he passed by. “Remind me to never get on your bad side,” he said, grinning.
I couldn’t stop smiling as I finished my shift. It wasn’t just the applause or the fact that I’d finally stood up to Denise in such a public way. It was knowing that, for once, I’d outplayed her.
It wasn’t until later that night, when I got home, that the full impact of what happened hit me. Jack was sitting on the couch, his phone in hand, looking confused and impressed at the same time.
A confused man looking at his phone | Source: Freepik
“What the hell happened with my mom today?” he asked, not quite able to hide the hint of a smile.
I sat down next to him and told him everything. I braced myself, expecting him to be mad or at least a little annoyed. But instead, he just shook his head, fighting back a laugh.
“You know,” he said, “I think she might leave us alone for a while.”
And guess what? He was right. My MIL hasn’t called, texted, or shown up since!
A happy couple | Source: Midjourney
Denise sadly isn’t the only troublesome MIL out there. Jane moved in with her son and his wife, pretending to have issues with her home, only to find out she wanted to monitor the couple and ensure they give her grandchildren. Her daughter-in-law was having none of it and retaliated the best way she knew how.
The Volume Buttons On Your Iphone Has Many Hidden Functions
Any device’s full potential may often be unlocked by having a keen eye for the hidden gems beneath the surface; the iPhone’s hidden functions are no different.
Your iPhone has many hidden treasures that are just waiting to be discovered, from iMessage features to brighten every conversation to generation-specific features that maximize the technology in any particular iPhone.
A set of volume buttons is a characteristic that is common to all iPhone models. Unlike many Android phones, which only have one volume button, the iPhone has featured two different volume buttons since its original release.
The two buttons on the left side of the iPhone are used for functions other than volume control.
Like so many other locations, the phone’s buttons can be utilized for non-volume operations in addition to a few useful chores that can be accessed with their assistance.
Whether you’re a photography enthusiast seeking tactile finesse, a safety-conscious person needing quick access to emergency services, or someone who longs to have a physical snooze button again, the iPhone’s volume buttons offer a range of interactions that go far beyond their seemingly straightforward purpose.
When you make an SOS call, your phone notifies your approved emergency contacts of your location and the circumstances using the information you provide in the Medical ID section of the Health app.
With regard to Medical ID, users can store their emergency contacts, allergies, critical medical information, and other details in this function.
In an emergency, anyone can access this information. Even if your phone is locked, the Medical ID is still accessible for first responders’ use.
Switching off the power and more
Beyond emergency services, another important feature of the iPhone could be accessed by briefly depressing the side and volume down keys.
The menu that offers access to Medical ID and the emergency call slider is where you’ll find the power-off slider. Turning off the iPhone is done by using the designated slider.
Users may also use this screen to disable the Find My function on their phone when it is in sleep mode. Just below the power-off slider, there’s a popup to turn off Find My.
Find My Device will no longer work if the device’s setting is disabled through the power off menu; you will need to restart it and enter the passcode again to locate it.
This control layer significantly improves device security by granting users control over their location data even when their phone is off.
However, this feature is more intricate than it seems. Using the volume buttons to access the power-off menu has a security risk. The power off slider displays, briefly deactivating the Face ID and Touch ID functions.
This ensures the gadget can’t be turned off and prevents someone else from being able to forcibly access it when locked.
controls for the camera
Contemporary smartphones are renowned for their capacity to swiftly and effortlessly capture moments, with the iPhone outperforming rival flagship devices in terms of camera capability.
One of the more widely known features of smartphone camera apps is the ability to use volume controls.
While some Android devices allow users to zoom in, the primary purpose of the volume keys on the iPhone is to capture images.
Instead of fumbling with the on-screen shutter button, users may snap instant images by simply pushing the volume up or down button.
This small function mimics the feel of a traditional camera, offering a cozy, tactile experience that some users might find more acceptable.
Moreover, this feature is not limited to shooting photos. To start recording a video, you can also utilize the camera app’s volume buttons.
Because it provides users with control and stability during the process, allowing them to grasp onto the device steadily and capture dynamic footage, this function is very handy for recording video material.
A video recorder’s volume buttons are helpful for purposes other than merely starting a recording. If the iPhone’s camera app is still set up to capture images, you can use either volume button to begin a quick shot movie.
Users merely need to release the button to stop recording. You may also press and hold the volume up button to switch it to “Photo Burst” in the Settings app.
The Notes app’s document scanning feature and the Camera app both utilize the volume buttons for taking photos.
When scanning a document into the iPhone, users do not have to wait for the device to properly frame the document. As an alternative, you can snap a picture of anything that’s visible in the scanner’s viewfinder by pressing either volume button.
With enough time and work, such scans can be edited to appear as precise as what the iPhone can accomplish automatically.
Alarm mechanisms
It can be a surprising habit to turn off the alarm in the morning. Apple has given its users the chance to go back in time to a simpler time when they are trying to snooze their alarm in the morning.
You can immediately stop the alarm when it goes off by using the volume up or down button. This will spare you the trouble of looking for the on-screen button and give you some alone time while you get ready for the day. This method of using the volume controls also applies to vibrating, quiet alarms.
Using the volume buttons to snooze occasionally proves to be more convenient than reaching for the snooze or smaller dismiss button first thing in the morning.
Similar to the snooze button, the volume buttons are likewise simpler to reach in the early morning mist.
Slapping the enormous snooze button on an equally gigantic alarm clock radio combo doesn’t exactly feel the same.
Remember that you must first ensure that snoozing is enabled before using the volume buttons to snooze an alarm.
If the snooze setting is not enabled for an alarm, the volume buttons will simply refuse it. The alarm is programmed to sound again at the next specified time.
Turning off phone calls and locating my
Picture this: a quiet moment or a crucial meeting cut short by a ringing phone. It doesn’t happen very infrequently. It’s simple to periodically forget to switch off your phone or even to switch it back on by accident.
The volume buttons on your iPhone soon create a barrier between you and anyone close and the ringtone you’ve selected when you receive one of these unpleasant robocalls. In far harsher situations, you can use the power button to reject or end a call.
The ringing phone can be muffled with a single press of either volume button. Using the volume button to end an unwanted call makes sense.
Controlling Find My notifications on the iPhone also heavily relies on the volume buttons.
The iPhone uses new buttons to secure your relationships and belongings in a world where those things are vital.
The position of your second Apple device can be found by pressing either volume button quickly to quickly muffle the otherwise loud warning when something close sends out a Find My notification.
As a result, receiving notifications is more manageable.
App features
Despite Apple’s best efforts to stop it, iPhone volume buttons can be utilized as tools for other app interactions.
the inventive usage of volume buttons in non-Apple apps—a feature that is usually free from Apple’s stringent constraints despite its usability.
By using this repurposing, a number of software developers have provided users with instantaneous shortcuts or actions, providing a haptic and seamless alternative to traditional on-screen taps.
One particularly straightforward approach is to utilize a counter app that allows users to tick up or down dependent on whether they use the volume up or down button.
However, employing volume buttons in non-Apple apps is a technique that should be utilized cautiously due to Apple’s app development constraints.
Maintaining a consistent user interface and preventing hardware control abuse—which can possibly mislead users or obstruct normal interactions—are given top attention in these standards.
Apple usually forbids developers from altering the functionality of hardware buttons in their apps as a result.
While some programs are able to effectively integrate volume button functionality while adhering to Apple’s standards, these instances are still quite uncommon due to the challenges these constraints pose.
Not only can developers not modify the behavior of the volume buttons, but users are also not allowed to use the volume buttons to run commands that were developed within the Shortcuts app.
But not everyone has been deterred by that. The volume buttons on your phone can theoretically be used to create shortcuts, but doing so involves using a complicated workaround function that connects an action to the volume.
Restart with force
At some time, everyone has either attempted or heard the sage advise to simply turn their device on and off again. Using the volume buttons to force an iPhone reset is a quick and simple solution in many cases.
When the device becomes unresponsive, sluggish, or has software problems, this can function as a reset to help restore it to a better state.
Users can force a restart by simultaneously pushing and holding the side button, the volume up and down buttons, and the volume down button.
The volume buttons here can be used to reach the shut-down menu, but the iPhone can also be turned off without the need for a slider by holding down the side button.
After turning off their phone, users still need to push and hold the side button down until they see the Apple logo on the screen.
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