Elara thought marriage would be her happily ever after, until cockroaches invaded her home and her mother-in-law made her life a living nightmare. But when a dark secret blurred the line between victim and villain, Elara realized that revenge was the only way out.
I’m Elara, and I’ve been married to my husband, Jacob, for about a year now. Life, for the most part, has been good, really good, actually. We settled into married life with ease, enjoying the simple pleasures of being together.
Jacob is everything I could have asked for in a husband. He is kind, supportive, and always there when I need him. But, as with most things in life, there’s a catch.
That catch is my mother-in-law, Agnes.
From the very beginning, it was clear as day that she never liked me. Whether it was the way she looked at me or the not-so-subtle digs she made, her attitude was unmistakable. I’m not sure what I did to deserve her disdain, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that she saw me as an intruder in her son’s life.
Still, she’s Jacob’s mother, and for that reason alone, I’ve tried my best to live with it. To smile through her snide remarks and keep the peace, for Jacob’s sake. But no amount of forced smiles could prepare me for what came next.
Just when I thought I could handle her passive-aggressive digs, things took a turn for the worse.
For the past month, my house has felt like something out of a nightmare. No, scratch that. MY LIFE has felt like something out of a nightmare.
It started with a cockroach here and there. One scuttling across the kitchen counter. Another creeping along the bathroom floor.
But soon, they were everywhere. And I mean EVERYWHERE! The kitchen, the bathroom, the living room, hell, even our bedroom wasn’t safe. I’d wake up in the middle of the night feeling a tickle on my arm, only to flick on the light and see a roach making itself at home on my bed.
We called pest control multiple times. We bought traps, sprays, you name it. But no matter what we did, the roaches kept coming back, like they had some vendetta against me. And to top it all off, my mother-in-law just couldn’t resist rubbing it in.
“Honestly, Elara,” she’d say with that sickly sweet tone of hers, “you really should take better care of the house. Jacob deserves a clean home. How can you let it get this bad?”
It didn’t stop there. One afternoon, as she sipped tea in our living room, a roach had the nerve to crawl up the wall. Agnes’s eyes followed it with a look of exaggerated horror.
“My goodness, Elara,” she gasped, clutching her chest as if she were witnessing a crime. “I can’t imagine how embarrassed you must be, living in these conditions. I never had this problem when Jacob was growing up.”
Then there was the time she “helpfully” brought over a stack of cleaning supplies, dumping them on my kitchen counter with a too-bright smile. “I thought you could use these, dear,” she said, her voice oozing with false concern. “Maybe they’ll help you get a handle on things. I’d hate for people to think you can’t keep a clean house.”
Each comment was a jab, a twist of the knife, making me feel smaller and more inadequate every time. It was as if she reveled in my struggle, her words like salt in an already festering wound.
Every time she opened her mouth, it took everything in me not to scream. I’d nod, smile, and tell her I was doing my best, but inside, I was seething. This isn’t my fault, you old witch! I wanted to shout. But of course, I couldn’t do that. Not to Jacob’s mother.
But then, the universe threw me a bone. Or rather, Agnes made a mistake. She’d come over to “check on us” again, dropping her little barbs like confetti. As she left, she accidentally left her handbag on the couch. When I went to pick it up and move it, a receipt fluttered out. I wouldn’t have thought twice about it, but something caught my eye.
It was from a pet store. But not just any pet store—one that specialized in reptiles. And the item purchased? LIVE COCKROACHES!
My blood ran cold. For a moment, I just stood there, staring at that stupid piece of paper in my hand. And then, slowly, the realization hit me. Agnes was behind the infestation. She’d been sabotaging me, setting me up to look like the world’s worst housekeeper.
The anger that flared up inside me was blinding. I could feel it burning in my chest, my hands trembling with the force of it. But along with the anger came something else—something darker.
I wasn’t just going to confront her. No, that would be letting her off too easily. I was going to get revenge.
I stormed out of the house, receipt still clenched in my hand, and got into my car. I had no idea what I was going to do, but I knew I needed to strike back. Hard. As I drove, my thoughts raced, and then it hit me. I made a quick detour to that same pet store. If she wanted to play dirty, then I’d go nuclear.
Inside, I found exactly what I was looking for—a potent animal attractant. The kind hunters use to lure wild animals from miles away. The plan formed in my head like a beautiful, terrible flower, blooming with each passing second.
When I finally pulled up to Agnes’s house, night had fallen. She lived on the outskirts of town, right next to the woods, which made this perfect. I crept around her yard, spreading the attractant everywhere. The bushes, the flower beds, even the base of the house itself. I didn’t stop there.
I slipped inside — she always left the back door unlocked, trusting as ever — and sprinkled some inside too. The whole time, my heart raced with a mixture of fear and exhilaration.
By the time I finished, I was practically shaking with anticipation. I couldn’t wait to see what would happen. But for now, I went home, crawled into bed, and let sleep take me. And oh, how sweet that sleep was.
I dreamed of revenge, of Agnes’s horrified face, of the chaos I had unleashed, and I drifted deeper into that blissful darkness, savoring every second.
Then, just as I was reliving the final moments of my delicious payback, the shrill ring of the phone yanked me from my dream. I groggily reached for it, my heart pounding. It was Jacob, and from the frantic tone of his voice, I knew something big had happened.
“Elara, you won’t believe this,” he said, half laughing, half in shock. “Mom’s house was… attacked last night!”
I sat up in bed, trying to sound groggy. “Attacked? By who?”
“Not who—what. Animals. The whole yard was swarmed! Deer, moose, foxes, even birds! They trashed everything! They tore up the garden and broke the fences. And the smell… God, the whole place reeks. It’s like the animals turned the yard into their personal toilet.”
It took everything in me to keep from bursting out laughing. “That’s awful! What’s she going to do?”
“She’s coming to stay with us until it’s cleaned up. She doesn’t have a choice.”
I felt my stomach drop. Great, I didn’t think this through. But I couldn’t let him hear the panic in my voice. “Oh, okay. We’ll make it work.”
When Agnes arrived later that day, the look on her face was priceless. She was humiliated, furious, and worst of all, powerless. She barely acknowledged me as she walked inside, nose wrinkling at the sight of the cockroaches that still plagued our house.
“Oh, don’t mind them,” I said sweetly. “They just won’t go away, no matter what we do.”
I waited until later that night, after Jacob and I were alone, to show him the receipt. He stared at it, his face hardening as the truth sank in.
“She did WHAT?” he exclaimed, disbelief giving way to anger.
“Apparently, she’s been planting roaches in the house this whole time. I found this after she left yesterday,” I said, handing him the damning piece of paper.
Jacob stormed into the guest room, confronting Agnes right then and there. She tried to deny it, but the receipt was undeniable. She stammered out an apology, her face going red with shame.
“I didn’t think it would go this far,” she mumbled, eyes glued to the floor.
“Well, it did,” Jacob snapped. “And you’re paying for the pest control and all the damage you caused. Until it’s done, you’ll have to live among the cockroaches YOU brought into our lives.”
As I listened to their exchange, a smile tugged at the corners of my lips. Sure, I hadn’t planned on Agnes moving in, but at least now she was getting what she deserved.
Lying in bed that night, I felt a deep, dark satisfaction settle over me. Revenge might not always be sweet, but sometimes, it’s just what you need to get by. And as for Agnes? Well, let’s just say she’ll be sleeping with the roaches tonight.
And for many nights to come.
Rich Wife & Poor Widow’s Babies Are Accidentally Swapped at Birth, They Find Out 27 Years Later — Story of the Day
Kylie was clueless that her son Logan wasn’t hers until she took a DNA test with him 27 years later and got the shock of her life. She was furious beyond words and wanted answers from the maternity hospital where she had given birth – only to hear the startling fact that her baby had been exchanged with another woman.
Kylie came from a humble background and knew that money could provide for basic needs, but love and togetherness were more important. Her parents adored her and encouraged her to attend university despite their financial issues. It was there she met the man of her dreams, Sebastian.
Sebastian was wealthy, the only heir to his father’s firm. But their differences didn’t stop them from marrying and settling in a modest home in California.
When Kylie became pregnant three years later, Sebastian arranged for her to see the top doctor in town. But Kylie insisted on giving birth in the same place her mother had – a modest hospital in California. After all, what could possibly go wrong?
Kylie was shocked to learn her baby was switched. | Source: Shutterstock
Unfortunately, Sebastian was away on business at the time Kylie gave birth. When he arrived, their baby was already in Kylie’s arms.
“Sebastian!” she cried joyfully. “Look at him! Isn’t he lovely?”
“He is, darling. He’s stunning, exactly like you! I love you both!” Sebastian kissed Kylie on the cheek and carefully cradled their newborn in his arms. His half-closed eyes looked at him innocently and his touch was the greatest joy for Sebastian. He couldn’t stop crying as he held their kid in his arms. Everything looked perfect! He would be the best father and Kylie, the best mother!
As Logan grew up, he registered similar physical features to them, including pitch-black hair and brown eyes that had deepened from blue at birth. As a result, they never questioned the possibility of their baby not being theirs.
People would sometimes glance at Logan and remark on his gorgeous dark brown eyes, which everyone in Sebastian’s family had. “Your boy is beautiful,” a mother at his school once told Kylie. “I bet he takes after his father! You know, sons that take after their father are lucky!” And Kylie couldn’t be happier.
Kylie was over the moon after learning she’d finally become a mom. | Source: Pexels
Kylie and Sebastian did not leave any stone unturned in their efforts to raise Logan with affection. Every year, they lavished him with the best facilities and gifts. He got a PlayStation for his seventh birthday, a gleaming black BMW for his eighteenth, and Sebastian’s businesses for his twenty-fifth.
But, regrettably, Sebastian died just two years after Logan joined his company. He was returning from another town after a business meeting when he was killed in a car accident.
Kylie was heartbroken after that, and Logan was the only one she had. She was relieved that at least her son, was with her until Sebastian’s brother Steve appeared out of nowhere, wanting a fair portion of Sebastian’s business.
“Come on, Kylie! You can’t just keep everything to yourself! You have no idea how a business works!” he sneered.
“Get out of my house, Steve, before I call the cops!” she retorted. “And, yes, the company you’ve come to claim is my son’s! I’m not going to let you touch that!”
“Your so-called son, who has no resemblance to you or Sebastian? Tell me, honestly, did you adopt him and keep the truth hidden all these years? But why? Because you were afraid he’d abandon you? Because he’d be hurt to find out you’re not his biological mother?”
“Enough, Steve!” she lashed out. “LOGAN IS MY CHILD – AND MY BLOOD! He has his father’s dark brown eyes and pitch-black hair!”
Steve mocked Kylie that Logan looked nothing like her or Sebastian. | Source: Pexels
Steve mockingly laughed. “That’s it, Kylie! That’s the only thing he has in common with you! What about his physical appearance? He looks nothing like you two! Think about it, dear! And, of course, I’ll see you in court! THAT BUSINESS IS MINE!”
“Who’s afraid, uh? I’m not going to let you win! I’m going to take a DNA test to prove you wrong!” she cried firmly. “Sit tight and wait!”
That week, Kylie took the DNA test, convinced that Steve would be so wrong, so mortified when she’d prove him wrong. She couldn’t wait to see his expression when she throws the test results in his face. However, when the results came in, Kylie’s life came crashing down around her.
“0% MATCH! How in heaven is that possible?” She couldn’t believe her eyes! “This must be a mistake! How can Logan not be mine?” She was so stunned that she repeated the test at a different hospital, but the results were the same.
Kylie couldn’t help but cry in front of Logan. “Honey, I’m not your mother!” she cried, squeezing the test results in her fists. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing! What happened to my child? I know I gave birth to a healthy baby boy. Where has he gone?”
Kylie couldn’t believe she wasn’t Logan’s birth mother. | Source: Pexels
“Hey, mom,” Logan hugged her. “Who cares if you gave birth to me or not, you’ll always be my mom. You raised me and loved me all my life. Let’s go look for your son.”
Kylie hugged Logan tightly. “Oh, I am so sorry for being so selfish, Logan.”
“It’s okay, mom,” he said. “How about we start with the hospital where you gave birth?”
“What? The maternity….” Then it struck Kylie. She wasn’t the only patient in her ward. There was another woman with her named Lily. She was a widow. She had also given birth to a son, and when she was discharged from the hospital, Kylie gave her kid a lovely blue cap. Lily wasn’t well off, and Kylie’s heart softened for her.
Desperate for answers now, Kylie dashed to the maternity hospital…
“Where is my child? I know you guys did something. Give me Lily’s address. She was admitted to the same hospital ward as me! Get her details right now!” Kylie screamed as she got to the hospital, demanding Lily’s address.
“Mom, calm down,” Logan said.
“I can’t relax, Logan. Take a look at him. He’s not looking me in the eyes. He’s definitely hiding something!”
Dr. Harrison revealed the truth about the babies being swapped 27 years ago. | Source: Pexels
“We can’t share patient records,” Dr. Harrison said. “That is against policy.”
“How about a lawsuit then? I’m confident you have the money to fight it!”
“What? Please, no!” he begged. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry, but we couldn’t tell you this sooner because, as you know, we’re a small hospital, and getting engaged in a court dispute would be expensive, but we dismissed the nurse who switched your child,” he revealed. “She admitted the mistake. I was a junior doctor at the time. I apologize!”
“Address!” Kylie repeated. “Fast! I just care about my son! If I don’t get him back, be prepared for a lawsuit!”
In the end, Dr. Harrison handed her the address.
Kylie and Logan drove to Lily’s house, but when they arrived there, their jaws fell at the dingy cottage they’d been living in.
Logan knocked, and a vivid image of Sebastian emerged. Kylie couldn’t take it in and grabbed Logan’s arms. “You are my son,” she whispered. “IT’S YOU!”
“I’m sorry?” the young man asked, unfazed. “I guess you got the wrong address. My name’s David Morris, and I’m Lily Morris’ son. But who is this man with you? He looks a lot like…well…my father!”
David looked exactly like Sebastian. | Source: Pexels
“Would you please send for Lily? Inform her that Kylie wishes to see her!”
“Well, she won’t be able to come here. You’re going to have to come in.”
Logan and Kylie followed David inside and discovered a sick Lily on the bed. Her face was etched with wrinkles and black circles, her cheeks sunken. She was found to have a tumor, but they didn’t have the funds to treat her.
“Kylie? Oh, it’s you, but this boy…” Then she glanced at Logan, an exact replica of her late husband. “Oh dear…he…he…”
“Yes, Lily. Our sons were switched at birth. The hospital did it, and I only found out about it today. But what happened to you? How did you get into this state?”
“What?” David let out a loud gasp. “You mean…You are…”
“Yes, David. Logan is Lily’s child, and I am your biological mother. Everything is messed up.”
“No way!” David lashed out. “And you want me to go with you? My mom did so much for me all these years. She got me the best books, toys, and everything I ever needed. I am not leaving her, especially now when she needs me. She means everything to me!”
Lily needed a surgery but she couldn’t afford it. | Source: Pexels
“Hey, David,” Logan said. “We are not taking her away from you. How about we all move in together? Look, I have a wonderful mom too. I mean, yeah, it’s crazy because she’s your biological mom, but she’s amazing. And Lily is my birth mom. How about we live like brothers? I will get Lily treated at the best hospital! I promise. You guys will never have to worry about anything. I assure you!”
“I don’t need any favors….But can you get mom treated?”
“Of course, I can.”
“I shall return your favor as soon as possible… Thank you very much!”
“Oh, come on!” Logan hugged David.
David and Lily soon moved in with Logan, and Lily received the treatment she needed. Logan hired David after he went through a standard interview process, and his qualifications were evaluated. He was adamant that he would go through the normal process of employment. Meanwhile, Logan’s uncle lost the case as his claims were baseless, as Sebastian had transferred everything in Logan’s name.
On Easter that year, Kylie and Lily gave the boys two blue crocheted sweater caps, much like the one Kylie had given Lily back then. “They both look the same,” Kylie commented as she handed them to the boys. “You’d have no idea which one is yours if I switched them. That’s how my and Lily’s love is for you both. You are both our sons, and we are both your mothers! Never forget that.”
What can we learn from this story?
- Love triumphs over materialistic happiness. Lily and David were poor, yet the amount of love David had for Lily showed how much he valued love above all else.
- Lies have a way of leaking out. The hospital authorities were wrong in believing that the truth about the baby swap would never be revealed.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a 67-year-old woman whose boss fires her unexpectedly and later begs her to return.
This account is inspired by our reader’s story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life.
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