The Wedding Was Barely Over When My Mother-in-Law Demanded I Return the Ten taels of gold ($15,000) She Gave Me at the Ceremony

Before this, I thought situations like this only happened in movies. Little did I know, I would become the protagonist in the drama my mother-in-law had created. Everything I’m sharing here is true, and I hope anyone who has faced a similar experience can offer me advice.

I had a beautiful relationship and a lavish wedding that made everyone envious. At the ceremony, my mother-in-law showered me with promises to love me like a daughter. She said she had always dreamed of having a daughter but only had two sons. Now, she claimed, her wish had come true with me as her daughter-in-law.

She made a grand gesture of giving me jewelry worth $15,000. As I wore the heavy necklace and bracelets, guests marveled at her generosity. I felt elated, thinking my life was entering a new chapter filled with love and financial security.

After a long and exhausting wedding day, I fell asleep in my new home. But in the middle of the night, I was jolted awake by loud knocking at the door.

“Get up! It’s already late in the morning, and you’re still in bed. I need to talk to you about something important,” my mother-in-law called.

When I opened the door, she instructed me to bring all the wedding money and jewelry to her room immediately.

Confused but obedient, I complied, assuming she wanted to safeguard the valuables from theft. I gathered the wedding gifts and the jewelry that my family and friends had personally given me.

Once everything was laid out on the table, she meticulously inspected each piece of jewelry she had given me at the wedding. Satisfied that nothing was missing, she finally revealed the truth:

“Good, nothing’s damaged. You know, this jewelry is rented. I don’t have that kind of money to give away. I only wanted you to look good in front of everyone.”

She then took all the wedding money, claiming it was needed to cover the jewelry rental and other wedding expenses. She promised to return the money for “important matters” in the future but only gave me a few hundred dollars for minor expenses and suggested my husband and I take a short honeymoon trip.

I was devastated but couldn’t protest. I returned to my room, barely able to walk, and collapsed on the bed. It’s only been two weeks, but I already feel exhausted and disheartened.

Instead of love and kindness, my mother-in-law criticizes me constantly. She complains about my cooking, says I have no taste when I buy household items, and frequently scolds me for not meeting her expectations.

I’ve hidden my pain from my own mother, lying that everything is fine so she won’t worry. But every time I hang up, I cry, feeling utterly alone.

Last night, I finally shared my feelings with my husband, but he dismissed them:

“Don’t overthink it. My mom’s just straightforward. She didn’t take the wedding money; she’s just managing it. And you knew our family’s situation—we couldn’t actually afford that much jewelry. It was just for show.”

His words felt like a slap. I don’t care about the jewelry or money, but the deception and treatment have left me feeling betrayed.

How can I earn my mother-in-law’s affection? Should I start planning to move out and save myself? Please, share your advice!