My MIL Said I Wasn’t ‘Family Enough’ to Be In the Family Photos Last Christmas — This Year, She Got What She Deserved

When my mother-in-law, Ellen, excluded me from last year’s Christmas photos, I bit my tongue. This year, I had a plan—and it left her storming into my house just days before Christmas.

Ellen has always treated me like an outsider. Even after Peter and I got married, she dismissed me. Last Christmas, she declared I wasn’t “family enough” to join the family photo. The room went silent, but Peter and his dad, Frank, stood up for me. Still, the damage was done.

This year, I sent out holiday cards featuring Peter, the family—and no Ellen. Her reaction was swift and explosive. She barged into my house, furious. I stayed calm. “You didn’t think I was family enough last year,” I reminded her. “Now you know how it feels.”