Member-only story
5 Signs Your Mother-in-Law Is a Real-Life Cruella Devil
The only thing worse than a cheating sex addict of a husband is a toxic mother-in-law reminding you that you’re the real disgrace.

There are worse things than marrying an unfaithful scumbag with a penchant for risky sexual endeavors and even riskier business gambles. When I met my husband — long before his OnlyFans addiction and cheating scandals came to light — I thought I’d hit the jackpot. Little did I know the unveiling of his true colors would be the least of my problems in comparison to the wrath his mother would unleash upon my life and our family. An unfaithful, immoral husband is bad; a poisonous, vindictive, influential mother-in-law is far worse.
If you spot these five signs in your current or future mother-in-law, you may come to find she’s just as much of a real-life Cruella Devil as mine. If you aren’t yet legally bound, I’d suggest you run — fast.
1. She uses the “g” word in your own house
The excitement of a whirlwind engagement, extravagant wedding, and 7-figure home purchase wears off faster than you’d think. An unsolicited visit to the new estate from your mother-in-law rapidly accelerates that timeline. The day my mother-in-law stepped foot in our new marble palace was also the first day I got a real taste of her venom — and it was potent as ever.
She made no attempt at concealing her disdain for the new cash hemorrhage with which her son had been saddled — at least, that’s how she viewed me. I vividly remember the first dagger she chucked my way, nearly word for word:
“Most women would kill to live in a house like this. Few deserve it.”
I can still feel her icy cold stare, which seemed to challenge me to prove my worth in that house. My house. The house I single-handedly chose, after driving around with countless realtors, viewing and vetoing home after home, when Hubby was busy with work. Despite signing the prenup, the NDAs, and every other random document requested before pledging my life to her son, I still couldn’t shake the one and only perception she held of me: a gold-digger.