MIL opens ALL family's Christmas presents while they are gone, confusing everyone.
"Mother-in-Law opened ALL my families Chrismas presents while I was at work"
jester_mellow
Title says it all. My fiancée and I live with her mother, and her brother. Brother has a very blasé personality and I'm not sure would open a present even if I addressed it to him and handed it over personally. He also works high end retail the weekends and has a solid alibi. No children in the house or visiting.
I had several wrapped presents on the diningroom table before leaving work. Wrapping paper, bows, ribbon, signed and addressed to my beloved family members. All were also gift wrapped at a local shop that uses recycled and vintage materials so they all came home with me ready to go.
None of these were for her. She specifically asked for nothing for Chrismas, and also does not celebrate the holiday at all due to religious differences. I respected her wishes and got her nothing.
I went to work this weekend, she was presumably home alone both days. I woke up at 5am monday. Couldn't sleep. Sat at the diningroom table with a cup of tea. I go to admire my lovingly picked out and wrapped gifts for family members.
None of the presents look how I left them. They are stacked out of order. The bows and curled ribbons are mangled. The tape has been torn off and hasily put back on, not quite sticking to the vintage wrapping paper where it was placed.
The stickers are on the wrong side from where I put them, and obviously I did not write on their tags upside down. The contents have all shifted. The creases have been re-creased, badly on some places.
Readers, I would have rather she went through my dirty laundry and sold my crusty undergarments at the gas station for a quick buck than ever. EVER. Open presents that were not addressed to her.
If she had asked regarding the contents, I would have told her gladly. I even have saved pictures I showed friends while I was in the shop. I would even have explained why I chose these items. But she did not ask. She waited until I was gone and ripped apart my families presents, and shottily put them back together like I would not notice.
Here were the top rated comments from readers:
_gadget_girl
Call the store where you bought the gifts and ask them how much it would cost to get the gifts rewrapped. Then let MIL know and insist she pays. She needs to be called out on this.
IamMaggieMoo
I'd straight up ask what happened to the presents and point out they have been opened and badly re-wrapped.
Do you really need to live there and put up with this?
jester_mellow OP
We are set to move immediately after chrismas before new years! She's going through an awful divorce as of thanksgiving and its SUCKED SO BAD! I just simply could not moving during the holidays.
Whole-Ad-2347
I wouldn’t make any accusations, but I would say something. “What in hell happened to all the gifts? Someone has unwrapped them and then shoddily rewrapped them! Who would be so childish to do such a thing? If someone had such a lack of integrity that they had to snoop and unwrap all of them, they could have had the decency to at least do a much, much better job of rewrapping them”.
Flashy-Experience-25
Start looking to move out. Roommate would probably respect your property more than her. I would straight up tell her. " I have no idea what possessed you to open and ruin the wrappings on my families presents. It does not matter.
It was rude and tells me I can no longer leave anything of any importance in the house unguarded. To say I am disappointed would be an understatement. " walk off. Then leave the house. You aren't asking for a conversation or her reasons just telling her you know she did it. She won't care and she won't apologize. It was pure childishness.
pinalaporcupine
i would open them again to make sure they aren't tampered with.
GnomesinBlankets
I’m not sure about the history with your MIL or anything but my great grandmother did this too and it was one of the first signs we noticed before she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
SomeWhiteGirlinVA
Ooooh I am SO mad on your behalf! Please don't just let this slide. It's rude, inconsiderate, disrespectful and just a shady b**ch move. I'm so sorry she even touched your stuff, please confront her and update us, I'd like to hear what lame excuses she makes for herself.
jester_mellow OP
I have texted her simply asking if she opened the presents with a picture of the areas where it is OBVIOUS it was opened. But the fact she went through ALL of them? ALMOST 10? One was not enough? She couldn't ASK me? Not a single "this looks cool! What is it?" Text message. She couldn't even be bothered to be a GOOD snoop and leave them exactly as they were?
If I was a snotty 15yo and not almost 30, I would have trashed SOMETHING in the house out of retaliation. Not even my most abusive, manipulative family members I have no contact with would do this to me at their worst. I don't think my elementary school bullies did anything like this. I am shaking with anger.
Additionally, we are moving immediately after Chrismas before New Years. Because her and her recently ex-husband are going through a nasty divorce and its been unlivable. No excuse for her behavior, I know all I can do in this situation is leave.
Why_r_people_
Unhinged but this is a problem for your fiancé to handle and put her mom in her place. If she doesn’t I would reconsider the wedding.