When my mother-in-law, Helen, texted me, “Meet me. Don’t tell David,” I had no idea what was coming. As we sat down for coffee, she dropped a bombshell — my husband, David, was cheating on me. But she wasn’t just venting. She had a plan, a revenge plan, and she wanted me to play along. What followed was a wild ride of revenge that I will never forget.
I stared at my phone, reading the message from Helen for what felt like the fifth time. It was short and to the point.
“Meet me. Urgent. Don’t tell David.”
In all the years I’d been married to David, Helen had never sent a message like this. She was fiercely protective of him, almost like a lioness with her cub. There was no way she’d ever want to hurt him, right?
I glanced at the clock. David wouldn’t be home for hours. He had a late meeting at work. I quickly replied, “Where and when?”
The answer came back almost immediately: “Coffee shop on 5th. 30 minutes.”
I drove to the café, my mind racing. It was quiet when I walked in. Helen sat at a corner table, her hair impeccably styled, her posture straight and rigid, like she was about to deliver an important briefing. She didn’t waste any time.
“Thank you for coming,” she said, her voice tight, almost like she had been holding something back. “I wouldn’t have asked if it wasn’t important.”
“What’s going on?” I asked, sliding into the chair opposite her, a chill running through me.
Helen looked at me, and for a moment, I could see the weight of the words she was about to say. She took a deep breath, and then it hit me like a slap to the face.
“David is cheating on you.”
I froze, and for a moment, the world seemed to tilt. The words didn’t sound real. My breath caught in my throat, and I felt like the room was closing in. But weirdly, I wasn’t shocked. The signs had been there for months, but I had brushed them off: the late nights, the mysterious phone calls, the sudden obsession with fitness. I had convinced myself I was overthinking, that I was paranoid.
“How do you know?” I managed to ask, my voice sounding distant.
Helen’s mouth tightened, her eyes narrowing in disgust. “I saw him. At a restaurant. With a woman. They were… intimate. He kissed her.”
The pieces all clicked into place. It was like I was seeing everything in a new light — all the strange behaviors, the odd irritations, the distance between us. It all made sense now.
Then, I let out a small laugh, a bit hysterical. “You know how Jasper always squawks ‘I’m a cheater’ when the kids argue?” I said, shaking my head. “My sister taught him that when we were kids because I used to cheat at cards. David flinches every time he hears it now.”
Helen’s gaze sharpened. “Your African Gray? The one Sam and Bella adore?”
I nodded, thinking of my two kids, Sam and Bella, and how this whole situation would shatter their world.
“Why are you telling me this?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly.
Helen leaned forward, her voice lowering to a fierce whisper. “Because I raised him better than this, Teresa. And I am NOT going to let him get away with it.”
I blinked, surprised by the passion in her voice. She was fierce, like a mama bear protecting her cubs.
“I don’t know what to do,” I admitted, feeling utterly lost.
A slow, knowing smile spread across her face. It wasn’t one of comfort. It was a smile that meant she already had a plan.
“You don’t have to do anything,” she said, leaning back in her chair. “Except play along. Leave it all to me. I have a plan to teach him a lesson he’ll never forget.”
That night, as David and I were preparing for bed, his phone rang. He looked at the screen, his face falling.
“It’s my mom,” he said, frowning as he answered.
I busied myself with the laundry, listening in. “Hey, Mom. What? Slow down. What happened?”
I could hear the frustration in his voice as he listened, his face changing from confusion to concern. “Tonight? But it’s already late. Can’t you call a plumber?” He sighed deeply. “Fine. Yes. You can stay with us.”
He hung up and turned to me, looking apologetic. “My mom’s apartment flooded. Pipes burst. She needs to stay with us for a while.”
I smiled warmly, hiding my amusement. “Of course, she can stay. Family comes first, right?”
Helen arrived an hour later, her two large suitcases clutched tightly in her hands, her eyes flashing with a determined glint.
She pulled me into a tight hug, whispering, “Let the games begin,” before turning to David and giving him a trembling smile. “Thank you for taking me in, sweetie. I don’t know what I would have done otherwise.”
The next morning, Helen was up before anyone else. By the time David came downstairs for breakfast, she had completely taken over the kitchen. When David walked in, he stopped short, eyeing the spread of food with caution.
“Mom, you didn’t have to cook,” David said, his tone a little worried.
“Nonsense!” Helen chirped, as if this was the most natural thing in the world. “It’s the least I can do to thank you for your hospitality.”
She set a plate in front of him with a proud smile. “I made Filipino eggplant omelets.”
I had to bite back a smile. David hated eggplant. He couldn’t stand it.
“I’ve been watching a lot of cooking videos from around the world,” Helen added, “and it’s really spiced up my repertoire.”
“That’s… great,” David said weakly, eyeing the eggplant warily. “But eggplant isn’t my—”
“Eat up!” Helen interrupted, her voice cheerful. “It’s good for you, and you need your strength for work!”
I watched as David reluctantly took a bite. His face twisted as he chewed, clearly fighting not to gag.
That was just the beginning.
Each day brought a new food torture. Helen made Korean-style pork cutlets with a chili sauce that made him sweat, boiled cabbage that stunk up the house, and dishes with so much spice that David was red-faced and panting by the end of each meal. Meanwhile, Sam and Bella got simpler, milder versions, and David would stare longingly at their food, but Helen wouldn’t let him off the hook. She kept serving him more.
“It’s time you stopped being such a picky eater,” she would say, forcing more cilantro into his curry. “Now eat up, David.”
By the end of the week, David was looking like he was on the verge of a breakdown. He was jumpy, his eyes constantly flicking to his phone, as if waiting for something bad to happen. He would leave the room whenever the phone rang, like he was afraid of being caught.
Helen pulled me aside one night after David had gone to bed. “I think it’s time to escalate,” she said with a wicked smile.
She pulled a small round device from her purse. “Do you know what this is?”
“An AirTag,” I said, recognizing the tracker immediately.
Helen nodded. “I’m going to slip it into his work bag. Let’s see where he really goes for those ‘late meetings.’”
The next evening, Helen checked the tracker on her phone. She smirked as she showed me the screen. “Gotcha,” she muttered. The location was a fancy restaurant downtown, not his office.
“Let’s go,” Helen said, grabbing her keys.
We drove to the restaurant and parked a little way down the street. We quietly crept to a spot where we could see through the window. There he was. David, sitting at a corner table, leaning in close to a woman in a red dress, holding her hand. His hand was on hers.
“Ready?” Helen asked, her finger hovering over her phone.
I nodded, my heart pounding.
Helen pressed call, and we both watched as David’s phone lit up. But instead of the usual ringtone, the restaurant was filled with the squawking voice of my parrot.
“I’M A CHEATER! I’M A CHEATER!”
David jumped, his face going pale. He scrambled to grab his phone, but it slipped from his hand and fell into his glass of red wine, still blaring Jasper’s voice.
“How did you get that recording?” I asked, half-laughing, half-amazed.
“I spent some quality time with Jasper yesterday,” Helen said with a wink. “He’s a smart bird.”
The next few days were a blur of paranoia for David. He checked over his shoulder constantly. He wouldn’t leave his phone unattended. Every creak of the floorboards had him jumping.
Helen told me it was time for the final act.
“The plumbers have almost finished with my apartment,” she said one morning. “So, I’m hosting a family dinner tomorrow night. I’ve invited everyone.”
David’s face drained of color. “The whole family?”
“Yes, everyone,” Helen confirmed. “Teresa already agreed, right?”
“Right,” I echoed, trying to hide my smile.
By Saturday evening, the house was packed with David’s family. His brothers were laughing, his cousins were chatting, and even his father, who had amicably divorced Helen years ago, was there, mingling with the crowd.
David sat stiff in his chair, his eyes darting nervously around the room.
Helen stood and tapped her glass for attention. The room fell silent.
“I just want to thank everyone for coming tonight,” she began, her voice warm. “Family is so important, don’t you think? But more importantly, I want to address something I’ve been keeping quiet.”
David froze, his face going white.
Helen’s voice hardened. “I caught David cheating on his wife. And I am ASHAMED of him.”
Gasps filled the room.
David stammered, trying to defend himself. “Mom, I can explain—”
“No, David,” Helen cut him off sharply. “You don’t get to speak.”
His brothers snickered, and his father just shook his head slowly, his face full of disappointment.
I stood, my hands shaking slightly as I reached for the envelope under my chair.
“You can keep your cheating and your excuses, David,” I said, my voice steady and strong. “I’m keeping my dignity.”
I dropped the divorce papers on the table in front of him.
David stared at them, his face frozen in disbelief. “Wait,” he begged, finally finding his voice. “Teresa, please—”
But Helen wasn’t done.
She cleared her throat loudly, making sure everyone was watching.
“I’ve updated my will,” she announced. “Teresa and my grandchildren get my house. You, David? Not a cent.”
David’s jaw dropped. His brothers burst into laughter. His father stood up, patting Helen on the back.
“Smart decision, Helen,” he said, his approval clear.
Later that night, after everyone had gone home and David had stormed off to a hotel, Helen and I sat on the porch swing, sipping our wine.
“I never thought you’d take my side,” I said quietly.
Helen smiled, her eyes warm. “I was wrong about you, Teresa. You’re family. He’s the one who forgot what that means.”
We clinked glasses, watching the stars twinkle above.
“To new beginnings,” Helen said.
“And unexpected heroes,” I added.
