I’m Elara, and I’ve been married to my husband, Soren, for about a year now. Life has mostly been wonderful—truly wonderful. We settled into married life easily, cherishing the small moments and just being together.
Soren is everything I dreamed of in a partner. He’s kind, always ready to lend a hand, and there when I need him. But, like most good things, there’s a catch.
And that catch is his mom—Maris.
From the beginning, it was clear she didn’t care for me. Whether it was her icy glares or those sharp little comments, her dislike was obvious. I still don’t know what I did to her, but it felt like she thought I was stealing her son.
Still, she’s Soren’s mom, so I tried to be nice. I forced smiles through her snide remarks and stayed quiet to keep the peace, all for Soren’s sake. But no fake smile could prepare me for what came next.
Just when I thought I could handle her jabs, things got worse.
For weeks, our house turned into a nightmare. No, scratch that—my whole life felt like a nightmare.
At first, I’d spot a roach here and there. One scurrying across the counter. Another in the bathroom.
But soon, they were everywhere. The kitchen, the bathroom, the living room—even our bedroom! I’d wake up at night feeling something crawl on my arm, flip on the light, and see a roach just sitting there on the bed.
We called pest control over and over. We tried traps, sprays—everything. But they kept coming back, like they were out to get me. And of course, Maris had to weigh in.
“Really, Elara,” she’d say in her sugary voice, “you should keep the house cleaner. Soren deserves a tidy home. How can you live like this?”
She didn’t stop there. One afternoon, as she sipped tea in our living room, a roach crawled up the wall. Maris gasped like she’d seen a monster.
“Oh my, Elara,” she said, clutching her chest. “I’d be so embarrassed if I were you. When Soren lived with me, this never happened.”
Then she brought over a box of cleaning supplies, dumped them on the counter, and smiled like she was doing me a favor. “Thought you might need these, dear. Maybe they’ll help you get things under control.”
Every word stung. Like she loved seeing me struggle. Her comments hit harder each time, making me feel like I was failing in my own home.
I wanted to scream. But instead, I smiled, nodded, and said I was doing my best. Inside, though, I was fuming. This isn’t my fault, you cruel woman! I wanted to shout. But I didn’t. Not to Soren’s mom.
Then one day, something unexpected happened. Maris came over, tossing her usual barbs. But when she left, she forgot her purse on the couch. As I went to move it, a receipt slipped out.
I almost ignored it, but then I saw what it was.
A receipt from a pet store. And guess what it said she bought? LIVE COCKROACHES.
I froze, staring at that slip of paper. Then it sank in. Maris was behind this. She’d been planting roaches in my house—making me look like a mess.
Fury surged through me. My hands shook. But with the anger came a darker plan.
I wasn’t just going to call her out. That was too easy. I was going to get even.
I grabbed the receipt and raced to my car. I didn’t know exactly what I’d do, but I needed to strike back—hard. As I drove, a plan took shape.
I stopped at that same pet store. If she wanted to play dirty, I’d go bigger.
Inside, I found what I needed—an intense animal attractant, the kind hunters use to lure wild animals. The moment I saw it, my plan clicked into place.
That night, I drove to Maris’s house. She lives near the woods, which made it perfect. I crept around her yard, pouring the attractant everywhere—the plants, the grass, even along the walls.
Then I slipped inside—she always leaves the back door unlocked—and sprinkled some there too. My heart pounded, but I didn’t stop.
When I was done, I drove home, slipped into bed, and smiled as I drifted off. I dreamed of revenge. Of Maris panicking. Of pure, glorious chaos.
The next morning, the phone rang. It was Soren. I answered, still half-asleep, and his voice was full of shock.
“Elara, you won’t believe this,” he said. “Mom’s house got… wrecked last night!”
I sat up fast. “Wrecked? By who?”
“Not who. What. Animals. Her yard’s a mess—deer, foxes, birds—they tore up the garden and fences. And the smell… she says it’s awful.”
I bit my lip to keep from laughing. “That’s terrible! What’s she going to do?”
“She’s staying with us until it’s fixed. She doesn’t have a choice.”
Oh no. I hadn’t planned for that. But I kept my cool. “Okay. We’ll make it work.”
When she arrived later, her face was a mix of anger and shame. She barely looked at me as she walked in and saw—surprise!—more roaches.
“Oh, don’t mind those,” I said sweetly. “No matter what we do, they just keep coming.”
Later that night, I showed Soren the receipt. He stared at it, and I saw the truth hit him.
“She did WHAT?” he said, his voice rising.
“She’s been putting roaches in our house. I found this yesterday.”
He marched into the guest room and confronted her. She tried to deny it, but the receipt was undeniable. She mumbled some excuse, staring at the floor.
“I didn’t think it’d get this bad,” she said softly.
“Well, it did,” Soren snapped. “And you’re paying for the pest control and the damage. Until it’s done, you can live with the roaches you brought here.”
I stayed quiet, but inside, I was grinning. I hadn’t meant for her to move in, but now she was stuck—with her own mess.
That night, as I lay in bed, I felt a wave of calm. Maybe revenge isn’t always sweet. But sometimes, it’s exactly what you need.
And as for Maris? Let’s just say—she’ll be sharing her room with the roaches.
For a long time.
