When my fiancé, Josh, invited me to spend a “quiet weekend” at his parents’ lake house, I pictured peaceful views and quality time. What I got instead was a mop, a grill, and a garden hose.
From the second we walked in, his mom gave me a once-over and said, “Didn’t have time to clean — maybe you could help, since you’ll be family soon.”
She sat back with a glass of wine while I scrubbed toilets and floors. Then handed me a pack of raw meat and pointed to the grill. “We like our women self-sufficient,” she smirked.
After dinner, I asked to shower. Her response? “The bathroom’s out of order, but there’s a basin and hose out back. You’ll manage.”
So there I was, freezing outside, trying to stay dignified while bathing under the stars like it was the 1800s.
The next morning, I overheard her on the phone, laughing: “She thinks the shower’s broken — it’s not. Just wanted to see what kind of girl she is. A little test.”
I was shocked — but I kept quiet.
Then karma knocked. Literally. A plumber arrived to fix a kitchen issue. Not knowing she was in the (very much working) shower, he used his key and walked right in on her mid-lather.
Josh’s dad, confused, told the plumber they only called about the kitchen sink.
That’s when Josh turned to his mom: “Wait… you faked it? You lied?”
We packed up and left that night. Josh didn’t say a word to her as we drove away. He finally turned to me and said, “I should’ve had your back.”
I just smiled. “Some tests fail themselves.”
Because sometimes, karma doesn’t knock. She barges in — holding a wrench — and catches you in a towel.
