I had always thought that the hardest part of marriage would be learning to share space. But I was wrong.
A week after our wedding, my husband, Matt, shocked me with a piece of news that changed everything: my salary was going to his mother.
I was stunned, but I wasn’t going to become a victim of manipulation. I immediately started making my own plan.
Matt and I had been together for three years before getting married. He was a reliable, cheerful man whom I trusted completely. I am a graphic designer, always independent, paying all my bills on my own, and saving for the future.
That’s why, when a few days after the wedding we were sitting together on the couch watching TV, and Matt suddenly said, “We need to talk about our finances,” I was shocked.
He smiled, but his smile was strange, tense. “We’re going to give your salary to my mom. She’ll teach you how to spend it properly!”
I couldn’t believe my ears. “What?”
Yes,” he replied, sitting up straight as if preparing for a presentation. “My mom has a system that’s worked for years. She’ll divide your salary like this: 50% for you, 25% for household expenses, and 25% for gifts for the family.”
My stomach tightened. “You want me to give my entire salary to your mom, so she can decide how to spend it? And half of it will go towards your personal expenses?”
I felt my anger rise. “Matt, I don’t know who you thought you married, but that’s not happening. I’ve worked hard to be independent, and I’m not giving up that independence just so your mom can control my life.”
I was in shock. The man I knew had suddenly become someone completely different.
These thoughts kept me awake all night. How could I have missed this side of Matt? And what about Linda, my mother-in-law?
In the morning, I made my decision: if Matt and Linda thought I would just go along with their plan, they were wrong.
I said to Matt with a slight smile, “I thought about what you said yesterday. I stopped worrying. If your mom is so confident in her system, maybe it’s worth trying?
At lunchtime, I transferred my salary to our joint account and made sure Matt would see the notification on his phone. I even wrote to Linda: “Hi, Linda! I agree with your system. Let me know how I can help.”
The reply came quickly: “I’m glad you’re ready to learn, dear. We’ll make a true wife out of you.”
But something still didn’t sit right with me. Linda always boasted about her ability to save, but at the same time, she regularly bought expensive things—luxury bags, jewelry, the latest kitchen gadgets.
I decided to check it out. One day, while Matt was in the shower, I noticed his desk in the office. There was a notebook that seemed familiar. It was the same type of notebook where Linda had written down her expenses during one of her “lessons.”
I took the notebook and opened it. It confirmed my suspicions: Linda was keeping detailed track of her expenses, including purchases of designer items, credit card payments, and, most surprisingly, money borrowed from us to cover her extravagant spending.
By the end of the week, I was ready for the next step.
Matt came home with Linda. She walked into the living room with a folder, as if she were about to present a financial report.
She opened the folder and started talking about how she divided my money. “50% goes to Matt for personal expenses,” she said, giving me a meaningful look.
“Oh, Linda! Before we go any further,” I interrupted, “I think we need to discuss something.”
I pulled out my own folder. “This.”
I handed it to Matt, and he began flipping through the pages. His face changed as he saw the credit card statements, the late payment notifications, and the pictures of Linda’s expensive purchases.
Linda went pale, then flushed bright red, her face turning purple.
A tense silence fell. Linda jumped off the couch, her hands trembling. “You’re trying to turn my son against me!”
Matt looked at us with disbelief and sorrow.
Linda turned beet red as a notification appeared on her phone. I had opened a new account in my name and transferred my salary back from the joint account. The bank notification appeared on her screen.
Linda grabbed her folder and quickly left, muttering something under her breath as her heels clicked across the floor.
Matt sat with his head bowed, resting it on his hands. “Sandra, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know…”
He looked up, his eyes filled with regret, and I saw a sensitivity in them that I hadn’t noticed before. “You’re right. I was an idiot. I’ll fix this. I promise.
