{"id":1246,"date":"2026-04-23T11:18:37","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T11:18:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/realstoryus.com\/?p=1246"},"modified":"2026-04-23T11:18:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T11:18:37","slug":"i-had-just-finished-cleaning-my-crippled-mother-in-law-when-my-husband-ricardo-returned-from-three-years-of-work-abroad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/realstoryus.com\/?p=1246","title":{"rendered":"I had just finished cleaning my crippled mother-in-law when my husband\u2014Ricardo\u2014returned from three years of work abroad."},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

I had just finished cleaning my crippled mother-in-law when my husband\u2014Ricardo<\/b>\u2014returned from three years of work abroad.<\/p>\n

As soon as he entered the door, he began to give out greetings.<\/p>\n

\u201cMom, Dad, you are an old man. Here are some of the best supplements and supplements to help you stay healthy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The look of joy on my mother-in-law\u2019s face was indescribable.<\/p>\n

My sister-in-law,\u00a0Liza<\/b>, came up, grabbed the most expensive handbag, and shouted:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best ka talaga, Kuya!\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

I was just standing on the sidelines, my apron still undone, my palms soaked with sweat.<\/p>\n

For three years, all the work in this house\u2014from caring for two adults to raising our child\u2014I did it on my own.<\/p>\n

Not a single one of them was sent to us.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

When he finally looked at me, his steps suddenly stopped.<\/p>\n

Nervous and excited, I was about to hold the best gift box on the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t touch it with your dirty hands, it\u2019s for my secretary\u00a0candy<\/b>!\u201d<\/p>\n

I stunned where I stood, my arm dangling in the air. A voice called out to me:<\/p>\n

\u201cEh\u2026 Where is mine?\u201d<\/p>\n

He seemed to be stunned for a moment, rummaged through his suitcase, and finally pulled out a tangled keychain and just threw it at me:<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is what I have prepared for you, take care of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

A plastic keychain hit the back of my hand. It hurts.<\/p>\n

Looking at the accuracy of the expensive items on the table, I looked at the back of the keychain label:<\/p>\n

[Free gift with purchase, Made in Ch\/ina.]<\/p>\n

My mother-in-law clapped her hands and laughed: \u201cMy son is really very kind, knows how to look at gratitude!\u201d<\/p>\n

Liza hugged her new, limited-edition bag, at the same time:<\/p>\n

\u201cYour father has been trying to get you out of here, but you don\u2019t have to worry about it. Take it!\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at them, my face slowly hardening. I showed the label to Ricardo:<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you going to give me a keychain that is just a bag freebie after you fool me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ricardo\u2019s face darkened:<\/p>\n

\u201cDianne<\/b>, yes naman kung freebie lang?<\/p>\n

You look like a lot of money, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour secretary, expensive perfume; Your brother is a luxury bag. Why do you think I\u2019m just a jerk?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDahil hindi mo deserve!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t\u2026 deserve?\u201d Suddenly, my voice rose, as if my heart was about to explode with pain. I couldn\u2019t hold back my tears from falling to the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been a servant in this house for three years!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI bathe and clean your Mom every day because I\u2019m scared she\u2019s going to get a back injury!<\/p>\n

I\u2019m trying to get him some food!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the morning, I\u2019m going to take care of my son, help me with my homework, and take care of my dad.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLaundry, cooking, cleaning, all the care inside and out, I run everything!<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you? You\u2019ve been out for three years, you haven\u2019t sent any money, not even a phone call you\u2019ve ever been called!<\/p>\n

Are you going to give me a freebie? Do you think I\u2019m just trying to get you to stop?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTumahimik ka!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ricardo shouted to cut me off, his brow furrowed and his voice full of bitterness:<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t owe me anything! You are the only one in this family.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you going to eat here and live in my house for free, and then you\u2019re going to have to do something else just for the sake of it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to have to go to the other side of the country to make a living, while you\u2019re just having fun here at home, and then you\u2019re complaining.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFree? Someone else?\u201d<\/p>\n

My whole body was shaking.<\/p>\n

Those words were like a sharp knife that pierced my heart.<\/p>\n

I took one step at a time, and in a fit of rage, I accidentally smashed the items off the table.<\/p>\n

Clash!<\/i><\/p>\n

The bottle of perfume that was supposed to be for her secretary Candy fell to the floor!<\/p>\n

The bottle was cracked, the windows were shattered, and the whole living room immediately smelled bad.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, Ricardo\u2019s face flushed with anger, his eyes narrowing.<\/p>\n

Then! Then! Then!<\/i><\/p>\n

Three slaps. The sound of a slap echoed throughout the living room, but none of them made any attempt to stop him or defend me.<\/p>\n

I held my cheek numb with pain and heat.<\/p>\n

\u201cRicardo, did you hit me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou deserve it!\u201d<\/p>\n

The veins came out of Ricardo\u2019s forehead.<\/p>\n

\u201cI waited in line for 6 hours just to buy that perfume for Candy, it cost over 6,000 pesos!<\/p>\n

You\u2019re going to have to pay for it, so you\u2019re going to pay for it to the last penny!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBakit ko gagawin \u2018yun!\u201d<\/p>\n

My wife\u2019s face darkened.<\/p>\n

Suddenly he turned around, grabbed an old black notebook from the secret pocket of his suitcase, and threw it on the floor in front of me.<\/p>\n

The pages were scattered, full of letters.<\/p>\n

He knelt down and pointed to the writings there, his gaze full of calculation and coldness:<\/p>\n

\u201cFor three years\u2014what you ate, what you wore, what you used, electricity, water, gas, Mom\u2019s medicines, the child\u2019s tuition\u2026 All of this is not a small amount.<\/p>\n

Pay off all your debts before you ask me for a gift.\u201d<\/p>\n

I sat on the floor, looking at the notebook full of expense lists.<\/p>\n

Each line lists what she calls my \u201cexpenses,\u201d including the salon I bought for my mother-in-law,<\/p>\n

My son\u2019s notebook, and the market expenses for the whole family.<\/p>\n

What he \u201cforgot\u201d to record was the fact that in three years, I didn\u2019t get a single penny from him.<\/p>\n

All of our expenses came from my own savings before we got married.<\/p>\n

I worked day and night to serve her family, but instead of thanking her, she scolded me and charged me.<\/p>\n

I looked at him, and I felt a terrible chill from foot to head.<\/p>\n

I grabbed my face and slowly stood up.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t argue, I didn\u2019t cry, and I didn\u2019t lose.<\/p>\n

I walked into the bedroom, opened the drawer, grabbed my ID, bank card, and a few pieces of clothing.<\/p>\n

I quickly put it in the bag. There is no doubt.<\/p>\n

In three years, this was the first time I hadn\u2019t rushed to warm up, hadn\u2019t changed my mother-in-law\u2019s diaper, and hadn\u2019t checked my daughter\u2019s homework.<\/p>\n

I walked out of the room with my bag.<\/p>\n

Ricardo was still on the floor, carrying the notebook with him, still muttering as he calculated:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe total amount is eighty-three thousand six hundred pesos. Pay fifty,000 first, and the rest will be yours.\u201d<\/p>\n

I walked past him without staring.<\/p>\n

As I walked through the living room, I glanced at the broken perfume, the two older men who looked at me coldly, and my sister-in-law who looked triumphant.<\/p>\n

I went to the door, grabbed my shoes, and put them on.<\/p>\n

Ricardo finally noticed that something was strange, he suddenly stood up and grabbed my arm tightly:<\/p>\n

\u201cDianne, what are you doing? Where are you going?\u201d<\/p>\n

I stopped, but didn\u2019t look back. My voice was calm and emotionless:<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been loyal and have served this family for three years. You didn\u2019t give a penny, you didn\u2019t even give a dime.<\/p>\n

Now I don\u2019t want to.\u201d<\/p>\n

They were all stunned, before finally bursting into rage.<\/p>\n

Ricardo\u2019s nails were buried in my skin.<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you ever been nervous?<\/p>\n

I married you to serve my parents and take care of my son. This is not a hotel where you can leave whenever you want.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at him coldly and shook his hand. My mother-in-law began to shout in her sharp voice:<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want to go! Dianne, you\u2019re such a bad daughter-in-law!<\/p>\n

My son just arrived, but just because of a gift to read, are you going to let us go?\u201d<\/p>\n

He slumped on the bed and sighed.<\/p>\n

Liza was quick to point out:<\/p>\n

\u201cOh my gosh, you\u2019re too much!<\/p>\n

Do you know how hard it is to work abroad? You\u2019ve been given a place to stay, and you\u2019re going to be fine!\u201d<\/p>\n

My father-in-law, even though he wasn\u2019t talking, just stood there looking at me badly.<\/p>\n

I couldn\u2019t control myself anymore. I nodded my head in Ricardo\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got a scar on your face too, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou fooled me with a freebie, you slapped me.<\/p>\n

You haven\u2019t sent me money for three years, and now you\u2019re charging me more than 80,000 debts? \u201cWhere did your face come from?\u201d<\/p>\n

I turned to my mother-in-law who was acting out in bed:<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been serving you for years, I cook everything you want.<\/p>\n

Have you heard me complain for 3 years?<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you say anything to defend me?\u201d<\/p>\n

My mother-in-law was silent, her crying suddenly stopped.<\/p>\n

I looked straight at Ricardo, whose eyes were still squinting.<\/p>\n

\u201cRicardo, let me tell you, I have finished my duty in this house in three years. I\u2019m used to it.<\/p>\n

From now on, whether you live or die, Dianne doesn\u2019t care!\u201d<\/p>\n

When I said that, I walked out the door. I felt too light.<\/p>\n

I pulled out my phone and made a phone call.<\/p>\n

Mrs. Santos<\/b>\u00a0is a well-known kind old lady in our subdivision, and her son is one of the richest billionaires in the city (in Makati).<\/p>\n

In the past, seeing me supporting my family on my own\u2014taking care of my mother-in-law, doing housework, babysitting, and even working part time\u2014she was impressed by my hard work. He asked me to be his\u00a0housekeeper<\/i>\u00a0several times.<\/p>\n

At the time, out of my appreciation for this family, I rejected him over and over again.<\/p>\n

As soon as I hit the \u201ccall,\u201d I heard Mrs. Santos\u2019 soft voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cHello, Dianne? Have you been called? Is there a problem?\u201d<\/p>\n

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my voice in front of Ricardo who was watching:<\/p>\n

\u201cYour Excellency, you have already made an offer\u2026\u201d If you still need someone you can trust, I\u2019m ready to take the job. It\u2019s right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you serious, Dianne?\u201d Oh, that\u2019s right! My son had just returned from a business trip and we needed a partner at home. \u201cI\u2019m going to take you to the subway station right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

As soon as I hung up the phone, Richard nodded loudly. A laugh filled with ridicule.<\/p>\n

\u201cHousekeeper? Would you like to be a part of someone else\u2019s life, and then be able to be who you are? Don\u2019t expect me to chase you out the door!\u201d<\/p>\n

My sister-in-law Liza laughed as she looked at her nails:<\/p>\n

\u201cI wondered what a big time job it would be. If you\u2019re going to clean up someone else\u2019s, why don\u2019t you just go ahead and clean up Mom\u2019s? At least we are a family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFamily?\u201d I looked at them with a mixture of disdain.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn this family, I am the laundry, the cook, the nurse, and the outpatient of resentment. In this family, I don\u2019t get paid, I don\u2019t have any respect, and I\u2019m even slapped. Mrs. O\u2019Neill treated me like a maid, but she treated me like a human being. \u201cI\u2019m your wife, Ricardo, but you treat me worse than a dog.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

I was about to walk out when my father-in-law suddenly blocked the door. He had never spoken before, his voice low but commanding.<\/p>\n

\u201cDianne, leave your bag behind. All of your belongings, including the clothes you wear, come from my son\u2019s money. You\u2019re not going to leave here with anything that belongs to the Sandovals.\u201d<\/p>\n

I faced him without fear.<\/p>\n

\u201cDad, you may have forgotten. The money to buy your medicine, the electricity you enjoy now, and even the rice you will eat tonight\u2014all of that came from my savings before I met your son. If you want a question, go ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

I pulled out my bank statement on the phone.<\/p>\n

\u201cRicardo, look at this. For 3 years, you have not sent any\u00a0remittances<\/i>. The total amount I spent for this family amounted to more than 2 million pesos including my work as a nurse for Mom. Would you like me to pay you $6,000? Let\u2019s get rid of the two million you owe me!\u201d<\/p>\n

Richard was astonished. He took my phone and quickly reviewed the transactions. He turned pale.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2026 Where did you get that much money?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been doing online sales every morning while y\u2019all are sleeping! I\u2019ve been repacking my groceries while watching your Mom! While you\u2019re having fun with your secretary abroad, I\u2019m the one who commits suicide to work so you don\u2019t starve!\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

Suddenly, the bedroom door opened and our son,\u00a0Toby<\/b>, came out, crying.<\/p>\n

\u201cMom! Don\u2019t leave! \u201cDaddy, why did you hurt my mother?\u201d<\/p>\n

He was about to come close to me, but Ricardo grabbed the boy\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cDianne, if you\u2019re leaving, leave the baby alone!\u201d You won\u2019t get anything from me! Let\u2019s see how brave you are without your son!\u201d<\/p>\n

This is where all my anger exploded. I grabbed a glass of water from the table and sprayed it straight in Ricardo\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t use my son to hurt me! In 3 years, you don\u2019t even know what grade your child is in! You didn\u2019t know he had asthma! You don\u2019t have the right to call this child \u2018son\u2019!\u201d<\/p>\n

In the midst of the screaming, a luxury black car pulled up across the street from our house. A man in a suit came down\u2014Mr. Santos<\/b>, my master\u2019s son.<\/p>\n

He walked into the house, keeping an eye on every step of the way.<\/p>\n

\u201cDianne? Are you ready? \u201cYour mother said you need help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ricardo looked at Mr. Santos, visibly feeling the gap between their levels.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho are you? \u201cWhat are you doing in my house?\u201d asked Ricardo, his voice visibly trembling.<\/p>\n

Mr. Santos looked around, at the broken perfume, at the flush on my cheeks, and at the debt notebook on the floor. He smiled bitterly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to be Dianne\u2019s new boss. And from what I\u2019ve seen, it looks like you have a lot to explain to the court about the pain and\u00a0financial abuse<\/i>\u00a0of your spouse.\u201d<\/p>\n

I picked up Toby and grabbed my bag. This time, nothing could stop me.<\/p>\n

\u201cHarry,\u201d I said as I walked through the door, \u201cDon\u2019t wait for the perfume to be paid. You\u2019ve just got to wait for the\u00a0annulment papers<\/i>\u00a0and the lawsuit for\u00a0child support<\/i>\u00a0that you\u2019ve forgotten about for three years.\u201d<\/p>\n

I left them all stunned in the midst of their chaos. As the car was moving, I heard my mother-in-law\u2019s last scream from inside:<\/p>\n

\u201cRicardo! Who\u2019s going to take my diapers?! Who\u2019s going to cook?!\u201d<\/p>\n

I smiled. At last, I was free.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a month since I left that hell house. My life in the mansion of the Saints was like a dream. I don\u2019t see myself as a servant but as a trusted companion in the house. While Toby was happily playing in the vast garden, I was slowly recovering from the trauma.<\/p>\n

One afternoon, while I was arranging flowers, I heard a loud knock and screaming outside the gate.<\/p>\n

\u201cDianne! Get out of there! You can\u2019t do this to us!\u201d<\/p>\n

It was Ricardo. She was joined by Liza and my mother-in-law who looked haggard and had dirty clothes. When I opened the door, I could barely recognize them. The once arrogant Ricardo looked like he hadn\u2019t slept for a week.<\/p>\n

\u201cDianne\u2026 have mercy,\u201d Ricardo pleaded, kneeling in front of me as the security guards stood on the sidelines. \u201cYou\u2019re back. The house has been demolished. My Mom\u2026 He had bedsores because no one was cleaning him properly. \u201cLiz doesn\u2019t know how to cook, we only eat burnt eggs!\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at them from head to toe. \u201cWhy? Where are your \u201chigh-end\u201d supplements and bags? Why do you look like beggars?\u201d<\/p>\n

Liza bowed, her \u201cluxury bag\u201d faded and looked fake.<\/p>\n

\u201cDianne,\u201d my mother-in-law interjected, \u201cWe don\u2019t have any money. \u2018 The items that Ricardo brought, took all of his company because it was found that he had stolen funds just to buy those gifts to brag about. \u201cHer secretary, Candy, left her when she found out she was out of work.\u201d<\/p>\n

I laughed bitterly. Karma doesn\u2019t have to be selfish; Sometimes, it\u2019s giving back to you all the mockery you\u2019ve given to others.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s your notebook, Richard?\u201d he asked. \u201cWhere\u2019s my list of debts?\u201d Do you want me to pay for it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Dianne\u2026 Please forgive me. I thought the money was enough to buy respect. I thought that being married was the same as being a slave. I made a mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr. Santos got out of his car. He came up to me and handed me an envelope.<\/p>\n

\u201cDianne, this is the final decree for your annulment. And here is also a warrant for the seizure of their assets for failure to pay child support for three years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ricardo\u2019s eyes widened. \u201cWhat?! And the house?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Richard,\u201d I replied determinedly. \u201cThat house is named after both of us, and as you have given no support, the court has taken your share for Toby\u2019s future. Tomorrow you will have to get out of there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere are we going?\u201d cried Lisa, crying. \u201cWe have nowhere to stay!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not my problem anymore,\u201d I said, turning to them. \u201cYou used to say \u2018I don\u2019t deserve a gift.\u2019 Now, I can tell you too\u2014you don\u2019t deserve a second of my time.<\/p>\n

The guards closed the large gate, separating my past and my new beginning. I could hear them screaming and screaming outside, but it didn\u2019t stop me.<\/p>\n

I walked inside the mansion and hugged Toby. For the first time in years, my hands were no longer shaking. There was no longer the smell of mother-in-law\u2019s medicine or house dirt. The only smell I could breathe was the smell of freedom and the freshly cooked dinner Toby and I shared.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, the best gift you\u2019ll ever receive isn\u2019t from a foreign country or a brand to love. The best gift is the chance to choose yourself and leave those who don\u2019t know how to appreciate your value.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I had just finished cleaning my crippled mother-in-law when my husband\u2014Ricardo\u2014returned from three years of work abroad. As soon as he entered the door, he began to give out greetings. … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1247,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/realstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/realstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/realstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/realstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/realstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1246"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/realstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1246\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1248,"href":"https:\/\/realstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1246\/revisions\/1248"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/realstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1247"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/realstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/realstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/realstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}