Mother-in-Law Mistaken for Maid — Story of the Day

Delia, the girlfriend of a wealthy young man, returns home and sees an unknown woman making herself at home in her kitchen. Delia assumes this woman is a new maid and does not hold back on offensive words. What happens when she discovers the woman's real identity?

In Thomas's grand kitchen, Mildred, his mother, was busy making cupcakes. She looked simple but nice, with her hair tied back and an apron around her waist. Delia, Thomas's girlfriend, came in wearing a fancy dress. She thought Mildred was a new maid because of how she was dressed.

"Um, excuse me? I didn't know we had a new maid," Delia said rudely.

Mildred turned, her eyes scanning her son's choice. "Good morning," she said politely.

"We don't eat this kind of food. Thomas and I are very health-conscious," Delia said, lifting one of the baked cupcakes in disdain. "You should probably ask before baking such things!"

Mildred didn't say much, just smiled a little. Then Thomas came in, happy to see his mom and the cupcakes. "Mom, you're up early! These look great!" He grabbed a cupcake and devoured it.

Delia was shocked to learn Mildred was Thomas's mother. "That's your mother?" she asked, surprised and embarrassed.

"Yep, and her cupcakes are the best," Thomas said with a contented smile, the cupcake's crumbs dotting his lips.

Meanwhile, Mildred simply sipped her coffee, the corners of her lips curling into a knowing smile. "I'm tired, so I'll leave you two to catch up," she said softly and left the kitchen.

Once Mildred was out of earshot, Delia turned to Thomas. "Thomas, why didn't you tell me your mother was visiting? Anyway, she was incredibly rude to me."

"Rude? Mom?" Thomas asked, surprised. "Maybe you got it wrong. She's not mean."

"No, Thomas, it's not a misunderstanding. Her eyes, that look—it was so demeaning. I felt so small, so belittled."

Thomas tried to calm her down. "I'm sorry you felt that way. I'll talk to her. She just needs time to get to know you."

Delia wanted to be accepted by Thomas's family, and Thomas promised to help his mom see how great she was.

Meanwhile, Mildred, listening to their conversation from another room, felt sad. She could see Delia wanted Thomas for his money.

At noon, Thomas, Mildred, and Delia got together for lunch. The dining room was bathed in a soft, natural light filtering through the sheer curtains, and the table was set nicely. Delia talked about fashion, trying to get Thomas and Mildred interested.

After a moment, Thomas gently steered the conversation towards their family-owned clothing retail business. "Speaking of fashion trends, Mom, the new summer line is almost ready. We've incorporated some bold patterns this time."

Delia suggested following a marketing idea she saw on Instagram to promote the new line, but Thomas and Mildred didn't think it fit their brand's style.

"Social media is indeed powerful, Delia. But our brand's reputation has been built on a certain elegance and timelessness. Flashy isn't always aligned with our brand identity," Mildred responded diplomatically.

"Right," Thomas added, "we aim for a balance between trend-setting and maintaining our brand's classic appeal. It's a fine line in the fashion industry."

Delia felt left out as they talked more about business. Then Thomas shared the big news. "Mom, Delia and I have something important to share. I've decided to ask Delia to marry me," he said.

Mildred was shocked but quickly composed herself. "That's quite the news, Thomas," she replied carefully.

Delia was excited. "Isn't it wonderful, Mildred? We're so happy," she said, smiling.

"Of course. How about some wine to celebrate?" Mildred said, asking Delia to get some wine from the cellar.

"Sure, Mildred," Delia replied.

Once the woman was gone, Mildred turned to her son. "Thomas, I must express my concerns. Don't you think it's all too quick? You hardly know each other."

Thomas defended his choice. "Mom, I love her. Isn't that what's important?" he asked.

Mildred worried Delia might have the wrong reasons for marrying him. Outside the dining room, Delia had fetched the wine bottle. But instead of heading straight to the table, she stood behind the door and listened to Mildred's and Thomas's conversation, feeling upset and surprised.

Mildred told Thomas, "It's important to be cautious. Love should be about more than just financial gain."

Thomas was hurt by the suggestion. "You think she's after my money?" he asked.

Mildred just wanted to protect him. "I'm your mother. It's my role to worry," she said gently.

Delia felt shocked and worried, realizing they doubted her intentions. She walked into the dining room with a bottle of wine, trying to hide her upset feelings after overhearing Thomas and Mildred talking about her.

Unbeknownst to Mildred and Thomas, Delia had also returned with something else, something she had been hiding, ready to play her trump card at just the right moment. She placed the small covered dish close to Thomas.

"And now for the highlight of the day," she said, pointing at the dish with relish. Her eyes sparkled with a blend of excitement and nervousness, and everyone's attention was fixed on her.

Delia uncovered the dish, revealing not a culinary delight but a small plastic stick-like device marked by two red lines.

"We're going to have a baby, Thomas!" she declared.

Thomas's expression shifted from shock to joy. He rose from his seat and wrapped Delia in a hug.

"Con-congratulations," was all Mildred could muster.

She should've been happy, but she wasn't. She was worried Delia wasn't the right girl for her son and insisted on a prenuptial agreement before giving her blessing to their marriage. This made Thomas upset because he trusted Delia completely.

Mildred further said she would only give Thomas control of the family business with a prenup. After all, SHE had built it with years of hard work. As a single mother, doing so had taken her not just rigorous work effort but several sacrifices.

"Let me know of your decision. I think I need some air," she said, exiting the dining room.

After Mildred left, Delia and Thomas talked about what to do. Delia was worried about how they would manage without the business, especially with a baby coming. Thomas promised they would find a way and that their love was more important than the business.

Later, as Thomas prepared for a shower, with Mildred's words echoing in his ears, he glanced over and saw the pregnancy test Delia had presented sitting on the edge of the sink.

He picked it up just out of curiosity and accidentally dropped it in the sink water. He hastily turned off the tap and retrieved the test, but as he did, his eyes caught sight of something unexpected.

The red lines started to smudge, and he realized they were drawn on with a marker. Delia had lied about being pregnant.

Thomas stood frozen for a moment. When he recovered from the shock, he decided to test her. At dinner, he said they should sell the house and live simply, maybe even work regular jobs to save money. Delia was shocked and didn't like the idea. Mildred had left for her room early after dinner.

"Thomas, we can't sell the house. It's our home," Delia said, upset.

"I know, but with a baby on the way and me potentially losing the business—it might be tight. We need to think practically. Maybe you could find a job, too, to help out. Something like waitressing or maybe a housekeeping role," Thomas suggested, watching her reaction.

Delia got angry and blamed Thomas's mom for their problems. "Your mother is trying to control us. We should run the business without her," Delia said. "Think about it. You can break free from her. Transfer the ownership of the business to me. We can run it together without her looming over us."

Thomas was surprised. "Transfer the business to you? That's my family's legacy," he replied. "My mother has spent her life building it."

Delia gave Thomas an ultimatum. "It's either me or her, Thomas. Choose me, or I'll leave," she said.

Thomas pretended to agree. "Alright, I'll transfer the business to you," he said, hiding his real plan.

Delia's expression transformed into a victorious smile. She moved closer to Thomas, her arms encircling him in a victorious embrace. "You won't regret this, Thomas. We'll be unstoppable together," she whispered.

The next morning, Delia bragged to her friend on the phone about beating Thomas and his mom. "I've finally done it. The business will be mine!" she said happily.

She talked about how her fake pregnancy trick worked and how she planned to get pregnant for real to secure her position. "Once I have the business, Mildred will have no say. It's my time now," she said, feeling victorious.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Delia quickly ended the call and swung the door open to see a man in uniform, stern and official, flanked by a team of men who exuded authority.

"Miss, I'm Patrick. We're here to commence the attachment of assets," the man announced, extending a formal document to her. "The business Thomas transferred to you has significant unpaid taxes. You're in serious legal trouble."

Delia panicked and tried to bribe Patrick to make the problem go away. "Please, can we talk about this in private? I'm sure we can make a deal," she suggested as the rest of the men moved methodically through the house, listing furniture and valuables.

"And what about Thomas? Are you willing to throw him under the bus for your gain?" Patrick asked her.

Delia admitted she never loved Thomas and only wanted his money.

"It was all a ruse to gain control of his assets. I'm sure you and I can work out a deal," she confessed, desperate. "Come on, how much do you want?"

Patrick appeared to weigh up the offer. "So, you're offering financial incentives, and perhaps more, to make this go away?" he asked loudly. "Is that what you hear, too, Thomas?" Patrick called out.

Thomas and Mildred stepped out from their hiding place behind a door to an adjoining room.

"Y-you set this up?" Delia realized, shocked.

Thomas nodded. "Meet Patrick and his team of actors, love," he said sarcastically. "The documents for the business transfer were fake... just like your pregnancy test, Delia. Next time you try this ruse on some unsuspecting fool, you might want to use a permanent ink marker."

Delia begged Thomas for another chance, but he refused. "Leave! I can't be with someone who doesn't love me for who I am," Thomas said firmly.

As Delia left, Thomas apologized to Mildred. "I'm sorry, Mom," he said. "You tried to warn me, and I didn't listen."

Mildred comforted him, saying it's okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from them. "That's part of life, Thomas. We live, we learn, and we grow. How about we make some cupcakes? It's been ages," she said to lighten his mood. "I… guess this moment calls for something sweet?"

Thomas liked the idea. "Just like old times?" he asked, smiling back. "Sure, let's do it!"

As they entered the kitchen, Thomas rolled up his sleeves, ready to dive into the task. "Alright, Chef Mildred, I'm at your service. Let's see if I still remember how to do this," he said playfully.

Mildred laughed, handing him an apron. "It's like riding a bike, Thomas. You never really forget. Now, let's see if we can still make the best cupcakes in town," she said encouragingly.

As they baked, the kitchen was filled with a sweet smell. Sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for the cupcakes, Thomas and Mildred chatted and shared stories. This simple moment of baking together reminded them that they had each other, which was all they needed to face anything.

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If you enjoyed reading this story, here's another one about a married man who goes on a date with an older woman, not realizing his new love interest is none other than his mother-in-law.

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