I Left My Mother-in-Law’s Thanksgiving Dinner after She Threw Out the Dish I Brought

A pregnant woman experienced a mix of shock and anger upon discovering that her mother-in-law discarded the meal she had brought for Thanksgiving dinner. What added to her bewilderment was how her husband reacted to his mother’s actions.

An anonymous female poster turned to the Reddit community for advice after having a fall-out with her mother-in-law. She penned her story in the widely read “AITA” subreddit in late November 2022, sharing a brief background before unraveling the shocking narrative.

The original poster, aged 27 and five months pregnant, had pre-existing health issues which she managed through a meat-free diet. Conflicts with her mother-in-law arose when she refused to eat the meals prepared by her. In response, the woman either attended gatherings without partaking in the food or opted to stay at home.

In 2022, the mother-in-law decided to host her son and his wife for Thanksgiving dinner. Being pregnant, the woman couldn’t attend Thanksgiving without bringing food out of respect for her MIL. Hence, she prepared a small meal and brought it along.

This led to a massive blowup.

Despite the woman’s efforts, her mother-in-law protested, claiming she was “making a mistake robbing her grandbaby of getting all meat benefits.” The woman clarified that she took supplements as a replacement, but her mother-in-law shrugged it off and remained upset.

The woman waited until the dinner table was set, never expecting the subsequent turn of events. Despite her willingness to help or enter the kitchen, her mother-in-law took the dish she had prepared, promising to reheat it and place it on the table. However, upon sitting down, the woman was astonished to find her dish missing.

When questioned publicly, her mother-in-law denied receiving any dish and suggested the woman might have left it at home or in the car. This led to a massive blowup. Despite the woman’s refusal, her MIL told her to sit back down and eat what was served on the table.

Even her husband echoed his mom’s words, but the woman was too frustrated and couldn’t act like nothing had happened. What baffled the pregnant woman even more was her husband’s reaction to his mom’s actions. Angered, hurt, and shocked by what her MIL had done, OP chose to leave the scene, grabbing her belongings and walking out.

Puzzled, OP questioned if she was wrong for leaving the dinner after learning what her MIL had done.

Discovering that her mother-in-law had discarded the dish she had brought, the woman was pressured to eat what was on the table. The MIL justified it as looking out for her grandbaby’s health, and the woman’s husband urged her not to leave the celebration and cause a scene. This led to a heated argument, with the mother-in-law deeming the woman dramatic and difficult to deal with.

According to OP, the dish she had brought was intended to keep her full and provide essential benefits, distinct from her mother-in-law’s appetizers or side dishes. She emphasized the effort and cost she invested in preparing the meal. Despite this, her MIL continued to assert that her actions were motivated by concern for the grandbaby’s health. Puzzled, OP questioned if she was wrong for leaving the dinner after learning what her MIL had done.

The woman’s Reddit post garnered an extensive online response, with the majority supporting her and labeling her as “NTA.” Numerous commenters criticized the woman’s mother-in-law for her questionable behavior, and some also expressed disapproval of her husband for not defending her. Here are a few comments worth mentioning:

What are your thoughts on this narrative? Do you believe the woman was justified in leaving her mother-in-law’s Thanksgiving dinner after her food was discarded? How would you navigate the situation if you were in the woman’s position?

If you liked reading this story, click here for another one about a woman whose mother-in-law didn’t want to eat the Thanksgiving dinner she had cooked and planned to bring her own meals instead.