Being a single mom is like running a never-ending marathon. Work, chores, and raising a kid… it’s a lot to juggle. But throw in an ex’s mother who’s determined to make your life miserable? That’s when things get really crazy.

I live with my 10-year-old son, Tyler, in our cozy little house. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s ours. I bought it right after splitting from my ex-husband, Billy, thanks to some smart investments I’d made. Who knew those would be my ticket to freedom?

Billy and I had been together for around 15 years. During that time, I had known him to be a kind, compassionate man who respected women a lot.

I always thought his mother, Valerie, had raised a very kind man until things between us began to change.

It all started when Billy lost his job in finance, and couldn’t find one that’d pay him the same. That really turned his life upside down. He’d stay out all night, burning through our savings at casinos. One day, I tried to talk some sense into him.

“Why don’t you accept one of those job offers, Billy?” I asked gently. “I know the pay isn’t great, but it’s better than nothing, right?”

“I told you I don’t want to settle for less!” he snapped at me. “And did I ask you for advice, huh? Stop bothering me with your unwanted career counseling sessions, alright? Go find something else to do!”

That’s just a taste of what I was dealing with. But I kept giving him chances, hoping he’d snap out of it. My heart ached watching the man I loved turn into this miserable, angry person.

Then came the day when I realized I couldn’t stay with that man anymore. Especially not with Tyler around.

I remember it was a Thursday night, and Billy wasn’t home when I returned from work. I thought he must be at the casino or the club as usual.

“Where’s Daddy?” Tyler asked me as I tucked him to bed.

I hated lying to him, but what could I say?

“He’s out for some work, honey,” I lied, unable to look into my son’s eyes.

Tyler’s no fool, though.

“Work? But you said Daddy doesn’t work anymore,” Tyler said. “I don’t think he’s at work.”

“We’ll talk about this tomorrow, love,” I ran my hand through his hair. “Now c’mon, it’s time to sleep.”

I left Tyler’s room, heading to mine for some much-needed rest. But as I approached, I heard muffled noises.

I heard Billy’s voice and that was okay. But then I heard a woman’s voice. In MY bedroom.

I won’t go into details about what I saw when I opened that door. Let’s just say it was the final straw.

Billy wasn’t just cheating. He had zero respect for me or his role as a father. Who brings their mistress home when their wife and kid are there? A man who doesn’t give a damn, that’s who.

So, long story short, I left Billy the following day and soon sent him the divorce papers. He didn’t even bother fighting for custody or visitation rights.

After leaving the house, we crashed at a friend’s place before I found our current house and moved over here. It’s about two hours away from Billy’s place, and I thought Tyler and I would live here peacefully here. But nope.

There was one person dead set on being part of our lives: Billy’s mother, Valerie.

I had no clue she’d been stalking us until she showed up at our doorstep. We’d barely been in the new place two days when I heard that dreaded knock.

I opened the door, and there she was with her perfectly coiffed gray hair. My ex-MIL, Valerie, was all set to make our lives miserable.

“Margaret, dear! I’m here to see my grandson,” she chirped as if showing up unannounced was the most normal thing in the world.

“Come in, Valerie,” I said with a fake smile. “But please, keep it short. We were just about to have dinner.”

She breezed past me, heading into the living room.

“So, this is where you’ve been hiding,” she said. “It’s quaint.”

“Tyler’s in his room,” I said, changing the topic. “I’ll get him.”

But before I could move, Valerie turned to me. The look on her face was something I’d never seen before.

“Margaret, we need to talk about Billy,” she began. “You shouldn’t have left him like that.”

I could feel my cheeks burn with anger.

“Valerie, that’s none of your business. My relationship with Billy is over.”

“But I’m worried about Tyler,” she pressed on. “A boy needs his father. You’re being selfish, keeping him away from his family.”

That was it. I’d had enough.

“Selfish? Your son cheated on me in our own home! He gambled away our savings and didn’t even fight for custody. If anyone’s being selfish, it’s him.”

“Now, Margaret—”

“No, Valerie,” I cut her off. “It’s time for you to leave. Tyler and I are starting a new life, and you’re not a part of it.”

I practically pushed her out the door, my hands shaking as I turned the lock.

But that wasn’t the end of it. Oh no, Valerie was persistent. She kept calling, texting, even sending letters.

“Let me see Tyler,” she’d plead. “He needs his grandmother.”

I ignored her, deleted her messages, and returned her letters. But she just wouldn’t quit.

It was exhausting, constantly looking over my shoulder, wondering when she’d pop up next. I was fed up, angry, and scared. What if she tried something crazy?

Little did I know, my worst fears were about to come true.

It was a few months after I’d gone no-contact with Valerie. Billy hadn’t reached out once, which was fine by me.

It was a Saturday morning, and I woke up feeling excited. Tyler and I had plans to hit the park, and maybe grab burgers afterward. Just a nice, normal day with my boy.

I stretched and headed down the hallway to Tyler’s room.

“Rise and shine, sleepyhead!” I called out, pushing open his door.

The bed was empty.

“Tyler?” I called out, louder this time.

Then, I checked the bathroom, the living room, even looked under his bed. Nothing. He wasn’t there.

I could feel my heart pounding hard against my chest.

Where was he? I thought. Had he wandered out in the night? No, my boy would never do that.

Then I realized I needed to check the security cameras. So, I picked up my phone with shaking hands and checked the footage from last night. I couldn’t believe what I saw there.

Valerie was sneaking into our house in the middle of the night. She stayed in for a few seconds before carrying my sleeping son out the front door.

How had she gotten in? I thought. What was she planning?

I dialed Valerie’s number, but it went straight to voicemail. Then, I sent frantic texts: “Where’s Tyler? Bring him back NOW!”

No response.

That’s when I dialed 911. I didn’t know what else to do.

“911, what’s your emergency?”

“My son,” I choked out. “My ex-mother-in-law took him in the middle of the night. I have it on camera.”

“Ma’am, try to stay calm. Can you give me your address?”

I rattled off our location, then added, “Please hurry. I don’t know what she’s planning.”

After I hung up, I noticed something on the table. It was a note scribbled in Valerie’s handwriting.

It read: “IN 2 HOURS, YOUR SON WILL BE MINE FOREVER.”

My knees buckled, and I gripped the counter to keep from collapsing. What did she mean? Where was she taking him?

I paced in the living room, waiting for the cops to arrive. At that point, I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think straight. All I knew was that I had to get my son back before it was too late.

The terror that gripped me in those moments is something I’ll never forget. To this day, I’m not sure how I kept myself from falling apart completely.

As time ticked by, my mind raced with horrible possibilities.

What did “mine forever” mean? Was she planning to leave the country with him? Take him to Billy, even though he’d shown no interest in being a father?

When the cops finally arrived, I showed the note to them, struggling to keep my voice steady as I explained everything.

Thank God they took it seriously and immediately started tracing her phone.

Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, the police got a lead. Valerie’s car had been spotted near the town cemetery. It was about 20 miles from our house.

What on earth is Valerie doing there with Tyler? I thought.

In no time, the police officers drove me to the cemetery. As we pulled up, I saw Valerie standing near a gravestone with Tyler, who looked half-asleep. She was talking to him in a low voice.

“Tyler!” I screamed, jumping out of the car before it had fully stopped.

Valerie’s head snapped up. She was angry.

“No!” she shouted. “He needs to be with his daddy!”

The police were right behind me. They grabbed Valerie before she could do anything else, and I scooped Tyler into my arms, sobbing with relief.

As they led her away, Valerie kept muttering about how Billy “wanted his son back.” It was clear she’d lost touch with reality long ago.

That day, I vowed never to let Valerie neat my son again. She’s in custody now, but the memory of that morning still haunts me.

I don’t know if I’ll ever truly feel safe again.

If you enjoyed reading this story, here’s another one you might like: When my mother-in-law gifted our adopted daughter a giant stuffed elephant, I thought she was finally trying to bond with her. But what I found hidden inside that toy made my blood run cold—and led me to do something I never thought I’d have to.

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.