My MIL Wanted $500 After Her ‘Antique’ Chair Collapsed Under Me – I Thought It Was My Fault Until My FIL Stood Up

I don’t usually post things like this, but what happened two weeks ago still keeps me up at night.

I’m Elena, 35, married to Nick. His mom, Laura, has always needed the spotlight. For her 63rd birthday, she demanded we bring all the food, drinks, and even a boutique cake. Our joint gift was a 55-inch TV, which she dismissed because it wasn’t “the 110-inch one.”

At dinner, she seated me in a so-called “valuable antique chair.” The moment I sat, it collapsed. While I sat stunned on the floor, Laura mocked my weight and demanded $500 to replace it. Nick froze.

Then George, my father-in-law, calmly revealed the truth: Laura had bought the chair for $22 at Goodwill and deliberately weakened it to humiliate me. The room went silent. When confronted, she lashed out, but no one defended her. Nick finally stood, took my hand, and we left. George told her not to bother coming home.

Later, George apologized and said, “You broke more than a chair—you broke the cycle.”

Laura never got the $500. And that night, she lost far more than a fake antique chair.