I thought she was bluffing.

When my mother-in-law, Nilofar, warned we’d “regret” refusing to fund her retirement after she gave everything to her other daughter, I assumed it was theater. Our home was modest, bills tight, a toddler in tow. She had signed over the house, the car, the bonds, even heirloom rugs to Soraya, her favorite. That was her choice. But when Soraya refused to take her in, suddenly we were the “only ones who truly care.” We said no. Boundaries mattered.

The next day, my husband Malek called from his mother’s driveway, voice raw. Squad cars idled nearby. “She reported me,” he said. “Says I stole jewelry and cash from her safe.”

Inside, Nilofar sat calmly. “Ah. You came,” she said in Farsi. “Good. Someone can talk sense into my son.”

I told her we couldn’t be accused of theft by her own child. She replied, “I gave thirty years to this family. I deserve dignity.” The officers questioned Malek but had nothing to pursue — it became a report and nothing more.

Driving home, Malek was silent. That night he said, “I’m done.” Not just with her, I realized, but with being the “good son” expected to clean up everyone’s mess.