My rich MIL treats my modest parents with disdain. This year, for the first time, she invited them for Thanksgiving. She was shockingly nice the whole night and particularly affectionate with my mom.

After dinner, I was scrolling through Facebook —and broke into a cold sweat. My MIL had posted a bunch of photos from the night, all of them of her hugging my mom and pouring food for her. She captioned it, “My good deed for the year—feeding the less fortunate and showing them a taste of the good life. Happy Thanksgiving!”

I stared at the screen in disbelief, my hands trembling. The pictures weren’t just photos; they were a public performance, turning my mom into a prop in her twisted show of self-righteousness. She hadn’t even acknowledged my parents as her in-laws, only as “less fortunate” people she was showing kindness to. I was infuriated but decided not to show any reaction to avoid ruining the night for my parents.

Later that night, I overheard her and my husband whispering in the kitchen. My stomach turned when she said, “My plan worked perfectly. Did you see how grateful they looked? This will score me so many points with my friends—they love stories like this. And honestly, it’s good for your wife to see how her family should be treated.”

The worst part is that my husband seemed so proud of his mom’s actions and even hugged her. My Thanksgiving, which seemed so warm and sweet this year, turned into a heartbreaking nightmare by the end of it.