While a couple was at the hospital waiting for their kid, the woman’s mother-in-law lent a helpful hand. She offered to feed their pets, a gesture the couple greatly appreciated.However, when they returned, they discovered a note affixed to their fridge, the contents of which had taken them by surprise.On October 9, 2023, an anonymous woman posted to the “AITA” subreddit to describe her perplexing encounter.

The 31-year-old mom gave birth to her adorable son a week ago, despite problems that kept her in the hospital until October 8.She was grateful to be back home with her newborn and thought on the unexpected turn of events. When her water broke, she and her 33-year-old husband were at home, not thinking about cleaning. In a hurry to get to the hospital, she just tossed some towels on the bedroom carpet and fled.

During their stay in the hospital, the woman’s mother-in-law, age 59, sweetly offered to feed their pets, which the couple much appreciated. However, when they returned home, the wife found a note and receipt on the fridge. To her astonishment, her mother-in-law had taken the initiative to clean not only the bedroom carpet, but the entire house.

Overwhelmed by the influx of texts, OP turned off her phone to seek relief from the situation.The memo detailed the cleaning charges, which included a day’s labor at $25 per hour and $200 in cleaning supplies, leaving the woman completely surprised by the unexpected demand for compensation. “Now, while it was nice of her to clean my carpet and then the rest of my house, neither of us asked her to do this,” she went on to say.

What Did the OP’s Husband Do? In response to the unanticipated demand, the original poster’s husband took the initiative to resolve the issue. He texted his mother, thanking her for her aid during their hospital stay. However, he couldn’t help but express his concern about her activities. “Hello, mom. We greatly appreciate your assistance over the last few days while [my wife] was in the hospital.”

It was lovely having someone over to care for the dogs.”The man claimed that he and his wife discovered the message and receipt pinned to the refrigerator. What astonished them was that the MIL had decided to spy around their house because neither of them had informed her about OP’s water breaking in the bedroom.

Second, the couple was surprised to hear that the mother-in-law had spent hundreds of dollars on cleaning supplies and was expecting payment for both them and her time cleaning the house. They also wanted to know where these cleaning supplies were, expecting to get their money’s worth because they were required to pay for them.”When we entrusted you with the dogs, we believed you were doing so out of the goodness of your heart, not to make a quick buck.

We are a family, and we are hurt that you would do something like this while [my wife] was so ill,” the husband ended. The mother-in-law quickly reacted to her husband’s message, stating that her actions were motivated by love and that she could not understand their ingratitude. The woman also received texts from extended family members appreciating the MIL’s efforts, despite her advanced age, and emphasizing her help as a sign of affection.

Overwhelmed by the influx of texts, OP turned off her phone to seek relief from the situation. Meanwhile, her husband faced criticism from their family for manipulating the issue and unfairly portraying the mother-in-law as the villain, despite her aim to prepare the house for the baby. The wife was greatly distressed by the circumstance and found herself at odds with her husband’s suggestion.

He recommended compensating his mother to alleviate the extended family’s criticism and allow them to concentrate on their new jobs as parents. However, the woman was adamantly opposed to the concept of rewarding his mother for her acts. During the chaos, the mother-in-law sent the couple another text, indicating her desire to gift them the cleaning supplies, essentially erasing that expense from their bill.

Despite this generosity, she insisted on being compensated for her work, claiming the cleaning process as involving “a biohazard.” The woman was split between her husband’s yearning for peace and her refusal to compromise, family harmony and her values. “AITA for refusing to pay my MIL?” she questioned.