My husband and I were celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary with a small family gathering — just twelve of our closest relatives. Because our home isn’t very big, I decided to limit the number of guests to keep things comfortable. So, I asked my son’s wife if she could bring only their 9-year-old son and let the older three kids (13, 11, and 10) stay home this time. My son agreed without hesitation, and the evening went smoothly — or so I thought.
Throughout the night, however, my daughter-in-law remained unusually quiet. I sensed something was wrong, but I didn’t want to stir up tension during the celebration.
The next morning, when I opened my front door, I found a large box sitting outside. Inside were all of my belongings from my son’s home — where I sometimes stay when visiting. My heart sank. There was a note on top that read, “You’re not welcome to stay at my house anymore.” I was shocked. I chose not to respond right away, hoping that silence might prevent things from getting worse.
But the following day, my grandson called me, crying. He said his parents had a terrible argument and that his father had left the house. I rushed over, only to find the place in complete disarray. My daughter-in-law, visibly upset, told me she was planning to leave my son because he wouldn’t defend her or their children.
She said my decision to exclude her other kids from the anniversary dinner was deeply hurtful — that it made them feel unwanted and disrespected. I was taken aback. I never meant to offend or cause pain; I simply thought the gathering would be too crowded. But now, their marriage seems to be on the verge of falling apart.