How I lost all respect for my father-in-law, part 1

I once thought that my father-in-law, Jabba, was a great man. He was raised by a wonderful mother, and an alcoholic, abusive father. To escape his father, he packed his family up and moved them to the United States when he was a young man.

He spoke no English. He took a low paying job. He traveled back to Europe for the purpose of meeting a wife, and brought her back to the United States with him. He's taken care of his mother ever since -Sophia has lived with them their entire marriage.

The early years were difficult, as money was tight. As time went on, however, he rose through the company little by little. After thirty years, he became the owner and president of a thriving business. He had a respectable family and many friends.

It wasn't until Nemo and I were married that I learned a lot of this story. Nemo knew almost nothing about his grandfather - he was never even aware of the real reason his father came to this country. I was the one who told him a great deal of his family history.

I became friends with my father-in-law. Not the kind of friends that get together and have lunch and gossip. Just two people who had mutual respect for each other and shared a love of his son.

For my part, I was a good daughter-in-law. I cultivated a relationship with both my in-laws. I didn't miss a holiday, and frequently went out of my way to stop at their house or to do favors for them. I took Sophia to the doctor and out shopping frequently. Whatever they needed, I was there.

Then, Nemo cheated on me and abandoned Lucian and me. When it finally got so bad that I was considering divorce, I went to both Nemo's parents and told them everything. They really seemed like they wanted to help. They both tried talking to Nemo. I knew in my heart that it wouldn't change anything, but I loved them for trying.

The first time I lost a little respect for Jabba was when I went to him after I realized how much money Nemo had stolen from us. There was a family rumor that Jabba had helped us with some of the IVF expenses (which wasn't true). I wanted to make sure that he had not given money to Nemo, and to tell him not to give him any additional money because of all of Nemo's spending. His words to me were - I'm not giving either of you any money. It really hurt me because I wasn't asking for any money and he made me feel like a crook. I had been trying to do him a favor and he insulted me.

Last year, after the divorce was filed but before it was final, my life was in transition. For me, that time was the hardest part of everything. I have a bunch of crazy stories to tell about Nemo's mom in particular, but I'll save those for another time. As the year wore on, things became more strained between Nemo's parents and me. I think they felt like they had to choose a side. I really tried to keep the peace, but all my efforts backfired.

Nemo's parents chose their son over their daughter-in-law and grandson.

To be continued... Lucian's awake from his nap.