Sandra’s marriage came with a challenge she wasn’t willing to accept. The man she thought she knew perfectly well before saying “I do” turned into someone she didn’t recognize when he dropped a bombshell that turned her world upside down. “Honey, now that we are married, your paycheck goes to my mom,” he said, “she’ll teach you how to spend your money properly.”

Hearing this, Sandra laughed and said, “You are joking, right?” expecting her husband Matt to laugh back and reply with something along the lines of “I got you!”

But no, he was dead serious and Sandra realized she was falling into a trap.

Matt tried to assure her that his mom had been dealing with the family’s finances for a long time and that her system was proven.

To Sandra’s even greater surprise, the ‘system’ included a wild division of the money: half would go to the husband for personal use, as his mom believed that ‘A husband’s cheer makes life dear’; 25 percent for household expenses; and 25 percent for gifts to family and relatives.

Sandra made it clear she wouldn’t be giving her paycheck to her mother-in-law. She worked as a graphic designer and made good money that she was able to manage perfectly all by herself. But Matt insisted it was how things worked in the family for years.

Of course, Sandra hated even the thought of someone else micromanaging her life.

That evening, Sandra thought hard and couldn’t understand how she failed to see that side of Matt, who seemed like the perfect guy until that day. But she then recalled all the red flags she missed, like when his mom would often say that the wife’s job is to focus on her husband or that their family had systems that worked smoothly.

Those weren’t just harmless quirks but rules she was expected to follow blindly just because Matt’s mom said so.

In the morning, Sandra went to the kitchen while Matt was pouring himself some coffee and said, “Okay, honey, if your mom’s system works so well, then maybe we should give it a go.”

Matt smiled at her and said, “I knew you would understand. That’s what family is all about.”

By lunchtime, Sandra transferred her money to the joint account and sent Linda a message. “Hey, Linda! I’m all for your plan. Just let me know how I can assist.💰”

But Sandra wouldn’t let this go on for a long time. She knew she needed to come up with a plan. And then, one day, she found exactly what she was looking for, a proof that Matt’s mom’s system was manipulative.

In fact, Sandra suspected that Matt’s mom was spending a bunch of her son’s money on herself. Linda always had new designer clothes, new kitchen gadgets, you name it.

The proof Sandra needed was in Linda’s small black notebook, the one she always used to jot things down. When Sandra found it one day, she discovered Linda’s huge expenses. Page after page showed evidence of her reckless spending. She even borrowed money from relatives to fund her lifestyle. And Matt, he was totally unaware of that.

The following Friday, Matt came home along with Linda. She carried some files with her and asked if they were ready for the financial review.

Looking at his mom proudly, Matt turned to Sandra and said, “I told you that if your paycheck goes to my mom, we’d be saving a lot of money.”
Sandra smiled and said, “Of course, honey. I should have never doubted your mom. Or maybe I should have?”

Matt gave Sandra a strange look, and that’s when she handed him a bunch of papers that included scanned documents of credit card statements, overdue notices, and screenshots of Linda’s extravagant online purchases.

A expected, Matt was shocked beyond believe. He trusted his mom wholeheartedly and couldn’t believe she could trick him like that.

Linda fumed and accused Sandra of invading her privacy. But Sandra didn’t care about what Linda said or thought.

“Linda, you wanted to CONTROL my finances. I thought it was only fair to take a closer look at YOURS,” Sandra said.

Linda turned to her son, trying to convince him that Sandra wanted to turn him against her. She spoke of her sacrifices for the family, even cried crocodile tears. But it was of no use. Matt learned what kind of woman she was.

At that moment, Sandra moved her paycheck back out of the family’s joint account.

In the days to come, Matt apologized many times. “I was a complete idiot when I told you your paycheck goes to my mom,” he said. But he was thankful he was out of the game in which his manipulative mom pulled the strings.