I never imagined I would be in this situation. My husband and I had been eagerly awaiting the birth of our baby, and when I was told at the hospital that our baby would be born in 7.5 months, I was overjoyed.
When I returned home with this wonderful news, I was greeted by an unsettling silence. My husband and his parents were huddled together in the kitchen, talking. I heard his father say: “When are you going to finish with her?”
I entered the room and tried to lighten the mood by announcing: “I’m pregnant! Congratulations!” But my excitement was met with cold indifference. My in-laws soon apologized and left my husband a cryptic note telling him to rethink something that I couldn’t understand at the time.
When I gave birth, my husband and his parents came to the maternity ward to pick us up. The first thing my father-in-law said was: “You’re taking maternity leave, right? That’s good… you’ll hand it over to me”.
Hearing these words hurt deeply. As we drove home, the conversation about my maternity leave continued. My husband suggested: “Just give it to him; it won’t make any difference anyway”. My father-in-law listened and added: “Don’t resist. We are already planning to find a new bride for our son. As for your maternity leave, I will use it to repair our Zhiguli car. At least something will come of it for your son”.
I was outraged. “This is my money and for my child. I don’t owe him anything. If he wants to fix his car, he can pay for it himself. Forget about my maternity leave.”
I decided then and there that I would no longer tolerate such disrespect and disregard for my family. I had worked hard for my money and refused to let it be abused by someone who showed no interest in me or my child.
It was clear that their priorities were wrong and they even thought about finding a new partner for my husband while barely caring for their grandchild. Under these circumstances, it is not only important but necessary that you stand up for your rights and take care of your own well-being and that of your child.