My mother-in-law decided to have a birthday party at our house while I was in the hospital. She invited forty people, and I was left to clean up the mess and the filthy dishes: I became enraged and resolved to exact revenge. 
I had no idea that my trip to the hospital for suspected appendicitis would involve surgery and three days of IVs and medicines.
Following the procedure, the doctor gave me stern instructions to avoid exerting myself, lifting, or standing for extended periods of time as these activities could cause the stitches to tear. All I could dream about was returning home, getting into my own bed, and finally getting some rest. But I was paralyzed by what I saw when I opened the door.
Crumpled napkins in the living room, empty drinks, spilled glasses, and dirty footprints all over the floor. There is a sticky floor, a stack of dirty dishes, dried food crumbs on the table, and an odor of alcohol coming from the kitchen.
The house appeared to have been hit by a hurricane. I was stunned for a moment until I saw a card that read, “Happy Birthday, Mom!” on the refrigerator. Then everything made sense.
My mother-in-law had chosen to host her birthday celebration at our house while I was in the hospital. She brought forty people, threw a party at our cost, and then just walked away, leaving the mayhem in her wake.
I felt a surge of rage. She would say things like “it’s not a big deal” or “we’re family,” and I understood that shouting was useless. I therefore choose to approach it in a different way. I was going to discipline her. And I did precisely that. 
I started by taking pictures of every single plate, footprint, and bottle. I enabled the photographs’ timestamp to display the precise moment everything occurred.
I then spoke with the neighbors, and one of them reported hearing loud music and seeing automobiles pull up to our house. Another reported seeing my mother-in-law at the gate, welcoming people. For me, that was sufficient proof.
I contacted a cleaning service and requested a thorough cleaning of the kitchen, windows, carpets, and everything else.
After all that tension, my stitches had begun to pain again, so I retained all the receipts and added the price of my medication and the cab fare.
I then took a seat and composed a brief, official letter:
“Dear [name of mother-in-law],
Your birthday was celebrated at my house with a party while I was in the hospital recuperating from surgery. The house was left in an unsatisfactory state following the occurrence.
I’ve sent copies of the cleaning, dry cleaning, and prescription receipts as well as photographs as evidence. The entire cost comes to 62,700 rubles. Please return this money to me within 10 business days.
Regards, [My name].
I sent it by registered mail with a delivery confirmation after printing all of the documents, including the letters, receipts, and pictures. A second copy was placed on my husband’s desk by me. No justification.
My mother-in-law gave me a call three days later. Anger was vibrating in her voice. “You don’t do that to relatives,” she yelled, accusing me of “disgracing the family.”
“You don’t throw a party in your relatives’ house after they’ve had surgery,” I quietly retorted. All I’m requesting is payment. I hung up after that.
The precise amount I had specified in the letter was transferred to my bank account a week later. Nothing to say.
She hasn’t hosted another party at our house since.
