I’m Emma, 35, married to a wonderful man named Carter. He’s amazing—but his family? A total nightmare. His mother and three sisters treat me like their unpaid maid, especially on holidays. This Easter, they decided I should plan the egg hunt, cook for 25 people, and of course, clean everything—alone. Their reasoning? “Since you don’t have kids yet, it just makes sense.”

So I smiled, nodded… and quietly planned my revenge. After cooking all morning and enduring their constant snide remarks (“This ham is dry,” “You’re brave for wearing that dress”), they all lounged with wine while I was expected to clean up the disaster. That’s when I cheerfully called the kids for a surprise final round: the Golden Egg Challenge.

I told them whoever found the golden egg would win a very special prize. The kids were thrilled. When one of my nieces found it and opened the egg, I read the prize aloud: “Your entire family gets to handle the full Easter clean-up!” Stunned silence. Then chaos. But with the kids cheering “Clean up! Clean up!” the women had no choice but to roll up their sleeves.

For the next hour, I relaxed on the patio with a mimosa while my in-laws scrubbed and swept in designer shoes. Carter just laughed and called me brilliant. Next year, I’m betting Easter will be potluck—and I’ll never have to wash a dish again.