When I married my husband, I knew his mother had strong opinions — but I never imagined she’d walk into our home and treat it like her own. One afternoon, I came home from work to find everything changed. Furniture rearranged, décor replaced, my belongings thrown out. She even swapped our curtains because mine were “depressing.” My mother-in-law proudly declared she was “fixing” my house and said a “proper wife keeps things better.”

I turned to my husband, hoping he’d defend me. Instead, he shrugged and said, “She was trying to help.” That night, I sat on the floor eating takeout because I couldn’t even find my own plates. I quietly cried while realizing something had to change — starting with the locks.

The next morning, I called a locksmith. A few days later, my MIL showed up and her key didn’t work. She called furious, and I calmly told her, “From now on, guests knock.” My husband exploded, saying I’d made her feel unwelcome. I told him, “She broke into our home. I’m making it ours again.”

Now he’s giving me the silent treatment and says I went too far. But I’m done being a visitor in my own house. Boundaries aren’t disrespect — they’re protection. And if that makes me the villain in their story, so be it.