My mother-in-law took back the bicycle she had given my daughter. And the reason is simply shocking!
Imagine: Zhanna’s sixth birthday. The morning filled with sunshine, cupcakes in the kitchen, laughter in the house. The little girl bursts into the room with shining eyes: “Mom! Look what Grandma gave me!” In front of me — a dream pink bicycle: with a basket, ribbons, and a cheerful bell. Zhanna was glowing with happiness.
Even I was surprised — in our complicated history with Jacqueline, such generosity was rare. But I thanked her and invited her inside. She smiled: “It’s enough for me to see my granddaughter’s joy.” Everything looked perfect.
But five days later, the idyll collapsed. Jacqueline drove up to our house, and while Zhanna ran to the kitchen for a glass of water, she calmly rolled the gift towards her car.
“What are you doing?” — slipped out of me.
“I need to take it back,” she answered calmly.
“But it’s a birthday present!”
“Not anymore,” she said and kept rolling the bicycle.
At that moment Zhanna returned, froze in the doorway, and asked with a trembling voice:
“Grandma, why are you taking my bicycle?”
And then something happened that changed everything… Details — in the first comment
When Zhanna saw her grandmother rolling her bicycle to the car, despair froze in her eyes. And then came the “truth” that shocked everyone.
“Sweetheart, this bicycle isn’t safe. The tires are old, I don’t want you to fall,” said Jacqueline with fake concern. But her gaze revealed something else.
I insisted on speaking to her alone. And here’s what came out: my mother-in-law had seen exactly the same bicycle at an auction, sold there for a lot of money. “It’s a collectible! I’ll sell it — and I’ll be able to buy my granddaughter ten new ones,” she admitted shamelessly.
I couldn’t believe my ears. For Zhanna, it wasn’t just a gift, but a dream, her first “grown-up” transport. But Jacqueline was already closing the trunk, ignoring both my words and the child’s tears.
In that moment I realized: our fragile “family truce” was broken.
A few days later, Zhanna and I decided to turn this story into a lesson. Instead of resentment — a conversation about values, about how memories are worth more than things. The neighbors supported us, and soon Zhanna had a new bicycle, gifted by the whole neighborhood.
And my mother-in-law? She stuck to her decision. But I clearly saw: sometimes people show their true face in the most unexpected moment. The main thing is not to stop and to keep pedaling forward.