My mother-in-law shouted at me in front of the guests, then raised her hand because of the poorly set table: but then I did something unexpected

It was an important day – our wedding anniversary, to which we had invited relatives and friends. I was doing my best, running around the kitchen, checking that everyone had everything they needed on the table. But as soon as the guests sat down, my mother-in-law entered the room. From the first glance, it was clear – she was not in the best mood.
She looked at the table, frowned, and loudly declared, without any shame:
— Is this how you welcome people? You call this a celebration? Look how crookedly everything is set!
The guests exchanged glances, and silence filled the room. I tried to smile and say something, but her shouting only grew louder.
— Is this what my son deserves? What kind of housewife are you? You’re disgracing me in front of everyone!

I could hardly hold back my tears, but then my mother-in-law, beside herself, raised her hand against me. Everyone gasped – no one expected this from her.
I was humiliated right in front of my loved ones. Tears filled my eyes, and I covered my face with my hands to keep from screaming.
But at that very moment, right in front of all the guests, I did something I do not regret. She deserved it. Continuation in the first comment
Something snapped inside me. I walked to the table, grabbed a large bowl of salad, and without saying a word, poured it straight over my mother-in-law’s expensive blue dress. I thought the relatives would blame me – but no.
A shocked gasp went through the room, then a voice broke the silence:

— You did the right thing! – shouted my sister. – You can’t humiliate people like that!
— How long do we have to put up with her bullying? – added my husband’s brother. – You’ve gone too far, Mom.
My mother-in-law stood there with salad on her dress, confused and pale. No one supported her. On the contrary – everyone sided with me.
— We can clearly see how much effort she put in, – said my uncle. – You embarrassed yourself.
That was the first time I felt: the truth was on my side. And from that day on, my mother-in-law never dared treat me like that again – because she knew I was able to stand up for myself.