When I returned from a short trip, I never expected to walk into a nightmare. My mother-in-law, Carol, had taken it upon herself to “free” me from my beloved cat, Benji. But thanks to my sharp-eyed neighbor and a few hidden truths, I not only got my cat back—I freed myself from a useless husband, too.
Benji wasn’t just a pet. He was my heart, my comfort, my family. I found him as a tiny, abandoned kitten when I was drowning in grief after my father’s passing. He was the only thing that pulled me through the darkest time of my life. My husband, John, never understood. He thought my bond with Benji was “weird.”
But I never imagined he and his mother would go this far.
The second I stepped into the house, I knew something was wrong. The air was thick with silence. Usually, Benji would come running the moment I walked through the door, meowing his little head off, rubbing against my legs. But now? Nothing.
My heart pounded as I set my bags down. A faint scent of Carol’s overpowering perfume lingered in the air. It made my stomach turn.
“Benji!” I called out, my voice shaky. Nothing.
John was sprawled on the couch, phone in hand, completely uninterested in my presence.
“Where’s Benji?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
He shrugged, not even glancing up. “No idea. Maybe he ran off.”
Something in me snapped. “Ran off? He’s an indoor cat! He’s terrified of the outside!”
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Carol sitting at the dining table, a smug smile stretching across her thin lips as she sipped her coffee.
“Where is my cat?” I demanded, marching toward her.
Carol set her mug down with exaggerated slowness. “Well, dear, I did you a favor. That creature was holding you back. Now, you’re finally free.”
My blood turned to fire. “Excuse me?!”
“You’re 32, Frances,” she said, sighing as if I were a stubborn child. “It’s time to grow up and start a family. You spent too much time and money on that filthy animal.”
My hands clenched into fists at my sides. “What did you do with him?”
Carol waved a dismissive hand. “No need to get hysterical. I rehomed him with someone more… fitting.”
I turned to John, my heart pounding. “You let this happen? You LIED to me?!”
John finally looked up, rolling his eyes. “She’s right, Frances. It’s time to move on.”
“Move on from what?” My voice cracked with anger. “From something that actually brings me joy? Unlike this marriage?”
John’s face darkened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means I’ve been tolerating this nonsense for way too long! You and your mother make every decision for me without even asking what I want!”
Carol stood, her chair scraping against the floor. “We make decisions for you because you clearly can’t make them yourself! Look at you! Crying over a stupid cat instead of thinking about your future!”
A movement outside caught my eye. My neighbor, Lisa, was waving urgently from her yard. When I met her gaze, she pointed toward her house and mouthed something.
I clenched my teeth. “I’ll be back. And when I return, I want the truth.”
Outside, Lisa met me on her lawn, phone in hand. “Frances, I saw your mother-in-law with Benji yesterday. You need to see this.”
She held up her phone, showing a Facebook post. My stomach dropped.
There was Benji, nestled in the arms of none other than Samantha—my high school bully. The caption read: “Meet the newest addition to the family! Sometimes the perfect pet just falls into your lap. #blessed #newcatmom”
“That’s not all,” Lisa said, swiping to a video. “I followed Carol. Watch.”
The footage showed Carol carrying Benji’s carrier to her car, driving across town, and handing him off to Samantha. The smug look on her face made my blood boil.
“I should have stopped her,” Lisa said, guilt in her voice.
I gripped her hand. “No, Lisa. You did exactly the right thing. This is perfect.”
Back inside, Carol and John were whispering on the couch. When I entered, Carol smirked. “Finished with your tantrum?”
I crossed my arms. “Samantha? That’s who you gave my cat to?”
Carol’s smirk faltered. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Save it. I have video proof. What was the plan, huh? Some twisted revenge by giving my cat to the girl who made my life miserable in high school?”
John stood. “Frances, calm down.”
“Calm down? You stole my cat!” My voice shook with fury. “I’m getting him back. When I return, I want you both out of my house.”
Samantha’s townhouse was obnoxiously modern, just like her. I knocked hard. When the door swung open, she sneered.
“Well, if it isn’t ‘Frances, no Chances,’” she laughed. “Still a loser?”
I ignored her. “Where’s my cat?”
“My cat, you mean?” She crossed her arms. “Carol gave him to me. He’s mine now.”
“A stolen pet isn’t a gift. That’s theft.”
She laughed again. “Who’s going to believe you?”
I smirked, holding up my phone. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe my 500+ friends? Or the police? Benji is microchipped. I have proof he’s mine. And if that’s not enough, I have something else.”
I pulled up an old photo. It showed a group of girls, including Samantha, laughing as they ripped apart my homecoming dress.
“Remember this? I do. And I’m happy to remind everyone exactly who you are. I bet your followers would love to know the real Samantha.”
Her smirk vanished. “You wouldn’t.”
“Try me.”
Within minutes, Benji was back in my arms. Samantha barely whispered, “Just go.”
Back home, John and Carol were waiting. Carol opened her mouth, but I held up a hand.
“Save it. I’m done. Get out.”
“Frances, be reasonable,” John pleaded.
I smirked. “You mean like how you lied about this house? I paid for it. My name’s on the deed. You have no claim.”
Carol turned to him, shocked. “What?!”
“Oh, and that money you keep asking your mom for? It’s not just for poker. There’s a little club by the airport…”
“STOP!” John shouted. “We’re leaving.”
As the door slammed shut behind them, I sank into my couch, Benji in my lap, purring.
I picked up my phone and called my lawyer.
Then, I texted Lisa. “Drinks on me. And I owe you a steak dinner.”
The house was peaceful, free of Carol’s perfume and John’s dead weight. Just me and Benji.
Exactly how it should be.
