For most of us, being humiliated in public is a nightmare. And if your mother-in-law is the one that makes you embarrassed, the situation can become even more complicated. Would you seek reve:n:ge, or would you choose to remain silent to keep the peace in the family? One of our readers wrote to us with to share story about standing her ground, but now she’s unsure whether she made the right choice.

Here’s her story

I’m 34 and have been married to my husband for five years now. I was at my SIL’s wedding when I unexpectedly got my period. My MIL went to the bathroom right after me and said loudly, so everyone could hear: ‘You should hide your pads in the trash, it looks disgusting!’ I bit my tongue, but when all the guests gathered I grabbed the microphone and declared: ‘My dear mother-in-law, you’re absolutely right. In fact, let’s all give a round of applause to the expert in public hygiene and tact!” The room fell silent.

At first, I regretted it-I’m not usually one to stir up drama, but I’d had enough of her constant passive-aggressive comments over the years. To my surprise, a few guests started clapping hesitantly, and then more joined in. There was an awkward tension, but at least the spotlight had shifted away from my ‘disgusting’ pad to something much bigger: her embarrassing behavior.

After that, I went back to enjoying the wedding, but I could feel my mother-in-law’s icy stares burning into my back from across the room. Every time I glanced in her direction, she was either whispering to someone or giving me that disapproving look she’s perfected over the years. The rest of the evening was a mix of awkward silences and forced smiles as I tried to refocus on celebrating the bride and groom. But deep down, I knew this incident wasn’t over.

Now, a few days later, I can’t stop thinking about what happened. On one hand, I’m proud that I stood up for myself, especially after years of enduring her subtle digs and condescending comments. But on the other hand, I’m starting to wonder if I went too far.

My husband and I haven’t discussed it in depth yet. He’s trying to avoid conflict, as usual, but it’s clear his mom’s attitude has affected him too. Now I’m grappling with whether I should reach out to my mother-in-law to apologize and keep the peace, or if I should hold my ground and make it clear that her behavior won’t be tolerated any longer.

Apologizing feels like backing down, but staying firm might make things worse. I’m really struggling with what the right move is here. Looking forward to your advice.