I never thought my pregnancy would become a battlefield. From the moment we announced it, my mother-in-law, Arlene, seemed to think she was the one expecting.

But when I discovered she threw a baby shower without me and hoarded the gifts, I was livid.

I decided it was time to put her in her place.

I knew from the moment Tanner and I announced my pregnancy that Arlene was going to be a handful.

She'd always been overbearing, but the news of her first grandchild brought out a whole new level of intensity.

"Oh, my little one!" she gushed when we shared the news. "I've waited so long for this moment."

"Uh, our little one," I corrected gently.

"Oh, of course, that's what I meant!" she said with a forced laugh, waving her hand as if the slip didn't matter.

Arlene's enthusiasm quickly morphed into intrusion.

She showed up to every doctor's appointment uninvited, somehow always managing to find out the time and location.

If Tanner tried to gently suggest it was private, she'd clutch her chest dramatically and say, "But I just want to make sure my little one is okay!"

At home, it was even worse.

She'd pop in unannounced, armed with unsolicited advice and critiques.

"You're eating too many sweets," she scolded one afternoon, eyeing the cookie in my hand. "The baby doesn't need sugar."

"I think one cookie is fine," I replied, biting into it defiantly.

She huffed. "Well, I suppose you'll learn the hard way."

By my second trimester, my doctor recommended more bed rest and less stress. That's when Arlene brought up the baby shower.

"You need a proper celebration for the baby," she said one afternoon while hovering in my kitchen. "I'll handle everything."

"Thanks, Arlene, but I'm really not up for it," I said politely. "The doctor said I should avoid stress, and I just don't have the energy for a big event."

Her lips pursed into a tight line, which was a sure sign she wasn't happy.

"Well," she said after a long pause, "if that's what you want."

I thought that was the end of it. But a week later, my phone buzzed with a call from Aunt Nancy.

"Darlin', I just wanted to say how beautiful your baby shower was!" she said in a cheerful tone.

"My what?" I asked, confused.

"Oh, it was lovely! Arlene went all out. The decorations, the cake… everything was so charming. You should've seen the gift corner! What a shame you couldn't make it. Now, spill! What did you love most? The stroller or the bassinet?"

My heart sank. "Aunt Nancy, I… I didn't get the presents."

"You didn't?" she gasped. "Oh, sweetheart, Arlene told us you couldn't come because you weren't feeling well. I assumed she brought everything over!"

I clenched my phone, trying to process what was happening.

"I'm actually doing fine, Aunt Nancy," I said, forcing a calm tone. "But I had no idea there was a baby shower."

"Oh, honey," she said softly, "I'm sure there was some misunderstanding. I'm so sorry."

After hanging up, I stared at the wall in disbelief. My baby shower, which was supposed to be one of the most special moments of my life, had been stolen. Arlene had gone too far.

How dare she invite everyone and lie to them? What was she even thinking?

I didn't wait long to confront Arlene.

I drove to her place the very next day. My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, and my heart pounded as I replayed the conversation with Aunt Nancy in my mind. How could she do this to me?

When I arrived, Arlene greeted me with her usual over-bright smile, but I wasn't in the mood for pleasantries. I pushed past her into the house without a word.

"Mary! What's wrong?" she asked, following me into the living room. But the sight before me stopped me cold.