The drama caused by my new aunt-in-law could’ve powered a whole city—that’s how vile she was! My story is about how I got her to shut up once and for all after thinking she ran things in our family. Read on to see how my uncle’s fifth wife learned her rightful place in the family.

Hi all, my name is Dora, and my story is all about revenge! Okay, it didn’t start that way, and I am not a vindictive person, but you’ll understand as I explain how we landed here.

So growing up, my uncle Jeff was the cool guy—a guitar-playing, motorcycle-riding free spirit admired by everyone. But behind his charm lay a series of failed marriages. Wife number five, Ophelia, was the one who had been wearing the crown for a while now.

Yet, beneath Ophelia’s sweet exterior, I soon learned she was nothing but that. She’s the type of person who acts entitled and like the queen of everything and everyone.

I’m talking about being rude, ordering people around, and showing no one respect! Her fake demeanor came crumbling down recently when she finally crossed a line.

The real trouble began one normal evening at my uncle and Ophelia’s house. My mom, along with my grandparents, had gathered there for dinner. Despite the joyful beginning, the atmosphere soon took a dark turn, courtesy of Ophelia’s sharp tongue.

Returning home that night, I found my mom dissolved in tears—a rare sight that shook me to my core. Through her sobs, she shared how Ophelia had spent the evening making distasteful jokes about my late father, whom she’d loved dearly.

My heart clenched as I listened; my dad had only been gone a year, and the wound was still raw for all of us.

“But when I defended him, she… she lost it and threw a plate of lasagna at me,” my tough-as-nails, military background Mom whispered. “The worst part about it was that I did nothing to her!” she wailed.

Fury kindled within me, a slow burn that promised retribution. Ophelia had not only disrespected the memory of my father but had assaulted my mother in her grief. Such actions could not go unanswered!

Seeing my mother in so much pain was unbearable to endure. So I came up with a brilliant plan, and the next time Ophelia came to another family dinner, I was ready…

Months later, opportunity knocked in the form of a summer barbecue we hosted for family and friends. Ophelia, unaware of my intentions, arrived with my uncle, her smile as brittle as thin ice.

“Hello, Jane!” I greeted her cheerfully, enveloping her in a hug. Confusion flickered across her face, replaced by a strained laugh.

“Jane?” she commented looking lost and pulling back. “It’s Ophelia, remember?”

“Of course, how silly of me!” I chirped, my tone dripping with feigned innocence. The crowd around us chuckled, oblivious to the undercurrents swirling beneath the surface.

See, Jane was the name of my uncle’s first wife, and I’d deliberately used it to get under Ophelia’s skin. My own private and cunning way to punish her for mistreating my mom, who, like me, was still in mourning.

As the months rolled on, each family event gave me the stage to twist the knife a little deeper. Mother’s Day brunch saw me calling her “Hilda”—Jeff’s second wife. By the third “mistake” of calling her “Miranda,” my uncle’s third wife, at another gathering, the irritation was evident in her pinched smile and tight-lipped courtesy.

But it wasn’t enough. Not yet.

The final showdown came at a family reunion. The tension was palpable as old feuds and fresh wounds opened under the scrutinizing eyes of relatives. Ophelia, perhaps feeling the tension, started one of her tirades about “her” family and how things ought to be done.

“I’m just saying, if ‘some people’ were more responsible, maybe we wouldn’t have such problems,” she said, casting an evil glance my way. She was referring to my feigned forgetfulness, showing how she was onto the game I was playing.

I met her gaze steadily, the murmur of the crowd falling into a tense silence. “Oh, ‘Dorothy’ (yep wife number four!), you must be confused again,” I said calmly, my voice carrying across the room.

“This isn’t your kingdom, and we’re not your subjects. You’re just a guest here—like Wife #1… or was it #3? I suppose it’s hard to keep track.”

A collective gasp rose from the assembled family, and I saw the flush creep up Ophelia’s neck as her eyes darted around, seeking an ally and finding none. “Behave yourself, Dora!” my uncle scolded. But I just gave him a side-eye.

I used to like Jeff, but his lack of spine when it came to his wife annoyed me. “I have nothing to behave about!” I retorted. “You’ve allowed your wife to speak ill of your late brother and said nothing. But when I defend his memory and my mother, you suddenly have something to say?!”

From then on, Ophelia’s visits dwindled until they stopped altogether. The last I heard, she and Jeff had finally called it quits. No doubt, she was off to terrorize another unsuspecting family, but as for us? We were just fine without her reign.

And while the scars of her words and actions lingered, the solidarity in standing up to her tyranny had brought my family closer. We had weathered her storm together, and in the aftermath, we found our peace, knowing well that we could face anything—as long as we did it together.