My mother-in-law gave me a disgusting old couch… and a few days later, she demanded €2,500!
🎁 For my birthday, my mother-in-law “gave” me an old yellow couch—torn, stained, and smelling awful.
I accepted it anyway, and with a bit of elbow grease, I restored it as best I could.
Three days later, she showed up, saw the couch in my living room, and completely lost it.
She demanded I pay her €2,500 on the spot!
You won’t believe what I told her… ➝ Full story in the first comment 👇👇👇👇👇👇
She gave me a ripped yellow couch for my birthday… then screamed at me to pay her $2,500!
🎁 I expected a lot of things for my birthday. A book, a cake, maybe even a polite call from my mother-in-law. But definitely not what she actually “gave” me.
She called me the day before:
— “I found something really special for you, sweetheart. A unique piece.”
— “Oh? Thanks, that’s nice of you.”
— “It’s an antique couch. Too precious to throw away, so I thought—why not you? You like things with character, right?”
I was speechless. Then she casually added:
— “It’s in my garage. You just have to come pick it up.”
My husband laughed. I didn’t. But anyway, we went to see this “treasure.”
And then… shock.
In the middle of rusty tools and moldy boxes stood a bright yellow couch—scratched, stained, with bits of foam bursting from the armrests like they were trying to escape the cursed thing. The seat was gray with filth, the smell… indescribable. Even our cat Martin wouldn’t have slept on it.
But my husband, always too optimistic:
— “Come on, let’s take it. Just to please her.”
So we brought it home. I covered it with an old sheet and tucked it into a corner of the living room. I felt a bit embarrassed, but told myself it was temporary—just until I figured out what to do with it.
Three days later, my mother-in-law came over for tea. She walked in, saw the couch, came closer… then suddenly spun around, furious:
— “YOU STOLE MY COUCH!”
— “Excuse me? It was a gift…”
— “It’s worth $2,500. I never said it was free. It’s vintage—look at those carved legs! It’s Louis XVI!”
Louis XVI or not, even a blind junk dealer wouldn’t have wanted it.
I was stunned. She was yelling at me in my own living room, calling me a thief, demanding a ridiculous sum for a couch the garbage collectors would’ve rejected. She even threatened to sue me.
— “You took advantage of my kindness. I want my money! Or give it back—in its original condition!”
I couldn’t believe it.
The next day, I went to her garage and took photos. There were more horrors just like it: a broken lamp, a moldy picture frame, a rug that smelled like a crypt. I documented everything—just in case.
Then I replied:
“Thanks again for the beautiful gift. Given its condition, I can see why you considered it priceless. It’s now clean, fixed, and smells great. If you’d like it back, I’ll sell it to you for $300. Friendly price. Otherwise, let’s just consider it a real gift.”
Radio silence.
She hasn’t come back since. My husband avoids the topic. And me? Well… I listed the couch on Marketplace for $80.
Two days later, an interior stylist reached out. She was looking for a piece “with real soul” for a photo shoot. She was thrilled.
Turns out, even the ugliest items can end up as stars.
