Sister-in-Law Slapped Me Seven Times; I Leveled Her House

At my brother and sister-in-law's wedding, all I said was that I hoped they'd have a baby soon, and the new bride slapped me seven times across the face in front of everyone.

My brother chose to look the other way. My parents played deaf and mute.

Everyone told me to be the bigger person.

I didn't make a scene. I swallowed every ounce of it in silence.

I only waited until the wedding was over, then had the new house I'd paid to build for the two of them leveled to the ground.

The wedding was winding down when the host called us family and close friends up onstage, one at a time, to give the couple a word of blessing.

When it was my turn, I said, "Wishing my brother and his bride a precious little one soon."

I never expected it. The smile that had been on my sister-in-law's face a second earlier vanished. She walked straight up to me and swung both hands, slapping me seven times, back and forth.

My face went red and swollen in an instant, and blood welled at the corner of my mouth.

"How dare you jinx us! You know perfectly well your brother and I both want a daughter, and you go and wish us a precious son. What are you playing at?"

I stood there staring at her fury, dumbstruck.

I looked at my brother. He had his arm around her, gazing at her, smiling.

I looked at my parents. Both of them wore that reproachful expression, blaming me for ruining the lovely mood of the wedding.

Not one person spoke up for me.

The host came over to smooth things over. "Tell you what, let's give the little sister another chance. Go ahead and say it again."

The microphone came up to my mouth. To keep my family from losing face, I forced myself to say, "Wishing my brother and his bride a precious little daughter soon."

The others went on with their blessings, as if nothing unpleasant had happened at all.

But the burning sting in my face kept reminding me, every second, how humiliating this was.

The ceremony ended, and my sister-in-law hurried off to change into her toasting dress.

My brother came over to me. I thought he'd come to apologize on her behalf.

Instead, this is what he said.

"Denise Barnes, you know full well how much your sister-in-law hates the idea of having a son, and you still say something like that at our wedding. You had that slap coming."

I pointed at my own face. "So I deserved to be beaten like this?"

"Anyone who's been through nine years of school knows that wishing someone a precious little one just means hoping they have a baby soon. When did I ever curse you to have a son? Stella Fox did that on purpose, to put me in my place and humiliate me."

Mom laid a hand on me. "Denise, you know how sensitive your sister-in-law is. It's a happy day. Don't go pulling faces. It makes everyone look bad."

Dad chimed in. "For your brother's happiness, just put up with it."

Then they both turned and went off to greet the guests, without a single thought for how I felt.

My best friend Monica Swanson came to my side. "Denise, are you okay? Stop crying for a second, I want to show you something."

Monica opened her phone and pulled up a video.

"I just went to the restroom, and I happened to pass your sister-in-law's dressing room, so I filmed it."

She hit play.

In the video, the stylist was fixing Stella's hair, and standing beside Stella were her two best friends, who were also her bridesmaids.

Stella looked thoroughly pleased with herself. "Was I fierce up there or what? I slapped Denise seven times and her family didn't make a peep."

"You scared me half to death back there. But over one little congratulations, wasn't that a bit much?"

"I hit her on purpose!"

"I'm marrying her brother and she didn't even give a wedding gift. She runs a company in the big city, she's got money, and when her own brother gets married she doesn't chip in a cent!"

"Seven slaps is letting her off easy. The fact that I didn't have someone throw her out of the hotel, that's me being generous, remembering we're family."

"And you weren't afraid she'd hit back, that you'd end up brawling in front of everyone?"

"No chance. Denise cares about her family more than anything. She'd never make them lose face at an occasion like today."

"And even if she did dare hit back, her brother and her parents wouldn't let her lay a finger on me."

"You really pulled it off, Stella. You're unbelievable!"

Stella was thoroughly pleased with herself. "Obviously."

"Oh, right, Stella, I filmed you slapping Denise up there just now. So badass!"

"Oh? Send it to me. I'm posting it to my account."

I quickly opened Stella's account, and sure enough, she'd just put up a new video.

It was the footage of her slapping me seven times on the stage, except she'd muted it and slapped a caption on it to make me look like the villain.

"My husband's sister ran her mouth at my wedding, and I refuse to let it slide! A woman is never a man's property. Even after marriage, I will never be bullied by my in-laws!"

Someone asked under the video, "What did the sister say?"

She replied below, "She said I had to give their family seven sons within six years, and if I couldn't, she'd make her brother divorce me! So I gave her seven slaps back, and after that she called me a bitch."

She pinned that comment to the top and even ran promoted ads on the video.

In just twenty minutes, the shares broke a thousand.

The comment section blew up, and every single one of them was cursing me out.

I was still scrolling through the comments when my brother suddenly walked over, our parents right behind him.

"Denise, I just talked it over with your sister-in-law. What really set her off was that you didn't give a wedding gift, so she lost control of her temper up on the stage."

"I hate to say it, but your brother's getting married, and you, his own sister, didn't offer a single thing. She got mad and hit you. Is that really so unfair to you?"

"You tell me, are you being wronged here or not!"

Mom scolded me too. "It's really not her fault for being angry. Denise, you handled this terribly! Luke is your only brother. How could you not offer a single thing at his wedding!"

Dad's face went hard. "Go apologize to your sister-in-law right now, and make up for the gift! It'd better be a big one. Don't embarrass the Barnes family!"

Monica spoke up for me. "Even if Denise didn't give a gift, that's no reason for Stella to hit her! She slapped Denise seven times in front of both families. It's outrageous. She's the one who should be apologizing!"

Luke jabbed a finger at Monica. "This is my family's business. Who are you, an outsider, to butt in? You don't get a say here!"

I pulled Monica behind me, then took a bank card out of my bag.

Luke asked, "What's this supposed to mean?"

"There's a million dollars on it. I was going to give it to you after the wedding was over."

Luke's face flipped in an instant. "You should've said so earlier. Now you've gone and made your sister-in-law misunderstand."

Just then Stella, changed into her toast-round dress, came drifting in.

My brother called out to her, excited. "Stella, my sister's giving us a million dollars for the wedding!"

Stella rushed forward. "Where's the million?"

Luke pointed at the card in my hand. "It's all on that card."

"See, if you'd been this reasonable from the start, none of this would've happened."

Stella reached to snatch the card, but I twisted my wrist and pulled it out of her grip.

"The money on this card was ready the day I heard you two were getting married. I figured the amount was too big, so I planned to hand it straight to you after the wedding instead of logging it as a gift."

"But I never imagined that just because I gave it a little late, I'd be dragged through all this for nothing."

Stella showed no remorse. If anything, she got more brazen. "Whose fault is that? You should've given it to us sooner. How were we supposed to know you weren't just holding out?"

My mother tugged at me. "Denise, sweetheart, just give your brother's wife the card, and everyone goes home happy."

I looked at her, steady. "Everyone happy? You mean all of you happy."

"Stella beat me in front of everyone, and I don't even get an apology?"

Stella leaned into Luke, all wounded innocence. "Luke, I didn't do anything wrong, so why should I apologize? Denise is the one who wouldn't bring the card out sooner."

Luke instantly shielded her. "You don't have to apologize. Denise is at fault here too."

"This is just a misunderstanding. Nobody did anything wrong."

"Denise, hand your brother's wife the card, and we'll all pretend today never happened."

I laughed. I was so far past speechless that I didn't even know what expression to make anymore.

"'Pretend today never happened.' That's rich."

"Fine, forget her hitting me for now. What about her smearing me online?"

I pulled up the video Stella had just posted and held it up in front of them.

"She muted the video on purpose and claimed I stood up there ordering her to give this family seven sons in six years, or I'd make my brother divorce her, and that I called her a whore. Is that a misunderstanding too?"

"She smeared me online on purpose and pointed the whole internet at me. Look at what people are saying about me."

I opened the comments and read out the filth, one line at a time.

"This sister-in-law isn't even human, setting rules for the bride like that. Who does she think she is? What a stupid bitch."

"Look at that surgery face of hers, mean as anything. You can tell she's trash just looking at her."

"This sister-in-law can go die. I hope she walks out after the wedding and gets hit by a car."

"I hope she marries a three-hundred-pound drunk, gives him seven sons in six years, and gets beaten by her husband every single day."

My father suddenly roared, "Stop reading!"

I drew a deep breath and stopped.

"They used my likeness to make AI videos mocking me. Someone even photoshopped a funeral portrait of me. Want to see those?"

My mother waved both hands. "No, no, no point in looking. There's no point."

"There really isn't. But this video has over ten thousand shares and comments now. That already amounts to spreading rumors and defamation. If I take it to court, Stella goes to jail."

Luke jabbed a finger at my face. "You wouldn't dare."

I threw it right back at him. "What wouldn't I dare?"

"My company has the best legal team there is. This is exactly the kind of case they handle."

Stella whipped out her phone and deleted the video.

"There, the video's gone. That's enough, right? I was just too angry earlier and wanted to vent online. How was I supposed to know it'd blow up like that?"

Luke stepped in front of Stella. "Enough. Your sister-in-law already apologized. Stop blowing this out of proportion!"

"She didn't even say sorry. You call that an apology?"

"Sorry. There, happy now?"

"No. You're going to post a video setting the record straight about everything that happened today, and you're going to get up on that stage and apologize to me properly."

Stella frowned and set her jaw. "This is my wedding day. There's no way I'm getting on that stage to apologize to you."

"I already deleted the video. There's no way I'm posting some clarification. If I do, everyone online will be all over me, tearing me apart."

"Being torn apart is exactly what you deserve, isn't it?"

Luke shoved me hard. "Denise, that's enough! Don't push your luck when we're trying to be decent to you!"

"Mom, Dad, do something about her. She's completely out of control!"

Mom pulled me aside and started in with all her earnest coaxing.

"Denise, honey, your brother's forty. It wasn't easy for him to finally get a wife. Quit while you're ahead and stop making a scene. What if you really back Stella into a corner and she divorces your brother?"

"Just give your brother the card and drop this whole apology thing."

I looked at my mother for a moment, then walked over to Stella.

"Stella, I'll ask you one more time. Are you posting the clarification video, and are you apologizing?"

Stella stood her ground. "Neither."

"Fine. Then wait for the lawyer's letter."

Slap. Another blow landed across my face.

My father pointed at me. "You send your sister-in-law a lawyer's letter, and every one of us cuts ties with you!"

Luke saw me get hit and laughed.

"Serves you right!"

My father roared at me. "Give your sister-in-law the card!"

I didn't move.

So he grabbed for it.

He yanked the card out of my hand and shoved it into Stella's.

"Take it, daughter-in-law."

Stella's face was all smug triumph, and my brother wore the exact same look.

My mother watched me, shook her head, and sighed.

Then they turned around, put their smiles back on as if nothing had happened, and went off to toast the guests.

Monica stood beside me, crying.

"Denise, this isn't fair to you. It really isn't."

I drew a deep breath, and then, out of nowhere, I laughed.

"No. It really isn't."

I pulled out my phone and called the head of my legal department. "That video and those screenshots I just sent you, get them organized and file them with the court. I'm suing Stella Fox for spreading rumors and defamation."

Then I called my assistant. "Get people out to my family's newly built mansion right now and level it. Send extra crews. I want that place flattened before the sun goes down."

After that I called the bank and reported the card lost.

I hung up and let out a long breath.

"Denise, wasn't your family's mansion just finished not long ago? You're going to tear it down?"

"That's right. Didn't my dad say the second I sued Stella, they'd cut ties with me?"

"Well, if we're cutting ties, then they don't get to live in the new house I paid for."

That mansion of ours was a five-story European-style house with a big yard of its own.

Nothing like your average rural build.

Back then my parents said the old house in the hometown was too shabby, and the woman the matchmaker had lined up for my brother turned him down over it.

So I paid to have a new house built for the family on the spot.

It was all because that match of my brother's, Stella herself, said she'd marry him the second he had one of those European-style mansions.

I didn't say a word. I just wired half a million and had the mansion built.

The whole family moved in overjoyed. They divided up all five floors of that mansion, and they didn't leave a single bedroom for me.

Maybe that was the moment I should have seen this family for what it was.

I took out my phone and watched my assistant's live feed.

"Ms. Barnes, we've started, just like you ordered!"

I nodded. "Good. Nice work."

I watched the little mansion crumble bit by bit under the excavator, while over there Stella and Luke laughed themselves silly, not a clue between them.

I waited until they'd seen off the last table of guests and finished the big family dinner and were ready to head home. Only then did I get up.

The car drove all the way back, and when we climbed out Stella was still glowing.

Right up until she saw the new house razed to the ground.

"Babe, am I seeing things? Where's our big mansion?"