Does nice MILs exist?
I (F, mid-30s) have been with my husband for many years now.
The first time I met her, she barely acknowledged me. No smile, no warmth, just a quick scan of me head to toe. Later that same day, she told my husband in front of me that she “imagined he would end up with someone more pretty like an idol” and that I am "ugly".
I honestly didn’t even know how to respond. LOL I just laughed it off.
After that, it didn’t really get better. She would make comments like comparing me to other girls in his life, saying things like I “just look ordinary” or asking why he couldn’t find someone more “good-looking”. It was always about looks. Never once about my character or how I treat her son.
What made it worse was that she would act completely normal in front of other people, like she never said anything. So I started doubting myself and wondering if I was overthinking it.
Now we are married, and I still remember all those early comments clearly. She is behaving slightly more polite now, but I still can’t forget how openly judgmental she was at the start.
Has anyone else dealt with a MIL like this in Singapore? Do people like this ever actually change, or do they just learn to hide it better?
I just want to know if I’m alone in this or if this is more common than I think.