Returning Home Unexpectedly, I Discovered a Shocking Secret About My Father-in-Law/th

Even though my father-in-law always preached about morals and principles, what happened recently completely changed how I see him — even made me feel disgusted.

I married the eldest son in the family, so I had to live with my in-laws. Needless to say, living together wasn’t easy. My mother-in-law is a traditional woman who sacrifices everything for her husband and children. I only felt a bit uncomfortable with how overly frugal and sometimes old-fashioned she was, but other than that, she wasn’t too strict with me.

The person who constantly exhausted me was my father-in-law. He’s a rather authoritarian man, very strict with his children. Since the day I became his daughter-in-law, I’ve been lectured, reminded, and even scolded countless times — often over the most trivial things in the house.

Whenever I used something my father-in-law owned, I had to put it back in exactly the same spot, or he would scold me for being messy and careless. If I came home from work a little late, he would interrogate me, accusing me of loitering and not being where I should be. At mealtimes, he even kept an eye on whether I had invited everyone to eat. If I ever forgot, he would immediately lecture me about the lack of hierarchy and order in the household.

However, what upsets me the most is that my father-in-law often interferes in my marriage. Many times when my husband and I had disagreements, I would say a few words to him, and yet my father-in-law would accuse my husband of letting his wife “walk all over him” and say he wasn’t man enough. Because of these instances of “adding fuel to the fire,” small issues between my husband and me often escalated into major arguments.

Not only is he patriarchal and difficult, but my father-in-law also places a lot of importance on money. That’s why he’s always displeased with me for rarely giving him money, whereas his younger daughter-in-law often does so.

I admit that I don’t earn as much as my sister-in-law, but I take care of everything in the household. When my parents-in-law are sick, I’m the one who pays for their medical check-ups and even buys them supplements. Yet my father-in-law still resents me for not giving him money to spend.

There have been many times when we had family gatherings, and in front of everyone, my father-in-law would openly compare his two daughters-in-law. And of course, in his eyes, I can never measure up to the younger one in any way.

For over four years now, having had to endure constant grievances, I’ve wanted to move out on my own more times than I can count. But every time, I run into strong opposition from my father-in-law.

He always says that as the eldest son’s family, it is our duty to take care of the parents and that we must not shirk this responsibility. He even goes so far as to say that if I move out and live separately, I might become “spoiled” without my in-laws’ supervision.

When I heard that, I honestly found it laughable. I’m already 30 years old and have a young child—what exactly does he mean by “spoiled”? Is he afraid I’ll have an affair or do something shady behind his son’s back?

Though my father-in-law always talks about morality and principles, something that happened recently made me see him in a completely different light—one that honestly terrifies me.

Two weeks ago, our whole family went back to my mother-in-law’s hometown in Central Vietnam to attend a wedding on her side of the family. My father-in-law said he wasn’t feeling well and stayed home to look after the house.

Everything seemed normal until halfway through the journey, I got an urgent call from work asking me to return and sign some important documents that morning. So I got off midway, took a bus back, and planned to catch up with the family later.

After finishing work, while I was waiting for a ride to head back, I unexpectedly saw my father-in-law riding a motorbike with a young woman clinging tightly to his waist, looking very affectionate. At first, I thought about ignoring it, but my instincts told me to follow. I flagged down a motorbike taxi and tailed him.

To my shock, he drove her into a love hotel. I stood there, stunned, unable to believe my eyes. This was the same man who always acted upright, preaching about family values, always lecturing us about loyalty—and yet here he was, acting in such a disgraceful way?

From how close they were, I could tell this wasn’t just a one-time thing or a passing affair. That meant he had been cheating on his wife and deceiving the entire family for who knows how long.

Since that day, I’ve pretended not to know anything, but every time I think about his betrayal, I feel disgusted. I can’t stand the thought of living under the same roof with him any longer.
What excuse can I use to finally move out?