I’m Akane, a freelance worker in my 40s. My husband’s sister, who lives nearby, got a dog and started pushing its care onto me. Even when I refused, she and my mother-in-law insisted. Feeling overwhelmed, I left for my parents’ house. One day, I heard strange barking in a voicemail—worried, I decided to finally confront my husband.
My father-in-law was shocked by my mother-in-law’s constant calls and voicemails, but he apologized to me. My husband also told me what had happened while I was gone—and things had only gotten worse. Seeing my father-in-law, who I thought was on her side, now furious with her made me feel like things might finally start to change.