My mother-in-law sent me a box of refrigerated gourmet chocolates for my birthday.

The next day, she called and asked, “How were the chocolates?” I smiled and replied, “My husband ate them all.” There was a pause, and her voice trembled. “Are you serious?” Then my husband called me. The Boston summer was humid, and Amy Collins had her apartment air conditioner running at full blast while she worked. Her Macintosh screen displayed the website design for a new client. Amy was building a reputation as a freelance web designer.

“Honey, there’s a message from my mother,” Thomas called from the sofa in the living room. Amy involuntarily shrugged. Communications from her mother-in-law, Patricia, often caused problems.

“What does she say?” Amy asked without interrupting her work. Thomas looked at his cell phone and answered, “She’s asking if we’d like to have dinner at her place next Sunday. She wants to celebrate your birthday.”

Amy took a deep breath. Patricia Collins behaved politely on the surface, but there always seemed to be something hidden behind her words. After three years of marriage, Amy had never felt genuine warmth from her mother-in-law.

“I’ll go if you want to,” Amy said, looking at her husband’s face. She could see how truly pleased he was. Thomas was a financial analyst with sharp judgment at work, but when it came to family matters, he was strangely blind, especially regarding his mother.

“Wonderful! Mom has started to accept you recently,” Thomas said with a smile. “She even said the other day that you’ve become a good wife.”

Amy returned his smile, but inside she felt doubtful. It was unusual for Patricia to say anything nice about her. In fact, since their wedding day, Patricia seemed to treat Amy as the woman who “stole my son.”

“Is Vanessa coming too?” Amy asked about her sister-in-law.

“Oh, of course. She’s been living at Mom’s house lately,” Thomas answered casually. After graduating from college, Vanessa had held several jobs that didn’t last long and eventually returned to her mother’s home. Amy couldn’t ignore the coldness in Vanessa’s gaze toward her. Those eyes were clearly filled with jealousy.

“Alright,” Amy sighed. “Should we bring anything?”

“No, Mom says she’ll prepare everything. Oh, and she mentioned she’s preparing a special present for you,” Thomas’s voice sounded pleased.

Amy forced a smile. A special present from Patricia meant a sweater three sizes too small. Last Christmas, it was a cake full of nuts that Amy was allergic to. They were all things Patricia could easily excuse with, “I didn’t know.”

In the evening, as Amy was preparing dinner in the kitchen, Thomas came up behind her and embraced her. “What are you thinking about?” he asked gently.

“Your mother?” she answered honestly.

Thomas’s expression clouded. “Are we starting this again, Amy? Mom just wants to get along with you.”

Amy stopped herself from arguing back. This conversation had been repeated many times. Thomas never tried to see behind his mother’s words and actions. For him, Patricia was the perfect mother, and if there were any problems, they must be on Amy’s side.

“I’m sorry,” Amy said, “I’m just tired.”

Thomas kissed her to show forgiveness, but a small dissatisfaction remained in his eyes. During these three years, the tension in Amy and Thomas’s relationship had gradually increased. At the beginning of their marriage, Thomas had acted protectively toward Amy, keeping distance from the excessive interference of his mother and sister. However, as time passed, he was gradually pulled back into the vortex of his original family.

When the weekend came, Amy met with her friend Jessica at a café while Thomas was out golfing with friends.

“You’re going to your mother-in-law’s house again?” Jessica asked with surprise. “Last time didn’t she say something like, ‘There’s too much salt in your cooking, I’m worried about Thomas’s health’?”

“Yes,” Amy smiled bitterly, “but I understand that Thomas values his relationship with his mother.”

“Family means everything to him, aren’t you his family?” Jessica frowned.

Thomas doesn’t say anything when Patricia and Vanessa always look down on you.

Amy stirred her coffee thoughtfully. “He doesn’t notice. In his eyes, his mother is perfect.”

Jessica took her friend’s hand. “Be careful, I don’t think Patricia truly accepts you.”

Amy nodded; she felt the same way.

During each visit, she sensed Patricia’s subtle sarcasm and Vanessa’s cold stares. Still, she loved Thomas and had to endure it for his sake. The day before her birthday, Thomas kissed Amy and promised, “Tomorrow will be a wonderful day.” As Amy lay in bed, she hoped it would be true, yet somewhere in her heart, she sensed that tomorrow’s visit would create new tension. When she closed her eyes, Patricia’s false smile and the true feelings hidden behind it appeared. The accumulation of small insults and intentional disregard over three years had created an indelible anxiety within Amy.

Amy’s birthday morning began with a clear blue sky. While preparing breakfast, the intercom rang.

“Delivery for you,” the delivery person said.

Amy went to the door and received a package from the delivery person. Looking at the sender’s name, she saw Patricia Collins. She was a bit surprised by the unexpected gift.

“Thomas, something arrived from your mom.”

Thomas, coming out of the bathroom while drying his hair, looked at the package with interest. “It must be a birthday present. Let’s open it.”

Amy carefully unwrapped the package. Inside was an elegant black box with the words “Chateau Chocolaty” written in gold letters. It was the name of Boston’s most luxurious chocolate shop.

“Wow, Mom’s being generous. These chocolates cost over $100 a box,” Thomas said, impressed.

Inside the box, various shapes of chocolates were beautifully arranged, with a small card attached. Amy picked it up and read, “Specially selected just for you.” The handwriting was Patricia’s meticulous script.

“See?” Thomas said happily. “Mom has finally accepted you.”

Amy smiled but felt uneasy deep inside. She couldn’t believe Patricia would suddenly change her attitude. However, seeing Thomas’s happy face, she couldn’t voice her doubts.

“That’s very thoughtful, I’ll enjoy them later.”

All day, Amy immersed herself in her web design work. In the evening, Thomas came home early and stood in the kitchen to prepare a special birthday dinner. Amy sat on the sofa in the living room, relieving the day’s fatigue.

“Dinner’s ready,” Thomas called out.

The meal proceeded in a pleasant atmosphere. Thomas opened wine and offered a toast to celebrate Amy’s birthday. “Happy birthday, my love. I’ll be with you forever.”

After the meal, while Thomas was cleaning up the kitchen, he found the chocolate box. “How about some dessert?” He opened the box and picked one up. “This looks delicious.”

Amy, feeling a little full, said, “I’m a bit full now, I’ll have some tomorrow, just one won’t hurt, right?”

Thomas had already put the chocolate in his mouth. “Wow, this is really delicious.”

Amy smiled and said, “I’ll look forward to trying them tomorrow.”

Just then, Thomas took another piece of chocolate. Amy didn’t mind and went to take a shower, exhausted. She quickly fell asleep. Thomas stayed in the living room, watching TV, unconsciously eating one chocolate after another.

The next morning, when Amy woke up, Thomas was already awake. When she went to the kitchen, he was drinking coffee and reading something.

“Good morning, birthday girl,” he said with a laugh.

“I think I’ll try those chocolates now.”

When she went to the living room, she found the empty chocolate box on the table.

“Thomas, did you eat them all?”

Thomas nodded apologetically. “Sorry, before I knew it, I’d eaten them all. They were really delicious.”

Amy felt a little disappointed, but it wasn’t a big deal. “Well, that’s okay. You can buy me more sometime.”

Just then, the phone rang, and Patricia’s name appeared on the screen. Amy answered the phone. “Hello, Patricia.”

“Good morning, Amy! How was the chocolate? I picked something special.” Patricia’s voice sounded brighter than usual.

Amy laughed, “Well, Thomas ate them all.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, then Amy heard Patricia’s voice tremble. “Are you serious?”

Her reaction made Amy suspicious. Patricia’s response seemed to hold more weight than just surprise.

“Yes, he ate them all last night, but he said they were delicious.”

“I see,” Patricia said unexpectedly, and the conversation ended awkwardly. Right after Amy hung up, Thomas’s cell phone rang. Thomas looked a bit unwell but answered the phone. A few minutes later, he returned to the living room, his face was pale, and sweat was streaming down his forehead.

“Amy, I got a call from the hospital. I need to go right away.”

Amy hurriedly called 911, and Thomas’s condition rapidly deteriorated. When she touched his forehead, it felt abnormally hot.

“It’s okay, Thomas, the ambulance will be here soon.”

As the sirens began to sound, Thomas’s cell phone rang again. Amy saw that it was from his mom, but she didn’t answer. A strange premonition spread through her chest.

The ambulance arrived, and Thomas was quickly rushed to the hospital. Amy followed, holding his hand tightly. As she walked into the emergency room, she felt the gravity of the situation.

At the hospital, Thomas was immediately taken to the treatment room. Amy remained in the waiting room, filling out the necessary paperwork. As she sat there, she noticed five missed calls from Patricia. Just then, her phone rang again. It was Patricia.

“Where is Thomas? Why isn’t he answering his phone?” Patricia’s voice was almost hysterical.

“He’s in the hospital. He suddenly became very ill,” Amy answered.

“What hospital? I’m coming right now,” Patricia said.

Amy gave her the hospital’s name and hung up, feeling an eerie sense of dread. Why was Patricia so frantic, and why did this happen right after the chocolate conversation?

Thirty minutes later, Patricia and Vanessa arrived at the hospital, both looking distressed, especially Patricia, whose face showed signs of terror.

“Where is he? Where is my son?” Patricia confronted the receptionist.

Amy stood up and approached them. “They’re treating him. I’m waiting for the doctor to come out.”

When Patricia saw Amy, she flinched for a moment. “What happened? Why suddenly…?”

“I don’t know. He was feeling unwell when he woke up,” Amy said, then paused before adding, “After eating your chocolates.”

The color drained from Patricia and Vanessa’s faces when they heard this. They exchanged glances, and Vanessa bit her lip.

“Chocolates?” Patricia whispered, her voice faltering.

“Yes, all of them last night,” Amy said. “He wasn’t feeling well by morning.”

At this moment, a doctor appeared in the waiting room. “Mrs. Collins, we have the initial test results for your husband.”

The three gathered around the doctor as he spoke.

“He’s showing symptoms of severe food poisoning, but the reaction is stronger than usual. We are conducting additional tests. Did he eat anything unusual?”

Amy recalled the empty chocolate box. “He ate expensive chocolates last night. The box is at home.”

The doctor frowned. “Could you bring that packaging? It might be necessary for testing.”

Vanessa quickly volunteered. “I’ll go get it. Tell me the address.”

Amy felt suspicious, but she gave Vanessa the address and watched her leave.

The doctor turned back to Patricia. “Is my son going to be all right?”

“We are administering an antidote just in case. The tests show some toxin reaction,” the doctor replied, his tone cautious.

“Toxin?” Amy’s voice rose in alarm.

The doctor chose his words carefully. “We can’t be certain yet, but based on the symptoms and initial test results, we believe this isn’t ordinary food poisoning.”

Patricia collapsed into a chair, her face pale. “No way.”

Two hours later, Vanessa returned without the chocolate box. “I couldn’t find it,” she said, her voice uneasy. “Maybe it was thrown in the trash.”

Amy frowned. The box should have been on the living room table, not in the trash. Just then, a man identifying himself as a detective arrived at the hospital.

“Mrs. Collins, I’d like to ask you some questions,” the detective said, his tone serious.

Patricia’s voice trembled. “Why? What’s going on?”

“We detected specific toxins in Thomas Collins’s body. We need to investigate the situation,” the detective said.

Amy felt a chill run down her spine as the word “toxins” echoed in her mind.

The detective continued, asking for details about any special food or drinks Thomas had consumed recently. Amy explained about the chocolates, and the detective asked where they had been purchased. Patricia’s face turned white when she heard the name “Chateau Chocolaty.”

“Do you have any of the packaging or remaining chocolates?” the detective asked.

Amy shook her head. “Vanessa went to get them, but she said she couldn’t find them.”

The detective turned to Vanessa. “You really couldn’t find them?”

Vanessa sat uneasily in her chair. “No, they weren’t there.”

After carefully observing the two, the detective said, “As a precaution, we’ll need to investigate the apartment.”

Amy nodded and handed over the keys. Then, she went to check on Thomas in the treatment room. He was lying weakly, receiving IV fluids. His dry lips whispered, “What happened?”

“We don’t know yet, but you’ll get better. Don’t worry,” Amy reassured him.

Amy stepped into the hallway, intending to go to the restroom. As she passed by a private room, she heard a small voice.

“Mom, the plan is ruined,” it was Vanessa’s voice.

“Be quiet, she might hear us,” Patricia’s voice was low and angry.

Amy stopped and pressed herself against the wall. “What’s going to happen to us if the police investigate?”

“There’s no evidence. You disposed of the box, right?”

“Yes, but be quiet. Just pretend you know nothing. Thomas will recover. The amount wasn’t enough.”

Amy’s chest grew cold with the horrifying truth. She moved away from the wall and returned to the waiting room, her legs shaky. The truth about what Patricia and Vanessa had tried to do was becoming clear.

When the detective returned to the hospital, his expression was stern. “We recovered the chocolate box from the trash. It’s been sent to the lab.”

Amy looked at Patricia and Vanessa. The fear on their faces was evident.

“We also found a box from a location other than your apartment’s trash can, Miss Vanessa Collins,” the detective said.

Vanessa tried to stand up, but another officer placed a hand on her shoulder. “Patricia Collins and Vanessa Collins, I am detaining you for questioning on suspicion of attempted murder.”

Amy stood frozen, unable to comprehend the situation. How could her mother-in-law and sister-in-law have planned to poison her—or even worse, Thomas?

“Why?” Amy asked, her voice faint.

Patricia looked at her with cold eyes. “We won’t give Thomas to someone like you. That boy is our family.”

Amy’s heart sank as the police led Patricia and Vanessa away. Thomas was still in the treatment room, and Amy had to wait for him to recover.

A week later, Thomas was allowed to be discharged. He had lost weight and still looked unwell, but thanks to strong medication, he had somehow recovered. Amy took him home and quietly nursed him.

“Why would Mom do something like that?” Thomas mumbled repeatedly. He seemed unable to accept the truth.

Patricia and Vanessa had been temporarily released on bail, but they had tried to contact Thomas. Amy had blocked all calls. Thomas’s recovery was her top priority.

Three days after being discharged, Amy made a decision. She needed to tell her husband the truth.

When Thomas was lying on the sofa, she sat beside him. “Thomas, we need to go to your mother’s house.”

He looked at her with surprised eyes. “Why?”

“To find evidence. You know this wasn’t the first time, don’t you?”

Thomas silently looked away. “I don’t know that Mom would really do such a thing.”

“Trust me,” Amy said, taking his hand. “For our future, we need to know the truth.”

The next day, although Thomas was still weak, he agreed to go with Amy to Patricia’s house. They chose a time when Patricia and Vanessa would be at the lawyer’s office preparing for the trial. Thomas had a spare key.

“What should we look for?” Thomas asked as they stood at the entrance.

“Anything unusual, especially check your mother’s bedroom and desk.”

They quietly entered the house. Patricia’s house, which they hadn’t visited in a while, was as orderly as always.

Amy went upstairs to Patricia’s bedroom, Thomas following her hesitantly. “It feels like we’re invading Mom’s privacy.”

“Thomas, your mother tried to kill me,” Amy’s voice was cold.

Patricia’s bedroom was elegantly decorated, with family photos arranged on the bedside table. Amy opened the closet and began searching the upper shelves, finding nothing.

“Let’s check the desk,” Amy said.

Patricia’s desk was locked, but Thomas managed to pry open the drawers. Inside were various documents neatly arranged. Amy quickly checked through them and stopped at one file.

“This is it,” she said. It was a copy of Thomas’s new life insurance contract. The beneficiaries were listed as Amy and Patricia, but there was a small mark next to Amy’s name: to be changed.

Digging deeper, they found another shocking document: it was Amy’s own life insurance policy. Amy had no memory of when Thomas had contracted this insurance. The beneficiaries were Patricia and Vanessa.

“This is my life insurance. When did you contract this?” Thomas looked pale as he stared at the documents.

“I don’t know. Mom said she would arrange everything,” Thomas whispered.

Amy covered her face with trembling hands. They had been planning this from the beginning.

Under the dresser, Amy found a small box containing photos of her with needles stuck through them. There were also various herbs and powders stored in small bottles with labels.

“Thomas, look at this!” Amy opened the laptop in the corner of the desk. It was password protected, but Thomas tried his mother’s commonly used password. The screen opened. The browser history included searches for undetectable poisons, slow poisoning methods, and a complete guide to life insurance fraud.

Thomas sat down in a chair, holding his head in his hands. “I can’t believe it. Why would Mom suddenly…”

They heard the door open. Vanessa was standing at the bedroom door, her face changing color.

“What are you doing?” she asked, eyes wide with panic.

Amy responded calmly, “We’re keeping all of this as evidence. Evidence that you and your mother tried to kill me.”

Vanessa laughed bitterly. “You have no right to enter.”

Thomas slowly stood up. “Vanessa, why? Why would you and Mom…”

Vanessa’s expression changed. “Why? Because everything changed after you married this woman. Our plans, our future…”

“Mom never intended to accept you as family from the beginning. Her target was Thomas’s property and your insurance money.” Amy showed Thomas the documents.

Thomas’s voice trembled with anger and sadness. “Get out, Vanessa. I never want to see you again.”

“Thomas, you have to choose your family: this woman or us. People who tried to kill my wife.” Thomas’s voice cracked with emotion.

“Get out, before I call the police.”

Amy stood beside Thomas, holding his hand. They silently stared at Vanessa as she left the room.

“This isn’t over,” Vanessa said threateningly as she walked out.

Thomas’s phone rang. He answered it and after a few minutes, his expression changed. “Mom has confessed everything.”

Autumn sunlight poured down on the marble steps of the courthouse. Amy and Thomas held hands as they left the building. The final verdict had been pronounced, ending the long and painful trial process. Patricia Collins received a five-year prison sentence for assault and conspiracy—deliberately preparing poison and repeatedly endangering Amy’s life was a serious crime. Vanessa, on the other hand, admitted her guilt as an accomplice and received a three-year suspended sentence. Her lawyer’s argument that she had acted under her mother’s influence was accepted.

“It’s over,” Amy said, exhaling deeply.

Thomas pulled her close. “Yes, we can finally move forward.”

They decided to start a new life together in a small town in Connecticut, away from the shadows of Boston. It was the perfect place for a new beginning.

When they visited Patricia on visiting day, she had completely changed. Her former dignity was gone, and she was isolated from the other inmates. Patricia brightened slightly when she saw Thomas, but his cold gaze made her fall silent again. She muttered a few words of apology to Amy, but her eyes showed no genuine regret.

A letter of apology arrived from Vanessa. It said, “I want to look at my own life, free from mother’s control.”

Amy read the letter but didn’t reply. Forgiveness would take time. Perhaps she would never be able to forgive.

Upon arriving at their new home, they carried in their belongings. The small but bright house symbolized their new life.

“What do we do now?” Thomas asked, sitting down in the living room.

Amy smiled and sat beside him. “First, I want to think about the interior design of this house, then get my web design company on track. I need to find a new workplace too.”

Thomas said he had quit his job at the financial company in Boston and applied to a small local company. The salary would be lower, but he was seeking a less stressful environment.

That night, Amy shared surprising news with Thomas. “We’re going to be a family of three.”

Thomas’s eyes shone with joy. “Really? When?”

“In six months. I confirmed it with a test.” Amy smiled.

Thomas embraced his wife, contemplating their small future life. Their new family would not be easy, but they had overcome so much to get to this point. Their life together would surely be filled with a different kind of happiness.

Lying in bed, Amy held Thomas’s hand. “I’m so glad I met you. Not eating those chocolates was the most fortunate decision of my life.”

Thomas laughed quietly and kissed his wife’s forehead. “Thanks to me eating them all, we discovered the truth.”

Under the gentle moonlight illuminating the room, the two of them thought about the future they would walk toward—a new life, a fresh beginning after hardship.

The story ends here, with a new beginning for Amy and Thomas after all the turmoil they faced.