My MIL Put Spyware in My Phone — She Didn't Like My Surprise in Response

Living with my mother-in-law has been a nightmare. But when she insisted on fixing my broken phone, I thought it was a small step toward mending our strained relationship. Little did I know that her helpful gesture would lead to a shocking discovery that forced me to confront her schemes and ultimately redefine our household's boundaries.

My life has been hell ever since my mother-in-law (MIL) moved in with me and my husband. My name is Emily, 25, and I've been married to my husband, Andrew, 28, for five years now. My MIL, Sophia, moved in with us due to ill health about three years ago.

From the day I married her son, she made it clear that she thought I wasn't good enough for him. Our relationship was strained at best, and we did our best to stay out of each other's paths to keep the peace at home.

A few months ago, I broke my phone, and my MIL, who was watching me closely that day, started ranting about how "irresponsible" I was and how I should act "more mature." Sophia complained incessantly about the cost of fixing the phone, grumbling about how much money I was wasting and how this could have been avoided if I had been more careful.

Yet, despite her constant complaints, she was surprisingly adamant about taking my phone to get it fixed herself. I was a bit confused about why she wanted to go so badly, but I just let her go. I thought she was making a kind gesture to bring us closer. She came back with my phone fixed, and everything seemed normal.

Fast forward two months, I noticed how my phone started to act weird. I asked Sophia if she had taken it to a reputable technician. "Of course," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I took it to the best place in town."

"I'm asking because the phone has been acting really weird," I explained.

Sophia rolled her eyes and scoffed. "You're being dramatic, Emily. It's probably just your imagination."

I decided to leave the matter alone. But at work, weird data-like things kept popping up on its screen, making it almost impossible for me to use the phone. So, after work, I took the phone to the local tech support kiosk.

To my SHOCK, the tech support guy, after inspecting it, said, "Someone put a chip in your phone."

I blinked, trying to process his words. "A chip? What do you mean?"

He pointed at a small, unfamiliar piece of hardware. "This chip allows someone to see your messages, your location, and your emails. It's a form of spyware."

My heart raced. "Are you serious? Who would do this?"

He shrugged. "It's hard to say, but it must be someone who had access to your phone for a while."

The only person I could think of was Sophia since my husband had been working in another city for three months. I was mad as HELL and as I left the shop, I quickly formulated a plan.

In my mind, I thought, 'She wants to spy on me? Okay, then I'll give her something to see.' So, I decided to leave the chip in my phone.

I started signing up for adult shops, videos, and other 18+ content. Then, I began driving to men's clubs and sending explicit messages to my husband, all while knowing my MIL was watching every move. She became increasingly annoying but she couldn't say anything specific about what was happening.

When my husband came back, my MIL sat us at the table and began accusing me of cheating and all the things she had seen.

"I can't believe this, Emily!" Sophia started, her face flushed with anger. "I've seen the messages you've been sending to strange men! And the places you've been visiting! Adult shops? Men's clubs? How could you do this to my son?"

Andrew looked bewildered. "What are you talking about, Mom?"

Sophia continued, her voice rising. "I've seen it all on her phone! Explicit messages, shady locations, and subscriptions to all sorts of adult content. She's been betraying you, Andrew!"

"How do you know all this?" I asked calmly.

She hesitated, then blurted out, "I saw it on your phone! There's a chip that... well, it shows everything you're doing!"

I feigned shock. "A chip? In my phone? How could that happen?" I exclaimed, widening my eyes in disbelief. "Who would do such a thing? This is outrageous! How did it even get there?"

My MIL's face turned red. "I... I put it there to keep an eye on you. I knew you were up to something! I knew you weren't good enough for my son. A liar and a cheat!"

I smirked a hint of satisfaction in my voice. "Oh, I knew about the chip. And I decided to have some fun with it. You wanted to spy on me? I gave you a show." I leaned in slightly, my eyes glinting with defiance. "Every adult shop, every explicit message, every shady location—you saw exactly what I wanted you to see. How does it feel to be played at your own game?"

My husband looked between us, stunned. "You both knew? What the hell is going on?"

My MIL stammered, "She was... she was doing all those things on purpose?"

I nodded, laughing. "Yes. To show you that spying on someone is wrong. You invaded my privacy, and I wanted you to see how it feels to be manipulated."

My husband finally spoke, his voice firm. "Mom, this is unacceptable. You can't just spy on people. We need to have boundaries in this house."

My MIL, looking defeated, muttered, "I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to go this far."

"Apology accepted," I said. "But from now on, let's respect each other's privacy. Agreed?"

My MIL nodded reluctantly, and my husband added, "We'll make sure this never happens again."

And with that, the tension began to dissipate, and we started to rebuild trust, setting clear boundaries for the future.

If you liked this story, here's another about a mother-in-law who supports her daughter-in-law as she struggles to get pregnant. The daughter-in-law succeeds, but months after the baby is born, her husband finds something that makes them question exactly how the mother-in-law helped the situation.

My Mother-in-Law Bought Me the Best Mattress – I Was Terrified When I Learned Her True Purpose

When I married Toby, I was lucky enough to be one of those girls who had a magical mother-in-law. Julia was everything I wanted in one — she was kind and loving and didn't regard me as just an extension of her family. Instead, she adopted me as her daughter.

"I told you," Toby said one day when I told him how grateful I was that Julia had accepted me.

"She's loved you since the beginning, Larissa."

Despite her age, Julia was just full of life. She constantly walked in and out of our home, ready to throw herself into our kitchen.

"I just want to feed you guys," she told me when I asked her to sit down, ready to cook for her instead.

"I don't have anything else to do besides meet the ladies for drinks," she chuckled.

It usually ended with us cooking together then Toby coming home to music and laughter echoing in the kitchen.

My parents were across the country because I had moved for college and ended up settling down with Toby. And as much as phone and video calls kept me close to my family, at the end of the day, Julia filled the role of a mother — a mother in close proximity anyway.

After three years of being married, Toby and I decided to try to have a baby.

"I'm ready if you are," Toby told me. "I think it's time now."

I agreed with Toby. I was ready — I wanted to be a mom.

So, we began trying. And for months, we just couldn't get pregnant. And the longer we tried, the more reality set in. Maybe we just weren't meant to have biological children.

"What do you want to do?" I asked Toby. "Keep trying?"

Toby nodded. I knew he wouldn't ask me to do anything I didn't want to do, but I also knew that he desperately wanted to be a father.

So, torn, I turned to my mother-in-law for advice. Julia introduced me to a wellness coach, took me for fertility massages, and even bought Toby and me a new mattress.

"Maybe your body is just not rested enough," my mother-in-law said. "Maybe you just need to give your body the best chance possible at this."

"Do you think it was a bit unnecessary?" I asked Toby as we got into bed that night, testing out our new mattress.

Enjoying the read? Click here to find out more about what the mother-in-law did that changed how Julia viewed her forever.

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided "as is," and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.