I had always dreamed of a perfect Christmas, and this year was supposed to be special, as I was finally going to be part of Liam’s family. I was excited to start a new chapter in our lives, little knowing that this Christmas would be the beginning of the end.
Some families have their quirks, and Liam’s family was no exception. They always seemed to share inside jokes and playful banter that I didn’t quite understand.
But I never imagined that this would lead me to wonder if I should become part of their family.
A woman sitting in her living room | Source: Midjourney
When I met Liam in that little downtown cafe last spring, I was instantly drawn to his infectious humor.
He was one of those who drew silly faces on the coffee sleeves and left jokes for the waiters, while I was the quiet one who ordered my usual vanilla latte with a polite smile.
Our differences seemed charming then. He brought spontaneity to my structured world, and I brought stability to his chaos.
A couple talking to each other | Source: Midjourney
Seven months ago, he proposed to me in typical Liam fashion, hiding the ring in a fortune cookie at our favorite Chinese restaurant.
I almost choked when I saw him, but that’s Liam for you. Always the joker, always looking for a laugh.
“Will you marry me?” he asked, looking directly into my eyes.
“Yes!” I said as tears streamed down my cheeks.
That day I felt like the luckiest girl in the world, not knowing that I would soon regret my decision.
A woman with a ring | Source: Midjourney
A few days before Christmas, I carefully wrapped the gifts I had bought for Liam and his family. At that moment, I was nervous and excited because it was my first Christmas with them.
Suddenly, memories of past family Christmases flooded my mind.
I smiled as I remembered Christmases past, when my mother surprised everyone with handmade photo albums filled with pictures from the last twenty years. My father cried when he opened his.
A man sitting on a sofa, looking down | Source: Midjourney
Meanwhile, my sister Sarah gave us all personalized jewelry that we still wear. That’s just how we are. We express our love with thoughtful and often expensive gifts.
“Do you think they’ll like it?” I asked Sarah over FaceTime, holding up the designer scarf I’d bought for Liam’s mother, Paula. “The saleswoman said it’s one of the most popular items of the season.”
“Two hundred dollars for a scarf? Mia, you’re going too far,” Sarah laughed. “But hey, it’s our first Christmas with our future in-laws. Go big or go home, right?”
A woman using her phone | Source: Pexels
I had spent weeks choosing the perfect gifts.
I bought a limited-edition watch for Liam’s dad (he collects them), the latest video game console for his brother Stephan (with three of the games he’d been talking about), and a custom-made leather jacket for Liam. I even bought Paula those elegant kitchen utensils she mentioned during our last dinner together.
“Do you remember your first Christmas with Jake’s family?” I asked Sarah. “Were you this nervous?”
A woman talking to her sister | Source: Midjourney
“Oh my God, yes! But look at me now with my mother-in-law. We get manicures and pedicures together every month.” She paused. “You know, Dad’s words were what won me over. He always told us to give thoughtful gifts and to be kind and courteous. I guess that’s what helped me bond with Jake’s mom.”
That made me smile. Dad’s wisdom had never led us astray.
A woman looking straight ahead, smiling | Source: Midjourney
A few days later, I loaded all the gifts into my car. I was ready to go to Liam’s house.
At that moment, I remembered how Sarah, Mum, Dad, and I used to wear matching pajamas and sing Christmas carols in the most dreadful way. It made me wonder if Liam’s family had their own special traditions.
The walk home on Christmas Eve was picturesque. Fresh snow covered the ground, and all the houses on the street were decorated with twinkling lights.
Christmas Lights | Source: Pexels
Liam’s family lived in one of those grand Victorian houses that looked like something out of a Christmas card. My heart leapt with excitement when I walked into their home.
But as soon as I walked through the front door, I felt something different. Paula greeted me with a smile that seemed forced.
Meanwhile, Stephan barely looked up from his phone when he greeted me. And Liam’s father? He just nodded while watching TV.
“Mia’s here, guys!” Liam announced after realizing his family was almost ignoring me.
A man looking straight ahead | Source: Midjourney
The response was a chorus of half-hearted greetings and fake smiles.
What’s going on? I wondered, but Paula’s voice interrupted my thoughts.
“Let me help you with the gifts,” she offered, eyeing my pile of neatly wrapped presents. I found it odd that she was suddenly so interested in helping me.
I didn’t think about it much and went to bed right after dinner.
A woman looking straight ahead | Source: Midjourney
Christmas Day started awkwardly and only got worse. In the kitchen, Paula kept “fixing” everything I was trying to help with.
“Honey, that’s not how it’s done here,” became her motto.
Furthermore, all the jokes he made while we played board games fell on deaf ears, while his inside jokes went right over me.
“Remember when Mom’s turkey got stuck in the dishwasher?” Stephan had said, and everyone burst out laughing while I felt like an outsider.
A young man laughing | Source: Pexels
“Or that time Dad tried to fry the green beans!” Liam added, prompting more hysterical laughter and knowing glances.
Even watching Christmas movies felt strange to me.
Apparently, they had developed their own drinking game with “It’s a Wonderful Life”, in which they took sips at moments that seemed random to me, but which made them laugh out loud.
“You’ll realize it eventually,” Liam assured me during a moment of silence, and I just smiled.
A man talking to a woman | Source: Midjourney
“Come on, everyone!” Paula shouted after dinner. “It’s time to open the presents!”
When I walked into the living room, I saw a pile of presents stacked under their enormous tree. My heart skipped a beat when I realized there were several packages with my name on them. Eighteen, to be exact.
“Ladies first,” Paula announced with the same strange smile she’d been wearing all day. “And since Mia is our special guest this year, she should start.”
A woman sitting in her living room | Source: Midjourney
With trembling fingers, I opened the first gift. My excitement turned to confusion when I pulled out a lump of coal. Real coal.
I forced a laugh, waiting for the real gift to appear.
“Open another one!” Liam encouraged me. Meanwhile, Stephan pulled out his phone to record my reaction.
One by one, I opened the eighteen gifts. Coal. Every single one of them.
With each package, their laughter grew louder, while my heart sank deeper.
“Welcome to the family!” Paula exclaimed, laughing. “We do this to all newcomers!”
An older woman laughing | Source: Midjourney
“Remember when we did it to Uncle Bill’s wife?” Stephan snorted. “She cried!”
My face burned with rage as they continued telling stories of past “victims” of their tradition. I stood up without a word and ran to Liam’s old bedroom. He followed me a few seconds later.
“How could you think this was okay?” I confronted him. “I spent so much time and money choosing thoughtful gifts for everyone, and they… did this?”
A woman confronting her fiancé | Source: Midjourney
“Come on, honey, it’s just a joke,” she said, rolling her eyes. “My family has always done this. It’s how we welcome people. Even Mom got coal during her first Christmas with Dad.”
“Seriously, Liam? You let your family give me eighteen pieces of coal? Even after knowing I’d spent weeks choosing the perfect gifts for them?”
“That’s what makes it funny!” he chuckled. “Look, you have to learn to take a joke. That’s how we show love in our family.”
“Is this what you call love?”
A woman looks away while talking to her fiancé | Source: Midjourney
At that moment, something inside me snapped. I went back to the living room, where everyone was still laughing at my reaction.
“I don’t deserve to be treated like this,” I announced, my voice trembling but firm. “If you think humiliating me during the holidays is funny, maybe we should reconsider whether it’s worth celebrating together in the future.”
The room fell silent as I grabbed my coat and left.
That night, my phone exploded with messages.
A woman using her phone | Source: Pexels
Paula insisted I was being too sensitive, and Liam’s father called me immature.
“You’re ruining the family tradition!” Stephan texted me.
Then Liam called with some news that made me think.
“The power went out,” he said. “We’re sitting here in the dark and freezing. Mom’s Christmas dinner is ruined and Dad can’t watch his favorite Christmas movie.”
“It sounds like karma to me,” I replied calmly.
“How dare you say that?” she exploded. “After everything we did to make you feel welcome…”
That’s when I realized. This wasn’t love. This wasn’t a family. It was petty harassment disguised as tradition.
A woman sitting in her living room, thinking | Source: Midjourney
“Liam,” I interrupted, turning the engagement ring on my finger, “I think we need to talk about the engagement.”
“What do you mean?” Her voice turned serious for the first time that night.
“I’m going to put a stop to this,” I said firmly. “I can’t marry into a family that finds it funny to humiliate people and calls it tradition.”
“Are you going to break up with me? Over a Christmas joke?” Her voice cracked. “We can fix this. We’ll give you the real presents tomorrow…”
A man talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
“There are no real presents, are there, Liam?”
His silence told me everything I needed to know.
“That’s what I thought,” I said quietly. “I’ll return the ring by mail tomorrow.”
I ended the call and that night I felt strangely calm.
The next morning, she left all the expensive gifts she had bought for her family at my house. I returned them and donated the money to the local women’s shelter.
My heart was broken, but I was relieved to know that I would never be part of a family with such humiliating traditions.
A woman standing outdoors | Source: Pexels
This work is inspired by real events and people, but 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 to actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher do not guarantee the accuracy of events or character portrayals, and are not responsible for any misinterpretations. This story is provided “as is,” and the opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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