For seven years, every holiday at my house felt like unpaid work. My mother-in-law, Juliette, and her daughters arrived expecting a full-service vacation while I cooked, cleaned, babysat, and entertained.
Nothing I did was ever good enough. The food was too salty, the drinks weren’t cold enough, and the guest rooms were never prepared exactly the way they wanted.
My husband rarely defended me. He always said it was easier to keep the peace than argue with his family.
This year, I decided I was done being their unpaid hoste-
