I Left My Husband to Protect My Children—Then My Mother-in-Law Crossed a Line I Never Thought She Would

I’m struggling to even organize my thoughts, but I need to let this out before it completely overwhelms me.

I’m in the middle of divorcing my husband, Alex, and I recently moved out with our kids—Harper, who’s eight, and Milo, who’s five. For the first time in a long while, life was starting to feel manageable again. The house felt calmer. I felt safer. I could finally breathe.

And then my mother-in-law, Joan, showed up at my door.

At first, everything seemed… fine. She smiled, asked how the kids were doing, and even brought over a box of cookies like nothing had happened. Against my better judgment, I let her inside, thinking maybe we could keep things peaceful for the children’s sake.

The first hour passed without incident. We made polite conversation. She complimented the house, asked about school, and acted almost supportive. But slowly, the tone shifted. She started making small comments—how I “shouldn’t give up on Alex,” how he was “so depressed” without me, how families should stick together.

I tried to brush it off. I told myself she was just grieving the divorce in her own way. But something about it didn’t sit right with me.

A few days later, she came back.

This time, it wasn’t just subtle remarks. I started noticing handwritten notes in my mailbox. At first, they were vague—things like “Think about your family” or “Alex still loves you.” I ignored them, hoping they’d stop.

They didn’t.

Last week, she showed up unannounced and started pounding on my front door. I chose not to answer, hoping she’d leave. Instead, things escalated. Flyers began appearing in my neighbors’ mailboxes. She was telling people that I had cheated on Alex—an outright lie.

At first, I tried to tell myself it was just gossip. Small-town nonsense that would fade once people got bored. But it didn’t fade. She started taping signs around the neighborhood with my name on them, hinting that I was an unfit mother. I began noticing the looks—neighbors whispering, people staring a little too long.

Then it started affecting my kids.

Harper came home asking why parents at school were talking about me. Milo told me other kids had called me a “bad mommy.” Hearing that from a five-year-old broke something inside me. I felt like my entire life was slipping out of my hands.

Now I’m stuck, unsure what to do next. Do I move again? Do I call the police? Do I confront her? I feel guilty even considering those options because I don’t want more conflict—but I also can’t let my children keep absorbing this.

Has anyone else dealt with a mother-in-law this manipulative and relentless? Am I wrong for feeling like my life is being slowly dismantled by someone who’s supposed to be family?