Woman receives birthday gift from ex-husband’s mom, causing his current wife to accost her in public, he demands ex apologize to his wife but she refuses: “I told her to stay away from me”

Author image for Briana Viser
Briana Viser • Writer and Editor
Jan 23, 2025 3:00 PM EST

Some people are birthday people – meaning they love celebrating their own birthdays, they love to receive presents from their friends and family, and usually birthday ends up being birth month. Some people don't have a preference either way, and prefer a quiet dinner with friends or their partner. Whichever way you like it, it's still exciting and heartwarming to receive a birthday gift from someone. 

That is unless your ex-husband's jealous wife accosts you in public for accepting a birthday gift from your previous mother-in-law. These dramatic stories of family entanglements, parental privileges, and marriage on the rocks never fail to entertain us. 

In the story below, the protagonist has been divorced from her ex for six years, but they still share two children. Her ex is now married, and she claims to have a good relationship with her previous in-laws. She just turned 30-years-old, and her ex MIL gifts her a present, only to be accused of "breaking up the family" by his current wife. She actually approaches her in a Target, and expects her to give her back the gift. Why would she be carrying it around anyway? But you'll have to read the full story below for all the details. 

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  • 01

    AITA for telling my ex's wife to mind her own business when she confronted me in public over my ex's mom giving me a gift for my 30th birthday?

    "Give the gift to me or return it”
    via xxmmxx from Getty Images Signature / Canva

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    I (30f) celebrated my birthday recently and my ex's mom stopped by to give me a very nice birthday gift. Ex and I have been divorced for 6 years but we have two kids together aged 11 and 9 so it was unexpected. I got along really well with his family when we were together and we're still
    via u/Known_Pirate2302
  • 03
    friendly when we see each other but we were never close. When ex's mom showed up with the gift she explained she wished we'd stayed in touch more and she wanted to honor the mother of her grandchildren and she wanted to show appreciation for all I've done. It was sweet and we spoke
    via u/Known_Pirate2302
  • 04
    for a little while. The gift was sentimental in nature which made extra special to me.
    via u/Known_Pirate2302
  • 05
    It was a lovely gesture and I never expected it to cause any trouble but it did with my ex's wife. She confronted me in Target a week ago and started cursing and yelling at me for intruding in my ex's family. She told me the only reason ex's mom would get me a gift is because I'm trying to keep
    via u/Known_Pirate2302
  • 06
    my claws in ex's family instead of accepting I'm an ex. She demanded I give the gift to her or return it to ex's mom and refuse to accept anything in the future. I told her to leave me alone and I walked away. She approached me again as I was heading to pay. I tried to go around her but she put
    via u/Known_Pirate2302
  • 07
    her hand on the cart and told me I wasn't walking away from her again and I would stop being so meddlesome and stop trying to push her out of her family. She told me I was nasty accepting a gift from ex's mom and I had no business allowing something like that.
    via u/Known_Pirate2302
  • 08
    Happy Bday I
    via Vidal Balielo Jr. from Pexels / Canva

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • This woman sounds insane. I mean who accosts someone else in public? She's clearly jealous and needs to see a therapist, or talk to someone. 

  • 09
    I interrupted her when she started to attract some attention and I told her to mind her own business and stay away from me because we have no reason to talk. I paid for my stuff and left before she could confront me again. The encounter pied me off but I was going to let it go.
    via u/Known_Pirate2302
  • 10
    Then ex started texting me later in the week and he told me I needed to apologize to his wife because she's the stepmom to our kids and I shouldn't be treating her that way. I replied that I did not appreciate her behavior toward me in public and I would not be replying further. He told me I just
    via u/Known_Pirate2302
  • 11
    needed to apologize and I was out of order treating her like she was wrong to have her own feelings on this. He said I had damaged the co-parenting relationship between myself and them.
    via u/Known_Pirate2302
  • 12
    I know I could have ignored her. But I know apologizing won't fix anything because I still have and wear the gift, which was a mother charm bracelet. Ex's wife will insist I need to return or dispose of it to let this go. And I don't think I'm wrong for accepting it. I can accept I may have been wrong for speaking to her that way though. So AITA?
    via u/Known_Pirate2302
  • 13
    lapsteelguitar • 12h ago She's allowed to have her feelings. What she is not allowed to do is tell OP what she will, and will not, do.
    via u/lapsteelguitar

  • I guess that's why these two people get alone – they're both crazy! The ex husband is also out of his mind to think he can demand his ex to apologize to his current wife. 

  • 14
    I have to wonder why your ex's wife is feeling so insecure, what is happening in that relationship.
    via u/lapsteelguitar
  • 15
    You having a positive relationship with your kids grandparents is a boon for all concerned, mainly your kids. Don't let her disrupt that. NTA
    via u/lapsteelguitar
  • 16
    Cheezburger Image 10457596416
    via Yana Tatevosian from Getty Images / Canva

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 17
    do2g • 12h ago How is any of this your fault? Ex should speak with his wife and his mom if he wants to get at the root of this problem. ΝΤΑ
    via u/do2g
  • 18
    • g... 12h ago Edited 11h ago Yeah, and if that's how the stepmom is acting I'd say you ~as the mother, and your ex as the father, have bigger issues on your hands. Bringing that kind of jealousy into a relationship where you
    via u/gandorfia
  • 19
    share the responsibilities of raising someone else's children is detrimental, toxic, and eventually leads to contempt/ resentment. I'd say that stepmom needs to figure out her place and stay there. Her behavior sounds obsessive and almost as if
    via u/gandorfia
  • 20
    she despises you for still having a good relationship with your ex's family while she's probably trying really hard to gain their approval.
    via u/gandorfia
  • 21
    Novel_Feed_9095 • 12h ago NTA the exs wife was out of line abs it non of her business what his mother does. And as for your ex he needs to grow a pair and tell her to btiut. I'm sorry you have to deal with this situation I hope you update
    via u/Novel_Feed_9095
  • 22
    Sea-Still5427 • 12h ago NTA. You can bet she hasn't told him what really happened.
    via u/Sea-Still5427

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