My mom used to crush my spirit with constant nitpicking and comparisons, always claiming it was 'all for my sake.' She basically demanded that I deliver 'results' in my studies, career, and marriage like some kind of tribute.

But somehow, against all odds, I married really well. You know those rare guys whose ideal type is someone like Kim Sam-soon? My husband is like that. He has a great job, my in-laws are wealthy and kind, and they're mostly busy golfing and traveling. I'm showered with love and compliments there. Plus, my career took off—I’m a working mom and I’m honestly making bank.

But my mom doesn't like it. Every time I talk about doing well, her face sours. For years, she wailed that my in-laws would curse me and be ashamed of me, but since they clearly aren't, she's finally shut up about that. When I got promoted recently, she just sighed and looked annoyed.

My husband and in-laws praise me for juggling work, chores, and childcare, but my mom literally barged into my house with fire in her eyes, rummaging through my drawers just to find one flaw so she could call me 'stupid' and tear me down. I've banned her from my house since then, so she's careful now, but since she can't trash-talk me to my face, she’s acting like a depressed person, crying to everyone that her child abandoned her. Sigh.

And the thing is, her side of the family lives forever. My great-grandma was a total chainsmoker and still lived to 90 back in the day. Both maternal grandparents lived past 100... I even have a great-aunt who hit 106... *Sigh*...