I left my spouse of 8 years in part because I couldn't compete with his Mommy. It was to the point that he still went over to his parents home every Sunday for dinner - without me. In fact, in his mother's eyes I and her grandchildren didn't even exist. This despite living less than three blocks away. I once asked my husband to not go to dinner and for two plus years I was banished from even stepping on the property.

Fast forward to his second marriage. She actually began striking up conversations with me - likely because she thought I the lesser of the two 'evils'.