Father-in-law's Harsh Words to Daughter-in-law Who Ate with Colleagues: "Are You Cheating?"

Experts "Addressing Domestic Violence Objectively"
"Unfair Treatment by Father-in-Law... Grounds for Divorce"

A daughter-in-law shared her story of conflict with her father-in-law, who came to her workplace and verbally abused her, accusing her of "having an affair" after seeing her eating with a colleague.

On the 19th, JTBC’s ‘Case Judge’ aired the story of a woman in her 30s, Ms. A, who was troubled by her father-in-law’s excessive verbal abuse. Ms. A revealed that her relationship with her father-in-law had been difficult from their first meeting. At the meeting where he gave permission for the marriage, he made remarks such as "Even though times have changed, the head of the household is ultimately a man" and "I will see how well you play the role of a wife."

(This photo is not directly related to the article) [Photo source=Pixabay]

On the wedding day, the father-in-law was overheard criticizing Ms. A’s appearance to an acquaintance, only to be caught by Ms. A’s father. He also scolded the couple for registering their marriage, saying, "Why are you doing as you please? You need my permission if you’re going to have grandchildren."

During their married life, when Ms. A’s husband was hospitalized after a traffic accident, the father-in-law’s verbal abuse continued. When Ms. A’s mother-in-law asked if she had eaten while Ms. A was on leave caring for her husband, Ms. A replied "I ate well" to ease their worries. Hearing this, the father-in-law scolded her, saying, "Your husband is sick and dying, how can you eat?" When the husband’s hospital stay extended and Ms. A had to return to work, she asked her mother-in-law to look after her husband during times when neither she nor a caregiver could be there, only to be told by the father-in-law, "Who do you think you are, bossing your in-laws around?"

The major incident occurred after the father-in-law saw Ms. A having lunch with her colleagues. Misunderstanding that she was having an affair, he went to her workplace and shouted, "I’m so angry I can’t stand it. Where do you think you’re having an affair? Bring the man you ate with here." He also said, "I will divorce you two and find a new wife for my son."

Having endured this for some time, Ms. A finally confided in her husband about the situation. Her husband said, "I didn’t know he would treat you this way," and took her to his parents’ house. Although the father-in-law cleared up the misunderstanding by speaking with Ms. A’s colleague on the phone, he refused to apologize. He insisted, "I’d rather cut ties and live separately than apologize."

That night, the father-in-law called Ms. A late at night. Despite her husband’s advice to block the calls, Ms. A couldn’t bring herself to do so and ignored the incoming calls. Around 2 a.m., the father-in-law sent her text messages containing abusive language such as "May you be struck by lightning while walking down the street" and "You brought ruin to the family by marrying the wrong woman." Ms. A lamented, "His excessive verbal abuse has caused family turmoil. How long do I have to live like this?"

Professor Park Sang-hee of the Department of Counseling Psychology at Open Cyber University, who heard the story, pointed out, "If you look at it coldly, this is a case of domestic violence." She added, "This situation has escalated because it has been dragged on for too long. The whole family needs to firmly confront the father-in-law."

Attorney Park Ji-hoon judged Ms. A’s story as "sufficient grounds for divorce," stating, "There is clear evidence of the father-in-law’s unjust abuse and mistreatment. If proven, it would be acceptable for her to divorce her husband."