“Our Son-in-Law Has Completely Changed Our Daughter: She Didn’t Even Come to Her Father’s Milestone Birthday”

I’m sitting here, my hands trembling as I type, after yet another heated argument with my daughter, Eliana. I can’t keep this bottled up any longer; I need to tell someone. My husband, Walter, gets it, but so many of our friends just don’t understand. They say things like, “What did you expect? Eliana is married now; she has her own family.” But they don’t see what I see. They don’t see how her husband, Bobby, has completely taken over her life.

Eliana used to be so full of life and independence. She had dreams, ambitions, and a spark that could light up a room. But ever since she married Bobby, it’s like she’s a different person. It’s as if he’s hypnotized her. She doesn’t make decisions for herself anymore; she just follows whatever he says. And it’s tearing our family apart.

The final straw came last weekend. It was Walter’s 60th birthday, a milestone we had been planning for months. We invited all our close friends and family, and we were so excited to celebrate with everyone. But Eliana didn’t show up. She didn’t even call to say she wouldn’t be coming. When I finally got hold of her, she said Bobby had decided they needed to spend the weekend alone together. No discussion, no consideration for her father’s feelings—just Bobby’s decision.

I was furious. I told her how hurtful it was for her father, how much it meant to him to have his daughter there on such an important day. But she just kept repeating Bobby’s words, like a broken record. “We needed some time alone,” she said. “Bobby thought it was best.” It was like talking to a stranger.

Walter tries to stay calm about it all. He says we need to give her time, that she’ll come around eventually. But I can’t help feeling like we’re losing her more and more each day. Every time I see her, she’s more distant, more withdrawn. It’s like Bobby has built a wall around her, and we’re on the outside looking in.

I’ve tried talking to Bobby directly, but it’s like talking to a brick wall. He always has some excuse or justification for why things have to be his way. “Eliana needs stability,” he says. “She needs someone to guide her.” But what about what Eliana needs? What about what she wants? It’s like he doesn’t even care.

Our friends don’t get it either. They say things like, “She’s an adult now; she has to make her own choices.” But what if those choices aren’t really hers? What if she’s just doing what Bobby tells her to do? It’s like he’s taken over her mind and soul.

I miss my daughter. I miss the way she used to laugh, the way she used to dream big dreams. Now all I see is a shadow of the person she used to be, and it breaks my heart. I don’t know how much more of this I can take.

I wish I had some hopeful words to end this with, but the truth is, I don’t see a happy ending in sight. Every day feels like we’re drifting further apart, and I don’t know how to bring her back. All I can do is hope that one day she’ll wake up and see what’s happening before it’s too late.