My Mother-in-Law’s Surveillance Gift

Three years of marriage.

I quit my job, became a full-time mom, and hadn't visited my parents out of state once.

My mother-in-law, Eleanor, said she felt bad for me. So, she gifted us a $12,000 high-end, fully automated smart home system.

I was incredibly touched.

Until one morning, I woke up ten minutes late.

The smart speaker in the hallway suddenly blasted her voice: "Get out of bed and make breakfast! Don't let my son starve!"

That was when I realized.

The cameras, our spending logs, and my call history—everything was being synced directly to her phone.