If there’s one thing my mother-in-law, Patricia, is consistent about, it’s ruining milestones. From showing up to our wedding in an almost-white dress to announcing our pregnancy on Facebook before we could, she has a way of making everything about her.So when she “accidentally” knocked over our gender reveal cake, I wasn’t shocked — but I was crushed.

We’d planned a small backyard gathering, filled with soft colors, delicate desserts, and a beautiful custom cake my sister-in-law Jenny had picked up that morning. It was the centerpiece of the party — tall, pristine, and filled with either pink or blue layers to reveal the baby’s gender.

As my husband and I prepared to cut the cake, Patricia stepped in with a sweet voice and fake concern:
“Let me just move it closer for you…” And with that, she tipped it right off the table. Pink frosting exploded across the grass. The yard went silent. She stood there, hands over her mouth, trying — and failing — to hide a smirk.

Then, Jenny started laughing. “Relax,” she said. “That was the decoy.” Stunned silence turned into gasps as Jenny explained she’d overheard Patricia on the phone joking about making sure she “wasn’t upstaged by a cake.”