'My family ignored me after I fell out with my sister-in-law. Then I noticed something strange.'

As told to Ann DeGrey.

I've never really liked my sister-in-law Sally*. From the first time I met her, as my brother's girlfriend, something just felt off. She's the kind of woman who must control everything — from a casual lunch to every conversation, even ones she's not involved in. She always speaks over people, always correcting us.

And my brother Nick*? He just nods along. He's sweet and kind-hearted, but completely "hen-pecked" and under her thumb.

It wasn't long ago that he was really fun to be around. But these days, he's far from being laid-back. Now he's constantly stressed, constantly trying to keep Sally happy. She spends money like water, and he works ridiculous hours just to keep up with her spending.

Their child is incredibly spoiled, too — everything brand name, screen time on demand, and zero boundaries. I try not to judge, but it's hard when the difference between our families is so obvious.

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Still, I tried to keep the peace. I smiled through gritted teeth at birthday parties, tried to look past the eye-rolls and backhanded comments she loved to throw my way. I did it for Nick, because we used to be close. I never imagined a partner could drive such a wedge between us.

Then came the family lunch.

It was a casual get-together at my mum's. The kids were all playing in the backyard, running around and having fun — just being normal kids. My toddler, Millie*, who was two at the time, got into a squabble with their daughter Abby* over a toy.

I didn't see exactly what happened, but the next thing I heard was my niece crying, followed by the sound of Sally yelling. Then I heard Millie crying.

I rushed over and found her standing over Millie. Sally turned to me and said, "Your kid bit my daughter, so I had to discipline her, because clearly you weren't going to!" I was stunned.

I took Millie and left the lunch. That was the moment I drew a line.

Since then, things have gone downhill fast. I kept my distance, which she clearly took as some kind of power play. Suddenly, I stopped being invited to things — family lunches, birthday parties, even a baby shower for Sally's second child. I'd see it all going on via social media.

But then I noticed something strange. Photos from previous events — where I'd been — were missing something. Me.

Yes, I'd been photoshopped out of all the group photos. Sally had literally edited me out or cropped me from group shots. She's posted photos where everyone else was tagged — except me. At first, I thought I was imagining it. But it kept happening.

It felt really petty, like she was rewriting the family to exclude me completely. And the worst part of it was, when I asked Nick about it, he didn't want to get involved.

I told him I felt hurt, and that I didn't understand what was going on.

He got defensive immediately and accused me of being "cold" since the family lunch, and that I'd made Sally feel unwelcome. He also said that I love to exaggerate and cause dramas.

Now we don't talk at all. I've sent messages and tried to clear the air. But he's either silent or rude — and the longer it goes on, the harder it is to fix.

I really miss my brother. I certainly don't miss his wife though.

I know I'm being spoken about behind closed doors. I know there's a version of the story being told where I'm the difficult one. That I'm now seen as a paranoid, overprotective mum who blew up over a trivial argument.

My sister tells me that Sally told her she refuses to include me in any family event that she organises. She said that I am jealous of her relationship with our brother because I'm a single mother and want people to feel sorry for me.

This is so ridiculous, it's almost comical. Apparently, I'm also the kind of person who loves to stir the pot when it comes to family politics.

Well, this is all news to me.

But seriously — this has nothing to do with family politics. It's all about respect. And once someone crosses that line with your child, it's hard to come back from.

It hurts to think about family gatherings without my brother in them, or to imagine our kids growing up like strangers. But right now, protecting my daughter comes first.

And until I feel like we're safe and seen in that space again, I'm keeping my distance — from Sally, and also from the version of my brother who lets her call all the shots.

*Names have been changed to protect identities.

Feature: Getty.