{"id":10499,"date":"2026-02-13T10:12:29","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T10:12:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/?p=10499"},"modified":"2026-02-13T10:12:29","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T10:12:29","slug":"mil-kept-showing-up-with-her-whole-clan-for-free-bbq-at-our-house-when-they-came-empty-handed-again-on-the-4th-i-served-them-a-lesson-instead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/?p=10499","title":{"rendered":"MIL Kept Showing up with Her Whole Clan for Free BBQ at Our House \u2014 When They Came Empty-Handed Again on the 4th, I Served Them a Lesson Instead"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Every family has that one relative who treats your house like a resort and never brings so much as a napkin. Mine just happens to bring her entire clan and forgets the part where guests contribute. When they arrived empty-handed again on the 4th of July, I decided to serve something\u2026 different.Hi, I\u2019m Annie, and I\u2019ve discovered that hosting family barbecues is like running a five-star restaurant where the customers never pay or tip, and somehow always leave thinking YOU owe THEM something.<\/span><\/p>\n

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I\u2019ve been married to Bryan for seven years. We\u2019ve got two adorable kids, and until recently, our life was peaceful enough to land a feature in Country Living magazine. That is, until my mother-in-law, Juliette, started showing up with her traveling circus of entitlement.Picture Agnes Skinner from \u201cThe Simpsons\u201d but with less charm and more opinions about my potato salad and cleaning.\u201cAnnie, darling, we\u2019re coming for Memorial Day!\u201d she announced a few weeks ago, as if bestowing a royal favor. \u201cThe kids just adore your ribs!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Juliette rolls up to our countryside haven with her two daughters and their shrieking offspring like she\u2019s Napoleon returning from exile, ready to conquer my perfectly organized spice rack.Of course they do! Because I buy them, season them, cook them, and serve them while she critiques my grilling technique from the comfort of my own patio chair.Memorial Day had been the usual disaster. Juliette swept in and immediately began rearranging my living room furniture like she was directing a Broadway production.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A living room | Source: Unsplash<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis couch would look soooo much better facing the window,\u201d she declared, shoving my sectional across the hardwood floor with the determination of a woman possessed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cActually, I like it where it is.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cTrust me, dear. I have an eye for these things.\u201d She stood back, admiring her handiwork while I watched helplessly as my coffee table now blocked the hallway. \u201cOh, and you really should prune those roses. They\u2019re looking rather\u2026 wild.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Wild? Oh, yeah! My prize-winning roses that I\u2019d spent three years nurturing were apparently\u2026 wild.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Meanwhile, her daughters, Sarah and Kate, had already claimed my kitchen island as their personal command center, spreading their kids\u2019 snacks across my clean counters like they were marking territory.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A cluttered kitchen counter | Source: Unsplash<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Six grandchildren under the age of 10 descended upon my house like a plague of locusts, leaving juice box carnage in their wake.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWhere\u2019s the bathroom?\u201d eight-year-old Tyler demanded, dripping popsicle onto my white carpet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cDown the hall, sweetie,\u201d I said, already reaching for the carpet cleaner.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWhy don\u2019t you have good snacks?\u201d his sister Madison whined.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The good snacks. The ones they never brought. The ones that somehow materialized from my grocery budget every single time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cAnnie, the meat looks a bit dry!\u201d Juliette called from the patio. \u201cAre you sure you\u2019re not overcooking it?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Steak<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Steak roast on a plate | Source: Unsplash<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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That evening, after they\u2019d finally left, taking nothing but full bellies and somehow forgetting to take their trash, I found myself picking popsicle sticks out of my flower beds while Bryan loaded the dishwasher.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cBee, your mom moved our couch again.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cShe\u2019s just trying to help, Nini!\u201d he replied, but I caught the apologetic look in his eyes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cAnd ate $200 worth of groceries. Again.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI know, I know. I\u2019ll talk to her.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But we both knew he wouldn\u2019t. Bryan was caught between his loyalty to his family and his love for me. And I was caught between my desire to be a good wife and my rapidly depleting bank account.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A couple holding hands | Source: Freepik<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The phone rang the next morning. Juliette\u2019s voice sailed through the receiver like a ship\u2019s horn.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cAnnie, darling! We had such a wonderful time yesterday. The children are still talking about those ribs!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI\u2019m glad they enjoyed them.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cOh, and we\u2019re all coming for the Fourth of July! The whole gang. We\u2019ll make it a weekend. Won\u2019t that be fun?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I gripped the phone tighter. \u201cThe whole\u2026 weekend?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cYes! We\u2019ll arrive Friday afternoon. Make sure you get plenty of those little sausages. The kids devour them! Oh, and that potato salad? Sarah hasn\u2019t stopped talking about it! Don\u2019t forget the ribs, hon. Juicy, like last time!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The line went dead. I stared at the phone, feeling something shift inside me like a tectonic plate finding its new position.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A startled woman talking on the phone | Source: Freepik<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cShe\u2019s coming for the Fourth,\u201d I announced to Bryan that evening.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He looked up from his laptop, already sensing trouble. \u201cThat\u2019s\u2026 nice?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWith everyone. The whole weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cOh?!?\u201d He set down his laptop. \u201cAre you okay with that?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Was I okay with spending another $300 on groceries while being criticized for my hosting skills? Was I okay with having my home turned upside down by people who treated it like a free vacation rental?<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI\u2019m fine!\u201d I said, my smile steady as a plan clicked into place. \u201cAbsolutely fine.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A thoughtful woman | Source: Freepik<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Friday afternoon arrived with the subtlety of a marching band.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Three cars pulled into our driveway, disgorging the familiar cast of characters: Juliette in her oversized sun hat, Sarah and Kate with their arms full of nothing but designer purses, and six children who immediately began treating my lawn like their playground. Or rather, battleground!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cAnnie!\u201d Juliette swept me into a hug that smelled like expensive perfume and entitlement. \u201cI hope you\u2019ve got everything ready. We\u2019re absolutely starving!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cAlmost ready,\u201d I said, my smile so sweet it could have caused diabetes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A delighted older woman | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I set the picnic table beautifully with mason jars filled with wildflowers from my garden, cloth napkins folded just so, and a pitcher of fresh lemonade catching the afternoon sun. It looked magazine-perfect, which was exactly what I was going for.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cOh, how lovely!\u201d Sarah exclaimed, settling into her chair. \u201cYou always do such a nice job with these things.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWhere\u2019s the food?\u201d Kate asked, glancing around expectantly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cComing right up!\u201d I said, disappearing into the kitchen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman in the kitchen | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I emerged with a tray of cucumber sandwiches. The crusts were surgically removed and sliced into triangles so delicate they looked like they\u2019d apologize for existing. Alongside them sat a pot of black tea, lukewarm and sulking like a spinster aunt left off the wedding invite list.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The silence that followed was so complete I could hear a neighbor\u2019s dog barking three houses away.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Juliette blinked slowly, like a computer trying to process an error message. \u201cUm\u2026 where\u2019s the barbecue, dear?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I tilted my head, channeling every ounce of Southern charm I\u2019d ever witnessed. \u201cOh, I didn\u2019t shop this time. Since you all love our barbecue so much, I figured you\u2019d want to bring the meat yourselves!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A cucumber sandwich | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The silence stretched like taffy. Sarah\u2019s mouth had fallen open. Kate looked like she\u2019d been slapped with a wet fish.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThere\u2019s a wonderful butcher about 15 minutes down Riverview Road,\u201d I continued cheerfully. \u201cThey\u2019re open until six. The grill\u2019s all ready. There\u2019s fresh charcoal in the storage bin! What are you waiting for?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cBut\u2026 but\u2026\u201d Juliette sputtered. \u201cYou invited us!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cActually, you invited yourselves!\u201d I corrected gently, taking a sip of tea. \u201cBut don\u2019t worry! I\u2019m sure the kids will love these sandwiches once they try them.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman drinking a beverage from a ceramic cup | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The children, bless their honest little hearts, immediately began their protest chorus.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWhere are the hot dogs?\u201d Tyler demanded.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI want hamburgers!\u201d Madison wailed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThis tastes like plants!\u201d announced three-year-old Connor, dropping his sandwich like it had offended him. \u201cThat coo-coom-bur looks scary. Mommy!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Juliette stood up, her chair scraping against the deck with the sound of nails on a chalkboard. \u201cThis is incredibly rude, Annie. We\u2019re family.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cExactly! And family helps family. We\u2019ve hosted every holiday for four years. I thought it was time for everyone to pitch in.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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An annoyed woman | Source: Freepik<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Sarah and Kate exchanged glances that could have started a wildfire. Bryan, who had been watching from the kitchen doorway, finally stepped forward.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThere\u2019s a great selection at Morrison\u2019s Meat Market,\u201d he offered diplomatically. \u201cI could give you directions. Or we could all go together, yeah?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The look Juliette shot him could have curdled milk at 50 paces. \u201cI cannot believe you\u2019re supporting this\u2026 selfishness.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI\u2019m supporting my wife!\u201d Bryan replied politely, and I felt my heart swell with pride and love.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A confident man | Source: Freepik<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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They left within the hour, but not before Juliette delivered a parting shot that would\u2019ve made a soap opera villain proud.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cYou\u2019ve turned my son against his own family,\u201d she hissed as they loaded their disappointed children into the cars. \u201cI hope you\u2019re happy.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI\u2019m getting there,\u201d I replied, waving cheerfully as they drove away in a cloud of dust and wounded dignity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A car on the driveway | Source: Unsplash<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The next morning, I woke up to 17 missed calls and a Facebook notification that made my blood pressure spike. Juliette had posted a novel-length rant about her \u201cheartless daughter-in-law\u201d who had \u201cruined the Fourth of July for innocent children.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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MIL\u2019s FB post:\u00a0\u201cMy DIL RUINED the 4th for my grandbabies.\u00a0<\/i>\"\ud83d\ude21\"\u00a0She refused to feed them. She has turned my son against his own family. I\u2019ve never felt so betrayed. We\u2019ve always brought love & joy. Never asked for anything but kindness in return. But some people are just COLD. #selfish #cruel #monsters<\/i>\"\ud83d\ude44\"\"\ud83d\ude24\"\"\ud83d\ude12\"\u201c<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But Juliette had made one crucial error. She\u2019d underestimated my organizational skills and my photo collection.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman holding her phone | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I crafted my response with the precision of a surgeon and the restraint of a saint. No name-calling, no emotional outbursts. Just facts. I posted photos from every barbecue we\u2019d hosted, showing tables groaning under the weight of food, and everyone smiling and satisfied.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Then came the grocery receipts, carefully photographed and dated, showing hundreds of dollars spent on feeding Juliette and her little army.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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My caption:\u00a0\u201cJust wanted to share some happy memories from all our family gatherings! So grateful for all the wonderful times we\u2019ve shared.\u00a0<\/i>\"\u2764\ufe0f\"\"\ud83d\ude0c\"\u201c<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The internet did what the internet does best! It saw through the nonsense immediately. Comments poured in asking why the \u201cloving family\u201d never seemed to contribute anything to these gatherings. People started sharing their own stories of entitled relatives who treated them like free caterers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A phone with the Facebook app open | Source: Unsplash<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Within 48 hours, Juliette\u2019s original post had vanished like a magic trick, deleted without apology or explanation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Sometimes the most powerful thing you can serve someone is exactly what they deserve\u2026 whether that\u2019s a feast or a cucumber sandwich. And sometimes, the best way to reclaim your dignity is with nothing more than strategic silence and a perfectly documented paper trail.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The moral of the story? Never underestimate the power of a woman who\u2019s reached her limit, has access to a photo album, and knows exactly how to make a cucumber sandwich with devastating precision.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman smirking | Source: Freepik<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every family has that one relative who treats your house like a resort and never brings so much as a napkin. Mine just happens to bring her entire clan and … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10500,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,22,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family","category-inspiration","category-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10499","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10499"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10499\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10501,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10499\/revisions\/10501"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10500"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10499"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10499"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}