My mother-in-law gave me a porcelain doll every year in secret. At first, I assumed they were harmless presents, but one day, my husband unintentionally discovered them and told me to burn them 
Behind her son’s back, my mother-in-law gifted me a porcelain doll every year.
I initially believed them to be harmless gifts. I was even a bit thrilled since they reminded me of the dolls my own mother had given me when I was a kid.
Although I didn’t understand why a grown woman would offer dolls, I took them in order to avoid upsetting her and kept them hidden in an attic box.
The porcelain doll, face, and request to keep it a secret from my husband were all the same the second time.
— “Remember, my son must never be aware of these dolls,” my mother-in-law added firmly.
“Yes, without a doubt,” I answered. “He doesn’t know anything; they’re all in a box.”
I didn’t give it much thought. I reasoned that she might be worried about her kid making fun of her and saying that these presents were pointless and foolish. Thus, ten years went by. Ten identical dolls, ten identical anniversaries.
However, my spouse unintentionally found the doll box one day. His expression changed. He went pale, as if he had seen something awful instead of dolls.
His question was sharp: “What is this?”
I stumbled, “Your mother’s gifts… for our anniversaries.” “Why?”
— “Burn them now!” he yelled, flinching in terror.
I couldn’t figure out why. But I felt a shudder go through me as he told me the truth.
It found out that his mother had lost a child many years ago, but no one had ever heard of it.
Every doll that was given to them was thought to be a replacement for an unborn child in their household. By accepting such dolls, the woman ran the risk of losing her own fertility.
– “Are you clear now?” My husband’s eyes were filled with pain as he gazed at me. “She shifted her destiny to you.”
I didn’t believe it at first. I believed it to be merely a somber superstition. However, despite being married for ten years, we had never been able to conceive.
We set the dolls on fire. The ten. Fear and relief fought inside my heart as their porcelain faces melted and shattered in the fire.
A few months later, the amazing occurred: I got pregnant.
I’ll never be brave enough to tell my mother-in-law about it. However, even now, occasionally during the quiet of the night, I believe I can hear the slight snap of porcelain.
