The Daughter-in-Law’s Property
Emily gazed at the photo in the elegant frame and sighed. It had been two years since her husband passed away in a tragic accident, when snow slipped from the roof, leading to an unfortunate accident that took Tom away from her.
They had only been married for two years and hadn’t had the chance to have children. All she had left of her beloved husband were memories, photographs, and his mother, Margaret.
Margaret would visit Emily, weep, lament, and even blame her for not giving them a grandchild.
“If you had been a proper woman, we’d have a child by now,” she would express. Emily shrugged it off, finding it hard enough to cope with her own loss but never blaming herself. She and Tom had planned to sort out their housing before having children. Unfortunately, he never lived to see that happen.
After his death, Emily threw herself into her work to have something to focus on and distract her from the grief. She worked tirelessly, accepted extra tasks, and within a year, by her thirtieth birthday, she moved from her rented flat into her own little place.
Her father had helped her a bit and was proud of her. But a year later, he passed away too. His heart gave out.
Emily was now without her closest family. Margaret, however, did not relent. She continued to express her condolences, albeit insensitively.
After the funeral, Margaret came to Emily and declared:
“Make a will while you can, Emily,” her mother-in-law insisted.
Emily nearly dropped her cup.
“Yes, I mean it. No one is immune to fate. You’re fine today, but who knows what tomorrow holds.”
“What are you implying?”
“You’re thirty now, with no relatives around. It’s time to think about others.”
“Don’t worry, Margaret. I’m not a millionaire, and my savings will suffice for a basic service,” Emily replied, turning the awkward request into a silly joke, figuring Margaret was overwhelmed by stress from another recent funeral.
“You make jokes, but this is serious. If I were you, I’d make arrangements to leave the flat to your nephews.”
“What? Are you suggesting I sign over all my assets to your grandchildren?” Emily raised her eyebrows. Margaret had a younger son, John, with whom Emily didn’t maintain contact. When Tom was alive, he hadn’t either. John had married early, fathered daughters, divorced, remarried, had a son, and then split again. Recently, he had found yet another wife.
“Not everything, just write a will. Otherwise, everything will go to the government!”
“Margaret, maybe it’s time for you to head home. You must be tired.”
“John and his wife Lucy are staying at my place,” her mother-in-law confessed. “I don’t want to disturb the young ones; please try to understand.”
“Then don’t disturb them. How does this concern me?” Emily asked.
“I was hoping you’d let me stay at your father’s empty place until John sorts things out. They’re planning to get a mortgage, as soon as he finds a job. I’ve already packed; I just need the keys from you. Don’t worry, I’ll only use one room. You could even rent the second one. In fact, I already found someone interested. Rita and her son are looking for a place…”
“Rita – John’s second wife?”
“Yes, you remember her? She’s a lovely girl. We get along great. Let her stay. I’m looking after my grandson anyway, so it’s convenient.”
“How much are you willing to pay for rent?”
“Me?!” Margaret flared up. “I’m like a real mother to you, and you’re asking me for money? I didn’t think Tom had married someone so…”
“Margaret, forgive me, but I won’t allow you to stay, for free or for pay. If I ever do write a will, it will be for my own child, who I’m certain I’ll have someday. I have my whole life ahead of me.”
“Thinking like that? It’s too late to have kids at thirty! And with whom? You’re all alone! You’re dreaming… fantasist. Watch out, or greed will be your downfall! You’ll be left with nothing. You’ll regret not listening to me!” Margaret shriveled, resembling a witch. Emily wanted to show her to the door, never to let her back in. She suddenly realized that all her troubles stemmed from Margaret’s jealousy, which had led to her convincing Tom they would never find happiness.
“Please go, Margaret. I can manage on my own. I’m thirty now and have a good head on my shoulders. If it comes to it, I’d rather everything go to the state than to you.”
Margaret mumbled something as she left, slamming the door behind her. The next day, John called Emily, yelling and accusing her of upsetting his mother to the point of illness.
Emily decided that if she wanted peace, she needed to remove Margaret and her kin from her life. She put her flat up for sale and quickly found buyers. Then Emily sorted out her inheritance papers and sold her father’s flat. With that money, she bought a larger place and moved on to a new life without her so-called “relatives.” None of them knew her new address, freeing her to make plans for the future without interference.
