“It’s your motherso it’s your responsibility!” he declared, but she had heard enough.
Emily fastened her son’s coat, clenching her teeth to keep her rising irritation at bay. Before her lay another obligatory visit to her mother-in-lawa woman she had never seen eye to eye with. From the very beginning, their relationship had been strained.
Eleanor Whitmore had long since decided that Emily was no fit wife for her son. No matter what she did, there was always criticism, always some accusation, always blame.
“Emily, what now?” sighed Peter, watching her vexed expression. “You dont want to go, do you?”
Emily scoffed and shook her head.
“Are you seriously asking me that? Honestly, Peter! You know perfectly well why I dont want to go!”
Her eyes burned with anger.
“Shell lecture me again, pick at me, invent problems where there are none! Shell say Im raising our child all wrong! And it doesnt matter to her that I work, that I run the house, cook, clean, and pay all the bills! Im the one keeping this family afloat, Peter!”
“But you sit at home all day” Peter muttered, shrugging.
Emily narrowed her eyes.
“Really? You think I just stare at the walls? Or do the pounds magically appear in our account?”
“I work too,” he grumbled, clearly offended. “Its not my fault I earn less.”
The truth was, Emily, as a designer, earned three times more than he did. She bore the full weight of their finances.
“Couldnt you go alone?” she asked hopefully.
“Emily, its Mothers Day! You cant just ignore her!”
She pressed her lips together and finished dressing their son. Two hours later, they were at Eleanors house.
In the parlour, as usual, waited LucyPeters niece. Emily had long noticed that Eleanor treated her like royalty, while barely acknowledging her own grandson. But it wasnt surprisingLucys parents had died five years prior, and Eleanor had taken her in.
Around them sat Eleanors sisters, sipping tea and laughing loudly.
And then came the words that changed everything.
“Ive made my decision,” Eleanor announced. “Im leaving the flat to Lucy. Peter, you already have a home.”
Peter didnt even react. He simply nodded.
Days later, the paperwork was settled. The flat officially belonged to Lucyon the condition she wouldnt move in until after Eleanors death.
But fate had other plans.
A stroke left Eleanor utterly helpless.
“We have to move in with her,” Peter declared. “She cant manage alone.”
Emilys stomach twisted. She knew what this meant.
She would have to feed her, change her, bathe herall while working and raising their child.
But she said nothing.
Weeks passed, and Emily had no respite.
Then, one evening, she finally snapped.
“Peter, your mothers flat belongs to Lucy. Shouldnt she be the one to care for her?”
“Lucys at university, Emily. And she has a boyfriend. She cant bring him here!”
Emily laughed bitterly, incredulous.
“Peter, I cant do this anymore!”
He crossed his arms.
“Oh, so youve had enough?”
Her hands trembled.
“Im suffocating under all of this! You, your mother, our child, my jobits too much!”
“But you work from home” he replied with a mocking smirk.
Her gaze turned icy.
“And what of it? You think thats not real work?”
Her heart pounded like mad.
“You know what? Now *you* can take care of your mother!”
“Shes my mother, but your mother-in-law! Its your duty! Do you expect me to bathe her?”
Silence.
Then Emily spoke, calm but frosty:
“I owe you nothing.”
Peter scoffed.
“Then hire a nurse!”
“Oh, really? Will *you* pay for her?”
“Why should I?”
“Then therell be no nurse.”
She folded her arms.
“You can pay from your mothers pension. Or from your wages?”
Peters face darkened with anger.
“Then what good is a wife?”
And that was the moment.
Something inside Emily shattered irreparably.
Everything became clear.
Peter had only ever used her.
And Lucy? She hadnt visited her grandmother once.
That night, Emily didnt sleep a wink.
By morning, she knew what she had to do.
When Peter left for work, she packed their bags, took their son, and walked out.
She left a single note, then blocked his number:
“I wont carry this weight alone anymore.”
That evening, Peter stormed in, furious.
“Come back, or Ill file for divorce!”
Emily smiled faintly.
“Go ahead. I was going to do it myself.”
For the first time, Peter was speechless.
But she didnt wait for apologies. Her decision was made.
A month later, the divorce was final.
Peter never admitted fault.
And Emily?
She didnt regret a second of it.
Six months later
Emily heard the news.
Eleanor had passed.
And Lucy?
Without hesitation, she threw Peter out onto the street.
Only then did he understand.
He had lost everything.
