“I dont want another daughter-in-law, so do as you please!” his mother declares to her son.
Mark is finishing his university degree, and decides this is the perfect time to marry his first love from college, Emma. Emma is not just beautiful, but also kind-hearted and bright. At this moment, she is writing her master’s dissertation. The young couple agree to marry as soon as she completes her studies.
Mark decides to break the news to his mother, but she has no encouraging words in return. His mother insists that he should only marry Sophie from the street around the corner, or not marry at all. She then asks him pointedly: what matters more to him, ambition or love? His mother dreams of her son becoming a successful, respected man.
Sophie comes from a well-to-do family and, for a long time, has secretly admired Mark. But his heart belongs to Emma, whose family background is much less privileged. Emma’s mother has a terrible reputationwhich, of course, is the talk of their neighbourhood. What would people say?
“I dont want another daughter-in-law, so do as you please!” his mother tells him again.
Mark tries for months to persuade his mother, but she remains unmoved. In the end, she says that if he goes ahead with Emma, she will never forgive him. Mark loses his courage. He continues seeing Emma for another six months, but their relationship slowly fades away.
In the end, Mark marries Sophie. She is truly in love with him, but they decide against having a wedding celebration. Mark doesnt want Emma to see any wedding photographs. Since Sophies family is wealthy, Mark moves into her parents grand house. Her parents also pull a few strings to help Mark climb the career ladder. Still, he never finds happiness.
Mark refuses to start a family. When Sophie realises there is no hope of convincing him to have children, she files for divorce herself. By this time, Mark is forty and Sophie is thirty-eight. Sophie remarries soon after, has a child, and is genuinely happy at last.
Mark yearns for the life he could have had with Emma, tries to find her, but has no luck: its as though she has vanished. Later he learns, from a friend, that after they parted ways, Emma married the first man she meta scoundrelwho beat her to death.
After that, Mark moves back to his parents old flat and starts drinking himself into oblivion. He spends his days staring at a photo of Emma, unable to forgive his mother, no matter how many years pass.
