What on earth do you think youre doing? This is my home! Your son and I divorced three years ago! shouted Emily as she came face-to-face with her former mother-in-law, who was standing outside her flat with a locksmith fiddling about with her door.
Emily had left her controlling husband nearly three years before. For years, he and his mother made her life miserablethe mother-in-law would swoop in and take her wages, watched everything she did, and her ex-husband would drink and carouse in the kitchen with his mates until morning, always ending in blow-ups and tears. After ten years, the stress had taken its tollshe was unwell and put on weight, all from living in constant anxiety.
One morning, catching a glimpse of her drawn face in the mirror, Emily knew if she didnt leave then, theyd destroy her completely. The divorce was uglyfull of shouting and threats, her ex refusing to leave her flat, shouting about his share. In the end, it took a local constable to finally get him out.
That afternoon, Emily came home from work, climbed the stairs, and was met with the most disturbing sight: her former mother-in-law, bossing around a locksmith in blue overalls, who was trying to pick her lock. Hurry it up, the old woman ordered, arms crossed.
Emily froze, then her shock turned to anger as she called out, What on earth are you playing at?!
Her former mother-in-law barely gave her a glance. Weve come to take whats ours, me and my nephew.
You must be joking! Your son and I divorced ages ago. This is my place! Emily seethed.
Half the flat is still my sons, her exs mother replied, her voice cold as ice.
Emily stood there, chest tight, hardly able to believe her exs mum had actually turned up to break into her home. But what happened next made her blood run cold.
The old woman leaned down to the locksmith and hissed, Hurry up. She musnt see whats inside. That sent shivers down Emilys spine. What did she mean, not see?
Emily took a few shaky steps forward and then noticed a faint trail of muddy footprints on the doormat. The door had clearly been tampered with before. Her heart plummeted. She raised her voice: Have you already been inside my flat?! The old woman blanched but only sneered, Weve got every right.
Without another word, Emily shoved past her, flung open the door and let out a terrified scream.
Sitting in her lounge were her ex-husband and a young womanhis new flamesprawled out as if they owned the place, their bags and shopping everywhere, shoes kicked off in the hallway. Her ex looked at her and just smirked.
So what? he shrugged. Halfs mine. Mumll change the locks, you head off wherever you like. Were moving in here now.
Emilys knees went weak, but she managed to steady herself. Without saying a word, she pulled out her phone and rang the police. Within minutes, officers were at her door.
She calmly showed them her paperworkthe property deed, the court order granting her the flat and stating her ex was to move out. The police listened to everyone and then one of them turned to her ex.
Sir, youre trespassing. Please come with us.
Her ex began shouting, his mother flailing her arms in protest, but it was no use. The police marched him out, told the locksmith he could face criminal charges, and left the old woman, chalk-white, whispering to herself on a kitchen chair, We really thought he had the rightThe officers ushered out her ex, his new girlfriend wobbling along behind, clutching their bags. His mother sputtered threats and promises of vengeance, but the officer simply said, Maam, if you set foot here again, youll be arrested too.
When the door finally shut, silence flooded the flat. Emily stood in the hallway trembling, barely believing it was over. The police handed her their card and told her she was safe, that the law was on her side, truly. She thanked them as they left, shutting the chaosand that chapteroutside for good.
Emily pressed her palm gently to the wall, then slid down onto the floor and let herself sob, not from fear or pain, but reliefdeep, shaking relief. She belonged here. This space, these walls, the sunlight angling through the curtains it was all hers at last.
She stood, wiped her face, and walked slowly into the living room. She picked up a shoe left by her exs girlfriend, opened the window wide, and tossed it into the corridor with a bright, satisfied laugh that echoed down the stairwell.
Inside, Emily felt something, like the first clean breath after a stormhope. For the first time in years, she put on music, danced barefoot across her own, reclaimed floor, and thought: its finally over. I am free.
