Margaret Whitmore lived alone and endlessly complained to her neighbours about her ungrateful daughter and granddaughter, who had left her by herself.
*”I gave them my whole life, and in return, the ones closest to me—so cruel and heartless—never appreciated it. They abandoned me to my fate!”*
Margaret was still a strong, elderly woman who grumbled about her family but never mentioned that her daughter, Emily, sent her money every month, or that her granddaughter, Sophie, had tried time and again to make amends—only for Margaret to demand she divorce her husband first. Each time, Sophie sighed bitterly and walked away.
Sophie had her own life now. She had married Matthew. Both had graduated university and found steady jobs. They lived with his mother but planned to buy their own house with a mortgage, especially since they were expecting a baby.
The story of how she and Matthew got married was something else. The things Sophie had endured from her grandmother, Margaret!
One evening, Sophie rushed home excitedly and announced from the doorway:
*”Mum, Gran—Matthew and I are getting married!”* She was nineteen, her whole life ahead of her, brimming with emotion and laughter.
Her grandmother slowly lifted her eyes, as if she hadn’t heard correctly, while her mother, Emily, bowed her head in silence. Sophie didn’t understand why they weren’t happy for her.
*”Mum, Gran—didn’t you hear me? I’m getting married!”*
*”That won’t happen,”* Margaret snapped suddenly. *”Marriage—honestly!”* Sophie’s joy drained away instantly.
*”What do you mean, Gran? Mum…?”* She paused, hurt. *”I thought you’d be happy for me. What’s wrong?”*
*”You must be pregnant,”* Margaret said sternly.
*”No! Where did you get that idea? Just because I want to get married doesn’t mean I’m pregnant!”*
Emily stayed quiet, avoiding her daughter’s gaze.
*”Well, good. Then forget this nonsense until after university. Sit down and eat,”* Margaret ordered.
*”I’m not hungry. Matthew and I already had pizza,”* Sophie replied, confused by their reaction. She had rushed home to share her happiness, expecting support.
*”Mum, why aren’t you saying anything?”*
Emily seemed to wake up, frowning before glancing anxiously at Margaret. She sighed heavily.
*”Sophie, darling… Gran’s right. It’s too soon. Finish university first. And really, who gets married so young these days?”* She gave a weak smile.
*”I don’t care what’s fashionable! Matthew and I love each other. We’ll get married and still finish uni—don’t worry. And I* will *marry him, no matter what you say. We’ve already decided.”*
Margaret couldn’t hold back any longer. She glared at Emily and sneered, *”Well, there you have it! The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Your daughter’s marrying some penniless boy, just like you almost did. Thank goodness I stopped you in time…”*
Sophie was stunned. She had never known her father—had never even met him. She looked at her mother, who hung her head lower.
*”Gran… did Mum plan to marry my dad? And you stopped her?”*
Margaret scoffed. *”Marry him? Some broke student with nothing to his name? Yes, I forbade it.”*
*”But he’s not poor now—he owns a business,”* Emily murmured.
Margaret’s eyebrows shot up. *”You’ve been speaking to him?”*
*”Yes. He found me online. We’ve been talking. But he lives in another city—went back there after uni and stayed.”*
Sophie stared in disbelief. *”Mum, tell me everything. You and Gran always said he* left *you when he found out you were pregnant, but now you’re saying you were going to marry him? What stopped you?”*
Mother and grandmother exchanged a look. Emily dropped her gaze again, while Margaret declared, *”I stopped her,”* with a sharp tone. *”Yes, me. I wouldn’t let my daughter throw her life away on some nobody. My own marriage failed—I thought at least* she *could marry well. But no, she fell for that student, whose family could barely feed themselves. What kind of life would that have been?”*
Sophie’s shock deepened. They had lied to her for years—and she had believed them.
*”Mum… why didn’t you fight for him?”*
Emily shrank in her seat, avoiding her daughter’s eyes.
*”Fight who?”* Margaret snapped. *”Me? Pointless. I gave her a choice—him or me.”*
Sophie couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She turned between them, wondering if this was another lie.
*”How could you let Gran decide for you, Mum? How could you* give up*?”*
*”What else could I do, love? We were students—how would we live on two grants? Especially with a baby. I’d have had to drop out. His parents couldn’t help—they had too many mouths to feed already.”*
*”But did you even* try*? You just walked away? Did he?”* Sophie asked, heartbroken.
*”He didn’t give up,”* Margaret cut in. *”Lingered outside our flat for weeks. I had to threaten to call the police before he finally left.* I *made sure of that.”*
Sophie stared at her grandmother in disgust. *”You know what, Gran? I don’t care what you say. I don’t care about your approval. I’ll work weekends if I have to, but I’m marrying Matthew. You won’t stop me.”*
*”Mum… why didn’t you ever remarry?”*
Margaret snorted. *”Who’d have her? She turned her nose up at every decent man I suggested.”*
Suddenly, Emily straightened, meeting her daughter’s eyes with new resolve.
*”Sophie, darling—marry Matthew. I want you to be happy. If it’s meant to be, it’ll work. And if not, you’ll still find happiness. But this is* your *choice, not hers. Live your life—don’t listen to Gran. Your happiness matters more. I already made the mistake of letting her take mine…”*
Margaret exploded. *”What nonsense are you spouting? Is this how you raise a child?”*
*”I’m teaching her to live for herself, not for you. You ruined my life—I won’t let you ruin hers too,”* Emily said firmly.
For the first time, Margaret was speechless. Her obedient daughter, the one who never defied her, was standing up to her—over some boy named Matthew.
*”This won’t happen!”* Margaret stamped her foot.
*”Gran, stop. I’m not afraid of you. I think for myself now. And I’m marrying Matthew—with or without your blessing. Mum’s on my side. That’s all that matters.”*
*”Such cheek!”* Margaret hissed. *”We’ll see about this. When that boy comes here, I’ll put him in his place.”*
*”Thanks for the warning,”* Sophie said coolly. *”In that case, I won’t bother introducing him to you.”*
Margaret fumed. Sophie wouldn’t be controlled—and she hated that.
Sophie and Matthew had a beautiful wedding. Margaret refused to attend, but Sophie didn’t mind.
*”Good—she’d have ruined the mood,”* she told Matthew.
Emily was thrilled—her daughter was marrying for love. She thought, *”At least Sophie stood up to Gran. I never could. But maybe it’s not too late for me…”*
Two weeks later, Emily told Sophie, *”Your father proposed. I said yes. He wants me to move to his city—he’s divorced now, his business is there. He can’t leave it.”*
*”Mum, that’s wonderful! Go to him. Don’t waste this chance. I* finally *get to meet my dad!”* Sophie hugged her. *”Let Gran stew on her own for a while. We won’t abandon her—but she needs to learn.”*
Sophie’s father met her at last. Later, he even helped with the mortgage deposit.
Emily moved away, married the love of her life, and finally understood true happiness—twenty years later than she should have.
The lesson was clear: love shouldn’t be dictated by fear or control. Sometimes, the bravest thing is to choose your own path—no matter who stands in your way.
