Twenty Years Later, I Recognise My Younger Self in the Boy
On the Eve of His Wedding, Arthur Accused Martha of Betrayal—Though She Swore Her Loyalty, He Refused to Listen. Two Decades Later, He Met Her Son, a Living Mirror of His Own Youth…
They Shared a Love Straight Out of a Storybook: Passionate, Extraordinary, Enviable. Many Envied Their Bond and Stirred Up Trouble. The Young Couple Were Planning a Wedding That, Sadly, Never Happened.
The Night Before the Big Day, Martha Revealed She Was Pregnant. Instead of Joy, She Faced Arthur’s Fury. He Accused Her of Infidelity, Insisting She Couldn’t Possibly Be Pregnant So Soon. With Chilling Finality, He Told Her He Didn’t Believe a Word—But She Went Ahead and Had the Child.
Friends Called Him a Fool; Everyone Saw How Deeply Martha Loved Him. But Arthur Stood Firm—The Relationship Collapsed, and the Wedding Was Cancelled. He Suggested an Abortion; She Refused. Martha Waited Until the Last Moment for His Apology, But He Never Called.
She Wouldn’t Dial, Either. Arthur Was Certain He Was Right. They Went Their Separate Ways. Martha Faced the Consequences on Her Own. Even When Their Paths Crossed, Arthur Pretended Not to Know Her. He Would Glance Away on the Playground, Determined to Forget.
Martha’s Life Was Hard. Being a Single Mum Was Tough, But She Found Happiness. Her Own Dreams Took a Back Seat as She Devoted Herself to Her Little Angel. She Gave Her All to Ensure Her Son Lacked Nothing: Working Multiple Jobs, Building His Future. Chris Thanked Her—He Was Her Rock and Defender.
He Went to University, Served in the Army, Found a Job. As He Grew, He Stopped Asking About His Father—He Knew the Truth. As a Child, Martha Told Him Stories, But Did He Believe Them? It Was Clear He Did Not.
Chris Was the Image of His Father. At Twenty, He Reminded Martha of the Arthur She’d Fallen For. One Day, Their Paths Crossed: Martha, Arthur, and Chris. The Biological Father Was Struck—The Likeness Impossible to Miss. He Watched in Silence, Unable to Speak.
It Was Three Days Later That Arthur Came to Martha and Asked, “Can You Forgive Me?”
“It happened long ago…” Martha Whispered.
And So, The Tale of ‘Daddy’ Came Alive—For the First Time, Chris Met His Father. Twenty years on, I recognise in the boy the spitting image of my younger self. The night before their
How My Mother-in-Law Ended Up Sofa Surfing Im confident theres absolutely no reason why we should be
You’re Robbing My Son Blind—He Can’t Even Afford a Lightbulb
On Sunday morning, I was curled up under a blanket on the sofa. My husband had gone off to his mother’s to supposedly change a lightbulb, but that, of course, wasn’t the real reason she summoned her son:
“Son, did you forget that it’s Igor’s birthday today?”
My husband is a real spendthrift—his wages barely last a few days. Luckily, he hands over money for the bills and groceries, and the rest goes on new games and whatever else he wants for them. I don’t mind, because I’d rather he indulge his hobbies than spend his time drinking in a garage or clubbing. Plus, I once read that the first forty years of childhood are the hardest for anyone.
I’m not telling you this to get your sympathy, but to explain why my husband’s pockets are always empty. I don’t have those problems. I even manage to save a bit and often lend him money when he’s in a pinch. But I always refuse if he wants cash for his mother or other relatives.
Of course, I’d remembered it was Igor’s birthday, so I’d bought a present a week ago. Before he left, I handed my husband the gift and settled in to watch a film. I didn’t go with him, as my in-laws and I share a mutual dislike.
They seem to think I don’t love him because I refuse to let him spend money on them or babysit their kids. Once, I agreed to mind his sister’s children for an hour, but they left them with me for half the day, making me late for work. I had the nerve to say I wasn’t happy about it, so his mother and sister called me shameless and rude. After that, every request to babysit got a no from me. I didn’t mind if my husband wanted to look after his nephews, since I quite liked playing with them myself.
Not long after he left, my husband turned up again—with his whole family in tow, kids and all. His mother breezed right through the house, coat still on, and declared:
“We’ve decided that for Igor’s birthday, he should get a tablet—the one he picked. It’s worth £400. So you owe me £200 for your share. Pay up.”
Now, I might have bought the boy a tablet, just not such an expensive one.
Naturally, I didn’t give her a penny. Even my husband started having a go at me for being stingy. So I grabbed the laptop, called Igor over, and within five minutes we’d picked out a gadget he actually liked and bought it.
He ran off, thrilled, to his mum, who’d been sulking in the hallway. My husband’s sister always had sticky fingers, so I wouldn’t be surprised if something had gone missing. His mother didn’t appreciate my thoughtful gesture and instead flared up again.
“No one asked you to do that! You were supposed to give us the money. You’re with my son who’s always like a beggar—he can’t even afford a lightbulb. Now give me £200, you know it’s his money.”
She even reached for my handbag on the bedside table. I glared at my husband and hissed, “You have three minutes to get them out.”
He grabbed his mother and dragged her out of the house. Three minutes—that’s all it took.
That’s why, in my view, it’s better my husband spends his wages on games—before, his mother just took everything anyway. Better he enjoys himself than have those leeches snatch it all. Right now, I’m thinking I should have just married an orphan! I remember that old Sunday morning, wrapped in a knitted throw, stretched out on the settee.
Inheritance from an Ex-Husband or a Surprise from the Mother-in-Law. As an unexpected gift from her former
“Two weeks to pack your things and find somewhere else to live.” Daughters are upset.
“What do you mean you don’t want to change your surname?” – my mother-in-law shouted across the Registry Office
Ella never planned on getting married. But at 19 she found herself expecting a child with her classmate, whom she had been seeing for three years. She felt she had no choice – she didn’t want her baby to grow up without a father.
Even though he was older, he was immature and a total mummy’s boy. He didn’t run from responsibility, though – he agreed they should marry and raise the baby together. So, wedding preparations began.
Ella would have been content to just tie the knot quietly, but the families insisted on a big, lavish do. She couldn’t understand why they’d spend a fortune on guests when that money could buy essentials for their baby. No one listened. The restaurant, the wedding dress, the guests – all picked out by her mother-in-law and her sister!
When she was sent off for fittings, she didn’t even want to go. She pictured a dress with a million frills and rhinestones—not her style, and her fiancé’s family weren’t known for their taste. When she refused, her relatives labelled her ungrateful and got furious. She didn’t care—she had bigger worries: her A-levels, her exams, and getting ready for the baby’s arrival.
At the Registry Office, she wore a simple white dress that suited her and looked great. That’s where things took a turn.
Her new in-laws had no idea Ella planned to keep her own surname. The groom was in on it and didn’t mind, but the mother-in-law exploded and shrieked across the room:
“What do you mean you don’t want to change your name?”
Ella just smiled and stepped aside. Tomorrow was round two – the reception in her husband’s home village, surrounded by his entire family. She needed to save her strength. The marriage only lasted a few years. John turned out to be a useless husband and an even worse dad. Every weekend, he sat glued to his computer, ignoring his family. When Ella’s patience finally ran out, she packed her bags and left.
Her mother-in-law wasn’t happy about it. But our heroine breathed a sigh of relief—at last, she felt free and truly happy. Why on earth wont you take his surname?! hissed my mother-in-law, her voice echoing through the marble
My mother-in-law decided she rather fancied the idea of moving into my flat, handing her own over to
Wed held onto this hope for so long that my mother would finally retire, move to the countryside, and
Gran set his grandson and his wife out on their ear and decided, at the ripe old age of 80, to live on her own.
My son and his wife gave me a flat when I retired Today, my son Edward and my daughter-in-law Charlotte
