Harlan Covington

He Hated His Wife. Truly Hated Her… They Spent 15 Years Together—Waking Beside Each Other Every Morning—But Only This Past Year Did Her Habits Begin to Deeply Irritate Him. Especially One: Each Morning, While Still in Bed, She’d Stretch Out Her Arms and Say, “Good morning, sunshine! Today will be a marvellous day.” An Ordinary Phrase, Yet Her Thin Arms and Sleepy Face Filled Him with Disgust. She’d Rise, Gaze Out the Window for a Moment, Take Off Her Nightdress, and Head to the Bathroom. Early in Their Marriage, He Had Admired Her Body, Her Innocent Freedom Edging on Immodesty. Now, Though Her Figure Remained Beautiful, Her Nakedness Made Him Angry. Once, He Even Wanted to Push Her—Shove Her into Starting the Day Faster—But He Settled for Snapping, “Hurry up, I’m sick of waiting!” She Never Rushed. She Knew About His Three-Year Affair and Even Knew the Young Woman Involved, but Time and Quiet Resignation Had Dulled the Wound to Her Pride—Leaving Only Sadness and a Sense of Unimportance. She Forgave His Hostility, Neglect, His Longing to Relive His Youth, Yet She Didn’t Allow Him to Dictate the Pace of Her Life. She Had Lived This Way Since Learning She Was Terminally Ill. Month by Month, Her Illness Consumed Her, with No Hope of Recovery. Her First Impulse Was to Tell Everyone to Ease the Cruelty of the Truth by Sharing It Piece by Piece with Family. But After Surviving the Worst Days Alone, She Decided to Keep Silent. With Each Passing Day, She Found Quiet Wisdom—Learning to Contemplate. She Sought Solitude in a Tiny Village Library, An Hour-and-a-Half’s Walk Away. Every Day She’d Slip Between the Bookshelves Labelled “Mysteries of Life and Death,” Finding Books She Hoped Held All the Answers. Meanwhile, He Felt Alive Only in His Lover’s House—So Warm, Bright, And Familiar After Three Years. He Loved Her Madly, Jealously, Even Desperately. Today, He Arrived with a Solid Decision: Divorce. Why Torture All Three of Them Anymore? He Didn’t Love His Wife—He Hated Her! Here, He Would Start Again, Happier. He Tried Remembering How He’d Once Felt About His Wife But Failed. It Seemed She’d Annoyed Him from the Very Beginning. Pulling a Photo of Her from His Wallet—A Simple Act Sealing His Decision—He Tore It to Shreds. They Agreed to Meet in the Restaurant Where, Six Months Ago, They’d Celebrated Their Fifteenth Anniversary. She Arrived First. He Stopped by Home to Gather Divorce Papers, Rummaging through Drawers in a Fluster. In One Drawer He Discovered a Dark Blue Sealed Folder He’d Never Noticed. Kneeling On the Floor, He Tore Off the Tape, Expecting Anything—Even Blackmail Photos. Instead: Medical Reports, Lab Results, Doctor’s Letters—All with His Wife’s Name. Realisation Struck Like Lightning, Sending Chills Down His Spine. Illness! He Googled the Diagnosis. The Screen Displayed: “6 to 18 months.” Looking at the dates, He Saw Six Months Had Already Passed Since Her Tests. After That, Everything Blurred—His Mind Echoing Only the Words, “6-18 months.” She Waited 40 Minutes. No Answer to Her Calls. She Paid the Bill and Stepped Into a Beautiful Autumn Day—Gentle Sun Warming Her Heart. “How Beautiful Life Is—How Lovely to Be Here, With Sunlight and Trees.” For the First Time Since Learning Her Fate, She Felt Truly Sorry for Herself. She Had Kept Her Terrible Secret from Husband, Family, and Friends, Sparing Them at the Cost of Her Own Shattered Life. Soon, All That Would Remain Would Be a Memory. She Walked the Streets, Watching People’s Joyful Eyes Looking Forward—To Winter, Then Spring. She’d Never Know Such Hope Again. Grief Swelled Up and Spilled Over In Endless Tears… He Prowled His Room, Suddenly Overwhelmed by the Fragility of Life. He Remembered His Wife When They First Met, Young and Hopeful. He Once Had Loved Her! It Was as if the Past Fifteen Years Had Vanished, And All that Remained Was Youth, Happiness, Promise… In Her Final Days, He Surrounded Her with Tenderness, Refusing to Leave Her Side—Feeling More Alive Than Ever. He Was Terrified of Losing Her and Would Have Given His Life to Save Hers. If Reminded That Just a Month Ago He Had Hated Her, He’d Swear, “That wasn’t me.” He Saw How Hard Death Was for Her—How She Wept at Night, Believing Him Asleep. He Knew There Was No Greater Punishment than Knowing When You’ll Die. He Saw Her Fighting for Every Day, Clinging to the Faintest Hope. She Died Two Months Later. He Covered the Road from Their Home to the Cemetery in Flowers and Wept Like a Child as Her Coffin Was Lowered into the Earth—A Thousand Years Older, All at Once… At Home, Beneath Her Pillow, He Found Her New Year’s Wish: “To Be Happy With Him Until the End of My Days.” They Say All Wishes Made on New Year’s Eve Come True. Perhaps They Do—Since In That Same Year, He’d Written: “To Be Free.” In the End, Each Received Exactly What They Had Wished For…

He loathed his wife. Loathed her… Theyd spent fifteen years togetheran entire decade and a half.

La vida

She Got My Mother-in-Law Back on Her Feet—But I’m Furious Because I Didn’t Weed the Garden Beds “What are you doing here?” shouted my mother-in-law, standing in the middle of the swan-shaped flowerbeds. “Such shame has never happened here before. I never had to hide behind my children—I raised seven, and not a single weed!” Her shouting had already attracted the neighbours. Clinging to the fence like crows, they wasted no time gossiping about everything they’d heard. With an audience, my mother-in-law only grew more theatrical. She went on and on while I stood there speechless. Finally, exhausted from her own drama, she took a deep breath and declared loudly enough for every neighbour to hear: I didn’t say a word. I walked past my mother-in-law calmly, tightening my hold on the child in my arms. Once inside, I packed everything she and I would need for that evening and the morning after, methodically separating the items in a special box. Without a second thought, I tossed my son’s things and my own into a bag and left, saying nothing to her. Three days later, my mother-in-law called: “What did you do with all those things the professor gave her? I asked the neighbour to buy a few, but she said one jar was very expensive, and we don’t touch the ones labelled in foreign languages. So what am I supposed to do? You stormed off upset about something, and now here I am, left to meet my maker?” I didn’t answer. I turned off my phone and removed the SIM card. That was it; I simply couldn’t go any further—I was out of physical and mental strength. A year ago, just before my son was born, my husband lost control of the car on an icy road. My memory of the days is a blur: saying goodbye to him, the ambulance taking him away, and then the next morning, I became a mother. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. Without my beloved husband, everything around me seemed unnecessary and meaningless. I nursed and rocked my baby in a daze, simply because I was told to. Then the phone rang. “Your mother-in-law isn’t well. She may not live long after her son.” I made my decision instantly. After checking out of the hospital, I immediately sold our flat in London. I invested part of the money into building a new home so my son would have something for his future. And then I went to care for my mother-in-law. That year, I didn’t live—I simply existed. I barely slept, looking after both my mother-in-law and my infant son. The baby was restless, and my mother-in-law needed my constant attention. Thankfully, I had money. I called the best specialists from across the UK to come and see her. I bought every medication prescribed, and slowly, my mother-in-law returned to normal life. First, I wheeled her around the house, then the garden. By the end, she was strong enough to walk on her own—and then… I no longer want to see or hear from her again. Let her figure out her recovery herself. At least I was wise enough not to spend all my money on her. My son and I moved into a new home. I never imagined it would end up like this. I wanted to share my life with my husband’s mother, since I’m an orphan myself. But now, it’s just me. I need to teach my son: not everyone deserves kindness. Some people care more about tidy vegetable patches than about the people who save their lives.

She woke the whole neighbourhood with her fuss about the garden beds, but I was fuming, for I hadnt weeded them.

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For two years, Mary was nothing more than a caregiver to her husband’s mother.

For two years, Alice was nothing more than a carer for his mother. Alice found herself marrying Arthur

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“We’ll Be Staying With You for a While, Since We Can’t Afford to Rent a Flat! – My Friend Announced to Me I’m a very active woman. Even at 65, I still manage to explore new places and meet all sorts of fascinating people. I look back on my youth with both joy and nostalgia—back then, you could spend your holidays wherever you wanted! You could travel to the seaside, go camping with friends, or take a boat trip down any river—and all for just a little money. Sadly, those days are long gone. I’ve always loved meeting new people. I met friends on the beach, at the theatre—and some friendships lasted for years. One day, I met a woman named Sarah while holidaying at the same B&B. We parted as friends and over the years, sent each other the occasional letter. Then, one day, I received an unsigned telegram: “The train arrives at 3 a.m. Meet me!” I had no idea who had sent it, so my husband and I stayed home. But at 4 a.m., there was a knock at our door. I was stunned when I opened it: Sarah stood there with two teenage daughters, her grandmother, and a man, all with a mountain of luggage. My husband and I were bewildered. But we let them in, and Sarah said to me: “Why didn’t you meet us? I sent you a telegram! You know that costs money!” “Sorry, but we didn’t know who sent it!” “Well, you gave me your address. Here I am.” “I thought we’d just write letters, that’s all!” Sarah explained that one of the girls had just finished school and planned to go to university, so the family had come to support her. “We’re going to stay with you! We can’t afford to rent a flat or a hotel!” I was shocked. We weren’t even related—why should we let them move in? We had to feed our guests three times a day. They brought some food, but never cooked; they just ate ours, and I had to serve them all. After three days, I couldn’t take it anymore and asked Sarah and her family to leave. I didn’t care where they went. A huge row erupted. Sarah started smashing dishes and shouting hysterically. I was just dumbfounded by her behaviour. Then, Sarah and her family started packing. They managed to steal my dressing gown, several towels, and even somehow snuck out with my big saucepan. I still don’t understand how—but it just vanished! And that was the end of our friendship. Thank goodness! I never heard from her again, and never saw her. How could anyone be so brazen! I’m much more cautious now when I meet new people.”

Well have to stay with you for a while, since we cant afford to rent a place! my friend announced to me.

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My Father-in-Law Was Left Speechless When He Saw the Conditions We Were Living In

You know, I met my husband at a mutual friends wedding in London. At that time, Id just moved to the

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013

Grey Mouse Is Happier Than You: The Real Story of Olga, Her Modest Marriage, Glitzy Friends, and What Truly Lasts in Life

Claire, honestly, come on, Julia is eyeing her old cotton dress as if it were some questionable relic

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My Husband Brought a Colleague to Our Christmas Dinner, So I Asked Them Both to Leave

Where have you put the napkins? I told you to get the ones with the silver trim they match the tablecloth

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Drifts of Destiny

Snowdrifts of Destiny Matthew, a thirty-five-year-old solicitor, had always despised New Years Eve.

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You Didn’t Deserve It “I thought after my divorce I’d never be able to trust anyone again,” said Andrew, absently spinning his empty espresso cup between his fingers, his voice trembling so convincingly that Katie leaned in without thinking. “You know, when someone betrays you, it feels like you lose a part of yourself. She did me irreparable emotional harm. I didn’t think I’d ever get out, not sure I’d even survive…” Andrew sighed heavily and talked for quite a while. About his ex-wife, who never appreciated him. About pain that wouldn’t let go. About the fear of starting all over again. Every word landed in Katie’s heart like a warm stone, and she was already picturing herself as the woman who would restore his faith in love. The one to help him heal. The one who’d show him true happiness was possible—with her. Andrew brought up Max on their second date, somewhere between dessert and coffee. “I have a son, actually—he’s seven. He lives with his mum but spends every weekend with me. That’s what the court decided.” “That’s wonderful!” Katie beamed. “Children are such a blessing.” She already envisioned it all: Saturday breakfasts for three, park outings, cozy evenings watching telly. The boy needed a woman’s touch, a bit of motherly warmth. She would be his second mum—not a replacement for the real one, of course, but someone close, someone he could count on. “Are you sure you’re okay with it?” Andrew studied her face with a strange smile she mistook for distrust. “A lot of women run the other way when they hear about a child.” “I’m not most women,” she replied proudly. Their first weekend with Max was a real celebration. Katie made blueberry pancakes—his favourite, as Andrew had warned her. She sat patiently over maths homework, explained sums in simple words, washed his dinosaur t-shirt, ironed his school uniform, and saw to it he was tucked in by nine. “You need a break,” she told Andrew gently one day, noticing how he had sprawled on the sofa, TV remote in hand. “I can handle things.” Andrew nodded—a grateful nod, she thought. Now she realised it was the nod of a landlord taking what’s due. Months became years. Katie worked as a manager at a logistics company, left the house before eight, came back at seven. Decent pay—by London standards, anyway. Enough for two. But there were three of them. “They’ve postponed things again at the site,” Andrew would grumble, as though reporting a natural disaster. “The client’s bailed. But there’s a big contract coming, promise you.” That big contract had stayed on the horizon for a year and a half—sometimes edging closer, sometimes fading away, but never quite real. The bills, however, arrived like clockwork. Rent. Electricity. Broadband. Groceries. Child support to Marina. New trainers for Max. School fees. Katie paid everything in silence. She scrimped on work lunches, packed cold pasta in Tupperware, walked home in the rain instead of taking a cab. She’d gone a year without a manicure—kept her nails filed herself, trying not to think about when she could afford a proper salon. In three years, Andrew brought her flowers exactly three times. She remembered every sad bouquet—half-wilted roses from a 24-hour shop near the tube, their broken stems speared in cellophane. Probably on a special offer. The first time was because he called her hysterical in front of Max. The second—after a row when a friend visited, unannounced. The third—when he missed her birthday entirely, having stayed late with mates. Or simply because he’d forgotten. “Andrew, I don’t care about expensive gifts,” she tried to say gently, choosing her words. “But sometimes I just want to know you’re thinking of me. Even just a card…” His face twisted at once. “You just care about money—that’s it, isn’t it? Presents. What about love? Everything I’ve been through?” “That’s not what I—” “You didn’t deserve it,” he spat, flinging the words like mud. “After all I do for you, more complaints?” Katie went quiet. She always did—it was easier. Easier to live, to breathe, to pretend everything was fine. Of course, he always had cash for pub nights with the lads: beers, football matches, Thursday dinners. He’d stagger home, reeking of sweat and smoke, not noticing Katie was still awake. She told herself this was how it was meant to be. Love means sacrifice. Patience. He would change. He had to. She just needed to take care of him better, love him more—he’d been through so much. Discussions about marriage became like tiptoeing through a minefield. “We’re happy, aren’t we? Why do we need a piece of paper?” Andrew would swat away the topic like a persistent fly. “After what I went through with Marina, I need time.” “It’s been three years, Andrew. Three years is a long time.” “You’re pressuring me! Always pressuring!” He’d snap, leave the room, and nothing ever came of the conversation. Katie wanted children. Her own, her flesh and blood. She was twenty-eight, her biological clock ticked louder in her ear each month. But Andrew had no interest in fatherhood again—he already had a son, that was enough. One Saturday, she asked for just one day. That was all. “The girls have invited me round. Haven’t seen them in ages. I’ll be back tonight.” Andrew glared at her as if she’d just said she was emigrating. “And Max?” “He’s your son, Andrew. Have the day with him. Just you two.” “So you’re just leaving us? On a Saturday? I was counting on a bit of rest.” Katie blinked, once, then again. For three years, she’d never left them alone. Cooked, cleaned, helped with homework, did the laundry and ironing—all whilst holding down a full-time job. “I just want to see my friends. For a few hours… He’s your son. Can’t you cope for one day without me?” “You’re supposed to love my child as much as you love me!” Andrew suddenly roared. “You’re living in my flat, eating my food, and now you’re showing attitude?!” His flat. His food. Katie paid that rent. She bought that food with her pay. For three years, she’d supported a man who shouted at her for requesting a day off to see friends. She looked at him—at his contorted face, the throbbing vein in his temple, his clenched fists—and saw him for the first time. Not a tragic victim of circumstance. Not a lost soul in need of saving. But a grown man who’d mastered the art of using other people’s kindness. To Andrew, she was not a loved one, not a future wife. She was a cash machine and free housekeeper. Nothing more. When Andrew left to drop Max at Marina’s, Katie took out a holdall. Her hands moved steadily, with purpose—no trembling, no second thoughts. Papers. Phone. Charger. A couple of t-shirts. A pair of jeans. The rest she could buy later. The rest didn’t matter anymore. She didn’t leave a note. No point explaining yourself to someone who never saw you at all. The door closed softly behind her, drama-free. Within an hour, the calls began. One, then another, then a flood—her phone vibrated with a relentless trill. “Katie, where are you?! What’s going on?! I come home—no sign of you! How dare you? Where’s my dinner? Am I supposed to go hungry? How can you do this?” She listened to his rage—angry, outraged, self-righteous—and marvelled. Even now, as she left, Andrew only thought of himself. His discomfort. Who would make dinner. Not a word of sorry. Not a word of concern. Just “How dare you?” Katie blocked his number. Then found his profile on WhatsApp—blocked that too. Socials—blocked everywhere. Anywhere he could reach her, she built a wall. Three years. Three years living with a man who never loved her. Who used her kindness like a limitless resource. Who convinced her that self-sacrifice was love. But love isn’t like that. Real love never means humiliation. It never turns you into a servant. Katie strolled through the evening streets of London and, for the first time in ages, could breathe easy. She promised herself she’d never again confuse love with self-neglect. Never again save those who prey on pity. And to always choose herself. Only herself…

I suppose, looking back now, that I used to believe Id never trust anyone again after the divorce.

La vida

What You Need Isn’t a Wife—It’s a Housekeeper

You dont need a wife, you need a housekeeper. Mum, Sallys chewed up my pencil again! Martha dashed into