An Overbearing Mother-in-Law
“You have to give this money to my mum,” ranted George. “She’s not a stranger to you! She’s your mother-in-law, your second mother! What were you planning to spend it on? Your youthful whims? I won’t forgive you if something happens to Mum!”
At 29, George had been married three times, finding happiness with none. His wives, to put it mildly, were terrible—all three dared to disrespect his mother, Elaine.
George met his first wife, Natalie, in college, and she initially impressed him. After dating for a month, he proposed.
Elaine tested her potential daughter-in-law and approved: “She cooks well, cleans everything properly. But, son, make sure you tell Natalie she has to work after the wedding. Many juggle work and studies now. I don’t want your wife sitting around doing nothing!”
George decided not to mention this to Natalie until after the wedding. Their serious conversation came up after they tied the knot.
“Natalie, you need to find a job,” George insisted.
“How can I work if I’m attending class during the day?”
“I don’t know, find something for the evening. I’m working.”
“But I didn’t plan on working. What if we have a child soon?” Natalie was puzzled.
“No worries,” George assured her, “you’ll have a short maternity leave and then return to your duties. Mum will babysit!”
Natalie suspected then she’d made a mistake accepting George’s proposal. The marriage ended after four months; Natalie fled to her parents.
Elaine promptly called Natalie’s mother. “She’s not coming back to you,” Natalie’s mum declared, “Do you think I raised my daughter for an overbearing woman to boss her around with her mummy’s boy?”
File for divorce; Natalie doesn’t want to live with George anymore.
George ended the marriage with Natalie. He wasn’t upset—she wasn’t the wife he needed.
Elaine agreed: “Better it ended now. Imagine if you had kids? Natalie would be on leave, doing nothing, earning no money. You’d shoulder everything! No worries, you’re just 23. You’ll find your happiness yet!”
***
Happiness came a year after George’s divorce from Natalie. He met Valerie, a newcomer. George liked everything about Valerie, especially her good salary.
Elaine didn’t bother with checks this time; it was enough that Valerie would contribute to the family budget. They married quickly, and a week later Valerie surprised George.
“Darling, I’ve been meaning to tell you, but I was afraid…”
“Tell me what? Afraid of what?” George was confused.
“Well, I thought you’d dismiss me… I have a child!”
George was disappointed. Raising someone else’s child wasn’t in his plans.
He rushed to get advice from Elaine, who sighed and said, “No worries! The child has lived somewhere all along. Let it stay there! Your Valerie can bring the child to visit sometimes. There’s no talk of moving in yet; your relationship isn’t proven over time.”
Elaine’s words were passed to Valerie, who was disheartened; she hoped to bring her son from the countryside to the city, but didn’t push back. She thought the issue would resolve with time. She could bring her son and claim her parents couldn’t watch him anymore.
And so she did.
About a month later, she brought her seven-year-old son to Elaine’s apartment. The welcome was cold, and George stated, “Tell him not to call me dad, and my mum isn’t his grandma. We’re strangers to him. I don’t want requests to buy things either. Contribute your salary to the common fund; the rest you spend on your child.”
Valerie felt hurt by the attitude. She’d hoped George’s heart would melt at the sight of her son.
She mainly married George for the place to live; renting took a huge chunk of her earnings. This marriage didn’t last long, either. Fed up with endless complaints, Valerie filed for divorce, took her son, and returned to her parents.
George was alone again. Elaine consoled him: “Imagine living with someone else’s child all your life! Valerie wasn’t much help, all she did was work. I handled everything at home. She didn’t even thank me, just turned her nose up, saying we weren’t warm enough to her child! Why should we be? He’s nobody to us!”
***
George met his third wife at a scientific conference where he attended as a professor’s assistant. He was charmed by Vera, a strong, successful woman. They talked, and George discovered that Vera was quite well-off, with her own apartment, car, and social standing.
George pursued her for a long time; Vera didn’t let him get too close at first. When George detailed his new relationship to Elaine, she was pleased: “Son, that’s what you need! You can’t go wrong with a woman like her! Twelve years older is nothing! How much does she earn again? Three times more than you? Definitely go for it!”
At first, Vera refused to marry George: “Why bother with a marriage certificate? Does it change anything? We can live just fine without a registered marriage.”
“Oh, Vera,” George protested, “I can’t do that! I wasn’t raised that way! I don’t accept cohabitation without marriage, so please, let’s formalize this.”
Vera thought and agreed, reasoning that they could divorce anytime anyway; it wasn’t a big issue.
Vera refused to move in with Elaine. “Why live with someone else when I have my three-room apartment? If you want to, move in with me. I certainly won’t move in with your mum!”
“But darling, I can’t leave Mum! What would she do without me?”
“Well, Elaine seems far from sixty. She’ll manage. You know the terms, George. If you want, move in. If not, let’s have a visiting marriage. I’m fine with that.”
***
Eventually, George moved in with Vera, much to Elaine’s displeasure. She’d hoped Vera’s three-room apartment would start generating rental income, a stable extra income.
Vera, skilled in relationships, quickly bent George to her will. Gradually, she cut his visits to his mum; George visited Elaine rarely.
“Son, you never come by,” Elaine complained. “What’s going on? Won’t your wife let you?”
“Mum, I’m just very busy,” George lied. “Vera says I need to grow, develop. She suggested I write a dissertation! I’m working on that now.”
After marrying Vera, George stopped giving his mum money. This displeased Elaine, who initially dropped hints but soon demanded openly: “Why aren’t you giving me money? How am I supposed to manage our two-bedroom apartment alone?”
“Mum, I don’t have extra money right now. Once I do, I’ll help you. Please be patient a little longer.”
Vera aimed to detach George from the umbilical ties with Elaine. She liked George’s kind and pliant nature, and he was easy to compromise with.
Vera diligently turned George into a typical henpecked husband—a type she very much liked.
***
This marriage also fell apart. Elaine, having tried every method to extract money from her son, became despondent. Naturally, Vera was blamed for George’s callousness. As a result, Elaine concocted a plan to get money from her son:
“George, I need money for treatment! I’ve fallen ill. Since you left, my health’s been declining!”
“What happened, Mum?”
“Oh, son, it’s a long story. I need 200,000 pounds for surgery.”
“But Mum, I don’t have that money now! I know Vera does. Ask your wife; I think she won’t refuse you.”
“What if she does?”
“Then threaten her with divorce! Tell her you’ll leave if she won’t help your mum.”
George waited for Vera to return from work and brought up the matter. Vera listened and declined.
“George, you know I spend a lot on my appearance. I do have 200,000 pounds, but they’re already allocated. These funds are for my cosmetic clinic treatment, to maintain youth.”
“On procedures?” George was indignant. “Vera, this involves life and death! My mum’s health is a thousand times more important than treatments! I demand you help me. You’re my wife and owe me this!”
“Who says?” Vera smirked, “I’m under no obligation, darling. Your mum’s unwell? Then find the money for her treatment. What does it have to do with me?”
“Then I’ll file for divorce,” George bluffed, sure it would shock Vera.
“Well, go ahead. I’m fed up with you. Pack your bags and go back to your beloved mum. Living with you is impossible!”
George panicked and pleaded for her to reconsider. Vera stood firm, packed his things herself, and showed him the door.
Elaine welcomed the divorce, happy her son returned home. But George was disheartened, holding out hope of reuniting with his wife.
