La vida

Divorce Next Door: Why My Husband Left Our 20-Year Marriage for the Single Mum from Down the Street—And Why I Refused to Take Him Back

Divorce Because of the Neighbour Just tell me, Mark, of all the women in England, why her? Why did you

La vida

Lucky Number 13 Spanner He Called That Morning Like It Was Nothing: A Grown-Up Son, His Retired Dad, and the Afternoon They Fixed an Old Bike—Nuts, Bolts, and All the Words Left Unsaid in a Third-Floor English Flat

The Key for Thirteen He rang me up in the morning, his voice casual, as if it was no big deal.

La vida

013

I Made the Most Romantic Financial Mistake of My Life: I Built My Dream Home on Someone Else’s Land When I got married, my mother-in-law smiled and said, “Why bother paying rent, dear? There’s space above the house—build yourselves a flat upstairs and live peacefully.” At the time, it felt like a blessing. I trusted her. I believed in love, too. My husband and I put every penny we had into that future home. We didn’t buy a car. We skipped holidays. Every bonus, every bit of savings went towards materials, builders, windows, tiles. We built for five years. Slowly. With hope. We turned an empty shell into a real home— A kitchen I’d always wanted, Big bright windows, Walls painted with my vision of “our home.” I’d say proudly, “This is our home.” But life never waits for you to be ready. Our marriage began to crack— Arguments, Shouting, Differences we couldn’t overcome. And on the day we decided to part ways, I received the most costly lesson of my life. As I packed my things through tears, I looked at the walls I had sanded and painted and said, “At least give back some of what we invested. Or pay me my share.” My mother-in-law—the same woman who told us to “build upstairs”—stood in the doorway, arms crossed, icy-eyed: “There’s nothing here that belongs to you. The house is mine. The deeds are in my name. If you’re leaving, you go with what you brought. Everything else stays.” That’s when I understood. Love doesn’t sign legal papers. Trust isn’t ownership. All the work in the world means nothing without your name on the deed. I walked out with two suitcases and five years of life turned into bricks and mortar that no longer belonged to me. I left with no money. No home. But a new clarity. The most wasted money isn’t what you spend on pleasures. It’s what you pour into something that never bore your own name. Bricks don’t care about your feelings. Words fade. But paperwork endures. If I could give one piece of advice to every woman: Never, however deep your love, build your future on someone else’s land. Because sometimes “saved rent” can cost you your whole life.

I made the most romantic financial mistake of my life: I built my own paradise on someone elses land.

La vida

I’m 70 Years Old and Became a Mother Before I Ever Learned to Think About Myself: I Married Young, Built My Life Around Others, and Now My Family Hardly Calls – From Sleepless Nights and Selfless Sacrifice to Feeling Forgotten in My Own Home. What Would You Advise Me?

I am seventy years old, and only now do I realise that I spent a lifetime caring for everyone else before

La vida

015

When My Husband Compared Me Unfavourably to His Mum, I Suggested He Move Back Home—and He Got a Harsh Lesson in Mother’s “Perfect” Comforts

My husband compared me to his mother, not in my favour, so I suggested he return to live with his parents

La vida

The Flat Was Bought by My Son: The Mother-in-Law’s Declaration

The flat was bought by my son: declared my mother-in-law I first met my wife while we were both at university

La vida

013

My Husband’s Childhood Friend Kept Asking for His Help, So I Had to Step In

Oh, Oliver, please, I dont know what to do! The water is gushing everywhere, Im going to flood the neighbours

La vida

The Syndrome of a Life Forever Put on Hold… Confessions of a 60-Year-Old Woman Helen: This year I turned 60. Not a single family member called to wish me a happy milestone birthday. I have a daughter and son, a grandson and granddaughter. Even my ex-husband is still around. My daughter is 40, my son is 35. Both live in London, both graduated from prestigious universities. Bright, successful, settled. My daughter is married to a high-ranking official, my son to the daughter of a major London business leader. Both have strong careers, own several properties, and besides their government jobs, run businesses of their own. Everything is stable. My ex-husband left when our son finished uni. Said he was tired of our lifestyle—though his own life was quiet and routine, with weekends spent lounging or out with friends, and month-long holidays with relatives down in the south. I, meanwhile, never took a proper holiday. I juggled three jobs—engineering at a factory, cleaning the offices there, and packing groceries in the local supermarket every weekend from 8 till 8, plus cleaning staff rooms. Every penny went to our children—living in London isn’t cheap, and top-tier education meant sharp clothes, decent food, entertainment. I taught myself to make do with old clothes, mending and reworking pieces, fixing my shoes. I was always clean, presentable. That was enough. My only entertainment was dreaming—sometimes I’d see myself laughing, young, and happy in my sleep. The moment my husband left, he bought a new, luxury car—clearly, there were funds saved up. Our shared life was always odd: besides paying the rent, all expenses fell to me. As for the children’s education, that was my job too. The flat we lived in came from my grandmother. A classic, spacious city apartment with high ceilings, converted from two bedrooms to three. There was a box room with a window, 8.5 square meters—I renovated it, made it cozy for my daughter. My son and I shared a room, but I only came home to sleep. My husband had the lounge. When my daughter moved to London, I had the box room. My son kept the bedroom. Our separation came without drama or dividing up property, no accusations. He wanted to LIVE, not just exist, and I was so worn down, I was actually relieved: no more cooking multi-course meals, washing his clothes and bedding, ironing and putting it all away—I could use that time to rest. By then my health had crashed: spine, joints, diabetes, thyroid, sheer exhaustion. For the first time I took a break from my main job just to get treatment. Kept the side jobs, of course. Got a little better. I hired a great tradesman—he and his mate gave me a proper bathroom overhaul in two weeks. For me, it was bliss. My OWN happiness, just for me! All along, I sent money to my successful kids instead of birthday or Christmas gifts, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day. Later, there were presents for my grandchildren too. So giving up side jobs was impossible. There was never money left for myself. I was rarely congratulated, usually only if I sent wishes first. No gifts. The biggest hurt? Not being invited to my kids’ weddings. My daughter put it bluntly: “Mum, you wouldn’t really fit in with our crowd. The President’s office people will be there.” As for my son’s wedding, I only heard about it from my daughter, after the fact… At least they didn’t ask for money for the wedding. Nobody ever visits, though I always invite them. My daughter calls our town “the sticks”—even though it’s a city with a million people. My son says, “Mum, I literally have no time.” There are seven daily flights from here to London—two hours, tops. How would I describe that period of my life? Probably, suppressed emotions… I lived like Scarlett O’Hara— “I’ll think about it tomorrow…” I pushed away tears and pain, pressing down whatever I felt—from confusion to despair. I became a robot, programmed only for work. Then the factory was bought out by Londoners. Reorganisation started. All those near retirement were made redundant—I lost two jobs in one hit, but could take early retirement. My pension: 800 pounds a month. Try and live on that. Lucky for me, a cleaning job opened up in my five-story block. I took it—another 800 pounds. Still kept my weekend packing and cleaning shift at the supermarket—they paid well, about £120 for a shift. The standing all day was tough. I started to renovate the kitchen, bit by bit. Did it myself, ordered the units from a neighbour—he did a decent job at a fair price. I began saving again. Wanted to refresh the bedrooms, swap out some furniture. Plans, always plans… but none ever included myself! What did I ever spend on me? Food—basic stuff, and I never ate much. And medicine—lots on that. Rent keeps climbing every year. My ex said, “Sell the flat, it’s a good area. You’ll get a good price, buy yourself a one-bedroom.” But I can’t bear to—my grandmother’s memory. My parents died young, she raised me. The flat is my life’s history. My ex and I managed to keep a friendly enough relationship. We talk like old mates. He’s doing well. Never speaks about his private life. Once a month he turns up with heavy groceries—potatoes, veg, rice, bottled water—refuses money. Says delivery isn’t worth it, they always send rubbish. I just agree. Inside, something feels frozen—a knot in my chest. I just keep going, working a lot. No dreams. Nothing I want for myself. I see my daughter and her kids on Instagram, my son’s life flashes by in his wife’s Insta stories. I’m glad they’re all fine—happy, healthy, enjoying trips, eating in nice places. Maybe I didn’t give them enough love. So there’s none in return. My daughter checks in sometimes—asks how I am. I always say “all’s well.” Never complain. My son sends WhatsApp voice notes, “Hi Mum, hope you’re good.” He once told me he didn’t want to hear about dad and my problems—negativity upsets him. So I stopped sharing, stick to “all’s fine, son.” I’d love to hug my grandchildren, but suspect they barely know I exist—a pensioner cleaner grandma. Most likely, to them, I’m already long gone. I can’t even remember buying anything for myself. Some underwear and socks now and then, cheapest possible. Never had a manicure or pedicure… Once a month I get my hair cut at the local place, dye my own hair. The only plus—I’ve kept the same size, 14/16, all my life. No need to update my wardrobe. My biggest fear is that one morning I won’t be able to get up—my spine aches constantly. I’m so afraid of being immobile. Maybe I shouldn’t have lived this way: no rest, no little joys, always working, always putting everything off for “later.” But where is “later?” It’s gone… My soul feels empty, my heart completely numb… everything around me is empty too… I don’t blame anyone. But I can’t blame myself, either. I’ve worked all my life, and still do. I squirrel away a little rainy day fund, just in case. Not much, but something. Though, let’s be honest—I know if I’m bedridden, I won’t want to live… don’t want to be anyone’s burden. And do you know what’s saddest? No one ever gave me flowers. Not once in my life. Wouldn’t it be something if someone finally brings fresh flowers—for my grave? Honestly, it would be almost funny…

The Syndrome of A Life Forever Postponed Recollections of a 60-Year-Old Woman Margaret: This year I turned sixty.

La vida

As a Child, I Was Curious to Discover Who My Father Was. Growing Up in a Children’s Home, His Absence Became My ‘Normal’. At Fourteen, I Met My Children’s Father and Didn’t Even Think to Search for My Own—Life Simply Continued. Years Later, After a Breakup, Fate Led Me to My Real Dad Just as I’d Stopped Looking. I Helped Support Him, Spoiled Him, and Tried to Make Up for Lost Time, Only to Discover His Other Children Kept Him Isolated and Feared Anyone Getting Close for the Sake of His Wealth. When He Gave Me His Surname, Family Tensions Escalated—But My Bond with His Caring Partner Grew Stronger. After Encouraging Them to Marry in Secret, I Learned the Truth: My Father Was Generous with His Kids, Yet Stingy with the Woman Who Cared for Him. In the End, Surrounded by Family Who Only Sought His Money, He Drove Away the One Person Who Truly Loved Him—And Our Relationship Has Never Been the Same.

As a child, I was always curious about who my father was. I grew up in a boarding school, and over the

La vida

Another Whole Year Together… Arkady Ivanovich hadn’t gone out alone lately—not since the day he wandered to the clinic, forgot his address and even his own name. He’d wandered aimlessly until, by chance, he spotted the familiar clock factory where he’d worked nearly fifty years. He knew the building for certain, but his own identity escaped him, until a friendly tap on the shoulder snapped him back— “It’s you, Ivanich! Uncle Arkady, missing us? We were just reminiscing about our great mentor. Don’t you recognise me? It’s Yura Akulov—thanks to you, I turned out alright!” With those words, memory flooded back, gratefully so. Yura, delighted, offered Arkady a lift home, and from that day on, Natalia Lvovna never let her husband out alone. They walked together to the park, the clinic, and the shop—always side by side. But then Arkady fell ill—fever, fierce cough—and his wife, feeling poorly herself, ventured out alone for medicine and groceries. The simple shopping trip felt like a daunting trek; the weight of the bags heavier than ever. Natalia paused for breath and, finally, set her groceries down in the snow, sinking gently onto the path home. Her last thought: “Why did I buy so much? Old minds don’t think ahead!” Luckily, neighbours came outside, saw Natalia collapsed, called an ambulance, and helped. Natalia was taken to hospital, while neighbours, worried, brought her bag home and knocked at their door. “Arkady must be inside, maybe ill—I haven’t seen him for days,” guessed Nina Mikhailovna. Arkady, feverish, heard their ringing but couldn’t answer, drifting into a strange sleep, longing for his Natasha. Suddenly, she was there—her voice guiding him up, her cold, weak hand supporting him. “Open the door, quickly!” she urged. Confused, Arkady unlocked the door—only to find neighbour Nina and Yura outside. “Ivanich, we rang and knocked—what happened?” “But Natasha was just here…” Arkady muttered, lips pale. “She’s in hospital, love—intensive care,” Nina replied. “He’s delirious,” Yura realised, catching Arkady as he fainted. They called an ambulance—heatstroke, exhaustion. Two weeks later, Natalia came home, cured. Yura drove her; Nina helped Arkady meanwhile, and he recovered too. The important thing: they were still together. At last, alone, husband and wife fought back tears. “Good thing there are kind souls in the world, Arkady. Remember how Nina’s kids came over after school? We fed them, helped with homework, until she finished work.” “Not everyone remembers kindness—but she hasn’t hardened, and it means so much,” Arkady agreed. “And Yura, once a lad—I guided him, and he hasn’t forgotten old friends.” “New Year’s is coming, Arkady—we’re together again,” Natalia whispered, snuggling close. “Natalia, tell me—how did you manage to visit me from hospital and help me open the door to my rescuers? I might have died without you,” Arkady finally asked. He feared she’d think his mind was lost, but instead, she wondered, “So, that really happened? They said I’d died briefly—clinical death—but in that time, I dreamt I visited you. I remember leaving my body in intensive care and coming to you…” “What miracles old age brings! I love you as much as ever—more, even,” Arkady murmured, holding her hands, as they gazed at each other, afraid the world might separate them once more. On New Year’s Eve, Yura visited with homemade pies, and Nina stopped by—they sipped tea, feeling warmth and gratitude. When Natalia and Arkady celebrated New Year’s alone, she confided, “I made a wish—that if we greet this New Year together, it’ll be ours. We’ll have another year yet.” They laughed in happiness. Another whole year of life together—that’s everything. That’s pure joy.

One more year together Lately, Arthur Bennett hadnt gone out on his own. Not since that day he wandered