Sophie had been married to James for two years. Their love was strong, but tensions often arose due to her strained relationship with his mother, Margaret.
Sophie was kind-hearted and always tried her best to win over her new family.
Despite her efforts, Sophie couldn’t shake the feeling of coldness and distance from Margaret.
Never outright rude, Margaret’s glances, tone, and subtle comments always made Sophie feel like an unwelcome guest.
Every time she came home from visiting Margaret, Sophie was visibly upset.
“James, I don’t think your mother likes me,” she confided in her husband, worried.
James would sigh, putting aside his book with a hint of frustration.
“Nonsense, Sophie. Mum likes you; she’s just reserved. Remember what she went through raising us alone after Dad passed?”
“I know she had a tough time, but I still feel like she’s constantly criticizing me behind my back.”
“It’s all in your head, Sophie…”
“No! I overheard her talking to your grandmother. She called me a nuisance and said she didn’t like me,” Sophie reminded him.
“You can’t be certain she was talking about you. Let’s focus on something fun instead. How about we catch a movie tomorrow?” James suggested, trying to shift the mood.
But Sophie couldn’t easily dismiss her doubts. She knew Margaret disapproved of her and her family, even if it was never openly said.
After another strained visit, Sophie resolved to find out the truth.
During her next visit to Margaret’s, Sophie discreetly hid a small voice recorder in the kitchen towels, one she had bought months ago for university lectures.
She acted normally, assisting Margaret with dinner preparations, hiding her ulterior motive.
Back at home, Sophie went to bed without mentioning anything about her plan to James.
The following day, she returned to Margaret’s, under the guise of helping out, but really to retrieve the recorder.
Finding it exactly where she left it, Sophie hurried home trembling with anticipation.
That evening, when James returned from work, Sophie approached him with a mysterious demeanor.
“James, listen to this,” she said, holding the recorder tightly.
“What is it?” James asked, surprised as he removed his coat. “A recorder? What’s on it?”
“Just listen, please,” Sophie urged, pressing play.
Initially, only regular kitchen sounds were heard: running water, clinking dishes, weather chatter.
Then Margaret’s irritated voice emerged. It was clear she was on a call.
As soon as she got a response, her voice grew louder and sharper.
“I can’t calm down. What was my son thinking marrying her? She’s useless in the kitchen!” she ranted. “Where did she even come from? Her family can’t even boil a kettle properly! You can tell just by looking at her mother.”
More hurtful remarks followed about Sophie’s appearance, manners, and family.
Ending with a polite goodbye, Margaret hung up and turned on the TV.
Sophie switched off the recorder, looking at James with a mix of hope and fear.
“Do you believe me now?” she asked, struggling to hold back tears.
James was silent, awkwardly lowering his gaze. He was caught between understanding Margaret’s unacceptable behavior and grappling with Sophie eavesdropping.
“Mum’s always been blunt,” he finally said, meeting her eyes. “Maybe she just spoke in anger…”
“In anger?!” Sophie exclaimed, feeling betrayed. “She’s insulting my family and me, and that’s your excuse?”
“Maybe she’s just stressed… Let’s talk to her calmly, explain…”
“No, James! I won’t endure these insults any longer! If you can’t stand up for me, we need to reconsider our relationship!” Sophie cried, leaving him alone with his heavy thoughts.
James understood the situation needed an urgent resolution but was unsure of the right course of action.
Later that evening, as tempers cooled, James decided to call his mother.
He explained the situation and asked Margaret to apologize for her harsh words.
“Mum, this isn’t right… It’s too much…”
“She was eavesdropping? Recording me without permission? I’ll go to the police and have her punished for invading my privacy!” Margaret ranted. “And you expect me to apologize? She should be begging for my forgiveness!”
“Mum, stop!” James interjected sharply. “Do you hear yourself?”
“Yes, very well! And that Sophie should never step foot in my house again! You hear me? I should check for recorders everywhere. You can’t say a word in your own home!” Margaret sobbed. “And instead of defending me, you side with her! I’ll go to the university and demand her expulsion!”
“Don’t you dare!” James shouted, realizing his mother was overstepping.
“I didn’t ask your permission! You think you can tell me what to do?” Margaret sneered, hanging up.
James tried calling her back, but she wouldn’t pick up.
To prevent more trouble, he drove to her place to persuade her not to take drastic actions against Sophie.
Margaret did not open the door, aware of the reason for his visit.
Calming down, she decided not to go to the university but resolved to block Sophie from entering her home and to turn her son against her.
James quickly saw through her plan and began visiting his parents less often.
