The Treacherous Surprise: A Mother-in-Law’s Secret Scheme
Katherine was still half-asleep when a sharp knock shattered the morning quiet of their suburban home near Manchester.
“William, get the door,” she murmured, nudging her husband in the ribs.
“I’m sleeping,” he grunted, pulling the blanket over his head.
With a sigh, Katherine dragged herself from beneath the warm covers and shuffled to the door in her slippers. When she opened it, she froze—her mother-in-law stood on the doorstep.
“Margaret? What on earth are you doing here?” Katherine’s eyes widened in shock.
Without a word, Margaret swept past her into the flat, leaving a trail of strong perfume in her wake.
“Katie, who was it?” Rubbing his eyes, William appeared in the hallway.
“Not saying a word? Go on, then—tell your wife about our little surprise,” Margaret said, giving her son a mocking glance.
“What surprise?” Katherine spun around to face her husband, her heart tightening with foreboding. She knew something was being hidden from her, but she couldn’t possibly guess the blow that awaited her.
“Again?” Katherine stared at William in despair. “We were just at your mother’s last weekend, helping with everything! I’m exhausted, Will—can’t we just have one quiet weekend to ourselves?”
Her voice trembled, her eyes pleading, but William remained unmoved.
“Katie, you know how hard it’s been for Mum since Dad passed. She’s on her own now, struggling. I’m her only son—I have to help.”
“And why has she come now?” Katherine fought to keep her composure.
“I mentioned she needed wallpaper—light beige—and a few other bits for the house.”
“Couldn’t she have ordered it online?” Katherine asked hopefully.
“She doesn’t know how. We’ll go this weekend. A little trip might do you good.”
“A trip to the DIY store? What a thrill!” Katherine scoffed, bitterness simmering in her chest.
But she didn’t want to ruin her weekend. Quickly, she grabbed her phone, ordered everything on the list for delivery, and even paid for it herself. All Margaret had to do was accept the delivery. Surely now, she’d have no reason to turn up at their flat. The delivery was set for Friday evening, and Katherine exhaled with relief, thinking she had it all under control.
So imagine her shock when, on Saturday morning, Margaret appeared at their door lugging enormous bags full of wallpaper and paint tins.
“Did you expect me to carry all this myself?” Margaret gave her daughter-in-law an icy glare. “William, you didn’t tell her?”
“Margaret, this was supposed to be a surprise,” Katherine mumbled, still in her pyjamas, bewildered in the hallway.
“I can see that,” Margaret sneered, then turned to her son. “Cat got your tongue? Go on—tell your wife about our surprise!”
“What surprise?” Katherine’s voice shook as she turned to William. She felt her world about to collapse.
“I’m moving in with you for a few months,” Margaret announced triumphantly, removing her coat.
Before Katherine could process this, her mother-in-law delivered another blow:
“And you—you’re coming to stay at my cottage.”
Margaret swept into the kitchen like royalty, while Katherine grabbed William’s arm and hissed furiously:
“What is this? What move? We never discussed this!”
“Sorry, I didn’t get a chance to tell you,” William shrugged, as if it were no big deal. “Mum suggested it. Don’t worry, we’re not leaving today.”
Biting back her anger, Katherine retreated to the bedroom. She wouldn’t argue in front of Margaret, but inside, she was boiling. By evening, William finally explained.
“Katie, think about it—it’s an opportunity! We’ll fix up the cottage just how you like. It’ll be great for your portfolio, bring in more clients. While we’re doing the work, we’ll stay there. Mum shouldn’t breathe in all that dust at her age, and someone has to oversee the labourers.”
“And that someone is me?” Katherine gasped in outrage.
“What’s the problem? You need the work—Mum and I are looking out for you!”
“Looking out for me? By shipping me off to the middle of nowhere? I don’t want this! I love our flat!”
“We’re not leaving straight away,” William brushed her off. “You’ve already ordered the wallpaper—we’ll start with one room, make it comfortable for Mum.”
“And how will she handle the dust then?” Katherine scoffed.
“We’ll open a window—she won’t notice. Besides, it’s not our place to dictate terms. The flat’s in her name, and the cottage is technically mine.”
“The flat’s only hers because you never sorted the inheritance!” Katherine snapped.
“Stay out of our family business!” William cut her off. “Mum and I have it settled. I’m her only heir—it’ll all be ours eventually.”
“If the flat were in your name, your mother wouldn’t be kicking us out to the countryside! Now, thanks to your carelessness, we’re stuck there!”
Margaret, who had been eavesdropping, couldn’t stay silent. She flung the bedroom door open.
“You should hold your tongue!” she barked. “You came into this family with nothing, and now you’re eyeing up the inheritance?”
“With nothing?” Katherine choked on her indignation.
“Of course! You’d be penniless without my son. And now you dare make demands?”
“It’s only fair,” Katherine shot back. “You cut William out, took everything for yourself! What if you remarry?”
“Me? Remarry?” Margaret burst out laughing, momentarily softened by the unintended compliment. “Fine. Fix up the cottage, and I’ll put the flat in William’s name. But the cottage stays mine. Happy?”
Katherine exhaled in relief. William, though upset by the argument with his mother, forced a smile.
“Still feels a bit wrong, though…” he muttered later in the car.
A week later, they finished renovating one room in the flat and moved to the cottage.
“She came to us in good faith, and we…” William lamented.
“And we’re only taking what’s ours,” Katherine said firmly. “Once the work’s done, the flat’s ours. Just imagine!”
The cottage greeted them gloomily—faded walls, creaky floors, and a mountain of work ahead. The cost of repairs was daunting.
“Don’t worry, we’ll take out a loan,” William reasoned. “The flat will be worth it.”
Reluctantly, Katherine agreed. She threw herself into the project with unexpected passion, overseeing every detail. Slowly, the cottage transformed, and to her surprise, she fell in love with the process.
“We should plant a garden out here,” she dreamed aloud. “At least a rose bush or two.”
She began tending the grounds, though it wasn’t part of the plan. Each evening, she’d excitedly update William on her progress.
“And here, we’ll plant peonies—I’ve already ordered the saplings.”
“Katie, that’s over budget,” William frowned. “Mum can sort the garden when she moves in.”
The words stung. She’d poured her heart into this place, and now he was talking about his mother taking over?
“Will… what if we stayed here?” she ventured timidly. “I love it. The cottage is yours—no need to change anything.”
“And the flat?” he asked, surprised.
“It’s cramped, stifling. Out here, there’s space, fresh air!”
“I’ll talk to Mum,” he promised.
Katherine was overjoyed. She threw herself into decorating the cottage, even planting a small vegetable patch. This new life seemed perfect—until Margaret arrived unannounced.
“Hello, Margaret,” Katherine met her with a smile, eager to show off the renovations. “No warning?”
“Why should I warn anyone when it’s my own house?” Margaret snapped. “You’ve dragged your feet with the work, so I’ve come to check.”
“Your house?” Katherine faltered. “Didn’t William tell you? We’re staying here. The cottage is his—no need to change anything.”
Margaret paled and sank into a chair.
“You brazen thing! Stealing my house? I bent over backwards for you, and now you’re robbing me blind? Over my dead body! I’m staying right here! William will side with me—don’t push this further. Pack your things!”
Katherine stood frozen. She’d never guessed the cottage meant so much to Margaret, who’d always praised their city flat, complaining about the dullness of country life.
They waited for William in tense silence, neither speaking a word. Each prayed he’d take her side.
When William arrived, his grim expression darkened further at the sight of them.
“What’s happened?” Both women stared at him, making him fidget.
“The firm went under. I’ve lost my job,” he admitted. “We’ll haveMargaret sighed heavily, her defiance crumbling at last, and with a reluctant nod, she whispered, “Very well, then—the cottage is yours, but promise me you’ll take care of it.”
