All my life, I have tried to raise my son to respect women above all elsehis grandmother, his mother, his wife, his daughter. In my eyes, that’s the finest quality a man can possess: genuine respect for women. My husband and I made sure our son had the finest education, the right values and every opportunity for a bright future. We meant to step back and let him stand on his own. Still, we quietly bought him a two-bedroom flat. He worked hard and covered his own expenses, but owning a place in London was simply out of reach for him.
We didnt hand him the keys or even mention the flat straight away. Why? Because he was living with a girlKate. Theyd been together for about a year, but neither of us had met her parents, and to be honest, something about the whole situation didnt sit quite right with me.
Later, I learned through a friend that Kates mother was once her neighbour. She told me something that chilled me to the bone: Kates mother had thrown her husband out as soon as his pay packet shrank. If that wasnt enough, shed started seeing a married manwealthy enough to shower her with gifts and attention, enough to somehow assume the role of father to Kate. And Kates grandmother? She wasnt far behind her daughters behaviour, either. She too had a long-standing affair with a married man, and treated Kate and her mother like little more than unpaid help, dragging them to her cottage in the countryside every weekend.
Understandably, this led to arguments between my son and his girlfriends family. But what truly alarmed me was how Kates mother and grandmother seemed intent on poisoning her against her own father. The girl cherished her dad, yet these women were determined to drive a wedge between them. The cruelty of it was breathtaking.
And as if that wasnt enough, Kate suddenly decided to abandon her university studies, declaring that it was a mans responsibility to provide for his family. Yes, Ive certainly instilled in my son the value of being a strong provider, but heavens abovewhat if life throws a curveball? Wheres the safety net? How will Kate help her husband if hard times come knocking?
As a precaution, I had the deeds to the flat transferred back into my name. I know Ive raised a good, gentle soul, but Ive seen clever women like Kate easily leave a man with nothing but his socks after a split. After all, in England, anything gained before marriage is off-limits in a divorce, but I wouldnt put it past Kate to find a loophole. People talk about clever foxes; well, she is one shrewd lady, and I’d rather not see my son caught out.
