I want a divorce, she whispers, turning her gaze away. It is a chilly evening in London as Harriet quietly tells her husband, James, I want a divorce, and looks away from his eyes.
Jamess face goes pale in an instant, and a silent question hangs in the air.
Im giving you back to the woman you truly love, Harriet says, realizing that the most important woman in his life has always been his mother. I wont be the second choice any longer.
Harriet feels a lump form in her throat and her eyes grow wet. The pain and years of disappointment surge out of her, choking the air in her stomach.
What are you talking about? Which other woman? James asks, surprised, staring at his wife in disbelief.
Weve talked about this so often. Since we married, your mother has been draining us financially, emotionally and timewise, and you accept it because her tea is stronger and her scones are fluffier. I cant take it any longer, Harriet bursts out.
Tears stream down her flushed face. She regrets the clearcut dreams she once held: a promising fiancé, a respectable career, a life in central London that has always felt like a battle for her own happiness.
Five years earlier, Harriet, nervous, steps into the spacious living room of their flat. The furniture, crockery, decorationsall look expensive and fragile to a girl who has spent most of her life in shared houses and, most recently, a university hall.
How did I ever get lucky enough to find a man with his own flat? she jokes, placing her hands on Jamess shoulders.
Just wait until I leave my socks everywhere, then tell me how impressed you are with me, he teases.
Harriet falls quickly for him after they meet. It is a blossoming romance that seems to demand a sequel.
At the time, she studies journalism in her final year at University College London, while James, five years older, works as a sales manager with a solid salary.
A year after moving in, they marry.
Soon we can turn the guest room into a nursery, Harriet remarks one evening, hugging James and hinting that shes ready for a child.
But a month later, an unexpected addition arrives: Jamess mother, Mrs. Whitaker, stands at the flats doorway with two suitcases. She believes she has an excellent relationship with her son, at least from her point of view.
Her upbringing, marked by constant guilt and the demands of a singlehanded life, has produced a man who feels indebted to her. She is proud that her son has made it far and believes its all thanks to her.
Every payday, James pays off debts for the flat, the car and his childhood. Harriet watches from the sidelines, careful not to disturb their marriage, and only occasionally brings up the topic gently.
Where did you invest the money from the house sale? Harriet asks while pouring tea, touching the subject cautiously. Mrs. Whitaker comes from a small village near Cambridge where she inherited a modest cottage and garden.
Each year James offers to help find a new place in the city, but his mother refuses to move. Suddenly she sells her cottagequickly, but for a low price.
Partly for my future holidays, partly for my new business, she explains.
Despite the hardships of her youth, Mrs. Whitaker remains ambitious, active, and very domineering. People learn to handle her carefully, because shes known to bite the hand that offers her a fingertip.
Recently she discovers an online cosmetics company. A condition for further collaboration is a substantial monthly purchase of products. She pours the proceeds from the house sale into this profit stream.
Ive decided it wont be a problem to stay here, she says confidently, stirring honey into her tea.
Of course, we love having guests! Harriet replies, trying to ensure its only a temporary arrangement. I hope we can find you a better place soon. Ill ask my friendshes an estate agentand shell locate a flat in a nice neighbourhood.
No need. Two flats are too much. Well save on my end, its fine, Mrs. Whitaker retorts, casting herself as a victim of circumstance.
Harriet looks expectantly at James. She has nothing against his mother, but sharing the household permanently feels unreasonable. James merely shrugs. Whatever works for you, he says.
He always backs his mothers ideas, no matter how questionable, believing he has no right to object to anything Mrs. Whitaker says or does. She dabbles in macramé, candlemaking, soapmaking, diary and photoalbum creationany hobby she can turn into a cashcow, using Jamess money to buy supplies and pay for a modest lifestyle.
Since James became a senior manager, Mrs. Whitaker hasnt worked a single day. His childlike conviction to thank his mother for his upbringing literally suppresses his own will, manifesting in excessive financial support and blind agreement with everything she dictates.
Its astonishing how an adult, selfsufficient man can be so swayed, reacting to every manipulation as if he were a child.
The guest room never becomes a nursery, and after three years little has changed. Harriet now works for a publishing house, her articles appearing in the Family & Relationships section, where she analyses happy and sad stories from a psychological angle. Yet she cant bring clarity to her own home life; her voice is background noise while Mrs. Whitaker still wields the family scepter.
Harriet understands the dilemmaa single child of a single mother marrying a man whose mother will consume all his time and moneya danger that can only be fought by focusing on herself.
Mrs. Whitakers mindset mixes superiority with the belief that James owes her something. Only James could recognise the problem, but he remains blind.
The whole household is now filled with the cosmetics companys products; Harriet can no longer stand the bottles and jars. Mrs. Whitakers business yields no real income, and Harriet sees it as a futile pastime for her husbands mother.
She raises the issue repeatedly, but each time James replies, Mum knows what shes doing, and Mrs. Whitaker adds, Patience, dear. A tree doesnt grow overnight. Yet the tree hasnt grown in three years, while expenses keep climbing.
When Mrs. Whitaker suggests that Harriet should also invest in the family business, Harriet finally realises that drastic action is needed.
The final straw comes during a conversation that should never have happened. On New Years Eve 2023, the couple finally manage a night out alone. After iceskating, they sit in a small café, cheeks flushed, Harriets smile radiant with love.
James, are you happy? she asks.
Of course, he takes her hand. How could I be unhappy with you by my side?
I want a child, Harriet whispers, leaning closer.
Right now? James grins, kissing her hand.
That night they decide its time to bring a miracle into the world. Twentyfour hours later, Mrs. Whitaker bursts into their bedroom as Harriet returns from work.
You cant have a baby now! she declares.
Shocked by the motherinlaws audacity, Harriet doesnt react immediately.
James still hasnt finished the mortgage, he still owes money on the car, she retorts, finally confronting her motherinlaw for the first time.
Ive only ever wanted the best for my son, even if I asked for a little help. Hes the only one I can count on; I raised him, clothed him, made him independent, Mrs. Whitaker huffs.
You owe him nothing for that. Stop telling everyone otherwise. You chose to have a child of your own, not for his sake. You can only hope for his help out of love, not duty, Harriet replies. Mrs. Whitaker seems to understand but refuses to give up her comfortable lifestyle, snapping, James will see that Im right.
Harriet fears this might be true, because James depends heavily on his mothers opinion.
No obstacle stops Harriet from wanting a baby, but Mrs. Whitakers interference is enough to derail James, leaving Harriet disappointed yet still hoping for his reason.
Later that evening, it becomes clear James is hopelessly lost, even for himself. Yesterday he enthusiastically spoke of a child; today he argues, Maybe its not time yet, why rush? Were not ready, we cant provide everything a child needs. Harriet knows this cannot continue.
I want a divorce, she decides, the conversation that must settle everything. She makes this conscious choice because her family life has hit a dead end.
Jamess face turns ashen.
Im handing you back to the woman you truly love. I wont be the second choice any longer.
It becomes impossible to ignore the burning hurt of the injustice she feels. How many times has Harriet tried to talk since his mother moved in, only for James to deny reality? Simple conversations never break through; tears fill her eyes.
What are you talking about? Which other woman? James asks, bewildered, staring at his wife.
Since we married you keep saying Mum, Mum Her soup is sourer, her scones fluffier. She runs all our finances. I cant live like this any longer, Harriet explains.
James cant comprehend how they arrived here. When his wife finally falls silent, he sits beside her on the bed, looking at her tearstained face.
Is it really just about Mum living with us? he asks.
Cant you see? She has taken you completely. You dont belong to yourself. Without my salary wed be scraping by. She forbids me from getting pregnant because she fears losing her generous income stream. Your mother is a good woman, but she must respect boundaries she keeps crossing, and you dissolve those boundaries with your total compliance. You both suffer, as will any child we might have. Your debts are paid off, James, live for you, not for your mother.
The talk is uncomfortable for both, but James asks for a chance, promising to sort out his relationship with his mother and to prioritize their future together.
The first steps are hard: denying his mother the large monthly sums for her empty business, then suggesting she move out. A month later Harriet picks wallpaper for the nursery. She gets along with the motherinlaw better now that they no longer share a roof; occasionally Mrs. Whitaker drops by, still struggling with the change in her sons behaviour, but eventually concedes that she can no longer lean on James for everything.
Without his support she cant keep buying from the cosmetics firm and is more or less forced out. All these events push Mrs. Whitaker to find a regular job and learn to rely on herself.
A year later they welcome a child, and Mrs. Whitaker happily helps James and Harriet. The whole family spends time together, and everyone is content.
