“If your mother doesnt live with us, Ill divorce you!” And he did
“If you wont let my mother stay with usIm filing for divorce.” And he did.
A man who swears love and loyalty can turn into a stranger in an instant. Especially when youre forced to choosekeeping your family together or saving yourself from ruin. Ive been there.
When I married Edward, we didnt have our own place. We lived with his parentsa cramped two-bedroom flat, tight but manageable. Until one day, his stepfather came home and found his mother, Margaret, with a lover. Younger, bolder, full of grand promises. He whispered about fresh starts and “streets paved with gold.” But there was a catch: “Sell the flat. Were moving to another city. A new life awaits.”
I tried to make Margaret see sense. “Hes conning you. Youll end up with nothing.” But she scoffed. “Youre just jealous. Stay out of it.”
A week later, we were on the street with our baby in my arms. The flat was sold, and we were kicked out. Edward took on two jobs, I was on maternity leave, typing essays at night for extra cash. We barely scraped by on rent, but we pushed throughfor the future.
We wanted a mortgage, but fate handed us a break. My aunt passedalone, childlessleaving me a flat in another town. Spacious, bright, with windows overlooking a garden. With our savings, we fixed it up. For the first time in years, I breathed easy.
But the peace didnt last.
One evening, as I washed dishes after supper, someone knocked. There stood Margaretface swollen from crying, eyes like a beaten dogs. “Love Edward he threw me out. Lost everything. Just this suitcase left. Please help me.”
Edward and I locked eyes. His face softened. He guided her to the table, poured her tea. And I stood there, a dull ache throbbing inside. Id warned her, begged her not to be reckless. Yet she hadnt just ignored usshed tossed us out with a newborn when she had the upper hand.
Edward turned to me. “She cant be on her own. We cant abandon her. Shes my mother.”
I pressed my lips tight. “She threw us away like rubbish. And now you want her here? In this flat? Where weve barely begun to breathe?”
Margaret didnt stay quiet. “Edward, I cant sleep rough Help me Ive learned my lesson, I swear”
Then he said the words that split me in two: “If you wont let Mum stay with usI want a divorce.”
The room spun. I answered calmly, though my heart bled: “Then divorce it is. Because I wont live with someone who makes love conditional.”
