Oliver and Emily decided to celebrate the anniversary of their first meeting at a cosy café in central Manchester. They returned home well past midnight.
“Finally decided to show up?” Oliver’s mother, Margaret, greeted them at the door, arms crossed. “Where have you been? I’ve been stuck here alone with the children!”
“Mum, what’s wrong?” Oliver frowned. “You adore Lara’s kids.”
“Was it really so hard to look after them?” Emily added, unbuttoning her coat.
“You go off enjoying yourselves while I’m left to manage everything!” Margaret snapped. “And where’s their mother, eh?”
“She’s busy, while you two are out having fun!” Margaret jabbed a finger toward the kitchen. “Now go wash the dishes. You’ve had your fun—now it’s time to work!”
Oliver’s expression darkened as he opened his laptop. Then his grip tightened—his blood ran cold at what he saw.
—
After their wedding, Oliver and Emily had rented a flat. But money grew tight, forcing them to move in with his mother. Emily’s parents lived in a small flat with her younger brother, leaving no room for the couple. Oliver had switched jobs—his salary was lower now, but there were promises of a promotion.
“Em, this is temporary,” Oliver reassured her. “We’ll save money at Mum’s. She’s alone—my sister only visits sometimes, leaving the kids. We’ll manage.”
“I could pick up extra work, and so could you,” Emily suggested.
“What, work round the clock?” Oliver snapped. “I’m already at the office all day—then I’m supposed to rush off somewhere else? Come home just to sleep? When do we actually live?”
“Is living with your mother any better?” Emily sighed.
“We’ve got no choice! If we stay here, we’ll save faster for our own place.”
Emily said nothing. She dreaded living with her mother-in-law. She’d only met Oliver’s nieces—his sister Lara’s rowdy, spoilt girls—once at the wedding. But there was no alternative.
“Honestly, what’s the fuss?” Margaret said when they moved in. “Better than throwing money at strangers for rent. We’ll split the bills three ways—you pay two shares, I’ll pay one. Same for groceries. I’ll cook; you clean.”
“Fine, Mum,” Oliver agreed. “Emily, is that alright?”
“I suppose,” she muttered.
At first, things weren’t so bad. The couple came home to ready meals, and breakfast was waiting in the mornings. Emily took on freelance work after hours, but weekends were ruined by the nieces’ visits. Lara rarely stayed, leaving the girls from Friday to Sunday.
Cleaning was impossible with them around—they left chaos in their wake, poking into every corner, even barging into the bedroom if Oliver and Emily were resting.
“Oliver, tell your mum to take them out,” Emily pleaded. “We’re still sleeping!”
“They’re just kids,” he’d dismiss. “My nieces—so yours too. Deal with it.”
“I was up half the night working!”
“Nobody forced you. Fine, I’ll get up. I’ve got plans with the lads—fishing. Be back by evening.”
“And me? Left alone again?”
“Mum’s here. If you want quiet, give them your laptop to play with.”
“Brilliant! Why don’t you give them yours?” Emily shot back.
“I’ve got important files on mine,” Oliver retorted. “What’s on yours, more important?”
“I’ve got a project due today!” she cried. “Go on, I’ll handle it.”
This became routine. Oliver went off with friends—fishing, barbecues, pub trips. Today, he’d left again.
—
Margaret was feeding the girls.
“Emily, sit,” she ordered. “Not many pancakes left, but you can have some. Oliver said the girls could play on your laptop.”
“That’s not true!” Emily snapped. “I never agreed. I’ve got work—deadline today.”
“Stingy, aren’t you?” Margaret scoffed. “We’re family! Lara won’t lend hers—it’s too expensive.”
“An entire week’s work is on there!” Emily said coldly. “I’m using it now.”
“Wash the dishes first,” Margaret said, grabbing her phone.
Emily scrubbed the plates, fuming that no one else bothered to clean even a cup. Margaret was already chatting away:
“Janet, of course we’ll meet! An hour at the shopping centre. The noise? The girls. Don’t worry, Emily will watch them. Good practice, since she doesn’t have her own yet.”
Emily nearly dropped a plate. Slipping out quietly, she packed her things, grabbed her laptop, and left. Margaret said nothing—probably planning to vanish without warning.
Emily headed to an internet café where she often worked. Settling in a corner with coffee, she focused on her project. Half an hour later, Oliver called:
“Em, where are you? What’s going on?”
“Working,” she said evenly. “Deadline today.”
“Mum’s in a panic! Where’d you disappear to?”
“I can’t work in that noise.”
“You ruined her plans with Janet!”
“Then invite Janet over.”
“With those terrors around?”
“Then you stay with them and let your mum go. They’ve got a mother!”
“You’re being unreasonable,” Oliver snapped.
“Or are you?” Emily countered. “Your mum took us in so kindly, and this is how we repay her? She ‘ran short’ this month and took extra from us—£200. Do you even notice?”
“You’re petty!” he spat.
“And where’s your money going?” Emily fired back. “Not a penny for your mum—that’s all on me. But you’ve always got plenty for your mates! Twelve days a month, your nieces eat our food. Mum buys them sweets, ice cream—we get nothing. The best bits go to them. Lara takes them home with bags full. When we rented, we spent a third less! You call this saving? Want to live like this? I’m getting paid for this project and leaving. Are you coming, or is it divorce?”
“Em, where are you?” Oliver’s voice wavered.
“Why do you care?”
“The lads cancelled. I don’t want to go home. Let’s spend the day together.”
“I’m working.”
“I’ll sit quietly. Our usual café?”
“Fine. I need an hour—I’d never finish at home.”
Oliver arrived with flowers.
“What’s this for?” Emily asked.
“Our anniversary,” he smiled. “I’ll order your favourite cake and coffee.”
“Oh—I forgot,” she admitted. “Just need to check the project and send it.”
They wandered until late, resolving to find a flat. Emily was right—Margaret had been exploiting them, pocketing their money, poisoning Oliver against his wife, calling her selfish.
—
They returned home long after dark.
“Finally!” Margaret pounced. “Where’ve you been? I’ve been stuck with those monsters!”
“Mum, you love them,” Oliver said calmly.
“I’ve had enough!” she barked. “Janet wanted to go out, but I had to bring her here. She hated it! And where was Lara?”
“Busy,” Oliver shrugged. “If she saw us out earlier, she could’ve taken them.”
“Wash the dishes!” Margaret ordered. “You’ve had your fun—now work!”
Emily changed, heading for the kitchen, but Oliver stopped her. He opened his laptop—and froze. The screen was cracked; crucial files were gone.
“What—?” His face paled. “Em, I put it on the shelf!”
“I didn’t touch it,” she said. “Ask your mum.”
“Mum!” Oliver shouted. “What happened to my laptop?”
“Keep your voice down! The girls are asleep!” Margaret hissed. “I’ve had a long day.”
“Why did you take it? Where are my files?”
“The girls wanted to play. It’s just a little crack—hardly the end of the world. At least they were quiet.”
“They deleted everything!” Oliver exploded. “They’re ten and eight—they knew what they were doing!”
“Your own nieces?” Margaret gasped. “You’re their uncle!”
“Enough!” he roared. “Emily, we’re finding a flat. Open yours—I’ll sort mine out.”
“And who’s doing the dishes?” Margaret demanded.
“Whoever used them,” Oliver shot back. “We weren’t here.”
Emily, watching her furious husband, began searching for flats. She’d never seen him like this. The laptop had cost him dearly—saved for since uni.
“Oliver, don’t panic—we’ll get a new one,” she soothed.
“No, I’ll fix it,” he said tightly. “My mistake—password was on the lid. Never thought Mum would do this. You were right this morning—I nearly gave them yours. I’She realized then that setting boundaries wasn’t selfish—it was the only way to protect what truly mattered.
