It all kicked off on a Sunday morning at 7 oclock. Melissa and her husband had gone out in London the night before, came back late, and were dying for a lie-in. But just as they were cosily tucked up, Melissas mother-in-law called, inviting them over to the village for a barbecue. They tried every excuse in the book to get out of it, but she wouldnt hear of it, insisting shed already done enough marinated meat for everyone. In the end, they gave in and agreed to come.
Turned out, it wasnt just her in-laws thereher brother-in-law and his new wife would be joining too. Melissa and her husband had been married three years now, but her brother-in-law had only just tied the knot two months back, and neither couple had kids yet.
After a whole year living under her mother-in-laws roof, Melissa knew her ways all too well. The woman was downright tight-fisted, always moaning about not having enough money. Eventually, Melissa and her husband had scraped together enough to rent their own flat, and then her parents moved into the grandmothers place theyd inherited, freeing Melissa and her husband from being tied down to a mortgage.
When the day of the barbecue came, they set off on the two-hour drive to the countryside. But instead of being greeted by sausages sizzling on the grill, they were put straight to workeverything from fixing the old fence to planting herbs and sorting out the flowers. Melissa was worn out and starving, but her mother-in-law seemed keener on getting jobs done than actually feeding anyone.
Things got heated when her husband, clearly famished and irritated, started arguing with his mum. By the time evening rolled around and they finally sat down for the barbecue, it was all a bit of a let-down. The mother-in-law had only put two sausages per person on, and everyone’s faces just dropped; it was a proper disappointment.
Honestly, the whole thing left a sour taste. If only her mother-in-law had just said she needed help, theyd have been happy to muck in and even bring along some proper food. But instead, it just made the whole family tension worse.
A week later, she called again, trying to rally everyone for another barbecue. But Melissas father-in-law quietly warned her not to believe ithis wife was just after a bit of free labour, not a proper feast.
Fed up and knackered from all the drama, Melissa and her husband just switched off their phones and ignored the doorbell for a while, desperate for a bit of rest and peace.
