Friends said the man had rotten luck with his wife, but even worse luck with her parents.
The girl came from an affluent family and didnt deny herself much. Shed been packed off to a top university, given all sorts of help along the way. When she graduated, she did go to work, but every penny she earned was whisked away into her own savings account. Her father regarded this as a tremendous show of capital accumulation, a phrase hed use as often as he could, but never missed an opportunity to have a go at his son-in-law for not bringing enough cash into the household.
Youre supposed to be the backbone so my daughter can stand strong behind you. If she falls ill, will you be able to look after her properly? Can you afford to whisk her off on a jaunt abroad when she needs a break? hed prod, raising an eyebrow.
Money, it seemed, was never a subject that had crossed the minds of these newlyweds. They were quite chuffed living off their joint accountat least until her father brought it up at every occasion, romantic or otherwise, clinging to the issue like a stubborn stain. Things got so awkward that the poor chap was starting to dread every family gathering, scrambling for excuses not to attend. When his father-in-laws birthday loomed, hed hoped to dodge that too, but his wife, Hannah, quite literally dragged him by the ear into the dining room, plopped him down, and instructed him to display a sparkling smile to all the guests her dad had mustered.
So, what does your son-in-law do, then? one of the ladies inquired over the sausage rolls.
Oh, hes a run-of-the-mill office drone, the birthday boy replied with no attempt at kindness. Brings home a few quid, but its my daughter holding the whole ship afloat, really
The mans patience had swiftly run out. There are only so many times you can be publicly mocked before it chips away at your spirits.
Well, first of all, Im not just an office droneIm head of our planning team, thank you very muchand, second, my salary isnt pocket change. We pay for everything together, by the way. Unfortunately, I cant just snap my fingers and become CEO so I can buy your daughter castles and flash cars, but if you wanted the very best for her, why didnt you ever help us get our own home?
His father-in-law merely chuckled cheerfully, clearly loving the show. Nothing delighted him more than seeing someone, especially a son-in-law, on a slow simmer.
Later, after the candles had been blown out and the Victoria sponge demolished, the man sneaked outside for a cigarette, only to have his father-in-law join him.
Not bad, he admitted in a rare moment of honesty. Youre coming along. You know your worth; you finally know how to stick up for yourself. If youre always too patient, people walk all over you.
It was obvious now: the old man had been winding him up on purpose, just to see if hed finally stand his ground. Money, as it turned out, was nowhere near as important as showing he could protect his own boundariesand look after the woman he loved. From that day on, the parents opinion of their son-in-law shifted; after all, nothing says maturity quite like holding your nerve with the in-laws at a birthday bash.
