The Mask of the Perfect Mother: A Sister-in-Law’s Hypocrisy
—It’s absolutely outrageous! She’s always posting these sickly sweet photos with her daughter on social media, but she hasn’t spared a thought for the girl in four years! What revolting pretence!— Olivia’s voice trembled with anger as she poured her heart out to her friend over coffee in a quiet Manchester café.
Seated at a small table, Olivia spoke bitterly of her sister-in-law, who had spent years working abroad, leaving her daughter behind without a second glance.
—Fine, there was a pandemic, she couldn’t visit. But even before that, she couldn’t care less about her child! All she does is post pictures to make everyone think she’s the doting mother. How could anyone abandon their daughter for money?— Olivia gripped her cup so tightly her knuckles turned white.
Her husband’s niece, fourteen-year-old Emily, lived like an orphan while her mother was still alive. Her grandmother, now well into her seventies, struggled to keep up with the girl’s teenage demands.
—My sister-in-law is an expert at crafting illusions,— Olivia went on. —But when I look at Emily, my heart breaks. That girl’s growing up without her mother, and all she gets are bank transfers as if that fixes everything!
Olivia and her sister-in-law, Margaret, were the same age. Olivia had two children, a mortgage, and—despite the strain—a happy marriage. She and her husband, Andrew, tried to keep things harmonious, but Margaret’s shadow loomed over their home like a storm cloud.
—Margaret’s parents spoiled her rotten,— Olivia muttered. —When she was widowed nine years ago, they did everything for her—looked after Emily, gave her money. Then, a couple of years later, she met some wealthy German man, married him, and vanished off to Berlin.
Margaret never planned to take Emily with her. She promised to settle in first, then come back for her daughter. But the years dragged on, and she never returned. In Berlin, Margaret landed a job as a photographer for a trendy agency, earning good money. Her husband was well-off, so she could’ve lived luxuriously without lifting a finger.
—She goes on about how in Europe it’s not the done thing to drag children from old marriages into new ones,— Olivia said bitterly. —Claims Emily would be bored there, or that no one would pay her any attention. Excuses, all of them! She just finds it easier to live without her child.
For years, Emily clung to the hope her mother would return for her. The first five, she truly believed—then the dreams faded. Margaret insisted Emily needed to finish school in England, that moving would ruin her future. Olivia saw right through the hollow justifications.
—She’d rather wire cash and play the devoted mum from afar,— Olivia sighed. —Leaving all the real problems to us.
Caring for Margaret’s parents and Emily fell squarely on Andrew’s shoulders. Burst pipes in the flat, his father’s surgery, the cottage roof collapsing—Andrew and Olivia were forever running between their own troubles and Margaret’s abandoned mess. All she did was send money, as if that absolved her.
A month ago, Margaret suddenly turned up in Manchester. She wouldn’t leave Emily’s side, snapping endless pictures for her socials, showering the girl with gifts. Emily held her breath, praying her mother would finally take her away. But no miracle came. When Margaret flew back alone, Emily locked herself in her room and sobbed. Olivia tried to comfort her, but what could she say?
—Her parents are getting old; they can’t handle a teenager,— Olivia whispered, her voice thick with emotion. —Emily’s a handful, needs constant attention. But Margaret just throws money at it all. ‘I’ll cover the costs, you sort it out.’ But Emily’s hurt! Andrew and I are the ones at parent-teacher meetings, helping with homework—where’s her mother?
Once, Olivia finally snapped and confronted Margaret, trying to explain how her neglect was crushing Emily. But Margaret cut her off coldly:
—Stay out of my family! None of your business!
—Not my family? Olivia seethed. —Then why am I the one carrying her burdens? Her mother-in-law, of course, defends her own daughter—what mother wouldn’t? But Margaret chose the easy way out: no parents, no teenager, no responsibilities. Meanwhile, online, she’s the perfect mum! Her feed’s full of staged ‘happy’ photos, while real life is just… empty. The hypocrisy!
Olivia gazed out the café window, rain streaking the glass like tears. She thought of Emily, checking her phone every night, hoping for a message from her mother. She thought of her in-laws, worn down by a weight they never asked to bear. And she thought of herself and Andrew, their lives a relentless race between their own struggles and Margaret’s discarded ones.
Meanwhile, Margaret carried on untroubled, uploading fresh photos with captions like ‘My darling girl.’ But Olivia knew the truth: behind those polished images lay a shattered teenager and a family left behind for the illusion of freedom.
What would you make of such a situation?
