The brazen mother-in-law
“You must give that money to my mother,” Kevin raged. “She’s not a stranger to you! She’s your mother-in-law, your second mother!”
“And what are you planning to spend it on? Your youth? I won’t forgive you if anything happens to my mum!”
At 29, Kevin had been married three times, yet found happiness with none of his wives.
His wives, to put it mildly, were not good – all three dared to show disrespect to his mother, Agnes.
Kevin met his first wife, Emily, in college. Initially, she left a good impression on him.
After dating her for a month, he proposed right away.
Agnes tested her potential daughter-in-law lightly and approved of Emily:
“She cooks well, cleans the dishes properly from all sides. Make sure, Kevin, that Emily knows she needs to go to work after your wedding.”
“Many people juggle work and studies these days. I don’t want your wife living off you!”
Kevin decided not to tell Emily anything in advance. The serious conversation took place only after they got married.
“Emily, you need to get a job,” he declared bluntly.
“How can I work when I’m studying full-time?”
“I don’t know, find something in the evenings. I’m working, aren’t I?”
“But I didn’t plan on getting a job,” Emily stammered. “What if we have a child soon? How then?”
“That’s not a problem,” Kevin reassured her. “You’ll take a brief maternity leave and then get back to your duties. Mum will look after the baby.”
Emily realized she’d probably made a mistake accepting Kevin’s proposal.
The marriage fell apart after four months—Emily fled back to her parents, away from her husband and mother-in-law.
Agnes immediately called Emily’s mum:
“She’s not coming back,” Emily’s mum declared. “You think I raised my daughter to be bossed around by an overbearing woman and her mollycoddled son?”
“File for divorce; Emily doesn’t want to live with Kevin anymore!”
Kevin annulled the marriage with Emily and wasn’t upset in the least—he definitely didn’t need a wife like her.
His mother agreed with his point of view:
“Good thing it’s over now, son. Imagine if you’d had kids. Emily would be on maternity leave, doing nothing, earning nothing. You’d bear all responsibilities!”
“Don’t worry, you’re only 23; plenty of time to find happiness!”
***
Kevin found happiness a year after divorcing Emily. He met Charlotte, a girl from out of town.
Kevin was pleased with everything about Charlotte; most importantly, she worked and earned a decent salary.
This time, Agnes didn’t conduct any tests. She was satisfied knowing that Charlotte would contribute to the family budget equally.
They married quickly, and a week later, Charlotte surprised Kevin:
“Darling, I’ve wanted to tell you something but was afraid…”
“What did you want to say, and what were you afraid of?” Kevin asked, puzzled.
“Well, I feared you’d turn away… I have a child!”
Kevin was unsettled: another letdown. Raising someone else’s child was not in his plans.
He immediately sought his mother’s advice, who sighed and told him:
“Not a big deal! Where was the child living all this time? Let him stay there!”
“Let Charlotte bring him over sometimes. A move is out of the question until you know if your relationship is solid. What if you divorce quickly like with Emily?”
Kevin relayed his mother’s words to Charlotte. She was disappointed—she had hoped to move her son from the countryside to the city, but she didn’t argue with her husband.
She hoped time would resolve the issue. She thought of simply presenting Kevin with the fact, bringing the child over, and claiming her parents could no longer watch him.
This is exactly what Charlotte did.
Within a month of her confession, she brought her seven-year-old son to Agnes’s flat.
The child received a cold reception, and Kevin immediately stated:
“Tell him not to call me dad, and my mum isn’t his grandmother. We are strangers to your son.”
“I don’t want to hear him asking for anything. Contribute your salary to the common pot, and spend the rest on your son.”
Charlotte was deeply hurt by this attitude. She had hoped Kevin’s heart would soften at the sight of her son.
In truth, Charlotte married for a stable house, as renting consumed most of her earnings.
This marriage was short-lived as well. Tired of endless complaints, Charlotte filed for divorce, took her son, and returned to her parents.
Kevin was alone again, and once more, Agnes consoled him:
“No, Kevin, imagine living with someone else’s child for your entire life!”
“Charlotte was hardly any help; she just worked. I did all the house chores, cooked for everyone.”
“And instead of gratitude, she turns up her nose, saying we’re not warm enough with her child.”
“Why should we accept him at all? He’s nobody to us!”
***
Kevin met his third wife, Amanda, at a scientific conference. He attended as an assistant to a professor.
Amanda charmed Kevin immediately—a professional, confident woman.
They talked, and Kevin learned Amanda was well-off, owning an apartment, a car, and having her place in society.
It took Kevin a while to woo her; Amanda initially kept him at a distance.
When Kevin excitedly detailed his new acquaintance to his mother, Agnes was delighted:
“Son, that’s exactly what you need! With a woman like her, you’ll thrive! Age is just a number!”
“You say she earns three times your salary? Definitely go for it!”
Initially, Amanda refused to marry Kevin:
“Tell me, why is that marriage certificate necessary? What does it change? We can live happily without a formal marriage.”
“Oh, Amanda,” Kevin objected quickly, “I can’t do that! It’s not how I was raised. I can’t accept just living together; let’s formalize our relationship.”
Amanda thought it over and agreed. “After all, you can divorce anytime. It’s not a problem.”
But Amanda didn’t want to move in with Kevin’s mother:
“Why live with someone else when I have my own three-bedroom apartment? You can move in with me if you want. I won’t be living with your mum.”
“But darling, I can’t leave my mum behind! What about her?”
“Well, from the looks of it, your mum isn’t even sixty. She’ll manage. You know my terms. If you want, move in; if not, we’ll have a visiting marriage. I’m fine with that.”
***
Kevin moved in with Amanda, which Agnes didn’t like at all.
She had hoped Amanda’s big apartment would get rented, providing stable extra income.
Amanda, experienced in romantic matters, quickly began asserting her influence over Kevin.
And she did it skillfully—she minimized his visits to Agnes, so Kevin rarely saw his mother.
“Son, you hardly visit anymore,” Agnes complained. “What’s happening? Isn’t your wife allowing it?”
“Mum, I’m really busy right now,” Kevin lied. “Amanda thinks I need to grow and develop. She’s suggested I write a dissertation! So that’s what I’m working on.”
After marrying Amanda, Kevin stopped giving his mother money. Agnes wasn’t happy—at first, she hinted, then she bluntly asked:
“Why don’t you give me money? How am I supposed to maintain our two-bedroom apartment by myself?”
“Mum, I don’t have extra money right now,” Kevin explained. “As soon as I do, I’ll help you. Please be patient.”
Amanda’s priority was to detach Kevin from Agnes’s influence.
She liked Kevin as a person—he was attentive, pliable, and easily compromised.
Amanda diligently turned Kevin into a typical hen-picked husband—she loved that type of man.
***
This marriage soon fell apart too. Agnes, having exhausted all schemes for extracting money from her son, was despondent.
Of course, Amanda was blamed for Kevin’s insensitivity. After much thought, the pensioner devised a plan to coerce her son into giving her money:
“Kevin, I need money for treatment! I’ve fallen ill. I’ve had no health since you moved out!”
“What’s wrong, mum?”
“Oh, son, it’s too long to explain. I need £20,000 for an operation.”
“Well, mum, I don’t have that much right now! I know Amanda has money. Ask her; I’m sure she won’t refuse.”
“What if she says no?”
“Then threaten to divorce her! Tell her you won’t live with her if she doesn’t help you.”
Kevin waited for Amanda to come home from work and immediately asked her for help.
Amanda listened and then refused:
“Kevin, you know I invest a lot in my appearance. I have £20,000, but they’re earmarked for treatments to maintain my youth.”
Kevin nearly choked with indignation:
“For treatments? Amanda, do you understand we’re talking about life and death? My mother is sick; her health is far more important than some beauty procedures!”
“I’m asking for your help. You’re my wife, and you’re supposed to support me!”
“Says who?” Amanda smiled. “Dear, I owe you nothing. If your mum’s ill, find the money elsewhere. How is this my problem?”
“Then I’ll file for divorce,” Kevin threatened, confident this would change Amanda’s mind.
“Great, go ahead. I’m tired of you anyway. Pack your things and go back to your dear mum. Living with you is unbearable!”
Kevin, frightened, began pleading with his wife to reconsider. But Amanda didn’t budge, packed his things herself, and sent him packing.
Agnes was thrilled about the divorce. Her son finally returned home, but Kevin, unhappy, still hoped to reconcile with Amanda.
