“What do you mean, we’re splitting up?” the man asked his wife, stunned. “Because I gave Mum some money?”
“Nineteen thousand pounds!” Ines slammed the bank statement onto the table, watching as the sheets scattered across the surface. “Rodney, wheres the money?!”
Her husband didnt even glance away from the TV, continuing to flip through channels.
“What money?” he muttered dismissively.
“The money weve been saving for three years for our deposit! Yesterday there was twenty-five thousand, today theres thirty-five hundred!”
Rodney finally looked up, shrugging as if it were nothing.
“Oh, that Mum and Janine needed help. What, am I supposed to say no?”
“In three years, not once did you ask me before touching our savings!”
“Calm down, will you? Ill pay it back.”
“When? In another three years?” Ines leaned over the table, glaring at him. “We agreedno spending from this account without discussing it first!”
“Yeah, we agreed But when your own mother asks, what am I supposed to do?”
“And what about me working twelve-hour days for three years? Thats MY money too!”
Rodney winced and turned back to the TV. “Dont be dramatic. Its just work.”
Six months before this argument, Ines had been at her desk in the travel agency, carefully calculating commission from her latest holiday package sale. The numbers pleased herit was a big group, well-paying.
Her colleague, Tamara, peeked over the monitor. “Still crunching numbers? Saving up for that dream flat?”
“Another year, maybe eighteen months, and well have our own place,” Ines smiled, setting her pen down. “Rods doing his bit too, taking extra shifts at the garage on weekends.”
“Lucky you. Mine just talks about saving, never actually does it.”
“Yeah, Im lucky,” Ines agreed, though something uneasy nagged at her.
Tamara pulled her chair closer. “How much have you saved, if you dont mind me asking?”
“Twenty-one grand. Not far off the twenty-five we need.”
“Nice! Wheres it all sitting?”
“In a savings account. The interest isnt much, but its something.”
“Smart. Just dont blow it on something daft.”
Ines nodded but didnt mention how Rodney had been skipping his weekend shifts lately, complaining of exhaustion.
That same evening, she found him sprawled on the sofa, another action film flickering on the screen.
“Rod, no garage today?” she asked, kicking off her heels in the hallway.
“Going tomorrow. My backs playing up.”
“Maybe see a doctor?”
“Stop fussing. Itll pass.” He changed the channel. “Mum called, by the way. Janine needs money for her beauty course.”
Ines froze, her bag still in hand.
“How much?”
“Just fifteen hundred. Barely anything.”
“Just?! Thats my monthly bonus!”
“Dont shout. Ill cover it from next months pay.”
“And if your pay doesnt cover it?”
“It will. Stop stressing.”
Ines heated up dinner in silence, her appetite gone. How many times had she heard this before?
***
Two weeks later, it happened againwith eerie precision. Rodneys mother, Claudia, called during dinner.
“Yeah, Mum?” Rodney put her on speaker, still eating. “The pipes are leaking? Badly? Seven-fifty? Fine, Ill drop it off tomorrow.”
Ines slowly set her fork down.
“Rod, we agreedmortgage first, then everything else.”
“Oh, so youd rather let my elderly mums flat flood? Heartless.”
“Im not heartless. Your brother Paul lives next door. Why cant he help?”
“Pauls unemployed, you know that.”
“How? Everyones hiring right now!”
Rodney finally looked up.
“Not this again. Shes my mum. Ill help her, end of.”
“And Im your wife,” Ines said quietly. “Does that mean anything?”
“Of course it does. But shes got a leak”
“And what about our future?”
“Itll still be there. We wont starve over seven hundred quid.”
***
A month later, Iness boss, Leonard, called her into his office.
“Ines, you handled that corporate group brilliantly. Theres a bonustwenty-five hundred.”
“Thank you,” she said, genuinely pleased.
“But Ive noticed somethingyoure taking every overtime shift, working weekends. Burning out wont help anyone.”
“Im fine. Were saving for a flat. Every penny counts.”
“Admirable, but healths more important than bricks and mortar.”
Ines nodded but thought: without overtime, theyd never save enoughnot with Rodney constantly “lending” to his family.
“Leonard, any extra work going? Covering someones leave?”
He studied her. “There is, but youre stretched thin already.”
“Ill manage.”
At home, she found Rodney with his mate, Victor. Both were at the kitchen table, beer bottles in hand, laughing at some joke.
“Oh, Ines is back!” Victor raised his bottle. “Join us!”
“No thanks. Im knackered.”
“Rod was just saying how youre saving for a place. Proper grown-up stuff.”
“Yeah, well, someones got to,” she muttered, grabbing water from the fridge.
“Unlike this one, dumping his wages into crypto,” Rodney chuckled.
“Long-term investment!” Victor protested. “Ill be laughing in a year.”
Ines left, unable to stomach their get-rich-quick chatter.
Later, Rodney slouched into the bedroom.
“Whats your problem?”
“I worked twelve hours today, Rod. Youre drinking with Victor.”
“Oh, sorry Ive got friends. Not allowed to relax now?”
“You can relax after work, not instead of it.”
“Here we go again.”
“When was the last time you did a garage shift?”
Rodney turned to the window.
“Last week.”
“Last week you were hungover after your brothers birthday.”
“Stop monitoring me! If you hate it so much, leave!”
***
Rodneys sister, Janine, turned up unannounced a week later.
“Roddy! I need money!”
“Again?” Rodney sighed. “I gave you cash for that course last week.”
“This is different! A once-in-a-lifetime discount on pro makeup kits!”
“How much?”
“Just twenty-five hundred! Its an investment!”
Ines stepped out of the kitchen.
“Twenty-five hundred?! Youre joking.”
“No one asked you!” Janine snapped. “Roddy, please! Ill pay you back!”
“With what?” Ines said coldly.
“Youre so selfish! Saving for a flat when family needs help!”
Rodneys mother called an hour after Janine stormed out.
“How could you refuse your own sister?”
“Mum, were stretched thin”
“Because of her!” Claudia hissed. “That wife of yours is turning you against us!”
Ines listened from the kitchen, hands shaking.
***
The next morning, their neighbour, Edward, stopped Ines in the hall.
“Saw your Rod at the bank yesterday. Mortgage sorted, then?”
Ines froze.
“What?”
“In the loan department, signing papers. Good on you both.”
At work, she couldnt focus. That evening, she checked their account£22,500. Still intact.
“Where were you today?” she asked when Rodney got home.
“Work, then Mums. Why?”
“No reason.”
***
Two weeks later, her friend, Alice, called.
“Saw Rod yesterday at the mall with your mother-in-law and Janine. Designer bags, new coatJanine looked like shed won the lottery.”
Iness stomach dropped.
Rodney had claimed he was at work.
The next day, she checked the account.
£3,500.
“Wheres the nineteen thousand?!” she screamed, slamming the printout down.
Rodney shrugged.
“Mum needed a new kitchen. Janines car died. Family comes first.”
“You took our savings without asking!”
“Ill pay it back!”
“When? How?!”
“Christ, stop nagging! Its just money!”
***
A month later, Rodney swaggered in, grinning.
“Fixed it! Took out a loan15% interest, but the savings are back!”
Ines stared.
“You borrowed at 15% to repay what you stole?!”
“Problem solved!”
“Were in debt because of your family!”
“Youre impossible!” he shouted, storming out.
***
The divorce took two months. Rodney reappeared, unshaven, reeking of booze, demanding half their savings.
Ines slid a folder across the table.
“Take half of your earnings
