You forgot to invite us to the party
Roxanne truly adored her husband. She considered herself incredibly lucky to have him. William was a caring and loving man who did everything he could for his beloved.
However, when it came to her husband’s family, Roxanne felt less fortunate. There’s a saying that every family has a black sheep. Well, in their family, it seemed the opposite was true. It felt like William was the only normal one, while the rest of the family was rather odd.
His father, for instance, always commented on how Roxanne looked like she’d put on some weight every time he saw her. Perhaps, he speculated, she was expecting a baby.
Yet, Roxanne was in excellent shape, and she hadn’t gained a single pound since meeting her in-laws. But this didn’t deter Leo. It seemed to him these remarks were customary, and even if Roxanne lost ten pounds, he would likely still mention it.
He also often made off-color jokes, laughing at his own humor and leaving Roxanne feeling quite uncomfortable. She always felt awkward around him, and his habit of walking around the house shirtless didn’t help.
Her mother-in-law, Anne, loved to teach Roxanne things, even in areas Anne knew little about.
Anne would instruct Roxanne on fashionable dressing, suggest haircuts, and recommend lipsticks. When Roxanne and William moved into their own flat, Anne’s advice really took off. She poked her inquisitive nose into every corner, criticizing and explaining how everything should have been properly arranged.
Then there was William’s younger sister, Natalie, a flighty girl with two kids. The children were with different fathers, and Natalie wasn’t in a committed relationship with any of them. She dragged her children everywhere, acting as if the world owed her something because she was a mother. People should give up seats on the bus, let her skip queues, serve her first.
Despite receiving support from the children’s fathers and benefits, Natalie continually sought freebies. Even what she didn’t need, she took. It was like a thrill for her — to be the first to snatch something up. Thus, their place was constantly cluttered with diapers her children no longer needed, which Roxanne hoped to sell; heaps of unnecessary clothes and toys. Essentially, half of the items were useless to her, but she liked to think she was building a business, pretending to be poor and unfortunate to grab things for free and then sell them.
Her children were unruly and cheeky, but with such a mother, they couldn’t grow up any differently. When they visited someone’s home, they immediately hunted for anything tasty, snatching and taking other people’s belongings without asking. And Natalie never reprimanded them.
Roxanne recalled the only time when her sister-in-law and the kids came to their housewarming with dread. She gave them a tea set, which she had clearly snagged for free, and after they departed, there were no sweets left, the new vase was broken, and a smear of chocolate was discovered on the curtains. At least Roxanne convinced herself it was chocolate.
Thus, with her birthday approaching, Roxanne resolutely decided not to invite her husband’s family. Otherwise, her party would be utterly ruined. Her father-in-law would make inappropriate jokes, her mother-in-law would lecture her, and Natalie would wheedle guests for useless things for her kids, while the children would wreak havoc on Roxanne and William’s flat.
Of course, Roxanne felt slightly guilty about her decision in front of her husband, but she really hoped he would understand.
“Will, I want to celebrate my birthday at home. I’ll invite my parents and a couple of friends.”
“Sure, I’m all for it. Didn’t we decorate the apartment beautifully for such occasions?” William smiled.
“Yes, exactly. It feels like a photo shoot studio here now. But…”
“What?” William tensed.
“Please, don’t be upset. I don’t want to invite your family.”
William sighed deeply and nodded.
“I’m sorry, but they make it really tough for me. On my birthday, I just want to relax, not be wary of surprises,” Roxanne said apologetically.
“I get it, no need to explain. They’re really challenging.”
“You’re not mad?”
“No, not at all. It’s your special day, and it should go the way you want.”
Once again, Roxanne was convinced that her husband was the best man in the world. She couldn’t help but wonder—was he adopted? That would explain everything.
Roxanne didn’t tell her in-laws about her birthday celebration. She said this time it would just be her and William. And she asked her spouse not to mention anything.
Yet, somehow they found out. Anne called Roxanne’s mom for some professional advice, and her mother let it slip.
“So, this is how your wife treats us!” Anne shouted. “We’re not welcome, huh?!”
“Mum,” William tried to calm her, “Roxanne just wanted to celebrate with her mom and dad, and a few close friends. It’s her birthday, she gets to decide. If it were a huge party, you surely would have been invited.”
“I understand. And tell your wife that we are deeply hurt!”
William’s mum hung up, and he shook his head. He completely understood his wife. It’s probably wrong to say this, but he had always felt embarrassed by his relatives, and he didn’t want Roxanne to feel the same.
So, he said nothing to her; he didn’t want to spoil her day. He decided to share his mother’s words after the birthday.
On the morning Roxanne turned twenty-six, William surprised her with a bouquet of flowers and a spa voucher. He knew she was exhausted from the year — a wedding, renovations, moving, plus the workload. She deserved a break.
As guests started arriving in the afternoon, Roxanne had prepared a delightful meal, dressed up, and styled her hair. It was evident how happy she was and how much she anticipated the celebration.
But she had no idea what surprises awaited her.
When everyone had settled in, the doorbell rang.
“It must be the cake,” Roxanne jumped up. “I nearly forgot about it, ordered it last minute.”
She opened the door with a smile, which quickly faded. Standing there were the unwelcome guests. The whole lot of them.
“Happy birthday, Roxanne!” Anne said, pursing her lips, offering a single rose. “Shall we come in?”
Having little choice, Roxanne stepped aside.
The noise level instantly rose. Natalie’s children whipped off their shoes and raced to the table. Her father-in-law immediately commented that Roxanne’s dress didn’t fit quite right.
“Should’ve gone a size larger,” he laughed.
“I suppose you forgot to invite us,” Anne continued, “I see you have guests. Just didn’t have us on the list. Goodness, Roxanne! Have company but forgot to clean the floors.”
Roxanne wanted to mention it was Anne’s grandchildren who made the mess, but she held her tongue.
Her spirits dropped. The children began clattering, grabbing food with their hands, rummaging through cupboards for sweets. Then the younger one started crying when there was no cake in sight.
“You could’ve at least got a cake, look how upset James is!” Natalie reprimanded. “What’s this, you got perfume? Let me try. You’ll give me your old one, then.”
All this time, Roxanne hadn’t said a word. William was also silent, watching his family. How they nestled at the table, demanded plates, how his mum criticized the food, and his dad made odd jokes.
But William’s patience snapped when he saw Natalie slyly take the envelope of money from the table. Inside were all the birthday gifts.
“Put it back!” William barked.
“What are you talking about?” Natalie blinked innocently.
“I saw everything!”
“I just wanted to add some money; didn’t have a chance to buy an envelope,” his sister tried to wiggle out of it.
“Don’t pick on Natalie, don’t ruin the evening,” his mum chided. “You should remind your wife it’s rude not to invite family.”
“And tell her about her dress size too,” laughed his dad, “Roxanne, your creases show in that dress.”
“That’s enough!” William slammed his hand on the table, even the children went quiet. “Mum, Dad, Natalie, it’s time for you to go.”
“What?!” his mum exclaimed. “How dare you?”
“How dare you show up uninvited? How dare you insult my wife? How dare your children act so rudely, Natalie? Until you learn some manners, you’re not welcome in this house.”
Naturally, a row ensued. And Roxanne only exhaled in relief once the uninvited guests had left.
Of course, the birthday was spoiled. As much as friends and her parents tried to cheer Roxanne up, it was tough to recapture the joy.
But there was a silver lining: Roxanne was once again reminded that she had chosen the right partner in life. A man who would stand by her, who would stand up even to his own family for her. And no matter what happened, she knew he would be on her side. That, probably, was the best gift of her life.
