I Want a Divorce,” She Whispered, Turning Away from Him.

I want a divorce, she whispered, and turned her gaze away.

It was a chilly evening in Manchester when Emily said quietly, Id like a divorce, averting her eyes from her husband, James.

Jamess face went ashen in an instant. A silent question hung in the air.

Im leaving you to the woman you truly love, Emily replied, realizing that the most important woman in his life had always been his mother. Im tired of being the second choice.

Emily felt a lump form in her throat and her eyes grew wet. Years of hurt and disappointment surged up, squeezing the breath from her chest.

What are you talking about? Which other woman? James asked, bewildered, staring at his wife.

Weve talked about this countless times. Since we married, your mother has been draining us financially, emotionally and timewise. And you accept it all because her soup is tangier and her scones are fluffier. I cant live like this any longer, Emily burst out.

Tears streamed down her flushed cheeks. She mourned the bright future shed once imagined: a promising fiancé, a respectable career, a life in the city centre that had always felt like a battle for her own happiness.

Five years earlier, Emily had nervously stepped into the spacious living room of their flat. The furniture, the crockery, the décor all of it seemed costly and fragile to a girl whod spent most of her life in shared houses and, until recently, a university hall of residence.

How lucky am I to have found a man with his own flat? she had said with a wry smile, laying her hands on Jamess shoulders.

Just wait until I leave my socks everywhere, then tell me how impressed you are, he had teased.

Their romance had blossomed quickly, begging for a sequel. At the time Emily was finishing her journalism degree at the University of Manchester, while James, five years her senior, worked as a sales manager earning a solid salary.

A year after moving in together they married.

Soon we can turn the guest room into a nursery, Emily had whispered once, hugging James and hinting that she was ready for children.

But a month later an unexpected visitor arrived: Jamess mother, Mrs. Harper, stood at the front door with two hefty bags. She boasted an excellent relationship with her son at least from her point of view.

Her upbringing, steeped in guilt and the demands of a singleparent household, had brought up a man who felt forever indebted to her. She was proud that her son had made something of himself and believed she deserved all the credit.

Every payday James sent money to clear debts for the flat, the car and his own childhood. Emily watched from the sidelines, never wanting to upset James, and only raised the subject cautiously now and then.

Where did you invest the proceeds from selling the house? Emily asked while pouring tea, trying to steer the conversation. Mrs. Harper came from a small village near Norwich, where she had inherited a modest cottage with a garden.

Each year James offered to help find them a new city flat, but his mother refused to move. Suddenly she sold her cottage quickly, but for a low price.

Partly for my future holidays, partly to fund my new business, she explained.

Despite the hardships of her youth, Mrs. Harper remained ambitious, domineering and, in her view, absolutely right. Dealing with people like her required caution; they were known for biting the hand that offered them a finger.

Shed recently discovered an online cosmetics firm. A condition for continuing the partnership was a hefty monthly purchase of products. Thats where she ploughed the money from the cottage sale.

Ive decided it wont be a problem to stay here, she said confidently, stirring honey into her tea.

Of course, we love having guests! Emily replied, hoping this was only a temporary arrangement. Ill ask my friend, shes an estate agent; shell find us a nicer place in a better neighbourhood.

No need. Two flats are too much. Well save by staying here; it isnt a problem, Mrs. Harper retorted, casting herself as a victim of circumstance.

Emily stared at James, hoping hed see reason. She didnt hate his mother, but sharing the home permanently was a hard line to draw. James merely shrugged, Whatever you think is best.

He always backed his mothers ideas, no matter how questionable, believing he had no right to oppose anything Mrs. Harper said or did.

And there was plenty to oppose: macramé, candlemaking, soapcraft, diarybinding, photoalbum projects. The woman tried to strike gold through James, funding all the supplies and paying for a decent lifestyle. Since becoming a senior manager, Mrs. Harper hadnt worked a single day.

Jamess childish conviction that he owed his mother for his upbringing suppressed his own will, manifesting not only in disproportionate financial support but also in blind acquiescence to every request. It was astonishing how an adult, fully independent, could be reduced to the mental state of a child under such manipulation.

In the end the guest room never became a nursery, and three years later little had changed. Emily had secured a position at a publishing house, her columns appearing in the Family & Relationships section, where she dissected both joyous and sorrowful stories from a psychological angle. Yet she couldnt bring clarity to her own home life.

Her opinions were ignored; she lingered in the background while Mrs. Harper wielded the familys scepter. Emily understood the predicament a single child of a single mother marrying a man whose mother would consume all his time and money a danger only resolvable by focusing on herself.

Mrs. Harpers mindset blended a sense of superiority with the belief that James owed her something. The only person who could have recognised the problem was James, but he remained blind.

The entire flat had become saturated with the cosmetics companys products, and Emily could no longer bear the sight of the bottles and jars. Mrs. Harpers work failed to bring the promised income, and Emily saw it for what it was: a futile pastime that drained her husbands resources and fed his mothers whims.

Shed raised the issue repeatedly, only to hear Mum knows what shes doing from James and Patience, dear. A tree doesnt grow overnight from his mother. Yet after three years the tree still hadnt sprouted, while expenses kept climbing.

When Mrs. Harper suggested that Emily should also invest in the family business, Emily finally realised that drastic measures were needed.

The final straw came on New Years Eve 2023. After a long stretch apart, the couple ventured out for a date, skating on the local ice rink before settling in a tiny café. Emilys cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright with love, radiating warmth to anyone nearby.

James, are you happy? she asked.

Of course, he replied, taking her hand. How could I be, with you by my side?

I want a child, she whispered, leaning closer.

Right now? James smiled, kissing her hand.

That night they decided it was time to bring a little miracle into the world. Twentyfour hours later, Mrs. Harper burst into their bedroom as Emily walked in from work.

You two cant have a baby now! she shouted.

Stunned by her audacity, Emily didnt react immediately.

James still hasnt cleared the mortgage, the car loan is still hanging, she retorted, finally standing her ground. Youre afraid he might stop funding your endless whims, she added.

Ive always wanted the best for my son, even if Ive asked for a bit of help. Hes the only person I can rely on; Ive raised him, clothed him, turned him into a decent, independent man.

You owe him nothing, Mrs. Harper snapped. You chose to have a child of your own accord, not for his sake. You can only hope for his help out of love, not duty.

Mrs. Harper seemed to understand, yet clung to her comfortable life, demanding a brief silence before proclaiming, James will see Im right.

Emily feared this could become true, given how much James depended on his mothers opinion.

No obstacle could stop Emily from wanting a child with the man she loved, but Mrs. Harper proved a formidable barrier, leaving Emily disheartened yet still hoping for Jamess reason.

A latenight conversation later made it clear James was hopelessly lost, even to himself. A day before, hed been enthusiastic about a baby; now he argued, Maybe were not ready, why rush? Were not prepared to provide everything a child needs. Emily knew this could not go on.

I want a divorce, she declared, the words meant to end the stalemate that had trapped their family life.

Jamess face turned white.

Ill give you back to the woman you truly love. I wont be a second choice any longer.

She could no longer shut her eyes to the sting of injustice. How many times had she tried to talk since the mother moved in, only to be met with denial? Their conversations went nowhere, tears welled up in her eyes.

What are you talking about? Which other woman? James asked, stunned, staring at his wife.

Since we wed you keep saying, Mum, Mum Her soup is sourer, her scones fluffier. She runs our finances. I cant take this any longer.

James tried to grasp how theyd arrived here, bewildered. When Emily fell silent, he sat beside her on the bed, looking at her tearstreaked face.

Is it really just about Mum living with us? he whispered.

How can you not see? Shes taken you over. Youve lost yourself. Without my salary wed be scraping by. She forbade me from getting pregnant, fearing shed lose her generous income stream. Your mother is a good woman, but she must recognise boundaries which she continuously oversteps. You constantly give in, and you both suffer me, you, and any child we might have. Your debts are paid off, James. Live for yourself, not for your mother.

The talk was uncomfortable, but James asked for a chance, promising to sort things out with his mother and put their future together ahead of her wishes.

The first steps were hard: refusing the large monthly sums his mother demanded for her empty venture, then suggesting she move out.

A month later Emily was picking out wallpaper for the childrens room. Their relationship with the motherinlaw improved once she stopped living with them, though she still dropped by occasionally. James struggled with the change, but eventually accepted that he could no longer shoulder all of her weight.

Deprived of his funds, Mrs. Harper could no longer keep buying from the cosmetics firm and was effectively pushed out. She eventually found a regular job and learned to rely on herself.

A year later they welcomed a baby, and Mrs. Harper, now content with her own work, happily helped James and Emily. The whole family often spent time together, and everyone was finally happy.