One day, I was searching for some documents, and when I finally found them, my eyes landed on paperwork about our apartment. Something in those documents shocked me and made me extremely upset, because

The day Emilys parents gave us the keys to a new flat as a wedding gift, I was over the moon. They handed them over with a flourish, declaring we were the new owners. The place, located in a modern block in Manchester, was bought straight from the developersbare walls, concrete floors, nothing finished. Emilys mum suggested that since her family had given us the flat, my parents ought to chip in with the renovations. My folks agreed, especially since theyd already gifted us a considerable sum in pounds earlier, and my dadbeing a builderoffered to handle much of the work himself.
Straight after the wedding, we started renovations. Dad took care of sourcing all the materials, and I was his right-hand man. Emily occasionally joined in, rolling up her sleeves and getting stuck in with us.
Emilys dad lent a hand from time to time as well. To avoid the extra costs of renting, we decided to live with Emilys parents until the flat was ready. It made financial sense, and her family welcomed us warmly.
One afternoon, while rummaging about for some paperwork, I stumbled across the flat’s ownership documents. Something about them caught my eyeand soon made my blood boil. Emilys mother was listed as the owner, not Emily, not us.
That evening, my dad and I were meant to pop over to the local builders merchant to pick up new fittings for the bathroom, but I postponed plans. I needed to talk things over, get dads opinion before facing the family.
As soon as everyone was home, I confronted Emilys mum. “Why is the flat in your name and not Emilys?” I asked, cutting straight to the point.
She brushed me off, saying, “Dont be childish, Matthew. We didnt want Emily to get hurt or risk losing the family property.”
“So what does that mean?” I pressed.
She replied, “If you two split up one day, you wouldnt have the right to half the flat.”
I was stunned. “But were spending as much on the renovations as half the value of the flat! And why do you assume well get divorced? Weve barely started our marriage!”
Emily spoke up. “Mum, I told you to transfer the flat into my name,” she mumbled.
“So you knew about this?” I asked, hurt.
“Its not what you think,” she said. “I tried to persuade her to do it…”
I shook my head, feeling betrayed. “Well, Emily, what a start to married lifewith dishonesty at the centre.”
I ended up moving back in with my parents for a while. Emily tried reaching out, but I need time to process everything. I never imagined her family would be capable of such trickery. Maybe this sort of thing is commonplace among parents wanting to protect their kids?
Im left wondering what to do next. What I’ve learned is this: trust must be the foundation of any marriage, and without openness and honestyeven from those closest to useverything else feels shaky.