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A Home Without Welcome: When a Mother Turns the House Into a Battlefield
A Home Without Welcome: When Mother Turned the House Into a Battlefield
The flat where we were no longer welcome: When Mum made home a warzone
James was at his desk when his phone rang. His wifes name flashed on the screenEmily. It was odd; she rarely called during the day.
“Hey, love. Everything alright? Im a bit tied up right now,” he said, barely glancing up from his computer.
“Its bad,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “Weve been kicked out. We dont have a home anymore!”
“What?!” James shot up from his chair. “Did something happen to the flat? Fire? Break-in?”
“The flats fine but were not allowed to live there anymore.”
“Not allowed? Who the hell can stop us from living in our own home?!”
“Who do you think? Your mother!” The words burst out, raw with hurt and anger.
Years ago, theyd moved to London with their kidsSophie, seven, and Lily, five. Theyd started from scratch, working tirelessly. Then, a stroke of luck: Emilys dad inherited a flat in the countryside from a distant relative.
“Live there,” the old man had said. “Im retired, the taxes are manageable, the flat stays in my name, but we wont bother you.”
Theyd renovated, bought furniture, made it theirs. Even if it wasnt legally theirs, it felt like home. Still, Emily couldnt shake the unease.
“Were putting everything into this place, but our names arent on the deeds,” shed told James.
“Dont worry,” hed said. “My parents are here. Whod kick us out? Were family.”
But the worst happenedthey *were* kicked out. Not by strangers. By family.
It started at his dads birthday party. Theyd gone, celebrated. The next day, his mother stood on their doorstep.
“Weve decidedyour cousin Olivers moving in. Hes at uni, the halls are full. Youve got space. And,” she added coolly, “the flats ours anyway, so *we* decide who lives there.”
Emily felt the air leave her lungs. But James just nodded.
“No problem. Theres room.”
She bit her tongue, but something inside her shattered that day.
Oliver moved inand acted like he owned the place. Ate on the sofa, shouted, never cleaned. Everything he touched turned filthy. Then Jamess parents visitedto see their “grandson.” And the nightmare began.
“Olivers shoes are muddy!” his mother scolded. “Why isnt his jacket washed? And wheres the cake?!”
She bossed them around like a drill sergeant. Cooked, cleaned, then out of nowhere, turned to Emily:
“I dont know how my son puts up with you! You should leave. Let the flat go.”
“To where? Rents sky-high, the girls have school”
“Not my problem. Pack your things.”
When Emily refused, his mother snapped.
“Ill talk James into it. Hell sign the divorce papers.”
Emily packed in silence, tears streaming.
James found out and stormed over.
“Mum, what the hell?! Youre throwing my wife out?!”
“Shes useless. And she drinks!”
“Excuse me?!”
“I heard bottles clinking. Hiding something? I wont have that under my roof. *My* flat, *my* rules.”
“Mum, that was Oliver with the recycling!”
“Dont blame the boy! If she steps foot here againdont complain.”
“Then Im going with her.”
“Good. Olivers got a girlfriendshell move in.”
James clenched his fists, silent.
“Fine. Two days.”
Later, he told Emily, “Dont cry. Well take everythingToms got a garage. Well buy our own place. Maybe not what we dreamed, but *ours*.”
Three days later, his mother arrived with his sister Charlotteloaded like they were stocking a bunker. Meat, fish, tins, sacks of potatoes
“Did they *really* move out?!” Charlotte gasped.
“Empty No kitchen No fridge No furniture”
“Put it on the balcony.”
“But its raining! Mum, you cant even sleep here!”
Margaret Wilson dialled her sons numberno answer. The grandkids ignored her too.
“Margaret here Grandma” she tried with Sophie, but the line went dead.
The flat held only a grubby old sofa. And a bucket in the bathtubthe symbol of a broken dream.
Six months later, Emily cooked in their new flat. Her phone rangunknown number.
“James, its Mum You wont answer Im sorry. Come back. Live here.”
“We *are* living. In *our* home.”
“Your home? Why do you need another? Youve got *ours*!”
“Yours is yours. Ours is ours.”
“And the girls? Theyve cut me off!”
“They dont need anything. Weve got everything. Forget that flat. Were never coming back.”
James hung up. That chapter was closed. And it would *never* reopen.
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