I Lost the Will to Help My Mother-in-Law After Discovering What She Did—But I Can’t Abandon Her Either

I’ve lost the will to help my mother-in-law after finding out what she did. But I can’t just leave her on her own.

I’ve got two children. Both have different fathers. My eldest is my daughter, Emily, who’s now sixteen. Her father pays child support regularly and keeps in touch with her. Although my first husband has remarried and has two more children with his second wife, he never forgets about our daughter.

My son, however, hasn’t had such luck. Two years ago, my second husband fell seriously ill and, just three days later, passed away in hospital. Time has gone by, but I still can’t believe he’s gone. I often catch myself thinking he’ll walk through the front door, give me a warm smile, and wish me a good day. Those are the days when I end up crying from morning till night.

Throughout all of this, my late husband’s mother, Margaret, did everything she could to support me. It was just as hard for herhe was her only son, after all. We leaned on each other and did our best to get through those dreadful times. We phoned each other often, visited, and spent hours reminiscing about him.

At one point, we even considered moving in together, but then Margaret changed her mind. Seven years somehow flew by. The relationship between us was always brilliantyou’d call us friends, really.

I do remember, when I was pregnant, Margaret mentioned getting a paternity test, something shed seen on televisionabout a man raising someone elses child for years and only learning the truth later. I told her, straight out, it was a daft idea.

If a man doubts whether the child is his, hell never be a proper fatherhell just turn up on Sundays, if that, I said.

Margaret said she believed I was carrying her son’s baby. Deep down, though, I thought when the baby was born, shed push for a paternity test. But she never said another word about it.

This past summer, Margaret became gravely ill and her health deteriorated rapidly. We decided it would be best if she moved closer to me. We contacted an estate agent and started looking for a flat for her.

Then, she ended up in hospital, and we needed her late husband’s death certificate for the agent. Margaret wasnt able to go, so I went to her place to look for it. As I rifled through her paperwork, I finally found the folder with the documents.

While I was searching, I stumbled across something elsea paternity test result. It turns out that when my son was only two months old, Margaret had him tested, and the results confirmed his fathers identity.

I was absolutely furious. All these years, Margaret hadnt really trusted me. I didnt keep quiet about itconfronted her right away. Now she keeps apologising, says she bitterly regrets ever doubting me. But I just cant let it go. I feel as though Ive been betrayed, especially since she kept it secret for all these years.

Now, I find it difficult to help her. Still, I know shes got no one else. I dont want to rob my son of his grandmother, and Ill continue to look after Margaretbut that warmth and trust between us, thats gone for good.