My Mother-in-Law, Part Two… The Drama Continues!

Another Mother-in-Law

When Charlotte stepped into the flat, she immediately spotted her mother-in-laws shoes right in the middle of the hallway. It was clear thered be no rest today.

Margaret appeared from the kitchen with the accusing stare of a prosecutor.

“Off gallivanting with that daft old woman again, were you?” she snapped. “Never mind your home, your husband, or your childthose can wait, cant they? Lucky I dropped by, or theyd have starved.”

“Margaret, Nicholas knew Id be late today. I left dinner readyhe just had to heat it up. He wouldve managed perfectly well without your help,” Charlotte replied.

After ten years of marriage to Nicholas, she was used to Margarets perpetual dissatisfaction and barely reacted, treating her words like background radio, playing nonstop from morning till night.

But it hadnt always been this easy. Margaret was Charlottes second mother-in-law. The first, Elizabeth, had been a tactful woman. She never interfered in her sons marriage, never gave unsolicited advice, never forced her presence.

Yet when help was needed, she was always there. Charlotte remembered how Elizabeth had stayed up nights with three-month-old Emily when the baby mixed up day and night, how shed whisked her granddaughter off for walks, telling Charlotte:

“Dont do a thingjust sleep. When Alex gets home, hell sort dinner himself.”

When Emily turned five, an accident at the factory took Alexs life, leaving Charlotte a widow.

Elizabeth, who had lost her only son, didnt abandon her daughter-in-law and granddaughter in their darkest hour. For the first three months, they even lived together, clinging to each other for support.

Charlotte suggested Elizabeth stay, but she moved back to her own flat:

“Charlotte, youre only twenty-eight. Youre youngyoull find happiness again. I wont be underfoot, getting in your way.”

Three years later, Charlotte married Nicholas. But she never abandoned Elizabeth. With her own parents living far away, her first mother-in-law became like a second mother to her, and Emily adored her grandmother.

Which was why Margarets behaviouracting as if she owned Charlottes homeshocked her so deeply.

After Margarets first unannounced visit, Charlotte asked Nicholas to explain to his mother that she was a guest here, and visits needed to be agreed upon in advance.

When Margaret insisted she only meant to help, Charlotte replied:

“Im not eighteen. Even when I left home for university, I was plenty independent. And after seven years of marriage, I dont need lessons on cooking or cleaning. Frankly, I could teach a few people myself.”

“Next time I visit you, Margaret, Ill bring a white glove and inspect every cornersee how you like being inspected.”

To his credit, Nicholas backed his wife, stepping in whenever his mother overstepped.

Over time, Charlotte managed to curb Margarets meddling in her household and parenting. So when, a year into her second marriage, Charlotte had a son, Margaret kept most of her opinions to herself. Though it clearly pained her.

The thing was, Margaret had a friend who constantly bragged about how she “kept her younger sons wife in line.” Naturally, Margaret wanted stories of her own, but she had nothing to boast about.

Her only outlet was grumbling about Charlotte visiting Elizabeth and helping her.

“Good thing that old womans some sort of distant relative! When Emily was little, Charlotte used to send her to stay with her in the summersI didnt mind then. But now the girls at university, and Charlottes still trotting over there two or three times a week!” shed complain.

The past year, Charlotte had indeed visited Elizabeth more often. Margaret called her “that old woman,” though Elizabeth was only seven years older.

But grief ages a person, and illness isnt kind. Elizabeth had weakened, so Charlotte visited her in hospital and at home.

“Youre wasting family money on an outsider,” Margaret scolded.

“Dont worry, Margaret. When Elizabeth fell ill, she sold her cottage, so shes got funds for treatment. She wont be borrowing from you,” Charlotte replied.

When Elizabeth grew worse, Charlotte hired a carer and took leave to spend half-days with her while Nicholas worked and their son was at school.

But even that only delayed the inevitablesoon, Elizabeth was gone.

That was when Margaret took a sudden interest in the will.

“She sold the cottage, but surely not all the moneys gone. And her pension was decentthere must be savings. And that two-bed flat will go to the heirs,” she mused, though she didnt dare ask Charlotte directly.

Instead, she probed her sonand the answer displeased her.

“Whos the will for? Of course Emilyshes her own granddaughter. Charlotte knew that ages agoshe even took her to the solicitor a year back.”

“So Charlotte ran after her for nothing? Imagine her wailing now!” Margaret scoffed.

“Dont worry about me,” Charlotte said. “I always knew Elizabeth would leave everything to Emily.”

“Then why bother with her if you knew youd get nothing?” Margaret demanded. “Emily couldve looked after her.”

“Id explain, but I doubt youd understand,” Charlotte said.

In due course, Emily inherited the flat and savings. They agreed that while she studied and lived in halls, the flat would be let, with rent going into her account.

Once she graduated, shed decide whether to return home, settle in the city, or even sell the flat to buy another.

Hearing this, Margaret suggested:

“Why let strangers in? Theyll wreck the place. Let Sophie live there instead.”

Sophie, Margarets thirty-five-year-old daughter, still lived at home. Pretty, educated, and employed, she had the occasional romance but never married.

Margaret fretted endlessly.

“Why no luck for Sophie? Charlottea widow with a childstill bagged my Nicholas!” shed think.

She believed if Sophie had her own flat, shed marry.

“Never mind its Emilys for now,” she reasoned. “In three or four years, things changemaybe Emily will marry a man with a flat there, and we can persuade her to gift it to Sophie.”

But she kept these plans quiet.

Her disappointment was sharp when Emily refused.

“She wont pay proper rent,” Emily said. “Im saving for a mortgagemaybe even moving to London after uni. Every penny counts.”

“Your Emilys as selfish as you are,” Margaret spat. “Sophie mightve married if she had that flat.”

“Mum, *you* have a three-bed,” Nicholas pointed out. “Sell it, buy a one-bed for yourself and one for Sophie.”

“Oh, clever, arent you?” Margaret huffed. “That flats mineyouve no claim. Why should I squeeze into a shoebox in my old age? Ive lived there my whole lifeIm not moving.”

“Its not Nicholas whos cleverits you,” Charlotte cut in. “You wont sacrifice your own flat for your daughter, but youll drool over someone elses.”

So Sophie stayed put. Emily let her flat out while studying, then sold it to buy another in the city.

She did visit Londonbut only for a week. As they say, the grass is always greener

What do you think about all this? Leave your thoughts in the comments.