“What kind of nonsense is this? Call your family and have them come sort this mess out,” fumed Lila.

“What on earth has been going on here? Call your family and tell them to come and clean up this mess,” fumed Lily. “Im not tidying up after your lot. Its bad enough Im always washing sheets after your friends have stayed over. Theyve made a habit of crashing at our cottage.”

“Listen, Mum rang earlier,” her husband, Simon, mentioned over dinner. “She and the relatives are planning a barbecue this weekend.”

“Good for her,” Lily replied flatly. “Let them go. Whats it got to do with us?” She never hid her dislike for her mother-in-law.

“Well, they want to use our cottage,” Simon explained, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “They dont have one of their own, and Ive got to be at the garage on Saturday. I told them we couldnt go, so Mum asked for the keys.”

Lily had no choice but to agreethough shed soon regret it. When they visited the cottage the following weekend, she froze at the sight. The place looked ransacked.

The strawberries had been picked, the floors were filthy, and a lone pot of stale soup sat on the stove. The kitchen curtain had even been taken down. Lily couldnt fathom what had happened. Her in-laws were in their sixties, for goodness sake.

She didnt hold back with Simon.

“What kind of chaos was this? Ring your family and tell them to come back and sort it out,” she snapped. “I wont clean up after them. Im already fed up with washing sheets every time your mates stay over. They treat our place like a free hotel.”

“Oh, stop making a fuss. Just chuck it in the washing machine and hang it out,” he said dismissively.

“Next time, you can do it all yourself! Are you seriously fine with the state of our cottage and garden?”

But Simon never called anyone. Lily gave him the silent treatment until they eventually made up. Theyd only been married two yearsa love match, though lately Lily wondered if shed rushed into it. They didnt have children yet.

Life carried on as usual: work, home, home, work. Weekends were for walks or trips to the countryside with friends. Everything changed when Lilys mother suddenly remarried and moved to another town, leaving Lily their family cottage.

Overnight, Simons relatives adored her. Suddenly, everyone wanted an invite to the cottage. After all, barbecues always taste better outdoors, dont they?

Relatives appeared out of thin aircousins, aunts, uncles, even Simons grandmotherall flocking to the countryside, the river, and the grill. And of course, Simons mates tagged along too.

Every visit meant overnight stays. Simon happily manned the barbecue. Lily was fed up but didnt want to sour relations with his family and friends. Still, something had to give.

Now, weekends filled her with dread. When Lily and Simon married, his mother was already elderlyshed had him late in life. He had an older sister, Mary, ten years his senior. His mother was from the countryside and somehow believed everything was communal property.

She and Mary helped themselves to everything at the cottagelotions, shampoos, sponges, even the slippers Lily kept there. Then, once again, her mother-in-law called, asking Simon for the keys. This time, Mary wanted to bring her boss for a weekend of relaxation and grilled food.

As usual, no one bothered to ask Lily how she felt about it.

“Well give Mum the keys,” Simon said, ignoring Lilys reaction to the last visit.

Lily knew she had to actand that Simon wouldnt be on her side. After considering her options, she rang her mother.

“Ill call you back,” her mother said briskly.

Twenty minutes later, she rang again. “Your Aunt Helen and her husband will stay at the cottage for a while. Dont worry about a thingshell handle it.”

Lily gasped. Shed always been terrified of Aunt Helen. As a child, shed been sent to stay with her a few summers, and those memories stayed with her for life. Yes, Helen knew how to put people in their place.

That evening, her aunt called.

“Why didnt you ring me sooner, girl? Id have sorted this out ages ago,” she said. “Now, how do you want me to handle itjust a scare, or full force?” She chuckled darkly.

Lily shuddered. “Did you ever tell them the cottages in your name?” Helen asked.

“I dont think so. They all just assumed it was mine.”

“Dont fret, dear. Ill take care of everything.”

On Sunday, Simons furious mother called. “Have you sold the cottage?” she cried. “Wheres the money? Why werent we told?”

It turned out that on Saturday, Mary, her boss, and Simons parents had arrivedonly to find a group of five already barbecuing in the garden.

“Who are you?” his mother, Margaret, gasped.

“And who, might I ask, are you?” replied a stern-looking woman, stepping forward. “I own this cottage, and I dont know you. How did you get in? Where did you get the keys?”

Awkward silence fell. Mary tried explaining about family ties and the keys Simon had given them. The woman, unimpressed, glared until Mary stumbled over her words. Margaret stayed quiet.

In the end, the keys were confiscated, and they were politely told to leavewith a warning not to return unless they fancied explaining how theyd gotten hold of someone elses property.

Lily could hear Margaret shrieking down the phone. Simon, baffled, couldnt get a word in.

“Give the phone to your wife,” Margaret demanded.

Simon passed it over.

“That cottage isnt yours!” she declared.

“Not yours either,” Lily said calmly. “Did you ever ask? Or did you just assume everything was yoursours included?”

“Do you realise Mary invited her boss? There are layoffs coming, and she was trying to stay on her good side. If shes sacked, its on your conscience!”

“How is that my fault? Aunt Helen owns the place. She came to relaxjust like you all did, without even asking me. Buy your own cottage and do what you like there.”

“Im never going backand neither is my family,” Simon fumed.

It was their first real fight. Simon sulked. Mary was sacked. “Ill never forgive you for this,” he said. “My family treated you with love and care, and you lied to us.”

Lily was sure Mary had been fired for other reasons. She realised, with a strange relief, that she didnt feel sorry for any of them. And she hadnt started this. Their marriage had hit a dead end.

“Mum, I think Im leaving Simon.”

“Thats your choice, love. But where will you live? Ive rented out my flat. You could stay with Helen.”

“Thanks, but no,” Lily said drily. “Ill rent somewhere.”

She filed for divorce, moved out, and never went back to the cottage.