“Just put up with it, love. You’re part of a new family now, and youve got to respect their ways. You didnt marry him to be a guest, did you?”
“What ways, Mum? Theyre all completely bonkers! Especially my mother-in-law! She hates me, its obvious!”
“Have you ever heard of a mother-in-law being nice?”
“Shes at it again! Bloody hell, shes always at it!” Margaret stood in the middle of the kitchen, her face red with rage, eyes blazing. “If a man strays, its the womans fault. Do I have to spell it all out for you?”
Margaret was in a proper state, screaming at her daughter-in-law, Emily, like a madwomanall because Emily had dared to suspect her own husband, James, of cheating.
Emily, a young, delicate woman with big, innocent eyes, leaned against the wall, trying to reason with the furious woman.
“Margaret, pleasethis isnt right. Hes got a family, children…”
“Family? What family?” Margaret scoffed, waving her hand like she was swatting a fly. “You call this a family? That child of yours wont even let us near him!”
“Hes only a year old, Margaret. Hes still tiny.”
“Tiny? The Smiths grandson is younger and already walking! Not whining like yours!”
“Hes your grandson too,” Emily said, though her voice shook. “And children sense things, you know. Maybe thats why he doesnt come to you.”
“Oh, so were the bad ones now? Thats rich!” Margaret shrieked. “Whos putting a roof over your head? Whose food are you eating? Whose money are you spending? Ungrateful cow!”
Emily had had enough. Shed begged James a thousand times to move out, but hea proper mummys boysaw no reason to. Why would he? Life at home was easy. His parents handled everythinglaundry, cleaning, cooking. No responsibilities, just cosy living.
Meanwhile, Emily got the full force of Margarets bitterness. At first, shed triedhelping around the house, listening to Margarets endless complaints about neighbours and life. But eventually, she realised it was pointless. No matter how kind or patient she was, Margaret loathed her and made no effort to hide it.
“Brought this daft girl home like there werent plenty of decent local lasses,” Margaret would gossip to her neighbour, Doris, while Emily stood just around the corner, gathering Jamess scattered toys. “Drove all the way to another village for her! Was it worth it? Our girls are hardworking, clevernot like this one!”
“Tell me about it,” Doris chimed in, always eager for a good gossip. “Cant even do a thing right, can she? Hands like a bloody disaster!”
“Youve no idea! Cant trust her with anything. Either loses it or breaks it. And that child of hers… somethings not right.”
“Now, the Smiths grandsonthats a proper lad. Calm, bright. But yours? Always fussing. Must be the genes.”
When it got unbearable, Emily would call her mum in the next village, crying down the phone.
“Just bear with it, love. Youre part of their family now. You didnt marry him to be a guest.”
“What family, Mum? Theyre all off their heads! Especially her! She despises me!”
“Since when were mothers-in-law ever nice? Weve all been through it. Just dont let them see it gets to you. Hold your tongue.”
Knowing her timid mum wouldnt help, Emily threatened to tell her dad.
“Dont drag your father into this!” her mum panicked. “You know hes on probation! One wrong move and theyll lock him up again!”
Emily knew. Her dad adored her. Hed got that suspended sentence after laying into some bloke whod insulted her at the local shop. And if he found out how they treated her now? He wouldnt stay quiet.
“Fine, I wont tell him,” Emily said. “But if this carries on… I dont know what Ill do.”
“Itll sort itself out, love,” her mum soothed. “Youll seein a few weeks, you wont even remember this chat.”
But things only got worse. Margaret seemed to grow even more vicious, as if Emily were to blame for all her woes. Even her weary husband, William, finally snapped.
“Why do you always shout at the poor girl? Shell leave! And shed be right to!”
“Ill make her leave!” Margaret spat, rounding on him. “Ill take her to courtmake her repay every penny shes cost us! And Ill take that childraise him proper, not in this rubbish family!”
Emily knew it was nonsense, but it still frightened her. She loved James, despite everything. The rumours about him sneaking off with his ex, Sophie, turned out to be just village gossipspread by women like Margaret and Doris.
Who knows how long it wouldve gone on if Margaret hadnt run her mouth? One day, bragging about her latest “win” over Emily, she spilled everything to Doriswho, of course, exaggerated and passed it on.
Until it reached Emilys dad, Thomasa towering man, broad-shouldered, not one to mince words. He didnt think long.
Grabbing the axe hed just been chopping wood with, still in his work coat, he jumped on his old Triumph motorbike and rode offno warning, no words to his wifeto get his daughter out of that miserable house.
Meanwhile, chaos erupted at Margarets. Emily had left baby Henry for just a minute on the brand-new mustard-yellow sofa to fetch a nappyand found a tiny brown stain when she returned.
To Margaret, it might as well have been a black hole swallowing the house. She stormed in, screeching like a banshee.
“Youve ruined it! My favourite! Do you know how much this cost? Ought to chop your hands off!”
“Ill clean it”
“Clean what? Its brand new! Not that youd knownever bought a thing in your life!”
“Did you?” Emily snapped, finally daring to throw it back. “Youve lived off your husband your whole life!”
“Cheeky cow!” Margarets face turned purple. “Scrub that stain, then get outyou and that son of yours! Live outside till you learn some respect!”
Tearfully, Emily scrubbed, but the stain mocked her. Little Henry wailed, sensing her distress, while Margaret rained curses down on her.
She didnt notice the figure in the doorway. Thomas stood there like a statue, gripping the axe.
Margaret froze mid-rant, finally sensing him. Her eyes locked onto the axe. She knew Thomass temperand his probation. Fear shot through her.
“OhThomas! Just giving your Emily a bit of guidance”
“Heard enough of your *guidance*,” Thomas growled, stepping insideboots still on. He raised the axe, making Margaret flinchbut instead of swinging, he rested it on his shoulder and held out a hand to Emily.
“Come on, love. Nothing for you here.”
“Wait!” Margaret scrambled. “What do I tell my son?”
“Let him come to me. For his wife. Well talk. Man to man.” His icy stare said more than words.
Thomas took Emily and Henry home. It took James a while to pluck up the courage to face his father-in-lawbut he did.
Thomas didnt shout. Didnt threaten. But the axe on the table and his calm, steel voice made every word weigh heavy. James promisedtheyd move out, Margaret would stay out of it, hed protect his family.
When Thomas shook his hand, James knewthis wasnt a man to cross.
From that day, Margaret avoided Emily and Henry. No greetings, no contact.
James and Emily lived aparthappily. Whether it was fear of Thomas or real love, who knows? But things were finally right.
