How can you refuse to change your surname? my mother-in-law shouted in the registry office.
Emily had never truly wanted to marry. Yet, at nineteen, she found herself expecting a child with Henry, her classmate of three years. There seemed to be no other pathshe couldnt bear the thought of her child growing up without a father.
Though Henry was older than Emily, he was painfully immature and terribly attached to his mother. Still, he didnt shy away from responsibility; he promised to marry Emily and help raise their child. And so, they began wedding preparations.
Emily might have been content with a simple ceremony, but her relatives insisted on a grand affair. She failed to see any sense in spending such extravagant sums on distant family and acquaintances when the same pounds could have bought all she and the baby would need. No one listened to her wishes. The restaurant, the dress, the guest listher future mother-in-law and her own sister decided it all for her.
Emily dreaded the dress fitting. In her mind, the gown her family had imagined for her was a monstrous thing, all ruffles and gaudy stonesher sister and soon-to-be mother-in-law werent exactly known for their taste. When Emily voiced her reluctance, she was accused of ingratitude, and her relations fumed. She cared very little for their complaints; larger worries pressed on her: her final exams, the approaching birth, her future.
On her wedding day at the registry office, Emily wore a plain white dressnothing fancy, just what suited her best. That was when all hell broke loose.
Henrys and Emilys families hadnt realised Emily meant to keep her maiden name. Henry knew and didn’t object, but his mother erupted, her voice echoing through the marble-floored room: How can you not want to change your surname?
Emily simply smiled and stepped away, deciding to conserve her nerves for the days aheadthe reception was to be held the next day in Henrys village, surrounded by his extended family. She would have need for a calm head.
The marriage lasted but a handful of years. Henry proved a dismal husband and an even poorer father. He spent his weekends glued to his computer, oblivious to family life. Eventually, when Emilys patience ran dry, she packed her bags and left.
Naturally, her mother-in-law was bitterly disappointed at how things turned out. But Emily, for the first time in years, breathed easyfinally free, and, at last, truly happy.
