Charlotte has moved away from her parents, settling in another city in England. There, she studies hard to gain a decent education. After finishing her studies, she meets a man and eventually marries him. Her sister, Sophie, stays behind with their parents. Sophie has married and divorced twice, with two sons from her previous marriages.
Charlotte and her husband live in a flat he inherited from his grandmother. The early days are tough; money is often tight, especially with a young child to look after. Over time, as things begin to improve, they manage to save some money and buy a two-bedroom flat. After renovating it, they decide to rent it out for extra income.
Years go by, and their daughter grows up and sets her sights on nursing college. Charlotte and her husband plan to give the rented flat to their daughter once shes married and ready to move out.
Meanwhile, Sophies daughter, Olivia, is accepted into university. Sophie and their parents soon start asking Charlotte if Olivia can stay temporarily in the flat they’re renting out. Charlotte cant say no to her sister. Olivia settles in, focusing on her studies and taking a part-time job at a local café. Before long, she meets someone special; six months into their relationship, he proposes, and Olivia is now expecting a baby.
At this point, Charlotte tells her sister that if Olivia is planning on starting her own family, its time for her to find a new place. Olivia and her fiancé promise they will look for somewhere soon. A month later, Olivia rings her aunt, asking if she can stay just a bit longer, assuring her that shell move after the wedding. Meanwhile, Charlottes own daughter has started seeing someone, but theyre hesitant to ask Olivia to leave, especially now that shes pregnant.
The wedding goes ahead, and soon after, Olivia gives birth to her child. After the celebration, Charlotte reminds everyone that its time to find their own flat, as this one belongs to her daughter, whos soon to wed herself. But Olivia keeps coming up with new reasons: there aren’t any decent flats available, the babys unwell, or theres always some other excuse.
Eventually, Olivia stops taking calls altogether and even changes her phone number. She wont answer the door. Even when Charlottes husband tries to visit, Sophie later claims that his knocking has upset Olivia so much that she cant feed the baby anymore.
Finally, Charlotte and her husband reach the end of their tether. They evict Olivias family from the flat amidst shouting and tears. The whole affair leaves the family divided. For two years, Charlottes relatives refuse to speak to her, constantly wondering how she could be so heartless as to force her niece and a small child out onto the street.
