“Hello, Natalie, can you come over? I’m not feeling well.” Denis and Annie left little Liam with me and went out. I can’t get hold of them.
“Again? That’s the last straw! I’ll be right there, Mum.”
Half an hour later, Natalie arrived at her mother’s house in Manchester.
“My blood pressures up, and I cant bring it down. My heads pounding.”
“Should I call an ambulance?”
“No need, I just need to rest. But Liam wont settlehes running around, climbing on everything. Hes too young to understand.”
Natalie took her grandson into the next room.
“Leaving him again with his great-grandmother while shes unwellIve had enough. Mums getting on, its too much for her, and they dont care. All they think about is drinking and having a good time.”
An hour later, her son and his wife showed up, clearly tipsy.
“Denis, Gran was ill, and you didnt answer your phone. Why did you leave Liam with her again?”
“Mum, relax! Grans just putting it onshes as fit as a fiddle!”
“Dont you dare talk like that! Have you no shame? You moved in with her, and now youre burdening an elderly woman!”
“Well, you wont buy us a flatwhere else are we supposed to live?”
“Maybe if the two of you got jobs? Liams old enough for nurserythey take them from two. Get off your backsides and work!”
“We *are* working! Annie and I run a blog. Once it takes off, moneyll pour in. Weve invested in adsjust need to wait.”
“Thats nonsense! The internets crawling with bloggers like fleas on a dog. Your dad and I cant afford to buy you a flatyou know that. You shouldve thought before starting a family.”
“Well, its not my fault Annie got pregnant so fast! We *had* to get married!”
“Wait, its *my* fault now?” Annie cut in, reeking of alcohol.
“Dont start! I told you to be carefulthis is on you!”
“I dont want to hear your drunken rubbish. Im leaving. And dont upset Gran!”
Natalie checked on her mothershe was asleep. The tablets had worked.
“Keep your voices down, Grans sleeping. Im going.”
—
Everything had spiralled since Annie announced her pregnancy. Theyd rushed a small weddingjust close family.
They refused to rent a place and moved in with Gran instead.
“Gran, youve got two bedroomswell manage. Annie can help outcleaning, cooking, shopping.”
What could she say? Her beloved grandson needed her. “Just until were on our feet, then well buy our own place.”
“Love, Im used to living alone. Youre noisymusic, guests. And with a baby My hypertension wont take it.”
“Itll be fine, dont worry! Youll have a great-grandchild to spoil!”
Natalie only found out after theyd moved in. Theyd asked Gran not to tell herthey knew shed object.
“Love, dont be cross. Theyll move out soon. They cant live on the street.”
“You shouldnt have agreed. Denis needs a job, not this laziness. Living off child benefits and handouts from Annies parentsdisgraceful.”
Hed dropped out of uni, no qualifications. The army wouldnt take him due to asthma. Now he was losing his mind over this blog nonsense.
Natalie never refused to babysit, but when they started dropping Liam off daily, she snapped.
“Youre his parentsspend time with him! Instead, youre out with friends or filming silly videos. Once or twice a weekthats it. I have my own life.”
So they left Liam with Gran. It was hard on her, but Denis always promised it wouldnt happen again.
—
“Natalie, did you know your mums an internet star?”
She frowned at her colleague. “What? She doesnt even use the internet.”
“Denis films her answering silly questionspeople mock her in the comments. Theyre horrified at how disrespectful it is. She doesnt even know.”
Natalie was livid. This was beyond shameless.
She stormed out and called Denis.
“Hi, Mum.”
“Are you filming Gran and posting it online? Have you lost your mind?”
“Whats the big deal? Its trending! She just answers questionsno harm done. Annies idea. The views are insaneads are rolling in!”
“I dont care! Delete those videos now. Youre humiliating her!”
“No harm, no foul. Shes helping us earn enough to move out.”
“Sort your own problems! Youre a disgrace. Delete them, or youre out on the street.”
“Thanks for the support, Mum. But Im not deleting anything. The blogs blowing upstay out of it!”
He hung up. Natalie swore under her breath. Theyd raised a monster.
That evening, she told her husband. He was furious too.
“Lets goIll talk to him.”
Denis was home. Annie was out with Liam; Gran was resting.
“Whats this about? Were finestop listening to busybodies. Everyones hustling these days.”
“Not by exploiting Gran! Delete those videos*now*!”
“Grow up, Mum! I dont take orders from you.”
“Oh, youre grown up? Then move out! Leeching off Graneven asking for her pension. Shame on you!”
“She offered! And lets be realGran wont live forever. The flatll be mine. Why rent when I can wait?”
Natalie and her husband were stunned.
“The flats *mine*Im her daughter! After this, Ill think twice about leaving it to you. Prove you can support a family first. And delete those videos!”
“Fine! Well gobut youll never see Liam again!”
But the next day, they stayed. Gran intervened.
“Natalie, its my home. I dont want them gone. Ive seen the videostheyre harmless. Let them earn their way.”
Natalie was baffled.
“Mum, its your choice. But Denis has no shame. Dont complain later.”
Two weeks later, Gran collapsed. The ambulance couldnt save her.
“Mum Grans gone. They said her heart gave out.”
“What? She was fine yesterday!”
Natalie was shattered. She hadnt even said goodbye.
At the funeral, Denis wept. Natalie hoped it was genuine.
“Mum Gran signed the flat over to me. A gift. I didnt pressure her.”
Natalie was stunned. So be it.
Days later, she returned for Grans things. The door was ajar. In the bedroom, Annie was talking.
“Mary, living with that old woman was torture! Always nagging, never helping with Liam.”
“Wed never afford a mortgagethe blog earns peanuts. Denis finally got a job, but whod hire a weakling with asthma?”
“When Gran collapsed, he wasnt home. She asked for her pills and an ambulance, but I stalled. Gave her the wrong pills. Only called when she started choking. Thats what finished her.”
“Shed already signed the flat over. I guilt-tripped herDenis thinks it was her idea. Now weve got our own place! Just had to get rid of the meddling mother-in-law.”
Natalie burst in, shaking with rage.
“You vile creature! You killed her and you *boast* about it? Ill have you arrested!”
Annie paled. “You misunderstood! I was justwhat are you doing here?”
“What am *I* doing? *You* murdered her!”
“Denis wont believe you. And even if he doesI dont care! Liams not even his!”
Natalie recoiled. “Get out, you witch!”
Denis walked in. “Whats going on?”
“Your mums lost it.”
Natalie repeated what shed heard. Denis stared at Annie. She packed Liams things, avoiding his gaze.
“Annie Liams not mine? And you let Gran die?”
“You cant prove anything. Her heart was weakno ambulance couldve saved her.”
“And Liams Vadims. He dumped me, so I hooked up with you. Youd have found out eventually.”
Denis lunged, but Natalie held him back. Annie left with Liam.
They didnt go to the policeno proof. The guilt was
