The Laptop Got Smashed, and My Mother-in-Law Blamed Us
James and Emily decided to celebrate their anniversary at a cosy café in central London. They returned home well past midnight.
“Finally decided to show up, did you?” James’s mother, Margaret, stood in the doorway with her arms crossed. “Where have you two been? I’ve been stuck here looking after your niece and nephew all evening!”
“Mum, what’s wrong?” James frowned. “You adore Sophie’s kids.”
“Was it really so hard to watch them for a few hours?” Emily added, hanging up her coat.
“You two swan about while I do all the heavy lifting!” Margaret snapped. “And where’s their mother, anyway?”
“She’s busy, and apparently, that means you two get to relax!” Margaret jabbed a finger toward the kitchen. “Wash the dishes! You’ve had your fun—now it’s time to pull your weight!”
James scowled and flipped open his laptop. His hands froze as his grip tightened on the screen. What he saw made his blood run cold.
After their wedding, James and Emily rented a flat, but money grew tight, forcing them to move in with his mother. Emily’s parents lived in a tiny council flat with her younger brother, leaving no space for the newlyweds. James had switched jobs—his pay was lower now, but there were promises of promotion.
“Em, it’s just temporary,” James insisted. “We’ll save money living with Mum. She’s on her own, and my sister only drops by occasionally with the kids. We’ll manage.”
“I could pick up extra work—you could too,” Emily suggested.
“And what, work ourselves to the bone?” James shot back. “I’m already at the office all day—then I’m supposed to dash off somewhere else? Come home just to sleep? When do we actually live?”
“And living with your mum counts as living?” Emily sighed.
“Look, we can’t afford anything else. If we keep Mum happy, we’ll save faster for our own place.”
Emily stayed silent. The idea of living with her mother-in-law filled her with dread. She’d only met James’s niece and nephew—his sister Sophie’s rowdy, spoiled children—once at the wedding. But there was no other choice.
“What’s the problem?” Margaret greeted them later. “Better than throwing money away on rent. We’ll split the bills three ways—you two cover two shares, I’ll take one. I’ll handle groceries and cooking. You’ll clean.”
“Fine, Mum,” James agreed. “Em, that work for you?”
“…Yeah,” Emily exhaled.
At first, things ran smoothly. They returned to home-cooked meals, and breakfast was always ready. Emily took freelance work in the evenings, but weekends were ruined by the kids’ visits. Sophie barely showed up, dumping them from Friday to Sunday.
Cleaning was impossible—the children left chaos in their wake, rifling through everything, even barging into the bedroom if James and Emily were sleeping.
“James, ask your mum to take them,” Emily pleaded one morning. “We’re still in bed!”
“They’re just kids,” he dismissed. “My niece and nephew—yours too, now. Deal with it.”
“I was up half the night working!”
“Nobody forced you. Fine, I’m up. Meeting the lads for fishing—be back by evening.”
“And what about me? Left alone again?”
“Mum’s here. Want peace? Give them your laptop to keep them quiet.”
“Brilliant idea! Here, take yours,” Emily snapped.
“Not a chance—work files are on there.”
“I’ve got a deadline today!” she protested. “Go on, I’ll sort it.”
This became routine—James disappearing with friends: fishing, barbecues, nights out. Today was no different.
Margaret was feeding the kids when Emily walked in.
“Emily, sit,” she ordered. “Not many pancakes left, but you’ll manage. James said they can play on your laptop.”
“That’s not true!” Emily bristled. “I never agreed. I’ve got work—a deadline tonight.”
“Stingy, aren’t you?” Margaret scoffed. “We’re family! Sophie won’t let them touch hers—too expensive.”
“This is my entire week’s work!” Emily shot back. “I’m not babysitting.”
“Then wash up,” Margaret snapped, grabbing her phone.
Emily scrubbed dishes angrily—nobody in this house lifted a finger, not even to rinse a cup. Margaret was already gossiping away:
“Lisa, of course I’ll meet you! An hour at the shopping centre. The noise? Oh, the grandkids. Don’t worry, Emily’s watching them. Good practice, since she’s got none of her own yet.”
Emily nearly dropped a plate. Silently, she packed her laptop and slipped out. Margaret stayed quiet—no doubt planning to spring her exit as a last-minute surprise.
Emily headed to her usual internet café, ordered a coffee, and buried herself in work. Half an hour later, James called.
“Em, where are you? What’s going on?”
“Working,” she said flatly. “Deadline tonight.”
“Mum’s in a state! Where’d you go?”
“Couldn’t concentrate with that racket.”
“You ruined her plans with Lisa!”
“Then invite Lisa over.”
“With those two terrors?”
“Then you stay with them and let your mum go. They’ve got a mother!”
“You’re being ridiculous,” James growled.
“Am I? Or are you?” Emily countered. “Your mum was so generous, letting us stay—but we’re paying for it. This month, she ‘ran short’ and took an extra fifty quid from us. You don’t even notice, do you?”
“You’re petty!” he snapped.
“And where’s your money going?” Emily fired back. “Not a penny for your mum—that’s all on me. But you’ve always got cash for the lads! Twelve days a month, your niece and nephew eat our food. Mum buys them sweets, ice cream—nothing for us. The best bits go to them. Sophie takes them home with bags full. When we rented, we spent half as much! Call this a bargain? You want this life? Fine. Once I’m paid, I’m leaving. Your choice—come with me, or we’re done.”
“Em, just tell me where you are,” James pleaded, voice shaking.
“Why?”
“Fishing fell through. Don’t want to go home. Let’s spend the day together.”
“I’m working.”
“I’ll sit quietly. That place near the station?”
“Fine. I need an hour—wouldn’t finish at home.”
James arrived with flowers.
“What’s this for?” Emily blinked.
“Our anniversary,” he smiled. “I’ll order your favourite cake and a coffee.”
“Oh. Forgot,” she admitted. “Just need to check this draft.”
They wandered until late, agreeing to flat-hunt. Emily had been right—Margaret had been bleeding them dry, poisoning James against his wife, calling her selfish.
They returned to chaos.
“Finally!” Margaret pounced. “Where’ve you been? I’ve been run ragged with these two!”
“Mum, you love them,” James said calmly.
“I’ve had enough!” she barked. “Jenny wanted to meet at the café, but I had to invite her here. She hated it! Where was Sophie?”
“Busy,” James shrugged. “If she saw us out, she could’ve taken them.”
“Wash up!” Margaret ordered. “Enough lazing about—earn your keep!”
Emily changed, heading for the kitchen, but James stopped her. He opened his laptop—and went still. The corner of the screen was cracked, key files deleted.
“What the hell?” he whispered, paling. “Em, I left this on the wardrobe!”
“Didn’t touch it,” she said. “Ask your mum.”
“Mum!” James yelled. “What happened to my laptop?”
“Keep your voice down!” Margaret hissed. “They’re asleep! I’m exhausted.”
“Why did you take it? Where are my files?”
“The kids were bored,” she waved him off. “It’s just a scratch. Kept them quiet, didn’t it?”
“They wiped everything!” James exploded. “They’re ten and eight—they knew what they were doing!”
“Your own family!” Margaret gasped.
“Enough!” James roared. “Em, we’re moving. Use yours—I’ll sort this.”
“Who’s doing the washing up?” Margaret demanded.
“Whoever ate off them,” James shot back. “We weren’t here.”
Emily watched, stunned, as James seethed—she’d never seen him like this. The laptop had cost him months of savings.
“James, we’ll get a new one,” she soothed.
“No, I’ll fix it,” he muttered. “Passcode was on a sticky note—my fault. Never thought Mum would do this. YouThey moved out the next week, and neither Margaret nor Sophie ever apologized for what they’d done.
