Left with Nothing but a Broken Dream
“How can you say that? Hes a real personyour husbands own brother!”
“And Ill say it againId rather burn that money than give it to him! At least then itd do some good! If he cant be bothered to look after his own health, why should I?” The younger sister-in-law pouted, arms crossed.
Margaret, the mother-in-law, was practically choking on indignation. Andrew, her younger son, rubbed his temples and exhaled deeply. He looked just as stunned but was doing his best to keep his cool. That was Andrewalways level-headed, never one for hysterics.
“Emily, you cant be serious! Lifes longtoday you help him, tomorrow he might help you,” Margaret pleaded, baffled that such a simple concept was lost on a grown woman.
“Oh, please! Him? That greedy lump? Hes up to his ears in debt!”
“Em, not everythings about money,” Margaret sighed. “If you love Andrew, at least show his brother some respect. Im not asking you to sit by his hospital bed!”
“Margaret, with all due respect, weve got our own plans,” Emily replied coldly. “Were saving for our daughters future. Unlike Simon, shes actually got a shot at being a decent human being.”
Margarets cheeks burned. The way Emily spoke about her eldest sonlike he was dirt under her shoewas unbearable. But it wasnt true.
Simon wasnt exactly a high-flyer, but he was a good family man. He worked hard, loved his wife and son, never strayed. Just an ordinary bloke, one of thousands.
Andrew, on the other hand, was ambitious. Since childhood, hed dreamed of rising above the crowd and carving out a comfortable life. Hed chosen dentistry not for passion but profitand it paid off. For a while, he was raking it in. Long hours, difficult clients, but he lived well.
Simon wasnt destitute either, though he scraped by. He had a car (on finance) and a flat (inherited from his gran).
His weakness? A love of hearty mealssweets, bread, and mayo. He skipped breakfast only to make up for it at dinner, spending weekends planted on the sofa. Not exactly a crisis, but the extra pounds were obvious.
“Simon, love, maybe go easy on the saladsthe green kind, not the ones smothered in dressing,” Margaret chided.
Still, she hadnt panickeduntil Simon landed in hospital with heart trouble. Turned out, he had a whole list of issues.
“He needs a diet. Possibly for life,” the doctor said.
Simon didnt listen. At first, he triedthen gave up. Missed follow-ups, abandoned treatment. If he felt ill, he powered through.
“Sarah, youve got to drag him back to the doctor. Hell run himself into the ground,” Margaret begged her elder daughter-in-law.
“Ive tried! You try moving a stubborn mule. Ive nagged him about the diet till Im blue in the face. And what? I throw out the mayo, he buys more. Says hell stop eating at home if I force-feed him rabbit food,” Sarah sighed.
Everyone knew Simon wouldnt change until he wanted to. But he didnt. And honestly, how many people do? Most wait till its nearly too late.
But Emily, the younger sister-in-law? She didnt just judge Simonshe seemed to despise him.
“I dont get why you all fuss over him. Let him dig his own grave,” she scoffed once, overhearing Margaret and Andrew discuss him.
Margaret tried to convince herself Emily was just strong-willed, that tough love worked. But deep down, she knewEmily was just spiteful.
It showed in everything. Emily never shared, never helped. If Margaret asked for a favour, Emily had an excusetoo busy, promised her mum, feeling poorly. Shed never lifted a finger in Margarets garden but never missed a barbecue. When babysitting was needed, Emily called Margaret before her own mother.
Margaret bit her tongue for ages. Not her place to interfere. But now she was starting to worry about Andrew too.
A few days ago, Simon had another attack. Needed surgery. A long recovery ahead. For once, he seemed scaredquiet, barely eating, brushing off questions.
Margaret cracked and called Sarah.
“Sarah, how are you coping? Simon wont tell me a thing.”
“Oh, Margaret Im terrified. Were barely keeping up with the mortgage, and now tests, meds, surgery You know how the NHS waiting lists are.”
“Dont fret, love. Well sort the money. Hes familywell all chip in.”
“If you can help, Ill owe you forever.”
Margaret felt a weight lift. Money wasnt the issue. Shed assumed Andrew and Emily would helpshed raised her boys to support each other.
What she hadnt expected? Emily digging her heels in. Especially since Emily lived off Andrews earnings, calling herself a “homemaker” while hitting the gym, brunching with friends, and shopping non-stop. Margaret noticed the new outfits every visit.
“Your daughters future” Margaret mused. “Do you realise Simon might not have a future if we all turn away now?”
Emilys lips thinned.
“He stuffed his face for years, and now I should pay for it? No chance! Hes a grown manlet him sort himself out!”
With that, she stormed out.
“Andy, Im waiting in the car,” she tossed over her shoulder.
Andrew didnt follow. He stared at the table, fists clenched. Margaret looked away.
The silence was thick. Something inside them both cracked. After five minutes, Andrew picked up his phone.
“Andy I never interfere, but Today she refused to help your brotherwith your money. What if tomorrow its you? Then what?” Margaret asked softly.
“I get it, Mum. Dont worryIll help Simon. But Emily Im not sure I want to live with someone like that.”
That day, Andrew sent Emily home in a taxito her parents. She shrieked, threatened divorce, called him a mummys boy. He didnt budge.
He filed first. Emily waited for him to crawl back. He didnt. Then she threatened to take their daughter.
“Ill take her, and youll never see her again!”
“Em, dont be daft. You havent asked about her once since we split,” Andrew snorted.
Still, they negotiated. Emily demanded half his assets, though shed contributed nothing. They settled on the carAndrew handed it over just to be rid of her.
Margaret never saw Emily again. From social media, shed gone full man-hater, swapped fancy dinners for fast food, and ditched the fake lashes and blowouts.
In short, she got greedyand ended up with nothing.
“Regret the divorce?” Margaret asked Andrew once, feeling partly responsible.
“Not a bit. If helping my brothers a crime to her, were too different. She wasnt the one.”
He didnt seem heartbroken. He worked, raised his daughter, sometimes asked Margaret to help. Luckily, Alice was a sensible girl, needing little supervision.
As for Simon? The surgery went well. He took his second chance seriouslystuck to the diet, even took walks with his wife. Their family was smaller now, but stronger.
