A Bizarre Market Encounter with My Former Mother-in-Law: She Was Unrecognisable!
On a drizzly Saturday at the local Tesco, I stumbled upon my ex-mother-in-law. Time had gnawed at herher face etched deeper, her hair greyer. Without thinking, I rushed over, greeting her warmly, and we fell into a hushed conversation about life. She never once complained about her son, but the weariness in her voice spoke volumes. Before parting, she clung to my sleeve, insisting I call her the next day. My heart ached for herId lived under her roof for ten years, and shed been nothing but kind. Then her son brought home a new wife, declaring her an improvement over me.
For a decade, my husband, Thomas, and I shared his mothers terraced house in Manchester. “No need to buy our own place,” hed said breezily. “Mums got no one elseitll be ours eventually.” The words curdled in my stomach; he shouldnt have spoken like that. But his mother, Margaret, was a gentle soul, her presence as warm as a hearth.
After the wedding, Thomas changed. Even the birth of our son, Oliver, didnt soften him. Our marriage felt hollow, a pantomime. Margaret was my only confidante. I never spoke ill of her sonout of respectbut she understood. She helped raise Oliver, ferrying him to nursery, then school, always cooking meals with a quiet smile.
Then, after ten years, Thomas announced he wanted a divorce. “Im not leaving,” he said flatly. “This is my house. You go.” For the first time, Margaret intervened, pleading with him to reconsiderfor Olivers sake. But his mind was made up. I packed my things and left. He moved his new wife in straight away. Now Oliver and I rent a cramped room from an elderly woman in Liverpool.
Moneys tightI barely earn enough to scrape by. Our landlady, Mrs. Higgins, isnt cruel, but her moods shift like the wind. Nothing pleases her. Oliver and I eat our meals in our room to avoid her scowls.
Then, in Tesco again, Margaret appeared like a ghost. Her eyes were pools of sorrow. She didnt speak of Thomas, but I knewshe wasnt welcome in her own home anymore. We talked honestly, and she begged me to call. Id take her in a heartbeatshes good peoplebut Ive nowhere to go myself. What on earth do I do?
