Left with Nothing
How can you speak like that? Hes a living soul! Your own brother-in-law!
And Ill say it againId sooner burn that money than give it to him! Itd do more good that way! If he wont look after his own health, why should I? snapped the younger daughter-in-law, lips pursed in indignation.
The mother-in-law was near breathless with outrage. Andrew, her youngest son, sighed heavily and rubbed his temples. He was just as shocked, though he hid it well. He had always been the steady sortnever one to panic, always reasoning rather than reacting.
Emma, this isnt right! Lifes long and full of turns. Help him today, and he may help you tomorrow, Margaret pleaded, struggling to explain such simple truths to a woman who ought to have known better.
Oh, please! Him? That glutton? Hes up to his ears in debt!
Emma, not everything is about money, Margaret sighed. If you love Andrew, at least show his brother some respect. Im not asking you to sit by his bedside.
Margaret, you must forgive me, but we have our own plans, Emma replied coldly. Were saving for our daughters future. Unlike Simon, she still has a chance to make something of herself.
Margarets cheeks burned with anger. Emma spoke of her eldest son as though he were dirt beneath her shoes. But that wasnt true at all.
Simon might not have been ambitious, but he was a good family mansteady at work, devoted to his wife and son, never straying. An ordinary man, one of thousands.
Andrew, on the other hand, had always been driven. From boyhood, hed dreamed of rising above the crowd and carving out a comfortable place for himself. Hed chosen dentistry not for passion, but for profit, and in time, his practice flourished. He worked hard, endured difficult clients, and lived well.
Simon, though not wealthy, managed. He had a caralbeit on financeand a flat left to him by his grandmother.
But he had one weakness: rich food. Simon adored sweets, bread, and butter. He skipped breakfast only to overindulge at supper, and weekends found him idle and sedentary. His weight had crept up, though it wasnt yet dire.
Simon, you ought to eat more salads. The plain sort, not those laden with cheese and dressing, Margaret scolded gently.
Still, she hadnt worrieduntil he landed in hospital with heart trouble. The doctor laid it out plainly: a lifetime of dietary discipline awaited him.
Simon didnt listen. At first, he made half-hearted efforts, then gave up entirely. He skipped follow-ups, abandoned his treatment, and bore his ailments in stubborn silence.
Claire, you must make him see the doctor. Hell be the death of himself, Margaret begged her elder daughter-in-law.
Ive tried, believe me. Hes as stubborn as a mule. Ive nagged him about his diet till Im blue in the face. And what good has it done? I throw out the butter, he buys more. Says hell stop eating at home if I force-feed him greens, Claire sighed.
It was clear: until Simon took charge himself, nothing would change. Yet he wouldnt. But then, how many others lived the same way, ignoring the reckoning until it was nearly too late?
Emma, the younger daughter-in-law, didnt just disapproveshe despised him.
I dont see why you fuss over him. Let him dig his own grave, she scoffed once, overhearing Margaret and Andrew discussing Simon.
Margaret tried to convince herself that Emma was merely strong-willed, that harsh words might shock sense into him. But deep down, she knew the truth: Emma was simply cruel and cold.
It had shown before. Emma never shared what was hers. If Margaret asked for help, excuses flowedtoo busy, already promised to her mother, feeling unwell. Shed never lifted a finger at Margarets cottage, yet never missed a barbecue. When their daughter needed minding, Emma rang Margaret before her own mother.
For a long time, Margaret held her tongue. A sons marriage was his own affair. But nowshe feared for Andrew too.
Days before, Simon had suffered another attack. Surgery was needed, the recovery long. At last, fear had gripped him. He barely ate, brushed off questions.
Margaret called Claire.
Claire how are you coping? Simon wont tell me a thing. Lets at least stay in touch through you.
Oh, Margaret Im frightened, Claire admitted. You know how it ismortgages, barely scraping by. And now tests, medicines, surgery The NHS wont cover everything.
Dont fret, dear. Well find the money somehow. Hes family. Well manage.
If you can help, Ill be forever grateful.
For Margaret, money was no obstacle. She expected Andrew and Emma to contribute. Shed raised her sons to stand by one another.
She never imagined Emma would dig in her heelsespecially since Emma lived entirely off Andrews earnings. She stayed home, keeping house, though in truth, she lived for pleasuregym visits, lunches with friends, endless new clothes.
Your daughters future Margaret echoed thoughtfully. Do you realise Simon may have no future if we turn away now?
Emmas lips thinned.
He feasted like a kingshould I pay for his excesses? Not a chance! Hes a grown man; let him sort himself out!
With that, she stormed out.
Andrew, Im waiting in the car, she tossed over her shoulder.
But Andrew didnt follow. He stared at the table, fists clenched. Margaret looked away.
A heavy silence fell. Something inside them both had shattered. After minutes of quiet, Andrew reached for his phone.
Andrew Ive never interfered, but Today she refused to help your brotherwith your own money. What if, heaven forbid, you fall ill tomorrow? What then? Margaret asked softly.
I know, Mum. Dont worryIll help Simon. But Emma Im not sure I can stay with her after this.
That day, Andrew sent Emma awaynot home, but to her parents in a taxi. She raged, screamed, called him a mummys boy, threatened divorce. But he stood firm.
He filed first. Emma waited, expecting him to crawl back. When he didnt, she threatened to take their daughter.
Ill take her, and youll never see her again!
Emma, dont be absurd. Youve not once asked after her since we parted, Andrew scoffed.
Still, compromises were made. Emma demanded half his assets, though shed contributed little. In the end, she settled for the carAndrew handed it over just to be rid of her.
Margaret never saw her again. From what she gathered, Emma now raged against all men online. No more fancy dinnersjust cheap takeaways. The false lashes and weekly blowouts vanished too.
Greed had left her with nothing.
Do you regret it? Margaret asked Andrew once, feeling partly to blame.
Not at all. If helping my brother was a crime to her, we were never suited. Our paths diverged long ago.
Andrew bore it well. He had his work, his daughter to raise.
Simon, too, recovered. The surgery succeeded, and this time, he took his second chance seriously. He dieted, walked with Claire. Though their family had shrunk, it had grown stronger.
