Harriet, you and James need to come over and help me, said Margaret, her tone deadserious, we have windows to wash and carpets to beat out!
What an generous offer, Harriet replied with a wry smile, but I think Ill pass.
Harriet, whats wrong? James asked, looking bewildered. Your mother needs a hand!
No, I wont! Harriet said firmly, forcing a smile off her face.
What do you mean, wont? James was even more flustered. Shes my motherinlaw!
James, weve been married for nine years. Do you really think Im losing my mind? Harriet asked him straight on.
Its not that Im doubting anything, James replied, gesturing uncertainly toward Margaret.
So you dont have to explain that a mother is a mother! Harriet snapped.
And why shouldnt we help your mother if she asks for help? James pressed.
Did you hear any request in her words? Harriet countered. She told us what we must do! Apparently we owe her!
Yes, we owe! Margaret exclaimed. Youre my daughter and hes my soninlaw! But a soninlaw gets a smaller share. As my own child, you cant abandon your mother when shes in trouble!
Mm, Harriet mused aloud. I could.
So what kind of daughter are you? Margaret shouted.
Exactly the same as you, mother! Harriet shot back.
Harriet, have some shame! James yelled. How can you answer your own mother so harshly?
I have every moral right to! Harriet declared. If you dont know the whole story, I wouldnt raise my voice at my own wife!
Harriet, James said, his face turning serious, maybe I dont know everything, but a mother deserves respect, and we should always help our parents. Being rude is unacceptable. He turned to Margaret. Margaret, forgive us for her behaviour. Well come over this weekend and sort everything out.
No, we wont come! Harriet slammed her fist on the table.
Fine, then Ill go alone, James said, taking charge as the head of the family.
If you go to her, you might never come back home, Harriet warned, turning away.
Exactly, Margaret said, shaking her head. My daughter is absolutely wonderful.
Yes, thats me! Harriet replied, looking at her mother. Why didnt you ask Emily to wash the windows and beat the carpets for you?
Whos Emily? James asked.
You were told you know nothing! Harriet snapped. And Emily is my sister, my own blood.
My mother asked me, not her! Harriet turned to Margaret. Why dont you ask Emily to help?
Because Emily sent my mother away long ago, when I got married, six years ago! Harriet added, her voice sharp.
Exactly then, James, she said, emphasizing his name, when my mother decided to return to the life of her other daughter. Thats when you first met her. Remember?
Oh, right, James said, chuckling. No one ever mentioned her until she showed up six years ago. I even thought you didnt have a mother at all, let alone a fatherinlaw.
Your attention is all over the place! Harriet laughed. I never had a mother, then she appeared, and you never bothered to ask how that happened.
I was going to, but I got distracted and forgot, he admitted, blushing. Then we started talking, but I didnt give it any thought.
Do you want me to tell you the whole truth? Harriet asked eagerly.
No! Stop it! Margaret shrieked.
Whats wrong, mum? Embarrassed? Did your conscience just wake up? Harriet teased. He doesnt need to know, and it isnt his business!
How can it not be his business when hes about to wash windows and beat carpets for you? Harriet said firmly. I also want him to understand why Im refusing you!
***
When parents divorce, the children suffer first and most. The trauma can be softened only by sensible, caring parents who arrange visits without dredging up old fights. For a child, parents remain the people they once loved, even if they no longer live together. Understanding why the marriage ended is often beyond a childs grasp, but keeping a civil relationship is still vital.
Harriets parents never asked such questions; they simply wanted to split.
I wont pay any maintenance, Margaret declared.
Its the law, Peter, their father, replied.
I dont care! If my wages are cut, youll pay me back! Margaret snapped.
Exactly, thats money for the children! Peter retorted. You should support yours!
But theyre yours too! Parental responsibility is shared equally! Margaret shouted.
Im done listening! This isnt about you, the kids, or maintenance! she wailed, flailing her arms.
Tell the judge! Peter muttered.
Their divorce was to be final in two days, an unusual case. Margaret was leaving not just James but also their two daughters, ages ten and four, without a second thought about where they would live. The only thing that worried her was the maintenance she would now owe.
If things had gone well, Peter could have managed without those payments; he earned a decent salary. Yet having a wifeespecially one who meddledwas never pleasant. He would have preferred to raise the girls away from his exwifes hysteria.
Margaret plotted a cunning move. She coaxed tenyearold Emily to claim she wanted to live with her mother. Emily, who spent a lot of time with Margaret, had absorbed her mothers traits.
The court left the younger daughter with Peter and the older with Margaret. In the end, Peter received only one line from the judge: I told you I wont pay anything. He didnt argue, though he wished he could have said he still owed his daughter a proper upbringing. Emily, spurred by her mother, slandered her father and sister right in the courtroom.
Clearly the child was not at fault. She was merely repeating what her mother had fed her. Margaret, or rather Susan, would soon teach Emily the same manipulative ways.
Peter lost one daughter but still had the other. He still bore responsibility for her. He truly missed Emily.
A few weeks later he tried to meet Emily, but Margaret blocked him. When Peter cornered Emily near the entrance, she pushed him away so hard that he felt ashamed to look any passerby in the eye.
After the divorce, Harriet never heard from her mother or sister for twenty years, and, oddly enough, she didnt mourn them.
Peter Petrovich, a devoted father, poured his heart into raising his daughter. Harriet could honestly say shed had a wonderful childhood, a bright youth, and grew into a happy adult. She never felt abandoned or slighted by the absence of a motherbiological or otherwise.
Harriet earned a degree, became a software developer, married, and had a child. She lived the kind of stable, happy life many dream of.
She never imagined that, one day, her mother would show up at her doorstep as if theyd only been apart for a week, not twenty years. The suddenness stunned her, yet she let the woman in, introduced her husband, and even presented her to her grandson as a grandmother. They chatted calmly about everyday matters, and Harriet listened to her mothers storiesthough Margaret only shared mundane updates and minor troubles.
When they finally left, the absurdity of the situation sank in for Harriet. She called her father straight away.
Ive never told you much about herneither good nor bad. I wont now, Peter said. I raised you to be smart. Figure out why shes back and what she really wants.
The only thing I can tell you is that I divorced her twenty years ago, but I cant rule out that shes changed, Peter added.
Thanks, Dad, Harriet replied. If anything, Ill call you.
Peter, skeptical that Margaret could ever improve, kept his doubts to himself.
After that call Harriet felt calmer. Her fathers steady presence always soothed her, and once she was at ease she began to think. The search for people used to be a daunting task; now it was a trivial click away. The internet left a trail for everyone; the key is knowing how to follow it.
Harriet, a software developer, was exceptionally good at digging up informationalmost as if the authorities themselves would be jealous.
She learned little about her mother beyond the fact that shed married twice after divorcing her father. She had only two children: Harriet and Emily. When Harriet probed about Emily, her father gave only vague ages. Margaret knew far more but shared it as if she were being interrogateduseful facts, but nothing beyond what a stranger could discover.
Studied, worked, got married, moved in with her husband the outline was simple. Then everything fell into place. Harriet discovered that Emily had trained as a geography teacher, a profession offered by only two colleges in their town. She joined those colleges social media groups, found Emilys name, and arranged a meeting.
Youre being pulled in, Emily said confidently. Dont be surprisedshe cant do it alone. She needs a victim!
A victim? Harriet asked, confused.
A victim is someone she can cling to, using any excuse to make them dance to her tune, Emily smirked. I didnt just marryI ran away from her!
Who was ready to take me as a wife and then snatch me back? Thats who she is! Emily warned. Send her far away and forget her. Shell lie so much youll never catch up. In the end youll be the one blamed.
Harriet left the meeting thoughtful. The only conclusion she drew was:
Forewarned is forearmed.
If a mother craves contact, shell get it; if she oversteps, shell meet a firm response.
Its funny, but for six years Margaret was content with just chatting. Occasionally she asked for small favors, just as neighbours sometimes do. Emily added a further warning:
If you ever show a hint of weakness, youre in her web, and shell torment you until youre driven mad. Shes done that to two stepfathers, driving them to the brink just to grab their property.
Harriet didnt wait long, but she eventually got what she needed.
She finally forced her father to spill the whole story, a piece hed only glimpsed. He only opened up after Harriet mentioned her conversation with Emily. When the full picture was assembled, she waited for her moment.
James stared, his mouth agape, at his motherinlaw. He could not believe what he was hearing. Margarets reaction showed that Harriet was telling the truth. The woman turned a shade red, beads of sweat confirming she was human, not a statue.
Are you still willing to go there and work? Harriet asked.
James shook his head.
Alright, Harriet said to her husband, then turned to her mother. Mum, if you want normal human interactioneven if you dont deserve itI wont refuse you. But any more talk about what I owe you, Ill throw it out the window and never hear a word again.
How dare you! Margaret shrieked. Im your mother!
Enough! Harriet spread her arms. No one forced your tongue. Get out, or Ill report you to the police for harassment!
Margarets eyes widened.
What are we waiting for? Want me to kick you out with a magical foot? she sneered, trying to sound threatening.
She straightened, as if a pole had been swallowed, and made her way toward the door with as much dignity as she could muster. Harriet couldnt hold back a shouted, Run, you! as Margaret shuffled out.
Nice escape, James muttered after she was gone.
What was she after? Harriet shrugged. She vanished after twenty years, then showed up demanding I owe her something. She even wanted thanks for the kicks I never gave her.
Well, Mum James began.
On paper Im your mother, but in reality Im a stranger, Harriet said, closing the chapter forever.
The whole ordeal taught Harriet one clear truth: family ties are only as strong as the respect and honesty that hold them together. Without those, even a mothers claim can become a hollow echo, and the only lasting bond is the one we build with ourselves.
