\u201cTomorrow I\u2019ll transfer the money to Mum for her flat. The decision\u2019s made,\u201d James declared, never even asking my opinion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat? You\u2019ve decided to buy Mum a flat?\u201d I stared at him, bewildered, as he sat at the kitchen table with a guilty look on his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
James gave a short nod, refusing to meet my eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, I\u2019ve decided. She\u2019s only a million short, and we\u2019ve almost saved that much.\u201d He said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat do you mean \u2018decided\u2019? We\u2019ve been saving for our own flat for four years! We were already looking at neighbourhoods, weighing options!\u201d My voice rose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEmily, think about it. Mum has spent her whole life in a cramped council flat. The neighbours drink, shout, and the walls never sleep. She deserves a decent place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I sank into the chair opposite him, my hands trembling with indignation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd what about us? Don\u2019t we deserve a proper home? We\u2019re young, we want children, and we\u2019re stuck in this tiny one\u2011room flat! I\u2019ve already told all my friends we\u2019ll be moving soon!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMum\u2019s alone. She\u2019ll retire soon; her pension is a pittance. We\u2019re still young; we can save more later.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSave more?\u201d I leapt up. \u201cDo you realise how long that will take? We put aside \u00a340 a month, denying ourselves everything!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
James finally looked up, his eyes fixed and resolute. \u201cTomorrow I\u2019ll transfer the money to Mum for the flat. The decision\u2019s made.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The following days in our cramped flat were heavy with silence. I gave him short nods when he tried to start a conversation, while he pretended everything was fine, though I could see how nervous he was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Friday evening I could take it no longer and phoned my sister, Rachel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRach, can I come over? Things are terrible at home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course, come straight away. What\u2019s happened?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An hour later I was sitting in Rachel\u2019s kitchen, spilling the whole story while she listened, shaking her head occasionally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCan you believe it? He didn\u2019t even ask you! He just thrust a fait\u2011accompli in front of you!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd what does Mum say?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe\u2019s delighted, of course. She says she never expected such care from her son, but she stays silent about the trouble it\u2019s caused us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rachel poured tea for us both and settled opposite me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMaybe he\u2019s right. After all, it\u2019s his mother\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAre you against me too?\u201d a lump rose in my throat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, no. I\u2019m just trying to understand his logic. Though I agree\u2014such a decision should have been discussed with his wife.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At that moment Igor, Rachel\u2019s husband, entered the kitchen. He had overheard the end of our talk and joined in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s this about?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rachel gave a brief recap. Igor shook his head thoughtfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEmily, if I were James, I\u2019d do the same. Parents are sacred. They raised us; now it\u2019s our turn to look after them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut we had plans! We had dreams!\u201d I exclaimed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPlans can change. But you only have one set of parents.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despair washed over me. Even my own family seemed unable to see my side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Back home another tense conversation awaited. James was perched on the sofa, clearly waiting for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhere have you been?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt Rachel\u2019s. I was telling her how wonderful a husband I have.\u201d I snapped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEmily, enough! We\u2019re not poor; we\u2019ll save again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen? In five years? Ten? What if we have children? Then there\u2019ll be nothing left to save!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf we have children, we\u2019ll sort the housing then. We\u2019ll ask our parents for help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhich parents? Yours, who will buy a flat with our money? Or mine, who gets a few pounds from a pension?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
James rose and went to the window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re selfish, Emily. You only think of yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd you only think of Mum! You\u2019ve forgotten you have a wife!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t forgotten. But a wife should understand and support her husband.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSupport what? That our plans go down the drain?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
James turned, his eyes cold with a hardness I\u2019d never seen before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMum spent her whole life on me. After Dad left, she raised me alone, working two jobs so I could study. Now it\u2019s my turn.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd what about me? We\u2019ve been together five years, married three!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMum is Mum. Wives\u2026\u201d He stopped, but I understood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat about wives? Finish your sentence!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNothing. I\u2019ll transfer the money tomorrow. End of story.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next morning James left for work without a goodbye. I sat at the computer, opened the banking app, and saw our joint account held just under \u00a320,000 \u2013 the result of four years of scrimping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I remembered how we began saving. Back then we lived in an even smaller council flat, renting a room in a shared house. Every month we calculated to the last penny how much we could set aside. We gave up caf\u00e9s, cinema trips, new clothes. We dreamed of our own home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
James used to say we were a team, that together we could achieve anything. Now he made decisions alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At lunch Mum called.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEmily, love, how are you? Your voice sounds sad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, Mum, just tired from work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd James? I haven\u2019t heard from your son\u2011in\u2011law lately.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I didn\u2019t tell her about the fight. Mum already worried over everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJames is fine. He works a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGood. When are you buying your flat? I recall you saying soon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStill saving, Mum.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The call left me feeling worse. I had told everyone about our plans, and now I would have to explain why they fell apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That evening James returned in silence, sat at the computer, and opened the banking app to arrange the transfer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAre you serious about this?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSerious.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLet\u2019s talk again. Could we give Mum half the sum? At least try to find a compromise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo. She needs a million. She has eight hundred thousand; the rest is missing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd us? Don\u2019t we need a decent flat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe do, but it\u2019s not urgent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I placed my hand on his shoulder. \u201cJames, please. This is our shared dream, our future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He gently removed my hand. \u201cMy decision is final.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen so is mine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhich one?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m leaving.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
James looked up, stunned. \u201cWhere are you going?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAway from you. I can\u2019t live with someone who doesn\u2019t respect me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re breaking up over money?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, over the fact you made a decision for the two of us, as if my opinion didn\u2019t matter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He turned back to the screen. \u201cAs you wish. I\u2019ll transfer the money anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I began packing. He stayed rooted in his chair, pretending not to notice. When I closed the suitcase, he finally spoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou think I\u2019ll try to stop you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGood. I need a wife who supports me, not one who makes a scene over every little thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLittle things?\u201d I stopped at the door. \u201cTwo thousand pounds and shattered plans are little things?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn comparison with what Mum did for me, yes, they\u2019re little.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI see. Then live with Mum.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I grabbed my suitcase and headed for the door. James shouted after me, \u201cFine, be that way! I don\u2019t need a wife like that!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The door slammed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rachel welcomed me without question, made space for me on the fold\u2011out sofa in the spare room, and said I could stay as long as I needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWon\u2019t Mark say anything?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat would he say? She\u2019s my sister; I have the right to take her in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next morning I woke to the sound of children\u2019s laughter. My nephews were playing in the next room, oblivious to the drama that had unfolded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At breakfast Rachel asked, \u201cWhat will you do now?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"