Emma walked through the front door with a huge grin on her face.
“Hey, love!” she called out cheerfully, poking her head into the kitchen.
“Alright?” replied James, looking up from his tea with a curious frown. “What’s got you so chuffed?”
“Just been round Mum’s. You’ll never guess what she’s offered,” Emma said, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
“Go on then,” James muttered, not sounding all that keen. Things with his mother-in-law had always been… tense, to put it mildly. Margaret was a strong-willed woman who liked having the final say and took it badly when anyone dared disagree.
Take their wedding, for example—they’d kept it small. A quick registry office do, a holiday, then a nice dinner with family and a barbecue for mates afterwards. Margaret had been furious.
“This isn’t proper! My only daughter, and you’re making it look like some backstreet affair!” she’d shrieked. In the end, she hadn’t even congratulated them.
And that was just the start. So when Emma brought her mum up now, James braced himself.
“Mum’s got a tidy sum saved up. Sold the bungalow in Cornwall too—hardly ever goes there since Dad passed. Anyway, she’s offering to give it to us. We could add our own savings and finally buy a place. How amazing is that?”
James didn’t share her excitement. Instead, he frowned like he’d just bitten into something sour.
“What’s the catch?” he asked straight away.
Emma huffed. “There isn’t one! She just wants to help.”
“That’s it?”
“Well… she did mention wanting a share in the flat. Just as a safety net, she said. In case we ever split up.”
James grimaced. On the surface, it sounded fair—practical, even. But he knew Margaret.
“Em, I don’t like it,” he said firmly.
Emma’s smile dropped. “Why? Because of the share? We’re not breaking up anytime soon! It’s just to make her feel secure.”
“Not just that. I don’t want to owe your mum anything. Today it’s a gift; tomorrow she might demand it back. Or fall ill. Or change her mind. And we won’t have the money lying around. Better she keeps it as her safety net.”
Emma sighed. The idea of taking money from her mum didn’t sit right with her either. But the thought of finally getting off the rental treadmill was so tempting…
“It’s more than that,” James went on. “You know how she gets when she’s upset. She’d hold that share over us. Start making demands. I want a place that’s just ours. Bought with our own hard work.”
“I get it,” Emma mumbled, deflating.
“Now, if we borrowed a bit from her for the deposit—that’s different. We could pay her back bit by bit. The flat would still be fully ours.”
“Really?” Emma perked up.
“Course. Just have to talk to her about it.”
“I reckon she’ll say yes.”
The next day, Emma went to see her mum, convinced she’d agree. She’d even thought of suggesting Margaret invest in a rental flat—some steady income for her.
“So, talked to James then?” Margaret asked.
“We have. We’d rather not take the full amount. Just borrow enough for the deposit. Pay you back over time.”
“And why’s that?” Margaret’s eyes narrowed.
“We want to do this ourselves. And you’d have the rest of your money safe. Could even put it in an ISA or bonds or something.”
But instead of gratitude, what followed was an explosion.
“I know full well what to do with my money! You’re being daft! If you two divorce, the flat’s split down the middle! This way, I’d have my share! And if there were kids, James wouldn’t get a penny!”
“Mum, we’re not getting divorced—”
“Don’t count your chickens! Always needs a backup plan!”
Emma suddenly understood—this wasn’t about helping. It was about control. Making sure everything stayed in Margaret’s hands.
“Mum, drop it. We’re buying the flat together. If something happens, we split it. Just tell me—will you lend us some for the deposit? Half of what you’ve got. We’ll sign papers if you want.”
“Not a chance. I’ll hang onto it. You’ll need it when you leave him.”
“Mum!” Emma stood up, furious.
“Someone’s got to think ahead for you—might as well be me!”
That evening, Emma told James everything.
“I mean… why’s she so sure we’ll break up?”
“She just wants a guarantee. In case.” Emma shrugged. “But I’m glad we said no. You were right.”
“We’ll save up. I might get promotion soon. We’ll manage.”
“Yeah. Long as we’re together.”
A few months later, James’s nan passed away, and his parents gave him her old flat. They sold it, added their savings, got a mortgage, and bought a lovely place.
Even then, Margaret wouldn’t let it go.
“Could’ve used my money. No mortgage needed. Mind you, I’d have had my share… just in case.”
