«Tell my husband and mother-in-law that I died…

Emma met James Thompson when she was 24, and he was 27.

It happened at a mutual friend’s birthday party at a sushi restaurant by the Thames. James, a bank manager, was always showing off his expensive watch and boasting about an imminent promotion. Emma, a newly qualified architect who had just landed a job at a prestigious firm, regarded his confidence with a mix of curiosity and skepticism.

«You’re so serious,» James said, sitting beside her. «Let me cheer you up.»
«Go ahead and try,» Emma replied with a challenging smile, expecting little.

To her surprise, James was an engaging conversationalist. He shared amusing stories about bank clients, listened attentively, and asked thoughtful questions. By the end of the night, they exchanged numbers.

After six months of dates, flowers, and dinners, James proposed. Emma was over the moon, convinced she had found a kindred spirit—a smart, driven man who supported her career ambitions.

«Are you sure you’re not rushing into this?» her friend Sarah asked. «You’ve only known each other six months.»
«When you know he’s the one, why wait?» Emma brushed it off. They had a modest wedding at a local restaurant, surrounded by close friends and family.

Margaret Thompson, James’s mother, eyed Emma with barely concealed disapproval from the start. Emma chalked it up to wedding-day stress. «Mum’s strict,» James explained.
«But she’s quick to forgive, you’ll see.»

The first cracks appeared when the newlyweds inherited a flat from Emma’s grandmother—a two-bedroom in a brick building near central London. It became a source of conflict.

«We need to renovate properly,» Margaret declared on her first visit. «My niece is an interior designer; I’ll bring her over.»
«Thank you, but I’m an architect,» Emma replied politely. «I have my own vision.»
Margaret’s eyes flashed with something unkind. «Well, architect isn’t the same as designer, you know. Different skill set.»

From then on, Margaret dropped by unannounced, criticizing Emma’s every decision and trying to sway James. «James, why these light walls? You love dark wood, like in our house.» Emma tried to compromise at first, but soon realized that giving an inch meant losing everything.

The flat became a battleground where every detail held symbolic weight. By their first anniversary, Emma got a promotion, but James didn’t. He started staying late at work, coming home tipsy, or crashing at friends’ places. Meanwhile, Margaret’s interference intensified.

«Emma, dear,» she said with a saccharine smile, «a man needs hearty meals and shouldn’t be burdened by your achievements. You know men need to feel like the provider.»
«Margaret,» Emma countered, «in a healthy relationship, partners celebrate each other’s successes.»
Margaret looked at her like a naive child. «Oh, Emma, all those clever books and you still don’t get the basics.»

When Emma got pregnant, she hoped things would improve. James became more attentive, less absent. Margaret backed off temporarily but started planning for the grandchild. «It’ll be a boy, I can feel it,» she said. «We’ll name him Peter, after my father.»
«We haven’t decided on a name yet,» Emma said cautiously.
«What’s to decide? It’s tradition to name after the grandfather.»…