It wont cost you a thing.
Emma, Im asking againwhere did you put the bracelet? Did you lose it? Or pawn it? Why would you? What on earth is happening?
Her mother took it Emma lowered her eyes.
The room fell into a heavy silence. Victor slumped onto the couch, eyebrows raised. The whole situation seemed absurd to him.
Took it? he asked, surprised. What does that mean?
Well, first she just asked to try it on. Then she said it suited her, and I didnt feel right about taking it back. After all, shes his mother
Victor stared at his wife as if he were seeing her for the first time. He knew Emma was gentlehearted, but he hadnt imagined she could be so pliable.
So she just walked off with your bracelet? Emma, how could she? Tell me the whole story, step by step, he demanded.
There was a hint of irony in his tone. Victor had always wanted his wife never to need anything. Now he could finally afford to be generous, but Emma seemed unable to accept it.
Things hadnt always been like this. Theyd met in first year at university through mutual friends. Back then Victor was naïve and full of dreams. Hed grown up in a modest family and promised himself that his wife and children would always have the best. He didnt yet know how, but his enthusiasm was boundless.
Emma had no grand ambitions, but she had a kind soul. Victor realised hed fallen in love the night she showed up at his flat, sick, carrying a thermos of hot soup.
Sergey told me you were ill. I thought Id drop by, she said softly, slipping off her shoes.
You shouldnt have. Youll catch it too, Victor replied, but he didnt send her away.
If I get ill we can both run a fever together, she smiled. Im not made of sugar; I wont melt away.
In Emma Victor saw the woman who could keep the home running, and most of all, she did it out of pure kindness because she liked him and wanted to look after him.
A year later they were sharing a tiny rented flat in Manchester. The kitchen was cramped, the fridge rattled, the tap leaked, and an occasional cockroach scurried by. They pulled allnighters before exams, took on side jobs together. Victor lugged boxes in a local supermarket; Emma worked as a waitress.
They struggled through everything. They learned that instant noodles still cost a fortune. Emma fretted when Victor ended up in hospital with gallstones and they couldnt afford his medication. They often borrowed money from parents or friends.
Fortunately Victor had plenty of mates who tossed odd jobs his way: a builder needed a helper, a neighbour wanted a fence painted for a modest fee. Victor took almost any task; he tried not to overburden Emma.
Let me help! she declared when he prepared for another gig.
Right. And what will you do? Carry coal? Youll break yourself and well end up paying for your treatment, Victor grumbled.
He still appreciated her eagerness, and never left her even when money started to flow.
Step by step he chased his goal. First they both earned their degrees. Victor drifted through a few firms before a friend landed him a junior role at a large logistics company in Birmingham. The hours were brutal; sometimes he was asked to stay late or work weekends.
Emma supported him the whole time. She kept the house running, cooked his favourite meals, cleaned on her own, tended to their dog, Max, even when Max could no longer walk.
Itll pass, Emma would say when things got tough.
When Victor finally became head of the logistics department, his responsibilities swelled, but he felt the love waiting at home. That feeling was worth any sacrifice.
Soon they moved into a proper house with a garden in Surrey, bought a car, and stopped scavenging for furniture on Gumtree. They started buying new sofas, swapping clothes for the pleasure of it rather than necessity, and taking holidays abroad instead of staying with relatives in the countryside.
Victors gifts grew beyond chocolates and cakes. He bought Emma coats, handbags, and gold jewellerynot for a special occasion, just because it was Friday night and he felt cheerful. Emma still blushed at the price tags, but she appreciated being pulled out of her frugal routine.
At first everything sparkled. She adored the new perfume, the designer outfits, the multicooker with all its gadgets. Then things began to slip. Emma reverted to the old slow cooker, started wearing a cracked handbag, and hid her perfume somewhere. Victor first thought she simply disliked the scent, then blamed old habits. But it didnt add upwhy keep wearing shoes that gave her blisters when she owned comfortable new ones?
Victor decided to test the waters, and a convenient opportunity appeared. When his colleague Simon invited them to his birthday, Victor bought Emma a matching set: a gold bracelet and sapphire earrings, hoping everyone would see the woman he adored.
Wear the dress we bought on Friday and the jewellery I got you last week, Victor urged. They go together perfectly.
Emma hesitated, then claimed the bracelet had broken, that shed given it to a jeweller, but couldnt say where. She then confessed her mother had taken the gold and not just the gold.
So everything I bought for you has ended up with your mother? Victors lips tightened. Emma, seriously? Cant you argue back?
Emmas eyes dropped.
I tried. She gets angry, says she raised me, that I owe her everything. She says no one will ever give me gifts again, yet you keep buying things for me. She says It wont cost you a thing.
Victor covered his face with his hands, feeling as if hed been robbednot of jewellery, but of respect.
Thats clear, he sighed. From now on Ill only give you things that cant be whisked away to your mum next week.
Emma fell silent. She had no reply. Shed been too easily manipulated. Victor wanted to shake her awake, to tell her that wasnt right, but knew it would be useless. He simply accepted her as she was.
Victor realized that if he wanted a warm home, he had to stop fighting Emma and start fixing the leak. Even if that leak was called Vera Ivanovna.
Vera, his motherinlaw, was loud, cheeky, and clingy. Hed met her almost as soon as he started dating Emma.
I dont mean to interfere, but shed begin, then launch into a barrage of advice.
Vera worked as an accountant; her husband was somewhere else, making just enough to get by.
From day one Vera tried to insert herself into their lives, popping in unannounced, sometimes at eight in the morning. One evening, when her visit clashed with a romantic dinner, Victor simply refused to let her in. Emma paled, whispering Its my mum, but Victor stood firm.
Yes, Mum, he nodded. But we werent expecting you. Please arrange your visits with us in advance.
Now Vera tried to worm her way in not through the door but through guilt, cultivating it in Emma.
Oh, what lovely perfume you have! No one ever gives me that. Can I borrow it for a week? Lucys birthday is coming up; I want to spray it everywhere and be the envy of everyone. You wouldnt mind, would you? Ive always given you everything.
How to fight that? How to make stealing impossible? Emmas birthday was approaching, and Victor had a new plan.
When everyone gathered around the table, he stood, handed Emma a small envelope, and said:
Darling, this is for you. I know youve always wanted to visit Italy. Heres a ticket, enjoy a proper break.
Veras eyes lit up.
Oh! How wonderful. Ive always wanted to sunbathe on the Italian coast, see the monuments!
Wanting isnt a crime, but Vera, the second ticket is mine. Youll have to travel with me, and Im not the most pleasant companion. I snore loudly, blast music at night, and wander around the room in nothing but my pyjamas. Are you ready?
Laughter broke out around the table. Emma blushed, smiled. Vera flushed, pursed her lips, and left early, quiet for the rest of the evening. Victor grinned, realizing hed received two gifts that night: his wifes sincere smile and his motherinlaws silence.
Through all the twists, Victor learned that honesty, mutual respect, and clear boundaries keep a marriage thriving. Without them, even the strongest love can be eroded by silent greed and unchecked interference.
