«Eleanor Whitaker, you and your husband need to pull up to my house,» Eleanor said, her voice as firm as a courtroom gavel. «Weve got the windows to wash and the carpets to beat!»
Poppy Clarke snorted, a halfsmile playing on her lips. «What a generous offer,» she replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm. «I think Ill pass.»
«Come on, Poppy, whats wrong?» James Clarke, looking bewildered, interjected. «Your mother could use a hand!»
«Never mind!» Poppy snapped, wiping the grin from her face. «Were married nine years, James. Do you really think Im losing my mind?»
James shifted uncomfortably, glancing toward his mother. «I Im not sure whats happening,» he muttered.
«You dont have to explain why a mother is a mother,» Eleanor retorted, arms crossed. «Why would I help her if she never asked?»
«What? Did you hear any request in that tone?» Poppy pressed. «She told us exactly what she expects. She says we owe her!»
«Exactly!» Eleanor exclaimed, eyes flashing. «Youre my daughter, and hes my soninlaw. A soninlaws duty is smaller, but a daughters duty is clearshe cant abandon her mother in a bind!»
Poppy stared, the room growing colder. «Can I?» she whispered.
«Then what sort of daughter are you?» Eleanor demanded.
«Puzzlingly like you, Mother!» Poppy shot back.
«Youve no shame!» James shouted, his face turning a shade of crimson. «How can you speak to your own mother like that?»
«Im within my rights!» Poppy snapped. «If you dont know the full story, Id never raise my voice at my own wife!»
James pressed his forehead against his palm. «Maybe I dont know everything, but a mother deserves respect. Parents should be helped, not insulted!» He turned to Eleanor. «Forgive me for her outburst. Well come this weekend and sort it all out.»
«No, we wont!» Poppy slammed her fist on the kitchen table, the sound echoing like a gunshot.
«Fine, then Ill go alone,» James said, his tone hardening as he assumed the role of head of the family.
«If you go, you might never come back home,» Poppy warned, turning away.
Eleanor chuckled, shaking her head. «My daughter is a marvel.»
«Exactly!» Poppy retorted, eyes flashing. «Why didnt you ask Molly to wash the windows and beat the rugs for you?»
«Whos Molly?» James asked, genuinely confused.
«Youre told you know nothing!» Poppy hissed. «And youre meddling! Molly is my own sistermy blood!»
«So it was my mother who asked you for help, not her!» Poppy turned to her mother, voice sharp. «Why dont you ask your own sister to do the chores?»
Eleanors cheeks flushed, but she said nothing.
«Whats the matter, Mum? Lost your voice? Cant find the words?» Poppy sneered. «Ill help you out, unlike you whos left Vicky to guess!»
«The reason you never ask Molly is because she sent you packing the day I married, six years ago!» Poppy blurted. «Thats when my mother decided to return to the life of her other daughter. Thats when you met her! Remember?»
James cringed, the memory surfacing. «Ah, yes I never heard a word about her until she showed up six years ago. I even thought you had no mother at all.»
«Your attention was a mess!» Poppy laughed. «I didnt have a mother, then one appeared. And you never bothered to ask how that happened.»
«I was about to, but I got distracted,» James admitted, turning a shade pink. «Then we started talking, and I didnt give it much thought.»
«Want me to tell you the whole truth?» Poppy offered, eyes bright.
«No!» Eleanor shouted, cutting her off. «What happened, Mum? Are you ashamed? Did your conscience finally surface?»
«Its not his business!» Poppy declared. «And it doesnt concern him at all!»
«How can it not concern him when hes ready to wash the windows and beat the carpets?» Poppy said firmly. «I want him to understand why Im refusing!»
—
When parents split, the children pay the highest price. A child will carry the scar, but a sensible parent can soften the blow. Arrangements for visits can be made, provided old grievances stay buried and nobody drags the past into the present. To a child, parents are forever the ones they loved, even if they no longer share a roof. Understanding why the partnership ended is often beyond a youngsters grasp, yet maintaining a civil relationship is crucial for the childs wellbeing.
Eleanor and her husband Simon never bothered with those questions. Their only aim was to part ways.
«Im not paying any maintenance,» Eleanor declared, eyes flashing.
«Im not demanding it, but the law says otherwise,» Simon replied.
«Fine! If they clip anything from my wages, Ill make sure you get it back!» Eleanor shouted.
«Right, youve run off!» Simon retorted. «Those are the money meant for the kids!»
«The kids are yours, so feed them!» Eleanor roared.
«But theyre also mine! Parental responsibility is shared equally!» Simon countered.
«I wont hear a word of it! Not about you, not about the children, not about maintenance!» Eleanor flailed her arms in fury.
«Tell the judge!» Simon snapped.
The divorce was to be finalised in two days, but the situation was anything but ordinary. Eleanor walked out on Simon and their two daughtersfouryearold Lily and tenyearold Mollywithout a second thought about how theyd survive without her. The only thing that kept her awake was the thought of the maintenance payments shed have to make.
Simon, if things had gone smoothly, could have lived comfortably without the paymentshe earned a decent salary of £3,500 a month. Yet accepting a portion of his earnings with Eleanors meddling would have been pleasant, but even without it he could have provided for his girls, especially if he removed the toxic influence of his exwife.
Eleanor didnt bother explaining. She played her hand, convincing tenyearold Molly that she wanted to move in with her mother, while she could barely stand her own sister. Molly, having spent too much time with her mother, absorbed her mannerisms and echoed her harsh tone.
The judge placed the younger Lily with Simon and the older Molly with Eleanor. That was that.
When the gavel fell, Simons only reply was, «I told you I wont be paying a penny!» He said no more. Though he wanted to argue that if his daughter stayed with her mother, she needed his care, Molly, under her mothers influence, hurled accusations at both father and sister in the courtroom.
It was clear the child was not at fault; she simply repeated what her mother fed her. Eleanor, or rather Sonya as she was known in the court, would soon teach Molly the same bitterness.
Simon lost one daughter, but he still had Lily. He still bore responsibility for her. He grieved, but he could not afford to lose the other.
Months later he tried to see Molly, but Eleanor blocked him. When he cornered her in the stairwell, his daughter shoved her away so hard that strangers passing by could see the shame on his face.
After the divorce, Poppy heard nothing about her mother or sister for twenty years. Strangely, she never mourned it.
Simon Whitaker, a devoted father, poured his heart into raising Lily. Poppy could honestly say shed had a wonderful childhood, a splendid youth, and grew into a happy adult. She never felt abandoned or shortchanged by the absence of a motherbiological or otherwise.
Poppy studied, earned a qualification, married, and had a child of her own. A good, happy life, the kind many dream of. She never imagined that her own mother might return one day. When the door opened and a woman who claimed to be her mother stepped inside, it felt as if twenty years had vanished and shed only been apart for a week.
The shock was enough that Poppy let the woman in, introduced her to her husband, and even presented her as a grandmother to her child. The woman, Eleanor, talked calmly about daily life and current woes, but nothing beyond the immediate.
After they chatted, they went their separate ways. Only later did the absurdity of the situation sink in. Poppy called her father straight away.
«Ive never told you anything about hernothing good, nothing bad. I wont start now,» Peter Whitaker said. «I raised you to be smart. Figure out why shes back and what she truly wants.»
«The only thing I can say is that I divorced her twenty years ago,» Peter added. «But I cant rule out that shes changed.»
«Thats all I expected to hear,» Poppy replied. «Thank you, Dad.»
«If you need anything, call me,» Peter urged. He didnt believe his exwife could ever turn a corner for the better, but he kept quiet.
Poppys nerves settled after that. Her fathers voice always soothed her, and once calm, she began to think. The hunt for a lost person used to be a massive obstacle; now it was a trivial matter of a few clicks online. She was a software developer, able to search with a skill that would make any agency jealous.
She learned nothing new about her mother beyond the fact that shed married twice and, after the divorce, had only two children: Poppy and Molly. When she pressed her father for details, he gave a vague age, no specifics. Eleanor knew more, but she guarded it as if on a police interrogation. Still, Poppy managed to pull a few facts: Eleanor had studied, worked, married, and moved in with her husband.
The rest fell into place. Poppy discovered that Molly had trained as a geography teacher; two colleges in their city offered that course. She found Molly on a social network, messaged her, and arranged a meeting.
«Molly, youre being recruited!» Molly said brightly. «Dont be surprisedI cant do it alone. She needs a victim!»
«A victim?» Poppy asked, confused.
«Molly laughed, A victim is someone she can cling to, using any excuse to make them dance to her tune. I didnt just get married; I ran away from her! She explained how a man had once tried to take her as a wife, only to be discarded.
She warned, Send her far away and forget her. Shell lie so much youll run out of stories. In the end, youll be the one blamed.
Poppy left the meeting thoughtful. Her only conclusion: Forewarned is forearmed. If a mother seeks contact, shell get it; if she oversteps, shell meet a proper response.
It was amusingsix years after the split, Eleanor only wanted occasional chats, small favors. Yet she could wield influence over neighbours, and Molly added a warning: If you ever show any weakness, youll be tangled in her web, and shell torment you until you lose your mind. Shes driven two stepfathers to the brink of madness just to claim their money.
Poppy didnt wait long for that day.
—
Eventually, Poppy pressed her father for the full history, and he finally spilled the beans after she mentioned Mollys story. When the whole truth was assembled, she waited for her moment.
James stood there, mouth agape, staring at his motherinlaw. He could not believe what he had heard, but Eleanors reaction confirmed Poppys story. The womans face turned crimson, beads of sweat glisteningshe was a woman, not a statue.
Are you still willing to go to her and do the hard work? Poppy asked.
James shook his head.
Fine, Poppy said, turning to her mother. Mum, if you want a decent human relationshipeven if you dont deserve itI wont deny you that. But any more talk about me owing you something, Ill throw it out the window and never look back.
You dare! Eleanor shrieked. Im your mother!
Clear as day! Poppy spread her arms. No one forced your tongue! She smiled. Get out! If you return, Ill file a police report for harassment!
Eleanors eyes widened. What are we waiting for? My legs are tired, shall I help with magical kicks to the door?
She stood straight, as if a colossus had taken root in her spine, then stalked toward the exit. Poppy couldnt hold back a shout: Run, you damn!
Eleanor paused, as if gathering strength.
Nice work with her! James muttered after she fled.
What did she want? Poppy shrugged. Shes been gone twenty years, then suddenly decides shes my mother and that I owe her! She even expects thanks for the kicks she never gave me.
Mother, James started, still
On paper, yesmother. In practice, just a stranger, Poppy snapped, ending the conversation forever.
