Three Months After the Divorce, My Ex-Mother-in-Law Moved Into My House

When we divorced, my ex-husband walked out with nothing, and the house was awarded to me.

But when I came home after three months away on business, I found my former mother-in-law had moved in with her cognitively impaired younger son, and changed the locks on top of it.

She said it like she had every right to. "This house was bought when my Nathaniel married you, so part of it is his even after the divorce. Me living here is only natural."

I laughed, furious.

It was true the house was bought after the marriage, but every cent of the purchase and the renovation had come from me. Where exactly was the "only natural" in her and her younger son moving in?

I kept my voice cold. "Two choices. Leave right now, or I call the police."

She sneered. "Go ahead. Even if you dragged God himself down here today, I'd still have every right to live in this house."

I stared at her for a moment, then took out my phone and called the police.

Since she refused to accept a graceful way out, since she wouldn't take the decent option, then she couldn't blame me for taking this all the way.

"I want to report a break-in. Someone has forced their way into my home. The address is"

I'd barely gotten that out when Nat Vance, the disabled younger son, snatched the phone from my hand, grinned at me, and slammed it hard against the floor.

For a second I just froze, then my eyes were burning as I fixed them on Paulette Galloway.

Two years married to my ex-husband Nathaniel Vance had taught me exactly who Paulette and Nat were.

Without Paulette putting him up to it, Nat would never have dared grab my phone, let alone smash it on the ground once he had it.

Seeing me angry only delighted her.

"Weren't you going to call the police? Go on, call again, let me see it."

"You think I actually want this house? I only saw it sitting empty, so I brought Nat over to warm it up for you, and this is the thanks I get. You don't know a good turn when you see one."

"And don't kid yourself that you could afford this house without Nathaniel. He was generous. He gave you the house in the divorce. Quit acting hard done by when you came out ahead."

Listening to her, I thought my lungs would burst.

Warm the house up?

I have a father and a mother of my own. What did I need her, a total outsider, coming here to warm anything up?

Moving in with a fool in tow, was that warming the house, or bringing bad luck into it?

And that line, that without Nathaniel I couldn't afford this house. It was laughable.

That eldest son of hers, my ex-husband Nathaniel, had the nerve to cheat on me while I was pregnant, and the shock and rage of it made me lose the baby.

Afterward she didn't blame Nathaniel one bit. Instead she pushed the whole thing onto me, said I had too hot a temper, that I hadn't protected the child.

She even said that if I'd taken proper care of Nathaniel, why would he ever have gone looking elsewhere?

Please.

As if Nathaniel were some emperor.

I didn't have the patience to argue with her. I said flatly, "So you won't move out? Fine. Then pay rent. Three months, ten thousand a month, thirty thousand total."

"You're asking me for money?" Paulette glared at me as if she'd heard something impossible.

The next moment she was pointing at me, shouting.

"I can see money's rotted your brain. Three months divorced and already you don't recognize me as your mother-in-law, as your mother. So I stay in your house a couple of days, what of it?"

"Your name's on the deed, so the house is yours? Nathaniel only chose not to fight you over it in the divorce out of the two years of marriage, the feeling between a husband and wife. And here you are, waving one court ruling around like it makes you somebody."

"Take a look at what you were back then. If my Nathaniel hadn't wanted you, you'd never have married in your whole life. You'd have been an old maid to the end."

"For that alone, even divorced, you should remember what Nathaniel did for you and honor me like your own mother."

Words that shameless had my temper climbing.

Without Nathaniel I couldn't have gotten married, would have been an old maid my whole life?

Who was it back then who begged and pleaded, all but got down on their knees to my parents, begging me to marry Nathaniel?

And who was it who put on that thick-skinned face and said I was born for the good life once I married in, that I'd never have to lift a finger, that I could lie in bed all day if I liked?

Please.

Shameless old thing.

I was about to drop all decorum and let her have it when the whole family next door came pouring out.

An old man and old woman in their sixties, and their son, a young man in his twenties.

"Ina Fox, you're back."

The young man greeted me first, then said, "We heard everything from inside just now. This lady may have moved in without your permission, but at the end of the day she was your mother-in-law."

"Like the old saying goes, a teacher for a day is a father for life. A mother-in-law's got to count for at least as much as a teacher, wouldn't you say?"

My face went cold at that.

I knew this young man. His name was Bernard Lawrence, a freeloader living off his parents, five or six years out of college and home every day, either sleeping or playing online games.

Normally none of that was my business, but I hadn't expected him to come out here just to make my skin crawl.

Bernard's parents jumped in right behind them.

"That's right. A deal falling through doesn't mean you throw kindness out the window, and this is family we're talking about."

"Ina, sweetie, Auntie knows you're upset, but look, it's almost dark. Throwing your former mother-in-law and her son out on the street? Even if you had every right, it wouldn't sound good to anyone, would it?"

"How about this. You just got back from your trip, you must be worn out. Go inside and rest, let them stay one more night, and whatever needs sorting out can wait until tomorrow in daylight."

"Yes, yes, exactly. No sense in making a scene and disturbing the whole building."

They didn't give me a chance to say a word. One grabbed my suitcase, the other took me by the arm and steered me inside.

The second I stepped into the living room, fury shot through me.

The place was a wreck. Colored paint smeared across the walls in every direction, the couch I'd bought not long ago gray with footprints, and lying on top of it, a pair of Nat's underwear.

Shaking with anger, I rushed into the kitchen.

The floor and walls were streaked with yellow grease. The sink was piled high with unwashed pots and dishes, giving off a foul smell.

I hurried to the bathroom next, and the sharp reek of urine stung tears out of my eyes. A yellow stain pooled beside the toilet, and the sight of it made my chest burn. I whipped around and demanded of Paulette,

"This is how you live in my house?"

"Tch." She wasn't the least bit fazed.

"So it's a little dirty. You're back now, so clean it up. What's all the fuss about?"

The fuss?

My head buzzed.

I paid for this house, I paid to renovate it, and she'd waltzed right in with Nat, trashed the place, and now she expected me to be the one to clean it.

Looking at Paulette's face, I wanted nothing more than to slap it as hard as I could.

Seeing me look ready to devour her whole, Paulette's expression darkened at once.

"The walls were your brother-in-law here. The couch, he's the one who dirtied it. The mess in the bathroom, all him too."

"What? You planning to hold a grudge against a simpleton?"

I could hardly believe my ears.

So my house had been wrecked like this, and I wasn't even allowed to be angry?

"Paulette, Nat's a simpleton. Are you one too?"

"You" Paulette thrust a finger at me. "How dare you talk to me like that. Nathaniel may have divorced you, but I'm a good deal older than you, I'm still your elder."

"Is that how your parents taught you to speak to your elders? No manners, the lot of you. No wonder Nathaniel didn't want you, went and found another woman while you were pregnant. Serves you right."

I was shaking with rage. I pointed straight in Paulette's face.

"Don't you dare pull the elder card on me. It's my house, I paid to renovate it, and you turned it into this. Old and shameless, and you've still got the nerve to tell me I've got no manners, no upbringing."

"Let me tell you, until my house is put back the way it was, this is not over."

With that I turned and went to find the property-management office.

There was no way Paulette could have moved in with Nat without them letting her.

I wanted to see exactly which one of them had taken what from her, and opened my door while the owner was away.

I'd barely reached the property-management office when Paulette showed up right behind me, dragging Nat along, and dropped onto the floor wailing.

"Everybody, you be the judge! This woman couldn't hold on to her own baby, then blamed my son for it, threatened to kill herself if she didn't get her divorce. And my son, for the sake of what they once had, gave her the house."

"All I did was bring my younger son to stay a few days, put a little life back in the place, and what do I get? She won't even be grateful. No, she calls the police to throw me out."

"I was her mother-in-law for two years! I cooked for her, I washed her clothes. Even if I didn't earn any thanks, I put in the work. And the moment she divorces my son, I'm her enemy."

"Why is my life so bitter? I really don't want to live anymore."

The office staff hurried over, some reaching to help her up, others rushing to soothe her.

"Come on, get up. Nothing's worth carrying on like this."

"That's right. You were family once. Just talk it out and it'll all work out."

"She lost her baby, so of course she's a little on edge. Doing this only sets her off more."

"All right, all right. You were her mother-in-law for two years, you're the elder here. Don't stoop to her level. Whatever it is, go home and talk it through."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Paulette had moved into the house I bought, dragged Nat in with her, and somehow, in their mouths, I was the one in the wrong.

I stared at these people, cold enough to make my skin crawl.

"I only have one question. Who opened that door for her without my permission?"

The staff glanced at each other, and then a woman in her twenties, the badge on her chest reading Iris Ball, spoke up.

"I did."

I fixed my eyes on her.

"And who gave you the right to open it?"

But Iris was angrier than I was. She jabbed a finger toward Paulette and Nat and rounded on me.

"Look at them. One's over sixty, the other's got a mental disability. Do you have any idea how hard their lives are?"

"Even a stranger would feel some pity. And these two used to be your mother-in-law and your brother-in-law."

I laughed, furious.

"If you've got so much heart, why don't you take them home to live with you?"

"You"

Iris glared at me, and the other staff looked at me with the same disgust.

I let out a short laugh, ran my eyes over Paulette, Nat, and Iris, said nothing, and turned to leave.

If they had no shame, then I'd see them in court.

They really thought a little sit-down on the floor and some fake wailing put them in the right.

I drove to the home of my best friend, a lawyer, told her the whole story, and said,

"Help me get the paperwork and the complaint ready."

She nodded, hesitated, then asked, "Do you want to call Nathaniel? I heard he left on a business trip right after the divorce. He might not even know about this."

Hearing those two words, Nathaniel, I clenched my fist hard.

If it weren't for him, I would never have lost my baby.

After I married Nathaniel, I was good to Paulette, I never looked down on Nat for being slow, all so we could be one peaceful family.

I never imagined my honest heart would buy me his betrayal, and hand Paulette the leverage to keep pushing.

This time, I wasn't backing down.

The next morning I drove home, pushed open the door, and what I saw made me grind my teeth so hard they ached.

There was Nat, stick in hand, swinging and smashing around the living room like a monkey doing tricks.

The walls were gouged bare of paint, the ceiling fixture knocked down, the kitchen's glass door shattered, shards scattered all across the floor.

Paulette stood off to the side, clapping and cheering.

"Yes, just like that, keep it up, my boy's amazing!"

"Play, play all you want. Break it and we'll make that little slut buy us new ones."

"Son, smash this one."

Paulette pointed at the vase sitting in the TV cabinet.

Nat raised the stick high and brought it down hard.

Bang! Crash!

Glass and vase shards rained across the floor.

"Haha! "

Paulette clapped and roared with laughter.

"Good, that's the way to do it. Son, there's another one over here."

Nat lifted the stick again, and the blood shot straight to my head. I flew across the room like a madwoman and grabbed for the stick in his hands.

Nat might be simple, but he was freakishly strong, and I couldn't wrench it away.

"Make him stop!"

I screamed it at Paulette.

She gave a scornful little laugh.

"Who do you think you are, giving me orders."

"You bitch!"

Rage boiled over. I lunged and slapped Paulette across the face, hard.

The blow left her dazed. When it registered, she let out a shrill scream.

"Ah! You dare hit me!"

She came at me like a fishwife, latched on and held tight, shrieking at Nat.

"Son, hit her, beat her to death, it's not even a crime for you!"

I struggled with everything I had, but Paulette clung on.

Nat was already raising the stick to bring it down on my head when Iris, Bernard, and his parents appeared in the doorway.

They didn't move to stop Nat. Instead, one after another, they turned on me.

"Ina, have you lost your mind? They stayed in your house a little while and now you're beating and threatening to kill them?"

"Miss Fox, I'm warning you in an official capacity as property management. You may have bought this house, but that doesn't give you the right to throw your weight around in it, and it certainly doesn't give you the right to break the law."

"Ina, this is too much. They were your mother-in-law and your brother-in-law once, after all."

"Ina, look how old your mother-in-law is, and look at your simple-minded brother-in-law. How can you have the heart to bully them? Get down on your knees and apologize, right now."

Listening to them, I could have burst. From somewhere I found the strength to tear myself free of Paulette.

She smiled at me, cold and sly.

"Kneel and apologize? Too late. Nathaniel's almost here, and starting today this house isn't yours anymore."

"And I'm going to sue you too, for abusing an elderly woman and a disabled person. I'll ruin your name."

I looked at that insufferable, self-satisfied face of hers, and the cold in my eyes was nearly frozen solid.

The next moment I took out my phone and called my best friend.

"I need you to come over. And call the police while you're at it."