My daughter and son-in-law have been married for eleven years. At first, their love was so strong that nothingnot even her mother-in-laws dislikecould dampen it. My daughter is not one to keep quiet; she would speak her mind, stand up for herself, and had no fear of putting those who meddled in their place. Her mother-in-law had hoped for a more pliable daughter-in-law, so she whispered criticisms into her sons ear, painting my daughter as troublesome. But love conquers all, and her son paid no mind to his mothers words.
Over the years, I only recall twice when my daughter mentioned arguing with her husband. Never had she been brought to tears by him, nor did they have any crisis threatening their marriage. That is, until the twins arrived. During her pregnancy, things became arduous. With my daughter expecting, my son-in-law grew complacent, certain she wouldnt leave him in such a state. He spent more time with his mates at the pub and less at home helping out.
When my daughter was on maternity leave, he focused solely on earning money; all the household chores became her responsibility. Around that time, she began calling me more often, asking for help, and I saw firsthand their quarrels.
As the children grew, so did their needsmore attention, more expenses. His mother decided to exploit her son’s dissatisfaction. She accused my daughter of being unfaithful, claiming to have seen her with another man, insinuating the twins might not even be my son-in-laws. At first, he dismissed these notions, but eventually he grew suspicious, dissected every resemblance between himself and the boys, and insisted on a paternity test.
My daughter was distraught and refused to comply, not because she had anything to hide, but because it wounded her pride. She had never given him cause to doubt her fidelity, yet his mother held such sway over them. Now shes at her wits end, shouting that he must accept things as they are or face divorce.
I believe my daughter, and I condemn both my son-in-law and his mother for their behaviour. Yet, part of me wonders why my daughter doesnt simply take the test to prove them wrong once and for all. Is it really pride, or is there some truth to the mother-in-laws accusations?
