The only son of an old woman got married and moved to his mother’s house with his wife. Shortly after, the man had to travel out of the country for work, for several months. Then the woman took the opportunity to force her mother-in-law to live in the garage.
When Beatriz’s son, Matías, got married, he asked his mother if he and his wife Rita could move with her to the huge 5-room house in which she had grown up. Beatriz, who certainly felt alone, accepted delighted.
She never imagined that one day her idyll would become a nightmare, with her beloved son disappearing without a trace, and with Rita showing her true face of ruthless harpy and expelling Beatriz from her own home.
Image for illustrative purposes. | Photo: Unsplash
Image for illustrative purposes. | Photo: Unsplash
Matías and Rita moved right after their honeymoon and, at first, the three lived very happily together. As Matías and Rita worked, Beatriz, who was retired, was in charge of the kitchen.
The newlyweds were more than happy with the situation, since it allowed them to save for their own house and live with great comfort. As for Beatriz, she felt happy to have her son with her, and became a great friend of Rita.
Things changed when Matías was promoted, and his company required him to travel all over the world for weeks. For Rita, Beatriz’s presence made her not feel so lonely and isolated.
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The two women waited patiently for Mati’s return and Skyped him every day. During a call, Matías informed them that he had to stay in London for six months, which upset Beatriz and Rita.
“Listen, Rita, mom,” Mati said softly. “I know it’s going to be hard to be apart for so long, but after this, I’ve been promised that I’ll be promoted to the headquarters and there will be no more trips!”
Rita complained: “Matías, we’ve been apart longer than together since we got married!”
Image for illustrative purposes. | Photo: Unsplash
Image for illustrative purposes. | Photo: Unsplash
Beatriz had to agree with her daughter-in-law. “Dear son, you know I adore you, but Rita is right,” he said. “It’s you who needs Rita, not me.”
“Mom, let’s go,” he said. “I need to do this so I can pay for our own house! We all have to make sacrifices, and I’m not very excited about it either!”
Two weeks later, Matías left leaving behind the two women of his life. At first, he communicated with them on Skype every night and seemed cheerful and happy, but with the passage of time, things changed.
Mati’s calls were shorter and he looked tired. Then he stopped calling every day. His calls were three times a week, then two, then one… And then a week came in which Mati didn’t call anymore.
After the second week without calls, Rita and Beatriz were worried. They tried to call his phone and the hotel where he was staying, but he didn’t answer their calls. Finally, Rita called her husband’s boss and asked him where he was.
“Matías?” the boss asked, surprised. “But he left London two weeks ago! He worked like crazy and finished the project in three months. He said he was desperate to get home…”
Image for illustrative purposes. | Photo: Unsplash
Image for illustrative purposes. | Photo: Unsplash
When Rita hung up the phone, she was pale and her lips trembled. “Beatriz,” he said. “They say he’s back home! They don’t know where he is.”
Rita and Beatriz contacted the airline where they traveled and told them that Mati had not boarded his flight. When they called the British police they got no result. Matías had disappeared without a trace.
The two women faced the blow each in their own way. Beatriz prayed, but Rita got angrier and angrier and began to take it out on Beatriz.
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“Your son!” he shouted. “He has abandoned me, but I’m sure he has told you where he is!”
“No, Rita,” Beatriz replied. “I swear to you…”.
“An oath?” Rita shouted. “I believed Matías’ oaths and here I am alone! Three months have passed and believe me, I’m not going to wait forever!” That night, Rita got ready and painted her lips red.
Image for illustrative purposes. | Photo: Unsplash
Image for illustrative purposes. | Photo: Unsplash
“Where are you going?” Beatriz asked, surprised.
“Get out!” Rita shouted. “Outside, where there are men who want me!”
That was just the first of the many nights Rita spent away from home, and soon she brought a tall, dark-tarned man to spend the night with her.
When Beatriz protested, Rita was furious. “Matías abandoned me! I don’t owe him anything and Bruno loves me, so shut up, old woman!”
The next day, Beatriz was surprised to see her belongings piled up next to the front door. “What are my things doing there?” he asked.
“You’re going to move to the garage,” Rita said. “That way I can entertain my friends. In addition, Bruno is going to move and we need our privacy.” As much as Beatriz protested, Rita was inflexible and the old woman was forced to live in the dusty and moldy garage.
Image for illustrative purposes. | Photo: Pexels
Image for illustrative purposes. | Photo: Pexels
Beatriz had never been so unhappy. Not only had his beloved son disappeared, but the girl he had welcomed in his house now treated her like a slave. But just when things seemed hopeless, something wonderful happened.
Beatriz was sitting in front of the garage when a car stopped and a familiar figure came out. “Matías!” shouted Beatriz. “Is it really you? What happened? I thought you were dead.”
“Mom,” he smiled and ran to his mother and hugged her. “Didn’t you get my messages?”
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Beatriz shook her head and tears ran down her cheeks. “No!” he said. “For three months we have been waiting…”.
“Oh, no,” Mati said. “The hospital had to contact you! I had a serious accident and have been recovering, but now I’m 100% fine. Poor Rita must be very worried.” At that moment, Matías noticed the expression on his mother’s face. “Mom, what’s wrong?” he asked.
“Son, I don’t live in the house anymore… I sleep in the garage,” Beatriz explained. “Rita made her boyfriend move…”
Image for illustrative purposes. | Photo: Shutterstock
Image for illustrative purposes. | Photo: Shutterstock
“How dare you!” he shouted. “I’m going to fix things!”
He went to the front door and opened it. Inside he came face to face with Rita and her suitor. Rita was left with her mouth open when she saw her husband.
“Matías!” he shouted. “Honey, you’re alive!”
“Yes,” he said coldly. “But I’m not your darling. Pick up your things and leave my mother’s house. I don’t want to see you ever again.”
Rita cried and made excuses, but Matías refused to listen to her, so she packed her bags and left with Bruno. Mati was saddened to discover that his mother had been mistreated by his wife and did everything possible to compensate her.
But for Beatriz, the fact that her son was alive and healthy and returned to her arms was a miracle and a dream come true.
Image for illustrative purposes. | Photo: Unsplash
Image for illustrative purposes. | Photo: Unsplash
What can we learn from this story?
Love is patient and loyal: Rita never really loved Matías. She would have waited for him with as much patience as her mother, respecting her marriage vows.
Abusers exercise their power over those they consider weak and defenseless: Rita was unpleasant with Beatriz because she believed that her son had abandoned them and could not protect her mother.
