## Elderly Woman Suffered Abuse From Son Always Beating Her, But He Didn't Imagine That Would Happen...

Mrs James, an elderly woman, had once owned a rather shabby house in the countryside that her son, Fred, had bought for almost nothing. Fred had renovated the house and set up a small garden on the plot, and every summer he took the family out to the countryside. However, in the fall, he would leave Mrs James there with her grandson Jimmy. The boy liked to stay in the country and play with the neighbor children, while Mrs James felt comfortable in the village. At first, she did not really want to go there, as the village was far from the city, and she feared being without quick access to a doctor or food. However, over time, Mrs James got used to it and was quite happy with her life in the countryside.

As time passed, Jimmy grew up and did not want to come to the village as often anymore. Moreover, most of the neighbors, especially the elderly, also left the village for the benefits of civilization. This summer, Mrs James was not going to go to the village, but she could not stand the constant scandals with her daughter-in-law and ran away from the city. Megan, her daughter-in-law, used to restrain herself somehow, but when Mrs James sold her apartment so that Fred could buy a larger house and moved in with her son, her daughter-in-law stopped being shy. Therefore, Fred, in order to not inflame the situation, always took his mother to the summer cottage as soon as spring came, left her groceries, and occasionally came to replenish supplies.

However, Mrs James was not despondent. She grew her own vegetables in the garden and even learned to bake real rye bread, which she loved so much. However, most of all, Mrs James was lacking communication. In the village, there was only an old neighbor who did not always recognize Mrs James, but it was better than being in her son's house, where they did not consider it necessary to discuss anything with her. Even her grandson Jimmy began to treat her with disdain. So it turned out that the old summer house became a real salvation for Mrs James.

One day, food started running out, and it became chilly in the house. Mrs James could not chop her own firewood to get warm. Somehow, she often went to the woods for brushwood, but the branches quickly burned out, and at night, she had to sleep under several blankets. Of course, she would have had groceries delivered, but the card on which Mrs James received her pension had long been with her daughter-in-law. Megan believed that her mother-in-law did not need money and that she lived on everything ready-made. Mrs James could not reach her son or daughter-in-law, and she was upset. She did not immediately notice any strange movement near the fence, assuming that it was a hedgehog wandering in to visit. However, with a smile, she thought that now she would at least have some creature to communicate with, except she had no milk to give her guest.

Mrs James got up from the bench and hurried to the rhubarb bushes by the fence. She was very surprised to see a cute little puppy instead of a hedgehog, which was entangled in the tall grass. Instantly forgetting her sorrows, Mrs James rushed to the rescue and took the dog in her arms. Looking closely, the woman realized that it was not a puppy but an adult York Terrier. Mrs James had seen such dogs on television in the arms of many celebrities. "Where did you come from, little one?" the woman mouthed thoughtfully. The young dog looked good-natured and quite well-fed, but all his fur was piled up and covered with lumps of dirt.

After treating the dog with water, the kind-hearted woman attempted to feed him some pumpkin oatmeal, only to be met with rejection. She deduced that the dog must have been accustomed to a different type of food. Determined to find something the dog would enjoy, Mrs. James searched her fridge for a small piece of cheese that she had been saving. This delicacy was a rare treat for her and was only enjoyed on occasion. Upon smelling the cheese, the dog became excited and even whimpered with anticipation. He eagerly began to eat the grated cheese that was sprinkled on top of his oatmeal.

Observing the dog's lively and contented response to the cheese, Mrs. James affectionately named him Harry. She watched with frozen tenderness as Harry happily wagged his tail and, rising on his hind legs, began to lick her fingers in appreciation for the treat. The sight of the joyful pup nearly brought Mrs. James to tears. As they drifted off to sleep together, huddled under the warmth of two blankets, the woman was swept up in a wave of love and affection for this cute little creature.

With Harry by her side, Mrs. James' life took on new meaning and color. However, the lack of communication from her son and daughter-in-law was increasingly worrisome. Despite her mounting anxiety, Mrs. James persevered, feeding Harry with all the food she had left, and he ate it without any fuss. As each day passed, her concern for her family grew, until she decided to reach out to their neighbor. To her relief, she discovered that the family had gone on holiday to Turkey and would not be back for at least five days.

Mrs. James initially felt sad, but then remembered that she had some cans of stew and decided to make soup with vegetables so that she and Harry could have enough to survive. However, her son Fred called and began attacking her with accusations without even asking how she was doing. When he found out about the dog, he lost his temper and snapped at her. Mrs. James was devastated by her son's behavior and went to bed in tears, feeling like no one needed her anymore except for Harry.

The next morning, Mrs. James heard a car pull up to her house and rushed outside, thinking it was her son. Instead, she found a tall, smiling man with an expensive black Jeep who introduced himself as Stephen. He had found her dog, Sparky, who had been stolen, and had been searching for his owners. After hearing her story, Stephen offered to take Mrs. James in as a nanny for his daughter, Cheryl, who had no grandmother. Mrs. James agreed, and they drove to Stephen's beautiful country mansion.

When they arrived, Cheryl rushed out to meet them, ecstatic to be reunited with Sparky and to have a grandmother figure in her life. Mrs. James hugged the girl tightly and promised her that Sparky would never be lost again.

The woman's eyes welled up with tears as she realized that sometimes, in a matter of seconds, a stranger can become more kindred than the close people you have lived with your entire life. The night call was yet another hard lesson for Sally. She had known for a long time that such calls were never good. Her husband worked as an investigator and was often called to work at night. One day, he didn't return after one of those calls. When Sally saw her son's number on the phone screen, her heart raced.

"Connor, what's wrong? Is Molly sick again?" she asked in a trembling voice.

"Yes, Mom. We're at the hospital. The seizure was such that I thought it was the end," replied Connor mutteringly.

"Mom, can we stay with you for a while? I'm going to sell the car and the apartment. I don't have any other options."

"Of course you can, but it would be too cramped for all of us at my place. And wait, did you contact the funds?" Sally asked.

Her son said that there was no time at all, and in a few weeks, the operation might be useless. Sally instantly assessed the situation and offered to sell her apartment, which, although small, was located in the city center and was worth more than her son's spacious apartment in the suburbs.

Connor was silent for a few minutes and then said that he agreed and that in that case, Sally should move in with them. Sally could not sleep half the night. The woman got up, put the kettle on, and sat down at the kitchen table, thinking. She had always been proud of her son. After University, he found a good job, and the girls never deprived him of attention. She was worried that her son was getting married early, before he had time to get on his feet, and she often persuaded Conor not to rush. But it did not help. Conor became thoughtful, often absent from home in the evenings, and sometimes did not come home until the next day.

Sally realized that her son had fallen in love and most likely seriously. "When will you introduce us?" she asked her son, and literally the next day, Ruby appeared at their house. Ruby was a thin, pale girl with bold gray eyes and a visibly rounded belly. Almost immediately, the young couple got married, marking the ceremony in the circle of the closest people. At first, they decided to live at Sally's place, and the good news was that the place allowed it.

When Conor was not at home, Ruby permanently stayed in her room and did not communicate with Sally. Once, Sally tried to improve relations with her daughter-in-law and asked Ruby to help cook dinner. Ruby peeked into the kitchen and looked at the food arranged on the table. "Sorry, the kitchen is your territory. I don't want to interfere," she said and disappeared back into her room. Sally tried to complain to Conor, but he defended his wife, explaining her behavior by her shyness and pregnancy, and asked his mother to leave Ruby alone.

Sally recognized that living together peacefully wasn't possible, so she moved to a small apartment, and her children moved to a large one on the city's outskirts. A few years later, Ruby's daughter, Molly, was diagnosed with a serious heart defect that required an expensive surgery abroad. Sally sold her apartment to raise funds and stayed with her friend, Patricia, who offered to help until she found a suitable rental apartment. Patricia later remembered her country house, which Sally agreed to live in. Upon arrival, Sally found the house uninhabitable and hired Jim, the only handyman in the village, to help with the repairs. After a few days, Jim had fixed the roof, replaced the broken window, and repaired the fence. Sally had no choice but to wait for Jim to finish the repairs, but he disappeared, leaving the work unfinished. Sally went to check on Jim and found him sick in bed. She took care of him and learned that he had loved Patricia since childhood but never proposed to her. When Sally's granddaughter's operation was successful, Sally went home and realized that she enjoyed the quiet life in the country. Patricia allowed Sally to stay in the house until spring, but Sally knew that moving back in with her son would ruin her relationship with Ruby.