**The Neighbour’s Loss: How the New Wife Lost to the One Before Her**
Emily moved into her new house on the outskirts of town with her two children. No sooner had they unpacked the boxes than ten-year-old Tom approached her with an unexpected question:
“Mum, can we get a dog?”
“And a cat!” Eight-year-old Lucy added, frowning. “A Maine Coon!”
For the first time in weeks, Emily smiled—warm, genuine, and real.
“Why not? Let’s do it!”
Now, no one could stop them. No more “I’m allergic” or “I don’t want fur on the sofa.” Her ex-husband, Michael, didn’t live with them anymore. They could finally live for themselves.
Twenty minutes later, they were in the car, heading to a friend’s place where a litter of Labrador puppies had just been born. A cheerful black pup chose Tom on its own, bounding over and refusing to leave his side. They named him Max.
Next, they visited a breeder. There, Lucy fell for a grey Maine Coon kitten that had been refused that morning. She named him Duke. By evening, they’d raced through pet shops, buying everything they needed. They came home with empty wallets but full hearts.
The night was pure joy—the children cuddled their new pets, Emily arranged beds and read online tips. The house felt alive again.
Everything would have been fine… if the gate buzzer hadn’t rung.
Emily sighed. On the intercom screen was Michael. And beside him… Kate.
Meanwhile, across the street, a rushed housewarming was underway. Kate—young, striking, and confident—paced nervously in the living room.
“Why *this* house? Right under your ex-wife’s nose?”
“Because my children are here,” Michael replied calmly. “I want to be near them.”
Kate scowled. Then she remembered her friend’s words: *Show her who’s in charge now. Let her drool when she sees how stunning you are.* It became her personal mission.
“Fine. At least she’ll see what she lost,” Kate smirked. “I’ll look better at her age than she does now.”
When the removal van pulled up next door, Emily froze by the window. He’d brought Kate *here*. Here, where she’d built her life. Now he’d watch their children grow—over a fence. Something hot and bitter rose inside her, but she didn’t let it show.
“Mum, let’s get a dog,” Tom said firmly. “Dad never liked them.”
“He doesn’t live with us anymore,” Emily smiled faintly. “So we can.”
While Emily’s evening was filled with cosy chaos, next door was all false elegance. Waiters set the table, soft music played. Kate preened for Michael’s family, determined to make this night her triumph. But the guests… began leaving.
“Kate, the kids miss Tom and Lucy—we’ll pop next door,” Michael’s friend apologised, shepherding his family towards Emily’s.
Then a business partner. Then Michael’s sister, Alice.
“Lovely to see you, but we’d rather visit Emily,” she said brightly.
When Michael’s parents arrived, it all went wrong. They shook hands, glanced around… and left for Emily’s. They had a room there, they said. They wanted to congratulate their daughter-in-law. Their *former* one.
Kate trembled with rage.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” she snapped at Michael.
“What can I say? *We* own this house. But *that*—that’s my family,” he replied wearily.
An hour later, they crossed to Emily’s. Sausages sizzled on the barbecue, the children played, Duke swiped slippers, and Max tore around the garden. Emily greeted them calmly.
“Glasses are in the kitchen. Join us if you like.”
Michael relaxed. His friends, children, sister, parents—his real world—surrounded him. Kate sat in the corner, stiff and out of place. Then she realised—this wasn’t her victory.
She’d lost to the woman she’d tried to diminish.
When she left, no one noticed. Not even Michael followed.
“He didn’t even remember me,” she whispered, staring from her window at the laughter and guitar strums beyond the fence.
And in that moment, Kate finally understood:
*In someone else’s family, you’ll always be the outsider.*
