My fiancé and I moved in together about a month ago. We had to do that to save money on living expenses. Besides, we figured we would be married soon, so we might as well learn how to live together before we make things official. A few days after we moved in, he told me, “My mother is struggling with accommodation issues. Can she come stay with us until it’s resolved?”

I said I didn’t mind, and it was true. I even saw it as an opportunity to bond with the woman. My dream is to nurture a mother–daughter relationship with the woman whose son I marry.

However, she started giving me a hard time when she moved in. She complains about almost everything. In the beginning, I was always upset. Especially when her son insisted on taking her side. This created tension between me and him.

When I saw the kind of future that lay ahead should I marry him, I decided to leave him. The initial plan was to move out to give us some space, then I would figure out what to do afterwards. It would have been good if I had left but I didn’t get the chance to. My plans changed when I found out I was two months pregnant.

The moment my fiancé broke the news to his mum she changed. She started treating me well. I have terrible morning sickness. She prepared herbs to help me cope with it. I felt so grateful and started opening up to her again. I even began to love her like my own mother.

Occasionally, she would act off, but I chose to ignore it for the sake of peace.

Now, her “off” days have become more frequent. It feels like she’s back to her old self again. Since last week, things have been tense.

We live in a two-bedroom flat with a staircase. I’ve not been able to do much around the place because of my condition. She knows this yet she asked me to clean and mop the whole house. I explained politely to her that I wasn’t feeling too strong, but I would try. I did try, but I didn’t succeed. I only managed to cook.

I made spaghetti on that Sunday, and she complained about how much protein I used. To avoid further issues, when I made rice for breakfast the next day, I used very little. She didn’t talk. So in the evening, I did the same thing. This time she got upset and started shouting, “I forced myself to eat empty rice in the morning. Now I have to eat the same thing this evening?”

I tried to explain myself and apologise, but she wouldn’t listen. I later explained everything to my fiancé, hoping he would understand and talk to her. But now he’s very angry. He said I served his mother food without protein. I’ve tried to calm him down, but he is not talking to me. I don’t know what else to do.

I was just doing what I thought she wanted. I meant no harm. How do I explain this to my fiancé for him to understand? I want to restore peace to my home.

– Kathryn