In the quiet aftermath of shared grief, how does one turn from a mourner into a heartless figure, devoid of compassion and driven by malevolence? What twists a beloved family member into a Machiavellian villain, more suited to the world of fiction than reality? These perplexing questions haunt the mind as we delve into the unsettling journey of Jayne, a woman who ignited a tumultuous chain of events that shattered lives and defiled cherished memories.
At the center of this tragic saga lies the memory of my mother-in-law, Julie. Her untimely demise on May 8th, 2020, plunged her family into a maelstrom of sorrow. Julie, a victim of a burst stomach ulcer, battled valiantly in Hull Royal Infirmary, her strength waning until she succumbed. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, her daughter, my wife Emma was tragically unable to bid her farewell in person, leaving Jayne, her spouse, by her side in her final moments.
Julie's passing spurred Jayne into a passionate crusade. Once a staunch conservative, she became a vocal critic of the government's handling of the pandemic, joining the ranks of "COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice." Her story garnered attention from prominent media outlets such as the BBC, ITV, and The Mirror, amplifying her voice. Yet, within the narrative, a subtle untruth emerged, a lie that niggle at Emma and I as we watched the articles and new reports stack up.
In the week that she was admitted to hospital, Julie tested negative three times for COVID-19. Despite this, and according to policy at the time, because she died exhibiting COVID-like symptoms, she was counted as a COVID death and her death certificate written to indicate as much.
Julie's passing spurred Jayne into a passionate crusade. Once a staunch conservative, she became a vocal critic of the government's handling of the pandemic, joining the ranks of "COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice." Her story garnered attention from prominent media outlets such as the BBC, ITV, and The Mirror, amplifying her voice. Yet, within the narrative, a subtle untruth emerged, a lie that would niggle at Emma and myself, us both feeling that it undermined Julie somewhat.
The mirror's article printed on what would have been Julie's 50th birthday on 12th May 2020, only 4 days after her death, reads
"Her grieving wife Jayne from Hull, never thought she would have to say goodbye to her soulmate so soon, as she did not have any underlying health conditions"
This line was repeated in the Daily Star, the Daily Mail, and by Jayne in every interview she gave.
This lie, woven into Jayne's interviews and articles, painted Julie as the epitome of health, contradicting the reality of her struggles with alcoholism, back problems, liver issues, and asthma. Emma, grieving her mother's death, voiced her concerns about the fabrications, only to be dismissed by Jayne, who claimed she hadn't actually "said" Julie's health was perfect, she'd just chosen not to correct it. She continued her media parade, against Emma's wishes.
Julie's tumultuous marriage with Jayne, hidden beneath a veneer of normalcy, hinted at deeper troubles. An emotionally abusive relationship marred by Jayne's unreasonable demands gradually eroded Julie's well-being. Julie, known for her kindness and naivety, remained ensnared by Jayne's manipulative grasp, leading to near financial ruin. Jayne's insidious influence saw Julie saddled with debt and loans, jeopardizing her home and her mental well-being.
The birth of our son, Rowan, served as a temporary reprieve for Julie, as she made efforts to control her alcoholism for the sake of her grandchild. Yet, the spectre of Jayne's control lingered, leaving Julie trapped in a cycle of fear and compliance. Julie's moments of vulnerability, such as hurriedly tidying the house before Jayne's return, and watching the clock during visits with her grandson to ensure she was home for Jayne's return, bore witness to the emotional shackles that bound her.
Despite the hints of Julie's discontent, her death united the family in grief. Memories of Julie's eccentricities and warmth kindled camaraderie among her loved ones. Jayne vowed to honor Julie's legacy, promising to keep her alive through the generations, an assurance that crumbled with time.
In summer 2022, Jayne announced a new relationship, which Emma, myself and the rest of the family greeted with enthusiasm and joy. We were happy to see her happy. It was however, the beginning of the end, and by Christmas, she had seemingly cut all contact with us and the children.
In late March 2023, after months of no contact, we decided to visit the house to post an invitation to Rowan's fifth birthday party. It was then that we discovered a letter pinned to the window.
The house had been repossessed.
We texted Jayne, no answer. We called, no answer. In the end, we managed to discover through her son that she had been kicked out a month earlier. She claimed she couldn't pay the mortgage as it was still in Julie's name, and that it couldn't be changed as the lawyer in charge of the probate had abandoned it.
This is, in part, true. What Jayne neglected to inform her son is that the reason the solicitor, a friend of Julie's sister, had took the decision to abandon the probate, is because Jayne had taken the decision to abandon paying her. Jayne had then sat for 3 years, knowing the mortgage wasn't being paid, spending her wages of whiskey and takeaways. For three years she let the debts mount up, told no one, and waited until the house was repossessed.
Had we not gone round that day, would she ever have told us? Would we have discovered the truth when we popped round to see her and met Graham and Allen, the lovely (and sadly fictional) new couple living there? Or would we have spotted the house popping up on Zoopla as we planned our next move?
Jayne's calculated omission of the dire situation ignited a rift that would forever alter the our relationship. It was July before we finally gained access to the house, gifted a single morning to make our way through Julie's belongings.
What we saw made us sick. Mould on every wall, ceilings caved in. The house where Emma spent her childhood, and which Julie had taken such pride in, was little more than a broken shell.
It was here we stumbled across a letter which finally revealed the truth about Julie's suffering.
When clearing the now delapidated house, saving personal belongings from repossession, we came across a letter written by Julie and hidden in a drawer. It shows what Julie truly thought of her wife, and offers a hint as to how Jayne treated the woman she claims was her soulmate.
The frantic, emotional language of this letter evokes the mindset of a woman abused, hurt, and damaged by a person who had promised before God to love, protect and honour her.
The heartbreaking discovery of Julie's letter marked a turning point. The family, once united in our grief, faced a bitter reckoning as they confronted Jayne's deception. Emma's quest to reclaim her mother's ashes, the last tangible link to her, culminated in a confrontation that exposed Jayne's true nature.
Stood in the car park at Jayne's workplace, which was Emma's only option given Jayne's determination to avoid her, Emma demanded the ashes.
With a smile, Jayne told her she'd already scatted them. Alone. Without Emma.
The last remnants of her mother, gone. And why? Because Jayne didn't like that we'd called the house situation "unacceptable."
She took umbridge at a single word, so she stole Julie's remains from Emma forever. She claims she followed Julie's wishes by scattering them in Whitby, but Julie, being the proud and devoted mother and grandmother she was, would be mortified to think that her daughter had been excluded from her final journey..
Now, as we grapple with the aftermath, the betrayal weighs heavily. With no legal recourse, we seek a form of justice that lays bare Jayne's duplicity and exposes Jayne's actions, unveiling the truth to friends, acquaintances, and colleagues. The goal was is strip away the facade Jayne has crafted. I want every friend, every work colleague, every acquaintance, to know exactly who she is and what she did. I want her to be ostracised and hated. I want her to feel as broken and alone as Julie did trapped in that house, with her.
For a while, since Emma admitted what she knew about the house to her family, there have been suspicions thrown about that she was a conwoman all along, that she manipulated Julie into debt intentionally, stole her home, destroyed her livelihood. I never believed it. In my view she was nothing more than a selfish idiot who failed monumentally and let the world get on top of her. After today, after hearing Emma's description of the smugness in Jayne's face as she described scattering those ashes, I now wholeheartedly believed she never had a single iota of love in her heart for Julie, us, or anyone. I believe she is incapable of love. Incapable of care. She is a monster, a beast bent on bleeding people dry. She did it to Julie, and she'll do it again.
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