Maria sat down tiredly on a kitchen chair. The coffee had long since gone cold, but she didn’t even touch the cup – she was once again thinking about yesterday’s conversation with her mother-in-law.
“You have no idea how tired I am of these hints!” Maria sighed, looking at her husband. “Your mother starts a conversation about the housing issue every time we meet.”
Sergei just waved his hand and began to butter the bread.
– Oh, come on, Mom just dreams of her own place. For as long as I can remember, we’ve always wandered around rented apartments.
– So what does this have to do with me? – Maria pushed the cup away abruptly. – I got my apartment from my parents. Should I feel guilty about it now?
Sergei looked away, a deep wrinkle appearing on his forehead.
– No one is saying that it’s your fault. But agree, you have your own living space, and your mother has nothing.
“We have our own living space,” Maria corrected him. “We’ve been married for five years, by the way. And your mother knew this perfectly well when we met.”
There was a knock at the door, and Maria rolled her eyes. Irina Nikolaevna, as always, had arrived unannounced.
– Son! – Irina Nikolaevna impulsively hugged Sergey, without even looking at her daughter-in-law. – How I missed you!
Maria pursed her lips. They had seen each other only two days ago.
“Hello, Irina Nikolaevna,” she smiled tensely.
“Oh, and may you be well,” said the mother-in-law, sitting down at the table. “What’s for dinner?”
“Borscht and cutlets,” Maria answered.
– Borscht again? – Irina Nikolaevna winced. – Last time there was borscht too.
Maria clenched her teeth until it hurt.
– This is not that borscht. We already ate that one.
———————————–
The mother-in-law snorted derisively and turned to her son.
– Seryozhenka, I spoke to the landlady yesterday. She’s raising the rent again! I don’t know how I’m going to get out of this. My pension is a pittance, and prices are rising.
“Mom, stop,” Sergey said quietly. “We told you…”
– What did you talk about? – Irina Nikolaevna did not calm down. – About your wife living in a three-room apartment, and your mother huddling in a rented one-room apartment? If only I had my own house…
– What does my apartment have to do with it? – Maria stood up abruptly. – I got it from my parents!
Irina Nikolaevna theatrically threw up her hands.
– Ah, from my parents! How lucky you are! But no one left me anything!
Maria grabbed the dishes and slammed them into the sink.
“I’m going to work,” Sergei said and quickly ran out of the kitchen.
He ran away like a coward, as always.
Two weeks later, Aunt Vera called Maria. Her voice sounded strange, and Maria immediately became tense.
– Marinochka, I have news. Your grandfather has passed away.
– Aunt Vera, but how…
– And he left you an inheritance. Eight million, Marisha. Everything he saved. You’re the only one who was always there.
Maria caught her breath.
– Aunt Vera…
Maria didn’t plan to tell anyone, but Sergey accidentally saw a notification on her phone.
The news spread instantly. And now Irina Nikolaevna was standing on the threshold again, but as if transformed – with a cake and a box of chocolates.
– Marinochka, my dear! – her mother-in-law hugged her for the first time in her life. – What a joy!
Maria stood like a pillar of shock at this change.
– How are you, Irina Nikolaevna?
“Everything is fine, sunshine!” the mother-in-law chirped.
Sergei looked embarrassed but pleased.
– Mom, why are you like this…
– What? – Irina Nikolaevna laughed. – I just decided to drop in on my beloved children! Marisha, I baked some pies there, your favorite ones, with cabbage.
Maria never mentioned that she liked cabbage pies.
– That’s very kind of you.
They went into the kitchen, and the mother-in-law, bustling about, began to set the table.
— I was just checking, there’s a house for sale in our area. It’s wonderful, with a garden! They’re asking only six million.
That’s it. Maria exchanged glances with her husband.
“I have completely different plans for this money,” she said firmly.
– What are your plans? – Irina Nikolaevna smiled sweetly. – We could have solved everything as a family. You could have kept this apartment, and I could have kept the house. And everyone would be happy!
– Mom! – Sergey interrupted her. – Enough!
– What’s wrong? – Irina Nikolaevna blinked in bewilderment. – I’m just offering a reasonable solution. Why should the money lie around like a burden? Marisha, my dear, you’re a smart girl…
“No,” Maria snapped. “I’m not going to buy you a house.”
After that, the relationship with her mother-in-law completely deteriorated. Irina Nikolaevna reproached Maria for the apartment, the money she had not yet received. Everything.
Half a year passed. Maria finally entered into her inheritance rights and received all the money. The sum was impressive – seven million eight hundred thousand rubles. She decided to put the money aside for the future, perhaps for a new apartment or a car.
Sergey had been acting strange lately. Maria often caught him looking at her thoughtfully. He started a conversation several times, then suddenly fell silent and changed the subject.
“You’ve been acting strange lately,” Maria remarked at breakfast. “Has something happened?”
Sergei shrugged his shoulders vaguely.
– Everything is fine. I’m just swamped with work.
Maria nodded understandingly. She didn’t press the issue – perhaps he really did have problems at work. Although her intuition told her it was something else.
To Maria’s surprise, Irina Nikolaevna stopped showing up at their house. No calls, no unexpected visits. At first it seemed suspicious, but soon Maria simply sighed with relief.
“It’s strange that your mother doesn’t come to see us,” she once remarked.
“She’s… busy,” Sergei responded, avoiding meeting her gaze.
– Busy? With what? – Maria raised an eyebrow.
“Repairs,” the husband said briefly and quickly changed the subject.
Three months later, Maria prepared a special dinner – roast duck with apples, Sergei’s favorite dish. She lit candles and set the table with a beautiful tablecloth. Their relationship had become tense lately, and Maria hoped to smooth things over.
Sergei returned from work late. His eyes were feverishly shining.
“Masha, we need to talk,” he said, without even looking at the festively laid table.
Maria tensed.
– What’s happened?
Sergei took a folder with documents out of his briefcase and put it in front of her.
— I took out a mortgage. For a house for my mother.
Maria slowly sank into the chair.
— Mortgage? When?
– Two months ago, – Sergey nervously fiddled with the edge of the paper. – The house is small, but cozy. With a garden, just like she dreamed of.
“And you decided to tell me only now?” Maria’s voice sounded quiet and calm, but inside everything was seething.
“I didn’t know how to start this conversation,” admitted Sergey. “I knew you would be against it.”
Maria slowly took the documents and ran her eyes over the lines.
– Ten years of payment? – She looked up at her husband. – And how were you going to pay this amount? Where did you even get the down payment?
Sergei remained silent, his eyes downcast.
– You… – it began to dawn on Maria, – you were counting on my money? On the inheritance?
– What else? – there was resentment in his voice. – Mom never had her own place. She lived in rented apartments all her life. And you got a huge sum.
– Which I don’t have to spend on your mother! – Maria jumped up from her seat. – This is my money, Sergey!
– So what now? – He stood up too. – I already signed the contract. Mom has already moved there!
– So that’s what she was “busy” with! – Maria smiled bitterly. – And I was wondering where she disappeared to. She was preparing a new home.
– Masha, understand, – Sergey stretched out his hands to her. – It’s a good thing. The man dreamed of his own home all his life.
– What does this have to do with me? – Maria took a step back. – Why should I pay for your mother’s housing?
– Because you are my wife! – Sergey raised his voice. – Because we are family!
– Family? – Maria shook her head. – Family doesn’t do things like that behind your back. Doesn’t present you with a fait accompli.
Sergei turned purple.
– What does it cost you?! You have almost eight million!
– Did you think I would agree to pay for your mother’s house? – Maria crossed her arms over her chest. – Your hopes were in vain!
For three weeks they hardly spoke. Maria left for work early and returned late. Sergey slept in the living room.
When it came time for the first mortgage payment, there was no money in Sergei’s account.
The next day Irina Nikolaevna appeared on the threshold. Her face was distorted with anger.
“Because of you, the bank sent a notice of delinquency!” she pounced on Maria from the doorway. “Are you happy?”
– Hello, Irina Nikolaevna, – Maria straightened up to her full height. – And why did you assume that it was because of me?
– Seryozha said that you refused to help! – the mother-in-law squeezed into the apartment. – After everything I did for you!
– What have you done for me? – Maria crossed her arms over her chest. – Remember at least something.
Irina Nikolaevna opened her mouth, then closed it.
– I accepted you into the family!
“And constantly reminded that I was not good enough for your son,” Maria retorted. “A wonderful ‘acceptance.’”
Sergei came out of the bedroom, awakened by their voices.
– What’s happening?
– Your wife refuses to help! – Irina Nikolaevna waved towards Maria. – She wants me to end up on the street!
“No one will end up on the street,” Maria said wearily. “Just sell the house you can’t afford.”
– Sell it?! – exclaimed the mother-in-law. – I’d rather stop breathing than part with it! Seryozha, tell her!
– Mash, – Sergey took a step forward. – Please. At least help a little.
Maria looked at them both and suddenly realized: she was superfluous. Always had been superfluous. For them, she was just a purse on legs.
“Get out,” Maria said quietly. “Both of you.”
– What? – Sergey couldn’t believe his ears.
“Get out of my apartment,” Maria repeated louder. “I’m filing for divorce.”
Sergey and Irina Nikolaevna left, loudly slamming the door. Maria filed for divorce a month later; fortunately, they had no children, and there was almost no jointly acquired property.
Maria bought herself a bright red car, which she had long dreamed of. With some of the remaining money, she bought a small, cozy one-room apartment in a new neighborhood.
“For the future child,” Maria whispered, crossing the threshold of her new home. “Which one day I will have.”
