“What does Christina have to do with this?” Natasha wiped her hands with a kitchen towel, feeling how everything inside her was getting cold.
“She also needs an apartment, and you only think about yourself,” Evgenia Nikolaevna sank into a chair, as if onto a throne.
– Evgeniya Nikolaevna, what do you want from us? – Natasha tried to speak calmly.
— You are selling your two-room apartment, aren’t you?
“The money will go towards the down payment,” Natasha explained.
– Here’s what I suggest. You buy Kristina’s studio with the money from the sale of your old apartment. And you’ll still have money left over for the down payment!
“Won’t your lip crack?” Natasha snapped, unable to contain herself.
Misha left the room, attracted by the noise. His face lengthened at the sight of his mother.
– Mom? Why did you come without warning?
– And now I need permission to visit my son? – Evgeniya Nikolaevna threw up her hands. – Kristina is on the edge! She has nowhere to live, and here you are looking for a mansion for yourself!
“Mom, but we…” Misha began.
– Shut up! – the mother-in-law snapped. – I’ll talk to you later. But now I want to hear what your wife thinks about my proposal.
Natasha clenched her fists so hard that her nails dug into her palms.
– I think it’s absurd. And if Christina needs an apartment so much, let her earn it herself.
The week after my mother-in-law’s visit was pure hell. My phone was ringing off the hook with calls from relatives.
– Mish, your Aunt Valya called, – Natasha said tiredly in the evening. – She said how we can deprive Christina of a roof over her head.
“This is already the fifth relative in three days,” Misha rubbed his temples. “Mom has raised everyone’s ears.”
Christina showed up in the morning with a trendy haircut, a manicure like from a magazine cover, and a new iPhone in her hand.
“Brother, we need to talk,” she sang, slipping into the apartment. “Mom said you’re throwing me out on the street?”
– Chris, nobody…
“You’ve always loved me,” she interrupted, pouting. “And now you’ve chosen this…” She nodded toward Natasha.
– This one? – Natasha boiled over. – “This one” has a name!
“Natasha, don’t get upset,” Misha said conciliatorily.
– There! – Christina exclaimed triumphantly. – You’re protecting her! But what about me? Your little sister?
She sobbed dramatically.
– Chris, but we really can’t…
– So, money is more important than blood? – Christina jumped up. – I’ll tell mom everything!
A family dinner began with forced smiles and ended in military action. Natasha and Misha came to their mother-in-law for a “heart-to-heart talk” but found themselves cornered.
“Antonina Petrovna also says that in our time, parents bought apartments for their children, and not the other way around,” Evgenia Nikolaevna poured borscht, nodding towards her neighbor.
“Times have changed,” Misha noted.
“Only conscience remains,” the mother-in-law retorted. “Or some don’t even have that.”
Natasha squeezed the spoon so hard that her fingers turned white.
– Is it too hard for Christina to earn money herself?
– Natasha, – Kristina drawled sweetly, – I have a creative nature. I can’t, like you, toil from nine to six.
“But you can spend other people’s money,” Natasha couldn’t resist.
“What are you talking about?” Christina snapped.
———————————————–
“I saw you with Vladik in the cafe,” Natasha straightened up. “He’s married, right?”
Christina turned pale, and Evgenia Nikolaevna put the plate down with a bang.
– What kind of insinuations are these?
“Vladik from the third entrance,” Natasha explained. “A businessman, they say. Very generous… to Kristina.”
“Lies!” Christina shrieked.
“Last Friday,” Natasha continued. “Italian restaurant, red dress with a slit up to the navel. You say it wasn’t you?”
Misha looked from his sister to his wife.
– Chris, is this true?
– Why are you listening to her! – Evgeniya Nikolaevna slammed her palm on the table. – She’s making this up on purpose to get out of the apartment!
They rode home in silence. Misha frowned, Natasha looked out the tram window. The carriage smelled of rain and someone’s perfume.
“I didn’t think that Christina…” Misha began and stopped.
– Yeah, – Natasha sighed. – Surprise after surprise.
My husband’s phone beeped. Misha read the message and jumped.
– Seryoga from the bank wrote. Do you remember him?
At home, in the kitchen, Misha laid out the printouts. There are circles under his eyes, his hands are shaking.
– Natasha, my mother took out a loan two months ago. Two million.
– What? – Natasha plopped down on a stool. – On what?
– And here’s another one, – Misha took out another sheet of paper. – Christina’s studio has been on sale for a month. And the owner is my mother.
“Stop, stop,” Natasha pressed her fingers to her temples. “Your mother owns this apartment?”
– And now he wants us to buy it.
“To pay off the loan,” Natasha shook her head. “And Christina is here for pity.”
There was a knock at the door. On the threshold stood a tearful girl in a crumpled jacket.
– Are you Mikhail? I’m Lena, Kristina’s neighbor.
In the kitchen, over tea and cookies, Lena sobbed:
– She hasn’t paid her rent for three months. And the collectors are tearing up the phone…
– Collectors? – Misha choked.
“Loans for a lemon,” Lena nodded. “She asked to take them out in my name, and now she’s disappeared.”
“Great,” Natasha snorted. “Your sister is in debt, your mother is in loans. And we have to clean it all up?”
She suddenly narrowed her eyes and looked at her husband.
– You know what? It’s time to teach your relatives a lesson.
– Listen, are you sure you want to teach them a lesson? – Misha scratched the back of his head. – After all, they are a mother and a sister…
“And they thought we were a family?” Natasha snapped. “I have a plan.”
The night passed in calls. Natasha contacted a realtor, a lawyer and a journalist friend. By morning the plan was ready.
“We’ll pretend to agree to their terms,” she explained to her husband. “We’ll invite them, pretending to sign the documents.”
– And then what? – Misha frowned.
— Then we’ll show them that we know about all their debts and frauds.
Misha called his mother:
– Mom, we decided to agree. Come with Kristina in the evening, we’ll discuss buying the studio.
“I don’t believe it,” croaked Evgenia Nikolaevna. “Why all of a sudden?”
– Natasha will explain everything. We’ll wait at seven.
In the evening the apartment was filled with guests: the mother-in-law, Kristina, the realtor and the notary – a friend of Natasha’s uncle.
– Tea? – Natasha was setting out the cups. – Let’s get down to business.
“Finally they came to their senses,” the mother-in-law looked triumphantly at Christina.
– Almost, – Natasha nodded. – There are just a couple of things. First, we know about your two million loan.
Evgeniya Nikolaevna choked on her tea.
— What loan?
“And about Kristina’s debts to collectors,” Misha added. “And about her late rent payments.”
“Where are you from…?” Christina stammered.
– And also, – Natasha put a folder on the table, – here is a draft of an article for the newspaper. “How the mother-in-law and sister-in-law tried to deceive their relatives.”
“You wouldn’t dare!” Evgenia Nikolaevna shrieked.
“It all depends on you,” Natasha answered calmly. “It’s up to you to decide.”
A ringing silence filled the room. Evgenia Nikolaevna sat with her mouth open, Kristina trembled slightly.
“You… you got it all wrong,” the mother-in-law finally squeezed out. “I just wanted to help my daughter…”
“At our expense,” Misha interrupted. “Mom, how could you?”
– What else could I do? – Evgeniya Nikolaevna suddenly exploded. – Kristina got into debt, collectors threatened… I took out a loan, bought her this damn studio! I thought, we’ll sell it to you, pay off the debts and that’s it!
“Are we supposed to live under the bridge?” asked Misha.
– At least you have brains, you’ll earn it! – the mother snapped.
The realtor and the notary exchanged glances.
“Maybe we should leave?” suggested the notary.
– No, no, stay, – Natasha waved her hand. – We have another contract for you.
She took out a new folder.
— Here’s our offer. We’re not buying Kristina’s studio. Instead, we’re willing to help sell it to another buyer. Part of the money will go toward paying off Kristina’s debts, the rest toward your loan.
“And in return?” the mother-in-law narrowed her eyes.
– In exchange, you leave us alone. No manipulation, no pressure.
The mother-in-law and Christina exchanged glances.
“We agree,” Evgenia Nikolaevna finally muttered.
– And one more thing, – Misha added. – Kristina is getting a job. Anywhere.
“I can’t do anything!” Christina howled.
“You’ll learn,” Natasha snapped. “Or the article will come out tomorrow.”
Six months later.
Natasha and Misha moved into a new apartment. The mortgage turned out to be affordable – they both got a promotion at work.
Kristina, to everyone’s surprise, got a job as an administrator in a beauty salon and got hooked. It turned out that communicating with people is in her blood.
Evgeniya Nikolaevna sulked for a long time, but then she thawed out. Especially when she found out about Natasha’s pregnancy.
“It’s a boy,” she declared categorically at a family dinner. “I can tell by your belly.”
“It’s a girl,” Natasha smiled. “The ultrasound showed it.”
“What do these doctors know?” the mother-in-law waved it off. “I gave birth to three children!”
Natasha caught her husband’s eye and winked. Sometimes war is just a way to find peace. Especially war with your mother-in-law.
Elena Nikolaevna got it into her head that Natasha was expecting a boy, because Misha needed an heir. She insisted that her daughter-in-law do another ultrasound.
This can’t be! – the mother-in-law screamed when she personally saw the girl on the screen.
She pulled out a clump of Natasha’s hair and ran out of the doctor’s office.
