– Len, I’ve been thinking… It’s time for us to think about the future. A dacha is an investment, you understand? – Alexey put the newspaper aside and looked thoughtfully at his wife.
Elena froze at the stove, stirring the soup. Something in her husband’s voice made her wary. Over the two years of marriage, she had learned to recognize these special intonations – when he began to lead up to something important from afar.
– What dacha, Lyosha? We just went on vacation, – she tried to speak calmly, but anxiety crept into her voice.
– You understand, – he came up from behind, put his hands on her shoulders, – your apartment is just empty. We rent it out for pennies. And if we sell it, add my savings – and we’ll have a great house outside of Moscow.
Elena wriggled out of his embrace. The apartment she had inherited from her parents on her twentieth birthday was her personal insurance, the only thing that belonged to her alone.
“We’ve already discussed this,” she turned to the stove so her husband couldn’t see her face. “I’m not selling the apartment.”
– My God, you’re so stubborn! – Irritation crept into his voice. – It’s like you keep this kennel in a safe, no use.
Dinner passed in tense silence. Elena glanced furtively at her husband: he had changed in recent months – he had become irritable, often stayed late at work. Once attentive and caring, he now looked her in the eye less and less often.
What’s happening to us? When did it all start to fall apart?
The next morning, Alexey’s phone burst into messages while he was in the shower. Elena had no intention of peeking, but the bright screen caught her attention: “Kitty, don’t forget about today. I’ll be waiting at 7. M.”
Something snapped inside her. She knew he had a colleague, Maria, a young secretary he sometimes mentioned in passing. But “kitty”?
In the evening, Alexey said that he had an important meeting with clients. Elena remained silent.
A week later, the conversation about selling the apartment resumed with renewed vigor.
– Len, I made arrangements with a realtor. Just for a consultation, – Alexey said casually at breakfast.
– Without my consent? – She abruptly put the cup down. – This is my apartment, I’m not going to sell anything.
– What are you saying, “mine, mine”? – He slammed his palm on the table. – Are we a family or what? What kind of “yours and mine” can there be?
In the evening the mother-in-law came. Galina Petrovna, pursing her lips, looked around the kitchen:
– Elena, what a mess? And dinner isn’t ready? Lyoshenka will come home from work hungry.
“I also have a working day, Galina Petrovna,” Elena answered tiredly. “And actually, Alexey is late again today.”
– Of course it is! A man needs to earn money, especially if his wife only thinks about herself, – the mother-in-law looked at her meaningfully. – Lyosha said that you are stubborn about the apartment. I don’t understand you! A dacha is a great investment.
Elena felt a headache coming on. Was her mother-in-law really going to put pressure on her now?
“I don’t want to discuss it,” she snapped.
– Selfish! – Galina Petrovna snorted. – Lyoshenka thinks about your future, and you…
Elena couldn’t stand it:
– What future? About where he meets some Maria?
The mother-in-law was momentarily confused, but quickly pulled herself together:
– I don’t know what you’re talking about. Lesha is a wonderful family man.
On Saturday Elena went to her parents. Her mother immediately noticed her condition:
– What happened, my daughter? You look like crap.
Elena spoke about the messages, about Alexey’s persistent attempts to sell the apartment, about the pressure from her mother-in-law.
The father, who had been silently listening to their conversation, clenched his fists:
— From the very beginning I didn’t like this Alexey. He’s too smooth.
“Victor, don’t start,” Olga snapped at him. “Lena, my dear, you need to have a serious talk with your husband. Ask him directly about this Maria.”
“And don’t even think about selling the apartment,” added the father. “We didn’t give it to you so that some scoundrel…”
– Victor! – his mother interrupted him again. – Lena will figure it out herself.
But deep down, Elena was grateful to her father for his categoricalness. She remembered how ten years ago, when she turned twenty, her parents handed her the keys to a tiny one-room apartment on the outskirts of the city.
“This is your insurance,” my father said then. “No matter what happens in life, you will always have a roof over your head.”
In the 90s, he and his mother lost all their savings and almost ended up on the street. Since then, his father treated his own home as the last bastion of safety.
Returning home, Elena discovered that Alexey was not there. “He’s late again,” she thought bitterly. Deciding to wait for her husband for a serious conversation, she sat down in the kitchen with a book. Around eleven, the key turned in the lock. She heard Alexey talking on the phone in the hallway, his voice low.
– Yes, Mom, everything is going according to plan… Of course, we’ll sell it… What do you mean “if she agrees”? Where will she go… No, first we’ll register the dacha in my name… Then we’ll get divorced, and she won’t get anything…
Elena went cold. The world around her seemed to freeze. She couldn’t move, afraid that Alexey would hear her breathing.
— …Maria says she’s tired of waiting… Yes, she’s pregnant… Three months… No, Elena doesn’t suspect anything…
She felt like her heart was going to jump out of her chest. Pregnant? Three months? Had they been deceiving her for that long?
Her legs carried her into the hallway. Alexey, seeing his wife, abruptly interrupted the conversation:
— I’ll call you back.
– What kind of plan did you and your mother come up with? – Elena’s voice rang with tension. – And who’s pregnant? Your secretary? Your “kitty”?
Alexey’s face distorted.
“Eavesdropping?” he hissed. “How low.”
– Low? – she almost screamed. – And what is it called to deceive your wife, to demand that she sell her apartment in order to take the money away later?
————————————–
– Calm down, you got it all wrong…
– What’s the right way? Explain it to me! – She grabbed his sleeve. – What, Maria is tired of waiting for you to rob me?
He pushed her away:
– Don’t be hysterical. Yes, Maria and I have a relationship. Yes, she’s pregnant. And you… – he looked at her with disdain, – I never needed you. Only your apartment.
These words hit harder than a slap. Elena swayed, clutching the wall.
“Get out of my house,” she whispered. “Now.”
“This is my apartment!” he barked.
“You live here only because I’m your wife,” she straightened up, looking him in the eyes. “But it won’t last long. I’m filing for divorce tomorrow. And today you sleep on the couch. Or go to your Maria.”
In the morning, while Alexey was sleeping, Elena collected the necessary things and went to her apartment. The only one that has now become truly dear to her.
The apartment greeted her with the familiar creaking of the door and the smell of an uninhabited space. She had been renting it out for the past two years, only occasionally coming to check that everything was in order.
Opening the windows, Elena looked around the room. Nothing had changed here – the same wallpaper, the same old furniture, the same curtains that she and her mother had chosen together. This apartment, which had once seemed like just “insurance for a rainy day,” had now become her salvation.
The phone rang with calls from Alexey. She didn’t answer. Then her mother-in-law called.
– Elena, what are you doing? – Galina Petrovna began straight away. – Alexey says you threw a tantrum and ran away from home!
– What concern, Galina Petrovna, – Elena answered dryly. – He didn’t tell you about his plan? To sell my apartment, buy a dacha in his own name, and then get a divorce? And he didn’t tell you about his pregnant mistress?
There was silence on the other end of the line.
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about,” the mother-in-law finally said, but there was uncertainty in her voice.
– Finish this performance, – Elena said tiredly. – I heard everything. Yesterday. Your conversation with your son.
“What do you want?” Galina Petrovna’s voice became harsh.
– Divorce. And for you and your son to leave me alone.
“You’ll regret it,” the mother-in-law spat and hung up.
On Monday, Elena took a day off and went to see a lawyer. He listened carefully to her story.
“Luckily, you owned the apartment before the marriage, so it is not jointly acquired property,” he explained. “Your husband has no rights to it.”
Elena breathed a sigh of relief.
“The divorce procedure will take time, especially if the spouse is against it,” the lawyer continued. “But given the circumstances, I recommend acting quickly.”
In the evening she called her mother:
– Mom, I’m filing for divorce.
“Are you sure, daughter?” Olga’s voice trembled.
– Absolutely. He planned to deceive me, take the money from the sale of the apartment, and then leave me for his pregnant mistress.
The mother gasped:
– What a scoundrel! Your father was right about him.
– Yes, dad was right on target, – Elena smiled bitterly. – By the way, is he home? Can you pass him the phone?
Father picked up the phone:
– Lena? What happened?
– Dad, you were right. Thank you for the apartment. It really has become my insurance.
“Speak more clearly,” my father’s voice sounded worried.
Elena told the whole story briefly. Victor breathed heavily into the receiver.
“I’ll come and punch him in the face,” he growled.
– No need, Dad. I can handle it myself. Just… thank you. For teaching me to be careful.
A week later, Alexei showed up on her doorstep. Haggard, with circles under his eyes.
“We need to talk,” he said, not looking her in the eyes.
“Speak,” Elena did not invite him in, leaving him on the landing.
– Maybe in the apartment?
– No. Here.
He ran his hand through his hair nervously:
– Lena, I got carried away. I said too much. Let’s forget everything and start over?
“Are you serious?” She shook her head incredulously. “After everything you said? After your plans to cheat me out of my money? After Maria being pregnant?”
“It was a mistake!” His voice took on a pleading tone. “Maria… it doesn’t mean anything. I’ve already dumped her.”
– Abandoned a pregnant woman? – Elena grimaced in disgust. – You’re even worse than I thought.
– What does she have to do with it? – Alexey exploded. – I came to you! To my wife!
– My ex-wife, – Elena corrected. – I’ve already filed for divorce. And don’t you dare come here again.
She closed the door in his face and leaned her back against it, breathing heavily. Curses were heard behind the door, then retreating footsteps.
Three months passed. The divorce was going on as usual – Alexey would agree to a peaceful separation, then suddenly start demanding compensation. Elena refurbished the apartment to suit her needs, made some minor repairs. Life was gradually getting better.
One day, returning from work, she saw a pregnant woman at the entrance. Something about her face seemed familiar. With horror, Elena realized that it was Maria – she knew from social networks what her husband’s mistress looked like.
“We need to talk,” Maria said as Elena approached.
– About what?
– About Alexey. And about you, – there was weariness in Maria’s voice. – Can I come in?
In the apartment, Maria sat down heavily on a chair:
– Don’t be afraid, I’m not going to make a scene. I just want you to know the truth.
“What other truth?” Elena tensed up.
– Alexey didn’t leave me, as he probably told you, – Maria put her hand on her stomach. – We’re still together. But he keeps coming to you, trying to make peace. Do you know why?
“I can guess,” Elena answered gloomily. “Because of my apartment.”
– Yes. He still hopes to persuade you to sell it. Now the dacha thing won’t work, so he’s making up new stories. That he needs the money for his mother’s treatment, that he has problems at work…
“Why are you telling me this?” Elena asked. “Aren’t you afraid he’ll find out?”
Maria smiled bitterly:
– Let him find out. I already realized that I got involved with a scumbag. He used me the same way he used you. He promised me mountains of gold, said that he loved me… – she wiped away the tears that had appeared. – And now that the plan with your apartment has failed, he has started saying that the child may not be his.
Elena looked at her former rival in shock:
– And what will you do?
– I’ll go to my parents in Saratov. I’ll give birth there. I don’t want to live with such a person anymore, – Maria stood up, holding her stomach. – Just… be careful with him. He won’t stop.
Elena sat in silence for a long time after Maria left. The doorbell made her jump.
Alexey stood on the threshold, blocking the doorway with his large body:
— Will you let me in?
“No,” she answered firmly.
“I know Masha was here,” his eyes burned with anger. “What did she tell you?”
“Only the truth,” Elena tried to close the door, but he didn’t let her, holding her with his hand.
– The truth? – He laughed evilly. – Her truth is worth nothing! She herself doesn’t know who got her pregnant!
– Go away, Alexey. Or I’ll call the police.
He pushed the door, forcing Elena to step back:
– Listen to me carefully. Either you agree to sell the apartment and we split the money equally, or I will make your life unbearable.
“Is this a threat?” Elena felt rage rising inside her, displacing her fear.
“It’s a promise,” he said through gritted teeth. “I have connections in the tax office, and your parents could suddenly get into trouble. And you yourself…”
“Get out of my house!” Elena screamed, not letting him finish. “Immediately! Otherwise, I’m really calling the police!”
To her surprise, Alexei retreated. But before leaving, he hissed with hatred:
– You will regret it.
The next day, Elena spoke to her father. After listening to her, Victor nodded sullenly:
– I knew that this scoundrel wouldn’t calm down so easily. Don’t worry, I have a friend in the prosecutor’s office. If he tries to harm us, it will be worse for him.
“Dad, I don’t want you to get involved in this,” Elena pleaded.
“And I don’t want my daughter to be threatened!” the father snapped. “You did the right thing by not selling the apartment. Now we need to see the divorce through to the end, and let that scoundrel roll off to his pregnant girlfriend.”
“He left her too,” Elena said quietly. “Or is going to.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Victor chuckled. “Such people love no one but themselves.”
The divorce was finalized six months later. Alexey still tried to claim part of the property, but Elena’s lawyer proved that the apartment was not jointly acquired property.
Galina Petrovna called several times with threats and insults until Elena blacklisted her number.
On the day the divorce papers arrived, Elena felt a strange lightness. She returned to her small apartment and opened the window. The spring wind blew into the room, bringing the scent of lilacs and new possibilities.
Elena took out the keys to the apartment, the same ones her parents had given her ten years ago. A symbol of independence that she had almost lost. At the time, they had seemed like a practical gift, insurance for a rainy day. Now she realized that her parents had given her much more: the opportunity to start over without ending up on the street.
The phone rang and the mother’s name appeared on the screen.
“Mom, everything is ready,” Elena said, answering the call. “I’m officially free.”
“Thank God,” Olga exhaled. “How are you, darling?”
Elena looked at her small but cozy apartment. Her apartment.
“You know,” she smiled, “perhaps better than ever.”
