Having crossed the threshold of the apartment, Olga froze. Something was wrong… A familiar picture: guest slippers treacherously loomed at the entrance instead of peacefully lying in the chest of drawers. In the kitchen – real chaos! Chairs carelessly moved, dirty dishes on the table… Another “surprise” from uninvited guests.
“Oh, God, again!” she moaned, clenching her fists.
The anger was rolling in waves. And there was no one to share this righteous anger with – her husband Vanya, the main culprit of what was happening, was firmly stuck at work. “Just you wait!” Her fingers resolutely ran across the phone screen: “How long will this go on?! THEY were in our apartment again!”
Ivan had always been proud of his foresight. Successful, businesslike – he was used to calculating every step. But this time… In a rush to discuss with his wife the issue of a duplicate key for his sister Anna, he seemed not to notice the anxiety in Olga’s eyes. And her doubts appeared almost immediately.
– Oh, I’ll help you with the arrangements so much! – Anya chirped then, receiving the treasured keys.
Young, pretty, but… lonely. She lived with her parents and apparently decided to make her brother’s apartment her second home. Who knew that her desire to “help” would turn into a real test for the young family?
The words stuck in Olya’s throat. How to object? How to explain her displeasure? Her new relatives had welcomed her so warmly, helped her with the mortgage – the sum was not small! How could she offend them now? The young woman only nodded silently, swallowing the uninvited objections.
“After all,” she consoled herself, “not every couple can boast of having their own apartment a year after their wedding. But we did! Even with the help of our relatives…”
Vanya’s parents… These thoughts warmed my heart. From the first day they accepted me as a family member, supported me, advised me. “What’s so bad about duplicate keys?” Olya thought then. “At least there will be someone to look after the flowers while we rest.”
But the idyll did not last long…
– Vanya, do you see this? – Olya froze on the threshold of the living room after a wonderful weekend outside the city.
“What the…” the husband stopped mid-sentence.
An unfamiliar carpet adorned the middle of the room, and in the bedroom they were met by a gaudy, colorful blanket that didn’t fit in with the interior at all. Where did it come from? The guess didn’t come right away…
– Surprise! – Anya chirped into the phone when Olya finally got through to her sister-in-law. – Wasn’t it great? You were so bored, you couldn’t rest your eyes on anything! Now it’s a completely different matter! And don’t even think about returning the money – it’s a gift!
Controlling everything and everyone was Anya’s trademark. Having learned about her brother and his wife’s departure, she, without thinking, arranged an impromptu weekend for herself in their apartment, at the same time “improving” the interior to her taste.
Olga’s hands were shaking with the desire to grab the “presents” and take them straight to the trash. To hell with compensation! But years of upbringing had done their job – swallowing the insult along with the lump in her throat, she squeezed out the most polite: “Thank you, Anechka… So nice of you…”
And then the real invasion began.
The sister-in-law, like a fluttering butterfly, kept flying into their apartment. “Oh, my parents are getting on my nerves!”, “I need to be alone…” – the excuses flowed like a river. A freelancer, you see, can work anywhere! But if it were limited to that… Anya launched a real campaign to “help” the young family.
– Oh my God! Where is my soup bowl? – Olya’s scream echoed throughout the apartment one fateful evening.
– Oh, that ugly thing? – Anna responded carelessly on the phone. – I decided that you were just being stingy with a normal salad bowl. I’ve already ordered a new one for you!
– What salad bowl? – Olya’s voice broke. – It was my great-grandmother’s soup bowl! A family heirloom!
– Oh, come on! – snorted the sister-in-law. – I thought it was some ancient chamber pot lying around. Do you want to look for the same on Avito? There’s a ton of that stuff there! You can’t even tell the difference! And getting rid of junk is a trend, by the way!
“Nothing. Is. Necessary!” Olya said crisply, holding back her tears with difficulty.
At night she couldn’t stand it:
“Why did you give her the keys?!” she attacked her husband, her voice trembling with a mixture of anger and despair.
Ivan looked at his wife in confusion. How to explain the obvious to her?
– Darling, understand… – he began softly. – You never know what could happen? And Anya – she’s like a Swiss watch, reliable! – He paused. – And then, she’s trying with all her heart. You disappear at work all day long, and she has time…
– Everything was perfect for us! – Olya exploded. – Without her… “Help”!
“Don’t get so worked up,” the husband raised his hands in a conciliatory tone. “He’ll find someone and immediately forget about us.”
But it was not to be! It seemed that Anna had decided to devote herself to “improving” someone else’s family nest instead of arranging her own life.
Day after day, the apartment was overgrown with new details: fluffy towels would appear, pillows in colorful covers, an ottoman would appear out of nowhere… And these endless plants! It was like a jungle!
– Can you imagine, – Olya giggled, telling her friends, – she already says “we” about everything! “We bought an apartment”, “we did the renovation”… The next thing is “Vanya and I are going to bed”?!
But the story with the New Year tree surpassed everything. Olya specially chose the fluffy beauty, dreaming of a cozy evening: she and Vanya, a good old movie, leisurely conversations while decorating the tree…
She was dreaming! The next day she was greeted by an apartment sparkling with festive decorations and a Christmas tree decorated by someone else’s hands.
– Ta-da-am! – Anya’s voice rang with pride. – I saw how the toy boxes were gathering dust. I think we need to help them out! I’ve already posted some photos on Instagram – let everyone admire how beautiful we are! – She chattered even faster: – By the way, about the holidays! Maybe we should come to you for New Year’s? We’ll make some Olivier salad and invite our parents…
Olya just rolled her eyes. She had completely different plans for the 31st, and she was planning to visit her family after the holidays. But how could you stop Anya? She had long considered her brother’s apartment her fiefdom.
– Oh! And another piece of news! – the sister-in-law blurted out one day. – I found us a kitten! I’ve already made an advance payment!
– Us?!
– Well, yes! Ancestors are against animals, so the baby will live with you. I’ll come and play with him… – She closed her eyes dreamily. – And don’t worry about cleaning – I work here anyway, I’ll keep an eye on him!
– NO! – Olya and Vanya blurted out in unison. What kitten, when they dream of a baby?
Anya pouted, but dropped the subject.
Olga was shaking from all this, and her husband… As if he didn’t notice! He only nodded to all requests to “talk to his sister”. It seemed like he was trying to say something, but what was the point?
And then there’s this pregnancy story… No matter how hard we tried, no matter how many doctors we visited – it was all in vain. Although both are healthy!
– Oh, my friend, – Olya’s friend sighed, – you already have one “child” – your husband’s sister. You have to babysit her, that’s why your body is not in the mood. Pure psychosomatics!
– And you know what? – the friend lowered her voice. – You, Olka, forgive me for being so direct, but… you’re a wimp! This sister-in-law of yours has already sat on your neck and dangled her legs, and you only say “thank you”. Look, soon she’ll start barging into your bedroom without knocking!
——————————
Olya blushed to the roots of her hair. If only her friend knew… Anya had already “accidentally” looked in at the most inopportune moments more than once. Then, of course, she showered her apologies, playfully winking: “Oh, forgive me – forgive me!” Even Vanya, who was always protecting his sister, winced:
– Yes, it’s a family thing… – he sighed. – My parents too… No matter if it’s to the bathroom or the toilet – no knocking! That’s just the way we were born.
And what’s a shame is that Anya is wonderful in her own right! Only a couple of years younger, but she knows so much, and is always passionate about something. Thanks to her, Olya discovered new sports, improved her English, and even started a blog. Her sister-in-law immediately volunteered to be the editor — and she did a great job!
“Oh, if only she understood: keys are for emergencies, and not for daily raids!” thought Olya.
However, a couple of years later the situation changed. Vitya appeared in Anya’s life – and the world seemed to shine with new colors! True… Not quite as Olya had hoped. Anya still lived with her parents and continued to use her brother’s apartment as a transit point. Only now she dragged her boyfriend, a freelancer, here – isn’t this a place for romantic meetings?
Olya’s patience was wearing thin. Day after day – scandals, reproaches, tears. “Maybe I should just get a divorce?” – this thought visited her head more and more often. It would seem that it would be easier – just go and talk to her sister-in-law frankly! But no… Damned softness of character! And shouldn’t a husband sort things out with his relatives himself? Provide his wife with peace in her own home, and not create a walk-through yard for his sister and her boyfriend!
Winter brought long-awaited changes: Anya and Vitya rented a separate apartment. The sister-in-law’s raids became less frequent, but did not stop completely. And then…
– Can you imagine! – Anna announced solemnly. – We’re flying to Thailand! For at least two months! We’ll work in the warmth while it’s freezing here. – She rummaged in her purse. – Here, take the keys to our apartment. Will you take a look?
At that moment, a plan was born in Olya’s head. Insidious, vile… One that she would later feel painfully ashamed of.
As soon as the plane with the couple took off, she rushed into action: time off from work, a call to a friend…
“No, Ol, it’s somehow… ugly,” she winced after hearing the idea. “It would be better if you talked to her like a human being.”
– Just understand! – Olya’s voice rang with despair. – I just want her to feel the same! Let her know what it’s like to have someone come into your house without asking…
For forty-eight hours, Olga, as if possessed, carried out her insidious plan in Anya and Vitya’s apartment. And then… The agonizing wait. The days dragged on like molasses, thoughts of the upcoming revenge overshadowed everything else.
Just before the owners returned, she put the finishing touches on it: she scattered slippers in the corners, left unwashed plates on the table – let them feel the “comfort of home”! However, her heart sank – the kitchen was filled with the aroma of freshly prepared dishes. “Revenge is revenge, but you have to feed them…”
Having settled down on the sofa at home, she glanced nervously at the phone. She didn’t have to wait long – Vanya exploded first:
– What have you done? – the husband’s voice trembled with indignation. – If I had known that everything would go so far… This is beyond the pale!
– Have you tried listening to your wife? – Olya retorted coldly. – How many times have you asked me to talk to my sister? What will happen next?
– Wait a minute! – there was a fuss in the receiver, and then a familiar voice rose to the heavens:
– You… you… – Anya was choking with indignation. – I’ve always only helped! And you!..
– Helped? – Olya grinned. – Now take back your “help”! All these little things you gave us… They were chosen according to your taste – you will need them!
– And the walls?! You even repainted the walls?! – Anya’s voice broke into a squeal.
– Of course! – Olya answered in the same tone. – And you know, some of your things went to the trash. Not to my taste, can you imagine? But I ordered new ones – they’ll be delivered soon. Consider it a gift! – She paused. – By the way, there’s navy-style macaroni on the table. Your favorite!
– Go to hell! – the phone rang with short beeps.
An hour later, a sullen Vanya appeared on the threshold. The conversation was difficult, but Olya managed to get through to her husband and explain the full depth of the problem.
The next morning he went to see his sister again. Only now did Ivan truly understand the scale of the situation. Yes, Anya had always been overprotective, but who could have thought that this would become a bone of contention between the people closest to him?
To his surprise, his sister listened to everything surprisingly calmly. Without hysterics or accusations. She simply nodded and promised to return the keys. No more uninvited visits.
At home Vanya found his wife in the kitchen. She was thoughtfully stirring her tea when he sat down next to her:
– We’ve decided everything. He’ll return the keys, – he paused. – Forgive me. I should have done it earlier… In general, now all important decisions are made together.
Olya smiled, feeling the weight of the last few years lift off her shoulders. Now their marriage would be stronger – they had learned to talk about their pain. And she would definitely make peace with Anya, help them get everything back to how it was. After all, who else but she would know what it was like to have your personal space violated?
