– Your request… This is the height of impudence. Roll your lip back and get out of my house! – Larisa abruptly opened the front door.
– Your son has been sitting on my neck for a year now. And now you want to put the whole family on my fragile shoulders? Won’t my seat crack? – The daughter-in-law threw her coat to her dumbfounded mother-in-law.
– Have you completely lost your bearings, or when God was handing out conscience, were you standing in line for impudence? – The daughter-in-law looked at Elena Igorevna with disgust.
– Larisa, what are you saying? – grumbled the mother-in-law, who had no intention of leaving.
– Is it so hard for you to help my son’s brother? You have money to burn. – Elena Igorevna glanced sideways at the luxurious interior of the modern living room.
– Yes, I have money, but you have the same relation to it as snow has to the Sahara Desert, – Larisa blurted out. – Why the hell should I spring for repairs for my husband’s brother? Is he weak?
– Larisa, he’s having a hard time with money right now. He hasn’t been able to find a job for three months… Their renovation is stuck halfway through. They live in the middle of the construction site with their little child. – The mother-in-law sighed heavily in her usual manner.
When Elena Igorevna begged her daughter-in-law for money, she always sighed dramatically and bitterly complained about life.
Usually Larisa did not refuse. The daughter-in-law argued, swore, but eventually transferred the required amount. But this time something went wrong. The son’s wife flatly refused to help. On this day, the mother-in-law received her first rebuff.
– It’s not my problem that your second son is lazy and slacker. You see, he can’t find a job… – Larisa was still standing in the doorway.
“As if money comes easy to me.” Larisa pursed her lips. “Have you ever thought that every time you ask me to buy you something, I have to work harder? Have you thought about it?”
– Larisa, I’ve never asked you for anything. Just little things… – Elena Igorevna put her coat on the nightstand in the hallway.
– Once in my life I made a really important request. And… Here you go… A refusal. – Elena Igorevna wanted to add something else, but her daughter-in-law interrupted her.
– Once in a lifetime? – Larisa’s eyes widened. – Last month I bought you a washing machine. Two months ago I added fifty thousand for a vacation. I bought your husband winter tires in October. Is this called once in a lifetime?
The mother-in-law hesitated, but the daughter-in-law continued.
“Or does help for you only begin when I have to give you more than a million?” the daughter-in-law added, not hiding her irritation.
– It’s time for you to go! The longer you stay, the more you irritate me. – Larisa quickly approached Elena Igorevna. The daughter-in-law grabbed a coat from the nightstand, thrust it at her mother-in-law and almost forcibly threw the woman out the door.
– I’ll tell your husband everything. How you treat his mother. You begrudged your loved one money! – The mother-in-law hissed and disappeared into the elevator.
“You are not my family!” Larisa shouted after him.
– And at this rate, your son will soon cease to be our own. – Larisa slammed the door.
– Well, well… She’s completely lost her bearings. – I’m not going to sponsor her family. What a fool. – Larisa opened the window to air out the sharp smell of her mother-in-law’s perfume.
The woman took the book, mechanically began to read and did not notice how several hours passed. And then the most interesting thing began.
At eight, Nikita, Larisa’s husband, returned from work. Unlike his brother, Nikita worked. But his salary was only enough for food. Nikita preferred to use his wife’s money. He did it willingly and without the slightest twinge of conscience.
The desire to live at the expense of others was most likely passed on to him by inheritance.
– Larisa, why didn’t you help my mother? – Having crossed the threshold, Nikita immediately attacked his wife.
– What do you mean? – Larisa looked up from her book and looked questioningly at her husband.
– Literally… My mom asked you for money to renovate her brother’s apartment, and you threw her out. And you said some nasty things too. – The man looked at his wife with displeasure and entered the living room. – Are you out of your mind?
– I don’t get it… Are you defending her? Do you seriously think that I should finance your brother’s repairs? – Larisa slammed the book shut.
– We all jump to help him. These are family values. We are a family and we must help each other… – The husband sat down on the sofa and clasped his hands. – My parents added money, his wife’s parents added money, I added money… Now it’s your turn.
– How interesting it turns out. – Larisa smiled. – So your parents don’t have money for a washing machine, winter tires, and a vacation package. But when your brother needed repairs, they found the money right away…
– And what’s even more interesting is where you found the money. After all, when I ask you to buy something or pay for something, except for groceries, you always take a stand. – After a pause, the wife added.
– Larisa, but you know, I’m a broker… I’m either empty or rich. I rented out my apartment yesterday and the first thing I did was send money to my mother. – Nikita took off his watch, put it on the table and flexed his hand.
– Nikita, you’re always empty. In a year of my life, I don’t remember you bringing in more than forty thousand a month. And I earn half a million every month. – Larisa crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair. – There’s a financial gap between us the size of the Moscow region.
– I’ve been supporting you for a year… I buy you clothes, I paid off your loan before the wedding… We also went to the sea with my money. Who’s the man in our house? Are you a gigolo? – Larisa looked at her husband with a piercing gaze.
– I’m not a gigolo, I just don’t have any money now. I’ll definitely earn millions later. And the fact that you didn’t support me now… I’ll definitely remember that… When my project takes off… – Nikita went into the bedroom.
The man had nothing to say in response, and he interrupted the conversation, having the last word.
– First, think of something that will work for you… You can’t even work it out so that I get pregnant… – Larisa shouted after her, offended. The woman was already thirty-five, and she dreamed of children. But Nikita, who was five years younger, had been unable to help her for a whole year.
That night, the wife decided to make it clear to her husband that his family would no longer live off her money. The woman took a spare set of bed linen out of the closet, laid out the sofa in the living room and decided to go to bed early. And then Larisa had a real shock.
Around midnight, Larisa woke up and went to the toilet. On the way, she discovered that the light in the kitchen was on… Out of the corner of her eye, the wife saw her husband whispering to someone on the phone.
– No, she doesn’t suspect anything. We’re almost there. I’ll be able to deposit the money the day after tomorrow. I’ve almost collected the required amount.
The wife froze and began to listen to every word. The more Larisa listened, the more her eyes widened.
– Don’t worry, you are the most important person in my life. I said I would solve the problem. Everything will be fine. – The man whispered quietly.
– What is this? I’m not the most important woman in his life? Does he have someone else? – Larisa covered her mouth with her hand in horror, and Nikita continued the conversation.
– Yes, I have already saved up quite a bit this year. You are right… Moving into Larisa’s apartment to save more money… It was a great idea. Thank you again for the great advice. – The man stood up from his chair and poured himself some wine.
Larisa realized that the conversation was coming to an end, and, forgetting about her desire to go to the toilet, quickly crept back into the living room.
– He conspired with someone…
– And he agreed to marry me…
– And used me…
Larisa was lying in bed. Her heart was pounding harder than the wheels of a locomotive… A whirlwind of thoughts was swirling in her head…
– He needs money for something…
— And all this time he lived with me, told me that he had no money, but in fact he was saving up… He lived at my expense…
– And who is the most important woman in his life?
Larisa began to cry from the insult. A nervous tremor pierced the woman’s entire body. The woman worried and wound herself up until four in the morning. Having fallen asleep with difficulty, Larisa woke up only at lunchtime.
– The fact that I’ll divorce him is not up for discussion. But I need to find out what this woodpecker is hiding from me. Nikita said that he’ll deposit the money tomorrow. So tomorrow I have to find out where. – Larisa thought and went to take a shower.
Larisa spent the entire day cleaning the house and doing women’s chores… And in the evening, when her husband came home from his mother’s, his wife decided not to arouse suspicion. Having firmly decided to get a divorce, Larisa behaved as if nothing had happened.
On Monday, having cancelled all her business when Nikita went to work, Larisa quickly and quietly followed him out. The day before, the woman bought a keychain that could track location and hid it in her husband’s briefcase.
Larisa called a taxi and went to pick up her husband. Nikita first went to the bank and then drove up to one of the office buildings. Larisa stayed in the car to watch. Imagine her surprise when five minutes later her mother-in-law entered the office building.
– So, his mother is in cahoots with him. She covers up his affairs on the side. What a damn family. You’ll dance to my tune… What are they doing there? – Larisa looked at the office building in confusion.
When Nikita and Elena Igorevna left the office, Larisa waited a few minutes and went to the checkpoint.
“A printing house, a dance studio…” Larisa began to read the signs with the names of the companies that were located in the office building.
“Selling windows is not it, organizing weddings is not it, a translation agency is not it…” Larisa read the names of companies out loud and immediately rejected unsuitable options.
— A modeling agency is not the same, a photo studio is not suitable either…
– Woman, did you want something? – A security guard approached Larisa.
– My husband was just here with his mother. They forgot one document. I came to pick it up… – Larisa quickly voiced what her intuition told her.
– They were at the development company. You need to go to the apartment sales department. Give me your passport, I’ll issue you a pass now. – The man said politely.
Larisa’s last name coincided with her husband’s last name. The guard, without the slightest suspicion, let Larisa through and explained where she should go.
– Hello, my husband and his mother were here with you just now. He asked me to take another copy of the documents. Print them out, please. – Having entered the right office, Larisa introduced herself.
“Yes, please…” The friendly girl printed out a set of documents for Larisa and put them in a nice folder.
— A three-room apartment in a new residential complex in Moscow… Eighty square meters… The down payment has been paid… The building will be completed in six months… The apartment is registered to Elena Igorevna… — Larisa was waiting for a taxi and leafing through the documents in shock.
– So that’s where they put their money when I helped them with money… So Nikita has no money for me, but for his mother, please! – Larisa angrily squeezed the folder.
The car pulled up and Larisa asked to take her out of town. To her husband’s brother’s house.
“There are absolutely no repairs there… They just wanted to pay a large sum for the house right away…” Larisa sat in the back seat and looked at the beautiful pictures of the housing complex.
– So, they contributed four million. Wow, poor relatives. Well, well… I give them money to live on, to improve their conditions, and they do this… – There are no words…
– Oh, Lariska, what brings you here? – Nikita’s brother smiled confusedly.
– Hi, I was passing by. My phone died… The driver doesn’t have a charger, and your house is on the way… – Larisa came up with an answer on the fly. – Can I charge it with you?
– Yes, of course, come in… – The man opened the gate.
“That’s what needed to be proven…” Larisa glanced around the renovated and cozy house.
– Nikolay, my mother-in-law told me about the renovation. I understand you’ve already done it? – Larisa looked questioningly at her husband’s brother.
– Yes, even last year. There’s still the third floor to do, but it’s not on fire… I’ll call a friend, and we’ll get it done quickly. – Nikolai smiled proudly. – Look how beautifully they did the living room?
– Well, that’s it, Nikita, you’re finished. – Larisa was returning to the city in a rage. – Use me for a whole year… I won’t forgive you for this!
Larisa entered the apartment and quickly threw Nikita’s things into two suitcases. Then the woman used a special application on her phone to determine where her husband was. The dot on the map indicated a famous Moscow restaurant.
Larisa loaded her things into a taxi and went to the address. There was no doubt. Through the shop window she saw her husband and mother-in-law happily celebrating the deal.
Gritting her teeth in anger, Larisa, despite the excited cries of the waiters, rolled two suitcases into the hall and abruptly parked them next to her husband’s table.
– Larisa? You? What’s going on? – The husband looked at his wife in confusion.
Larisa opened her bag and threw a copy of the apartment purchase documents on the table. The documents fell into a bowl of soup. The exquisite seafood soup left the bowl. The greasy liquid instantly adorned her mother-in-law’s white blouse, and a hefty shrimp found itself on Nikita’s trousers.
– Well, of course you’re stunned. Stunned to the core! – Larisa wanted to say, but an inner voice told her to replace the word “stunned” with an obscene equivalent.
Larisa voiced a harsher version and cursed foully for the whole room. The visitors at the neighboring tables froze and excitedly watched the loud scandal.
– A parasite, a freeloader, a traitor… You lived at my expense for a year! You lied to me that you had no money, but you bought your mother an apartment. – Larisa looked at Nikita with disgust.
– And you? – The daughter-in-law angrily turned her gaze to her mother-in-law. – A real leech! You sucked money out of me when you yourself had the opportunity to take out a mortgage. It’s unlikely that your son himself earned four million in a year.
– I bought her a washing machine, bought winter tires for my father-in-law, paid for their vacation… – Larisa turned around and addressed the customers in the restaurant. – I bought this blockhead a mobile phone, a computer, and clothes.
– And he was always lying that he couldn’t do well at work. He begged me for money and saved it up secretly. What a little rat…
Nikita and his mother-in-law wanted to say something, but Larisa abruptly interrupted them.
– Shut up! I’m not finished yet… – the woman barked.
– Nikita, we’re getting a divorce! I’ll find the best lawyer in town and take everything you swindled out of me. Your belongings are in these two suitcases. – Larisa kicked one of the suitcases.
– If you try to call me or come even a meter closer to me, I’ll beat you up… I won’t care that you’re a man and bigger. You can’t do that to women. Never. Not a single man in the world. And especially not you! – Larisa exhaled sharply.
“Lunch is over!” Larisa grabbed a bowl of soup and splashed it on Nikita’s shirt. With her head held high, the woman walked out of the restaurant, where an ominous silence hung in the air.
Larisa and Nikita got divorced. The lawyer was so good that in order to pay off Larisa, Nikita’s father had to sell the car.
Nikita moved in with his parents. Today, the man is actively on dating sites and looking for a new docile and wealthy woman. Who will take care of him. And sponsor his family. Paying off the mortgage… This is not a quick matter. But so far, Nikita has not met anyone…
Larisa met a successful and independent man six months later, who began to take care of her in a way she had never dreamed of. Larisa gave birth to a daughter. They say Larisa is happily married.
When one of her friends recently asked Larisa about Nikita, she answered:
— All people in our lives appear for a reason. Some bring joy, while others strengthen our character.
And after a pause she added:
Patience… It’s good, of course. But life is too short to tolerate something you don’t like for long.
