So, is your darling husband sprawled on the couch again?» came the sharp voice of the mother-in-law from the kitchen, like metal scraping against glass. «Go check on him, sweetheart, maybe he’s not even breathing anymore!»
Marina sighed deeply and glanced at her husband, who was indeed lying on the couch, glued to his phone. He had just come home from work, completely drained like a rag after washing. But for her mother, Anna Petrovna, that was no excuse.
«Mom, he just got back,» Marina tried to defend him, but her mother had already stormed into the living room like a hurricane, ready to sweep everything in her path.
«Just got back?» Anna Petrovna shouted, waving a ladle like it was a weapon. «And I, what, spent the whole day on my feet cooking and cleaning, while he — what? Rests like a king!»
Igor slowly lifted his head and looked at her with exhausted eyes.
«Anna Petrovna, I didn’t ask you to cook,» he said quietly. «I didn’t ask you to come at all.»
«What?!» she shrieked. «So now I’m not welcome? Me — who only wants the best for you two?»
Anna Petrovna was a woman of iron will. After her husband passed, she devoted herself entirely to her daughter, convinced that she alone knew how Marina’s life should be. From the moment Marina married Igor, her mother decided he wasn’t good enough. “Spineless,” she’d say. “Not ambitious enough.”
Igor tried to ignore her biting remarks. He worked hard as an engineer, often coming home late, yet always helped around the house and supported his wife. But Anna Petrovna saw this as weakness.
«He doesn’t value you,» she told Marina. «You deserve better.»
And though Marina loved Igor, she started to doubt. Maybe her mother was right? Maybe Igor really wasn’t trying hard enough?
A month after the wedding, Anna Petrovna showed up at their apartment door with a suitcase.
«So, living like cats and dogs?» she asked without waiting for an invitation. «I decided to check in and see how you’re settling in.»
Igor, just returning from work, froze in the doorway.
«Anna Petrovna, we weren’t expecting you…» he started, but she had already marched into the living room and plopped down on the couch.
«I didn’t ask,» she said. «Who else but me is going to make sure you’re doing things right?»
Marina, embarrassed, put the kettle on.
«Mom, you could have given us a heads-up,» she murmured.
«Heads-up?» Anna Petrovna snorted. «Why? So you could clean up and pretend everything’s perfect? No thanks, I want to see the real deal.»
From that moment, the nightmare began. Anna Petrovna criticized everything — how Igor folded clothes, how he ate, how he spoke. She even took over their finances.
«How much do you earn?» she asked at dinner one night.
Reluctantly, Igor told her.
«And how do you plan to survive on that pittance?» she snapped. «Starting today, I’ll take your salary and manage your budget. I know how to save.»
«No,» Igor said firmly. «This is our money. We’ll manage it ourselves.»
«We’ll see,» she smirked.
The next day, Igor returned home and immediately sensed something was off. He opened the drawer where they kept their cash — it was empty.
«Marina,» he called, «where’s the money?»
«Mom took it,» she said quietly. «She said she knows how to use it better.»
«What?!» Igor couldn’t believe his ears. «You gave her our money?»
«She’s my mom,» Marina tried to justify. «She wants what’s best for us.»
«Best?» Igor shouted. «This is our money, Marina! We decide how to use it!»
«Igor,» she began cautiously, «I know you’re angry. But maybe don’t be so harsh? She really means well.»
«Means well?» he snapped. «She took our money! That’s not her place!»
«But she’s experienced,» Marina countered. «She knows how to budget. Maybe we should just let her help?»
«No,» Igor said firmly. «That’s not help. That’s control. And I won’t let her run our lives.»
«But what am I supposed to do?» Marina’s voice trembled. «I don’t want to fight with you or with her.»
«You have to choose,» Igor looked her straight in the eyes. «It’s either me or her. No in-between.»
Marina fell silent, torn. On one side — her husband, whom she loved. On the other — her mother, her lifelong support.
«Igor,» she finally said, «let’s find a compromise. Maybe give her part of the money to manage? Keep the peace?»
«No,» Igor shook his head. «That’s not compromise — that’s surrender. If we give in now, she’ll control everything. I won’t let her make decisions for us.»
«Then what?» Marina was nearly in tears. «I can’t just kick her out.»
«Then I will,» Igor said firmly.
He walked to the kitchen, where Anna Petrovna was sipping tea like nothing had happened.
«Anna Petrovna,» he began, trying to stay calm, «give our money back. It’s not your business how we use it.»
«No,» she didn’t even look up. «You’d waste it anyway. I’ll decide what’s needed.»
«That’s not your right!» Igor raised his voice. «It’s our money. We decide!»
«Oh, what a hero!» she finally looked at him. «Do you even know what responsibility is? Or just how to lie on the couch?»
«I work from morning till night,» Igor said, anger rising. «You just judge and boss everyone around!»
«Judge?» she scoffed. «That’s not judgment. That’s fact. You—»
Marina stepped in:
«Mom, Igor tries. He’s a good husband.»
«Good?» she turned to her daughter. «A good husband doesn’t let his wife live like this. A good husband provides.»
«Anna Petrovna,» Igor stepped forward, «I won’t tolerate your insults anymore. Give us our money and leave.»
«Leave?» she laughed. «You’re telling me to leave? From my daughter’s home?»
Marina tried to speak, but her voice was drowned in the shouting.
The next day, Igor came home with a slight smile. He knew what was coming and was ready. As usual, Anna Petrovna sat at the kitchen table, scribbling financial plans like she was running a corporation.
«Well, how’s our household money manager today?» he asked cheerfully.
She didn’t look up. «Don’t bother me. I’m calculating how long you can survive on peanuts.»
«Oh, no worries,» Igor said, sitting across from her. «I found another income source.»
She finally looked up.
«Another source?» she smirked. «What, handing out flyers? Collecting scrap metal?»
«No,» Igor grinned wider. «I rented out your apartment.»
«What?!» she jumped up. Her face contorted in shock. «You WHAT?! There are strangers in there! They’ll ruin everything!»
«Well, you wanted me to earn more,» Igor said calmly. «So I did.»
«You’ve lost your mind!» she was pacing like a cornered animal. «That’s my apartment! You had no right!»
«And you had no right to take our money,» Igor countered. «But here we are.»
Anna Petrovna grabbed her suitcase, hastily stuffing clothes inside.
«I’m going over there now to throw them out!» she yelled. «You’ve no idea what you’ve done!»
«Oh, I do,» Igor said, smiling. «And I quite enjoyed it.»
«You… you—» she couldn’t find words.
«Dear mother-in-law,» Igor said in a mock-sweet tone, «don’t stress. Your apartment is in safe hands. Or someone else’s. Either way — it’s making money.»
«Shut up!» she threw a towel at him, missing.
«Your taxi’s waiting,» Igor said, pulling out his phone. «And don’t forget to return our money on your way out.»
«You monster!» she screamed, dragging her suitcase to the door.
«Bon voyage, dearest mother-in-law,» Igor bowed theatrically as he opened the door. «Hope you save your apartment in time.»
She slammed the door so hard the walls shook. Igor stood in the hallway, feeling the tension of the past weeks finally ease. He laughed.
«Well, Marina,» he said, turning to his wife standing in the living room doorway, «looks like we’ll finally have some peace.»
Marina looked at him, unsure whether to be relieved or worried for her mother.
«You… really rented out her apartment?»
«Not exactly,» Igor grinned. «But she’ll only find that out in a few hours. Let her sweat it for a bit.»
Marina burst out laughing.
«You’re a real strategist,» she said.
«Sometimes, you’ve got to take bold action,» Igor replied, pulling her into a hug. «As long as you’re on my side.»
«Always,» she whispered.
And they stood there, holding each other, as the evening settled quietly outside their window.
