Nadya sat by the window, thoughtfully watching the twilight deepen outside. A light, annoying rain was falling, seeming to seep straight into her soul. She held her phone in her hands, reading the message again, the one that had caused a heavy feeling in her chest. Her ex-husband, Oleg, had written briefly: «The child support is too high. I’m not ready to pay such amounts. We need to discuss.»
She smiled bitterly and placed the phone on the windowsill. Outside, the rare lights of cars reflected in puddles, creating a strange scene. They had once lived together, not far from here, and money was enough. But after the divorce, everything went awry, and now every penny counted. Child support had been a small relief. However, it seemed that Oleg had decided that maintaining the child was too much of a financial burden.
A soft rustling sound came from the room. Their son, Igor, was standing at the door, clutching a teddy bear. Nadya turned around.
«Did something happen, darling? Why aren’t you sleeping?»
«I don’t know… I feel uneasy,» the boy said quietly. «Do you feel the same?»
She ran her hand through his hair, trying to speak gently.
«No, I’m just a little tired. Let’s go to bed, everything will be better tomorrow.»
Igor nodded, but there was uncertainty in his eyes. Nadya sighed, understanding that she couldn’t show her son her own worries. Life was hard enough for him already, and now his father was implying that money for him was an unnecessary burden.
The next morning, her phone rang. She struggled to get up, looked at the screen—it was Oleg. Anger was already boiling inside her, but she answered.
«Yes.»
«Nadya, it’s me. We need to talk about the child support. The amount doesn’t suit me.»
Her fingers tightened around the phone.
«Oleg, this amount was set by the court. Have you forgotten? We have a child. He needs food, clothes, school, extracurricular activities.»
«What do extracurriculars have to do with it?» he interrupted sharply. «I pay for basic needs, not your whims. It’s too wasteful.»
«Seriously?» she sneered bitterly, feeling her heart race. «So, bread and water are enough for the child? He doesn’t have the right to attend activities?»
Oleg sighed heavily into the phone.
«Don’t twist my words. I’m just saying the amount is inflated. Your demands are too high, I’m not obliged to pay for everything.»
«Fine, explain what exactly you mean by ‘everything’,» she asked bitterly. «Utilities, food, clothes, textbooks… Sometimes even a drawing club. Do you think these are extravagances?»
He was silent for a few seconds before speaking tersely.
«Okay, I’ll come by this evening. Let’s talk in person. Will you open the door?»
«I’m not sure I want to hear your arguments. But I’ll open for Igor.»
She threw the phone on the sofa and closed her eyes. Inside, anger was boiling. After the divorce, Oleg had been paying child support irregularly, but thanks to the court, things had settled down. Now, he seemed to be trying to revise the terms, as if it were a business deal, not about his own son.
That afternoon, Nadya went to the store for groceries. The street was damp, and leaves clung to her shoes. Her thoughts were racing: should she agree to a slight reduction in child support to avoid conflict? But was that fair? Igor was growing, and the costs were only increasing. Oleg knew that prices were rising. Yet it seemed that he preferred to shift all the burdens onto her.
On her way home, she met her friend Olga. Olga waved her hand.
«Nadya, how are you? I heard Oleg is pressuring you again about the child support?»
Nadya sighed heavily.
«Yes. He says he’s paying too much. He’s coming over tonight.»
Olga shook her head.
«You shouldn’t even talk to him. Go to a lawyer or call the local officer if he starts causing trouble.»
«He probably won’t make a scene. He’s usually calm on the outside, but his words hurt more. We’ll see.»
She said goodbye to her friend and headed home. Igor had just returned from school and tossed his backpack in the hallway.
«Hi, Mom. I’m hungry.»
Nadya smiled.
«I’ll heat up some soup. How was school?»
Igor shrugged and said,
«I got a three in math, but I promise I’ll fix it.»
Nadya didn’t scold him—she understood that the boy was already worried about the family issues. While heating the soup, she tried to stay upbeat.
«The important thing is to try your best. Dad will come over today, maybe he’ll visit you.»
The boy muttered,
«I don’t know… He comes over and starts arguing. I don’t like it.»
Nadya’s heart clenched. She gently patted her son on the shoulder.
«It’s okay, we’ll just talk, and then he’ll leave.»
Time passed quickly. Darkness fell outside. Nadya cleared the table, asked Igor to do his homework, and nervously paced the rooms. Around seven, the doorbell rang. Igor peeked out of his room. Nadya, gathering all her resolve, opened the door. Oleg stood on the doorstep, grim, in a dark jacket.
«Hi,» he muttered.
«Come in,» Nadya replied coldly. «But let’s keep it calm. The kid is here.»
Oleg entered, glancing around the apartment as if inspecting it against his standards. He took off his shoes and walked into the living room. Igor cautiously peeked out.
«Hi, Dad.»
«Hi, son,» Oleg nodded without even smiling. «How was school?»
«Fine,» the boy replied briefly and disappeared into his room, sensing the tension.
Nadya followed Oleg and sat opposite him on the sofa.
«Well, go ahead, what are your complaints?»
He looked around the room: an old sofa, colorful wallpaper, a simple TV.
«I think the child support I’m paying is too high. I have a mortgage, loans, expenses. I can’t spend half my salary on the child.»
Nadya smiled bitterly.
«You know, I’m aware you bought a new car a month ago. And you go to restaurants every week with a new girlfriend.»
«That’s my personal business,» Oleg cut her off. «The car is for work, and the girlfriend—she’s part of my life. I’m paying child support, but I want to reduce it to a more reasonable level.»
Nadya gritted her teeth.
«A reasonable level? So the child barely gets enough to eat?»
«Don’t dramatize,» he waved his hand. «Children grow up fine without extracurriculars. He doesn’t need expensive clothes or all your wants.»
«Really? Do you know his shoes are already worn out? It’s a rainy autumn, and winter is coming. Textbooks also cost money, and what about his food at school? Who do you think pays for all that?»
Oleg clenched his fists.
«I don’t care. I’m tired of being your piggy bank. If I provide the court with evidence that my living conditions have changed, the court decision can be revised.»
«Sure, go ahead,» she snapped. «Just remember: your salary is higher now. You got a bonus this year, right?»
He flushed.
«Bonus? Yeah, they gave me something a couple of times, but it all goes to the credit.»
Igor’s figure flashed in the hallway. The boy had obviously heard parts of the conversation. Nadya mentally cursed these family «negotiations» but wanted Oleg to see: the son was here, a living person, not an abstraction. She raised her voice.
«Think about the child. He doesn’t have another father. You’re responsible for him. Or do you want him to live in hunger?»
Oleg slapped his hand on his knee.
«Don’t exaggerate! I’m not abandoning him. I’m just suggesting reducing the amount. Let’s make it 30% less. I need to live and develop too.»
«And I don’t want to?» she retorted. «My income is much lower than yours. But I pay all the bills.»
He stood up and started pacing around the room.
«Get a proper job, and then you won’t have to squeeze money out of me.»
«I work!» Nadya fumed. «But my salary as a teacher doesn’t compare to your position at the company. Besides, you yourself suggested I work part-time to spend time with our son. Or have you forgotten?»
Oleg didn’t respond, just scowled. Then, tightly pressing his lips together, he said,
«Fine. I’ll go to court to reduce the child support. We’ll see what they decide.»
Nadya was trembling with anger.
«Yes, let’s see. Especially when the judge finds out about your new car and higher salary. He’ll be curious to know why you’re saving on the child.»
He shot her a dirty look.
«Fine. I warned you. Get ready.»
She swallowed hard, feeling the bitterness and rage inside.
«Great. Don’t forget to show the judge your restaurant bills and receipts for car maintenance. He’ll be curious to know how much you spend on yourself.»
Oleg bit his lip in frustration, grabbed his jacket, and headed for the door.
«That’s it, I’m done. Igor, bye, I’m leaving.»
The boy came out, his face distant.
«Bye, Dad. Could you at least talk to me properly?»
Oleg mumbled «sorry» but looked at Nadya with irritation.
«Did you have to do all this in front of him?»
«No,» she hissed. «I wanted him to know how stingy you are when it comes to his needs.»
«He won’t understand!» Oleg blurted out, put on his shoes, and slammed the door.
The sound echoed in Nadya’s soul. She turned to Igor, who stood with his head down.
«Mom, why is Dad so angry?»
She took a deep breath, feeling how difficult it was to explain such things to her child.
«He just doesn’t want to spend money. Don’t worry, we’ll manage. Go do your homework.»
The boy nodded silently and went to his room. Nadya froze in the hallway, feeling her hands tremble. She thought, «He’s decided to stick to his position. But I won’t give up. We have the law, we have the court. I will defend my son’s rights.»
This was how the difficult conversation ended. A few days later, Oleg began collecting documents, trying to prove his financial difficulties. Nadya consulted a lawyer, prepared her arguments: payments, expenses for the child. The trial ahead would be even more tense than the previous one.
One evening, Igor quietly asked:
«Mom, why doesn’t Dad want to spend money on me? Am I not important to him?»
Nadya sat beside him and hugged him.
«It’s not like that. He just doesn’t understand how much you need. You’re important to him, even if he shows it in his own way. Don’t be sad.»
The boy snuggled against her, and tears sparkled in his eyes.
«I want you two to stop fighting…»
She stroked his head.
«I want that too. But we’ll have to fight a little longer. Don’t worry, everything will work out.»
Igor was silent, biting his lip. Nadya could feel how much their arguments hurt him. However, she was determined to stand firm. Her son deserved proper support, and Oleg would hopefully realize that when faced with the law.
A week later, Nadya received a notification about the court hearing. She sighed, gathered the documents, and headed to the trial. At the courthouse, she sat with her lawyer in the corridor, waiting for Oleg to arrive. He showed up later, pulling his hat low over his brow, carefully avoiding her gaze. The judge listened to both sides. Oleg began complaining about loans, expenses, and stated that «the child isn’t worth such costs.» Nadya trembled with indignation but tried to speak calmly, explaining in detail to the court how much money was needed to support Igor and presenting receipts.
After a long deliberation, the judge rendered a decision: «Denied the request to reduce child support, as there is no valid reason for it.» Oleg turned red, abruptly stood up, and slammed the door. Nadya left the courtroom with a bitter sense of victory. The weather was gloomy, but she felt the air was a little lighter. The lawyer, gathering papers, remarked, «It was a fair decision. Your ex has a good salary; he just wanted to save money.»
Nadya thanked the lawyer and headed for the bus stop. «It’s a pity we can’t have normal relations,» she thought. «But there’s nothing we can do. The most important thing is that Igor doesn’t suffer.» She called her mom:
«Hi, everything’s fine. The court upheld the original child support amount. Yes, yes, don’t worry. I’ll give Igor your hugs.»
When she got home, her son was doing his homework but looked thoughtful. Nadya set the table and called him:
«Come eat. Did Dad talk to you?»
«Yeah… He called and said the court sided with you, not him.»
Igor said it quietly, without emotion. Nadya sighed heavily.
«Maybe he’s angry. But if that’s the case, then he’ll keep paying like before.»
The boy looked at her.
«Mom, why does he have to pay if he’s angry? Maybe he shouldn’t pay at all, just so there are no more arguments…»
She squeezed his hand tightly.
«It’s not right. He has to help because you’re his child, and he’s responsible for you. Don’t you need to eat, have clothes, go to school? Is that bad?»
Igor frowned but nodded.
«Okay…»
Dinner passed almost in silence. Nadya understood that talks about his father’s behavior would come later. Perhaps Oleg would continue to find ways to avoid paying or to pressure her. But the law was on her side, and she would do everything to protect her son from his accusations.
A few days later, Oleg sent a short message: «Consider it your win. But I’ll think of something else. Don’t get too happy.» Nadya just smiled bitterly and deleted the message. She wasn’t scared anymore. She shrugged, put her phone away, and approached Igor, who was making a paper craft.
«Let me help. Do you want to cut out patterns?»
The boy smiled, though his eyes were still sad.
«Okay, Mom. I always feel better when you’re here.»
She sat next to him, hugged him, feeling the warmth of his small body. Let her ex-husband rebel and try to contest things. She would raise her son with love and care. He would pay child support—everything had been settled in court. What mattered most was that Igor felt her support and was comforted, at least a little.
The atmosphere in the house remained tense due to Oleg’s constant dissatisfaction. But Nadya knew: justice was on her side. She was protecting her son, and no threats from her ex-husband would change her decision. The most important thing was that Igor was okay, and the rest would settle in time. Maybe one day, Oleg would realize that paying fair child support for his own child was the right thing to do.
