— So, Lenochka, have you finally decided to do something serious instead of just hanging around offices?” — Tamara Igorevna’s voice, the mother-in-law’s, struck sharply in Lena’s ears right after the first greeting on the phone.
Lena froze for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts. Even through the phone, she felt the pressure.
“— What exactly do you mean by ‘something serious,’ Tamara Igorevna?” she asked cautiously.
“— What do you mean what? It’s time to give birth to the heir, Pavlik!” the woman snapped. “Four years have passed, and you’re as useful as a goat’s milk! Do you even realize my son is wasting his time with a woman who only cares about important paperwork? Even your mother, a cleaner, was more useful!”
Lena’s fingers turned white on the phone. Every conversation with her mother-in-law was like a punch to the gut. Her words were like needles finding the most painful spots.
“— We… we’re working on that,” Lena forced out, repeating the now meaningless phrase she had memorized by heart.
“— ‘Working on it,’ huh!” Tamara Igorevna hissed venomously. “Talking isn’t working! You’d better get yourself checked out, maybe something’s wrong with you! Otherwise, you’ll remain childless, and my Pavlik… he’s a handsome man, a site manager! A man like that will always have a queue — younger and more agreeable!”
Lena silently pressed “hang up.” Tears stung her eyes. Nearby, on the couch, sat Pavel — the very “handsome man,” her husband — scrolling through his phone without looking up. He had heard everything. But once again, he pretended it didn’t concern him. As always.
“— She… again…” Lena whispered, looking at her husband with a hope that had long begun to fade.
Pavel reluctantly tore his gaze away from the smartphone:
“— Len, you’re overreacting again. Mom’s just worried about her grandchildren. That’s her nature, you know. Just bear it, what else can you do? What should I tell her?”
“Bear it.” That word cut like a knife. How could she bear it when she was humiliated every day? When her most cherished desire — to become a mother — was turned into an accusation, a flaw, a crime? She, Lena, had clawed her way out of poverty with her own sweat, blood, and tears. She had achieved everything herself. Higher education, a career, respect at work — all her victories.
And Pavel… he was the son of a well-off mother, a police captain, a man who had everything handed to him easily. Including her.
“— What now?” he continued when Lena started crying again after talking with his mother. “Mom’s just… special. You just need to get used to it.”
For Tamara Igorevna, the main accusation was one: they had no children.
“— You’re no spring chicken anymore, Lenochka,” she would sneer at every opportunity. “It’s time for an heir. Or is your health no good? Watch out, or they’ll steal your good man.”
Lena had undergone every possible examination. The diagnosis was the same: everything was fine. She was ready to become a mother. But convincing Pavel to see a doctor was nearly impossible.
“— Am I not a man? Everything’s fine with me!” he would brush off, citing either his busy schedule or pride.
He finally gave samples for testing. But Lena never saw the results.
“— They lost them, can you believe it?” he said, shrugging. “We’ll have to redo them. They messed up somewhere.”
Then came excuses, new deadlines, new promises. Lena swallowed her resentment silently.
Her mother, Antonina Sergeevna, no longer trusted her son-in-law. Too many things about him raised suspicion. Too often, he avoided eye contact.
Antonina had a friend — Galina, a nurse at the clinic Pavel attended. After one particularly tough conversation with Lena, Galina took a risk. Through a nurse acquaintance, she found out the truth. A dangerous truth.
“— Tonya, be careful,” she whispered, looking around. “What I’m about to tell you… it could cause trouble. If it gets out, none of us will be well. I’m only telling you because you once helped me. Listen carefully… His numbers are rock bottom. Almost zero. Practically no chance.”
Antonina Sergeevna felt as if struck. Before her eyes flashed her daughter’s face, her quiet tears, constant reproaches from the mother-in-law. She wanted to protect Lena but feared breaking up the family. She decided to wait. Maybe Pavel would come to his senses.
Today was an anniversary — thirty years. Lena put on a new midnight-colored evening dress. She wanted this day to be a bright spot amid the dullness of everyday life.
“— Mom, how do I look?” she asked hopefully, spinning in front of the mirror.
“— Gorgeous, darling!” Antonina Sergeevna smiled, though worry flickered in her eyes. “Don’t listen to anyone; today is your celebration.”
“— Pavel says the neckline is too deep…”
“— He should be happy to have such a beauty by his side.”
The restaurant was lovingly decorated. Lena had chosen every detail. Flowers, menu, music — everything had to be perfect. Friends, colleagues, Pavel’s coworkers came. Everyone was happy for the birthday girl, cheerful and warm. Even her best friend Olya hugged her tightly:
“— You’re a queen today! The restaurant and you — everything is perfect!”
Pavel tried to be the host. He introduced his colleagues. Lena’s colleagues also gave flowers and kind words.
Antonina Sergeevna, sitting at the table, relaxed slightly. Her daughter was smiling. For the first time in a long while, it seemed everything would be alright.
And Tamara Igorevna, surprisingly, did not come. On the phone, she said she was “not feeling quite well.”
Lena felt both relief and a strange sadness. She wished the relationship with her husband’s family could still work out. At least for his sake.
When the first toasts had already been made, when Lena finally felt a bit happy — as if the celebration really belonged to her alone — suddenly the restaurant doors flew open. And like a thundercloud on the threshold stood Tamara Igorevna.
Dressed all in black, lips tightly pressed, she looked more like a character from a tragedy than a guest. Her gaze shot lightning across the room.
“— Mom? You said you wouldn’t come…” Pavel was surprised.
“— I changed my mind!” she snapped, walking in. Without congratulating the birthday girl or even nodding, she sharply demanded:
“— Turn the music down! I have something to say to the birthday girl!”
The waiter froze with the tray. Guests turned around, puzzled. Lena turned cold. Antonina Sergeevna tensed, sensing trouble.
“— Our dear Le-enochka!” began Tamara Igorevna, stretching the name as if she wanted to break it. “What a blessing that you married my Pavlik! A real man! A support, a protector! Not everyone is lucky like that…”
She paused, looking around the room, especially lingering on her son’s colleagues — as if to say: “Look what a son I have!” Then added with sickly sweetness:
“— Especially considering that you are the daughter of a simple cleaner. And yet you managed to enter our decent family. Well, it wasn’t easy for us either, of course… But we accepted you. After all, upbringing is above social origin!”
The room fell silent. Lena’s friends no longer hid their indignation. Pavel’s colleagues shifted nervously. Some looked away embarrassed. But Tamara Igorevna was gaining momentum.
“— Although, of course, it’s very sad that there are still no grandchildren… Four years is quite a time. Apparently, not everyone is destined to be a mother. Especially if a woman values her career over family and doesn’t take care of her health…”
Lena turned pale. Her lips trembled. Tears welled up in her eyes. She looked at her husband. But he only smiled crookedly, staring at the wall. He betrayed her again. Silent again.
Then Antonina Sergeevna stood up. A small, calm woman who had tried all her life to be delicate. Today was not that day.
“— One minute, Tamara Igorevna! Allow me to say a few words too.”
Her voice was firm, full of dignity.
“— Yes, my daughter is the daughter of a cleaner. And I’m proud of it! Proud that she fought her way into the university! That she graduated with honors! That she achieved everything herself, without connections or money!”
She glanced at her son:
“— And your ‘golden’ Pavlik?
“— Do you remember how he studied in school? You paid for every ‘B’ grade, sometimes even treated the teachers with brandy. He barely made it through law school, relying on your gifts. Got his diploma? Through connections. And does he work in the police? Thanks to whom? Who supported you then? Your high-ranking friend? And where would your ‘hero’ be now without mommy’s connections?”
Tamara Igorevna turned crimson.
“— How dare you!”
“— I dare,” Antonina Sergeevna answered calmly. “And now listen about the children. You blame Lena? Ask your son instead. Why aren’t there any? Maybe it’s time he told the truth to everyone?”
Pavel sat with his head down, his face red, mumbling something unintelligible.
“— I’ll tell you,” the woman raised her voice. “He is infertile! Do you hear? He cannot have children! It’s not my daughter’s fault but your beloved son’s! There’s your ‘real man,’ ‘support,’ ‘protector!’ In reality — a coward who lied for years and blamed everything on his wife. So take your accusations and your ‘decent family’ and carry them far away!”
The room froze. Only the clicking of phone cameras could be heard — someone was already recording video.
A couple of hours later, a video appeared online titled:
“Mother-in-law shrew or justice served? The mother-in-law got what she deserved!”
Pavel didn’t come home. He ran to his mother, crying and plotting revenge. And in the morning, Tamara Igorevna, deciding to go to the store, was met by nosy neighbors who had already watched the clip.
“— Hello, Tamarochka!” one greeted with a fake smile. “We didn’t know your Pavlushka really studied like that. For money, huh?”
“— And the main thing,” the second added, “was blaming everything on Lenka, but now the whole world knows your ‘real man’ isn’t quite real. Good thing we weren’t fooled!”
The mother-in-law, red with anger and shame, turned and almost ran back to the entrance amid mocking laughter.
The video quickly gained views. For Tamara Igorevna and her son, this was just the beginning of the end of their social standing.
And Lena… Lena cried. But no longer from humiliation — from pain and realization of betrayal. Yet through her tears, she felt a strange relief. The secret was out. The pain remained, but was no longer lonely. Her mother was near. And that changed everything.
