Natalya carefully arranged the plates on the table, trying not to make the dishes clatter.
The workday had been unusually hard. At the supermarket where she worked as a cashier, the program was acting up again, causing lines to stretch halfway across the hall.
Oleg also came home very tired but, as usual, first asked the children how their day at school went.
“Dad, today we dissected a frog!” Alice babbled excitedly, waving her fork. Danila grimaced and demonstratively pushed away his plate of macaroni.
“Yuck, Aliska, I’m trying to eat!”
“You don’t understand anything! This is biology! When I grow up, I’ll be a doctor!”
“Then I definitely won’t come to you!”
The woman smiled, watching the kids’ bickering. In moments like these, she always thought how lucky she was with her family.
Her husband was just about to intervene in the argument when the doorbell rang.
Vitaly was standing in the doorway. Natalya immediately noticed something was wrong with her brother-in-law. Usually, he joked a lot and talked nonstop, bursting into the apartment with joyful shouts. But now he looked very downcast. Even his favorite red T-shirt seemed somehow wrinkled.
“Kids, go play in the room,” the woman gently but firmly sent Alice and Danila away. She quickly turned on the kettle and took out the festive cups from the top shelf. The couple used them only on special occasions or when they needed to discuss something important.
“Oleg, brother…” Vitaly sank heavily into a chair. “I’m in big trouble. I need help!”
The man explained that a few months ago he found an additional source of income: helping to drive expensive cars from China. Things were going well; he had even started planning how to pay off part of the mortgage. Then the accident happened.
“I was distracted for just a second. The phone rang. I lost control on a turn and crashed into a Lexus. New, luxury. Insurance won’t cover this damage.”
Natalya listened to her brother-in-law, unwilling to believe the reality of what was happening. And when he named the amount demanded by the car’s owner, her head started spinning. Even considering he had already borrowed half the money, the sum was overwhelming.
“I have nowhere else to turn,” Vitaly looked at his brother pleadingly.
Oleg was silent for a long time, spinning an empty cup in his hands.
“Give me a couple of days,” the older brother finally said. “I need to think it over.”
When the man left, the couple remained sitting in the kitchen. Only one thought was spinning in Natalya’s head: they had just yesterday made the last payment for their new bedroom set. Her parents had lent the missing amount; they hadn’t even handed over the IOU yet.
Where to find money now for Vitaly?
The woman looked at her husband. He sat holding his head in his hands. She knew this pose well. It always happened when some mess was brewing in his mind. And that made her uneasy: she instinctively felt that these thoughts would bring nothing good for her.
Laughter came from the children’s room. Alice and Danila were arguing about something while playing video games. How nice it was that everyone has moments when they don’t have to worry about anything.
After Vitaly left, Oleg couldn’t find peace: he would sit down on the sofa and immediately jump up, pace the hallway, grab his phone and put it down again. He didn’t even notice how the kids wished him good night and went to bed.
Natalya silently watched her husband’s pacing.
She understood him perfectly. Vitaly was his only brother; they had always been close. Since childhood, when their parents died in an accident, the brothers stuck together. Oleg helped his younger brother with studies, then with job hunting, was a witness at his wedding.
But the amount Vitaly named seemed simply unmanageable.
Closer to midnight, her husband finally sat down in the kitchen. His hands trembled slightly as he lit a cigarette. He only smoked in extreme cases, when his nerves were at the limit. The woman put a cup of hot tea in front of him and sat down nearby.
“Maybe you shouldn’t worry so much?” she cautiously began. “Vitaly is still an adult. Let him solve his problems himself. After all, there are banks, loans, his wife, his in-laws…”
Oleg sharply turned his head towards his wife. His eyes, red from fatigue and worry, flashed with rage:
“What are you saying?! What loans?! Do you even realize?! He has three kids to support! A mortgage! A car on credit! He’s like a hamster on a wheel trying to feed his family! And now this disaster!”
“I was just suggesting…” Natalya tried to explain.
“Better be quiet if you have nothing useful to say!” the husband cut her off, sharply stood up, and went out to the balcony.
The wife remained sitting in the kitchen, staring at one spot.
In ten years of marriage, she had learned to understand all the shades of her husband’s mood. Now he was on the edge. The last time she saw him like this was when his grandmother died.
The wife sighed heavily and decided not to interfere anymore. Let the brothers solve their problems themselves.
That night, the couple spent without sleep. Oleg never went to bed. She heard him pacing the apartment, mumbling to himself, dialing someone’s number several times. By dawn, he finally quieted down in the armchair in the living room.
Natalya got up early to get the kids ready for school. She tried to move quietly so as not to wake her husband, but he was already awake.
Alice and Danila quickly ate and went to get ready. When the front door closed behind them, the apartment became eerily quiet.
The wife began clearing the table, trying not to look at her husband. Her intuition told her that Oleg was about to say something she didn’t want to hear. And she was right.
“Sell your car,” the man suddenly said.
Natalya froze, holding an unwashed cup in her hands, not believing her ears. She slowly turned to her husband, hoping to see a hint of a joke on his face. But Oleg was utterly serious. He wasn’t joking.
“What?” the woman asked cautiously. “Sell the car? My car? Are you serious?”
“Absolutely,” her husband said calmly, as if talking about selling an old wardrobe. “Think about it yourself. It’s just gathering dust in the garage. When was the last time you used it? We only spend money on renting the garage and maintenance. Pointless!”
The wife leaned against the kitchen counter, feeling a wave of indignation rising inside her.
Yes, indeed, she had rarely gotten behind the wheel in recent months. Since she got a job at the “Vesna” supermarket across the street, the need for daily trips disappeared.
Before, she drove the kids to school, went to work downtown, and on weekends the whole family would go to the countryside. Now life had changed: school nearby, work a few steps from home. But that’s no reason to part with the car!
“Oleg, this is my car. A gift from my parents. I’m not going to sell it! You know how long they saved for it, how happy they were when they handed me the keys.”
“Listen,” the husband moved closer, trying to speak as convincingly as possible. “This is a way out. The car just sits idle, but at least it will be of some use. We’ll help Vitaly. After all, he’s family!”
“No!” the wife shook her head firmly. “Don’t even ask. I’m not going to part with the car for your brother. It’s my personal property.”
Oleg’s face changed at that moment. Calmness disappeared, giving way to fury and anger. The man started to “rev up.”
“Don’t you understand the situation? A person needs help! My brother! A blood brother! And you’re stuck on some piece of metal?!”
“Some piece of metal?” Natalya’s voice trembled. “It’s my car! My parents saved for it for three years! Remember how mom worked as a tutor in the evenings? How she denied herself everything? And why should I sacrifice my property?”
“Because it’s family! Because nothing is more important than close people!” Oleg was already shouting, his face crimson. “But what do you know! You’ve always been selfish! Only thinking of yourself!”
Tears glistened in the woman’s eyes. In ten years of marriage, her husband had never spoken to her in such a tone. She turned to leave, but her husband’s next words pinned her in place.
“So, here’s the deal,” his speech became very snake-like. “The choice is simple: either you sell the car and we help my brother, or pack your things and get out of the apartment.”
Natalya instinctively pinched herself, trying to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. She slowly turned to her husband, not recognizing the man she had lived with for so many years. Before her stood a complete stranger, ready to trample their marriage for his brother and money.
“Are you serious right now?” the wife barely whispered.
“Absolutely!” Oleg snapped. “Decide. I give you until evening.”
The husband left the kitchen, leaving the woman completely stunned. Natalya sank into a chair, feeling as if something inside her had snapped. It wasn’t resentment or fear. It was the certainty of a woman who had nothing left to lose.
The wife looked out the window at the garage she rented. So many happy moments were connected with the car parked there: trips to the sea, picnics in the forest, shopping with friends…
And now she was being forced to give it up for someone who got into trouble on his own.
Natalya sat in the kitchen for another hour after her husband left. She couldn’t stop thinking about his cruel and unfair ultimatum.
The woman could never have imagined Oleg was capable of such treachery.
“Pack your things and get out!” Did he say that to her? The mother of his children, the woman who had always been by his side. Who cared for his grandmother in the hospital after her stroke. Who gave up her career for his children.
Bitterness gradually gave way to cold rage.
“Well, if he wants to play dirty, she’ll show him how it’s done!”
Since childhood, watching her father work as a lawyer, Natalya had learned one thing: any relationship must be backed up on paper. How many times had her dad told her, “Natashenka, husband or brother, no money without a contract.”
Now she knew exactly what to do. Her father’s lesson hadn’t been in vain.
“Oleg,” the woman called her husband. He reluctantly came out of the room, clearly showing irritation.
“I agree to sell the car,” Natalya said calmly, looking her husband straight in the eyes.
The man’s face brightened.
“Finally, you understand! I didn’t even hope for that!”
“But I have conditions! Actually, several conditions!”
“What conditions?” Oleg frowned, crossing his arms.
“Very simple. I sell the car and give all the money to Vitaly. Every last kopeck. But it will be a loan. For a year. Under an IOU notarized by a notary.”
The man smirked self-satisfied:
“That’s all? Well, fine, let there be an IOU. No problem!”
“I’m not finished. You will be the guarantor. And if Vitaly doesn’t repay the money in a year, your half of the apartment goes to me. I become the sole owner of our home.”
Oleg laughed loudly:
“Are you serious? Some spy games! Go ahead, write whatever you want! Vitaly will pay back, I’m sure. He’s not a crook; he’s my brother!”
“So, agreed?” Natalya looked carefully at her husband. “If yes, we’re going to the notary tomorrow.”
“Of course!” Oleg still couldn’t stop laughing. “Draw up your papers. The main thing is that you agreed to help. I knew you’d understand. Good girl!”
The husband left the kitchen whistling some tune, pleased that everything was resolved. The woman quickly took out her phone and called an old acquaintance, the best notary in town.
“Alla? Hi. I need your help. Yes, urgently. It’s about a loan agreement secured by real estate. It needs to be drafted as precisely as possible, so it can’t be contested.”
Natalya discussed the conditions with her friend and, smiling with satisfaction, thought: “You started this, dear. Now don’t complain.”
She perfectly understood that Vitaly would never repay the money. Couldn’t! The amount was too large, especially given his salary and loans. Which meant that in a year she would become the rightful owner of their three-room apartment in the city center.
“Let’s see how you’ll sing then!” the wife whispered.
Her heart was heavy. She never thought their marriage could come to this. But Oleg had made his choice, putting his brother’s interests above the family’s. Now he shouldn’t be surprised by the consequences.
Exactly one year later, Natalya put the loan agreement in front of her husband. The sun was shining brightly outside. Just like on the day they made the deal at the notary.
“What’s this?” Oleg didn’t even glance at the papers, continuing to watch TV and chew a sandwich.
“A year has passed. Where is the money your brother owes me? The repayment deadline was yesterday.”
“Come on,” the husband waved irritably. “Vitaly will pay when he can. You know, he’s going through hard times now. Why are you acting like a stranger?”
“So, no money?” Natalya clarified, surprised by his carelessness.
“No, of course not! Where would it come from? His youngest child got into hospital; all savings went on treatment. Let’s not talk about it, okay? Look, what an interesting movie.”
Natalya silently gathered the documents and left. Oleg didn’t even notice how her expression changed, how much determination was in her eyes. And a week later, the man was summoned to court.
“What are you doing?!” her husband burst into the house, waving a court summons. “It was a joke! You can’t be serious… We are family!”
“I can,” the wife answered calmly. “And I will. You wanted this yourself and agreed to it!”
The court proceedings were brief. The agreement was flawless; all terms were clearly written, every comma in place. When the judge announced the decision making Natalya the sole owner of the apartment, Oleg turned white as chalk.
“You won’t do this,” the man whispered. “Think of the children…”
But she did. That same day, Natalya filed for divorce and called a locksmith to change the locks. When Oleg came home from work, he found all his things neatly packed on the landing: suits on hangers, shoes in boxes, books in stacks.
“Natasha, open up! Let’s talk!” the husband banged on the door until neighbors gathered.
Natalya opened it and looked firmly at her husband.
“Why?” was all he could say.
“Never threaten a woman,” she said calmly. “All your threats will backfire on you. You told me to get out of the apartment. Now it’s your turn!”
The door slammed loudly. The man stood for a long time looking at his suitcases, trying to comprehend how his life had fallen apart in a few days. Then he silently went downstairs and dialed a phone number.
“Vitaly? It’s me. Can I stay with you for a while?”
A month later, Oleg went north for shift work. He wrote letters to the children, sent gifts, but didn’t return home.
And Natalya began a new life. She renovated the apartment, changed jobs for a more promising one, started smiling more often. The children were worried at first but gradually got used to the new routine. Especially since their father regularly sent money and visited on weekends.
They say revenge is a dish best served cold. Natalya experienced it firsthand. And now she knew for sure that sometimes you have to lose something valuable to gain something more important — for example, self-respect and freedom.
