The Fiancé, the Keys, and the Sister-in-Law: Unexpected Decisions in Love
— Who are you? — a low male voice sounded unexpectedly from the bedroom as Anastasia flung open the door to her apartment.
— That’s more my question, — she replied coolly. — What are you doing in my bedroom?
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A blonde in a silk robe appeared in the doorway, a haughty smile playing on her face.
— Ah, so this is you, Anastasia! Dmitry has told me so much about you, — she drawled. — I’m Katya, your fiancé’s sister.
After a grueling day at work, all Anastasia had wanted was a cup of hot tea and a quiet rest. But a new “relative” had settled into her apartment.
— Dmitry isn’t my fiancé, he’s my boyfriend, — she clarified at once. — And there was no invitation from me for your visit.
A slightly embarrassed young man peered out from behind Katya.
— Sergey and I came for a couple of days to relax, — Katya cut him off. — My brother said we could stay with you.
When she walked into the kitchen, Anastasia saw a mess: dirty dishes, empty wrappers.
— I’m curious, when did Dmitry manage to tell you that? He didn’t say a word this morning.
— Oh, you’re way too tense! — Katya pulled a bottle of wine from the fridge. — He gave me the keys a month ago. I thought you two had talked it over.
— No, there was no such conversation. And why are you in my bedroom instead of the guest room?
Katya shrugged: — The guest room is tiny, and your bed is comfy and spacious. Dmitry doubted you’d agree to sleep on a cot.
An unpleasant memory surfaced for Anastasia — the evening she’d met Dmitry’s family, when his mother and sister had behaved with undisguised superiority.
— Sorry, but this is my apartment, my bedroom, and my bed, — Anastasia said firmly. — Dmitry lives here only with my permission.
— So the rumors are true, — Katya smirked. — Mom said you keep him on a tight leash.
— I’m tired. You can stay in the guest room for the night, but not one step into my bedroom.
— We’ll wait until Dmitry gets back. He’ll explain just how improper you’re being, — the sister-in-law sniffed.
When the boyfriend returned home, his sister pounced on him with reproaches:
— Dimochka, your girlfriend wants to throw us out!
— Nastya, what’s going on? — he stammered.
— Why did you give out a key to my apartment without my consent? — she asked evenly.
— It’s our apartment, Anastasia. Did you forget that I live here too?
— I didn’t forget. You live here because I invited you. But you had no right to hand out keys behind my back.
Out on the balcony, Dmitry started in with complaints:
— What’s with you? She’s my sister. I promised they could stay a couple of days.
— Then why did they take our bedroom?
— The bed there is more comfortable. We can put up with it.
— The problem is you didn’t even ask me.
— Sergey’s not a stranger; he’s Katya’s boyfriend.
— I’m seeing him for the first time. I hardly know your sister either.
— So you decided right away you don’t like my family?
From the apartment they heard Katya’s voice as she complained to their mother over the phone:
— This stuck-up girl is kicking us out! Dima’s about to set her straight!
— Nastya, let’s not make a scene, — Dmitry tried to smooth things over. — It’s just for a week. If we’re going to be together, you’ll have to accept this.
With that, he left the room, abandoning Anastasia. She watched him go over to his sister, whisper something, and laugh cheerfully, as if she didn’t exist at all.
Coming in from the balcony, Anastasia noticed the three of them sprawled on the sofa, not even glancing her way.
Something broke inside her at that moment. Two years of a relationship, mutual understanding, and compromise flashed before her eyes like frames from a film.
— Get out of my apartment, — she said quietly but firmly.
All three stared at her in bewilderment.
— What?! — Dmitry blurted.
— I said — out. All three of you.
— Dima, stop your girlfriend, — Katya threw in, mocking.
Meanwhile Anastasia headed to the bedroom, grabbed Katya’s suitcase, and dragged it to the door, tossing out clothes, cosmetics, and shoes along the way.
— What are you doing?! — the sister-in-law shrieked.
Anastasia flung the door open and hurled the suitcase onto the landing.
— You’ve lost your mind! — Dmitry cried. — Stop this right now!
— You’re the one who’s lost your mind if you think your sister has the right to be rude in my home. Now it’s your turn to leave, — Anastasia shot back.
— Nastya, let’s talk, — he began pleadingly.
— There’s nothing to discuss. You made all the decisions without me.
Grabbing his things — shirts, jeans, a watch — she tossed them out onto the landing.
— You’re a psychopath! — Katya yelled, gathering the scattered items.
— You can’t just throw me out, — Dmitry muttered, stunned. — We were going to live together.
— Thank God we weren’t. I deserve a real man, not a doormat. You can stay with your sister, — she said, slamming the door on them.
Half an hour later, when the shouting had died down, Anastasia ordered dinner from her favorite café. Opening the door to the courier, she saw Dmitry and Katya watching her intently from the stairs. Calmly taking the bags, she closed the door without looking at them.
Setting her favorite dishes on the table, she put on a movie. With the first sip of wine, Anastasia felt not pain, but relief.
How astonishing — to lose a relationship and find yourself in a single day, she thought.
Smiling at her reflection in the window, she raised her glass:
— To myself.
“In love, the main thing is respect. Without it, even the hottest passion is nothing more than a fleeting infatuation.” — Honoré de Balzac.
Thus, this story shows how important mutual respect and consent are in a relationship. Relationships built on trust and understanding grow stronger, whereas the absence of these elements inevitably leads to conflict and breakup.
