Do you even realize how I feel when I come home and see that everything’s been rearranged?” Polina stood in the middle of the living room, looking at her husband. Tension rang in her voice. “I’m the one paying the mortgage, and for some reason your mother has decided that she has a share in this apartment.”
Pavel sighed and ran a hand through his hair. This conversation had already come up more than once over the past few weeks.
“Polina, she just wanted to help. She thought it would feel cozier this way.”
“Without saying a single word to me?” Polina folded her arms across her chest. “Pasha, that’s not help, that’s… that’s an intrusion!”
It all started two months earlier. Olesya Mikhaylovna, Pavel’s mother, lost her job. The company where she had worked as an accountant for over ten years suddenly shut down. And instead of going to her elder daughter Margarita, Olesya Mikhaylovna asked to stay with them. Temporarily, of course. Literally for a couple of weeks, until she found a new job.
Polina had agreed without hesitation at the time. After all, the apartment, though small, was big enough for three. Besides, Olesya Mikhaylovna had always been friendly with her. Up until that point.
“Darling, I understand you’re tired,” Pavel stepped closer and tried to hug his wife, but she pulled away. “Mom will find a job soon and move out. Just be patient a little longer.”
“Two weeks turned into two months, Pasha. And she’s not even looking for a job! Instead, she’s acting like she’s in charge of my apartment.”
“Our apartment,” Pavel corrected gently.
Polina took a deep breath, holding back her irritation.
“Legally, it’s mine. The mortgage was done in my name because your salary wasn’t enough to get the loan approved. And every month I give the bank almost half of my income. I don’t mind us living here together, but your mother…”
The front door opened and in walked Olesya Mikhaylovna with bags of groceries.
“Oh, kids, you’re already home! I just decided to stop by the store and pick up food for dinner,” she smiled, as if she didn’t notice the tense atmosphere.
Polina forced a strained smile in return.
“Thank you, Olesya Mikhaylovna, but I already ordered delivery. I had a tough day.”
“Oh, come on, dear! What delivery!” Olesya Mikhaylovna headed straight to the kitchen and began unpacking the bags. “I’ll make my signature salad; Pavlik’s loved it since childhood.”
Polina cast a helpless look at her husband, but he only shrugged and said quietly:
“Let’s not argue today, okay?”
The next morning Polina woke to the sound of voices in the living room. Women’s voices, laughter. The clock showed 7:30 — too early for guests.
She quickly got dressed, went out of the bedroom, and froze on the threshold of the living room. At the coffee table sat Olesya Mikhaylovna and two unfamiliar women about her age.
“Oh, here’s Polinochka awake!” the mother-in-law exclaimed cheerfully. “Come meet my friends, this is Valentina Petrovna and Irina Stepanovna, my colleagues from my old job.”
The women studied Polina with curiosity, while she felt uncomfortable standing there in her home clothes in front of strangers.
“Good morning,” she said with a forced smile. “Sorry, I didn’t know we had guests.”
“They just dropped by for a minute,” Olesya Mikhaylovna waved a hand. “We haven’t seen each other in so long!”
“What a cozy little apartment you have,” one of the women remarked. “Olesya did such a good job arranging everything.”
Polina froze.
“Yes, I always said Olechka has excellent taste,” the second guest chimed in. “She told us how she helped you set everything up.”
Polina turned her eyes to her mother-in-law.
“Helped set everything up?”
“Well, I suggested a few things, gave advice,” Olesya Mikhaylovna brushed it off lightly, but something wary flickered in her eyes.
“Oh, don’t be so modest, Olesya!” one of the friends exclaimed. “You said that without your help the kids wouldn’t have managed at all.”
Something inside Polina snapped. She was about to answer, but at that moment a sleepy Pavel came out of the bedroom.
“Good morning, Mom,” he kissed his mother on the cheek, then nodded to her friends. “Hello.”
“Pash, we need to talk,” Polina said quietly. “Now.”
They stepped out onto the small balcony and shut the door firmly behind them.
“Your mother is telling her friends that she helped us buy the apartment,” Polina tried to keep her voice down, but emotion spilled over. “They think she arranged everything here.”
Pavel frowned.
“Well, maybe she just embellished things a bit to feel more important in front of her friends. What difference does it make?”
“The difference is that it’s a lie!” Polina raised her voice, then stopped herself and continued in a whisper. “I spent six years saving up for the down payment. I went from bank to bank to get my loan approved. I make that mortgage payment every single month. And your mother is taking all the credit.”
“You’re exaggerating. Mom just…”
“No, Pasha, I’m not exaggerating. Tell me honestly, what else has she told her friends? That she invested money in the purchase? That she has a share in this place?”
From his face she understood she had hit the mark.
“Pash, this can’t go on. You need to talk to her.”
Pavel was silent for a long time, staring past Polina at something in the distance.
“Fine, I’ll talk to her,” he said at last. “Just not now, not in front of her friends. And… please, don’t turn this into a tragedy.”
At work, Polina was in for a surprise. The director called her in and offered her a promotion — to head a new department for clients from other regions. That meant a thirty percent raise, but also frequent business trips.
“We need your answer within a week, Polina Andreyevna,” the director said. “Think it over. You’re the best candidate for this position.”
Under normal circumstances, Polina wouldn’t have hesitated. She had always aimed for career growth. But now, the thought of leaving the apartment in the hands of Pavel and his mother made her uneasy.
That evening she decided to discuss it with her husband. But when she came home, she found that once again, Olesya Mikhaylovna wasn’t alone. This time her elder daughter Margarita and her husband were visiting.
“Oh, here’s our Polinochka!” Olesya Mikhaylovna exclaimed. “Come in, we’re just about to have dinner.”
Polina noticed that the table was set in the living room, not in the kitchen where they usually ate. Their small dining table was covered with an unfamiliar tablecloth, and the dishes were arranged differently from how she and Pavel did it.
“Hi, everyone,” Polina nodded to the guests. “Pash, can I talk to you for a minute?”
They stepped into the hallway.
“Why didn’t you tell me we were having guests?” Polina asked.
“I found out myself only an hour ago,” Pavel replied. “Mom called Margarita and they decided to stop by.”
“Here? To our apartment? Without checking with us?”
“Polin, it’s my sister, not strangers.”
“That’s not the point, Pash. The point is your mother treats our home as if it were her own. She invites guests, rearranges things, tells everyone she helped buy the place…”
“I told you I’d talk to her,” Pavel cut in. “Just not today, okay? Margarita and Sergey don’t come here that often.”
Polina gave in. In the end, one evening wouldn’t change the world.
Over dinner the conversation turned to Margarita’s job. She worked for a travel agency and often went on business trips.
“Just imagine, this month I’ve already been to St. Petersburg three times,” she was saying. “I spend more time in hotels than at home.”
“That must be hard,” Polina sympathized, thinking of her boss’s offer.
“Yes, but what can you do? That’s the job. Sergey’s already used to living alone half the month.”
“They offered me a promotion too,” Polina said, surprising even herself. “Also with business trips.”
“Really?” Pavel looked at her in surprise. “You didn’t say anything.”
“I only found out today.”
“And will you have to travel a lot?” asked Olesya Mikhaylovna.
“About a week every month.”
“Oh dear, what will happen to Pavlik? He’ll be lost without you!” the mother-in-law cried. “Men are so helpless in everyday life.”
“Well, as long as you’re living with us, he’ll have someone to help him,” Polina remarked, watching her mother-in-law closely.
“Of course, of course! I’m always happy to help my boy.”
Polina noticed Margarita and her husband exchange a look.
“Mom, you still haven’t found a job?” Margarita asked.
“I’m looking, slowly, my dear, I’m looking. But right now the kids need my help. Just look how tired Polinochka is from work. If it weren’t for me, they’d be living on convenience foods.”
Polina almost choked. She was no worse a cook than her mother-in-law; it was just that lately, because of the tension at home, she preferred staying late at the office.
“By the way, Polina,” continued Olesya Mikhaylovna, “I met the neighbor from the first floor. She said there are problems with the pipes in the basement again. You should call the building management.”
“Why me?” Polina was surprised.
“Well, the apartment is in your name,” the mother-in-law said innocently. “Although of course we all helped with the purchase, each in our own way.”
There it was. Polina caught Pavel’s eye, but he quickly looked away.
“Helped?” Margarita repeated. “Mom, you never said you contributed to their apartment.”
“How can you say that,” Olesya made a vague gesture with her hand. “I mean, I helped with advice, support… Without me they wouldn’t have dared take such a step.”
Polina felt anger rising inside her. This was an outright lie, but exposing her mother-in-law in front of everyone seemed wrong.
After dinner, when Margarita and her husband had left, Polina decided it was time to stop postponing the conversation.
“Olesya Mikhaylovna,” she began when the three of them were left alone in the living room, “I feel like there’s some misunderstanding between us.”
“What are you talking about, dear?” the mother-in-law looked genuinely surprised.
“About the apartment. You tell people you helped us buy it, even though that’s not true.”
“I never said that to anyone!” Olesya protested. “I only mentioned that I supported you morally.”
“Mom,” Pavel stepped in, “your friends this morning said clearly that you told them about financial help.”
Olesya flushed.
“They misunderstood! I said I would have helped if I could. You know my financial situation.”
“It’s not just that,” Polina went on. “You invite guests without asking us, you rearrange our things…”
“I just wanted to make it cozy!” Olesya cut her off. “Is it so bad that I care about you?”
“Caring means asking permission first,” Polina said firmly. “It means respecting other people’s space.”
“Other people’s?” Olesya raised her voice. “You think I’m a stranger here? In my son’s apartment?”
“Mom, that’s not what Polina meant,” Pavel tried to intervene.
“No, that’s exactly what she meant!” Olesya stood up, dramatically pressing a hand to her chest. “She’s always thought of me as a stranger. I’m just a guest who overstayed her welcome! And I do nothing but help you!”
“Olesya Mikhaylovna,” Polina tried to speak calmly, “when you moved in, we agreed on two weeks. It’s been two months. You’re not even looking for work.”
“How am I not? I look at listings every day! But at my age, it’s not easy to find something.”
“I understand, but…”
“No, you don’t understand!” Olesya turned to her son. “Pavlik, tell her! Tell her I have a right to be in your apartment! In your family!”
Pavel looked confused.
“Of course, Mom. No one is saying you have to leave right this minute. We just… maybe we should discuss some ground rules?”
“Rules? In a family?” Olesya gave a bitter laugh. “I see she’s turned you against me. Fine, I won’t get in the way. I’m going to my room.”
She went to the guest room, slamming the door behind her.
Polina and Pavel were left alone in the living room.
“What was that?” Polina asked quietly.
“She’s just upset,” Pavel sighed. “Losing her job, not knowing what the future holds…”
“Pash, she’s manipulating you. Don’t you see that?”
“Don’t talk about my mother like that,” Pavel frowned. “She went through a lot after the divorce from my father. It’s not easy for her.”
“And it’s easy for me? Every day I come home and have no idea what’s waiting for me. Which guests, which rearrangements, what new stories she told the neighbors about ‘our family’ apartment.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
“No, Pash. You’re the one who doesn’t want to see reality. Your mother has no intention of moving out. And no intention of respecting our… my boundaries.”
The next few days passed in tense silence. Olesya spoke to Polina only when necessary, but she was especially tender and caring with Pavel.
On Wednesday the director called Polina:
“Polina Andreyevna, we need your answer about the new position. There’s another candidate, but we’d prefer to have you.”
Polina hesitated only for a moment.
“I accept, Viktor Sergeyevich. When do I start?”
“On Monday. And you’ll need to get ready for a business trip to Novosibirsk right away. For two weeks.”
Two weeks. Polina pictured what could happen in the apartment in that time and shuddered inwardly. But it was too late to back out.
That evening she told Pavel and Olesya the news.
“Two weeks?” Pavel looked worried. “That’s quite a long time.”
“Don’t worry, son,” Olesya chimed in immediately. “I’ll take care of you. We’ll manage.”
Polina caught a note of triumph in her voice.
“I’m sure you will,” she answered dryly. “I just ask that you don’t invite guests while I’m away.”
“While you’re away,” Olesya repeated, putting emphasis on “you.” “Of course, dear. Everything will be just the way you want.”
Polina didn’t believe a word of it, but she had no choice. Work was work, and the promotion was too important for her career.
The business trip began on Monday. Polina called Pavel every evening, but he answered briefly: “Everything’s fine,” “All good,” “Don’t worry, we’re managing.”
On the tenth day, during another call, Polina heard an unfamiliar female voice in the background.
“Pash, do you have company?”
“No, it’s…” he hesitated. “It’s Kristina, Mom’s niece. She came to apply to the university and is staying with us for a couple of days.”
Polina froze.
“Niece? In our apartment? Pash, we agreed — no guests!”
“Polin, she’s family. We couldn’t just say no. She’s only staying a few days, then she’ll move to the dorm.”
“And when were you going to tell me about this?”
“I… didn’t want to stress you out. You already have enough on your plate.”
Polina felt anger boiling up inside:
“Pash, that’s the last straw. I’m coming back tomorrow.”
“But your business trip isn’t over until Monday.”
“I’ll wrap things up early. Expect me tomorrow evening.”
Polina didn’t listen to his objections and hung up. She really could finish earlier — only a few formalities remained that she could take care of remotely.
When the next day Polina opened the door to her apartment, she didn’t immediately recognize the place. There were strangers’ things in the hallway, and from the living room came voices and laughter.
She walked further in and stopped in the doorway of the living room. At the table sat Olesya, a young girl of about eighteen, and an elderly woman Polina had never seen before.
“Polina?” Olesya looked surprised. “You were supposed to come back on Monday!”
“I finished work early,” Polina swept her eyes over the room. The furniture had been rearranged, unfamiliar paintings hung on the walls, and her work corner was gone. “What’s going on here? And who are all these people?”
“This is Kristina, my niece,” Olesya pointed to the girl. “And this is Nina Fyodorovna, an old friend of mine. She came to stay for a week.”
“To stay?” Polina glanced at the large suitcase in the corner. “At our place?”
“Yes, at our place,” Olesya stressed the word “our.” “What’s the problem? There’s enough space.”
“Enough space?” Polina could not believe what she was hearing. “In a two-room apartment? Where is your friend sleeping?”
“In the living room, on the couch. And Kristina’s in my room. We’re all comfortable.”
“And who did you discuss this with? With me? With Pavel?”
“Pavlik didn’t mind,” Olesya shrugged. “And you were on a business trip.”
“Where is Pavel?” Polina looked around.
“He’s at work. He has extra classes at school today.”
Polina took a deep breath, trying to calm down.
“Olesya Mikhaylovna, we need to have a serious talk.”
“Of course, dear. Just not right now, we’re having lunch. Join us?”
“No,” Polina said sharply. “I’ll wait for Pavel in the bedroom.”
She turned and went to the bedroom, the only place she hoped had been left untouched.
But there, too, a surprise awaited her. Clothes were spread out on the bed — clearly not hers or Pavel’s. Women’s clothing, a makeup bag…
“What is this?” Polina came back to the living room holding a strange sweater in her hands.
“Oh, those are Kristina’s things,” Olesya replied casually. “We were sorting them. We’ll put them away in a minute.”
“You were sorting things in my bedroom?”
“Well yes, there’s more space there. What’s the big deal?”
Polina felt she was losing control.
“Olesya Mikhaylovna, this crosses every line! You’ve moved strangers into my apartment. You’re making yourself at home in my bedroom. You’ve rearranged the entire apartment. What’s next?”
“Dear, you’re overreacting,” Olesya shook her head. “My son lives in this apartment, which means it’s mine too. I have the right to invite whoever I want.”
“What?” Polina couldn’t believe her ears. “Repeat what you just said?”
“I said that my son has a share in this apartment, which means I do too!” Olesya said firmly. “And I won’t let you tell me what I can and cannot do!”
At that moment the front door opened and Pavel walked in.
“Polina?” he froze on the threshold. “You’re home already?”
“Yes, I’m home,” Polina turned to her husband. “And do you know what I found? Your mother has turned our apartment into a hotel. And she claims she has a share in it!”
Pavel looked helplessly from his wife to his mother.
“Mom, what is she talking about?”
“Oh, Pavlik, your wife is exaggerating again,” Olesya threw up her hands. “I just invited Kristina and Nina Fyodorovna to stay. What’s the big deal? We’re all one family!”
“No, we’re not!” Polina was on the edge. “And you have no share in this apartment whatsoever!”
“How can I not?” Olesya flared up. “Pavlik lives here, so part of the apartment is his!”
“Legally, no,” Polina cut her off. “The apartment is in my name only. I’m the one paying the mortgage. And I will not let you treat my property as your own!”
“Polina, calm down,” Pavel tried to hug her, but she pulled away.
“No, Pash, I won’t calm down. This has gone way too far. Your mother has to move out. Right now.”
A heavy silence fell over the room.
“I see,” Olesya said at last. “So you’re throwing the mother of your husband out into the street? Maybe you should kick Pavlik out too while you’re at it, since the apartment is only yours?”
“Mom, stop,” Pavel looked exhausted. “No one is throwing anyone out. Let’s all calm down and talk this through.”
“There’s nothing to talk about!” Olesya stood up. “I can see I’m not wanted here. Come on, Kristina, let’s pack. You too, Nina Fyodorovna. We’re not welcome here!”
Kristina looked confusedly from her aunt to Polina.
“Maybe I should just move into the dorm?” she said hesitantly. “They promised me a room next week, but I can ask to be moved sooner…”
“No!” Olesya grabbed her niece by the hand. “We’re going to Margarita’s. She’ll take us in for sure, unlike some people!”
Pavel looked helplessly from his mother to his wife.
“Mom, let’s not act rashly. Nobody’s saying you have to leave this second.”
“I am,” Polina said firmly. “Pavel, your mother has lived with us for two months instead of two weeks. She hasn’t looked for work. She’s been running my apartment like it’s hers. She invited strangers without our permission. And now she claims she has a share in a place where I alone pay the mortgage!”
“Polina, I understand that you’re upset, but…”
“No, Pash, you don’t understand!” Polina no longer held back her emotions. “I work from morning till night. I just got a promotion that I earned with years of hard work. I’m paying off the loan for our apartment. And I have the right to come home and feel comfortable there, not like a guest in a hotel that’s been taken over by strangers!”
Olesya ostentatiously began gathering things from the table.
“Everything is clear. We’re leaving. Let’s go, Nina Fyodorovna, Kristina. We’re not wanted here! Pavlik, call me when your wife cools down.”
“Mom, wait,” Pavel tried to stop her. “Let’s talk this out calmly.”
“There’s nothing to discuss! She’s kicking me out!” Olesya shook her head indignantly. “All I ever wanted was to help. To create a cozy home. And she… she…” The mother-in-law gave a theatrical sob. “That’s how you find out who your real friend is and who’s just a stranger!”
Polina watched this performance in silence. Everything had become crystal clear — Olesya would never admit she was wrong and would use any opportunity to paint her daughter-in-law as the villain.
“I’m going to pack my things,” she said to her husband. “Let me know when your mother and her guests are gone.”
“What?” Pavel looked at her in surprise. “Where are you going?”
“To Lena’s,” Polina meant her best friend. “I need time to think things through. And you do too.”
She went to the bedroom, gathered the essentials, and, ignoring Olesya’s lamentations, walked out of the apartment.
The following week was the hardest in their relationship. Polina stayed at her friend’s place, Pavel called every day, but their conversations were short and tense.
On the third day he told her that Olesya had moved in with Margarita, taking Kristina and her friend with her.
“I want you to come back,” he said. “I miss you.”
“And I miss respect, Pasha,” Polina replied. “Your mother crossed every line, and you let it happen.”
“I know. I talked to her. I explained that she was wrong.”
“And what did she say?”
Pavel hesitated.
“She… doesn’t exactly agree. But she promised not to do it again.”
Polina gave a bitter laugh.
“So she doesn’t admit that she did anything wrong, but promises not to repeat behavior she doesn’t see as bad? Sorry, but I don’t buy that.”
“Polin, let’s give her a chance. She’s still my mother.”
“That’s not the point, Pash. The point is she doesn’t respect me or my rights. And, apparently, neither do you.”
“That’s not fair! I’m always on your side!”
“Really? Because it looks to me like you’re constantly searching for a compromise where there shouldn’t be one. This is my apartment, Pash. I’m paying for it. And I have the right to decide who lives in it.”
“So we’re back to that?” Pavel’s voice turned cold. “‘My apartment’. Maybe I should move out too then?”
Polina sighed.
“That’s not what I mean and you know it. I’ve always believed that we’re building our home together. But your mother decided she could run it however she liked, and you let her.”
After that conversation there was silence for several days. Polina threw herself into work, trying not to think about the problems at home.
On the fifth day, Margarita called.
“Polina, can we meet? We need to talk.”
They met at a café near Polina’s office.
“I wanted to apologize,” Margarita began, which surprised Polina. “I didn’t know Mom was acting like that in your apartment.”
“What do you mean?”
“Inviting people over without asking you, rearranging your things, telling everyone she helped buy the apartment… Now that she’s living with me, I see how she tries to rearrange everything my way.”
Polina looked at her carefully.
“And how do you respond?”
“I shut it down right away,” Margarita smirked. “I told her it’s my home and my rules. She got offended, of course, but she backed down. As for Kristina — she moved into the dorm like she planned.”
“And Nina Fyodorovna?”
“She went home. She was actually shocked by the situation. Said Mom invited her over saying everything was agreed with you.”
They were silent for a while.
“You know,” Margarita went on, “I think I understand what’s going on. Mom has always been the boss in the family. Dad always gave in. When he left, she shifted that way of dealing with people onto me and Pavel. I got married early and moved out, but Pavel stayed with her. He’s used to obeying, to pleasing.”
“I noticed,” Polina said dryly.
“Don’t judge him too harshly. It’s hard for him to oppose Mom. But I can see how miserable he is without you. He calls me every day and asks for advice.”
“And what do you advise? To take my side?” Polina asked with a hint of irony.
“No,” Margarita replied seriously. “I tell him to take his own. Not Mom’s, not yours — his. To finally become an adult and independent.”
After that conversation Polina thought a lot. About Pavel, about their relationship, about what had happened. She understood she couldn’t blame him for not wanting to fight with his mother. But she wasn’t going to blame herself either — she had every right to defend her boundaries.
On the seventh day Pavel came to her office with a bouquet of flowers.
“We need to talk. But not here. At home.”
Polina hesitated.
“Is your mother there?”
“No. And she won’t be until you say so. This is your home, Polina. Our home. And I want you to feel happy there.”
There was such sincerity in his eyes that Polina agreed.
At home a table was set — Pavel had clearly prepared for this conversation.
“I’ve been thinking a lot this week,” he began when they sat down. “And I realized I was wrong. I should’ve stood up for you instead of bouncing between you and Mom.”
“I’m not asking you to choose between us,” Polina said quietly. “I just want your mother to respect me and my boundaries.”
“I know. And I talked to her. Really talked — probably for the first time in my life. I explained that her behavior was unacceptable. That she has no right to manage our apartment and tell everyone she helped buy it.”
“How did she react?”
“As usual — she got offended, told me I was an ungrateful son, that I chose my wife over my mother…” Pavel smiled sadly. “But then, when she realized I wouldn’t back down, she became more… compliant. She admitted she went too far.”
“Did she apologize?”
“Not exactly. She said she ‘might have been a bit too zealous in trying to help’. For her, that’s almost a confession of guilt.”
Polina nodded. She hadn’t expected a real apology from Olesya.
“So what now?”
“She’s living with Margarita. And, surprisingly, she found a job — she’ll do bookkeeping for a small firm near their house. She starts next week.”
“That’s good,” Polina said sincerely. “I’m glad for her.”
“I want you to know,” Pavel took her hand, “that I’m on your side. Always. And I promise I’ll never put you in that position again.”
Polina looked at her husband for a long moment, then squeezed his hand.
“I believe you. And I’ll come back. But on one condition — we have to clearly set the rules for your mother if she wants to visit us.”
“Of course,” Pavel agreed at once. “What rules?”
“No unannounced visits. No rearranging the apartment. No guests without our consent. And most importantly — no more talk about her having a share in our apartment.”
“I agree with all of that. I’ll tell her these rules. And I’ll make sure she follows them.”
A month later, Polina and Pavel hosted a family dinner. They invited Polina’s parents, Margarita and her husband, and of course, Olesya.
The atmosphere was tense, but everyone tried to be polite. Olesya was unusually quiet, only occasionally commenting on her new job.
After dinner, when everyone had moved to the living room, Olesya suddenly turned to Polina.
“I’d like to say something,” she looked unusually serious. “I didn’t behave very well when I was living with you. It was hard for me to accept that my son is already an adult, independent man with his own family. That he has a wife who has the right to set her own rules in the house.”
Polina looked at her in surprise — she hadn’t expected such an admission.
“Margarita and I talked a lot,” Olesya went on. “She explained that I was crossing boundaries. That I can’t act like the boss in someone else’s home.”
She paused.
“I won’t ask for forgiveness, because I really did want the best. But I admit that I was wrong. And I’d like us to be able to communicate normally. For Pavlik’s sake.”
It wasn’t a full-fledged apology, but for Olesya, such words were a huge step.
“I want that too,” Polina replied. “For Pavel’s sake and for ours. We don’t have to be best friends, but we can respect each other.”
Olesya nodded.
“Agreed. And… I won’t say anymore that I have a share in your apartment. I understand now that’s not true.”
Polina glanced briefly at Margarita — she discreetly winked. Clearly, she had done a lot of work with their mother.
“Thank you,” Polina said sincerely. “That means a lot to me.”
The evening went on in a more relaxed atmosphere. There was no real reconciliation between Polina and her mother-in-law — the hurt on both sides was still too deep. But they had reached a truce based on mutual respect.
When the guests had left, Pavel hugged Polina.
“Thank you. I know how hard this was for you.”
“It was hard for both of us,” she answered. “But we made it. Together.”
“Do you think Mom really changed?”
Polina thought for a moment.
“I’m not sure she changed. But she’s learned the rules of the game. And that already means a lot.”
They stood by the window, looking out at the night city. Their apartment had once again become their fortress, their shared space where each of them felt safe.
“I love you,” Pavel said softly. “And I promise I will never again put anyone’s interests above yours. Not even Mom’s.”
Polina leaned into him.
“And I promise I’ll always remember that even though the apartment is in my name, this is our home. But only ours — yours and mine.”
She knew that her relationship with her mother-in-law would never be perfect. Olesya would always try to push her boundaries, always strive to be the main person in her son’s life. But now they had clear rules. And most importantly, Pavel had finally found the strength to stand up for their family, their home, their future.
And that meant they could handle any difficulties that lay ahead.
