I sat, my head pressed into my shoulders, listening to torrents of abuse hurled at me from both sides. Valentina Alexandrovna, the mother of my future fiancé, spared no harsh words as she accused me of all the sins imaginable. What hurt the most was that Slava, my dear fiancé, didn’t even try to stop her. He just sat there and nodded like a bobblehead.
From the first year of university, everyone called Slava and me ‘the groom and bride.’ We had known each other since school, from the moment my parents and I moved to this neighborhood. I remember how the jokes about my huge glasses started immediately, but then Slava, the strongest boy in the class, announced to everyone: — Whoever touches the new girl will have to deal with me! No one dared after that. Slava walked me home, and a strong friendship began, which eventually turned into love. Slava protected me, and I helped him with his studies, creating a solid symbiosis.
My parents liked Slava a lot—he was an athlete, a charmer, loved animals. The only problem was that he wasn’t a great student, but as I mentioned, he didn’t have time because of his active engagement in sports—skiing. He defended the school’s honor at various competitions, while I participated in nearly all the academic Olympiads, from Russian language to physics and history. Slava often joked, calling us ‘Olympians.’ — Each to their own front! — he laughed. — One in the realm of sports, the other a beauty and a brain. It’s just a pity that the ‘beauty and brain’ didn’t immediately win over Slava’s mother, Valentina Alexandrovna. I remember our first meeting vividly. — Slava, tell me honestly, do you really like this ‘blue stocking’? — I heard her loud whisper when I first came to visit. I was asked to sit in the living room while Valentina set the table in the kitchen. — Of course, mom, Zhenya is an incredible girl, — Slava whispered back just as loudly. — Please, don’t mind her glasses. They even add a certain charm to her look. — Of course, it’s your life, — Valentina replied. — But I wouldn’t rush with your choice. There are so many beauties around, but no. My son noticed this pedantic girl… During this time, Nikolai Ivanovich, Slava’s father, entered the apartment. Valentina directed her energy at her husband: — Kolya, I asked you to buy a ‘Prague’ cake, and what did you bring? Even from the room, it was clear that Valentina kept both men under her thumb. — Valyusha, the saleswoman recommended it, said it was very fresh, — Nikolai Ivanovich muttered. — There was no ‘Prague’ at all… Listening to all these conversations, I realized that our family was simply ideal compared to Slava’s. Do I even need to say that from that very meeting, I tried to avoid Valentina, this domineering woman, as much as possible? Slava, as best he could, defended his mother: — You see, Zhenya, my mom has such a position. She works as a housekeeper at a sanatorium, but she calls herself ‘the deputy of the chief doctor for utilities.’ She has big ambitions, but overall, she’s a very good person, don’t doubt it. I didn’t doubt it, but still, I kept my distance from Slava’s mother. It’s safe to say that Slava graduated with good grades thanks to me. I literally dragged him through school by the ears. When it came time to apply for university, there was no question—only the economics faculty. Of course, I got in on my own, while my guy was helped by some of Valentina Alexandrovna’s connections. As much as I could, I helped him with his studies, and it was a nice bonus that Slava, like in school, defended the university’s honor in sports. In any case, our future professions opened up great prospects for us in life. By the end of the fourth year, the question of our wedding with Slava became more pressing. Our parents even met several times to discuss all the details, as it was obvious that Slava and I were simply made for each other. Our diplomas were entirely my merit. Slava’s sports victories were credited, while I received an excellent diploma thanks to my knowledge. Valentina then pulled all her connections, found a position for Slava as a marketer at one of the large firms. I was destined to be an economist at a construction company. Just at this moment, our family suffered a severe loss—my dear grandmother Polina Zakharovna passed away. My grandmother and I were very close, and she bequeathed her two-room ‘Khrushchev’ apartment on the outskirts of the city to me. I didn’t yet know what to do with this apartment. In any case, an apartment has never harmed anyone. Our parents unanimously agreed that we could live there after the wedding, as it was only a matter of time before it happened. Right after receiving our diplomas, Slava invited me to one of the sanatoriums on the shore of the picturesque Crystal Lake. It was there that he made me a beautiful and touching proposal, like something out of a Hollywood movie. We sat on an open terrace of a summer cafe, on a warm evening. — Zhenya, how many years have we known each other? — Slava suddenly asked me.
— You know I’ve always been bad at math. I tensed up, trying to calculate, when out of nowhere enchanting violin music reached me. Another string instrument joined in, then a saxophone, and against the backdrop of the lake’s calm and a cozy gazebo, the music sounded simply magical. — Did you invite musicians? — I was astonished. — Darling, this is so romantic…
— This is just the least of what I can do for you, Zhenya, — Slava smiled broadly. — But the music isn’t all. Like a magician, Slava mysteriously produced a beautiful case, opened it. On the blue velvet lay a ring of rare beauty.
— Of course, this masterpiece is beyond my means,
— Slava smiled sheepishly. — This is our family ring, passed from groom to bride. It has some amazing history, I can’t quite remember now, I won’t lie. Zhenya! Be my wife! Slava gallantly got down on one knee and put the ring on my finger. Applause erupted from nowhere. Later it turned out that the whole cafe decided to congratulate us on this significant event. Of course, I couldn’t resist and said ‘yes.’ Upon returning to the city, Slava and I began seriously thinking about the wedding. Of course, our parents got involved in the process. My mom and dad suggested several restaurant options. They run a business and have many friends in this industry. The proposals were simply wonderful, it remained only for Slava’s parents to approve our choice. But, as it turned out, my fiancé’s parents had completely different thoughts, which soon became clear. One day, Slava called me and said that his parents wanted to meet with me in one of the cafes. — Remember the ‘Star’ cafe? — Slava asked me. — Mom and dad want to meet tomorrow with you at seven in the evening. There’s important information, it concerns our wedding, baby. — Why didn’t they invite my parents? — I was shocked. — I think all wedding issues are resolved jointly, collegially, so to speak. Slava started to answer evasively, and I didn’t quite understand what he wanted to tell me. Well, if Valentina Alexandrovna and Nikolai Ivanovich want to see me alone, so be it. I replied that I would definitely be at the meeting. When I approached the ‘Star’ cafe the next day, the groom’s family was already sitting there in full. Such punctuality pleased and alarmed me at the same time. Honestly, I had a feeling of some kind of catch in my heart. Valentina always had a bias against me, and here she sits content, with a benevolent smile on her face. Obviously, they concocted something. It remained to find out exactly what. — Zhenya, hello! — Slava hugged me. — We didn’t know you’d be here, we ordered salad and roast, you don’t mind? — Not at all, — I replied, sitting down. — What’s the urgency, to call such an emergency meeting? Did something happen? Slava and his parents had such a festive look, as if they won a huge cash prize in a lottery. Valentina and Nikolai exchanged significant glances, and Slava said: — Zhenya, this is a very important matter, practically worth a million dollars! — Slavik, stop speaking in riddles, — I couldn’t take it anymore. — Don’t keep me in suspense, please, what’s the matter? — Dear, my mom bought us an apartment, registered it in my name. You’ll be paying the mortgage — My fiancé declared to me For a moment, it seemed like the floor would fall into an abyss. What a twist… I expected anything but this statement, honestly. — What an interesting way to start our family life, — I stretched out. — And why did you decide that I would get into this mess and pay off the mortgage? What, is ‘simpleton’ written on my forehead? Slava, I thought you had a better opinion of me… And then Valentina Alexandrovna took the floor. It would have been better if she hadn’t, of course. I always knew she wasn’t a diplomat, but here the potential mother-in-law outdid herself: — And how did you want it? You think my Slava found himself in a dumpster to marry someone like you? Okay, I agree, you’ve been together almost since the first grade, but Zhenya, look at things objectively. You’re smart, no doubt, but that’s your only plus. Well, thanks for the kind word, Valentina Alexandrovna… Meanwhile, she continued to heat up more and more: — You know, Zhenya, I worry about what kind of grandchildren I will have. My Slava is as good as Apollo, and you’re the most ordinary girl, there are millions of them. You should pray that my son chose you. So, your contribution to the matter of your common apartment is a drop in the ocean. I calmly responded: — And why didn’t you allocate a share to me? That would have been fair. Essentially, I will be paying for an apartment that I don’t own. Do you think that’s normal? To me, it’s not. It turns out that you married him off without me. Personally, this is unacceptable to me, and for any normal person too, I’m sorry. And then Valentina completely forgot all the rules of decency. She began to tell me how I should act. It turns out, it wouldn’t be bad to sell my premarital property to quickly pay off the mortgage, then the issue would be resolved more quickly. No one mentioned my rights to the apartment at all. I began to understand that I was simply seen as some kind of cash bag. Suddenly, Nikolai Ivanovich piped up, said he would leave us for some time, and disappeared into the depths of the men’s room. Apparently, he found this issue very unpleasant, just like me. I suddenly decided that it was also time for me to take my leave. But before I left, I took off the ring that Slava had given me earlier: — I think this belongs to you, Vyacheslav. For the first time in a long time, I called my fiancé by his full name. I walked home, not feeling my legs beneath me. I had a strong feeling that they wanted to cheat me, fleece me, as if I were a sucker. But if we’re talking about love, is there a place for such conversations? Valentina somehow called me a mercenary person, but I still don’t understand where my greed is… When I got home, I told my parents everything. You should have seen their faces, which stretched out. A message from Slava came around ten o’clock in the evening. I thought he would apologize for his cowardice, for his mother’s behavior. No, that didn’t happen. Here’s what my fiancé wrote to me: — ‘You behaved very indecently. My mom and I are doing our best to set up our future life, and you’re being greedy, Zhenya. Does a loving person act like that?’ — ‘And does a loving person drive their partner into a mess?’ — I sent a reply message. — ‘Honestly, Slava, I imagined love differently, believe it or not.’ Right after that SMS, a phone call rang, Slava probably wanted to say something to me personally, but I didn’t go to the phone. I had such an unpleasant aftertaste, as if my soul had been pulled out of my body, rolled in the mud, and put back in. That evening, I realized that I was not ready to marry this man, who doesn’t have his own opinion and goes along with his mommy. I’d rather be alone than with just anyone…
