The golden glow of an autumn day filtered through the stained-glass windows of the living room, painting the parquet floor with intricate patterns. The air was filled with the aroma of freshly baked apple pie mixed with the refined scent of expensive perfume. The house was abuzz with the pre-celebration bustle, meticulously orchestrated by its mistress—Vitalina Romanovna.
Vitalina Romanovna was a tall, stately woman with an impeccable hairstyle and a cold gleam in her gray eyes. She embodied the very image of aristocracy. Every movement of hers was honed to perfection, every word carefully considered. Dominant, demanding, and accustomed to receiving everything she desired, she wanted this day to be perfect. After all, it was her birthday. She felt like the queen of the event, and everyone around was expected to bow before her. Not for a moment did she doubt this.
Svetlana, Vitalina Romanovna’s daughter-in-law, felt utterly uncomfortable in the shadow of such a strong and domineering personality. Young and fragile, with large brown eyes full of timidity, she seemed out of place—as if a common wildflower had been accidentally brought into a greenhouse of luxurious orchids. Svetlana flitted between the kitchen and the living room, trying to please all the guests: pouring tea, offering appetizers, ensuring that no one felt deprived of attention. She desperately tried to win the favor of her mother-in-law, but all her efforts were met with a cold wall of contempt.
Their relationship had never been easy, as is often the case between a mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law. No matter how hard Svetlana tried, to Vitalina Romanovna she remained nothing more than a stain on their noble family name. The woman believed that Svetlana was unworthy of her only son, Andrei. She felt that her daughter-in-law was too simple, too naïve, too… ordinary for her perfect son—a successful businessman and heir to the family fortune. A marriage of convenience was supposed to elevate the business to new heights. However, Andrei had long resisted his mother’s pressure. Despite Vitalina Romanovna’s diligent efforts to introduce him to the “best” girls, he had decided to marry for love. And who would have thought that he would fall in love with an ordinary girl?
Andrei fully understood that his mother did not accept his choice. He tried his best to smooth over the rough edges in their relationship. It wasn’t easy for Svetlana, but her husband promised to protect his beloved and not let anyone harm her. Sveta believed him, even though at times the sting of Vitalina Romanovna’s barbs pierced her soul like sharp thorns.
That day, the tension reached its peak. Guests, dressed in expensive attire, engaged in polite chatter, sipping champagne and discussing the latest news. They were no different from factory workers who, after their shift, would wash someone else’s bones. It was astonishing. Why would people who already had everything discuss others? Wouldn’t it be simpler to share their own achievements or plans? Svetlana, feeling like an outsider at this celebration of life, tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible. But Vitalina Romanovna, like a predator stalking its prey, did not take her eyes off her.
When it was time to serve the cake, Vitalina Romanovna, casting a scrutinizing glance at Svetlana—who at that moment was carrying a huge dish from the kitchen with the cake decorated with candles—loudly proclaimed so that everyone could hear:
– “Svetochka, be so kind as to wash that stain off the carpet. I want you to do it right now. After all, today is my celebration.”
Svetlana flinched and looked at the spot to which her mother-in-law pointed. The stain was not there—the carpet had been immaculate that morning. The young woman, dressed in an evening gown, wanted to object, but her tongue failed her.
A silence fell over the living room. Svetlana blushed. The words of Vitalina Romanovna, spoken with mocking sweetness, sounded like a slap. She felt tears welling up, but tried to hold them back. With trembling hands, she set the cake on the table and, striving to maintain her dignity, forced a smile:
– “Vitalina Romanovna, I’m afraid the smell of cleaning agents might be unpleasant to your guests. I promise I will take care of that stain after the celebration.”
– “How dare you talk back to me? You entered this house as a servant and will never be its mistress! Do as you are told! Your destiny is to scrub toilets, and nothing more!” Vitalina Romanovna exclaimed, momentarily losing her usual composure.
No one noticed when Andrei returned home. He had warned that he would be late due to problems with one of his partners, who turned out to be too stubborn and unwilling to compromise. How long he had been watching the scene unfold from afar remained a mystery. However, he headed straight for the table where his mother was seated, stopped opposite her, and, looking her in the eyes, confidently declared:
– “Mother, enough. Stop. How can you behave like this? This is not someone else. Svetlana is my wife.”
Vitalina Romanovna raised her eyebrows, indignant at her son’s tone. She felt awkward, but once she started, she could not simply be silent. After all, it had become a matter of honor, with dozens of discerning eyes watching her. Her son could not humiliate his mother by siding with some “pitiful ragamuffin.” Hadn’t Vitalina Romanovna taught him otherwise?
– “What do you mean ‘enough’, Andrei? I merely asked your wife for a favor. There is nothing wrong with that. After all, everyone does what they are capable of. Am I to be blamed that your wife can only wave a rag and wield kitchen tools?”
– “No, mother, this isn’t just about help. You are humiliating her. You do it constantly. And I am no longer willing to tolerate it.”
Andrei’s voice grew louder and firmer. The guests, holding their breath, watched the escalating conflict. Vitalina Romanovna, now raging, was shocked by her son’s unexpected reaction. She had not imagined that Andrei would witness the humiliation of his wife, yet she had expected him to remain tactfully silent. After all, he was well aware of how quickly rumors spread in their circles. And what would people think of her if she did not defend her honor right then? Undoubtedly, everyone would start whispering that her son had chosen to protect not his mother, but some ordinary girl he had taken as his wife. After something like this, no one in high society would want to associate with Vitalina Romanovna. They would all discuss her behind her back, throw sidelong glances, and point fingers at her.
— “Andrei, how dare you speak to me like that?! I am your mother!” Vitalina Romanovna cried out, feeling that she was losing control of the situation. “Every word I say is the truth. Your wife entered this house as a servant. I do not know how she managed to charm you, but she will never change. The only thing she knows how to do is to wave a rag, and that is what she will do for the rest of her days. So let her do as she is told, without any unnecessary objections.”
So deep was Vitalina Romanovna’s determination to humiliate her daughter-in-law that she failed to notice the main point: she was making a mockery of herself. Rage clouded her mind, and the woman was prepared to do anything to have the final word and to save face. She should never have started this conflict, but she could not restrain herself upon seeing the guests’ leering looks directed at Svetlana, convinced that they were all on her side. Had it not been for Andrei’s intervention, everything would have gone perfectly.
— “Yes, you are my mother, but you have no right to treat my wife that way. Sveta is not your maid. She is the woman I love, and I will not allow you to hurt her. It matters not how Sveta entered this house. The feudal era is long gone. All people are equal. What distinguishes Sveta from everyone else here? Is it merely that she grew up in a modest family and worked hard every day to survive? And many of your esteemed guests, mother… do not even know what real labor is.”
Andrei embraced Svetlana by the shoulders, drawing her close. She felt his hands trembling, yet in his eyes she saw such love and protection that all her fears melted away.
Stunned by her son’s courage, Vitalina Romanovna was momentarily rendered speechless. She was not used to being contradicted—especially not by her own son, whom she had always been so proud of, and who now stood up for some ordinary girl. It did not matter whether Svetlana was his wife or a servant… Andrei had to support his mother. Even if he had wanted to express his discontent, he should have done it privately. He had humiliated her, and so she must be repaid in kind.
— “You… what are you saying, Andrei? You are completely blinded by your love for this insignificant girl! She has bewitched you. There is no other explanation. How can you possibly take her side? You know I am right. Don’t you see that she disregards me and my requests? I did not ask your wife to do anything humiliating!”
— “Mother, please, enough,” Andrei interrupted. “I see everything. I see that Sveta is the kindest, most sincere, and most loving person I know. And I could not care less about what you think of her origins or her education. I love her, and that is all that matters. Your attempt to humiliate her and reduce my wife to a servant is utterly disgraceful. Sveta herself chose to help out around the house. It was her decision to assist you with entertaining the guests at this celebration. But you decided to go further and dictate her place? You claim that she will never be the mistress of this house? That is not so. By becoming my wife, Svetlana became not only the mistress of my heart but also of all the property that belongs to me.”
Andrei looked around at the guests, who were watching the scene with unmistakable interest, and declared:
— “I apologize that you had to witness this unpleasant conversation. I hope what was heard here today does not go beyond this house. Otherwise, I, too, can lay bare many unsavory facts about many of you.”
After these words, Andrei turned to his mother and, looking her straight in the eyes, added:
— “Mother, I have always valued and respected you, for you gave me life and cared for me. You are my mother, and that will never change. However, I will no longer tolerate this. I built this house for myself. If you cannot live in harmony with my wife and accept her… if you cannot learn to respect Sveta, then it is best to end everything right now. Go back to the house where you lived with your husband. It will be better for everyone.”
A deathly silence fell over the living room. Vitalina Romanovna, as pale as a sheet, stared at her son, unable to believe her ears. She could never have imagined that he would take such a step. The woman had always been sure that she completely controlled her son, that he would always obey her, follow her orders, and support her. But now she saw how Andrei had changed. His love for that girl had made him strong and independent. He was no longer afraid to speak a word against his mother and was ready to stand up for his position.
Unable to bear the humiliation any longer, Vitalina Romanovna silently sprang from behind the table and, holding her head high, left the living room. After the departure of the hostess—and simultaneously the cause of the scandal—a wretched silence reigned. The guests, not knowing how to behave, began to disperse slowly, trying not to attract attention. Each one wondered what Andrei knew about them, now that he had threatened to reveal the truth. Everyone had their own skeletons in the closet and feared that one day they would come to light.
Andrei embraced Svetlana even tighter and, burying his face in her hair, whispered:
— “Forgive me, my love, for all of this. I should have done it sooner. I should have protected you.”
Svetlana lifted her tear-filled eyes to her husband and smiled.
— “I know, Andrei. I know that you love me. And I love you too. Thank you for standing up for me. It was an important step, and I understand how hard it was for you to take it.”
Shortly thereafter, Vitalina Romanovna gathered her things and told her son that she would never be able to forgive him for such an act. The woman felt deeply insulted and humiliated. She made no effort to accept or understand her son’s position, convinced that he should have taken her side and supported her, since she was his mother… and only afterward considered the feelings of his wife… that wretched pauper. Vitalina Romanovna completely forgot that before her marriage she had been just the same. Perhaps she had possessed a firmer character than Svetlana, but she had been forced to sell pies at the market and endure humiliations just to survive. All that was quickly forgotten, and Vitalina Romanovna began to believe that she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She had no intention of accepting her son’s choice or forgiving him. And Andrei did not even think of begging for forgiveness, for he was convinced he was right.
Andrei and Svetlana were left alone in the house. The man once again apologized to his wife for having allowed such a situation to occur and for not having set things right with his mother earlier. He reproached himself for not having pointed out her wrongdoing immediately when he realized that his mother would not accept his wife, but he thought it was better late than never.
