Valer, are you serious? We planned this vacation for two months!» Ira stood at the kitchen table, fingers gripping a cup of cooling coffee. «Do you have any idea how much effort it took to squeeze these two weeks out of the boss?»
Valera shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other, avoiding her gaze.
«I get it, I do. It’s just that Kristinka called! Her vacation happens to coincide with ours! She’s been wanting to come for so long, to get to know you better!» he tried to explain, forcing a crooked smile. «Just a couple of weeks, Ira! Then in the fall we can go somewhere!»
«In the fall?» Ira said, slamming the cup down on the table. «In the fall I’ll be buried in work—you know that perfectly well! We’ve been saving for this trip for eight months, even started before the wedding! This was supposed to be our honeymoon! We even picked out the tickets and booked the hotel!»
«So what? We’ll just reschedule!» Valera finally looked up, his eyes full of determination. «Kristinka is my sister, by the way! The only family member I have besides you!»
Ira took a deep breath, trying to hold back her rising irritation. Two months of marriage and he was already making decisions behind her back without even bothering to discuss them with her.
«I’m not against your sister, Valera! But we barely know her! I only saw her briefly at the wedding! And instead of our long-awaited time together, you’re suggesting that I spend two weeks with practically a stranger in my own apartment?»
«In our apartment!» he corrected, and that remark pushed Ira over the edge.
«Our apartment?» she bitterly laughed. «Valera, let’s face reality! I’ve been paying off this apartment for three years, working ten hours a day! I made the last payment a month before our wedding! And you just moved into a ready-made life!»
Valera blushed.
«So, are you going to rub this in my face at every opportunity? I’m sorry I’m not a millionaire and couldn’t give you a mansion!»
«What does that have to do with anything?» Ira flung her hands up. «It’s about you deciding behind my back who gets to live in my apartment! And does my opinion even matter to you at all?»
«Your opinion?» he said with a nervous smirk. «Does mine matter to you? I want to see my sister, I miss her! Kristinka has been completely alone since her divorce, she needs support right now!»
Ira paced the kitchen, trying to gather her thoughts. They had been married only two months, and he was already placing family ties above their mutual plans. What next?
«Listen!» she tried to speak calmly. «Maybe we can find a compromise? Let Kristinka come for the weekend, not the entire vacation! We can meet her, talk, and then go on our trip as planned!»
«What weekend?» Valera exploded. «She’s coming from another city! For two days, what? She’s taken time off, bought her tickets already! I can’t just tell her not to come now!»
«How did she buy the tickets?» Ira froze. «Have you already decided everything without even consulting me?»
«And what’s there to consult?» Valera spread his arms. «My sister wants to come visit her brother, what’s the big deal? It’s a normal thing in normal families!»
«In normal families, Valera, a husband consults his wife instead of imposing decisions on her! Especially when the plans affect both of us!»
«What are you getting on about?» Valera ruffled his hair irritably. «The sea isn’t going anywhere! And Kristinka has been like a second mother to me after our parents died! She raised me, by the way!»
«And so I’m supposed to give up my vacation?» Ira crossed her arms. «I’d go to her myself to meet her, but no—you decided to barge in for two weeks, without asking!»
«Don’t you dare speak about my sister that way!» Valera’s voice rose. «Selfish! All you think about is yourself!»
Ira felt everything inside her shatter. Two months of marriage, and he was already calling her selfish just because she wanted to spend the vacation with her husband, as planned.
«Fine then!» she spat through clenched teeth. «Do what you want! Invite your Kristinka, cancel our plans! Just don’t expect me to be happy about it!»
After the quarrel, Ira locked herself in the bedroom, while Valera remained in the living room. Several hours passed. It was already dark outside when Ira heard her husband talking on the phone. She approached the door and involuntarily listened in.
«Yes, Kristin, everything’s fine, come as agreed!» Valera’s voice sounded deliberately upbeat. «You’ll stay with us, I’ll show you the city, you’ll relax! And no, Ira doesn’t mind…»
Ira gritted her teeth. So Valera had completely ignored their conversation and decided on his own.
«Of course, we’ll manage!» he continued. «Our two-room apartment is spacious! No, Ira understands everything, she’s not some monster! A normal girl, you’ll see!»
Ira suppressed the urge to barge out and tell him everything she thought. She froze, listening.
«Perfect, Kristin!» Valera’s voice softened. «I’ll meet you at the station on Sunday! You know I couldn’t refuse you!»
Ira pressed her hand to her mouth. On Sunday, they were supposed to fly off to the sea. Tickets were bought, the hotel booked. And now instead, Valera would go meet his sister.
«Ira?» Valera smirked in response to some question from his conversation partner. «She won’t go anywhere! She’ll get upset a bit and then calm down! Who cares about a vacation? We can go another year! The important thing is that you come, get away from your problems!»
Ira felt a hot lump rising in her throat. «Get upset and then calm down»—is that how he sees her? Like a petulant child?
«And don’t worry about the tickets!» Valera continued. «Sure, they’re gone, but that’s trivial! The important thing is that we finally see each other properly! Hey, remember how you talked me out of that girl? What was her name… Svetka, I think! You said she wasn’t a match for me!»
Ira froze. So Kristina had interfered in his love life before?
«Yes, Kristin, you were always right!» Valera laughed. «Nothing good would have come of that relationship! And you, Ira—you’re something else! So domestic, so hardworking! And your own apartment, as you always said—a reliable stronghold!»
Ira recoiled as if burned. The humiliation and hurt overwhelmed her. «Your own apartment, a reliable stronghold»—so, to him, she was just a profitable partner, approved by his elder sister.
Determinedly, she flung open the door and stepped into the living room where her husband was talking.
«Valera, we need to talk. Right now!»
Valera flinched in surprise and hurriedly ended his call.
«Kristin, I’ll call you back! Yes, everything’s fine! Kisses, bye!»
Ira folded her arms.
«‘Won’t go anywhere’? ‘Reliable stronghold’? Seriously, Valera?»
Valera paled.
«Were you eavesdropping?»
«And you lied to my face!» Ira raised her voice. «So the tickets are gone, but that’s not a problem? And my opinion doesn’t matter at all? What do you mean by ‘a reliable stronghold’? Did you marry me just for the apartment?»
«Don’t make things up!» Valera snapped, throwing his phone onto the sofa in frustration. «I’m just reassuring Kristinka, she’s upset that we’ll be interrupted!»
«And rightfully so!» Ira snapped back. «Because that’s exactly how it is! We’ve been married two months, and you’re already canceling our plans for a sister you can see anytime!»
Valera stepped closer, his face contorted with anger.
«You just have no sense of family! For you, all that matters is your precious apartment and your plans! But I’m fine with it! And my sister will come and stay here! With us!»
«Oh no, my dear!» Ira took a step forward. «You didn’t buy this apartment to decide who gets to live here and who doesn’t! And your sister is definitely not staying here!»
«What did you say?» Valera recoiled, as if slapped.
«Just what you heard!» Ira declared sharply. «Either you call your sister and explain the situation, or…»
«Or what?» Valera smirked. «Will you kick me out of your precious apartment?»
«Not ruled out!» Ira answered coldly.
For several seconds, Valera stared at her silently, then abruptly turned and headed to the bedroom. Ten minutes later, he emerged with a packed bag.
«Where are you going?» Ira gasped.
«To my sister’s!» Valera threw over his shoulder as he headed for the door. «Since the apartment is all yours and I’m nothing here, I’m going where I’m truly wanted and loved!»
The door slammed with a heavy thud. Ira stood frozen in the living room, unable to believe what had just happened. Had he really left? Just walked out, leaving her alone?
Her first impulse was to run after him, to stop him, to explain. But her pride wouldn’t allow it. Slowly, she sank onto the couch and stared blankly ahead.
Half an hour later, Ira dialed her husband’s number—his phone was off. She sent a message—no response. By night, worry turned into anger.
«He ran off like a kid!» she muttered while pacing the apartment. «And he didn’t even bother to say when he’d be back!»
The next morning, Ira woke with a headache after a sleepless night. Valera still hadn’t called. She tried calling him again—the phone remained unreachable. In that moment, something inside her seemed to break.
«So, is this it?» she said aloud in the empty apartment. «Well, let’s see…»
The decision came instantly. Ira grabbed her phone and called her travel agent.
«Hello, Marina? It’s Ira! You know what, my plans have changed! I’ll have to cancel the two-person vacation package! Can you find something for one person? Preferably in the same country!»
Within an hour, Ira had a new vacation package—it was more expensive than planned, but she decided she deserved it. Her next call was to her late father’s lawyer.
«Nikolai Sergeevich, good afternoon! I need a consultation regarding a divorce process! Will three o’clock work for you today?»
After finishing her business, Ira pondered. Her husband had left her without explanation, wasn’t answering calls, and went off to his sister’s place. What if he didn’t come back before her departure? Or worse—showed up with Kristina while she was out?
She quickly gathered her things and went to a hardware store. Returning home with new locks, Ira called a locksmith. By evening, the door locks had been changed, and spare keys were given to a neighbor with whom Ira had become friends.
At the same time, Ira was packing Valera’s belongings. Every T-shirt, every sock found in the closet only strengthened her resolve. Three boxes of his items were neatly packed and labeled. She called a courier service and arranged for delivery to Valera’s office address.
«It will be delivered tomorrow by ten in the morning,» the operator confirmed.
«Excellent!» Ira smiled and slipped a short note into one of the boxes: «Since you chose your sister, take your things. Divorce papers are already filed at the registry office. Ira.»
That evening, after everything was done, Ira’s phone finally rang. An unfamiliar number appeared on the screen. Ira frowned.
After a moment’s hesitation, she answered:
«Hello?»
«Irina?» The voice on the line was saccharine sweet. «This is Kristina, Valera’s sister! I wanted to talk to you!»
«Go ahead,» Ira repeated in a frosty tone.
«Valera is with me right now, very upset!» Kristina continued. «He told me about your quarrel! You know, darling, you must cherish your husband, especially someone as sensitive as my brother!»
Ira gripped the phone so tightly her knuckles turned white.
«Kristina, let’s be frank!» she interrupted. «Valera ran off like a kid, turned his phone off, and hasn’t answered calls for a day! His things are arriving at his work tomorrow! And in two days I’m leaving on that vacation he so easily canceled for you! Alone!»
There was silence on the other end.
«Ira, what are you doing?» Kristina finally sighed. «What divorce? What things? You just got married!»
«Exactly!» Ira snapped. «We got married! Not ‘Valera went to a fully furnished place with a girl who owns an apartment,’ as you so elegantly put it in your conversation! Honestly, I’m sorry you can’t let your brother go and let him build his own family! But those are your problems! Sort it out without me!»
«How dare you!» Kristina shrieked. «He’s always prayed to me! I raised him!»
«And here’s the result!» Ira concluded coldly. «A 32-year-old man who cannot make an adult decision without his elder sister’s approval! Goodbye, Kristina! May you be happy together!»
Ira disconnected the call and immediately blocked Kristina’s number. Then she did the same with Valera’s number. It felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders—the decision was made, and there was no turning back.
She opened her taxi-booking app and reserved a ride to the airport. Glancing at the calendar, she noted that in forty-eight hours she would already be on a plane, flying to a warm sea. Alone.
The Mediterranean sun caressed her skin, and the sound of the waves soothed the nerves frayed by the past few days. Ira spent a week of her two-week vacation at the resort, diligently avoiding thoughts of Valera. At work, she took additional unpaid leave—she didn’t want to return to an empty apartment that reminded her of failed happiness.
Her phone vibrated on a lounge chair. Ira looked at the screen—a call from an unfamiliar number. She hesitated for a second, but eventually answered.
«Hello?»
«Irina, good day, this is Viktor Mikhailovich, the concierge from your building!» the voice was businesslike. «We have a situation… Some man and a woman are pushing their way in, claiming that he’s your husband! And our instructions are that you said no one should be allowed in!»
Ira straightened up in her lounge chair.
«That’s right, Viktor Mikhailovich! Do not let them in! He no longer has the right to enter the apartment!»
«Understood! But they’re making a racket! The man is shouting that his things need to be retrieved!»
«All his things have long been sent to his workplace!» Ira snapped. «If they cause a scene, call the police!»
After ending the call, Ira leaned back on the lounge chair. So, Valera had returned. And apparently not alone, but with Kristina. I wonder what they were after? Or was it just a pretext to get into the apartment?
The phone rang again—the same number.
«Yes, Viktor Mikhailovich?»
«Irina, sorry to trouble you, but this man insists on speaking with you! He says it’s important!»
Ira sighed.
«Alright, put him through!»
There was some commotion, and then a familiar voice:
«Ira? It’s me! We need to talk!»
«We have nothing to talk about, Valera!» Ira replied coldly. «Divorce papers have been filed at the registry! Don’t make a scene at the entrance!»
«What registry? What papers?» Valera’s voice cracked. «Have you lost your mind? I just left for a couple of days to cool off!»
«Ten days, Valera! You left for ten days! And turned your phone off! Did you get your things?»
«I did!» he responded in a dull tone. «But I don’t understand why you’re doing this! Let’s talk, I’ll explain everything!»
«Explain what? How you chose your sister over your wife? Or how you married me because of the apartment?» Ira felt her anger rising again. «You know what? I don’t care! I’m at the resort, enjoying my vacation! Alone!»
«Valera, listen…»
«No, Valera, you listen!» Ira interrupted. «Two months of marriage—and you’ve shown your true colors! A man who can just leave, turn off his phone—I don’t need that! Hand the phone to the concierge!»
There was more commotion.
«Viktor Mikhailovich, if they don’t leave in five minutes, call the police! And don’t let them into the building at all! I’ll be back in a week!»
After ending the conversation, Ira called her lawyer again:
«Nikolai Sergeevich, good afternoon! My husband has returned and is trying to get into the apartment! What are my rights?»
«Until the divorce is finalized, he has the right to be there…» the lawyer said thoughtfully. «But since the apartment is entirely yours, purchased before the marriage, you can refuse him entry! In the worst case, he might go to court, but that’s a lengthy process!»
«Thank you!» Ira smiled.
She thanked the lawyer and hung up. The day had been ruined. Ira ordered herself a cocktail and tried to relax, but her thoughts kept returning to the events at her entrance.
A week later, when the plane landed in her hometown, Ira turned on her phone. Thirty missed calls from Valera from various numbers and one message from the concierge: «They left an hour after the call. They haven’t come back.»
As she approached her building in a taxi, Ira tensed up upon seeing a familiar figure by the entrance. Valera was sitting on a bench, looking dejected. Next to him stood a woman—apparently Kristina.
Ira thanked the taxi driver and resolutely headed toward the entrance, hoping to slip past them. But that wasn’t to be.
«Ira!» Valera leaped up, blocking her path. «Finally! Let’s talk?»
Ira gave him a cold look.
«We have nothing to talk about! Step aside!»
«No!» Valera said firmly. «I won’t let you pass until you listen!»
«Ira!» Kristina interjected, stepping forward. «I came to apologize! Valera told me about your plans, about the vacation package! I knew about it, but he said it was trivial…»
«Of course he said that!» Ira smirked. «Because you’re used to being put first! Well then, now you’re together! Live happily ever after!»
She tried to walk past them, but Valera grabbed her hand.
«Wait, Ira! I was wrong! I’ve realized everything! Forgive me!»
Ira freed her hand and looked him straight in the eyes.
«You know, Valera, you don’t respect me, my wishes! You ran off like a child instead of solving the problem! And I don’t want to be either your mother or second to Kristina! That’s it! I have nothing more to say to you!»
She quickly punched in the code on the intercom and disappeared into the building, leaving them standing by the closed door. As she ascended to her floor, Ira felt that with every step, it became easier to breathe. For the first time in a long while, she was certain she had done the right thing.
