Larisa stood by the window, staring at the gray sky. Three months ago, she had been a happy bride, but today she felt like a servant in her own home.
Another morning began with the familiar knock on the bedroom door.
«How much longer are you going to lie around?» came her mother-in-law’s commanding voice. «Andryusha, son, it’s time for work!»
Larisa sighed heavily. Tamara Ivanovna, as usual, ignored her presence, speaking only to her son. Andrey stretched sleepily and began getting ready.
«What did you make him for lunch?» her mother-in-law was already managing the kitchen. «More of your trendy salads? A man needs a proper borscht!»
«The one I made yesterday,» Larisa thought, but kept quiet. In the three months since her marriage, she had learned to swallow insults like bitter pills.
«Mum, don’t start,» Andrey mumbled, hastily tying his tie.
«What do you mean ‘don’t start’?» Tamara Ivanovna huffed. «I’m worried about your health! And she…» her mother-in-law curled her lips in disdain, «she doesn’t even know how to cook properly.»
Larisa felt a lump form in her throat. Ten years of teaching at university, a doctorate, and here she was, turned into a silent shadow.
«Maybe it’s enough?» she whispered, surprised by her own courage.
«What do you mean ‘enough’?» Tamara Ivanovna turned to her, her entire body facing her. «Did you say something, daughter-in-law?»
The venom in the word made Larisa shudder involuntarily. Andrey pretended to be busy searching for his briefcase.
«I’m saying, maybe enough pretending like I’m not here?» Larisa’s voice grew stronger. «This is our home, Andrey’s and mine.»
«Yours?» her mother-in-law laughed. «Darling, I built this house thirty years ago! Every brick here is mine! And you… you’re temporary. You came, and you’ll leave.»
Those words hit harder than a slap. Larisa looked at her husband, expecting support, but Andrey had already rushed to the hallway, hastily putting on his coat.
«I have to go, I’m late!» he yelled and slammed the front door.
In the silence that followed, Larisa clearly heard her mother-in-law’s triumphant chuckle. Tamara Ivanovna began deliberately washing clean dishes, her every action showing contempt for her daughter-in-law.
«And by the way,» she continued, «my friends are coming over today. Make sure the living room is properly cleaned. Last time, there was dust on the cupboard, I saw it.»
Larisa silently left the kitchen. In their bedroom, the only place where her mother-in-law’s power hadn’t yet penetrated, she took out her phone and dialed her long-time friend Marina.
«You were right,» she whispered into the phone. «I can’t take it anymore.»
«Finally!» Marina exclaimed. «I’ve been watching you turn into a doormat for three months. Do you remember what I said about the apartment?»
«I remember,» Larisa lowered her voice to a whisper. «Is that one-bedroom still available?»
«Yes, I kept it for you. Come today and take a look.»
All day, Larisa mechanically followed her mother-in-law’s instructions, but in her mind, a plan was already forming.
That evening, when Tamara Ivanovna was soaking up the attention of her friends, Larisa quietly slipped into the hallway.
«Where are you going?» her mother-in-law called out.
«To the store,» Larisa replied calmly. «For your dinner.»
«Don’t take too long!» was the last thing she heard before closing the door.
The apartment was small, but cozy. Light walls, a large kitchen window, silence.
«I’ll take it,» Larisa said decisively, handing the realtor her ID. «When can I move in?»
«Anytime,» the woman smiled. «Just pay the deposit.»
When Larisa returned home, she heard loud voices from the living room. Her mother-in-law’s friends were discussing her, not sparing any harsh words.
«She’s not what Andrey needed,» Tamara Ivanovna was saying. «She can’t cook, can’t manage a household. All she knows how to do is talk about her fancy books.»
«And don’t I know it, Tomochka,» her friend Zinaida Petrovna chimed in. «These modern women — educated, but little use. Back in our time…»
Larisa froze in the hallway, clutching the grocery bag. Each word felt like a sharp needle piercing her heart, but now she felt a strange calm. The decision had been made.
The next morning, she woke up earlier than usual and made breakfast before Tamara Ivanovna had a chance to get to the kitchen. Andrey was already sitting at the table, staring at his phone.
«We need to talk,» Larisa said quietly.
«Later, dear, I’m running late,» her husband waved her off as usual.
«No, not later. Now.»
Something in her voice made Andrey look up. For the first time in a long while, he really looked at his wife and was surprised by how much she had changed. Where had the cheerful Larisa gone?
«I can’t live like this anymore,» she said softly but firmly. «This isn’t a family, it’s some absurd theater, where I play the role of the silent servant.»
«Larisa, what are you making up?» Andrey tried to smile. «It’s just mom being a bit…»
«A bit what?» she interrupted. «A bit of a tyrant? A bit of stomping on my dignity? Or a bit of forcing you to choose between your wife and your mother?»
At that moment, Tamara Ivanovna drifted into the kitchen in her favorite robe.
«What are you two whispering about?» she asked suspiciously. «Andryusha, you’re going to be late for work with all these talks!»
Larisa slowly turned to face her mother-in-law.
«And you, Tamara Ivanovna, still can’t stop controlling everything, can you?»
«What are you letting yourself do?» her mother-in-law turned purple. «Andrey, do you hear how she’s speaking to me?»
But Larisa didn’t listen anymore. She took a folder of documents out of her bag and placed it on the table.
«This is the diary I kept for the last three months. Every insult, every instance of humiliation. With dates and witnesses. And recordings of your ‘lovely’ conversations with your friends about me.»
Tamara Ivanovna turned pale, and Andrey looked back and forth between his wife and his mother, confused.
«You… you’ve been spying on me?» Tamara Ivanovna gasped in outrage.
«No, I was just defending myself. And here,» Larisa pulled out a set of keys. «These are for my new apartment. I’m moving out today.»
«You’re not going anywhere!» Andrey jumped up. «We’re a family!»
«Family?» Larisa smiled bitterly. «Are you sure you know what that word means? A family is where people support each other, not destroy each other.»
«See!» Tamara Ivanovna triumphantly exclaimed. «I told you she would leave you! They’re all the same — modern, educated…»
«Shut up!» Larisa raised her voice for the first time in her life. «You left me no choice. For three months, I tried to be part of this family. I cooked, cleaned, tolerated your complaints, hoping for understanding. But you don’t want a daughter-in-law, you want a servant.»
She turned to her husband.
«And you, Andrey… You’ve been hiding behind work, pretending nothing is happening. But you know what? A boy who is afraid of his mommy can’t be a real husband.»
The kitchen fell silent. Larisa calmly stood up and walked toward the exit. Behind her, there was a crash — Tamara Ivanovna had collapsed onto a chair, clutching her chest.
«Andryusha! My pills! I’m feeling bad!» she moaned.
Larisa turned back. She had seen this scene countless times — every time something didn’t go according to her mother-in-law’s plan, she would fake a heart attack. And every time, Andrey would rush to save her, forgetting everything else.
«Mama, wait! I’m coming!» he rushed, but Larisa caught his arm.
«Stop,» she said firmly. «Look at me, Andrey. Just look.»
Their eyes met. In his, there was confusion and fear, and in hers, determination and exhaustion.
«You’ll have to choose,» Larisa continued. «Not between me and your mother — between adulthood and childhood. Between responsibility and dependency.»
«What are you talking about? Mom’s sick!» he jerked.
«Really?» Larisa turned to her mother-in-law. «Tamara Ivanovna, how about we call an ambulance? Let the doctors check your heart. I’m really worried.»
Her mother-in-law instantly stopped moaning and straightened up.
«No ambulance needed! Get out of my house, ungrateful one!»
«See?» Larisa said with a sad smile to her husband. «Just like always. Manipulation, drama, helplessness games. And you fall for it every time.»
She pulled a business card out of her pocket.
«Here’s the address of my new apartment. When you decide to become a man, come visit. Just not with your mother.»
The first week in the new apartment, Larisa lived like in a fog. Her phone was constantly ringing — Andrey was trying to call, but she didn’t answer. Several times, messages came from her mother-in-law — from threats to tearful pleas to return.
On Friday evening, there was a knock on the door. Andrey stood on the doorstep — haggard, unshaven, with a hollow look in his eyes.
«Can I come in?» he asked hoarsely.
Larisa silently stepped aside. Andrey walked into the tiny kitchen, sat down on a stool, and clasped his head in his hands.
«I get it now,» he said. «But maybe it’s too late.»
«What exactly do you get?» Larisa leaned against the fridge, crossing her arms.
«That I haven’t been living my life. That I’ve let mom decide everything for me — from choosing socks to…» he trailed off, «…our marriage.»
«And what are you going to do about it?»
«I got mom an apartment. A small one, but in a good neighborhood. She yelled, threatened to disown me, said I was an ungrateful son…»
«And?»
«And for the first time in my life, I didn’t listen to her,» he looked at his wife. «You know what’s the scariest part? When she realized I was serious, she calmed down in five minutes. All those tantrums, fainting — it was just a show. My whole life…»
Larisa was silent, looking out the window. The light rain outside had turned the October evening into a watercolor painting.
«Can I fix everything?» Andrey asked quietly. «Do we have a chance?»
Larisa slowly turned to her husband.
«You know what surprises me the most? That you think all you had to do was move out of your mom’s house, and everything would magically get better.»
«Isn’t that it?» Andrey seemed lost.
«No,» Larisa shook her head with noticeable sadness. «The problem is, for three months, you watched your mother humiliate me, your wife, and stayed silent. The problem is, you hid behind your work instead of being the backbone of our family. The problem is, you let our marriage become a farce.»
She slowly walked to the window and traced a line with her finger on the fogged glass.
«Do you remember how we first met at that psychology conference? You said that what impressed you was my independence and strength of character. And then, without even realizing it, you did everything to break that strength.»
«I didn’t mean to…» Andrey started.
«Of course, you didn’t,» Larisa smiled ironically, but there was more bitterness in her voice than irony. «You never meant to. You just went with the flow, as always.»
She turned to him.
«You know what’s most hurtful? I really loved you. Not mama’s boy, but the smart, interesting man you could be. The one you were before we got married.»
Andrey stood up and walked over to her.
«And now? You don’t love me anymore?»
Larisa looked into his eyes.
«I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t know. But one thing I can say for sure: the old me — the one who was willing to endure humiliation to keep the illusion of a family — is gone.»
Andrey stood, walked over to her.
«Can I hug you?»
«No,» Larisa gently stopped him. «Not yet. Let’s really start fresh. Clean slate.»
He nodded and stepped back.
«You’re right. Then… maybe we could go somewhere tomorrow? To the movies or a café?»
«To the movies,» Larisa smiled. «Like our first date.»
The next few weeks flew by as if Andrey were in a strange dream.
Yes, he really started seeing a therapist, and the evenings with Larisa became special moments — either sitting in cozy cafés or walking in the park, or just exploring the city streets to the sound of their footsteps. The conversations were endless: about work, books, dreams of the future. It was as if they hadn’t known each other from scratch — but from some new, fresh page.
Meanwhile, Tamara Ivanovna called her son every day, but their conversations became shorter and more businesslike. Once, she even tried to start a scandal right outside his office building. Calm and composed, Andrey simply called a cab for her and sent her home.
«Guess what amazes me the most?» he said during one of the meetings with Larisa. «She’s started changing. Can you believe it? She signed up for computer literacy courses, got herself a part-time job as a consultant in a flower shop…»
«She probably had to find something to fill the void,» Larisa replied with a thoughtful smile. «Before, her whole life revolved around controlling you.»
«What happened?» Larisa asked, concerned.
«Nothing bad,» he smiled. «Just… today I realized something important at my therapy session.»
«What?»
«That I’ve fallen in love for the first time in my life. Not with the image of the perfect wife mom imposed on me, but with a real woman. With you, the real one.»
Larisa felt her heart skip a beat.
«And what does that mean?»
«I want to start everything over,» Andrey looked her in the eye. «Not as a continuation of our old marriage, but as a new relationship. Between two free, grown-up people.»
Larisa was silent, watching the passersby outside the café window. Over the past weeks, she had really started to see a different person in her husband — someone learning to make decisions, defend boundaries, and take responsibility for his life.
«What about your mom?» she finally asked.
«Mom will remain my mom,» Andrey replied firmly. «But not the third person in our relationship.»
«You know, last week she invited me over — to her new apartment. And you know what I saw?»
«What?»
«A happy woman. She showed me her flowers, talked about work, about new friends… Turns out, when she stopped controlling my life, she found her own.»
Larisa thoughtfully swirled her coffee cup.
«And what exactly do you suggest?»
«Let’s start living together. In the new apartment — not the old house with its heavy memories. We’ll create our own space, our own rules, our own family.»
«And if I say ‘no’?»
«Then I’ll accept it,» he answered simply. «Because I’ve learned to respect other people’s choices. And I’ll keep working on myself — not for our relationship, but for myself.»
Larisa looked at her husband with a long gaze. There was no longer that boyish confusion in his eyes — now there was calm certainty, like that of an adult.
