Dash! Dashunka! Bring us some cold beer and snacks or something!» Oleg shouted loudly from the living room, drowning out the voice of the football match commentator.
Darya sighed. She had just come home, still in her outerwear, not even having time to take off her shoes after a long workday. Twelve hours at the hospital, three emergency surgeries, endless running between the wards and the ICU—everything had left her drained. All she wanted was to quickly take a shower, drink some tea, and fall into bed.
«Oleg, I just came back from my shift,» she replied, entering the kitchen and turning on the kettle. «The beer is in the fridge, and the snacks are in the cabinet above the microwave.»
She sat down on the chair, massaging her aching temples. A cup of hot tea, a brief break, then a shower—and she could forget everything, at least for a few hours.
«Dasha!» Oleg’s voice called again from the living room, now tinged with annoyance. «Where are you? Hurry up! It’s an important match!»
«Come on, Dashka!» Vadim, a frequent guest at their apartment and Oleg’s best friend, chimed in. «Don’t leave us hanging!»
Darya closed her eyes, trying to hold back her irritation. «Count to ten,» she repeated to herself. But the exhaustion was taking its toll—her patience was thinning with every passing minute.
Straightening up, she walked out of the kitchen and stopped in the doorway of the living room.
«Oleg, I worked twelve hours today. I have neither the strength nor the desire to run around after you. The fridge is right there—you can get it yourself.»
Her husband continued to watch the screen, where the football players were chasing the ball.
«What’s the matter with you?» he waved his hand dismissively. «You were sitting in the kitchen. What’s the big deal?»
«I’m not in the kitchen anymore,» she said quietly, but with tension in her voice. «And why do I have to serve you? Are you my patient or what?»
Finally, Oleg turned around, a look of confusion on his face.
«Why do you think this is normal?» Darya asked. «You’re home all day, and I’m not. Why should I be the one to do everything?»
«We just asked,» he muttered. «Nothing wrong with that.»
«You didn’t ask—you ordered,» she snapped. «As if that’s all I’m here for.»
The TV joyfully announced a goal, and the viewers applauded. Vadim and Oleg were engrossed in the match, ignoring Darya. This was the last straw.
Darya walked over and turned off the TV with a swift movement.
«Hey!» Oleg jumped up. «What are you doing?!»
«Awakening you to reality,» she replied calmly, meeting his gaze. «Because it seems you’ve completely forgotten what family is and how to talk to your wife.»
«Do you even understand what you’ve done?!» he shouted, his voice rising. «That was the most important match of the season! I’ve been waiting for it all week!»
«And I’ve been waiting for you to finally find a job,» Darya said firmly. «But apparently, football is more important to you than anything.»
«Ah, here we go,» Vadim smirked, leaning back on the couch. «Women always find something to complain about.»
«Shut up, Vadim,» Darya threw at him sharply.
«Dasha!» Oleg yelled, raising his voice to a shout. «Don’t forget who’s in charge here! I’m the head of the family, and I have the right to say whatever I want!»
«Head of the family?» Darya scoffed bitterly. «When was the last time you brought any money home? A month ago? Two? I’m the one paying for the apartment, food, utilities. And you? You sit, drink, watch football, and demand that I serve you?»
«I’m looking for a job!» Oleg shouted, nearly choking with anger. «Do you think it’s easy for me? I send out resumes every day, go to interviews!»
«And still find time to watch match after match with Vadim?» Darya shook her head. «Listen, Oleg, you’re not looking for a job. You’re just waiting for the perfect option: lots of money, no responsibilities. And while you dream, I’m supposed to carry everything alone?»
«Do you even understand what it feels like to be a man without a job?!» Oleg paced the room, waving his arms. «I’m depressed! I need support! And instead, you just pressure and pressure me!»
«Support?» Darya laughed shortly, without joy. «Fine. Here’s my support: stop acting like a child who thinks everyone owes him. Start small—find any job. Don’t expect to be offered the boss’s chair right away. And while you’re at home—at least don’t create more problems for me.»
«Problems? What problems?» Oleg stopped in front of her. «What am I interfering with?»
«Yes! You’re interfering!» Darya raised her voice. «You interfere with my rest after a shift, you interfere with my sleep when I’m exhausted. You interfere with my life because I have to think not just about myself, but about you. And you? You think only about your own comfort.»
«Oh, come on, stop it,» Vadim chimed in, trying to ease the tension. «All men are like that. It’s normal.»
«Vadim,» Darya turned sharply toward him, «if you don’t shut up right now, I’ll throw you out of this apartment myself. Got it? My apartment. Yes. Exactly. Because I pay for it, I work so that you have a place to sit and drink beer. Not you, and not even my husband.»
«Dasha!» Oleg shouted again. «You can’t kick out my friends!»
«I can,» Darya replied calmly. «It’s my apartment. And while you’re living off me, you’ll have to play by my rules.»
Vadim slowly stood up. He had never seen Darya like this—collected, confident, cold. Usually soft and friendly, today she was like a different person.
«Oleg, maybe I should really go?» he said cautiously. «I don’t want you two fighting because of me.»
«You’re not going anywhere!» Oleg grabbed him by the shoulder. «This is my house, and I decide who stays!»
«No, Oleg,» Darya’s voice was quiet but firm. «This is not your house. This is my apartment, which I pay for. Either he leaves on his own, or I’ll call the police. Choose.»
Vadim carefully pulled away Oleg’s hand.
«Alright, buddy, I’ll leave. We’ll watch the football another time.»
«Scared,» Oleg muttered after him. «Just scared.»
«No,» Vadim shook his head, putting on his jacket. «I just know when to leave.»
As he opened the door, he turned around but said nothing—Darya’s expression spoke for itself.
«Oleg, call me tomorrow. When everything settles down.»
With those words, Vadim left, carefully closing the door behind him. The couple was left alone. The silence in the room was almost tangible—thick, heavy, like the sky before a storm. Oleg looked at Darya with barely concealed irritation, while she stood still with a determined expression, as if an invisible wall had grown between them.
«Well, are you happy?» he hissed through clenched teeth. «You humiliated me in front of my friend? Is that what you wanted?»
«No,» Darya shook her head. «I want you to understand: this can’t go on any longer. Something has to change. Otherwise, we’ll lose each other.»
Oleg turned sharply, walked to the couch, grabbed the remote, and turned on the TV. The match was still going, but football was the last thing on his mind now. He turned up the volume loudly, deliberately turning away from his wife—as if the conversation was over.
«Seriously?» Darya walked up and turned off the screen. «Is this how you plan to deal with the problem? Just pretend it doesn’t exist?»
«What problems?» Oleg jumped up, his face contorted with anger. «The only problem here is you! With your constant complaints! I can’t even have a beer with my friend? I can’t relax after a day without a job?»
«You can,» Darya replied calmly. «Just not at my expense. Not when I’m barely standing from exhaustion. And not demanding that I serve you every minute.»
«Come on, stop it!» he waved his hand irritably. «I just asked you to bring some beer!»
«No, Oleg,» she shook her head. «You didn’t ask. You commanded. You yelled as if I were your maid. And this isn’t the first time.»
He took a step toward her, his hands clenching into fists.
«You’ve just become unbearable! Nothing I do pleases you! I stay home—bad, I go out with friends—bad! What do you even want?»
«I want a husband,» Darya said firmly, not backing down, «not a child I have to clean up after. I want a partner who will be with me, not against me. Who will respect my work, my feelings, my boundaries.»
«I respect you!» Oleg shouted. «I’ve always respected you!»
«No,» she gave a bitter little smile. «You take everything for granted. You think it’s normal that I work myself to the bone, pay for the apartment, cook, clean, and then run after you with beer. And when I say I’m tired—you shout. That’s not respect, Oleg.»
He raised his hand, but at the last moment, he lowered it. Darya didn’t even flinch.
«Try hitting me, and you’ll be out the door. Forever.»
Oleg slowly lowered his hand, breathing heavily. There was something like fear in his eyes.
«You… You really would kick me out?»
«Yes,» she replied briefly. «Because I won’t allow myself to live in fear. Not for anyone.»
They stood facing each other, separated by a chasm that could no longer be ignored. Oleg was the first to look away.
«So what now? Do you want a divorce?» he asked, bewildered.
«I want you to change,» Darya sighed. «But I’m not sure you’re capable of that.»
«And if I find a job? If I start helping?» his voice took on a pleading tone. «Would that be enough?»
«No,» she shook her head. «It’s not just about a job or responsibilities. It’s about respect, Oleg. About how you treat me. About the fact that it’s normal for you to shout, demand, and command.»
Darya walked to the window, looking at the city’s evening lights.
«I’m so tired. Of everything. Of the arguments, of your attitude, of carrying everything alone. Sometimes I wonder: why am I even here? What did I gain from these years?»
Oleg was silent. For the first time, he saw her like this—not just angry or tired, but truly broken. And somewhere deep inside, he understood: she was right.
«I don’t want to lose you,» he finally said.
«And I don’t want to lose myself,» Darya replied without turning around. «I don’t want to become a woman who’s afraid to say one word too many. I don’t want to come home every day to a place where I’m not valued.»
She turned toward him.
«You have a choice, Oleg. Either you really change—find a job, start respecting me, stop commanding. Or we part ways. Right now.»
«Right now?» he asked, bewildered.
«Yes,» she nodded. «I can’t go on like this. And I won’t.»
Oleg slowly sank onto the couch, burying his face in his hands. Only now did he realize: he might lose her. For real. And the thought terrified him more than anything.
«I… I’ll try to change,» he finally said. «Honestly.»
«Don’t promise,» Darya shook her head. «Prove it. With actions. Because I’ve heard enough words.»
She headed to the bedroom but stopped at the door.
«And remember, Oleg. Don’t you dare shout at me again. I’m not a little girl you can scare. And I won’t be your servant, running to fulfill your every whim. Never.»
The door closed. The room fell silent. Oleg sat there, staring at the floor. He understood: something had broken today. Something important. And now it was up to him—whether this would be the beginning of a new path or the end of their story.
