«Alyna, don’t plan anything for Saturday…” her husband, Ivan Petrovich, pushed his plate aside and, without looking at his wife, added: “I’ve invited some colleagues. We’ll show them the new house. We’ll have a housewarming.”
Alyna, standing by the stove, turned around and looked at her husband in surprise.
“Colleagues? To our house? You’ve decided this now? Or are you just telling me?”
“Oh, what are you starting now… I’ve already told everyone at work. Since we bought the house, they should see it. They’ll see how we live. They’re simple folks, they’ll be interested. We’re not worse than anyone else, right? Now I’m not ashamed to invite guests. Just don’t let me down: organize everything like a pro. I want to have a good reputation at work, for my colleagues to respect me.”
Alyna shook her head. Her husband was almost 50 years old, and he still thought that respect could be earned through expensive things.
Ivan Petrovich got his new position through his mother-in-law. Thanks to her connections. The colleagues accepted him coldly: “just a relative.” Relations with coworkers were strained, and Ivan suffered from it. Perhaps that’s why he wanted so badly to improve those relationships. To appear better than he was.
Despite the strained relations with his colleagues, Ivan felt like an important person at work. And he felt even more important when someone asked him about the move.
“I heard you bought a house with your wife?” one colleague, a family friend of his wife, asked during lunch.
“Yeah, that’s true,” Ivan grinned proudly. The cleaner overheard the conversation, and within an hour, the whole office was congratulating Ivan on his new acquisition.
Now Ivan felt like the star of the office news and eagerly shared updates on how the renovation was going and how incompetent the builders were.
Every day he added something new to the story about the house. One day it was about a stained-glass window, the next day it was about the built-in fireplace, which he personally chose. He boasted that he insisted on having a lawn instead of garden beds: “It’s a hundred square meters! The lawn—just like in Europe, with automatic irrigation, I planned it all!”
His colleagues listened. The men silently envied. The women gave him assessing glances. Especially Pauliina, the new girl from the marketing department. Slim, tanned, young. She laughed at every one of Ivan’s jokes, even if they weren’t funny. She touched his hand when she “accidentally” walked by. She often stayed in his office “for clarification on work matters.”
Ivan felt like the alpha male.
“Finally, life is working out,” he thought. “I should get a new car too, this old one is embarrassing to take my doll home in…”
But Ivan didn’t have money for a new car, and he was thinking about taking a loan, but his wife didn’t approve:
“Let’s finish the house renovation first. We don’t have the money. Your car is still running, and it’s not that old, it’s from 2018. So drive it,” Alyna said firmly.
“Well, you’ve turned into such a bore,” Ivan muttered. For some reason, at that moment, he thought a young colleague would look better at the stove, holding a potted plant. In a little apron, or maybe even in a maid’s uniform.
“Ivan! What are you dreaming about?!” Alyna stood in the middle of the kitchen, her fists on her hips. “I’m asking, who’s going to take my mom to the MRI?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I’m swamped. Take her yourself. Or call a taxi.”
“I’ll tell her that her son shifted his responsibilities onto others.”
“Wait, you mean my mom has to go to the MRI?”
“Yes! Yours! She can barely walk this week! Ivan, what’s wrong with you?! Are you even hearing me?”
“Alright, I’ll cancel my meeting tomorrow. I’ll take her,” he muttered, thinking he’d have to postpone his business lunch with Pauliina. And she was so eager to try a Spanish latte…
With his mother-in-law’s illness, Ivan became even more jittery and tense. But there was one thing that still cheered him up—thoughts of his young colleague.
“I wonder if Pauliina would appreciate this chandelier? Or the jacuzzi bath?” he thought as he arrived at the new house with his wife.
Alyna was making adjustments to the workers’ tasks, supervising everything “from start to finish.” Meanwhile, Ivan dreamed, not forgetting to boast to his “friends” at work.
“I planted trees, built the house… now all that’s left is to have a son… because we only have a daughter,” he winked at Pauliina, leaning on the table.
“Ivan Petrovich, maybe we’ll come visit you? When will your long renovation be over?” Pauliina playfully asked, as Ivan once again went on about the wonderful fir trees planted outside the house. “I’d love to see how real men with good taste live.”
“I’m inviting you!” he said without hesitation.
“Really? I’ll come.”
The cleaner overheard the conversation. And within 10 minutes, gossip spread throughout the office that Ivan Petrovich had invited Pauliina to his housewarming.
“So, you and your wife are inviting all of us, right?” one of the colleagues asked slyly. Ivan had no choice but to nod. If Alyna found out about Pauliina, nothing good would come of it. But this way… no one would suspect anything.
“I’m inviting everyone to the housewarming,” he nodded. “You’ll see how I’ve settled in. The house is a sight! Of course, my wife’s involved, but the whole concept was mine. I said, and we did it.”
“And your wife isn’t upset that you’re inviting us?”
Ivan smirked.
“She’s not upset. She likes it when people admire me.”
Ivan thought long and hard about whether he should tell his wife that colleagues had been invited to the house. But then he decided he couldn’t manage on his own, and the tables needed to be set.
The day before the weekend, he casually mentioned the plans.
“Guests are coming. Make sure everything’s perfect. I don’t want to be embarrassed.”
His wife’s response shocked him.
“Sweetheart, your guests are your responsibility. You organize everything.”
“Well, I’m terrible at this… How am I supposed to do it? You’re the wife.”
“Since you decided to invite guests without telling me, you must be capable of deciding how to welcome them. I already have plans for Saturday. Your mother needs to be visited in the hospital.”
“Wait, she’s… I’ll go on Friday.”
“She has surgery on Friday. You’re not needed there. But you’ll be very useful on Saturday.”
“I can’t cancel the guests.”
“In that case, you organize everything yourself.”
Alyna left for the bedroom and started thinking.
She knew her husband wouldn’t change his mind, but upbringing wouldn’t allow her to leave everything to him. She had scared him a little, but in the afternoon, she busied herself with the house: tidying up, laying out the newly bought blanket on the couch, arranging vases with flowers—adding those final touches to their interior like an artist.
“Alyna, listen… If anything, don’t go into too much detail, alright? About the decoration, about how we bought it. Let’s just say the house is a joint effort. We decided together, we chose together.”
Alyna raised an eyebrow.
“Why the sudden request?”
“I don’t want people to start talking, like I’m living off you. You know how men are… and women too. They’re envious. Let them think I’m a man with a dowry, understand?”
“With a dowry?” Alyna looked at him for a long time, intently. “Are you seriously planning to marry me? Because the dowry isn’t yours. Go check the grill, make sure the coals are ready.”
When her husband left, Alyna sat on the couch and looked out the window.
“Maybe I shouldn’t go to the hospital tomorrow? Maybe I should stay at home and see what kind of colleagues my husband has?”
Her mother-in-law’s surgery was postponed. It wasn’t necessary to go, so Alyna stayed home with a clear conscience.
On Saturday morning, Alyna buzzed around like a squirrel: salads, meat, drinks, dishes. Ivan, in his bathrobe, lazily shifted from one foot to the other, glancing at his wife. Only by the evening, after changing into his clothes, did he start walking around the house with the attitude of “Look, this is how we do it now.”
The guests arrived around five. The ladies from the accounting department, the men from sales and procurement, a few colleagues from distribution, the deputy director, and the bosses—all came to honor Ivan Petrovich. And of course… Pauliina.
In high heels, in a tight dress. With red lipstick on her “fish lips.”
Alyna immediately noticed that this guest was clearly not one of the “just colleagues.” Too confident a step, too revealing a dress, and too much attention to the details of the interior. She only asked for wine from the more expensive bottle. Only wanted the better-tasting food. Her eyes darted around the house like a realtor showing a house.
Laughter, conversations, the clink of glasses. The colleagues praised the house, the food, and praised Ivan for his “taste” and “scale.” And he just kept giving orders:
“Alyna, bring more wine! Alyna, run and check how the meat is doing. Alyna, bring the napkins!”
And Alyna ran. Ran and thought, “One more request and I’ll throw these napkins in his face.”
“What a pool you have!” Pauliina exclaimed. “Just like on the cover of a magazine.”
“Yes, yes, I personally approved the layout,” Ivan lied without blinking. “Come on, I’ll show you everything.”
He saw his wife engaged in conversation with one of the guests and seized the moment to show Pauliina the luxury as it was.
“I’ll be happy to see everything, Ivan Petrovich! I’m ready!” Pauliina stuck out her chest and headed toward the bedroom.
“You’re going straight there?” Ivan Petrovich was taken aback by this statement.
“Well, you invited me…”
“Well, let’s go…” At that moment, the Doberman, Persik, came out of the bedroom. He showed his large fangs and growled, scaring Pauliina.
“Oh!”
“Don’t be afraid… He’s almost harmless. But let’s go, I’ll show you the living room.”
Ivan didn’t know what to expect from the dog. Alyna had brought him in a couple of months ago, taking him from a friend for temporary care. She had begged her because there was no one else to leave him with during her long trip.
Alyna was just showing one of the guests the bathroom when she heard their voices and Persik growling. She went into the hallway and caught her husband with Pauliina in the library area.
“That’s our library. And a reading area. I personally designed it—to relax after work. With a little book. There will be a winter garden, big windows for reading under the moonlight.”
“Wow!” Pauliina giggled. “Ivan Petrovich, you’re a romantic! What’s the last book you read?”
Alyna entered the room just as Ivan was about to answer. She stood in the doorway, hands on her hips.
“He read the toilet paper packaging. That’s the latest,” she said calmly. “And in general, I made this space for myself. And for Persik,” she pointed to the Doberman, who had come behind her and happily showed his fangs again. “He doesn’t like strangers. The previous owner brought his lover—then they had to stitch her up.”
Pauliina turned pale.
“I think I’ll go to the others. I heard they’re waiting for dessert.”
“Good decision. And Ivan will help me now. I’m tired of running around, chasing away flies… from my own dessert!” Alyna added, giving her husband a nod to leave.
Suddenly, everything became clear to Alyna. Everything fell into place. The request not to talk about the house decoration. The sudden desire for a housewarming. The special behavior of one of the guests. The looks, the intonations. It all came together in a neat, unpleasant picture.
In the kitchen, Alyna closed the door, turned around, and calmly asked:
“So, you decided to bring your mistress home?”
“Are you crazy? Just a colleague. But what are you doing?” Ivan hissed. “I’m building relationships with people, and you act like you’re on the market!”
“And who are you building relationships with, Ivan? With colleagues or… with someone specific?”
“Are you jealous? Nonsense!”
“No, Ivan. I’m not jealous. Just reminding you that this house, which you’re so proud of, is in my name. All of it. And I gave you the ‘master’ status. But if you keep inviting people like Pauliina here, please warn me. Or better yet—don’t forget who the real boss is. Otherwise, it will be like with my friend’s husband. Persik doesn’t tolerate strangers.”
“I just wanted to be respected at work!”
“Respect is earned not by showiness, but by honesty. And as long as you flirt with Pauliina in front of your living wife, you’re not a man, Ivan. You’re an actor in a cheap play.”
After that evening, the colleagues exchanged glances. Pauliina left early. The others stayed a little longer but could feel the atmosphere had changed. Soon, the guests started to leave, and everyone thanked the hostess. Only a few thanked Ivan. Everyone understood who the real boss was without a word.
From Monday on, Ivan was treated differently at the office. The same way they treated him when he first came. With distrust and bias. Someone even dropped:
“You know, Ivan Petrovich, your wife is awesome. She’ll outshine all the young girls.”
Ivan just silently stared at the monitor, repeating one sentence Alyna had said in his head:
“This house is mine. And the status you’ve created for yourself here is just your imagination. If you want a divorce, go. But don’t count on any of the property. It’s all mine.”
And indeed, Alyna had bought the house with money from selling her grandmother’s house, which she inherited, and added funds from selling a share of her business. All the paperwork was handled by Alyna’s lawyer, and at her insistence, the property was initially registered in her mother’s name, and then a deed of gift was made for Alyna. Ivan hadn’t even appeared at the notary’s office, claiming he had an emergency. He didn’t know the details of the transaction, assuming the house was just “jointly owned,” as pre-marital property. But soon, Ivan realized who the real boss was in the house. He began to behave more respectfully toward his wife and forgot about any Pauliinas.
“Better with my old wife in a new house than with a young wife in a shack,” he decided after that housewarming.
