The country house stood on a hilltop, among centuries-old pines. Yulia stopped the car by the gate and sat for several minutes just admiring the beauty. Sunlight filtered through the needles, filling the yard with soft light and the scent of resin. The house Yulia had dreamed of for so many years was finally becoming a reality.
«Well, are we here?» Anton stretched, loosening his stiff back. «Come on, hurry up already, how long can we sit?»
Yulia suppressed a sigh. Her husband had not been in a good mood for the past few months. Two months ago, Anton lost his job, and since then, a strange tension had appeared in their relationship.
«Let’s go, don’t rush me,» Yulia took the bag with documents. «Today is the last day for the inspection before the deal. After this, there’s no turning back.»
Anton silently got out of the car and headed toward the house. He had always actively supported the idea of buying a country home, although the mortgage was only in Yulia’s name. Her income as a department head in a large company made it possible without much trouble.
The realtor Marina was already waiting near the house, nervously tapping her heels on the path.
«Hello, Yulia,» Marina extended her hand for a greeting. «I’ve already brought all the documents inside. We can look at the house one last time, and tomorrow all you have to do is come to the office to sign.»
Yulia nodded. The amount of ten million rubles seemed huge, but the house was worth it. Two-story, with a terrace and a stunning view of the forest, and its own small pond on the property.
«Ten million…» Anton muttered, looking over the house. «And how many years will we be paying it off?»
«Fifteen years,» Yulia replied. «But with my bonuses, I think we can manage it faster.»
«With your bonuses,» Anton emphasized the word strangely.
Yulia said nothing. Her husband had promised he would «find a job soon,» but so far, it was all talk. No, he was not completely idle—he took care of household chores, sometimes cooked dinner, did minor repairs. But for a man who had recently held a serious position, this situation was clearly humiliating.
The week after the purchase flew by in pleasant preparations—Yulia ordered furniture, planned the layout, studied appliance catalogs. Anton meanwhile took care of minor yard work, clearing paths, trimming branches.
A call from her mother-in-law interrupted her shopping list.
«Yulenka, dear, we’re so happy for you!» Nina Sergeyevna’s voice always sounded too loud on the phone. «I decided to give you a housewarming gift.»
«Thank you, Nina Sergeyevna, but you shouldn’t…»
«I don’t want to hear any excuses!» her mother-in-law interrupted. «I transferred one hundred and fifty thousand rubles to your card. That’s for furniture, kids. Let the house be cozy!»
Yulia blinked in surprise. The sum was substantial, although insignificant compared to the cost of the house. It would be strange to refuse.
«Thank you, Nina Sergeyevna. That’s very generous.»
«It’s nothing, nothing, it’s all yours with Antosha,» the mother-in-law chirped happily and hung up.
In the evening, Yulia told her husband about the call.
«Mom wants everything to be good for us,» Anton said, and for the first time in a long while, warmth appeared in his voice. «Let’s buy a good kitchen, you’ve always wanted a German one.»
Yulia nodded, but something worried her.
«Listen, I remember correctly, your mom knows the house is in my name? That was important for the bank—and it’s not up for discussion.»
Anton frowned.
«What does that have to do with anything? It’s just a housewarming gift.»
«Alright, just clarifying. I don’t want any misunderstandings later.»
Anton shrugged and went to another room, slamming the door.
Months passed. Yulia spent more and more time at work, often staying late and spending the night in the city apartment instead of going out of town. An invisible but palpable crack formed between the spouses.
The house was almost fully furnished. Yulia ordered the kitchen, bought a soft sofa for the living room, and a dining table. The mother-in-law’s money went to good use, and Yulia sent photos of the new kitchen to report.
Anton took care of the house, to his credit. But every day he became more irritable. He criticized Yulia for being constantly busy, for her «coldness,» for «only thinking about work.»
«Do you even remember you’re married?» Anton once snapped one evening when Yulia came home late from work. «We hardly see each other.»
«And do you remember we have to pay the mortgage?» Yulia retorted. «Ten million rubles won’t pay themselves.»
«What does that have to do with anything? We could live simpler, but at least together.»
«Seriously?» Yulia smirked. «That just came from a man who hasn’t found a job in a year.»
After this quarrel, their relationship became even colder. Yulia increasingly caught herself thinking about divorce. Something in their relationship had irreparably spoiled, and attempts to restore communication only made things worse.
One weekday, while Yulia was working from home, the phone rang. The screen showed her mother-in-law’s number.
«Yulia, dear, how are you?» Nina Sergeyevna’s voice sounded unusually tense.
«Everything is fine, thank you,» Yulia answered cautiously. «What’s wrong?»
«Nothing special, just checking in. Anton says you’re always at work.»
«I have a responsible position, you know that.»
«Yes, yes, of course…» Nina Sergeyevna paused. «Yulia, I wanted to ask… We built this house together, didn’t we? You won’t forget who helped?»
Yulia froze. What does «built together» mean? Where does this strange phrase come from?
«Excuse me, Nina Sergeyevna, but what do you mean? You gave us money for furniture, and we are very grateful, but…»
«Oh, don’t be so serious!» the mother-in-law laughed. «I just said that. Alright, bye, dear!»
Yulia hung up, but the uneasy feeling remained. Something was wrong.
A week later, on Saturday, Yulia arrived at the house after a business meeting. She parked the car and was surprised to see an unfamiliar car near the house. Expensive, executive class. Who could it be?
The front door was unlocked. Voices came from the living room. Yulia cautiously entered and froze on the threshold. Sitting at the table were Anton, Nina Sergeyevna, and an unfamiliar man in a formal suit. Papers were spread before them.
«Yulia!» Anton jumped up. «We didn’t expect you so early.»
«Clearly,» Yulia replied coldly. «What’s going on?»
The man in the suit stood and extended his hand.
«Good afternoon, Yulia. I am Konstantin Vasilyevich, the lawyer for the Kravtsov family.»
«What lawyer?» Yulia glanced from the man to her mother-in-law. «Nina Sergeyevna, what’s happening?»
Her mother-in-law straightened up and said with a triumphant look:
«We’ve decided the house must be divided. I have a share—I invested one hundred and fifty thousand. The lawyer will confirm.»
Yulia felt her insides tighten with anger and distrust.
«You gave one hundred and fifty thousand, and the house is worth ten million. Do you really think that gives you the right to half?» Yulia said calmly.
Nina Sergeyevna pursed her lips, and the lawyer awkwardly cleared his throat, shuffling papers on the table.
«Technical assistance in acquiring real estate can be considered by the court as grounds for shared ownership rights,» Konstantin Vasilyevich began, but somewhat uncertainly.
Yulia silently walked to her bag, took out a folder with documents, and returned to the table. Without a word, she pulled out the purchase agreement, mortgage contract, and an extract from the Unified State Register of Real Estate. Yulia carefully laid the documents before the lawyer.
«Please,» Yulia indicated the papers. «Look carefully. The house is registered solely in my name. The mortgage is in my name. All payments come from my account. Where do you see any grounds for shared ownership here?»
Anton frowned but kept silent, avoiding looking at his wife. His fingers nervously tapped the tabletop.
The lawyer put on glasses and began carefully reviewing the documents, occasionally making notes in his notebook. The atmosphere in the room grew increasingly tense.
«I am not doing this for myself!» suddenly exclaimed Nina Sergeyevna, breaking the silence. «I’m doing it for my son! We’re family! Can you treat your relatives this way?»
«Relatives don’t arrange such meetings behind one’s back,» Yulia noted without raising her voice. «And don’t try to claim what doesn’t belong to them.»
The lawyer cleared his throat and looked up from the papers.
«I need to clarify the extent of your claims, Nina Sergeyevna. As I understand it, this concerns the amount of one hundred and fifty thousand rubles? Are there any documents confirming that these funds were transferred for the purpose of acquiring shared ownership?»
Yulia opened the banking app on her phone and showed the statement.
«Here is the transfer from Nina Sergeyevna,» Yulia turned the screen to the lawyer. «One hundred and fifty thousand, purpose of payment ‘For housewarming. Gift.’ No word about shared ownership, no gift deeds, no receipts. Just a normal gift from a mother-in-law.»
Konstantin Vasilyevich rubbed the bridge of his nose.
«You know, Nina Sergeyevna, I see significant problems justifying your claims. In this situation—»
«What do you understand!» the mother-in-law suddenly raised her voice, slamming her palm on the table. «We pulled this girl out of the dirt! Everything she has is thanks to my son! Anton! Tell her! Tell her this is our common house!»
Anton finally looked up.
«Yulia, maybe we can discuss this calmly? Without lawyers and scandals? Mom is just worried about me…»
Yulia slowly stood, straightened her back, and looked straight into her mother-in-law’s eyes.
«Your son hasn’t worked for a year and a half. The house was bought with my money, registered in my name, and I maintain it too. Mortgage payments are a quarter of my salary every month. It’s time to accept reality, Nina Sergeyevna.»
Anton jumped up from the chair.
«Here we go again! You reduce everything to money!» he tried to smile and turn the conversation into a joke. «Yul, you understand that mom just cares about us. We’re family, we’ll figure it out…»
«And I filed for divorce,» Yulia calmly added. «The application is already at the registry office. So please, vacate the house. It’s private property.»
The lawyer awkwardly began gathering papers, avoiding looking at the participants in the conflict. Anton stood in the middle of the room, not knowing where to put himself.
«Divorce?» he asked again. «But why?»
«Because you constantly lie to me. Lie that you’re looking for a job. Lie that you support me. But in reality, you’re conspiring with your mother behind my back to take what doesn’t belong to you.»
Nina Sergeyevna abruptly stood up, grabbed her bag, and headed for the door. At the door, she turned around:
«Everything will be forgotten—and you’ll be alone! With this house, but alone! Think if it’s worth it!»
Yulia looked straight into her mother-in-law’s eyes without looking away.
«Better alone than with those who think they bought me for one hundred and fifty thousand.»
Nina Sergeyevna snorted and left, slamming the door. The lawyer followed her, mumbling apologies. Anton stood in the middle of the room, not knowing what to do.
«And now what?» the husband asked after a long pause.
«Now you pack your things and go to your mother,» Yulia replied. «Next week we need to sign documents at the registry office.»
«I thought we were going to try to save the marriage,» Anton tried to take Yulia’s hand.
«And I thought my husband wouldn’t try to take the house from me using his mother,» Yulia pushed him away. «Pack your things, Anton. I’ll wait on the veranda while you finish.»
Yulia went out to the veranda into the warmth of the fading summer day. The sun was already setting, painting the tops of the pines with golden light. The silence and peace of this place always calmed her. Even now, after such a scene, Yulia felt the tension gradually release.
After half an hour, the door creaked. Anton came out with two large bags.
«I packed everything,» the husband said quietly. «I’ll leave the keys here.»
Yulia nodded without turning.
«You do understand that your mother went too far?» Anton tried to explain. «It wasn’t my idea.»
«Then whose was it?» Yulia turned and looked at her husband. «Who told your mother the house could be divided? Who complained about me all this time? Who hasn’t found a job for a year and a half, preferring to live at my expense?»
Anton lowered his eyes.
«We can fix everything,» he said uncertainly.
«No,» Yulia shook her head. «No more. I saw your true face. And your mother’s. Now go.»
Anton stood for a moment as if about to say something, then turned and left. A minute later, Yulia heard the engine start and her husband’s car slowly drove away.
A week passed. Yulia sat on the veranda with her laptop and a cup of tea. The evening breeze lightly tousled her hair. The forest around the house stood quiet and majestic, filled with the soft light of the setting sun.
Beyond the fence—silence. No calls from Nina Sergeyevna, no messages from Anton. The divorce went quickly and without extra questions. Anton did not claim any property, understanding the legal hopelessness of such attempts.
Yulia closed her laptop and stretched. For the first time in a long while, she felt calm and some special inner clarity. The mortgage still demanded large monthly payments, the work remained stressful, but Yulia no longer felt used.
The house was hers again. Only hers. And that feeling of freedom was worth all the hardships and trials.
