Alina was reviewing the monthly sales reports. The numbers were pleasing to the eye. The clothing store she had opened three years ago was bringing in a steady income. Alina was proud of her creation—a spacious, bright space in a prime location within the shopping center.
“Alina, I’m off. The meeting is early today,” Dmitry kissed his wife on the cheek and headed for the door.
“Say hi to your mother for me,” Alina replied absentmindedly, without looking up from the papers.
Dmitry froze in the doorway.
“Why should I see her?”
“Didn’t you say she called yesterday? Wanted to discuss something urgent.”
Dmitry shrugged.
“Maybe I forgot. Alright, I’ll call her from work.”
That same evening, Alina’s phone kept ringing. Svetlana Mikhailovna, Dmitry’s mother, was demanding an immediate meeting.
“You have to hire Yulia!” the mother-in-law declared as she stepped into the apartment. “My girl needs to get settled somewhere, and your store is just right.”
Alina suppressed a sigh. Yulia, Dmitry’s younger sister, at twenty-five had already changed three jobs. She never stayed longer than a month anywhere.
“Svetlana Mikhailovna, I don’t have any vacancies right now.”
“Nonsense! Such a big store, and no work for your husband’s own sister?” the mother-in-law pursed her lips. “She could be a sales assistant.”
Dmitry intervened:
“Mom, Alina knows better…”
“Quiet!” cut Svetlana Mikhailovna. “You must help family!”
A week later, Yulia started working. Alina gave her instructions, showed how to operate the cash register, explained customer service rules. Yulia half-listened, constantly distracted by her phone.
In a month, Yulia showed up at the store exactly four times. The first day she was two hours late. The second day she left early, citing a headache. The third day she spent the whole time in the back room, complaining to colleagues about her strict relative.
When payday came, Alina transferred five thousand rubles to her sister-in-law’s card—exactly the amount corresponding to the hours she had actually worked.
The next morning, there was a loud knock at the apartment door. Svetlana Mikhailovna stood there, furious.
“Where is my daughter’s salary?!” the mother-in-law shouted before stepping inside. “What kind of pennies did you transfer to her?!”
Alina crossed her arms. The mother-in-law’s yelling no longer frightened her.
“Yulia was at the store only three times, Svetlana Mikhailovna. Five thousand is for the hours worked. On the last day, she left for lunch and never came back. So the salary matches.”
Svetlana Mikhailovna turned beet red.
“We didn’t agree on this! My girl had it hard! She’s not used to this kind of work!”
“What kind?” Alina raised an eyebrow. “The kind where you actually have to show up at work?”
“Don’t sass me!” the mother-in-law stomped her foot like a spoiled child. “You own the store! You can just pay her whatever you want! She’s your sister-in-law!”
Svetlana Mikhailovna slammed her fist against the wall as if trying to prove her point. The neighbors were probably enjoying the free show.
“I won’t pay for work that wasn’t done,” Alina said firmly. “This is business, not a charity.”
“You care more about money than family!” Svetlana Mikhailovna switched tactics. “You think I don’t know how much your store makes? Dmitry tells me!”
Alina glanced quickly toward the room where her husband had disappeared when his mother appeared. A traitor.
“When Yulia starts working for real, she’ll get full pay.”
“No one will work for those crumbs!” the mother-in-law turned toward the exit. “Greed never leads to anything good! Remember my words!”
The door slammed so hard the chandelier trembled.
That evening Dmitry cautiously asked how she was.
“Your mother put on a circus,” Alina replied tiredly. “And you hid again.”
“Alina, you could be a bit softer,” her husband sighed. “She’s still an older woman.”
“Older?!” Alina snorted. “Your mother is fifty-three! And don’t defend a lazy sister.”
“I’m not defending her, just…”
“Just what?” Alina interrupted. “I’m not going to give in. Not to your mother, not to your sister. Period.”
For three days, the house was relatively calm. Dmitry stopped bringing up his sister’s failed job placement. Alina immersed herself in work.
On the fourth day, someone rang the doorbell. Alina opened it and stared in surprise at her transformed mother-in-law. Svetlana Mikhailovna looked unusually well-groomed—hair styled, makeup neat, clothes ironed. She held a bag of pastries and a sheet of paper.
“May I come in?” the mother-in-law asked softly, without raising her voice.
Alina hesitated, then nodded and stepped aside. The unfamiliar friendliness was more unsettling than the usual yelling.
Svetlana Mikhailovna went to the kitchen and placed the bag on the table.
“This is for you and Dima, for tea. I baked it myself,” she smiled and sat down. “Will you put on the kettle?”
While Alina prepared the tea, her mother-in-law talked about her garden plot and a new compote recipe. Not a word about Yulia or any hint of the previous scandal. Alina couldn’t believe her ears.
“Svetlana Mikhailovna, did something happen?” she finally asked, placing a cup in front of her.
She sipped tea and looked kindly at her daughter-in-law.
“Alinochka, I’ve thought a lot. You were right about Yulia. She really needs to grow up,” the mother-in-law sighed. “I talked to her. She admitted she’d been irresponsible.”
The tension of recent days began to ease.
“I’m glad you understood my position,” Alina said cautiously.
“Of course, dear!” Svetlana Mikhailovna patted Alina’s hand. “I understand now that you can’t help Yulia with work.”
Her smile grew wider. She pulled out a sheet of paper folded into quarters and carefully smoothed it on the table.
“But you can still be useful to the family!” Svetlana Mikhailovna slid the paper toward Alina. “Here’s a list. Items you’ll sell from your store at a 90% discount for my friends. You don’t mind, do you?”
Alina took the paper and skimmed the lines. She froze, reread it. A leather jacket from an Italian brand, a designer dress from the last show, shoes her manager had been hunting for two months. A list of twenty items, each an exclusive or a bestseller.
“Svetlana Mikhailovna, these items are worth over three hundred thousand,” Alina put the list on the table. “Why should I sell them at ten percent of their price?”
The mother-in-law sipped tea and set the cup down with a delicate clink.
“If you couldn’t help Yulia, at least help my friends,” she shrugged as if explaining obvious truths to a clueless child. “You should be of some use.”
“Use? You think I should ruin my own business for your friends?”
“Don’t dramatize!” Svetlana Mikhailovna waved her hand. “What ruin? You still sell things with a markup. You’ll just earn a bit less.”
“A ninety percent discount is not ‘a bit less,'” Alina folded the list in half and returned it. “I can’t do that.”
Svetlana Mikhailovna’s face instantly changed. The sweet smile vanished, replaced by familiar irritation.
“Can’t or won’t?” she leaned forward. “Your son married a real miser! I always knew it!”
“What does greed have to do with it? This is business!” Alina stood up from the table. “I’m not a charity for your friends!”
“Who needs your flea market!” the mother-in-law stood too, knocking over the cup. Tea spilled onto the tablecloth. “All you know is how to count money!”
“You need my ‘flea market’ to clothe all your friends for pennies,” Alina crossed her arms. “Better teach your daughter how to work!”
Svetlana Mikhailovna turned red.
“Don’t you dare talk about Yulia! She’s a talented girl; she just needs to find herself! And you!” She pointed at Alina. “Your little store will close in six months! You probably have debts! And you lie about sky-high profits!”
“What?!” Alina was stunned. “I have no debts!”
“That’s what I thought!” the mother-in-law smirked triumphantly. “If you don’t help my friends, I’ll tell everyone your business is on the verge of collapse!”
“Get out of my house,” Alina said quietly but firmly. “I’m done hiring anyone or selling things at a discount. And if your friends come to the store demanding discounts, I’ll charge them double!”
“How dare you!” Svetlana Mikhailovna screeched. “Dima will hear how you talk to me!”
“Let him,” Alina walked to the front door and flung it open. “Get out.”
“You’ll regret this!” the mother-in-law grabbed her bag. “I’ll tell everyone what you’re really like… I’ll give you such publicity—no one will come to your store.”
Alina slammed the door in her face, cutting off the torrent of insults. Her legs trembled. She returned to the kitchen, brewed chamomile tea, and sank into a chair.
Her hands shook as she raised the cup to her lips. The hot drink burned her tongue, but she barely noticed. Thoughts swirled heavily in her head. She knew she shouldn’t mix business with family, but she hadn’t expected it to go this far.
That evening the front door slammed—Dmitry returned. He entered the kitchen and froze in the doorway, looking at his wife.
“Mom called,” he began. “She said you kicked her out.”
“Exactly,” Alina looked up. “After she demanded I sell her friends’ items at a ninety percent discount.”
“Maybe you should have refused more gently?” Dmitry sat opposite her. “She is still…”
“Your mother, yes,” Alina cut in. “And what now? Should I ruin myself for her whims?”
“No one’s talking about ruin,” her husband rubbed his eyes tiredly. “Just give a little…”
“Do you think what she demands is normal?” Alina raised her voice. “First hire a daughter who doesn’t show up. Then discounts for friends!”
“Don’t shout,” Dmitry grimaced. “She just…”
“Is meddling where she shouldn’t!” Alina said.
She went to the bedroom, slamming the door loudly.
That night they went to bed facing away from each other. The week passed in painful silence. Alina left early for work and returned late. Dmitry stayed late at the office. They barely crossed paths.
On Friday evening, Alina heard the front door open. Dmitry entered the living room carrying a huge bouquet of white roses.
“Alina,” he knelt before the sofa where his wife sat. “Forgive me. I understand now. Mom was wrong. I talked to her—she won’t interfere in your business anymore.”
Alina carefully accepted the flowers, looking at her husband’s repentant face. The saga with the irresponsible sister-in-law and demanding mother-in-law taught Alina one thing—to firmly defend the boundaries of her business, even if it involved family. And she realized her husband was capable of admitting his mistakes, which gave her hope.
