— I thought we had discussed everything, Nikita! — Kristina crossed her arms and leaned her hip against the kitchen table. — Your daughter visits, but she does not live with us!
— She’ll just stay for a couple of days! — Nikita didn’t look her in the eyes, instead burying his face in his phone. — She’s having a conflict with her mother!
— Like always! — Kristina snorted. — Vika has an eternal conflict with Lena, and for some reason, it has to be solved in my house!
— Our house! — Nikita corrected her, finally looking up. — And she is my daughter, don’t forget!
Kristina sighed, pouring herself some coffee. Every such conversation ended the same way: a reminder that Vika was his daughter. As if she could forget.
Three years ago, when they first met, Nikita seemed like a reasonable man who had handled his divorce with dignity, maintained good relations with his ex-wife, and regularly saw his daughter. The perfect man for a woman who had lost her husband two years earlier. After her first husband died, Kristina never thought she would remarry, but Nikita managed to thaw the ice around her heart. Or so she thought.
The first months of living together were blissful. Vika occasionally came for dinner, seemed like a polite girl, and was courteous to Kristina. They even found common topics: music, movies, fashion. Kristina secretly rejoiced that a warm relationship was forming between her and her husband’s daughter.
Everything changed two months ago, when Vika started coming more often, staying overnight, then for weekends. Kristina began noticing the girl acting like the owner in their apartment: leaving things scattered, not cleaning the dishes, playing music at full volume.
— When will you be back today? — Kristina asked, watching her husband get ready for work. — We need to seriously talk about Vika!
— Don’t start! — Nikita irritably buttoned his jacket. — I have an important meeting today! I’ll be late!
— Of course! — Kristina smiled bitterly. — When it comes to Vika, you always have important meetings!
Nikita kissed her silently on the cheek and left. Kristina stayed alone in the apartment that felt less and less like her home.
In the evening, when she returned from work, there was a huge suitcase in the hallway, and Vika’s laughter came from the living room. Kristina froze at the door, unable to believe her eyes.
— Hi! — Vika smiled brightly, peeking out of the room. — Dad and I ordered dinner! You want some?
Kristina slowly took off her coat without taking her eyes off the suitcase.
— What’s this? — she nodded toward the luggage.
— Oh, that? — Vika waved carelessly. — My stuff! I decided to live with you for a bit! Mom has completely lost it with her rules! I’m already grown up, I’m sixteen! And she treats me like a little kid!
— Vika, we didn’t discuss this… — Kristina started, but Nikita came out of the kitchen and interrupted her.
— Kristina, can we talk? — He nodded toward the bedroom.
In the bedroom, Kristina immediately went on the offensive:
— You let her move in without discussing it with me?
— She had a fight with Lena! — Nikita looked guilty but resolute. — She has nowhere to go!
— She has a mother and a home! — Kristina tried to speak quietly but firmly. — You can’t just move in when you argue with a parent!
— Kristina… — Nikita took her hands. — It’s temporary! Lena is going on a business trip for two months, and she doesn’t want to leave Vika alone! Her mother will watch over her, but you know how Vika gets along with grandma!
— Two months? — Kristina pulled her hands away. — You were going to have your daughter live in our house for two months and didn’t even think to discuss it with me?
— I was going to! — Nikita tried to justify himself. — There just wasn’t the right moment!
Kristina silently looked at her husband, feeling anxiety rise inside her. This man, with whom she had lived for three years, suddenly seemed completely strange.
— Fine! — she finally said. — Let her stay! Temporarily! We’ll see how it goes!
Nikita beamed and hugged her.
— Thanks! You’ll see, everything will be fine! You get along well!
Kristina nodded uncertainly, not sharing his optimism. Her intuition told her this decision would change everything. And, as it turned out later, she was right…
The first week of living together went relatively smoothly. Vika cleaned up after herself, helped cook, and even went grocery shopping a couple of times. Kristina began thinking maybe her fears were unfounded. But on the tenth day, everything changed.
Getting ready for work, Kristina couldn’t find her lipstick. She clearly remembered leaving it on the dressing table the night before, but now it was gone. Deciding she probably misplaced it herself, Kristina took another and rushed to work.
Returning in the evening, she found Vika in the living room. The girl sat with her feet on the coffee table, watching a series at maximum volume. But what caught Kristina’s attention wasn’t that — the missing lipstick was on the stepdaughter’s lips.
— Vika, is this my lipstick? — Kristina tried to speak calmly.
— Oh, yeah! — Vika didn’t even look her way. — I forgot mine at home! Hope you don’t mind!
— Actually, I do! — Kristina stepped closer. — I was looking for it this morning! Why didn’t you ask?
— It’s just lipstick! — Vika rolled her eyes. — Don’t be stingy!
Kristina took a deep breath, trying to hold back irritation.
— It’s not about stinginess but respect! Don’t take my things without asking!
— Okay, okay! — Vika casually wiped her lips with the back of her hand. — Take your precious thing back!
That evening, Kristina told Nikita everything, but he just shrugged:
— She apologized! What more do you want?
— She didn’t apologize, Nikita! And it’s not about the lipstick, it’s about her attitude!
— You just have similar tastes! — Nikita smiled as if that explained everything. — You’re both women, you like nice things!
Kristina didn’t continue the conversation, realizing her husband wasn’t listening. But the lipstick incident was just the beginning.
A few days later, Kristina found her designer jeans in the laundry basket — wrinkled, with a coffee stain on the thigh. She was sure she hadn’t worn them lately. Two blouses were missing from the closet, and her favorite perfume disappeared from the bathroom.
— Nikita, we need to talk about Vika! — Kristina said when they were alone. — She constantly takes my things without asking and returns them damaged! If she returns them at all!
— Are you sure it’s her? — Nikita looked skeptical. — Maybe you just forgot where you put them?
— I saw her wearing my clothes! — Kristina was losing patience. — And she doesn’t even deny it!
— She’s growing up; she wants to look older! Prettier! — Nikita raised his hands defensively. — I’ll talk to her!
But the situation only worsened. Once, returning home early from work, Kristina caught Vika in her bedroom trying on her expensive dress and jewelry in front of the mirror.
— What are you doing? — Kristina exclaimed, not believing her eyes.
Vika didn’t even flinch.
— Trying it on! I need something cool for Sasha’s birthday!
— Take it off immediately! — Kristina approached. — That dress costs more than all your things combined! And who is Sasha?
— My boyfriend! — Vika reluctantly began unbuttoning the dress. — What’s the big deal? I wouldn’t ruin it!
— That’s not the point! — Kristina took the dress away. — We already talked about not taking other people’s things without permission! And you went through my closet, my jewelry box!
— God, you’re so stingy! — Vika grimaced. — Just a couple of rags, what’s the big deal!
That evening Kristina again tried to talk to Nikita, but he waved it off:
— You’re making a mountain out of a molehill! All teenage girls behave like this!
— No, not all! — Kristina objected. — And it’s not normal!
But the real shock was discovering missing money. Kristina always kept some cash in her daily planner for unforeseen expenses. That day she needed to pay for a delivery and found that out of ten thousand rubles, only two thousand remained.
— Nikita, money is missing! — she said in the evening. — Eight thousand rubles!
— Are you sure? — Nikita raised an eyebrow. — Maybe you spent it and forgot?
— No! — Kristina answered firmly. — I haven’t touched that money for a month! And I know exactly how much was there!
— Well, maybe the cleaning lady? — Nikita suggested, clearly avoiding the obvious suspicion.
— The cleaning lady was here two weeks ago, and I checked the money three days ago! — Kristina looked him straight in the eyes. — It’s Vika, and you know it!
— You can’t accuse a child of stealing without proof! — Nikita raised his voice. — That’s a serious accusation!
— A child? — Kristina nervously laughed. — You just said she’s a grown girl when it came to my things! And now suddenly she’s a child?
Kristina realized she was losing control over her own life and home. And worst of all — she was losing respect for her husband, who seemed ready to justify any action of his daughter at the expense of his wife.
The disappearance of gold earrings became the last straw. Kristina noticed they were missing when getting ready for an important business meeting. She turned over her jewelry box, checked all the shelves, looked under the bed. The earrings were nowhere.
These earrings were special — her first husband gave them to her on their wedding anniversary, a month before his sudden death. To Kristina, they were not just jewelry but a memory, a symbol of happy years with her beloved.
She canceled the meeting and spent the day at home searching every corner. By evening, Nikita returned, surprised to find her home during work hours.
— Something happened? — he asked, taking off his jacket.
— My gold earrings are missing! — Kristina looked at him without blinking. — The ones from Maxim!
— Maybe you put them somewhere and forgot? — Nikita suggested the usual version.
— No, Nikita! — Kristina slowly shook her head. — I haven’t worn them for six months! They always lie in the jewelry box, in a small velvet pouch! And now they’re gone!
— And you, of course, think it’s Vika! — Nikita rubbed his face tiredly.
— Don’t you? — Kristina stood up. — After everything that has happened lately, do you have any other theories?
— Listen… — Nikita put his hands on her shoulders. — It’s just earrings! I’ll buy you new ones, even better!
Kristina shook off his hands.
— It’s not about the price, Nikita! It’s a memory of Maxim! His last gift before his death! Do you understand that?
— Of course I do! — Nikita tried to hug her. — We’ll find them, I promise!
Kristina stepped back.
— How? Will you ask Vika?
— Just don’t start accusing her again! — Nikita frowned. — She wouldn’t take something so personal!
At that moment, the front door slammed, and Vika entered. She wore a new top Kristina hadn’t seen before, and… the gold earrings. The very ones.
— Hi, Dad! — Vika threw her backpack on the floor and then noticed Kristina. — Oh, you’re home!
Kristina froze, unable to believe her eyes.
— Take them off! Right now!
— What? — Vika pretended not to understand, but her eyes betrayed her — she knew exactly what she was doing.
— My earrings! — Kristina stepped closer. — Take them off immediately! You had no right to take them!
— Come on! — Vika snorted. — Earrings! You don’t even wear them!
— Because they’re a memory of my late husband! — Kristina clenched her fists. — Take them off right now!
— Stop yelling at her! — Nikita stepped between them. — She didn’t know!
— No, she knew perfectly well! — Kristina went around her husband and stood directly in front of Vika. — You put them on on purpose, didn’t you? You knew what they meant to me and wore them so I would see!
Vika smirked, and that smirk showed Kristina her true face — calculating, evil, vindictive.
— Of course, I knew! — Vika slowly took off one earring. — You only talk about him! Maxim this, Maxim that! As if Dad is nothing!
— Don’t you dare say that! — Nikita turned to his daughter. — Kristina never…
— Give it a rest, Dad! — Vika rolled her eyes. — She married you out of desperation! She just needed a replacement, and you fell for it!
— Shut up! — Nikita raised his voice. — Apologize to Kristina immediately!
— For what? For the truth? — Vika took off the second earring and carelessly threw both on the table. — Take your precious earrings! Choke on them!
Kristina picked up the earrings, clutching them tightly in her hand.
— I want her gone! Today!
— What? — Nikita looked at his wife like she was crazy. — You can’t kick out my daughter!
— I can! — Kristina straightened up. — This is my house! I bought it after Maxim died, before meeting you! And I won’t allow a person who steals my things and mocks my husband’s memory to live here!
— I’m not leaving! — Vika crossed her arms. — I have nowhere to go! Mom is renovating, and grandma is a boring old woman!
— That’s not my problem! — Kristina cut off.
— But… — Nikita started.
— If your little daughter doesn’t get out of my house by tomorrow morning, she’ll have a new registration here for at least five years, Nikita!
— Are you threatening me? — Nikita went pale.
— I’m stating a fact! — Kristina looked him straight in the eyes. — Missing money, theft of jewelry — that’s a criminal offense! And I’m tired of ignoring it! And she’s not a little girl anymore!
— Kristina, listen… — Nikita began, but she interrupted him.
— No, you listen! I’ve tolerated enough! And I’m not going to anymore!
— You can’t treat my daughter like this! — Nikita grabbed Kristina’s wrist. — She’s only sixteen!
— Let go of me! — Kristina ground her teeth.
— I won’t let go until you come to your senses! — Nikita’s fingers tightened.
Kristina tried to break free, but his grip was too strong.
— You’re hurting me!
— And you’re hurting me! — Nikita shook her. — Three years together, and you’re ready to cross everything out over some earrings?
— Not over earrings! — Kristina tried again to free herself. — Because you don’t see what’s obvious! Your daughter is a thief! Sixteen is enough to know the difference between yours and mine!
— Dad, she’s just jealous! — Vika stepped closer. — Jealous that we have a special bond! No matter what she does, I’ll always be your daughter, and she’s only the second wife!
— Shut up! — Kristina jerked her body, trying to break free, and unexpectedly Nikita let go of her hand, but only to hit her in the face the next second.
Kristina staggered, pressing her palm to her cheek. The room fell into ringing silence. Nikita looked stunned by his action, Vika frightened but with a strange satisfaction in her eyes.
— Kristina, I… — Nikita stepped toward her.
— Don’t come near! — Kristina stepped back. — No man ever raised a hand against me! Even in the worst fights!
— I didn’t mean to… — Nikita reached out. — You just pushed me too far…
— I pushed you?! — Kristina laughed bitterly. — Of course! It’s always my fault, right? I’m guilty that your daughter steals! I’m guilty that I don’t like it! And now I’m guilty that you hit me!
— Stop twisting things! — Nikita tried to sound firm. — It was just a slap! In the heat of the moment!
— A slap in the heat of the moment… — Kristina repeated slowly. — And what’s next? Bruises? Broken ribs? Where’s the line, Nikita?
— There won’t be a next time! — he exclaimed. — I’m not that kind of man!
— You already are! — Kristina met his gaze. — And you know what’s worst? You don’t even realize what you did! To you, it’s just a slap I deserved!
Kristina walked past him toward the door.
— Where are you going? — Nikita blocked her way.
— Far away from you! — she tried to get around him.
— You’re not going anywhere! — Nikita grabbed her hand again. — We need to sort this out!
— I already sorted it out! — Kristina looked at his fingers gripping her wrist. — Take your hand off, or I’ll scream so loud all the neighbors will come!
— Are you threatening me? — Nikita squeezed harder.
— No, I’m warning you! — Kristina didn’t look away.
Something in her eyes made Nikita release her hand.
— We can fix everything! — he said, suddenly begging. — It was just a bad day!
— A bad day! — Kristina repeated. — I’ve had many bad days in the past three years, Nikita! But I never thought you would raise your hand against me!
— Dad, she still doesn’t love you! — Vika approached and took her father’s hand. — Let’s go!
Kristina looked at them — father and daughter, so alike at that moment. Both confident they were right, both seeing nothing wrong with what happened.
— Get out! — she said quietly. — Both of you! I give you one hour to pack!
— This is my home as much as yours! — Nikita protested.
— No! — Kristina shook her head. — This is my home! Bought with my money, before our wedding! And I never transferred it to you, even though you asked!
— You can’t kick us out! — Nikita stepped toward her. — We’re married!
— Not for long! — Kristina held out her hand, palm up. — The keys!
— What?
— The apartment keys! Give them to me!
— You’ve lost your mind! — Nikita laughed nervously. — I won’t give you the keys to my own home!
— Fine! — Kristina nodded. — Then I’ll call the police! And tell them about domestic violence, about the theft of jewelry, about…
— Shut up! — Nikita went pale with rage. — Just shut up!
He grabbed his daughter’s hand.
— Pack your things, Vika! We’re leaving!
— Where? — Vika looked confused.
— To your mother’s! — Nikita cut off. — Temporarily!
Kristina silently watched as they packed. Nikita threw clothes, a toothbrush, wallet into the bag. Vika pulled out her suitcase and carelessly stuffed scattered things into it.
Forty minutes later, they stood at the door.
— You’ll regret this! — Nikita said, looking at Kristina.
— I already do! — she replied. — That I wasted three years of my life on you!
When the door closed behind them, Kristina slowly sank to the floor in the hallway. She didn’t cry. Inside, there was emptiness and a strange relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
The next day, she visited the emergency room, where bruises on her wrists and a hematoma with slight swelling on her cheekbone were recorded. Then she went to the police and filed a report — about the assault and the theft. After that, she filed for divorce.
In the evening, sitting in her now truly own apartment, Kristina took out the gold earrings. She turned them over in her hands, recalling Maxim’s happy face when he gave them to her. For the first time in a long time, she felt she had done the right thing…
