Nina was folding the freshly washed laundry into the wardrobe when the doorbell rang. The October evening was raw and damp, and after a workday she only wanted quiet at home. But as soon as Nina opened the door, Valentina Sergeyevna barged into the hallway without so much as a greeting.
“Nina, good thing I caught you at home,” her mother-in-law tugged off rain-soaked boots and headed straight for the kitchen as if she’d walked into her own apartment.
“Come in, Valentina Sergeyevna,” Nina followed her with her eyes, noting that she looked agitated.
Valentina Sergeyevna sat down at the table and folded her hands on her knees. Her face was tense, and her eyes darted anxiously around the room.
“Listen, dear, I need your help,” the older woman leaned forward. “I’m in a difficult situation. The bank turned me down completely. They say my pension is too small and I already have too many debts.”
Nina froze with a towel in her hands. Valentina Sergeyevna had never complained about money; she had always carried herself independently.
“What happened?” Nina asked cautiously.
“Well, I’m behind on the apartment fees, the utilities… The pipes in the bathroom started leaking, I had to call a plumber. You have to pay for everything, and where am I supposed to get the money?” Valentina Sergeyevna spread her hands. “I thought I’d take out a loan, pay off the debts, and then pay it back gradually.”
Nina nodded, waiting for her to go on. Something in her mother-in-law’s manner set off alarm bells. Valentina Sergeyevna never shared her problems.
“But at the bank they told me plainly: with my income and credit history they won’t give me anything. And I really need it,” she lifted her eyes to Nina. “You work, you have a steady income. Maybe you could help?”
“How am I supposed to help?” Nina frowned.
“Just take out a loan in your name. A small one—three hundred thousand rubles. I’ll pay it back, I give you my word. You should understand, for our family as a whole, it’s necessary to help.”
Nina put the towel aside and looked closely at her. Three hundred thousand rubles was no small amount. And the phrase “for our family as a whole” sounded like pressure.
“Valentina Sergeyevna, I’m not going to hang someone else’s debts on myself,” Nina answered calmly. “A loan is a serious responsibility.”
Her mother-in-law’s face changed instantly. Her brows knit together, and hurt flashed in her eyes.
“What do you mean, someone else’s? I’m like a mother to you!” Valentina Sergeyevna pressed a hand to her chest. “And you’re refusing me in a difficult moment!”
“But the loan would be in my name. If something goes wrong, I’ll be the one responsible,” Nina kept her voice steady but firm.
“Nothing will go wrong!” the older woman flared up. “I’m promising to pay it back! Do you really not trust me?”
Valentina Sergeyevna got up from the table and walked to the window. Her shoulders trembled; it was clear she was struggling to keep her composure.
“They’ll have me out on the street soon,” she said quietly, and there were tears in her voice. “Without money I’ll be lost. And my own family refuses to help.”
Nina looked at her mother-in-law’s back and felt awkward. Valentina Sergeyevna was genuinely upset, but the request for a loan still seemed unreasonable.
“Valentina Sergeyevna, I understand you’re having difficulties. But I won’t take out any loans. That’s my firm position,” Nina stepped closer. “If you want—handle your issues yourself. Maybe there are other options?”
Her mother-in-law spun around sharply. Her eyes were red, and in them Nina read not only hurt, but anger.
“So you don’t care about me at all!” she burst out. “Fine, I understand everything!”
Valentina Sergeyevna went to the hallway, put on her boots and jacket. Her movements were sharp and irritated.
“I never thought I’d live to see this kind of treatment,” she threw over her shoulder, heading for the door.
“Let’s talk calmly, Valentina Sergeyevna…”
“What is there to talk about? It’s all clear!” She grabbed the door handle. “So I’m nobody to you!”
She walked out, slamming the door theatrically. The sound echoed through the apartment, leaving a heavy silence in its wake.
Nina remained standing in the hallway, staring at the closed door. The conversation had ended badly, but there was no way she would give in on the loan. She knew too many examples of such “help” ending in catastrophe for those who took out a loan in someone else’s name.
That evening Nina made dinner and waited for her husband. Roman usually got home around seven, but today he was late. At seven-thirty the phone rang.
“Hi, I’m still stuck in traffic,” Roman’s voice sounded tired. “I’ll be there in half an hour.”
“Okay, dinner’s ready,” Nina said. “How’s everything?”
“Fine. See you.”
He hung up, and Nina realized her husband was in a bad mood. Maybe a hard day at work.
At eight o’clock Roman came home. Barely across the threshold, he threw his bag down right by the door and didn’t even take off his jacket. His face was dark, his movements abrupt.
“Have you completely lost your mind?!” he shouted without saying hello. “Why is Mom complaining that you refused to take out a loan for her?”
Nina stood in the hallway looking at her husband. Apparently, Valentina Sergeyevna had already managed to complain to her son and present the situation in the light most favorable to herself.
“Roman, take off your jacket, have dinner, and then we’ll talk,” Nina suggested calmly.
“No!” he barked. “I want to know right now! How could you refuse my mother? She has problems and you won’t help her!”
Roman stepped closer, looming over his wife. His eyes blazed with indignation, red blotches standing out on his forehead.
“Your mother asked me to take out a loan for three hundred thousand rubles,” Nina replied evenly. “I refused because I’m not going into debt for someone else’s problems.”
“Someone else’s?!” he roared. “She’s my mother! How can you call her ‘someone else’?”
“The loan would be in my name. If Valentina Sergeyevna can’t pay it, I’ll be the one on the hook. Which means the debt becomes mine,” Nina didn’t back down and looked him straight in the eye.
Roman fell silent for a few seconds, but the anger didn’t leave his face. He tore off his jacket and flung it onto the couch.
“Mom has never let anyone down!” he declared. “You’re acting like a greedy egoist!”
“I’m acting rationally,” Nina said without raising her voice. “A three-hundred-thousand-ruble loan is a huge responsibility. Why can’t your mother solve her problems some other way?”
“Because the bank turned her down!” Roman stalked into the kitchen and dropped into a chair. “And you work, your income is stable. What does it cost you to help the family?”
Nina followed him into the kitchen and sat across from him. The conversation was taking an unpleasant turn, but there was no room to retreat.
“Roman, explain to me why I should take a loan in my name?” she asked. “Why can’t your mother find another way out?”
“Because there is no other way!” he snapped. “Mom is desperate, and you’re refusing her! It’s basic human decency!”
Nina was silent, weighing his words. Roman had clearly taken his mother’s side without understanding the situation. Valentina Sergeyevna had skillfully presented her version of events.
“And have you thought about what happens if something does go wrong?” Nina asked at last. “If your mother can’t make the payments?”
“Nothing will go wrong!” Roman cut her off. “Mom is an honest person; she’s never deceived anyone!”
“No one can give guarantees,” Nina insisted. “And the debt will stay with me.”
Roman got up and started pacing the kitchen. His movements were nervous, his breathing quick.
“I can’t believe you’re so heartless!” he threw over his shoulder. “My mother asked for help and you turned her down!”
“I’m not heartless. I just don’t want to take on someone else’s debts,” Nina explained patiently.
“Call my mother ‘someone else’ again and I’ll stop talking to you altogether!” he exploded.
Nina looked at him and realized there was no point continuing. He had already made up his mind and wasn’t going to listen to her arguments. Clearly, his mother had told a very convincing story.
“All right,” Nina said quietly. “Then explain to me exactly what happened with your mother. What are her debts and why did they appear?”
Roman stopped and turned to his wife. His face was flushed with anger, but uncertainty flickered in his eyes.
“Well… apartment fees, utilities…” he began. “The plumber in the bathroom…”
“How much exactly does she owe?” Nina pressed.
“A lot,” he answered vaguely. “Mom said the situation is critical.”
Nina nodded. Roman apparently didn’t know the details but was ready to accuse his wife of being unfeeling.
“And you think I should take out a loan for three hundred thousand without knowing the exact circumstances?” she asked.
“I think you should help the family!” he barked. “Not look for excuses!”
Nina stood up and went to the window. It was dark outside, and in the light of the streetlamps the last autumn leaves could be seen falling. The conversation had reached a dead end, and her husband clearly wasn’t going to hear her out.
“Roman, I’m not going to take a loan,” she said firmly, without turning. “That’s my final decision.”
He fell silent. She could hear him breathing heavily behind her, but she didn’t turn around. The situation was unpleasant, but she couldn’t give in.
“You’re just heartless!” Roman exploded, unable to bear the silence. “Mom’s in tears, it’s hard for her to handle things alone, and you’re only thinking of yourself!”
He paced the kitchen, waving his arms. The red blotches on his face grew brighter, his voice louder.
“Valentina Sergeyevna is an adult; let her deal with her own issues,” Nina answered calmly, finally turning to face him.
“How can you say that?!” he barked. “Mom is elderly, she needs support from her family!”
Nina looked at him closely. Did he truly believe what he was saying, or was he just parroting his mother’s words? Valentina Sergeyevna knew how to frame things to her advantage.
“Roman, I recently paid off our joint loan that you ignored for years,” Nina said in a cold tone. “Was that not enough?”
Her husband froze in the middle of the kitchen. He blinked, as if realizing the weight of her words for the first time. Indeed, six months earlier Nina had paid off the car loan Roman had taken out three years before—and then stopped paying.
“That’s… different,” he muttered, looking away. “Mom is elderly; it’s really hard for her.”
“And was it easy for me to pay your loan?” Nina asked. “I paid three hundred and fifty thousand rubles for your car. And I never heard a single ‘thank you.’”
Roman paled. He sank into a chair and stared at his hands. Nina could see he understood she was right, but didn’t want to admit it.
“If you want to help your mother, take out a loan yourself,” Nina said. “I will not.”
Silence hung in the kitchen. Roman sat without a word, digesting what he’d heard. Nina watched him, seeing his expression change—first anger, then confusion, and now the recognition that he was in the wrong.
“But my credit history is ruined,” he admitted quietly. “The bank will turn me down too.”
“Exactly,” Nina nodded. “And my credit history is good precisely because I don’t take loans for other people’s needs.”
Roman raised his head and looked at his wife. Frustration showed in his eyes—at himself, at the situation, at his mother for putting him in an awkward position.
“Mom will be very upset,” he sighed.
“Let her look for other ways to solve her problems,” Nina replied. “Maybe she can contact social services or find some side work.”
“What kind of side work? She’s sixty-five!”
“Lots of retirees take side jobs: caregivers, cleaners, store clerks,” Nina listed. “There are plenty of options if you truly want to solve a problem.”
Roman was silent, thinking it over. The anger in his eyes gradually gave way to weariness. Yes, his mother could have looked for alternatives, but she preferred to shift the responsibility onto her daughter-in-law’s shoulders.
“What if Mom really is desperate?” he tried to object.
“Then let her sell something she owns,” Nina answered firmly. “She has that dacha no one uses. Or the jewelry that just sits there.”
He fell silent again. True, his mother did have valuables, but she didn’t want to part with them. It was easier to persuade her daughter-in-law to take out a loan.
“I don’t understand why you’re so cruel,” Roman muttered, but his voice already lacked conviction.
“I’m not cruel. I’m rational,” Nina corrected him. “And I won’t let anyone use me as a source of easy money.”
Roman got up and went to the fridge. He took out a bottle of water and drank straight from it. His movements were slow, thoughtful.
“Mom is very offended at you,” he said after a while.
“Let her be offended,” Nina replied evenly. “Valentina Sergeyevna is an adult; she can sort out her feelings.”
“What if she stops talking to us?”
“Then the house will be quieter,” Nina admitted honestly.
Roman looked at her in surprise. Usually Nina was more diplomatic on matters involving his mother, but today she was being blunt.
“All right,” he sighed. “You’re probably right. A loan really is serious.”
Nina nodded, not commenting on her husband’s belated realization. He had finally understood that his mother’s request was unreasonable, but wasn’t ready to acknowledge it at once.
That evening, when Roman went to shower, Nina gathered all their documents and bank papers into a separate folder: passport, bank cards, income statements—everything that might be needed to take out a loan. She decided to take the folder to the safe at work the next day.
She knew too many stories of relatives managing to take out loans if they had access to someone’s documents. If given the chance, Valentina Sergeyevna might well try to take a loan in her daughter-in-law’s name.
The next day Nina took the folder to the office and locked it in the safe. Her coworkers gave her surprised looks, but asked no questions. Everyone has their own family problems, and no one meddled in someone else’s.
A week later, Valentina Sergeyevna appeared at her son’s apartment again. But this time she behaved restrained, almost cold. No hints about loans or financial help.
“How are you, Valentina Sergeyevna?” Nina asked politely.
“Fine,” she answered curtly. “I’m managing.”
Nina nodded and didn’t pry. Clearly, her mother-in-law had found a way to solve her problems without her daughter-in-law’s help, but didn’t intend to share details.
At first Roman felt awkward when his mother and wife were in the same room. He expected fights and mutual reproaches, but the women were pointedly polite. Valentina Sergeyevna had realized that pressuring Nina was useless, and Nina saw no point in aggravating the relationship.
A month later everything had returned completely to normal. Valentina Sergeyevna had taken a side job as a nanny for a neighbor’s family and no longer complained about money. Roman stopped bringing up the loan and even admitted to his wife that she’d been right.
“Mom really could find a way out herself,” he said one evening. “She just wanted an easy path.”
“People always want the easy path,” Nina replied. “But that doesn’t mean others should help them at their own expense.”
Roman nodded in agreement. The loan incident taught him an important lesson: his wife would not allow herself to be used as a source of money for other people’s needs. And that was right, because a family budget requires a rational approach, not emotional decisions.
Nina was pleased with the outcome. Her firm stance on the loan helped establish clear boundaries in her relationship with her mother-in-law. Valentina Sergeyevna understood that her daughter-in-law would not solve other people’s financial problems and accepted that fact.
There were no further attempts to get money out of Nina. Her mother-in-law found side work, dealt with her debts, and even started putting aside small amounts for the future. It turned out that, if she wanted to, she could solve her problems on her own without dragging relatives into her financial troubles.
Roman drew his own conclusions as well. He no longer asked his wife to cover his expenses and even took a weekend side job. The family budget grew stronger, and the relationship between husband and wife became more equal.
Nina realized that the ability to say a firm “no” is an important skill in family life. Being accommodating and trying to please everyone often leads to being used. Clear boundaries and a principled stance help avoid such situations and preserve self-respect.
