“Marina, baby, do you really have to go on that business trip this very weekend?”
Her mother-in-law, Galina Pavlovna, was sitting in the kitchen, stirring her tea and carefully avoiding her daughter-in-law’s eyes.
Marina looked up from her laptop in surprise. In three years of living with Igor, his mother had never been interested in her work trips.
“Yes, Galina Pavlovna, the clients from Moscow specifically chose these days for the meeting. Why?”
Her mother-in-law shrugged, still stirring the tea that had long since gone cold.
“Just asking. Igor said you’ve been traveling a lot lately.”
Marina frowned. Something in her voice put her on edge. Usually, Galina Pavlovna rejoiced at any opportunity to be alone with her son, and now suddenly she was interested in the business trip.
“Igor!” Marina called to her husband, who was sitting in the living room. “Can you come here for a minute?”
Igor appeared in the kitchen doorway with a strained smile.
“What happened?”
“Your mother is asking about my business trip. Did you tell her something?”
Igor exchanged a quick glance with his mother, and Marina caught that brief look.
“I just mentioned that you were leaving. Mom’s going to be at our place for the weekend, so she got curious.”
“At our place?” Marina turned to her mother-in-law. “You’re staying for the weekend?”
Galina Pavlovna nodded, still not raising her eyes from the cup.
“Igoryok invited me. He said he gets bored alone when you’re away.”
Marina felt irritation rising inside her. Her husband hadn’t warned her about his mother’s visit, even though he knew how she felt about long visits from her mother-in-law.
“Igor, can I have a word with you?” She got up from the table.
In the bedroom, Marina closed the door and turned to her husband.
“Why didn’t you tell me your mother was staying for the weekend?”
“I forgot,” Igor shrugged. “What difference does it make? You’re leaving anyway.”
“The difference is this is our apartment, and I have a right to know who’s going to be in it!”
“Mar, she’s my mom, not some stranger!”
Marina took a deep breath, trying to calm down.
“That’s not the point. It’s just strange that both of you are so interested in my trip. As if you’re waiting for me to leave.”
“Don’t make things up!” Igor turned to the window. “Mom just wants to spend time with me. What’s so bad about that?”
At that moment his phone vibrated. Igor quickly glanced at the screen and shoved the phone into his pocket, but Marina managed to see the sender’s name — Aunt Lyuda, Galina Pavlovna’s sister.
“Is Aunt Lyuda coming too?” she asked bluntly.
Igor hesitated.
“She might drop by. She and Mom haven’t seen each other for a long time.”
“And who else is going to ‘drop by’?” Marina crossed her arms over her chest.
“No one! What’s with the interrogation?”
Marina studied her husband carefully. He was clearly nervous, shifting from one foot to the other.
“Igor, what are you two up to?”
“We’re not up to anything!” he waved his hand irritably. “Just go on your business trip and we’ll sit here with Mom and talk.”
When she went back to the kitchen, she found her mother-in-law on the phone.
“Yes, on Saturday… No, she’s leaving in the morning… Of course, everything’s ready…” Seeing her daughter-in-law, Galina Pavlovna quickly ended the call. “All right, talk later!”
“Who was that?” Marina asked, sitting back at the table.
“A friend,” her mother-in-law waved vaguely. “We were arranging a meeting.”
Marina nodded, pretending to believe her. But her inner voice whispered: something’s wrong.
In the evening, when her mother-in-law went back to her own place and Igor parked himself in front of the TV, Marina decided to do a little investigating. She went into the bathroom and pretended to take a shower while actually listening to her husband’s phone conversation.
“Yes, Mom, everything’s going according to plan… No, she doesn’t suspect anything… She’ll leave on Saturday morning… Yes, I remember about the documents…”
Documents? Marina tensed. What documents?
She came out of the bathroom, acting as if she hadn’t heard anything.
“Igor, I was thinking… Maybe I should cancel the business trip? The clients will understand if we move it to next week.”
Her husband jumped up from the couch.
“Why? You’ve been preparing for it! And the presentation is ready!”
“I’m just tired. I’d like to spend the weekend at home,” Marina watched his reaction closely.
“No, no!” Igor clearly panicked. “You can’t cancel! These are important clients! Your boss will be upset!”
“Since when are you so concerned about my boss?” Marina narrowed her eyes.
“It’s just… You said yourself this deal is important for the company!”
Marina nodded and went to the bedroom, leaving her husband bewildered. Now she was sure — he and his mother were plotting something.
The next day, Marina called her friend Olga.
“Ol, I need your help. Can you pick me up on Saturday morning, as if you’re taking me to the airport?”
“Of course! What happened?”
“I’ll tell you later. Just come, honk, I’ll come out with my suitcase. And you’ll drive me… but not to the airport.”
“Such intrigue!” Olga laughed. “All right, what time?”
“Nine in the morning.”
Marina hung up and sat thinking. Whatever her mother-in-law and Igor were planning, she would find out.
Friday passed in a strange atmosphere. Galina Pavlovna came in the evening, bringing two big bags.
“What’s that?” Marina asked.
“Groceries!” her mother-in-law answered quickly. “I want to cook all of Igor’s favorite dishes.”
Marina peeked into one of the bags — there really were groceries, but it seemed an awful lot for just two people for one weekend.
At dinner, Galina Pavlovna was unusually sweet.
“Marinochka, have a good trip! Don’t worry about the apartment, I’ll keep an eye on everything here.”
“Thank you,” Marina replied dryly.
Igor was on pins and needles all evening, constantly checking the time and texting someone on his phone.
“Who are you chatting with so intensely?” Marina asked when they were alone in the bedroom.
“Work,” Igor muttered, hiding the phone.
“At eleven p.m. on a Friday?”
“Emergency situation with the server,” he turned to face the wall. “Let’s go to sleep, you have to get up early.”
Marina lay down, but sleep wouldn’t come. She could hear Igor tossing and turning beside her, clearly not sleeping either.
In the morning, she packed her suitcase under the watchful eyes of her husband and mother-in-law. Galina Pavlovna even walked her to the door.
“Have a good trip!” Her mother-in-law was smiling, but there was a strange look in her eyes, something like anticipation.
Olga arrived right at nine. Marina went down with her suitcase and got into the car.
“So, where are we going?” her friend asked.
“Let’s park around the corner and wait half an hour.”
“Marina, what’s going on?”
“It looks like my husband and his mom are plotting something. I want to find out what.”
They waited forty minutes. Marina was already beginning to doubt her suspicions when she saw Aunt Lyuda’s car pull up to the building. Not only she got out of it, but also Igor’s cousin Natasha with her husband, and some unfamiliar older woman.
“Wow, they’ve got a whole gathering going on!” Olga whistled.
“Let’s go back!” Marina decided. “Drop me off at the entrance.”
“Want me to come with you?” her friend asked anxiously.
“No, I’ll handle it myself.”
Marina quietly went up to her floor and took out her keys. She could hear voices and laughter behind the door. She carefully opened the door and stepped into the hallway.
“…The notary said all the documents are in order!” she heard her mother-in-law’s voice. “All that’s left is to sign!”
“And Marina definitely won’t find out?” That was Aunt Lyuda’s voice.
“How would she?” Galina Pavlovna laughed. “She’s in Moscow! By the time she gets back, it will all be done!”
Marina froze. A notary? Documents? What was going on?
She decisively pushed the living room door open. At the table sat her mother-in-law, Aunt Lyuda, Natasha with her husband, and the unfamiliar woman with a folder of documents.
“Marina!” Galina Pavlovna turned pale. “But you… you were supposed to…”
“Be in Moscow?” Marina walked into the room. “The flight was canceled. I decided to come back.”
Igor jumped up from his chair, horror written all over his face.
“Mar, this isn’t what you think!”
“And what am I supposed to think?” Marina came up to the table and picked up one of the documents. “A purchase and sale agreement? For what?”
Her eyes ran over the text, and she couldn’t believe what she saw. It was an agreement for the sale of the dacha that had belonged to her late grandmother, the one she had inherited.
“You’re selling my dacha?” She turned to Igor. “Without telling me?”
“Marinochka, let me explain!” Galina Pavlovna tried to get up, but Marina stopped her with a gesture.
“Explain what? How you’re selling my property behind my back?”
“It’s for our own good!” Igor blurted out. “Mom found a buyer who’s offering a good price!”
“For whose good?” Marina turned to the notary. “And how were you planning to complete the deal without the owner present?”
The notary, an older woman in glasses, nervously adjusted the folder.
“I was told the husband had a power of attorney…”
“Power of attorney?” Marina turned to Igor. “What power of attorney?”
Igor dropped his eyes.
“Remember six months ago, when you signed documents for a subsidy?”
Marina went cold inside.
“You slipped a power of attorney in there with the other papers?”
“I thought it was for our mutual benefit!” Igor tried to justify himself. “The dacha is just sitting there empty, and we just pay taxes on it!”
“It’s MY dacha!” Marina raised her voice. “A memory of my grandmother! How could you?”
“Don’t yell at my son!” Galina Pavlovna cut in. “He’s thinking about your future! You could buy a car with that money, go on vacation!”
“Or pay off your precious son’s debts!” Marina turned to her mother-in-law. “You think I don’t know Igor lost a large sum in online casinos?”
Everyone fell silent. Igor turned pale.
“How do you…”
“Bank statements, Igor!” Marina gave a short laugh. “I’m not blind! I saw the money leaving your account! At first I thought you were saving up for a gift or a surprise. Then I accidentally saw your browser history.”
“It was just once!” Igor tried to defend himself.
“Once? Forty thousand in one go?” Marina shook her head. “And the solution is to secretly sell my dacha?”
“Natasha offered to buy it!” Aunt Lyuda chimed in. “She and Sergey have long dreamed of having a dacha!”
Marina turned to her husband’s cousin.
“Don’t you feel ashamed? You know you’re buying the place behind the owner’s back?”
Natasha blushed and stared at the floor.
“I thought you agreed… Igor said…”
“Igor said!” Marina gave a bitter smile. “And it never occurred to anyone to ask me directly?”
“Marinochka, don’t get worked up!” her mother-in-law tried to take her hand. “We’re family! Everything can be settled!”
“Family?” Marina pulled her hand away. “A family that decides what to do with my property behind my back?”
She turned to the notary.
“The deal will not take place. You may go.”
“But…” the woman began.
“No ‘but’! I’m the owner, and I did not consent to the sale! Any power of attorney obtained through deception is invalid!”
The notary hastily gathered the documents and headed for the exit. Aunt Lyuda, Natasha, and her husband followed her.
“Sorry, Marina,” Natasha mumbled on her way out. “We didn’t know…”
When the door closed behind them, silence fell over the apartment.
“Mar, let’s talk calmly,” Igor began.
“About what?” Marina sat down in an armchair. “About how you deceived me? Or how you and your mother plotted behind my back?”
“I wanted what was best!” Igor came closer to her. “Yes, I messed up with the casino! But I’ll fix it!”
“This boy wanted to solve his problems!” his mother snapped. “Not at your expense!”
“At whose expense, then?” Marina looked at her. “At the expense of the inheritance my grandmother left me? By the way, what was your interest in this deal, Galina Pavlovna?”
Her mother-in-law faltered.
“None! I just wanted to help my son!”
“Really?” Marina narrowed her eyes. “And the fact that Natasha promised to give you the old dacha furniture, the stuff that belonged to my grandmother — including that antique sideboard — that’s just a trifle?”
Galina Pavlovna flushed.
“How do you know?”
“Natasha talks loudly. I heard your conversation in the kitchen last Sunday,” Marina stood up. “You know what? I’m tired. Tired of lies, tired of scheming behind my back.”
“Don’t dramatize!” her mother-in-law snorted. “So what, we wanted to sell the dacha! It’s falling apart anyway!”
“It’s MY dacha that’s falling apart!” Marina turned to her. “And I’m the one who decides what to do with it! Not you and your son!”
“And who do you think you are, anyway?” Galina suddenly exploded. “You just showed up out of nowhere, wrapped my son around your finger, and now you’re the one giving orders here!”
“Mom!” Igor tried to stop her.
“What ‘Mom’?” She was unstoppable now. “You’ve been together three years and still no children! She’s clinging to that dacha! Won’t give you money for your debts! What kind of wife is that?”
“A wife who won’t let herself be deceived!” Marina cut her off. “And yes, I won’t give you money to cover gambling debts! And I won’t sell the dacha!”
“Then go and live in your dacha!” Galina blurted out. “Alone!”
“Great idea!” Marina nodded. “Igor, pack your things!”
“What?” He stared at her in confusion.
“You heard your mother. I’ll go live at the dacha. And you stay here with Mommy, since she cares so much about you!”
“Mar, don’t do this!” Igor tried to stop her. “Mom got carried away!”
“No, Igor! Your mom said exactly what she thinks! And you know what? She’s right! We’re too different!”
Marina went to the bedroom and started packing. Igor followed her.
“Marina, I’m sorry! I’m an idiot! Don’t leave!”
“I have to,” she said, putting clothes into her bag. “I need to think. About a lot of things.”
“About a divorce?” Igor asked quietly.
Marina stopped and looked at him.
“Among other things. You betrayed my trust, Igor. You slipped documents in for me to sign and conspired with your mother behind my back. How am I supposed to trust you now?”
“I’ll change!”
“Maybe. But not with me,” Marina zipped up the bag. “By the way, that subsidy application you slipped the power of attorney in with? I never filed it. I knew something was off.”
Igor sank down onto the bed.
“So the power of attorney…”
“Is invalid. I never had it properly notarized,” Marina picked up her bag. “Your mother schemed for nothing.”
As she was leaving the apartment, Marina stopped in the doorway of the living room, where Galina Pavlovna was still sitting.
“You know, you’re right about one thing. Igor and I really are too different. I grew up in a family where trust was the foundation of relationships. Your son, on the other hand, is used to solving his problems behind his loved ones’ backs. Thank you for opening my eyes.”
Her mother-in-law tried to say something, but Marina was already gone.
It was cool and quiet at the dacha. Marina lit the stove, made tea, and sat by the window. Her phone kept ringing — Igor was calling — but she didn’t pick up.
In the evening, Olga arrived.
“Well, tell me everything!” her friend said, hugging her.
Marina told her the whole story. Olga listened, shaking her head.
“What a bastard! And your mother-in-law is no better!”
“You know, I’m even grateful,” Marina sighed. “Better to find out now than in ten years, with kids.”
“What are you going to do?”
“First, I’ll officially revoke any power of attorney. Then… I’ll probably file for divorce. I can’t be with someone who lies so easily.”
For two weeks Marina lived at the dacha. Igor came several times, begged her to come back, swore he would change. But Marina was adamant.
Finally, he came with a suitcase.
“Mom says she won’t leave the apartment until you come back,” he said wearily. “She says she’s guarding the ‘family nest’.”
“That’s not a family nest, it’s a rented apartment,” Marina reminded him. “The lease is in my name. If you don’t move out, I’ll terminate the contract and the landlord will evict you.”
Igor nodded.
“I understand. Marina, give me one more chance! Without Mom, without her advice!”
“Igor, it’s not just about your mom,” Marina sat down on the porch. “It’s about you. You made the choice — to deceive me instead of honestly telling me about your debts. You chose to scheme with your mother instead of talking to me. Those were your decisions, not hers.”
“But I love you!”
“And I loved you. But love without trust is dead,” Marina stood up. “Take your things. I’ll send the divorce papers through a lawyer.”
A month later, the divorce was finalized. Igor moved in with his mother, who comforted him by insisting that “that upstart” wasn’t worthy of him.
Marina stayed at the dacha. She fixed it up, planted a garden, just as her grandmother had dreamed. In the evenings she sat on the veranda with a cup of tea and thought about how sometimes betrayal by those close to you is actually a gift of fate. Because it opens your eyes to the truth and gives you a chance to start a new life.
A year later she met Andrey — a simple, honest man who literally couldn’t lie even about small things. They got married, and the first thing Andrey said after the wedding was:
“My mom lives far away and doesn’t like visiting. So you definitely won’t have any mother-in-law problems!”
Marina laughed and hugged her husband. Life had fallen into place.
Igor, meanwhile, kept living with his mother, who found flaws in every new girlfriend he tried to bring home. Galina Pavlovna was happy — her son was once again all hers.
Sometimes Marina ran into them in the city. Igor looked older and exhausted. Galina Pavlovna, on the contrary, seemed to have flourished, holding her son tightly by the arm.
One day her former mother-in-law stopped her:
“Marina, are you happy?”
“Yes,” Marina answered simply.
“And my Igoryok is suffering! You ruined his life!”
“No, Galina Pavlovna. His life was ruined by lies and betrayal. And by your blind love that won’t let him grow up.”
Marina walked away, leaving her former mother-in-law standing in the middle of the street. She had a new life now, with no place for lies and manipulation. A life built on trust and honesty.
The story was over, but the lesson remained: never let anyone, even those closest to you, dispose of your life and your property behind your back. Trust is the foundation of any relationship, and betrayal is a reason to stop and ask yourself whether you need such a relationship at all.
