“So your mother and sister are planning to live with us for an entire month? Wonderful. Then I’ll go to the seaside, and you can stay here and handle all the serving,” Arina said with clear irony.
September was drawing to a close, and Arina was practically counting the days until her vacation. For a whole year, she had been setting money aside so she could finally afford a trip to the sea.
She kept rereading hotel reviews, imagining long walks along the waterfront, the fresh ocean air, and the long-awaited break from endless household responsibilities.
On the vanity table in the bedroom, her plane tickets lay in a neat stack beside a voucher for a four-star hotel and a carefully planned excursion schedule.
Every evening, Arina went over the trip itinerary again, almost the way someone rereads a favorite book before bed. There were only two weeks left before her flight.
Her husband, Viktor, seemed noticeably cold toward her excitement. Every time Arina tried to discuss the vacation, he either brushed her off or changed the subject.
Questions like “What should I pack?” or “What do you think I should take with me?” were met with dry, brief answers.
“I’m swamped at work right now,” he kept saying. “We’ll talk about the vacation later.”
Arina told herself it was just stress. A major project was wrapping up at the construction company where Viktor worked, and he really had been coming home late.
She decided not to push him and took over all the preparations herself.
At the medical lab where she worked, her coworkers kept asking about the trip with obvious interest.
Her friend Svetlana asked her to bring back a seaside souvenir, and she and Natalya Ivanovna talked about swimsuits and sunscreen.
“You’re lucky,” Natalya Ivanovna said with a sigh. “My husband and I haven’t gone anywhere in five years. Every spare bit goes into repairs.”
Arina just nodded and quietly rejoiced at the thought that she would finally get away from the constant rush.
Her job demanded steady concentration, and the exhaustion had built up over time. She needed this vacation like air.
At home, she planned everything in advance.
She filled the refrigerator with ready-made food, cooked soup, and froze portions so Viktor would not be left without meals.
She laid out fresh linens and hung up his shirts.
That evening, she started packing her suitcase: light dresses, comfortable shoes, books. Everything was arranged with care.
She could already picture herself handing off her work the next day and finally feeling free.
Viktor got home late, around ten. He looked tired, but unusually quiet.
At dinner, he answered in short phrases and avoided conversation.
Arina felt uneasy, but did not ask too many questions.
Later that evening, they were sitting in the living room: she was flipping through a travel brochure, and he was watching the news.
Suddenly, Viktor turned off the television and looked at her. His face had gone serious.
“Arina, there’s been a small change,” he began, not meeting her eyes. “Mom and Irina are coming to stay with us. For a month.”
Arina looked up. Her heart tightened unpleasantly. Her mother-in-law, Valentina Petrovna, and her sister-in-law, Irina, meant only one thing: life in the house would be turned upside down.
She remembered their previous visits perfectly well.
“When are they coming?” she asked quietly.
“The day after tomorrow. There’s a problem in Mom’s apartment. A pipe burst in the neighbors’ place, and the ceiling was damaged. And Irina has nowhere to live after the divorce, rent is too expensive… You understand.”
He spoke as calmly as if this were something completely ordinary.
Arina sat in silence, processing what she had just heard. The day after tomorrow was the very day she was supposed to submit her vacation request.
Memories of their past visits came rushing back. Her mother-in-law would completely take over the kitchen, cook only her own way, and criticize every single dish.
Irina would occupy the bathroom for hours, leave her things everywhere, and never clean up after herself.
“And what about my vacation?” Arina finally asked.
“Well, the sea isn’t going anywhere. You can postpone it until next year. At least we’ll be helping family. That’s what matters.”
He shrugged and stood up to get some water.
Arina remained seated, clutching the brochure. Anger was rising inside her.
A whole year of saving, waiting, and planning had been erased by one decision made without her.
She could picture it clearly: instead of the beach, there would be cooking for others, cleaning, and endless complaints.
“So the trip is canceled?” she asked.
“What trip? We’re not newlyweds anymore. Family matters more than entertainment. You’re an adult. You should understand that.”
Viktor turned the television back on. As far as he was concerned, the discussion was over.
Arina stared at the pages of the brochure, but she no longer saw them. Only one thought kept circling in her mind: what now?
The next day, she worked on autopilot. Her coworkers asked about the vacation, but she dodged their questions.
That evening, when she came home, she saw that Viktor had already started preparing for his relatives’ arrival.
He had cleared out a wardrobe, moved an armchair, and set up a folding bed.
“Mom will sleep on the couch, and Ira will stay in the bedroom,” he informed her. “Not ideal, of course, but what can we do?”
Arina watched in silence. No one had asked her opinion. The decision had been made without her.
Her tickets were lying on the table. The next day was the last day to cancel for free.
The following morning, Arina woke up with a clear decision.
She got dressed, picked up her bag, and headed for the door. Viktor was still asleep.
In the kitchen, she left a note.
“Your mother and sister are staying with us for a month? Fine. Then I’m going to the sea, and you can handle everything yourself,” she said quietly, as if sealing the decision aloud.
She went to HR, filed her vacation request, and returned home around lunchtime.
Viktor was sitting in the kitchen, frowning.
“Are you serious?” he asked. “You’d abandon your family for a vacation?”
“Yes, I’m serious. I saved for this trip for a year. Let your relatives deal with their own problems.”
She spoke calmly, but firmly.
“How am I supposed to manage all this alone? Mom needs care, and Ira is depressed…”
“Then you take care of them. Cook, clean, listen to them. I’m going to rest.”
Viktor looked genuinely thrown off.
Arina opened her suitcase and checked her things.
She understood one thing clearly: if she gave in, she would turn into hired help in her own home.
Her demanding mother-in-law. Irina with her endless complaints.
No.
The next morning, she finished packing. She added the last few items, her documents, and her money.
Viktor woke up to the sound of the zipper.
“Are you really leaving?” he asked.
“Yes. I’m not going to be part of this,” Arina replied calmly.
He tried to stop her.
“You can’t do this. What will people say? My mother…”
Arina turned to him.
“You wanted me to wait on them. Now you can try doing it yourself.”
She called a taxi.
Viktor offered compromises, pleaded with her, tried to talk her out of it, but it was too late.
“Arina, be reasonable…”
“I am being reasonable. That’s exactly why I’m leaving.”
The car was already waiting outside.
Without making a scene, Arina took her suitcase and walked out.
The door closed softly behind her.
The drive to the airport was peaceful. Inside, she felt light.
A couple of hours later, the plane lifted into the sky.
Meanwhile, Viktor was pacing around the apartment, unable to understand how he was supposed to handle the household on his own.
By lunchtime, Valentina Petrovna and Irina had arrived, complete with suitcases and expectations.
“Where’s Arina?” her mother-in-law asked immediately.
“On a business trip…” Viktor answered uncertainly.
The truth started coming out the very next day.
By the fourth day, his mother had found the travel brochure and the receipt.
“So a vacation matters more to her than family,” she said coldly.
Irina cried even harder.
At that very moment, Arina was sitting by the sea with a cocktail in her hand, smiling.
Her phone kept ringing. Viktor was trying to reach her.
She did not answer.
Sometimes, choosing yourself is necessary.
The rest of her vacation flew by: excursions, sea air, rest.
She did not want to come back, but her return ticket was already booked.
On her final evening, she sat on the balcony and thought about the future.
There would be a scandal. There would be accusations too.
But regret?
None.
Sometimes, the only way not to lose yourself is to put yourself first.
