Veronica stepped out of the office building a little after six, and the day felt almost perfect.
The contract had been signed, the clients were happy, and inside her handbag was a brand-new key fob from the property she had shown five times before finally closing the deal. She planned to stop by the store, pick up something delicious, and spend a normal, peaceful evening at home.
Her phone vibrated.
“Nikolai” appeared on the screen.
“Where are you?” her husband asked without even saying hello.
“Walking to the car. Why? Did you miss the sound of my voice, or are you checking on my parking skills?”
“Well… about the car. Nika, just don’t get angry. I gave it to Zhenya. For a month.”
Veronica stopped so abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk that the man walking behind her nearly crashed into her.
“You gave it to him? What exactly does that mean? Gave it to him to look after? Or gave him the keys, the documents, and wished him a pleasant journey?”
“What else was I supposed to do? Their car broke down, the repairs are going to take forever, and their vacation booking can’t be moved. What were they supposed to do, stay home?”
 
“Excellent logic. Their vacation is in danger, so apparently an entire month of my life is disposable. Nikolai, do you understand what you’ve just done?”
“What did I do that was so terrible? I helped my own brother! Are you a person or some kind of calculator?”
“I’m a person who has six appointments all over the city tomorrow. And I’m also the person nobody bothered to ask.”
“Oh, don’t start with that ‘you should have asked me’ thing. I’m your husband. I have power of attorney.”
“Power of attorney gives you permission to drive the car. It doesn’t give you permission to hand it out to other people. It’s like having keys to an apartment. You’re allowed to enter. You’re not allowed to move your relatives in.”
Nikolai breathed heavily into the phone, and in that moment Veronica understood perfectly: he had not called to discuss anything.
He had called to inform her of a decision already made.
“Whatever. I’m at work. We’ll talk tonight,” he muttered before hanging up.
Veronica lowered the phone and continued walking.
Her father had given her that car. He had saved for it, chosen it carefully, inspected every tiny scratch in the paintwork, and then solemnly handed her the documents.
 
“Drive carefully, sweetheart,” he had told her.
And now that very car was heading down the highway toward the sea with people who had not even bothered to call her.
Ten minutes later, her screen lit up again.
Marina, Nikolai’s mother.
“Hello, Veronica,” her mother-in-law said cautiously. “Kolya called. He said you were very angry.”
“I’m not angry. I’m mildly astonished. That’s the feeling you get when your property disappears from under your nose and then someone explains that you’re heartless for objecting.”
“I’m not defending him,” Marina said unexpectedly. “He shouldn’t have done it. He should have asked you. The car belongs to you. There’s nothing to argue about there.”
“Thank you. At least someone understands that.”
“But what can be done now? Zhenya and Olya have already left. They’re halfway there. We can’t exactly make them turn around.”
“They don’t have to turn around. Let them enjoy their vacation. I’d just like someone to explain what I’m supposed to drive tomorrow.”
At home, Veronica placed her phone and planner on the table and sat across from her husband.
“Look.”
She opened the planner.
“Tomorrow. Nine-thirty, a viewing on the left bank. Eleven, a family with a child on the other side of town. One o’clock, two clients back-to-back. After that, two properties I need to visit personally to take measurements and photographs.”
“So?” Nikolai shrugged.
 
“So the distance between all those places is forty kilometers. I don’t have wings, Kolya. I checked. Nothing has grown out of my back.”
He rubbed the back of his neck and stared at her schedule.
For the first time, it seemed to occur to him that his wife did not simply “drive around” for fun.
“Listen… just take taxis. I’ll cover it.”
“Wonderful. I’m writing that down: ‘Nikolai promises to cover it.’ No witnesses, unfortunately, but I trust you. You’re an honest man.”
“Stop being sarcastic.”
“I’m not being sarcastic. I’m documenting the agreement. There’s a fine line between the two.”
The next morning she ordered her first taxi at 8:50.
Then a second.
Then a third.
Then a fourth.
The city stretched endlessly around her. Traffic barely moved, drivers changed one after another, and the total in the taxi app rose like dough in a warm kitchen.
That evening, Veronica placed her phone in front of Nikolai.
“Total: seven thousand two hundred and forty. If you want, we can round it down to seven thousand. I’m generous.”
“What?!” Nikolai jumped up. “Are you kidding me? Seven thousand in one day on taxis?”
“Eight trips. Two of them through downtown during rush hour. Here are the addresses, times, and prices. Scroll through them. Take your time.”
He did.
His face became longer with every trip he saw.
“You deliberately chose the expensive fare!”
 
“Of course. I rode around in a limousine drinking champagne with a live orchestra. Especially during those eight minutes when I stood in the rain waiting because there weren’t any cheaper cars nearby.”
“This is ridiculous. Other people manage to get around somehow!”
“Other people drive their own cars, Kolya. I had one yesterday. Then we suffered a natural disaster called ‘my husband being generous with someone else’s property.’”
Suddenly his face brightened as though he had discovered the perfect solution.
“You know what? Make your company pay for it! You’re driving around for work, so let them cover the taxis.”
Veronica slowly closed the app.
“My company pays for the expenses we agreed on. Our contract does not contain a clause saying, ‘Employee’s husband may lend out her car without permission.’ There’s no provision for family-related force majeure.”
“Then it’s your fault for negotiating such a bad deal!”
“I see. Somehow it’s always the woman’s fault. Even when the man is the one who handed over the keys.”
The next day, the same thing happened again.
Five taxi rides.
Six thousand eight hundred.
Fourteen thousand in two days.
Veronica calculated the total while standing in the elevator and felt a pulse beginning to pound in her temples.
At the office, Artem, the coworker whose desk was next to hers, approached her.
“Nika, where are your wheels? Second day in a row you’ve been walking around like some romantic poet.”
“My husband decided to be generous. He gave my car to his brother. For a month. His brother and his wife took it to the coast.”
Artem nearly choked.
 
“Wait. Your car? The one your father gave you?”
“That one. And Zhenya is actually a careful driver. His old car is always spotless. I’m not worried about the car itself. I’m worried about me. I can’t work properly without it.”
“How much have you spent already?”
“Fourteen thousand. In two days.”
“Listen,” Artem lowered his voice, “why don’t you take some vacation time? It’s a dead season anyway. Clients are slow. Fly to the sea. By the time you get back, the market will probably pick up again.”
Veronica froze.
The idea tasted unexpectedly sweet.
“You know… that’s actually a good idea. Funny, though. Apparently the whole family gets a vacation except my husband.”
“They won’t give him time off?”
“No.”
She smiled.
“And somehow that gives the whole story a special charm.”
That evening, she once again placed the numbers in front of Nikolai.
“Fourteen thousand one hundred. Your debt is growing. I’m not charging interest because I’m not a bank.”
“Are you out of your mind?!” Nikolai nearly shouted. “I’m not paying you seven thousand every day! I don’t even earn that much! Are you trying to bankrupt me?”
“I’m trying to get to work. Bankrupting you is simply a side effect of your generosity.”
“You’re greedy! That’s what you are. Greedy!”
“Greedy is when you refuse to give away someone else’s belongings. Refusing to give away your own is called being normal.”
Right in front of him, she called Marina and switched on speakerphone.
 
“Please tell me what I’m supposed to do. I can’t work properly. Everything depends on having a car. Your son refuses to pay for the taxis.”
“Veronica, well…” Marina began uncertainly. “Zhenya isn’t a stranger. He didn’t mean any harm. And Kolya was only trying to help his brother…”
“If he wanted to help, he should have given away something that belonged to him. He gave away something that belonged to me.”
“Don’t get so upset. I still have fifteen thousand saved from last month. I was putting it aside. Do you want me to give it to you?”
Veronica closed her eyes for a moment.
“No. Thank you. I’m not collecting money from everyone in the family. I’m waiting for responsibility from one specific person.”
Silence.
The following evening Nikolai walked into the bedroom and saw an open suitcase.
“What’s that?”
“A suitcase. Fabric, wheels, zipper. People generally take them on vacation.”
“What vacation? Where are you going?”
“To the sea. Since apparently it’s normal in our family to enjoy vacations at my expense, I thought I should join the tradition.”
“You’ve lost your mind! Alone?”
“Alone. I have nobody to go with. My husband has a busy work schedule.”
Nikolai grabbed his head.
“Do you understand that you’re spending our money?”
“Our money? Excellent. Sit down. Let’s calculate ‘our’ money.”
She took out her notes.
“If I don’t work for two weeks, I lose income. Subtract the cost of the trip. I chose a modest option. The difference is fifty-eight thousand. Add fourteen thousand for taxis. Total: seventy-two thousand. Please transfer it.”
 
He stared at her as though she had suddenly begun speaking an unknown language.
“You… are you actually serious? First you send me a bill for taxis, then you fly to the sea alone, and now I’m supposed to reimburse your lost income too? That’s outrageous!”
“Outrageous is handing someone the keys to a car you don’t own and then being offended that the actual owner doesn’t applaud.”
“I’m your husband!”
“That would be a meaningful argument if you behaved like a husband instead of a generous sponsor of someone else’s vacation.”
“Don’t you dare leave!”
“I dare. My plane ticket dares too.”
She left the next morning quietly, without drama.
Nikolai slammed the door and spent the rest of the day boiling with anger. His wife had disobeyed him, taken what he considered “family money,” and flown away.
He called his mother.
She listened to him and said only one thing.
“You’re an idiot, Kolya.”
“Not you too!”
“Yes. Me too.”
A day later, he sat with Dima, an old friend from school, telling him his version of the story.
 
“Can you believe it? She just dropped work, grabbed the money, and flew to the sea. Alone.”
“Alone?” Dima raised his eyebrows. “Kolya, are you sure she went alone?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean exactly what I said. Women don’t usually pack a suitcase in the middle of the week for no reason. Usually there’s a reason with a first and last name.”
Nikolai went still.
The thought entered his mind like a nail driven into soft wood.
“She’s not answering her phone,” he said slowly. “At all.”
“Well, there’s your answer.”
“So she was looking for an excuse…” Nikolai clenched his jaw. “The car, the taxis… it was all an excuse. She has someone else.”
Two weeks later Veronica returned home tanned and calm.
Her car was parked beneath the windows, shining in the courtyard, freshly washed and neatly positioned between two posts.
She called Evgeny.
“Hi, Zhenya. I see the car. Thanks for bringing it back.”
“Nika, hi! Listen, that car is amazing! Not one breakdown. Never caused a single problem. We drove a thousand kilometers and it ran perfectly. Thank you so much!”
“You’re welcome. Just one small clarification. I never agreed to lend it to you. Nikolai had no right to give it away.”
Silence.
“What do you mean… you didn’t agree? He told me everything had been arranged.”
“Nikolai says many things. I could have reported that my car had been taken without the owner’s permission and ruined your vacation on the very first day. I didn’t. I don’t make war on people while they’re on holiday.”
“Nika, I…”
“I checked the average rental price for a car like mine. Three different rental companies. For a month, it comes to a significant amount. Please transfer it.”
“Are you serious?” Evgeny’s voice dropped. “Nika, I’m completely broke after the vacation. Kolya and I never discussed any rental fee.”
“You and Kolya didn’t discuss it. But you took the keys.”
At home, Veronica threw her clothes into the washing machine and sat down in an armchair.
The battle was inevitable.
All she had to do was wait for the delegation.
Her mother-in-law arrived first.
Marina stood at the door pale, her lips pressed into a thin line.
“Veronica, I know everything. Zhenya called me. How can you do this? He’s family! They returned the car in perfect condition. It’s clean, full of fuel. What more do you want?”
“The owner’s permission. A small detail, but without it, everything else starts looking a lot like taking someone’s car without consent.”
“You can’t be this calculating!”
“Calculating?” Veronica gave a short laugh. “Being calculating is wanting something that belongs to someone else for free. I simply don’t understand how people can take another person’s property without asking.”
Evgeny arrived after Marina.
He stood in the hallway, turning the keys nervously in his hands, his face red with embarrassment.
“Nika, forgive me. I really thought Kolya had discussed everything with you.”
“Zhenya, you’re a decent person, and I don’t enjoy arguing with you. But you knew whose car it was. One phone call. Thirty seconds. ‘Nika, do you mind?’ That was all it would have taken.”
 
“I didn’t call,” he said quietly. “That was my fault.”
“While you were away, I spent two days using taxis and paid fourteen thousand. Nikolai refused to cover it. I had to take vacation because I simply couldn’t do my job properly without the car. The difference between what I would have earned and what I spent is fifty-eight thousand. Add the taxis. Who is going to pay for that?”
“I didn’t know. I swear I didn’t. I’m sorry. I really am.”
The door suddenly flew open.
Nikolai stormed inside.
He already knew what was happening. His brother had called him first.
“What the hell are you doing?!” he shouted from the doorway. “You’re demanding money from my own brother? Do you have any shame at all? You’re greedy, selfish, and you’re humiliating me in front of the whole family!”
“And I see you didn’t come here to understand what happened. You came to deliver a verdict. Efficient.”
“What is there to understand? Here! Choke on it!”
He pulled a bundle of crumpled bills from his pocket and threw it toward her.
“Fifteen thousand! Take it and leave everyone alone!”
The banknotes scattered across the floor.
Marina gasped and rushed toward her son.
“Kolya, shut up! Shut up right now!”
Too late.
Veronica rose slowly.
When she spoke, her voice was so cold and controlled that the entire hallway fell silent.
“Get out.”
“What?”
“Get out of my home. You threw money at a woman’s feet. You can recover whatever dignity you have left out in the stairwell.”
Evgeny grabbed his phone and, with trembling fingers, transferred thirty thousand to her account.
 
“Nika, here. That’s all I have right now, honestly. I’ll pay the rest in installments. And… forgive me again.”
He took his mother by the arm, and they left.
Nikolai remained standing there for a few seconds.
Then the anger seemed to drain out of him completely.
He sat down on the small bench in the hallway.
“Nika… come on. That’s enough. Everyone got carried away. I didn’t think it would end like this. Let’s just forget it.”
“Forget it,” she repeated. “Beautiful word. You use it like a magic button. Press it once, and suddenly nobody is responsible for anything.”
“I’m apologizing!”
“No. You’re granting yourself an amnesty and expecting me to approve it. Zhenya apologized about ten times today. I counted. You haven’t apologized once in three weeks.”
“Fine. I’m sorry! Happy now? I mean… are you happy now?”
“You came here and called me greedy, selfish, shameless. You threw money at me. You didn’t even ask how I spent those two weeks. You know what else you never asked? Why I didn’t answer your calls.”
Nikolai looked away.
“Roaming, Kolya. I didn’t activate it because I was saving money. That same ‘greed’ you kept accusing me of would have been at your expense if I’d decided to waste money freely.”
Nikolai said nothing.
“Dima told me something,” he finally muttered. “I thought…”
“You thought I had another man.”
He lowered his eyes.
“Wonderful. My husband gave away my car, refused to pay for the consequences, and then decided I must be cheating. That’s no longer one mistake. That’s a three-act performance.”
She picked up the suitcase standing in the corner, the same one with the seaside sticker on the side, and pushed it toward him.
It rolled across the parquet and stopped at his feet.
“Pack your things.”
 
“You’re serious? Nika, enough! Let’s just forget all of this!”
“Forgetting immediately is a coward’s habit. It’s convenient. You break everything, throw out a meaningless apology, and life continues as before. I’ll forget when you walk out that door.”
“This is my apartment too!”
“No. This apartment belongs to my mother, and you know that perfectly well. Everything in this story is mine: my car, my home, my nerves. We only had one thing that belonged to both of us.”
She looked directly at him.
“Trust.”
“And you spent it first.”
Nikolai fell silent.
After a while, he slowly stood up, took the suitcase, and walked into the bedroom.
Twenty minutes later he came back out fully packed.
He stood at the door for several seconds, apparently waiting for her to say something.
She didn’t.
The lock clicked behind him.
That evening, Veronica’s phone lit up.
Marina.
“Veronica… is that it? Are you getting divorced? Over this?”
“I haven’t announced a divorce. But sometimes a person has to be put back in his proper place before he decides the entire world is his personal warehouse.”
“He’s sitting on my sofa. Not saying a word.”
“Let him sit and think. The rest depends on him. If he understands what he did, the door may open again. If he doesn’t, then maybe this is better for both of us. It hurts. I’m not made of steel. But I’ll do what I have to do.”
The call ended.
Marina put down her phone and looked at her son.
He sat hunched over on the sofa, staring at his hands.
 
“You’re an idiot, Kolya,” she said wearily. “A complete idiot. You never earned a car. You never bought an apartment. But you wanted to show Zhenya what a generous brother you are—using your wife’s property. Very impressive.”
She went into her room and quietly closed the door behind her.
Nikolai remained alone.
He knew this room down to the last crack in the ceiling.
He had grown up here. He had once dreamed of escaping it, becoming an adult, becoming independent, becoming the master of his own life.
Then he got married, and it seemed he had finally escaped.
Now he was back on the same sofa, feeling like a schoolboy who had been thrown out of class.
He knew he had been wrong.
He understood it in every word that had been spoken that day in the hallway of the home he had just lost.
But anger still scratched somewhere inside him, offering the easiest possible explanation.
It wasn’t his fault.
It wasn’t his brother’s fault.
 
It was hers.
She had refused to forgive him.
She had refused to forget.
She had simply thrown him out.
And yet, beneath that anger, another thought kept returning.
Simple.
Uncomfortable.
Impossible to silence.
He needed to go to her.
 
He needed to call.
He needed to say the words out loud—not as though he were doing her a favor, not as though forgiveness were something she owed him.
But sincerely.
Like a human being.
I’m sorry.
I was wrong.
Nikolai picked up his phone and held his finger above her name for a long time.
