Liliya was in her office, engaged in thought. Important real estate documents lay on the desk in front of her. She had taken over symbolic property from her parents—three apartments in a prestigious area of the city and a compact shopping center on the outskirts.
Her husband’s mother had no comment she was paying rent to her own daughter-in-law. Liliya had specifically prepared the entire deal through a real estate agency to keep this secret. Three years ago, when her relationship with Igor was just starting she decided not to uncover her financial capabilities to him.
“My dear,” Liliya had said then
“I don’t care at all how much you earn. All that matters to me is how you treat me.”
Igor flushed, feeling somewhat rude. He was an ordinary engineer in a construction company, and his income left much to be treasured.
“But how can… You’re so beautiful, so smart. Surely you won’t be satisfied with a simple life?” he wondered.
The girl laughed and hugged him.
“I love you, dear. Everything else is secondary.”
Therefore, Liliya preferred to keep her wealth a secret. She said she worked as a manager at the shopping center. The apartment where they lived, she granted as part of her inheritance.
Two years into their marriage, Liliya sometimes regretted her choice, especially because of the constant attacks from her mother-in-law. Alla Sergeyevna had disliked her daughter-in-law from day one.
“How could you choose such a one?” she often asked her son. “She can’t cook, doesn’t know how to manage a household. The only thing she does is run to work.”
Liliya quietly remained silent, although these words carefully hurt her. For the sake of her cherished husband, she was willing to accept any reproaches from his mother, even when they became more open and malicious.
One day, while preparing dinner, Liliya overheard a phone conversation of her mother-in-law:
“Imagine, Galina, this girl bought herself another new dress!” Alla Sergeyevna complained loudly.
“I don’t understand where she gets the money. Probably, my Igor spends all his savings on her.”
“My son has completely lost his mind,” continued the mother-in-law. “If it weren’t for him, this person would probably be living under a fence. No decent education, no proper job…”
Liliya’s hands fluttered. She had graduated from two faculties and received a red diploma, but Igor had asked her not to tell his mother about it, because she
purportedly disapproved of “too educated” women.
Every visit from the mother-in-law transformed into a real trial period for Liliya.
“This borscht is simply impossible to eat,” Alla Sergeyevna smirked tasting the dish prepared by her daughter-in-law. “In my time, girls were taught to cook before marriage.”
In fact, she cooked excellently—she had even taken special culinary courses before the wedding to please her husband. However, the mother-in-law always looked ior a reason for criticism.
In anticipation of their wedding anniversary, Liliya decided to give Igor a special gift.
Placing the envelope with the tickets in the desk drawer, the girl smiled. Perhaps, after such a gift, the mother-in-law would alter her opinion about her? Although, perhaps, it would only exacerbate the situation.
When Igor returned from work in the evening, Liliya immediately spotted his fearful state. He was silent for a long time, ate reluctantly, and then finally decided to speak:
“You know, mom called today…” he said with obvious uncertainty.
Liliya tensed internally. After conversations with his mother, Igor always became more harsh with his wife.
“She mentioned that the rent for the apartment has gone up,” continued the husband.
“Now it will be difficult for her to manage alone…”
“And what does she suggest?” asked Liliya quietly.
“Maybe we can help?” Igor said guiltily. “I understand that it’s not easy for us either, but after all, she’s my mother…”
“Igor, I…” Liliya began.
The girl sighed heavily. She had always been against the mother-in-law having keys to their apartment, but Igor insisted.
“There you are!” Alla Sergeyevna confidently walked into the kitchen, not even taking off her shoes. “I just knew I would find you at dinner.”
“Mom?” Igor exclaimed in surprise. “What happened?”
“Happened! They switched off the water in my apartment because of some repair works. I’ll have to live with you for a few days,” declared the mother-in-law, tossing her bag right onto the table.
Liliya froze. Tomorrow they were supposed to celebrate their wedding anniversary, and the day after tomorrow, they were to leave for Turkey.
“Alla Sergeyevna, maybe…” Liliya tried to start.
“Maybe what?” the mother-in-law interrupted sharply. “Are you saying I can’t stay? My own son’s mother?” Alla Sergeyevna’s voice became hysterical. “I knew it! There’s your true nature! And you, son, can’t you see what kind of person is next to you!”
“Mom, calm down,” Igor tried to intervene. “Liliya just…”
“Just what?” Alla Sergeyevna flared up. “Just wants to kick me out? She’s always wanted that! Looking down on me, even though she’s nothing herself!”
Liliya clenched her teeth. How she wanted to now back out the documents and show who the real owner was. But she restrained herself.
“Useless!” the mother-in-law continued..
“Can’t even cook properly. Look at this pot—what kind of soup is this? Just water!”
“Mom, stop,” Igor tried to stop her. “Liliya cooks perfectly.”
“You’re just under her influence!” the mother-in-law threw up her hands. “I’ll stay and teach her how to manage the household!”
“Alla Sergeyevna,” Liliya made an effort to keep calm, “Igor and I had planned…”
“What had you planned?” the mother-in-law interrupted again. “To kick me out? When I have problems?”
“Mom, maybe…” Igor started, but stopped under the sharp gaze of his mother.
“What, son? Are you against me now?” Tears glistened in Alla Sergeyevna’s eyes. “I raised you, brought you up, and now you’re kicking me out?”
“No one is kicking you out, mom,” Igor surrendered. “Of course, stay.”
All plans for the anniversary, the surprise, the first joint trip abroad—all were happening before their eyes.
“Igor, can I talk to you for a minute?” Liliya pulled her husband aside into the bedroom.
“There!” they heard behind them. “Already starting to turn him against his mother!”
In the bedroom, Liliya closed the door and turned to her husband:
“Igor, tomorrow is our anniversary. I had a special surprise…”
“What surprise could be more important than your own mother?” Igor sharply replied. “You see—she has problems! She wants to help us, to teach you…”
“To teach?” Liliya could not believe her ears. “She constantly humiliates me at every opportunity! Calls me useless…”
“She’s just worried about me,” Igor stubbornly argued. “Wants everything to go well for us.”
Something inside Liliya finally broke. Two years of patience, lies, and manipulations had achieved their limit.
“You know what,” she said quietly, but each word sounded like a sentence, “if you don’t see a problem in this, maybe you should leave with her.”
“What?” Igor asked in astonishment.
“You heard me. Take your mother and leave my apartment.”
“You can’t kick us out!” the husband protested. “I’m your husband!”
“Look carefully,” she said calmly. “These are the documents for the apartment. It belongs to me, remember? You have no right to be here without my consent.”
Igor quickly scanned the papers. His face turned dreadful pale.
“But…” he tried to say something but stopped.
“Enough. Enough humiliation and deception,” Liliya bitterly smiled. “I can no longer tolerate it.”
She resolutely escorted them to the door. Her patience had run out.
That night, lying sleepless, Liliya made an important decision. In the morning, she contacted the real estate agency and sent an official eviction notice to Alla Sergeyevna. It wasn’t long before the mother-in-law burst into the apartment, quietly followed by Igor.
“How dare you?!” exploded Alla Sergeyevna.
Liliya slowly rose from the sofa, where she was sorting through documents.
“How dare I?” Liliya quietly repeated.
“Very simply, Alla Sergeyevna. I am your landlord.”
Alla Sergeyevna froze in place, her jaw slightly dropped. The paper in her hands trembled.
“What nonsense are you talking about?” the woman hissed through her teeth. “My landlord is a large company, not some…”
“Not some useless person?” Liliya softly finished the sentence, approaching the table. “Here, take a look for yourself. Here are all the documents for the house where you live, and for this apartment too. I have owned these properties for five years, having received them as an inheritance from my parents.”
“All this time…” he whispered. “All this time you…”
“Yes,” nodded Liliya. “All this time, I lowered your rent. First, I reduced it by three times, then by another ten percent. I did this out of respect for you, Igor. But unfortunately, I never received mutual respect.”
“Lilechka, darling…” she cooed. “I didn’t know anything! You must understand—I was just worried about my son…”
“Worried?” Liliya bitterly asked again. “By spreading rumors? Humiliating me at every opportunity?”
“I got carried away!” exclaimed Alla Sergeyevna, energetically waving her hands. “All my words were said in a burst of emotion! I always treated you like my own daughter!”
Liliya declined.
“No, Alla Sergeyevna. It’s too late. For two years, I endured your nitpicking, your mockery, your contempt. I kept silent when you called me useless. I smiled when you criticized my cooking. I didn’t show it when you spread dirty rumors about me.”
Igor tried to intervene:
“Lily, maybe…”
But his wife immediately cut him off:
“No, Igor. Now I see you with different eyes. Do you know what I realized? Not once did you defend me. Not once did you stop your mother when she accused me. You always took her side.”
“I just wanted to avoid conflicts…” he muttered.
“Avoid conflicts?” Liliya laughed without joy. “And I didn’t want to live in a lie. I didn’t want to experience humiliation every day. If you couldn’t protect me from your own mother, what kind of husband were you?”
“The saddest thing is that I really loved you. I hid my position because I wanted you to love me for myself, not my money.”
She approached the cabinet and took out an envelope.
“Look. These were tickets to the sea—my gift for our anniversary. I planned to surprise you. But your mother ruined everything. And you let her do it.”
Alla Sergeyevna jumped up from the chair:
“Lilechka, let’s forget everything! I will apologize, make amends! How can you kick us out onto the street?!”
“No, Alla Sergeyevna,” Liliya coldly replied. “You are given a month to find new housing. That’s a generous period, considering the circumstances.”
“Igor!” Alla Sergeyevna shrieked. “Make her see reason! You can’t allow her to treat your mother like this!”
But Igor kept silent, staring at the floor. Liliya took out another envelope:
“Here are the divorce papers. I’ve already prepared everything. Sign them—and you can take your mother and leave.”
“Lily, please,” finally
“Let’s start over. I’ll change, I promise!”
“No, Igor. It’s too late. My love for you disappeared the moment you chose her, without even trying to hear me. Now I understand: with her around, you’ll never become a real man.”
A month later, Liliya sat in her office, placing the final signature on the divorce documents.
“You know,” she said to her lawyer, closing the folder with the documents, “now I am free. No one can humil.iate me or tell me how to live anymore.”
Looking back, Liliya realized: everything that happened was for the best. She lost a husband but found herself. And these trials were worth it.
