Oleg slammed a heavy bag of groceries onto the kitchen table with all his might. The paper couldn’t take the strain and split down the seam. Apples scattered across the countertop, and a bottle of water nearly rolled onto the floor. One apple did manage to escape, disappearing under the refrigerator.
Ksenia didn’t even flinch. She kept slicing meat into thin strips. Something sizzled in the pan, filling the kitchen with the aroma of garlic and spices. Outside the sixteenth-floor windows, the wind howled and a blizzard raged. The cold was trying its best to claw its way into their warm home.
Oleg tossed his snow-dampened jacket onto an armchair. It immediately began to smell of wet wool.
«Starting today, we’re splitting the budget!» Oleg shouted, bracing his hands against the table. «That’s it! I’m done. I’ve had enough.»
Ksenia set down her knife, wiped her hands on a towel, and looked at him.
«And where is this coming from all of a sudden?» she asked, her voice perfectly calm.
«I’m tired of carrying everything on my back!» He pulled a crumpled receipt from his pocket and waved it at her. «I looked at the expenses. Groceries from that gourmet shop again? Asparagus in the winter? Why do we need this? I’m killing myself at work while you just sit at your computer and blow my money!»
«Oleg, we had an agreement. I handle the groceries, and you cover the bills while I finish this project…»
«Forget it!» he cut her off. «We don’t have kids; we’re adults. From now on, it’s every man for himself. You buy your own food. You gas up your own car. We split the utilities fifty-fifty. I am done subsidizing your expensive tastes!»
Ksenia looked at her husband. There was such a desperate need for control in his eyes that it made her feel uneasy. She realized it wasn’t about the asparagus. He just wanted to prove who was the boss.
«Fine,» she replied, gathering the fallen apples. «Whatever you say. But let’s make it official—no exceptions. Separate means separate. Everyone pays their own way.»
«Deal!» Oleg smirked. «Let’s see how long you last on your little side gigs.»
Wednesday morning was freezing. Out of habit, Oleg went to the bathroom and turned on the shower. Instead of hot water, he got a lukewarm drizzle. Grumbling, he gave himself a quick rinse and stepped into the hallway. The moment his feet hit the tile, he froze. The floor was ice-cold.
Ksenia was sitting at the table in an oversized sweater. Her monitor was glowing, and a steaming cup of coffee sat beside her.
«Why is the floor cold? And the water is barely warm!» Oleg complained, peering into the fridge. A wave of cold air hit him, but the shelves were mostly bare.
«I turned off the floor heating on your side of the apartment,» Ksenia said, without looking up from her work. «And I put the water heater on eco-mode. You were complaining about the bills yesterday. One person’s worth of power is plenty. I’ve already paid my share of the electricity.»
Oleg stood frozen. On the top shelf were containers of meat and vegetables. On his shelf sat a pack of hot dogs and a stick of butter.
«Very funny, Ksenia,» he muttered. «Give me the car keys. Mine’s in the shop, and I have a long drive today.»
His wife took a sip of her coffee and looked at him.
«No.»
«What do you mean, ‘no’? There’s a blizzard out there! Am I supposed to suffer on the tram?»
«The car is mine. I pay for it: the gas, the insurance, the cleaning. We have separate budgets now, so your transportation is on you. The tram stop is two blocks away; you’ll make it.»
Oleg turned red with rage. He grabbed his briefcase and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
The commute to the office was a nightmare. The tram was packed, someone stepped on his foot with full force, and the biting wind outside cut right through him. At lunch, his colleagues ordered takeout while he chewed on cheap hot dogs, mentally calculating how much money he had left until payday.
That evening, a folder of papers was waiting for him at home.
«This is the breakdown for this month,» Ksenia said, sliding the sheets toward him. «Your half.»
Oleg glanced at the list and nearly choked.
«How much?! Where are these numbers coming from?»
«We live in a luxury building, Oleg,» she explained. «Security, parking, a concierge, cleaning services. I split everything fairly.»
«My salary isn’t infinite! If I pay all this, I’ll have nothing left to live on!»
«You’re the one who wanted independence. By the way, I canceled the cleaning service for your half of the rooms. The mop and bucket are in the pantry. You can handle it this weekend.»
«Stop playing these games!» he yelled, crumpling the paper. «I just didn’t want you wasting money!»
«I know exactly what comfort costs,» Ksenia’s voice turned cold. «But you seem to have forgotten.»
By Friday, the tension had reached its breaking point. Oleg was sleeping on the guest sofa, eating junk, and riding crowded buses. He was certain Ksenia would cave, come to him to apologize, and things would go back to the way they were.
That evening, he reached the front door of the building and tapped his keycard against the lock. There was a beep, and a red light flashed: Access Denied.
«Good evening, Oleg Nikolaevich,» the concierge called out. «Your card has been blocked. The management company has restricted access for anyone with more than two months of unpaid fees.»
«What fees? I’ve lived here for three years!»
«Those are the rules. Call your wife; she’ll have to come down and sign you in as a guest.»
Oleg felt a wave of humiliation. He had to stand out in the cold and call his wife. By the time he walked into the apartment, he was shaking with rage. He marched into the room, ready to give her a piece of his mind.
Ksenia was sitting on the sofa. She was on a video call, talking to a man in a suit.
«Yes, Mikhail Sergeyevich, the budget is approved,» she said in a confident tone Oleg had never heard before. «The funds are already in the company accounts. Go ahead with the procurement. I’ll send over the schedules tomorrow.»
She closed her laptop and looked at her husband.
«What was that?» Oleg asked hoarsely. «What project? What company?»
«It’s my company,» she replied simply. «I own a logistics agency. I have over sixty people on staff. I work from home because it’s more convenient for me.»
Oleg stood rooted to the spot. His mind was racing.
«And… do you make much?»
«Enough that I don’t have to stress over the price of asparagus. My income is ten times what yours is.»
He sank into a chair. Every lecture he’d ever given her, every piece of «advice» to find a real job, and every reproach for her spending flashed before his eyes. He felt incredibly foolish.
«Why didn’t you say anything?»
«Did you ever ask?» Ksenia sighed. «You enjoyed thinking you were the one in charge. You liked the feeling of power. You paid for the groceries and thought that gave you the right to demand my submission. I didn’t argue—until you decided to use money to teach me a lesson.»
«Ksenia…» He stepped closer. «I overreacted. Things have been rough at work, I was feeling stressed, and I snapped. Let’s just forget this whole budget thing. We’re a family.»
«No,» she said, shaking her head. «I saw your face that night. You weren’t looking for a partner. You wanted to watch me beg you for pennies.»
Oleg swallowed hard.
«So, what now? Divorce? How are we going to split the apartment? I did the renovations here!»
«We aren’t splitting anything.» Ksenia stood up. «I bought this apartment myself before we even met. It’s in my name. The only thing you have here is a mailing address. You kept your money, so there’s nothing for us to divide.»
Oleg stared at her, paralyzed. His entire world had crumbled.
«Are you kicking me out? Now? I have nowhere to go! I don’t have the cash for a new place!»
«Have your things packed by the end of the weekend,» she replied, heading toward her office. «And wire me what you owe for the utilities. After all, we have separate budgets.»
She closed the door behind her. Oleg was left alone in the vast, silent apartment. Just three days ago, he thought he was the king of the castle. Now, he literally had nowhere to sleep.
