«My mom is planning to move into your house, so you’re not selling it,» Sergei announced to his wife.
Isolda stood in the middle of her living room, looking at her husband as if he were a complete stranger. They had tied the knot a year ago—quietly, without a big wedding, after waiting the mandatory period following her mother’s death. At the time, Sergei had seemed dependable, and there was no talk of betrayal or a mistress, or at least Isolda had believed that. But today, he stood before her with an expression on his face as though she owed him something.
Money—that was always what ruined people. The apartment from her mother, the suburban house inherited from her great-grandfather—all of it had suddenly become an object of interest for her mother-in-law and her family. To them, a wife had turned into a source of perks, and a husband into a tool for pressure. Lurking behind Sergei was his sister Alla, and by her predatory squint, Isolda knew: this visit had been planned out.
«Here’s the deal,» Sergei began without preamble. «You’re not selling the house. Mom is moving in, and that’s final. Stop playing games.»
«Interesting,» Isolda tilted her head slightly. «And when exactly did I give my consent to this brilliant plan?»
«Nobody’s asking for your consent,» Alla chimed in. «We’re telling you how it’s going to be. Normal people help their relatives instead of being cheap.»
«Oh, how lovely,» Isolda smiled. «Normal people, you say? Well, normal people usually ask permission before disposing of someone else’s property. Or is that not done in your family?»
Alla flushed and gave her shoulder a hitch.
«What are you acting so high and mighty for? The house is just sitting empty anyway! What difference does it make to you who lives there?»
«A huge difference, darling. If a house is empty, that’s my business. If someone lives in it, that’s also my business. Because it’s mine. Is that logic too complicated?»
Sergei stepped forward.
«Cut the sarcasm! Mom busted her tail her whole life, she deserves a decent old age. And you’re just sitting here on two pieces of real estate and being stingy!»
Isolda raised an eyebrow.
«Busted her tail, you say? Wonderful. Well, tell me, Seryozha, when your mother was busting her tail, was she setting aside money for repairs on this house she wants to move into? No? For property taxes? Also no? For utilities?»
«Why are you nitpicking over petty details?!» Alla shrieked.
«Petty details?» Isolda pulled out her phone and opened her notes app. «Let’s calculate the petty details. Property tax is forty-two thousand a year. Gas, electricity, water—another eight thousand or so every month. The roof repairs needed in five years—at least three hundred thousand. Who’s going to pay for that? Your mother? Or will you and Seryozha chip in?»
The silence was eloquent.
«Thought so,» Isolda nodded. «So, I’m supposed to maintain the house, pay for everything, and your mother gets to live there for free. A genius scheme. I’m simply in awe.»
Sergei clenched his jaw.
«Do you even hear yourself? That’s my mother! I won’t let her bounce around living in other people’s corners!»
«Seryozha,» Isolda spoke calmly. «Your mother already tried to ‘settle down’ in my apartment once. Remember that wonderful month? When she declared she had the right to live here because I’m her son’s wife? We talked then. I thought you understood. Apparently not.»
«She didn’t mean any harm!» Alla threw her hands up. «She just wanted to be closer to family!»
«Being closer to family is wonderful. And signing over my apartment to herself—what is that? Also out of deep love?»
Alla faltered.
«I’m neither blind nor deaf. And just in case, I consulted a lawyer. So, getting back to the house, let me explain simple arithmetic to you, Seryozha. The house is worth about seven million—thanks to the new highway. If I sell it, I’ll give a portion to Aunt Vera—she was like family to me after my mother died. The rest I’ll invest in real estate. Two one-bedroom apartments for rental income—that’s stable cash flow. Who is going to compensate me for that if the house is occupied by a free tenant?»
«What does money have to do with this?!» Sergei barked. «We’re talking about a human being!»
«It’s always about money, sweetie,» Isolda smirked. «Some people are just too embarrassed to admit it. You and Alla didn’t come here because you love Mom. You came here because you want to solve her housing problem at my expense. Did I guess right?»
Alla exploded.
«You think because you inherited real estate from your mother, you’re some kind of queen now?! Seryozha only stays with you out of pity!»
«Out of pity?» Isolda actually laughed. «Alla, sunshine, your brother hasn’t paid a single utility bill in the entire year we’ve been married. He hasn’t bought groceries for the week even once. But he’s asked to ‘borrow a few bucks till payday’ three times. If anyone here is staying out of pity, it definitely isn’t me.»
Sergei turned beet red.
«What the hell are you saying in front of my sister?!»
«The truth, Seryozha. The exact truth you prefer to ignore. You came here demanding that I hand over my house to your mother. You didn’t ask—you demanded. You didn’t discuss it—you presented it as a done deal. That’s called disrespect. And when your sister calls me an upstart in my own home—that’s called being trashy. Are either of you familiar with those words…?»
Isolda stood in the middle of her living room, looking at her husband as if he were a complete stranger. They had tied the knot a year ago—quietly, without a big wedding, after waiting the mandatory period following her mother’s death. At the time, Sergei had seemed dependable, and there was no talk of betrayal or a mistress, or at least Isolda had believed that. But today, he stood before her with an expression on his face as though she owed him something.
Money—that was always what ruined people. The apartment from her mother, the suburban house inherited from her great-grandfather—all of it had suddenly become an object of interest for her mother-in-law and her family. To them, a wife had turned into a source of perks, and a husband into a tool for pressure. Lurking behind Sergei was his sister Alla, and by her predatory squint, Isolda knew: this visit had been planned out.
«Here’s the deal,» Sergei began without preamble. «You’re not selling the house. Mom is moving in, and that’s final. Stop playing games.»
«Interesting,» Isolda tilted her head slightly. «And when exactly did I give my consent to this brilliant plan?»
«Nobody’s asking for your consent,» Alla chimed in. «We’re telling you how it’s going to be. Normal people help their relatives instead of being cheap.»
«Oh, how lovely,» Isolda smiled. «Normal people, you say? Well, normal people usually ask permission before disposing of someone else’s property. Or is that not done in your family?»
Alla flushed and gave her shoulder a hitch.
«What are you acting so high and mighty for? The house is just sitting empty anyway! What difference does it make to you who lives there?»
«A huge difference, darling. If a house is empty, that’s my business. If someone lives in it, that’s also my business. Because it’s mine. Is that logic too complicated?»
Sergei stepped forward.
«Cut the sarcasm! Mom busted her tail her whole life, she deserves a decent old age. And you’re just sitting here on two pieces of real estate and being stingy!»
Isolda raised an eyebrow.
«Busted her tail, you say? Wonderful. Well, tell me, Seryozha, when your mother was busting her tail, was she setting aside money for repairs on this house she wants to move into? No? For property taxes? Also no? For utilities?»
«Why are you nitpicking over petty details?!» Alla shrieked.
«Petty details?» Isolda pulled out her phone and opened her notes app. «Let’s calculate the petty details. Property tax is forty-two thousand a year. Gas, electricity, water—another eight thousand or so every month. The roof repairs needed in five years—at least three hundred thousand. Who’s going to pay for that? Your mother? Or will you and Seryozha chip in?»
The silence was eloquent.
«Thought so,» Isolda nodded. «So, I’m supposed to maintain the house, pay for everything, and your mother gets to live there for free. A genius scheme. I’m simply in awe.»
Sergei clenched his jaw.
«Do you even hear yourself? That’s my mother! I won’t let her bounce around living in other people’s corners!»
«Seryozha,» Isolda spoke calmly. «Your mother already tried to ‘settle down’ in my apartment once. Remember that wonderful month? When she declared she had the right to live here because I’m her son’s wife? We talked then. I thought you understood. Apparently not.»
«She didn’t mean any harm!» Alla threw her hands up. «She just wanted to be closer to family!»
«Being closer to family is wonderful. And signing over my apartment to herself—what is that? Also out of deep love?»
Alla faltered.
«I’m neither blind nor deaf. And just in case, I consulted a lawyer. So, getting back to the house, let me explain simple arithmetic to you, Seryozha. The house is worth about seven million—thanks to the new highway. If I sell it, I’ll give a portion to Aunt Vera—she was like family to me after my mother died. The rest I’ll invest in real estate. Two one-bedroom apartments for rental income—that’s stable cash flow. Who is going to compensate me for that if the house is occupied by a free tenant?»
«What does money have to do with this?!» Sergei barked. «We’re talking about a human being!»
«It’s always about money, sweetie,» Isolda smirked. «Some people are just too embarrassed to admit it. You and Alla didn’t come here because you love Mom. You came here because you want to solve her housing problem at my expense. Did I guess right?»
Alla exploded.
«You think because you inherited real estate from your mother, you’re some kind of queen now?! Seryozha only stays with you out of pity!»
«Out of pity?» Isolda actually laughed. «Alla, sunshine, your brother hasn’t paid a single utility bill in the entire year we’ve been married. He hasn’t bought groceries for the week even once. But he’s asked to ‘borrow a few bucks till payday’ three times. If anyone here is staying out of pity, it definitely isn’t me.»
Sergei turned beet red.
«What the hell are you saying in front of my sister?!»
«The truth, Seryozha. The exact truth you prefer to ignore. You came here demanding that I hand over my house to your mother. You didn’t ask—you demanded. You didn’t discuss it—you presented it as a done deal. That’s called disrespect. And when your sister calls me an upstart in my own home—that’s called being trashy. Are either of you familiar with those words…?»
Alla opened her mouth to speak, but Isolda raised a hand.
«Wait. I’m not finished.»
She took out her phone and dialed a number.
«What are you doing?!» Sergei lurked toward her.
«Calling your mother. Since you’re making decisions for me, she might as well hear my answer straight from the source.»
The line clicked.
«Galina Petrovna? It’s Isolda. Yes, good evening. I’m calling to let you know personally: the house is being sold. I’m putting it on the market next week. No, that’s not open for discussion. No, Sergei wasn’t able to convince me. Neither was Alla. Because you convince people with arguments, not screaming.»
A shrill voice came through the receiver. Isolda pulled the phone away from her ear, and everyone could hear:
«Seryozha! What are you mumbling for?! I told you—you have to explain things nicely! And you ruined it again!»
Isolda smiled.
«Hear that, Seryozha? That’s your mother explaining that the plan failed because of you. Not because the plan was idiotic. But because of you. Touching, isn’t it?»
The mother-in-law kept screaming on the other end:
«Sergei, stop this nonsense! Forget about the house! I’ll handle it myself!»
«Mommy changed her mind,» Isolda stated, hanging up. «What a surprise. Who would have thought she’d throw her own son under the bus at the first sign of pushback.»
Alla grabbed her bag.
«I’m not going to sit here and listen to this!»
«Good riddance,» Isolda shrugged. «The door is right where it was when you walked in.»
The sister-in-law stormed out of the apartment. In the silence that followed, Isolda turned to her husband.
«Now we’re alone,» she said quietly. «And I’m going to tell you something important. If you ever bring up my apartment or my house again—I’m throwing you out. The exact same second. No arguments.»
«Isolda…» Sergei slumped suddenly. «I didn’t mean to… Mom was pressuring me…»
«Your mother has been pressuring you your whole life. But you’re a grown man. You could have said no. You chose to say yes and come to me with an ultimatum. That was your decision. Not hers.»
He was silent.
«I love you, Seryozha,» Isolda continued. «No matter how strange that sounds right now. But if I have to choose between love and self-respect—I’ll choose myself. Without hesitation.»
«What do I do?» Sergei’s voice sounded lost.
«For starters—learn to say ‘we’ instead of ‘me and my mom.’ Then—learn to ask instead of demand. And then, maybe, we can get through this.»
Sergei slumped down on the couch.
«I blew it all, didn’t I?»
«Almost,» Isolda sat down next to him, but didn’t touch him. «You humiliated me in front of your sister. You tried to take what belongs to me. You put your family’s interests above ours. That’s called betrayal, Seryozha. Small, domestic, but betrayal nonetheless.»
«I’ll fix it,» he looked at her with desperation.
«We’ll see,» she stood up. «Right now, I need some space. You can stay on the couch.»
She walked into the bedroom and closed the door. The relationship hadn’t collapsed—but a crack remained. Deep, painful, and requiring time to heal. Isolda knew she would be fine. She always managed. The only question was whether he would.
