“You earn more, so you’re the one paying for everyone at the restaurant,” her mother-in-law declared at a family celebration
Maria was carefully sorting receipts when the phone rang. It was her mother-in-law.
“Mashenka, hello,” Valentina Petrovna’s voice sounded pitiful. “I have a request for you. I need a suit for the summer. And I have no money at all. Maybe you could help?”
“Valentina Petrovna, what about Lyosha?”
“What good is he? He earns pennies. But you make good money, working as a programmer.”
“I really do earn more. But my money is on my card. So only Lyosha can help you.”
“What do you mean, on your card? You’re a family!”
“We are a family, yes. But we keep our finances separate.”
“But a wife is supposed to support her husband! He’s a man! He needs to look good, meet with his friends. And now he doesn’t even have money to help his own mother!”
“I’m not a bank,” Maria snapped.
“I see what kind of wife you are,” Valentina Petrovna hissed and hung up.
That evening, Alexey came home.
“Your mother called. She asked for money again.”
“And what did you tell her?”
“The same thing I always tell her. She should ask you.”
“Masha, you know I don’t have any money! I get my salary, and a week later it’s all gone. Lunch, gas, meetings with the guys.”
“Lyosha, then why should I sponsor your mother?”
“We’re husband and wife! Everything should be shared.”
“Fine. Then let’s have a joint budget. We put our incomes together and spend together. Any expense over a thousand rubles must be discussed.”
Alexey hesitated.
“Why make it so complicated? Just give me money sometimes.”
“You know, Mom is right. You’re not exactly the right kind of wife. Normal wives support their husbands. And you… you’re like a miser.”
“Lyosha, I pay half of our shared expenses. The fact that I have more money left over is fair. After all, I earn more.”
“Aren’t you ashamed that at thirty-two, you can’t support yourself?”
“Maria, you’re unbearable!” he shouted and slammed the door.
On Friday, Alexey came home in a good mood.
“Mash, Mom is inviting the whole family to a restaurant. To celebrate her silver wedding anniversary with Dad.”
Maria was surprised. Valentina Petrovna never spent money on restaurants.
“She says she wants to fix things. To make peace with you.”
“Fine. I’ll go.”
Event Planning
The restaurant turned out to be expensive. The entire family was already waiting for them in the dining hall.
“Mashenka! How wonderful that you came!” Valentina Petrovna approached her with a broad smile.
Expensive appetizers were already on the table. The relatives began studying the menu, gasping at the prices.
“Order whatever you like, don’t be shy,” Valentina Petrovna generously announced.
Maria ordered a simple salad and water. Everyone else ordered lavishly: steaks, lobsters, expensive fish.
The celebration was loud and lively. Two hours later, the waiter brought the bill in a black folder and placed it beside Valentina Petrovna.
Without even looking at it, she picked up the folder and tossed it toward Maria.
“You earn more, so you’re the one paying for everyone at the restaurant.”
The entire table instantly fell silent. Every head turned toward Maria.
She slowly opened the folder.
Ninety-seven thousand rubles.
Maria closed the bill.
“I’m not paying for what I didn’t order.”
A dead silence hung in the air. Then the room exploded with noise.
“What do you mean, you’re not paying?!” Valentina Petrovna cried. “We’re family!”
“Masha, what are you doing?” Alexey hissed. “Everyone is looking!”
“Let them look,” Maria replied calmly.
“My dear, come now!” Aunt Nina intervened. “Why did you come to the celebration if you were planning to ruin it?”
“You are the ones disgracing the family,” Maria said. “You staged this whole performance to make me look bad.”
Alexey grabbed her by the arm.
“Masha, pay! We’ll sort it out at home later!”
“No,” Maria said firmly and stood up. “Sort it out yourselves.”
She picked up her purse and walked toward the exit under the outraged shouts of the relatives.
At home, she methodically began packing Alexey’s things into a suitcase.
“Masha! What kind of theater is this?” Alexey froze when he saw the suitcase by the door.
“No theater. Take your things.”
“Have you lost your mind? You’re going to divorce me over some dinner?”
“Not over dinner. Over the fact that all of you see me as a cash cow. Your mother deliberately set that trap.”
“So what? You can pay!”
“I can. But I won’t. I’m not obligated to support your relatives.”
“You’re selfish! Now I’m ashamed to look people in the eye!”
“And I’m not ashamed to stand up for my dignity.”
“Maria, enough! Let’s make peace.”
“It’s too late for that. Take your things and leave. Give me the keys. This is the end.”
“I’ll take half the apartment!” he threatened.
“Try. The apartment was bought with my money before the marriage.”
Alexey slammed the door.
The divorce process took three months. Maria simply changed her phone number.
Now, six months later, she was sitting in her quiet apartment with a cup of coffee.
No one demanded money from her. No one caused scandals.
Loneliness turned out not to be a punishment, but a gift.
“You earn more, so you’re the one paying for everyone at the restaurant,” her mother-in-law declared at a family celebration