“Enough, son, divorce her! Let her leave, and Yulia and I will settle in here!” the mother-in-law dreamed.
Larisa met Pavel at an auto repair shop, where she had brought her car after a minor accident. The tall dark-haired man with kind eyes and skillful hands made an impression on her. He worked as a mechanic, earned about fifty thousand a month, but said he wanted to open his own business. He dreamed of independence and stability.
They had a modest wedding. Larisa worked as a veterinarian at a private clinic and earned seventy thousand a month. She had inherited an apartment from her grandfather — a two-room place in a residential district, modest but in good condition. After the wedding, Pavel moved his belongings in and settled into his wife’s home.
The first months of married life passed calmly. Pavel helped around the house and cooked dinner before Larisa came home from work. He talked about their plans for the future, about how they would save money and open an auto repair shop. Larisa believed in those plans and supported her husband.
Raisa Petrovna entered their life gradually. At first, she called in the evenings to ask about her son’s health. Then she began coming over on Saturdays with homemade pies and advice about housekeeping. She was about fifty-five, energetic and talkative, and worked as a saleswoman in a grocery store.
“Son, you’ve lost weight,” Raisa Petrovna complained, looking Pavel over whenever they met. “Larisa, dear, do you feed your husband? A man needs to be well-fed, otherwise he won’t have strength for work.”
Larisa cooked well, but her mother-in-law always found something to criticize. The soup was too watery, the meat was too tough, or she had not cooked enough porridge. Pavel stayed silent during these discussions, sometimes nodding in agreement with his mother.
Gradually, the visits grew longer. Raisa Petrovna began staying overnight, claiming the late bus to their district was inconvenient. She would settle on the sofa in the living room, spread out the sheets and pillow she had brought with her, then take a long time getting ready in the morning, drinking tea and giving advice to the young couple.
“Larisa, why do you take a shower every day?” her mother-in-law asked at breakfast. “You’re wasting water. And do you know how much electricity it takes to heat it? You need to learn to save.”
“Raisa Petrovna, I work with animals. Hygiene is necessary,” Larisa patiently explained.
“Yes, of course. But still, twice a week is more than enough. I’ve lived like that my whole life, and nothing bad ever happened.”
Pavel nodded, supporting his mother. Larisa began to understand that her husband was not ready to defend her. But she hoped the situation would change with time.
A month later, Yulia joined the visits — Pavel’s sister. The girl studied part-time at the institute and lived with her mother two hours away from the city center. She supposedly came for classes and stayed overnight so she would not have to spend money traveling back and forth twice a day.
“Our Yulia is so smart,” Raisa Petrovna praised her daughter. “She’s going to be an economist. Not like some people, fussing around with animals. Yulia will build a career and marry well.”
Yulia was five years younger than Larisa, but she behaved like the mistress of the house. She occupied the bathroom in the mornings, left dirty dishes in the sink, and talked loudly on the phone late into the night. Pavel treated his sister tenderly, constantly defending her and excusing her behavior.
“She’s a student. She gets tired from studying,” he said whenever Larisa tried to discuss the problems. “Be patient for a little while. Her exams will be over soon.”
But the exams ended, and Yulia continued coming over. Then the excuse became practical lessons, then extra courses, and later simply her unwillingness to waste time on the road. Gradually, the girl moved half of her wardrobe into Larisa’s apartment.
Raisa Petrovna also began visiting more often. Now she came not only on weekends, but on weekdays too. She explained it as caring for the children and wanting to help around the house. She began holding family councils in the kitchen, where household matters and future plans were discussed.
“Pavlik, why does Larisa waste so much electricity?” her mother-in-law reasoned over tea. “The lights are on everywhere, the TV is running, the washing machine is used every day. She needs to be more economical.”
“Mom, this isn’t our apartment,” Pavel objected weakly.
“What do you mean, not ours? You live here, so you’re also the owner. And an owner should watch expenses.”
Larisa listened to these conversations from the hallway and was amazed by her mother-in-law’s shamelessness. The woman spoke about someone else’s expenses as if she paid the utilities out of her own pocket. But Pavel did not stop those discussions. Sometimes he even agreed with his mother.
Little by little, the atmosphere in the home changed. Raisa Petrovna began giving Larisa advice about work, criticizing her schedule, and explaining how family life should be built properly. Yulia joined in too, expressing her opinion that a wife should spend more time at home.
“Larisa, why do you come home so late?” her mother-in-law asked when Larisa returned from work at eight in the evening. “Family should come first. Pavlik waits for you all day, and you’re always busy with animals.”
“I have surgeries and emergency calls. I can’t always leave exactly on time,” Larisa explained.
“Yes, of course. And what about your husband? Is he not a person? Yulia cooks, cleans, and takes care of the home. See how domestic she is?”
Larisa began to feel as if she was turning into a guest in her own apartment. Yulia took over the kitchen, cooked for the family, bought groceries with Larisa’s money, and received praise for it from her mother and brother. Raisa Petrovna moved the furniture around, changed where things were kept, criticized the interior, and gave advice about renovations.
“Why are there two sofas here?” her mother-in-law mused, looking around the living room. “One could be removed to free up space. Yulia needs a wardrobe for her clothes. Everything gets wrinkled in her bag.”
“This was my grandfather’s furniture,” Larisa reminded her.
“So what? A dead man doesn’t need it, but the living could use it. Stop clinging to old junk.”
Pavel supported his mother and sister in everything. Whenever Larisa tried to speak to him privately, he brushed her off and asked her to be patient. He said it was a temporary situation and that everything would soon settle down. But more and more time passed, and the situation only grew worse.
One evening, Larisa came home from work and found an unfamiliar coat on the hanger in the hallway. It was dark blue, clearly a woman’s coat, and it hung in the spot where her jacket usually was. Her own clothes had been neatly pushed into the corner to make room for someone else’s things.
In the living room, a stack of bed linen lay on the sofa. Women’s shoes stood on the coffee table, with a makeup bag and a hairbrush beside them. Yulia was sitting in the armchair with a textbook, Pavel was watching television, and Raisa Petrovna was cooking dinner in the kitchen.
“Good evening,” Larisa greeted them, trying to stay calm.
“Oh, Larisa’s home,” Yulia responded without looking up from her book. “We’ve already eaten. We left some for you in the pot.”
“Thank you. Whose coat is in the hallway?”
“Mine,” Yulia answered. “I bought it today. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Pavel gave me the money.”
Larisa looked at her husband. He avoided her gaze and kept switching TV channels. So her husband was buying gifts for his sister with family money without even asking his wife’s opinion.
“Pavel, can we talk?” Larisa asked.
“Later,” her husband muttered. “An interesting movie just started.”
Larisa went into the kitchen, where Raisa Petrovna was washing dishes. Her mother-in-law felt like the full mistress of the house, managing the kitchenware and groceries as she pleased.
“Raisa Petrovna, how long are you planning to stay?” Larisa asked carefully.
“What, am I bothering you?” her mother-in-law turned around with a wet plate in her hands. “I’m helping around the house, cooking and cleaning. It’s convenient for Yulia to live here too, close to the institute. What exactly doesn’t suit you?”
“You see, this is still my apartment. I’m not against help, but I’d like to know your plans.”
“Your apartment?” Raisa Petrovna smirked. “And what about Pavel? Is he living here as a guest? Husband and wife are one whole. His home is your home, and your home is his home. Or do you think differently?”
Larisa understood that her mother-in-law’s logic was twisted, but she did not want to argue. She was too exhausted by the constant presence of strangers in her own home.
The next day, the situation repeated itself. Raisa Petrovna and Yulia behaved like full owners, and Pavel supported them in everything. Larisa felt unnecessary in her own apartment. That evening, she decided to speak to her husband again.
“Pavel, we need to seriously discuss the situation,” Larisa began when they were alone in the bedroom.
“What situation?” her husband asked, lying down on the bed and picking up his phone.
“Your mother and sister have been living here for two months. This is no longer a temporary visit. This is a move-in.”
“So what? Is it bad that they care about family? Mom cooks, Yulia helps. It should be easier for you.”
“It’s harder for me. I can’t relax in my own home.”
“It’s not only your home. I live here too.”
“But the apartment is registered in my name. I pay the utilities. I buy the groceries.”
“There it is,” Pavel put his phone aside and looked at his wife with irritation. “Now you’re throwing money in my face. What am I, some kind of freeloader?”
“I’m not talking about money. I’m talking about the fact that people have moved into my home without my consent.”
“People? This is my family. My mother and sister. And if you don’t like that, the problem is with you, not them.”
The conversation reached a dead end. Pavel turned toward the wall, making it clear the discussion was over. Larisa lay beside him and thought about how much her life had changed over the past few months.
In the morning, the situation became even more absurd. Over breakfast, Raisa Petrovna announced the plans for the day.
“Pavlik, today Yulia and I will go to the store and buy groceries. Larisa, give us some money. And in the evening we’ll watch a movie. I brought a disc.”
“What disc?” Larisa asked.
“A melodrama. Yulia has wanted to watch it for a long time. You don’t mind, do you?”
Larisa did mind, but she said nothing. She had wanted to read in the evening and rest after a hard day. But now the television would be on in the living room, and Raisa Petrovna and Yulia would comment on the film and disturb her peace.
All day Larisa thought about the situation. At home, three people were waiting for her — people who managed her space, spent her money, and ignored her opinion. Her husband not only failed to defend his wife, but supported his mother and sister in everything.
That evening, as she returned from work, Larisa heard voices in the kitchen. Raisa Petrovna was explaining something to Pavel, and Yulia occasionally added her comments. Deciding not to interrupt the family council, Larisa stopped in the hallway.
“Listen, son,” her mother-in-law was saying, “it’s impossible to live with a wife like that. You see how Larisa behaves? Cold, indifferent. She doesn’t value family.”
“Maybe that’s just her character,” Pavel replied uncertainly.
“What character? She’s selfish, that’s what. She only thinks about herself. Look at Yulia — kind, domestic, caring about others. That’s the kind of woman you should have married.”
“Mom, what are you saying? Yulia is my sister.”
“I don’t mean it that way! I’m talking about the type of wife. Yulia is family-oriented and home-loving. Your Larisa only cares about work.”
Larisa froze by the door. Her mother-in-law was openly criticizing her, and her husband did not object. More than that, judging by the pauses, Pavel was thinking over his mother’s words.
“You know what, Pavlik,” Raisa Petrovna continued, “maybe it really is time to change something. You’re still young. You can build a new family. With a normal woman.”
“What are you talking about, Mom?”
“I’m talking about divorce. Why suffer with Larisa? Divorce her, and Yulia and I will settle in here. The apartment is good, the district is convenient. It’s close to Yulia’s institute and not far from my work.”
Larisa felt the blood rush to her face. Her mother-in-law was planning her son’s divorce so she could seize someone else’s apartment. And she was discussing it completely calmly, as if they were talking about buying groceries.
“I don’t know, Mom,” Pavel said uncertainly. “That’s a serious decision.”
“What is there to think about?” Yulia interrupted. “Larisa doesn’t value you anyway. She always walks around dissatisfied and disappears at work. What kind of wife is that?”
“Yulia is right,” Raisa Petrovna supported her daughter. “There’s no point wasting time on a hopeless relationship. Divorce her and be done with it.”
Larisa realized she had heard enough. She quietly approached the kitchen door and pushed it open sharply. Three figures at the table turned toward her. Surprise and slight embarrassment showed on their faces.
“Good evening,” Larisa said calmly. “What an interesting conversation you’re having.”
Raisa Petrovna recovered first and forced her usual smile.
“Larisa, dear, we were just… discussing plans for the weekend. Nothing special.”
“Yes, especially the plan for my divorce,” Larisa walked to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water. “And your future residence in my apartment. Very touching.”
Pavel lowered his eyes, and Yulia pretended to study her textbook. Raisa Petrovna tried to change the subject.
“You misunderstood. We were talking about how a family needs harmony…”
“No, I understood perfectly,” Larisa interrupted. “You were discussing how to get rid of me and take my apartment.”
Silence hung in the air. Raisa Petrovna pressed her lips together, and Yulia closed her textbook. Pavel finally raised his head.
“Larisa, it’s not that simple…”
“It is very simple,” Larisa placed the glass in the sink. “I have news for you. Tomorrow, all of your belongings must disappear from my apartment.”
“What do you mean?” Raisa Petrovna tensed.
“I mean I’m ending this comedy. I am not going to support people who are planning to throw me out of my own home.”
Larisa left the kitchen, went into the bedroom, and locked the door. She heard whispers rise in the kitchen, then loud voices. Raisa Petrovna was explaining something to her son, and Yulia was indignant. But Larisa was no longer going to listen to their reasoning.
In the morning, she got up early and got ready for work. Only Yulia was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee. The others were still asleep.
“Larisa, were you serious yesterday?” the girl asked.
“Absolutely serious. By this evening, none of your things should be here.”
“But I still have to finish my studies…”
“Finish them from the dormitory or from the road. That has nothing to do with me.”
Larisa went to work with a firm intention to see the matter through. All day she thought about how to organize the departure of the uninvited guests. By evening, her plan had formed.
When she returned home, she found all three of them in the living room. They were sitting as if at a meeting, discussing something serious. When they saw Larisa, they fell silent.
“Good evening,” the owner of the apartment greeted them. “I hope you’re packing.”
“Larisa, let’s talk calmly,” Pavel began. “We’ve been thinking…”
“No need to think. You need to pack,” Larisa went into the bedroom and returned with three large bags. “Let’s start with Yulia.”
The girl jumped up from the sofa.
“What are you doing?”
“Helping you pack your things. Since you can’t manage it yourselves.”
Larisa went into the bathroom and gathered Yulia’s makeup, toothbrush, and shampoos. She put everything into one bag. Then she went into the living room, where the girl kept her clothes in the wardrobe.
“That’s my dress!” Yulia protested when Larisa began folding the clothes.
“Exactly. Yours. That means you’re taking it with you.”
“Larisa, stop,” Pavel tried to interfere. “We can discuss everything…”
“There is nothing to discuss. The decision has been made.”
Within half an hour, Yulia’s bags were packed. Larisa carried them out onto the landing. The girl stood in the hallway crying, while Raisa Petrovna comforted her daughter and looked at Larisa with hatred.
“You’re heartless!” her mother-in-law snapped. “You’re throwing a child out onto the street!”
“I’m throwing out an adult woman who lived at my expense for two months,” Larisa answered calmly. “Raisa Petrovna, your turn.”
Her mother-in-law tried to enter the apartment, but Larisa blocked her way.
“I’m not going anywhere!” Raisa Petrovna declared. “This is my son’s home!”
“No. This is my home. Your son lives here temporarily. And if he gets in the way, he will leave after you.”
Larisa went into the living room and gathered her mother-in-law’s things. Bed linen, slippers, a robe, medicine — everything went into a bag. Raisa Petrovna tried to snatch her things back, shouting that she would call the police.
“Call them,” Larisa suggested. “Explain to them that you are living in someone else’s apartment without the owner’s permission and refusing to move out.”
Her mother-in-law’s bag joined Yulia’s luggage on the landing. Raisa Petrovna stood on the threshold and had no intention of leaving.
“Pavlik, say something!” his mother demanded. “This is your wife! You’re a man!”
Pavel remained silent, shifting from one foot to the other. Larisa looked at her husband and understood — he was not going to support her. Just as he had not supported her all these months.
“Fine,” Larisa said. “Since you don’t understand the nice way…”
She took out her phone and dialed the district police officer. She explained the situation and asked him to come help remove people who had settled in her home without permission.
“The police will be here in half an hour,” Larisa informed them. “You can wait or leave on your own.”
Raisa Petrovna and Yulia exchanged glances. The prospect of explaining themselves to the police did not inspire them. They took their bags and headed toward the stairs.
“This isn’t over!” her mother-in-law shouted from the landing. “We’ll talk again!”
“No, we won’t,” Larisa said, slamming the door shut.
Pavel remained standing in the hallway, confused and defeated. His wife walked past him into the bedroom and began packing his things.
“What are you doing?” her husband asked.
“Helping you make your choice. You can stay here, but then you forget the road to your mother and sister. Or you go to them and never come back here again.”
“They’re my family…”
“And what am I, a stranger? For two months they planned our divorce, and you kept silent. You supported them in everything. Now choose.”
Pavel sat down on the bed and lowered his head.
“I didn’t think it was that serious…”
“It is very serious. So serious that tomorrow I’m filing for divorce.”
“Larisa, let’s try again. I’ll talk to Mom, explain everything…”
“It’s too late to explain. The decision has been made.”
Her husband packed his things and left. Larisa stayed alone in the apartment, which finally belonged only to her again.
A few hours later, the phone rang. Raisa Petrovna demanded that Larisa return her son, threatened her with court and division of property. Larisa patiently explained that the apartment had been inherited before the marriage, so there was nothing to divide.
“But morally, you owe us!” her mother-in-law shouted. “We were family!”
“We were. But we won’t be anymore,” Larisa said and ended the call.
The next day, she filed for divorce. Pavel appeared at the registry office confused and asked her to give him another chance. Larisa was firm. They had no shared property and no children. The procedure took very little time.
“At least leave me the washing machine,” her former husband asked when they parted. “It was bought for the family.”
“It was bought with my money,” Larisa reminded him. “So it stays with me.”
A week later, Yulia posted on social media about an evil woman who had thrown a poor family out onto the street. She described Larisa as a heartless egoist and herself and her mother as victims of circumstance. A mutual acquaintance sent Larisa a screenshot.
Larisa read it and smirked. She blocked Yulia on all social media, along with Pavel and Raisa Petrovna. Let them live in their own world and tell their fairy tales.
Another month later, Raisa Petrovna appeared outside the entrance. She knocked on the door, shouted under the windows, and demanded that Larisa return her son. The neighbors complained about the noise. Larisa called the police. The district officer explained to her mother-in-law that disturbing public order could result in a fine and administrative punishment.
After the second police visit, Raisa Petrovna never appeared again. Larisa changed the locks in the apartment and changed her phone number. Only her mother received the new keys. Through acquaintances, she passed on to her former relatives that she had no intention of speaking to them.
Pavel remained living with his mother and sister in a communal apartment — the very place where they had planned to send Larisa after the divorce. He lost his job because he had missed too much work while dealing with family problems. Yulia returned to the dormitory, and her dreams of a comfortable life in the city center collapsed.
Larisa began living peacefully. She replaced the dishes the uninvited guests had used and rearranged the furniture according to her own taste. The apartment once again breathed order and silence. In the evenings, she could read books without listening to loud conversations and advice about how to live properly.
She never again allowed anyone to behave like the owner in her home. Guests came for a couple of hours and left. No overnight stays, no moving in under the disguise of temporary visits. The lesson had been learned once and for all.
A year later, she met Pavel on the street. He looked tired and older. He greeted her politely and asked how she was. Larisa answered briefly and walked on. The past remained in the past, and she had no desire to return to it.
Her grandfather, who had left her the apartment, had been a wise man. He knew whom to trust with his property. Larisa protected his memory and his inheritance from people who believed that someone else’s belongings should belong to anyone who declared themselves family.