Alice was standing by the window, looking out at the autumn courtyard, when the doorbell rang. She knew who it was. Her mother-in-law had warned her about the visit that morning, saying curtly over the phone, “I’ll stop by today to take a look at something.” Alice had not asked for details, deciding it was just another formality.
The apartment belonged to her. She had bought it eight years ago, when she was working as a manager at a logistics company. It was a two-room apartment on the fourth floor, overlooking a park. Every corner of it had been arranged by her own hands, every little thing bought with her own money. The documents were in the safe, and there it was written in black and white: the owner was Alice Viktorovna Sokolova. No shares, no co-owners.
Igor had known this from the very beginning of their relationship. He had never laid claim to the apartment, never argued, never tried to insist that after the wedding it should be registered in both their names. Alice appreciated that. For her, honesty mattered more than demonstrative equality. But he preferred not to remind his mother of that fact, so as not to get into unnecessary arguments. Galina Pavlovna was a domineering woman, used to believing that her opinion was law, and any attempt to argue with her ended in long-lasting resentment and silent reproaches.
Alice opened the door. Her mother-in-law stood on the threshold in a long coat, a leather handbag over her shoulder. In her hands she held a notebook and a measuring tape.
“Hello, Alice,” Galina Pavlovna said, walking past her without even waiting to be invited in. “Is Igor home?”
“Yes, he’s in the room,” Alice replied, closing the door. “Come in.”
Her mother-in-law took off her coat, carefully hung it on the rack, and headed into the living room. Alice followed her, feeling a slight uneasiness. The measuring tape and notebook put her on guard.
Igor came out of the bedroom when he heard their voices.
“Hi, Mom,” he said, walking over and kissing his mother on the cheek. “Did you want to look at something?”
“Yes, son,” Galina Pavlovna said, looking around the room with a confident gaze, as though she were seeing it for the first time, although she had been there dozens of times. “I need to measure a few things. You are planning renovations, aren’t you?”
Alice frowned.
“Renovations? Igor and I haven’t talked about any renovations.”
“What do you mean, you haven’t?” her mother-in-law said, raising her eyebrows in surprise. “Igor told me last week that you were thinking of freshening up the apartment. Changing something.”
Alice glanced at her husband. He shrugged guiltily.
“Mom, I said we were thinking about it, maybe sometime in the future…”
“So I came to help,” Galina Pavlovna interrupted, opening her notebook. “I’ve already thought everything through. You know, Sveta’s daughter recently renovated her place, and it turned out so beautifully! I saw it, got inspired, and decided it wouldn’t hurt you either.”
Alice lowered herself onto the armrest of the sofa, crossing her arms over her chest. She silently watched as her mother-in-law began walking around the room, stopping first by one wall, then another, squinting and writing something in her notebook.
“Here,” Galina Pavlovna said, poking her finger at the wall near the window, “you could put in a large built-in wardrobe. So much space is being wasted. And this sofa,” she looked at the dark-blue sofa on which Alice was sitting, “should be removed. It’s too bulky. It clutters the room.”
Alice felt the muscles in her neck tense. She slowly straightened up, still saying nothing.
“And this wall,” her mother-in-law said, walking to the opposite side of the room, “would be better painted in a light color. Beige, for example. Or gray. To visually expand the space. It’s rather dark in here.”
Igor stood in the doorway, looking from his mother to his wife. He clearly sensed the tension but did not dare interfere.
“Mom, maybe we shouldn’t change everything right away?” he suggested cautiously. “We’re living fine as it is.”
“Fine is not good,” Galina Pavlovna cut him off. “A home should be perfect. Especially when children come along, you’ll need to set up a nursery. And your bedroom, by the way, also needs to be redone. The bed is too small, the wardrobe is old…”
Alice slowly stood up from the armrest. She walked to the window, leaning against the windowsill, her frown deepening. Thoughts swarmed in her head, but she tried to remain calm. As long as her mother-in-law was only talking, let her talk. But if it came to concrete action…
Meanwhile, Galina Pavlovna continued her “inspection.” She went into the kitchen, and her voice rang out from there:
“Igor, come here! Look, everything here needs to be redone! The floor tile is cracked, the kitchen set is ancient, the extractor barely works. Everything has to be replaced.”
Igor reluctantly headed to the kitchen. Alice remained standing by the window, clenching her fists. She heard her mother-in-law continue listing the apartment’s flaws while Igor muttered something indistinct in reply.
A few minutes later, Galina Pavlovna returned to the living room. She sat down at the table, spread her notebook in front of her, and began writing something in large, sweeping letters.
“Right,” she muttered. “So first, we need to order a wardrobe. Then paint the walls. Then replace the sofa. In the kitchen: a new kitchen set, tiles, extractor hood. In the bedroom: a bed and wardrobe. And all sorts of little things: lamps, textiles…”
Alice turned around.
“Galina Pavlovna, who is going to pay for all of this?”
Her mother-in-law raised her head from the notebook.
“Well, you and Igor, of course. It’s your apartment.”
“My apartment,” Alice corrected quietly.
“Yours,” Galina Pavlovna waved it off carelessly. “What difference does it make? You live together anyway.”
Alice wanted to say something, but restrained herself. She returned to the sofa and sat down, watching her mother-in-law. The woman continued scribbling in the notebook, mumbling something under her breath.
“Right, Igor,” she called her son. “Come here. Let’s discuss it.”
Igor came out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel.
“What is there to discuss, Mom?”
“The renovation, of course,” Galina Pavlovna said, looking at him as though he were a foolish child. “I’ve planned everything out. We’ll do it in stages. First the living room, then the bedroom, then the kitchen. We’ll manage it in three months if we don’t drag it out.”
Igor shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other.
“Mom, we haven’t even decided whether we’re doing renovations at all…”
“What do you mean, you haven’t decided?” his mother’s voice turned sharp. “You yourself told me you wanted to change something!”
“I said we were thinking about it,” Igor objected weakly. “That doesn’t mean we’re starting right now.”
Galina Pavlovna exhaled loudly, closed her notebook, and leaned back in her chair.
“Igor, you’re a grown man. It’s time to make decisions. Your apartment is old, everything needs updating. If you don’t start now, it will only get worse later.”
“The apartment is not old,” Alice intervened. “It’s ten years old.”
“So what?” her mother-in-law looked at her. “Everything has worn out over the years anyway. It needs to be changed.”
“Who says it needs to be?” Alice tilted her head to one side. “You or us?”
Galina Pavlovna frowned.
“I don’t understand what that tone is for.”
“It’s for the fact that this is my apartment,” Alice replied evenly. “And I make the decisions about renovations.”
“You may be the owner,” her mother-in-law straightened, “but my son lives here. And he has the right to comfort.”
“Igor lives here comfortably,” Alice looked at her husband. “Isn’t that true?”
Igor hesitated.
“Well… yes, more or less…”
“More or less is not an answer!” his mother interrupted him. “If something can be improved, then it should be done. Especially when I’m ready to help organize everything.”
Alice got up from the sofa and walked over to the table. She placed her hands on the tabletop and looked directly at her mother-in-law.
“Galina Pavlovna, let’s make things clear right away. This is my apartment. I bought it before marriage, with my own money. Igor knows this, and he has never claimed ownership. All decisions about renovations, furniture purchases, or any changes are made by me. And only by me.”
Galina Pavlovna slowly rose from the table.
“So my son, who lives here, has no say?”
“He does,” Alice replied calmly. “But the final decision is mine, because this is my property.”
“I see,” her mother-in-law said, crossing her arms over her chest. “And what if I want to help you with the renovation? Pay for part of the work, for example?”
“I didn’t ask for help,” Alice did not look away. “And I’m not planning any renovations in the near future.”
Galina Pavlovna exhaled loudly and turned to her son.
“Igor, do you hear how she’s talking to you? Your opinion doesn’t matter at all!”
Igor looked helplessly from his mother to his wife. He clearly did not know where to put himself or what to say. His face had turned red, and his hands nervously fiddled with the edge of his T-shirt.
“Mom, it really is Alice’s apartment…”
“So what?!” his mother’s voice rose. “You are husband and wife! Everything should be shared!”
“An apartment bought before marriage is not jointly acquired property,” Alice said clearly. “It is my personal property, and legally it remains mine, even if we divorce.”
Galina Pavlovna turned pale.
“You’re already thinking about divorce?!”
“I’m talking about the law,” Alice replied. “Just so it’s clear who the owner is here.”
Her mother-in-law breathed heavily, looking first at Alice, then at her son. Then she sharply turned around and walked into the living room. She stopped in the middle of the room, surveying it with the air of a person who had made a final decision.
“Fine,” she said, lifting her chin. “Since you don’t want my help, I won’t impose. But remember one thing: without my daughter’s consent, you won’t change anything here!”
Alice froze. She slowly straightened up, and blood rushed to her face, betraying her growing irritation. Her eyebrows drew together, her lips pressed into a thin line.
“Excuse me, what?” she asked quietly.
“You heard me,” Galina Pavlovna said, looking at her defiantly. “My daughter lives in this apartment. And if you want to change anything, you will have to ask her permission.”
Alice slowly took a step forward.
“What daughter? Who are you talking about?”
“Kristina, of course,” her mother-in-law said, raising her chin even higher. “My youngest daughter. She’s moving in with you in a month. I’ve already discussed everything with her.”
Silence hung in the room. Alice stood there, unable to move. Igor turned pale, opened his mouth, but did not say a word.
“Moving in with us?” Alice finally forced out. “On what grounds?”
“She’s studying at the institute. She needs housing,” Galina Pavlovna explained calmly. “The dormitory is far from her classes, and the conditions there are terrible. And you have a spare room. Igor has already agreed.”
Alice turned sharply to her husband.
“Igor?”
He swallowed convulsively.
“Well… Mom asked if Kristina could stay with us for a while…”
“And you said yes?”
“I said we needed to discuss it with you…”
“And I decided this was not a matter for discussion,” Galina Pavlovna cut in. “Kristina is Igor’s own sister. Of course she can stay with her brother.”
Alice felt her hands tremble. She clenched them into fists, trying to control herself.
“No,” she said, separating the words with pauses. “She. Cannot.”
Her mother-in-law frowned.
“And why not?”
“Because this is my apartment,” Alice stepped closer. “And I did not give permission for anyone else to live here.”
“But she’s your husband’s sister!” Galina Pavlovna threw up her hands. “What’s the big deal? She’ll stay for a year, finish her studies, and move out.”
“I am not going to live with a stranger in my own apartment for a year,” Alice replied firmly.
“A stranger?!” her mother-in-law’s voice rose to a shout. “She is Igor’s own sister! How dare you call her a stranger?!”
“To me, she is a stranger,” Alice did not waver. “I have seen her three times in my life. And I don’t want her living in my apartment.”
Galina Pavlovna breathed heavily, staring at Alice with undisguised fury.
“Igor,” she called, without taking her eyes off her daughter-in-law. “Tell her. Tell her Kristina is moving in here.”
Igor stood by the wall, pale, his head lowered.
“Mom… It really is Alice’s apartment…”
“What do you mean, Alice’s?!” his mother spun around toward him. “You are husband and wife! Everything should be shared! Or doesn’t she trust you?!”
“Trust has nothing to do with this,” Alice intervened. “This is about ownership.”
“I couldn’t care less about your ownership!” Galina Pavlovna shouted. “You are a greedy, heartless egoist! You can’t help your husband’s own sister! You don’t want to share your precious apartment with anyone!”
Alice slowly exhaled. She turned, went into the bedroom, and returned a minute later with a folder. Placing it on the table, she opened it and took out several sheets.
“Sit down,” she said calmly.
Galina Pavlovna looked at her suspiciously but sat down. Igor turned even paler, realizing that the conversation was moving beyond its usual boundaries.
Alice spread the documents in front of her mother-in-law.
“This is the purchase agreement,” she said, pointing to the first page. “The date is March tenth, two thousand sixteen. The buyer is me. I bought this apartment with my own money, taking part of it on credit, which I paid off completely in four years. Igor was still living in another city back then, and we didn’t even know each other.”
She turned the page.
“This is the extract from the Unified State Register of Real Estate. The sole owner is Sokolova Alice Viktorovna. No shares, no co-owners. Only me.”
Galina Pavlovna silently looked at the documents.
“This is our marriage certificate,” Alice placed the next sheet down. “We got married three years ago. According to the law, everything bought before marriage is not jointly acquired property. This apartment is my personal property.”
Her mother-in-law tried to object, but her words tangled, and her confidence began to crack. She opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again.
“But… but you live together…”
“We do,” Alice agreed. “But the apartment belongs to me. And all decisions about who will live here are made by me. Not you. Not Igor. Me.”
“So you will refuse your husband’s own sister?” her mother-in-law’s voice trembled. “Are you really that callous?”
“I’m not callous,” Alice gathered the documents back into the folder. “I’m simply protecting my space. My apartment is my home. And I don’t want to share it with someone I barely know.”
“But it’s temporary! Just one year!”
“A year is not temporary,” Alice objected. “That’s a long time. It means I would spend a year living in my own apartment with a stranger, adjusting to someone else’s schedule, sharing the bathroom, the kitchen, the common space. I don’t want that.”
Galina Pavlovna rose from the table.
“You will regret this,” she said quietly. “When you need help, when you find yourself in a difficult situation, don’t count on our support.”
Alice lifted her gaze.
“I never did.”
Her mother-in-law froze, staring at her. Then she sharply turned to Igor.
“Did you hear that? Your wife refuses to help your sister! What do you have to say to that?”
Igor stood with his head lowered. He was silent.
“Igor!” his mother shouted.
He slowly raised his head.
“Mom… It really is Alice’s apartment. She has the right to decide.”
“Right?!” Galina Pavlovna turned crimson. “And what about duty to family?! What about family bonds?!”
“Mom,” Igor took a step forward. “I understand that you want to help Kristina. But this isn’t our decision. The apartment belongs to Alice, and she doesn’t want anyone else living here. Let’s rent Kristina an apartment. I’ll help with the rent.”
“Rent?!” his mother threw up her hands. “Why spend money on rent when you have a spare room?!”
“Because it isn’t our room,” Igor replied quietly. “It’s Alice’s.”
Galina Pavlovna breathed heavily, looking from her son to her daughter-in-law. Then she abruptly grabbed her handbag and notebook.
“Fine,” she hissed through clenched teeth. “Live however you want. But remember, Alice: nothing in this house will change without my daughter’s consent. Because she will be living here!”
“She won’t,” Alice said clearly. “I’ve already said it. No one will live in my apartment without my consent.”
Her mother-in-law hurled the notebook onto the table.
“You’ll regret this!” she shouted. “You’ll see what it’s like when people refuse to help you! When you end up alone, without support!”
“I am already alone,” Alice replied calmly. “I have always been alone. And I have managed.”
Galina Pavlovna grabbed her coat and began putting it on, fastening the buttons with trembling hands. A few minutes later, she was gathering her things with none of her former force, casting dissatisfied glances at Alice and Igor.
“Igor, you’re coming with me,” she ordered her son.
“Mom, I’m staying here…”
“I said you’re coming with me!” she repeated, and there was such steel in her voice that Igor did not dare object.
He looked guiltily at Alice and followed his mother. A minute later, the door closed behind them, and the apartment became quiet.
Alice stood in the middle of the living room, looking at the closed door. She exhaled and felt the tension slowly leave her shoulders. At last, the house was quiet again, and it was clear who the owner was. She went to the window, opened it, and took a deep breath of fresh air. Her apartment. Her space. Her life.
And no one — not her mother-in-law, not her daughter, not anyone else — had the right to dictate how she should live here.
Igor came back late that evening. He entered quietly, with a guilty step, as though afraid to disturb Alice. She was sitting in the kitchen with a cup of tea, looking out the window.
“Hi,” he said quietly.
“Hi,” she replied without turning around.
Igor came into the kitchen and sat down across from her.
“I’m sorry. Mom lost control. She’s always like that when things don’t go her way.”
“I noticed,” Alice said, taking a sip of tea. “Igor, I have a question for you.”
“Yes?”
“Did you really agree to let Kristina live here?”
Igor lowered his gaze.
“Mom asked if she could. I said we needed to discuss it with you. But Mom took that as agreement.”
“So you didn’t refuse her right away?”
“I… didn’t want to fight with her.”
Alice set her cup on the table.
“Igor, this is my apartment. If you want someone else to live here, you need to ask me first. Not your mother.”
“I know,” he raised his head. “I’m sorry. I really did want to talk to you, but Mom was pushing so hard…”
“And what happens next?” Alice looked at him. “She’ll keep pushing. She’ll come over, plan renovations, try to move Kristina in here. What are you going to do?”
Igor was silent. Then he said quietly:
“I don’t know.”
Alice stood up and walked over to the window.
“Then think about it. Because if you don’t learn to tell your mother no, we won’t last long.”
“Do you want a divorce?” fear sounded in Igor’s voice.
“I want you to protect our family,” Alice replied. “Not obey your mother in everything. This is my apartment, my home. And I don’t want anyone invading it without my permission.”
Igor stood up and approached her.
“I understand. I’m sorry. I really didn’t want it to happen like this.”
Alice turned to him.
“Igor, I’m not blaming you. But I want to know that you’re on my side. That when your mother tries to impose something again, you will tell her no.”
He nodded.
“I will. I promise.”
Alice looked at him for a long moment, then nodded.
“All right. Then let’s go to bed.”
They went to the bedroom. Alice lay down, pulled the blanket over herself, and closed her eyes. Igor lay down beside her but did not touch her. He lay on his back, staring at the ceiling.
“Alice,” he called quietly.
“Yes?”
“Will you really never agree to let Kristina stay with us?”
Alice opened her eyes.
“Never.”
“Even if it’s only for a couple of months?”
“Even if it’s only for a week,” she turned to him. “Igor, I bought this apartment for myself. So that I would have my space, my silence, my peace. I don’t want to share it with anyone except you. And that is my right.”
Igor slowly nodded.
“I understand.”
They fell silent. Outside the window, the wind rustled, swaying the branches of the trees. Alice listened to that sound and thought that today she had defended her home. She had defended her right to live the way she wanted. And if someone didn’t like that, it was their problem, not hers.
A few days later, Galina Pavlovna called Igor. Alice heard him talking in the hallway, trying to explain something to his mother. His voice was tired but firm.
“Mom, I understand. But the apartment belongs to Alice. And she doesn’t want Kristina living with us. Let’s rent her an apartment. I’ll help with the money.”
Alice could not hear what her mother-in-law was saying, but from Igor’s face it was clear that the conversation was difficult.
“Mom, please understand. This isn’t my decision. I cannot dispose of someone else’s apartment.”
A few more minutes of silence.
“All right, Mom. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
He hung up and returned to the kitchen. Alice was sitting at the table with her laptop.
“How did it go?” she asked without looking up from the screen.
“Mom is still angry,” Igor sat across from her. “But I told her Kristina won’t be living here. We’ll rent her an apartment.”
Alice raised her eyes.
“Thank you.”
Igor nodded.
“I should have done it right away. I’m sorry I didn’t support you then, in front of my mother.”
“The important thing is that you understood,” Alice closed the laptop. “Igor, I don’t want to turn you against your mother. But I am not going to sacrifice my comfort for someone else’s wishes. Even if those wishes belong to your family.”
“I know,” he took her hand. “And I understand. I just needed time to realize it.”
Alice squeezed his hand in return.
“All right. Then we’ll keep living.”
And they continued living. Galina Pavlovna no longer came over with a measuring tape and renovation plans. Kristina rented an apartment nearby, and Igor helped her with the rent. His mother called less often, and her voice no longer carried its former confidence. She had understood that in this home, she was not the one who set the rules.
And Alice continued living in her apartment, enjoying the silence and peace. She had protected her home and defended her boundaries.
And that was what mattered most.
