Anna grabbed the heavy grocery bags and struggled up to the fourth floor. The elevator, as usual, was not working, and the bags of food for the festive dinner pulled painfully at her arms. She was already imagining how quickly she would make the salads, reheat the roast pork she had prepared in advance, and set the table for Sergey’s guests. His friends and their wives were supposed to arrive at eight, and it was only half past six. There was enough time.
The key turned in the lock with its familiar click, and Anna pushed the door open with her shoulder, balancing the bags in her hands. She had barely stepped inside when she heard her husband’s irritated voice coming from the living room:
“Anna! Have you seen what’s going on here? How could you leave the apartment in this state?”
She carefully set the bags down on the hallway floor and took off her shoes. What had happened? In the morning, when she left for work, everything had been fine. True, she had not managed to vacuum the living room rug or wipe the dust from the coffee table — she had overslept after doing laundry the night before, which had dragged on until one in the morning.
“Hi, Sergey,” she greeted him tiredly as she walked into the living room. “What happened?”
Her husband was standing in the middle of the room, pointing at the coffee table, where there really was a thin layer of dust.
“This is what happened!” His face had turned red with outrage. “Andrey and Olga, and Maxim and Liza will be here in half an hour, and just look at the state of our apartment! Dust everywhere, the rug hasn’t been vacuumed, and there are stale towels hanging in the bathroom!”
Anna slowly looked around the room. Yes, there was dust. On one table. The rest of the apartment looked perfectly decent — she always kept things clean, even if she did not always manage to make everything flawless.
“Sergey, I just got home from work. We still have an hour and a half. I’ll manage everything. First I’ll make dinner, and then…”
“Can’t you clean the apartment properly?! You’ve become completely lazy!” Sergey exploded. “I’ll be embarrassed in front of the guys! They’ll think I married a slob!”
The words hit Anna like a slap. She froze, staring at her husband as he continued waving his arms around, pointing out insignificant shortcomings in the cleaning. Lazy? Her? The woman who came home every day after an eight-hour workday and then spent another three hours doing housework? The woman who washed his shirts, ironed his trousers, made breakfasts and dinners, mopped floors, and wiped dust?
“Lazy?” she repeated quietly.
“Yes! Everything used to be perfectly tidy here, and now…” Sergey waved toward the table with its barely noticeable layer of dust.
Something snapped inside Anna’s head. As if a string stretched to its limit had finally broken.
“USED TO?” she shouted so loudly that Sergey even stepped back. “Used to when? When I worked part-time and had five hours a day to spend cleaning? Or when you hadn’t yet figured out that you could drag your friends here every weekend so I could feed and entertain them?”
“Anna, calm down…”
“NO, I WILL NOT CALM DOWN!” Her eyes flashed with fury. “You came home an hour before me and did nothing! What have you done since you got home from work? Huh? Sat on the couch and watched football! If you don’t like something, take a rag and wipe that damn dust yourself!”
“That’s not a man’s job…”
“And shouting at your wife is a man’s job?!” Anna stepped right up to him. “When was the last time you lifted a finger to help me? When did you vacuum? When did you wash the dishes? You can’t even put your dirty socks in the laundry basket — you throw them wherever you want!”
Sergey tried to say something, but she did not let him speak.
“Twelve years, Sergey! For twelve years I’ve been carrying this entire household on my back! I work just like you do, and then I come home and work again — cooking, cleaning, washing, ironing. And what do you do? Lie on the couch and watch television! And you still dare to say that I’ve become lazy!”
“But you’re a woman…”
“So what?!” Anna shrieked. “That doesn’t make me your servant! I have a job too. I get tired too. I have my own things to do too! I also have the right to rest!”
She abruptly turned and walked over to the couch, where Sergey’s things were lying — his jacket, gloves, and some papers.
“And you know what?” she continued, sweeping his things onto the floor. “If you invite guests, then you can entertain them yourself! Cook yourself, clean yourself, entertain them yourself! I’m tired of being your unpaid housekeeper!”
“Anna, don’t be ridiculous! The guys are already on their way!”
“Wonderful! Welcome them yourself!” She headed to the wardrobe and began pulling out her coat. “You can tell them what a terrible wife you have, one who can’t clean the apartment properly!”
“Where are you going?” Sergey asked in confusion when he saw that she was getting dressed.
“Somewhere no one shouts at me!” Anna put on her boots and grabbed her handbag. “And you can entertain your dear friends however you want. Make mayonnaise sandwiches for all I care — I’m tired!”
“But you bought the groceries…”
“Then cook them yourself!” She walked to the front door. “And by the way, darling, if you don’t like the way I run the household, hire a maid. Let’s see how much she charges you for this kind of work!”
“Anna, don’t act like a child! Come back!”
But she had already slammed the door and quickly gone down the stairs. Sergey even ran out onto the landing and shouted after her:
“Anna! Have you completely lost your mind? Come back immediately!”
But she did not turn around. For the first time in twelve years of marriage, she had told him to go to hell and left the house when he needed her. And you know what? It felt wonderful.
It was already dark outside, and at first Anna simply walked aimlessly, slowly cooling down from her rage. The cool air pleasantly brushed against her flushed face, and she began thinking about where to go. To a friend’s place? But her friend lived far away, and Anna did not feel like complaining to anyone. To the cinema? It was already late. And then she remembered an advertisement she had seen at work — a new spa center called “Relax” had opened not far from home. Why not?
Twenty minutes later, she was standing in front of the glass doors of a modern building with a neon sign. Inside, quiet relaxing music was playing, and it smelled of lavender and something else pleasant. Behind the reception desk sat a smiling young woman with flawless makeup.
“Welcome to Relax!” she greeted her. “How are you? Would you like to unwind after a difficult day?”
“Yes,” Anna nodded tiredly. “What do you offer? I’ve never been to a spa before.”
“Oh, we have wonderful packages!” the girl said, handing her a colorful brochure. “Here is the basic relaxation package for two hours — massage, sauna, herbal tea. And here is our premium program, ‘Royal Rest’ — four hours of pleasure: a full-body hot-stone massage, body wraps, facial masks, aromatherapy, sauna, jacuzzi, and dinner in our café.”
Anna looked at the prices and let out a slight whistle. The premium package was not cheap. But then she remembered Sergey’s words about laziness and being a bad wife, and her anger returned.
“I’ll take the Royal Rest,” she said firmly.
“Excellent choice!” the receptionist said happily. “Will you be paying by card or in cash?”
Anna took out her credit card — fortunately, she and her husband had a joint account, and she could spend money without asking permission.
“By card.”
“Wonderful! Please go through to the changing room. A robe and slippers will be waiting for you there. Your personal therapist, Maria, will begin the treatments in ten minutes.”
After changing into a soft white robe, Anna felt the tension begin to leave her body. The spa was warm, cozy, and very quiet. No one demanded that she cook, clean, or hurry anywhere.
Maria turned out to be a middle-aged woman with kind eyes and strong hands. She led Anna into the massage room, where the air smelled of essential oils and the sounds of nature played softly.
“Relax and forget all your problems,” Maria said quietly, beginning the hot-stone massage. “The next four hours are only for you.”
And Anna really did relax. Perhaps for the first time in many years. She lay on the massage table, feeling skilled hands remove tension from her shoulders and back, feeling the warm stones dissolve the knots of exhaustion. Her thoughts became calm and clear.
When was the last time she had thought only about herself? When had she allowed herself to simply do nothing? The years had flown by in constant commotion — work, home, work, home. Not a single day of rest, not one evening when she could say, “Today I’m doing nothing. Let someone else make dinner.”
After the massage came the sauna. Anna sat on the warm wooden steps, breathed in the scent of birch branches, and thought about her life. When had she turned into a housekeeper? It had happened gradually, almost imperceptibly. At first, she had cooked dinners because she loved her husband and wanted to take care of him. Then she started cleaning the whole apartment herself because he worked more and got tired. Then she began washing his clothes, ironing his shirts, buying groceries…
And he got used to it. So used to it that he began to consider it a given. Even worse — he began to demand and criticize. When was the last time he had said thank you for dinner? Or for an ironed shirt? Or simply for the fact that the home was always clean and cozy?
The phone in her handbag had started vibrating during the massage, but Anna switched it off. Let Sergey deal with his guests himself. Let him explain why his wife was not home and why there were bags of groceries on the table instead of a festive dinner.
After the sauna came a seaweed body wrap, then a blue clay facial mask, then aromatherapy. Each treatment lasted about an hour, and Anna felt not only her fatigue melting away, but also the resentment that had accumulated over the years.
Finally, Maria escorted her to the jacuzzi. The hot water with herbs and essential oils pleasantly massaged her body, and Anna leaned back against the edge of the tub, closing her eyes. It felt good. Very good. And most importantly — no one was nearby, no one was demanding anything from her.
“How do you feel?” Maria asked, bringing her herbal tea in a beautiful cup.
“Wonderful,” Anna smiled. “I can’t even remember the last time I rested like this.”
“Work wearing you down?”
“Not just work,” Anna sighed. “Home, my husband… You know, today I realized I had turned into a housekeeper. And not even a paid one.”
Maria nodded understandingly.
“Many women face this. Men get used to being taken care of and stop appreciating it. And women get used to taking care of others and forget about themselves.”
“Exactly!” Anna exclaimed. “And then they still get angry when something goes wrong. Today my husband shouted at me because of dust on the coffee table. Dust! As if I don’t work myself to exhaustion managing the household every day!”
“And what did you do?”
“I left,” Anna said proudly. “For the first time in my life, I told him off and left. He has guests tonight, and I’m here in a jacuzzi drinking herbal tea.”
“Well done!” Maria laughed. “Sometimes it’s useful for men to be left alone and realize how much work their wives actually do.”
They talked a little longer, and Anna realized Maria was right. Sergey had simply gotten used to comfort and stopped noticing it. Like air — when it is there, you don’t think about it. But when it disappears, you immediately understand how important it is.
The last part of the package was dinner in the spa café. Anna sat at a table by the window, slowly eating salmon salad and drinking white wine. A light rain was falling outside, people were hurrying home, and she was in no hurry at all. Freedom — that was what it was called.
The waitress brought dessert — a delicate chocolate mousse with berries — and Anna thought about the chaos probably unfolding at home. Sergey was most likely panicking, trying to cook something and explain to his friends why his wife had disappeared. Or maybe he had ordered pizza and was telling them what an unstable wife he had.
And you know what? She did not care at all.
At around half past ten, she finally decided it was time to go back. The treatments were over, the bill had been paid, and there was no point in delaying the inevitable conversation with her husband any longer. Anna changed back into her clothes, took her handbag, and went outside.
The rain had stopped, and the air was fresh and cool. She walked home slowly, thinking about what she would say to Sergey. She was not going to apologize — he was the one who needed to apologize for his shouting and rudeness. She would simply explain the new rules of the game to him.
The apartment building greeted her with its familiar silence and the smell of stairwell dust. As Anna climbed the stairs, she heard voices behind the door of her apartment — apparently, the guests had not left yet. Interesting. What had they been fed, and what had they been told about the missing hostess?
She opened the door with her key and stepped into the hallway. The voices fell silent, and she heard quick footsteps.
“Anna!” Sergey rushed out of the living room, looking both guilty and bewildered. “Thank God you’re back! I didn’t know what to think…”
“What was there to think about?” she calmly took off her shoes and hung up her coat. “I was at the spa. Resting.”
“At the spa?” he repeated, as if he had heard something unbelievable.
“Yes. I spent a lot of money on the Royal Rest package,” Anna said with satisfaction. “Massage, sauna, body wraps, jacuzzi, dinner in the café. I recommend it.”
Muffled voices came from the living room — his friends were apparently discussing what was happening.
“Anna, I…” Sergey began, but she interrupted him.
“Are the guests still here? Apologize to them for my absence. Tell them your wife had urgent business.”
“But they realized we had a fight…”
“Even better. Then they’ll understand what I’m about to say.”
Anna walked into the living room. Andrey and Olga, and Maxim and Liza were sitting on the couch with guilty expressions. On the coffee table stood plates with pizza crusts and beer cans. Clearly, the evening had not gone the way they were used to.
“Good evening,” she greeted them. “I’m sorry I couldn’t welcome you. I had urgent business.”
“Anna, we understand…” Olga began, but Anna shook her head.
“Everything is fine. I simply got tired of being an unpaid servant and decided to change that.”
The friends exchanged glances, and Sergey turned red.
“My dear friends,” Anna continued in the same calm tone, “if Sergey wants to host parties, he can cook and clean himself. I work just as much as he does, and I have the right to rest. Today was my first day off in the last twelve years, and I liked it very much.”
An awkward silence settled over the room. Maxim cleared his throat and said:
“Anna, maybe we should go? It’s late already…”
“That’s not necessary,” she smiled. “I’m going to bed. I have work tomorrow. You can stay, but clean up after yourselves.”
She turned and went to the bedroom, leaving her husband and his friends alone with the awkwardness.
In the bedroom, Anna changed into her pajamas and got into bed with a book. Half an hour later, she heard the guests saying goodbye and leaving. Then came the clatter of dishes from the kitchen — apparently, Sergey was cleaning up.
Another hour later, he quietly knocked on the bedroom door and looked inside.
“Anna? Are you awake?”
“I’m awake.”
He entered the room and uncertainly sat on the edge of the bed.
“Forgive me,” he said quietly. “I was wrong.”
Anna put the book aside and looked at him.
“Wrong about what exactly?”
“I shouted at you. I said you’d become lazy. That was… stupid.”
“And?”
“And…” He hesitated. “And unfair. You really do a lot around the house.”
“Go on.”
“I got used to you managing everything, and I didn’t think that you needed rest too,” Sergey said with difficulty, as if every word was hard for him. “When you left, and I was left with the guests and the grocery bags, I realized how much work you usually do.”
“It’s good that you realized that.”
“The guys helped make sandwiches,” he continued. “And Olga said I was a complete idiot if I thought housework was only a woman’s responsibility.”
“Olga is a smart woman.”
“Anna,” he took her hand, “forgive me. I won’t shout like that anymore. And I’ll help around the house. Honestly.”
Anna looked at her husband carefully. He really did look guilty and confused. Good. That meant the lesson had worked.
“Sergey,” she said seriously, “for twelve years I carried the entire household on myself. I cooked, cleaned, washed, ironed, and bought groceries. At the same time, I worked just as much as you did. And you took all of it for granted and never even said thank you.”
“I did say…”
“No, you didn’t. You simply got used to it. And today you even shouted at me because of dust on a table. As if I were your maid, not your wife.”
Sergey lowered his head.
“I understand. I’m sorry.”
“Apology accepted,” Anna nodded. “But from now on, we will have new rules. We divide housework equally. If you want to invite guests, you warn me in advance and prepare the food yourself. Or we do it together. No shouting and no accusations. And once a month, I will have a day of rest — I’ll go to the spa, meet friends, do whatever I want.”
“Fine,” he agreed. “How much did that spa cost?”
“Very expensive,” Anna named the amount honestly. “But you know what? It was worth it. For the first time in many years, I felt like a person, not a housekeeper.”
Sergey grimaced at the amount, but said nothing. Good. He had drawn the right conclusion.
“Anna,” he said quietly, “I really didn’t understand how hard it was for you. Forgive me.”
“I understand,” she nodded. “Men often don’t notice domestic work because they don’t participate in it. But now you will participate.”
“I will. Where should I start?”
“With breakfast,” Anna smiled. “Tomorrow morning, you’re cooking. And I’m staying in bed a little longer.”
“All right. What should I make?”
“Can you manage fried eggs?”
“I can.”
“Then fried eggs with bacon, coffee, and toast. And don’t forget to wash the dishes.”
Sergey nodded and leaned over to kiss her cheek.
“Thank you for coming back.”
“I always come back,” Anna said. “But I will never tolerate rudeness.”
The next morning, Anna woke up to the smell of bacon and coffee. Sergey really had gotten up earlier and was making breakfast. She stretched in bed, enjoying the unusual feeling — she did not have to jump up and run to the kitchen.
“Breakfast is ready!” her husband called from the kitchen.
“Coming!” she answered, dressing slowly.
At the table, Sergey looked proud of himself, like a child who had tied his shoelaces by himself for the first time.
“How is it?” he asked when she tried the eggs.
“It’s tasty,” Anna answered honestly. “A little too salty, but overall good.”
“Next time will be better,” he promised.
And you know what? Anna believed him. Not because he had become a different person overnight, but because for the first time in a long while, she felt like an equal partner in the marriage, not a servant.
As Sergey left for work, he kissed her goodbye and said:
“Thank you for breakfast. And for everything you do every day.”
“You’re welcome,” Anna smiled.
And that evening, when she came home from work, she discovered that Sergey had vacuumed the living room rug and wiped the dust from the coffee table. Carefully and thoroughly, until it shone.
“How are you?” she asked.
“Fine,” he answered. “And you?”
“Fine too. Shall we have dinner?”
“Let’s cook together.”
And they did. Together, talking and laughing, just like in the first years of their marriage. And Anna thought that sometimes you have to slam the door and go to a spa in order to bring harmony back into the family.
