Alice adjusted the cushions on the sofa and sighed. A light drizzle was falling outside the window. The apartment was quiet and cozy. Alexei had left on a business trip two days earlier, and Alice could finally relax at home alone.
The doorbell shattered the peaceful atmosphere. Alice looked through the peephole and barely managed to suppress a groan. Standing on the doorstep was Valentina Petrovna, her mother-in-law. The woman was smiling and holding a bag of homemade pies.
“Alice, darling!” Valentina Petrovna exclaimed as soon as the door opened. “How are you? Alyosha is away on a business trip, isn’t he?”
“Hello, Valentina Petrovna,” Alice replied with a strained smile. “Yes, he left for three days.”
“So I thought I’d come and check on you! I brought some homemade pies.”
Alice felt irritation tighten inside her. She knew perfectly well that her mother-in-law’s visit would inevitably end with yet another request. But refusing an elderly woman felt awkward.
“Come in,” Alice said, stepping aside.
Valentina Petrovna entered the living room and froze in admiration. She slowly turned her head from side to side, studying the interior.
“What a beautiful apartment you have!” her mother-in-law said enthusiastically. “It looks like something from a magazine! And the renovation must have cost a fortune!”
“Thank you,” Alice replied briefly.
“Is that painting new?” Valentina Petrovna asked, walking toward the wall. “It must have been very expensive.”
Alice nodded, struggling to hide her annoyance. Her mother-in-law always evaluated everything around her as though she were calculating the exact value of the apartment down to the last penny.
“And how is your business doing?” Valentina Petrovna continued questioning her. “I hear it’s going extremely well!”
“It’s fine,” Alice answered dryly. “I have clients.”
“Alyosha is so lucky to have a wife like you!” her mother-in-law exclaimed, clapping her hands. “Smart, beautiful, and earning good money too!”
Alice forced another smile and said nothing. Compliments like these always came before the real purpose of the visit. Her mother-in-law never came over without wanting something.
“Sit down. I’ll make some tea,” Alice offered.
“Oh, you’re so caring!” Valentina Petrovna cooed.
While Alice was busy in the kitchen, her mother-in-law wandered around the apartment. She examined every little thing, touched the vases, and even inspected the cosmetics on Alice’s dressing table.
“Alice, what kind of cream is this?” Valentina Petrovna called from the bedroom. “Such a beautiful jar!”
Alice clenched her teeth.
Here we go.
She returned to the living room carrying a tray. Valentina Petrovna was already sitting on the sofa with Alice’s expensive face cream in her hands.
“It’s a French cream,” Alice replied reluctantly. “Anti-aging.”
“Oh, it’s beautiful!” her mother-in-law said admiringly. “It must be very good, right?”
“Yes, it’s quite good,” Alice said with a nod.
Inside, she was boiling with indignation. She knew exactly where the conversation was going, but saying so directly felt uncomfortable.
“I recently bought some cream at the pharmacy,” Valentina Petrovna sighed. “It was so cheap and awful. My skin actually became worse after using it.”
“I see,” Alice replied flatly.
“You know, my friend’s birthday is coming up soon,” her mother-in-law continued. “I’d like to give her something nice, but I don’t have money for expensive cosmetics.”
Alice put her cup down on the table more sharply than she had intended.
Her irritation was growing by the second.
Why couldn’t the woman simply come over for a visit and have a normal conversation?
“Alice, darling,” Valentina Petrovna began in a sweet, coaxing tone. “Couldn’t you give me this cream? For my friend?”
“But that’s my cream,” Alice objected. “I use it.”
“Well, you have enough money to buy yourself another one!” her mother-in-law said, waving her hand dismissively. “And I really need to impress my friend. The jar is almost full. She won’t even notice!”
Alice clenched her fists beneath the table.
Her entire body burned with anger.
How could someone be so shameless about begging for another person’s possessions?
“Please, Alice,” Valentina Petrovna whined. “I’m really asking you! You’re kind and understanding.”
Alice stared silently at her mother-in-law.
It felt uncomfortable to refuse, but she absolutely did not want to give away her expensive cosmetics.
“All right,” Alice finally said through clenched teeth. “Take it.”
“Oh, thank you, sweetheart!” Valentina Petrovna exclaimed happily. “You’re so generous! Alyosha chose the right woman!”
Alice forced a smile and nodded.
Inside, resentment continued to boil.
Every visit from her mother-in-law ended exactly the same way. Another valuable item disappeared from the apartment.
“What a beautiful vase!” Valentina Petrovna suddenly remarked, pointing toward a shelf. “Is it antique?”
“Yes,” Alice answered shortly.
She already knew what was coming next and was angry at herself for being so soft.
“Where is that other vase you had here last time?” Valentina Petrovna asked, looking around. “The beautiful crystal one.”
“It broke,” Alice lied.
“What a shame, what a shame,” her mother-in-law said, shaking her head. “But this one is beautiful too.”
Alice silently finished her tea.
Her frustration was boiling over.
Every visit had become a nightmare. Valentina Petrovna never left without receiving some kind of gift.
“Alice, show me your office,” her mother-in-law requested. “I’m curious to see how successful people work.”
“Why?” Alice asked in surprise.
“Oh, just curious,” Valentina Petrovna replied with a smile.
Reluctantly, Alice led her into the home office.
An open laptop stood on the desk with business reports displayed on the screen. Charts and financial figures from the previous six months filled the monitor.
Valentina Petrovna moved closer and began studying the numbers.
Her eyes widened.
For several minutes, she silently examined the income figures.
“Alice!” she nearly shouted. “Your business made almost two million in six months?”
Alice flinched at the sharp tone.
Her irritation was turning into genuine anger.
What right did her mother-in-law have to interfere in her financial affairs?
“So what?” Alice replied coldly.
“What do you mean, so what?” Valentina Petrovna exclaimed indignantly. “With income like this, you should have been giving me much more expensive gifts!”
“Should have?” Alice repeated. “Who decided that?”
Valentina Petrovna straightened to her full height.
Her face flushed with indignation, and an unpleasant gleam of greed and entitlement appeared in her eyes.
“I’m part of the family too! I’m entitled to dividends!” her mother-in-law shouted.
“What dividends?” Alice could hardly believe what she was hearing. “This is my business!”
“But you’re married to my son! That means everything belongs to everyone!”
Alice struggled to contain her fury.
Her mother-in-law’s arrogance had crossed every possible boundary.
The woman genuinely believed she had the right to claim someone else’s money.
“Valentina Petrovna, are you out of your mind?” Alice demanded sharply. “This is my business and my money!”
“Nothing belongs only to you!” her mother-in-law protested. “My pension is practically nothing, while you’re getting rich!”
“And what exactly does that have to do with me?” Alice shot back.
“It means you’re stingy! Greedy!” Valentina Petrovna snapped. “You give me some cheap cream and think you’re generous!”
Alice remembered all the gifts from the previous months.
An expensive cream, a vase, a scarf, boots, a bracelet.
Together, they added up to a substantial sum.
And every single one had been begged from her with tears, complaints, and pleading.
“Cheap?” Alice repeated. “That cream costs twelve thousand!”
“That’s pocket change for you!” her mother-in-law said dismissively. “With your income, you should be giving me jewelry! Fur coats! Vacations!”
“Why exactly should I?” Alice demanded.
“Because I’m Alyosha’s mother! I’m the senior member of the family!”
Alice could no longer control herself.
All the resentment that had been accumulating inside her finally burst out.
She was ready to tell her mother-in-law exactly what she thought of her behavior.
“You have no right to demand gifts!” Alice shouted. “Especially expensive ones!”
“Of course I do!” Valentina Petrovna refused to back down. “I raised my son! I gave him an education! Now it’s my turn to enjoy the rewards!”
“What rewards? This is my work! My effort!”
Footsteps suddenly sounded in the hallway.
Alexei appeared in the doorway of the office.
His hair was disheveled and his eyes looked tired.
He had returned from his business trip earlier than expected, and he was clearly shocked by the raised voices.
“What’s going on?” he asked, looking from one furious woman to the other.
Alice and Valentina Petrovna immediately began explaining the situation at the same time.
Their voices overlapped, and accusations flew from both sides.
“Stop!” Alexei said, raising one hand. “One at a time. Mom, you go first.”
Valentina Petrovna quickly told him her version of events.
She complained about her daughter-in-law’s greed and demanded justice. According to her, Alice was obligated to share her income with the family.
“Alice?” Alexei asked, turning toward his wife.
Alice briefly explained her mother-in-law’s visits, the constant requests for gifts, and how Valentina Petrovna had now decided she was entitled to part of Alice’s income.
“Mom,” Alexei said slowly, “do you seriously believe you have a right to Alice’s income?”
“Of course!” Valentina Petrovna exclaimed. “She’s part of our family!”
“But it’s her business. Her work.”
“Alyosha, are you really going against your own mother?” Valentina Petrovna demanded.
Alexei shook his head.
He clearly was not taking his mother’s side.
Alice was both surprised and relieved. She had expected her husband to defend his mother.
“Mom, lower your expectations,” Alexei said firmly. “Alice is not obligated to support you.”
“What?” Valentina Petrovna gasped. “How can you say that?”
“I’m telling you the truth. Stop begging her for gifts.”
“Alyosha! I’m your mother!”
“And that’s exactly why you should behave with dignity,” her son replied.
Valentina Petrovna’s face turned crimson with rage.
She shifted her gaze between her son and daughter-in-law.
Hurt and fury burned in her eyes.
“She turned you against me!” she accused Alice. “She’s trying to separate us!”
“Mom, enough,” Alexei said tiredly. “Nobody turned me against anyone.”
“Ungrateful son!” Valentina Petrovna shouted. “You’ve forgotten who raised you!”
“I haven’t forgotten anything. But that doesn’t give you the right to someone else’s money.”
Alexei took his mother by the arm and led her toward the exit.
Valentina Petrovna resisted, but her son was determined.
He opened the apartment door and gently but firmly ushered his mother into the hallway.
“Think about your behavior,” he said before closing the door.
Alice remained standing in the office.
Her entire body was trembling from the stress of what had just happened.
Alexei walked over, wrapped his arms around his wife, and held her close.
“I’m sorry about Mom,” he said quietly. “I didn’t think she was capable of something like this.”
“Thank you for standing up for me,” Alice replied.
A month passed peacefully.
Valentina Petrovna did not appear.
Alice hoped she had learned her lesson.
She was wrong.
One evening, Alice’s phone rang.
Her mother-in-law’s number appeared on the screen.
Alice hesitated, wondering whether she should answer.
Eventually, curiosity won.
“Alice, sweetheart,” Valentina Petrovna sobbed into the phone. “Please help me!”
“What happened?” Alice asked cautiously.
“My utility bills are impossible to pay! I need five thousand! There’s no one else I can ask!”
Alice gave a quiet, humorless laugh.
She was no longer going to fall for these tricks.
Her mother-in-law had not changed and probably never would.
“Contact social services,” Alice replied and ended the call.
The phone immediately began ringing again.
Alice blocked her mother-in-law’s number.
She had no intention of continuing to be a victim of someone else’s greed.
It was finally time to learn how to say no.
