Marina woke up at half past six to the sound of her alarm, just like she always did. Outside, November’s grey twilight still lingered, and the apartment was quiet — Igor was still asleep. She carefully slipped out of bed, trying not to wake her husband, and headed to the bathroom. In the mirror, she saw the tired face of a thirty-five-year-old woman with dark circles under her eyes. Working in the accounting department of a large company was taking more and more out of her, especially these past few months.
Marina quickly got ready and went to the kitchen for breakfast. Opening the fridge, she sighed — there was barely anything left: a little bread, a pack of butter, and the last bit of sausage. She’d have to go shopping again after work, even though she’d only gotten her paycheck a week ago. It was like the money just disappeared.
«Wow, everything ran out so fast—again,» she thought, spreading a thin layer of butter onto her bread. Igor had lost his job six months ago when the company downsized. At first, he’d been actively looking, going to interviews, but his enthusiasm slowly faded. Now he mostly stayed home, occasionally picking up a few odd jobs here and there.
Marina finished her coffee and was about to leave when she heard the sound of a key in the lock. The door opened, and into the hallway stepped a tall man with two suitcases, followed by a woman in her thirties holding a baby, and a little girl around seven, tightly clinging to her mom’s hand.
«Alexey?» Marina exclaimed in surprise when she recognized her husband’s brother. «You’re here already?»
«Hi, Marina,» Alexey gave a tired smile. «Yeah, we decided not to wait. This is my wife, Sveta,» he nodded toward the woman, «my daughter Nastya, and our son Denys.»
Igor burst out of the bedroom in his lounge pants and a T-shirt, still half-asleep.
«Lyokha! Bro!» he shouted and gave Alexey a big hug. «I thought you guys were coming next week!»
«We managed to get away a bit earlier,» Alexey shrugged. «Hope we’re not too much trouble? Just a week or two, until we find a place of our own.»
Marina glanced at the clock — she was running late for work.
«Of course, make yourselves at home,» she said, pulling on her jacket. «Igor, show everyone around and where everything is. I have to run to work, but we’ll catch up properly tonight.»
She hurried out the door, trying to figure out how they’d fit everyone into their two-room apartment. Alexey and his family had moved from a small town in the region — there just weren’t any jobs left there. Igor had said that his brother was hoping to find something decent in the city, since there were more opportunities here.
All day at work, Marina couldn’t stop thinking about how to organize life with their new guests. There definitely wasn’t enough food for everyone; she’d need to buy more. Utility bills would go up, too — more hot water, electricity, heating. She did a quick family budget and realized money would be very tight.
In the evening, when Marina came home carrying two bags of groceries, the apartment was buzzing with children’s voices. Nastya and Denys were running from room to room while the adults were crowded around the kitchen table having tea.
«How was your day, honey?» Igor asked as Marina started unpacking the groceries.
«It was fine. How about you guys? Getting settled in?»
Alexey scratched his head.
«We’re just checking things out for now. Igor says there are a few options. Tomorrow we’ll be sending out résumés and making some calls about job ads.»
The first few days were hectic. The brothers really did look for work—they left early in the morning, visited businesses, and responded to ads. Sveta helped Marina around the house, cooking and cleaning. The kids were noisy but generally well-behaved.
But after a week, the brothers’ enthusiasm noticeably started to fade. They began getting up later, staying up watching TV longer, and spending less time job hunting. Igor complained that every place wanted either some special degree or a ton of experience.
«What kind of employers are these?» he grumbled over dinner. «One wants a mechanic with a university degree, another needs a loader who can work a computer. They’ve all gone crazy.»
Alexey nodded in agreement:
«Things were easier back home. Everyone knows each other there, you can work something out. Here it’s like a conveyor belt—there’s no one to put in a good word for you.»
Marina tried to encourage the men, but she was getting more worried inside. Groceries started to run out twice as fast. Utility bills really did go up. Most of all, she noticed the brothers were leaving the house less and less, spending more time in the kitchen complaining about how unfair life was.
A month later, things became crystal clear. Igor and Alexey had nearly stopped looking for work. At best, they’d occasionally answer ads for small one-off gigs. Once a week they’d unload a truck, once every two weeks they’d help someone move furniture. The little money from these jobs barely covered coffee and cookies.
Everything else fell on Marina’s shoulders. She bought the groceries, paid the utility bills, and covered all the expenses for their family of six. Her salary used to let her and Igor live modestly, but comfortably. Now, they ran out of money by the twentieth of the month and had to pinch every penny until her next paycheck.
Marina started buying only the cheapest food, gave up cosmetics and new clothes, and even stopped visiting her parents on weekends—extra transport costs were just too much. Meanwhile, she saw Sveta buying toys and sweets for the kids, and the brothers didn’t deny themselves beer in the evenings.
«Listen, Igor,» she said carefully one evening when they were alone, «maybe it’s time to talk to Alexey about looking for their own place? It’s been a month just like they promised.»
Igor frowned:
«Marina, come on. He’s my brother. They haven’t got back on their feet yet, where would they go? Besides, we’re managing.»
«Managing?» Marina showed him the receipts from the store. «Look how much our food costs. And the utilities? We’re spending twice what we earn.»
«Just hang in there a little longer. We’ll find something soon, and everything will work out.»
But time went by and the brothers never found jobs. In fact, they hardly even tried. Marina noticed they slept till noon, lounged over breakfast, played with the kids or watched TV. Sometimes they’d go out ‘on errands,’ but were back a couple of hours later with nothing to show for it.
By the end of the second month, Marina was at her breaking point. She started taking on weekend side jobs, but it still wasn’t enough. One day she even had to borrow money from a coworker just to buy groceries before her next paycheck.
She had no strength left. Marina had lost weight, started getting sick more often, and her work began to suffer from all the exhaustion. Lately, she’d been feeling dizzy and nauseous on and off—probably from stress and not eating properly.
Then one morning, while getting ready for work, Marina felt so weak she could barely make it to the bus stop. Things got even worse on the bus—her vision blurred, her heart started pounding. Her coworkers insisted she see a doctor, and then they sent her home.
The doctor said it was exhaustion and stress, gave her a three-day sick note, and told her to get plenty of rest. Marina stopped by the pharmacy for some medicine and headed home. It was around two in the afternoon—the time when everyone was supposed to be looking for jobs.
But as she was climbing the stairs, Marina heard loud voices and children’s laughter. She unlocked the door and froze in the hallway. From the kitchen, she heard clattering dishes and lively conversation.
She quietly crept up to the kitchen and peeked inside. What she saw made her heart seize with rage.
Sitting at the table were Igor, Alexey, and Sveta with their kids. The table was covered with food—there was the sausage Marina had bought for the whole week, red lightly salted fish from the freezer she’d saved for a special occasion, fruit, and snacks. The fridge was wide open and nearly empty—they’d taken out everything.
“So, bro, here’s to solving all our problems!” Alexey laughed, raising his glass of beer.
“We really hit the jackpot,” Igor winked. “Let Marina work like a slave while we live the good life.”
“It honestly works out,” Sveta chimed in, slicing up sausage for the kids. “Free place to stay, free food, and we don’t even have to pay utilities.”
“Exactly! And if anyone asks, we can always say we’re looking for jobs but just can’t find them,” Alexey burst out laughing.
Marina stood in the doorway, feeling the rage boiling inside her. So, they understood everything perfectly. They’d decided, on purpose, to live off her hard work and leech off her salary. And they were laughing about it too!
“So now my salary is supposed to feed your brother’s whole family too?” she said loudly and clearly.
Everyone turned to look at her at once. Guilty smiles froze on their faces.
“Marina!” Igor jumped up. “Why are you home so early… We were just…”
“I can see exactly what you’re up to,” she said coldly. “Feasting off my money. And laughing about how clever you are at tricking me.”
“Come on, Marina, that’s not—”
“Don’t lie to me anymore!” Marina exploded. “I heard everything! You haven’t been looking for work for months, you live on my salary, and you’re laughing in my face!”
She walked over to the table and looked at the food laid out.
“You’ve eaten three thousand rubles’ worth of groceries! Not bad for ‘unemployed’ people, huh?”
“Listen, Marina, don’t get so worked up,” Alexey tried to calm her down. “We’re family, we’re supposed to support each other.”
«Family?» Marina let out a bitter laugh. «Family is when everyone pitches in, not when one idiot works for five freeloaders!»
She turned and walked out of the kitchen. In the bedroom, Marina sat on the bed, trying to calm herself down. Her head was spinning and her hands were shaking from anger and hurt. She had to do something—anything—but what?
Ask them to move out? Igor would never go for it—he’d say it’s his brother and you can’t just kick people out onto the street. Make a scene? That wouldn’t help either—they still wouldn’t leave, and things would only get even harder at home.
No, this problem needed a radical solution. She had to get this whole family out of their apartment for good. But how?
Marina paced the room, thinking through her options. She could try to find them a rental and pay their first month—but that would take a lot of money she simply didn’t have. She could go to Igor’s parents—but they were retired, living in the countryside, barely scraping by themselves.
And then it hit her. The plan was risky, but if it worked, she’d be free of these freeloaders for good.
The next day, Marina stayed home, pretending to be sick. The brothers didn’t want to hang around and left, supposedly to look for work. Sveta took the kids to the park.
Marina calmly dialed the locksmith and asked to change the locks.
When the whole family came home, they gathered on the landing, none of their keys working with the new lock.
«Marina, what’s going on?» her husband shouted.
«It means either your relatives move out, or you don’t get back in the apartment either.»
«But where are we supposed to go?» Sveta protested. «We have no money!»
«And how is that my fault?» Marina replied. «For two months I’ve supported all of you, worked myself to the bone. If you want—find a new place, or go back to your region.»
«Wait, Marina,» Igor tried to cut in. «Let’s calm down and talk this out. Maybe you’ll change your mind?»
Marina clicked the lock open and swung the door wide.
«Igor, I’m already giving them time to pack—more than generous. Do whatever you want, but by two o’clock tomorrow, this apartment has to be empty. Otherwise, you won’t get a key to the new lock.»
The rest of the day, the atmosphere in the apartment was tense. Alexey and Sveta packed up their things in the bedroom, the kids sat quietly, sensing the grown-ups’ tension. Igor kept trying to talk to Marina, but she just answered briefly: the decision was up to him.
The next morning, Alexey’s family was getting ready to leave. It was clear the decision wasn’t easy for them. Sveta cried as she packed the children’s things. The kids didn’t understand what was happening but were clearly upset, too.
«We’ll go back to our place for now,» Alexey said, lugging suitcases into the hallway. «Maybe I’ll find work…»
«Of course,» Marina nodded. «Good luck!»
Igor helped his brother carry the bags, obviously unhappy about the whole situation.
After the relatives left, the apartment felt still and spacious. Marina threw open all the windows to let in fresh air. For the first time in two months, she could cook herself dinner without portioning everything for six people.
Over evening tea, Igor stared at her.
«You can’t just kick out family like that.»
“Family?» Marina put down her fork. “Real family doesn’t leech off each other. Real family doesn’t laugh at the person who feeds them. I heard everything—you talking about what a fool I am, and how great your life is at my expense.”
“But that’s not right! They’re left with no prospects!”
“They’re left with exactly what they arrived with—nothing. Meanwhile, I finally have a chance not to work myself to death by the age of thirty-five.”
Igor tried calling his brother, but Alexey didn’t pick up. He must’ve taken offense.
But soon it turned out that Sveta got a job as a cook at the local school, and Alexey started working as a security guard at a construction site. The salaries weren’t much, but it was enough to get by.
“See?” Marina said to her husband. “When things got really tough, they found work. Which means they just didn’t want to before.”
Igor sulked at Marina for a long time, but he eventually got over it. Especially since he, too, now had to seriously look for a job—it was a requirement from his wife, or else she wouldn’t give him his own house key.
A month later, he got a job as a mechanic at a car service center. The pay wasn’t great, but it was better than nothing.
Marina also started to recover. The exhaustion faded, her headaches stopped, and she found energy for housework and even some small joys of life.
One evening, as they sat in the kitchen over tea, Igor said:
“You know, Marina, maybe you were right. We really relaxed back then. Lyoha and his family too. We thought we could sponge off you forever.”
“The important thing is you realized that,” Marina smiled. “Because I was starting to think I’d have to kick you out with an ultimatum too.”
“Me?” Igor was surprised.
“Why not? It’s a proven method,” she laughed.
And they both laughed—genuinely and easily, for the first time in a long while.
