At the family council, my mom and I decided that you need to sell your apartment,» said my husband.

ANIMALS

«Alexey, my husband, along with his mother, have really settled in well. Until recently, they barely acknowledged me, calling me a ‘useless flower,’ but as soon as they learned about my inheritance, their interest suddenly peaked. But again, not in me, but in the prospects that this inheritance could bring. I regretted a hundred times that I married Lesha, and now the right moment has come to set all the records straight.

«Lesha, do you remember Rita Yablochkova? She was in your class,» Violetta Mikhailovna popped a generous piece of blueberry pie into her mouth. «I ran into her at the store this morning. She just had twins, she was bragging to me. Such a nice girl, true, she’s gotten a bit chubby, but it suits her.»

«I remember that grind,» replied Alexey. «Such a nerd she was, finished a test in five minutes, then started on the second version. In the end, they gave her two As, we even nicknamed her ‘Rita the double.’ But she was already full-sized in school, where else could she expand?»

«Well, you know, let me tell you, my dear,» Violetta began in a lecturing tone. «Back in the last century, there was this artist—Boris Kustodiev. He always painted voluptuous beauties; there was even a term—’Kustodiev forms.'»

«Now it’s called ‘body positivity,'» muttered the husband. «No, mom, that’s not my ideal of beauty, too much for an acquired taste.»

I sat there, unable to believe my ears. Could they really not notice that they weren’t alone in the kitchen? I was also there, and it was quite unpleasant for me when my husband discussed the charms of other women.

«If you’ve brought up this artist, I must point out that his wife was quite slim, unlike his models,» I chimed in. «If you, Violetta Mikhailovna, are hinting that I have a slim figure, and you’d prefer to see a more well-fed daughter-in-law, just say it directly. No need for such allegories.»

«If you’re so smart, you should learn how to bake pies!» Violetta flared up. «I don’t understand what I’m looking at— a pie or some unimaginable mess.»

«Nevertheless, thanks to your light hand, exactly half of this unimaginable mess is already gone,» I smirked. «Nothing goes down with tea, right?»

My mother-in-law blushed, choked, and pushed her plate away:

«Thank you, I’m full! If you reproach me with a piece of bread, then I have no appetite. And you, Maria, instead of being sharp, should think about what’s wrong with you. I want a grandson or granddaughter! So many years with Lesha— all in vain.»

Violetta knows exactly what buttons to push. True enough. I’ve been married to Alexey for a full 7 years, and we haven’t been able to have a child. Interestingly, all the specialists unanimously say that everything is fine with us, they don’t see anything wrong on their part.

«But if you don’t see, who should I turn to then?» I wonder. «You’re the only authority.»

The answer surprised me:

«Why don’t you go to church? Sometimes there are such inexplicable things, it makes sense to ask for help from higher powers.»

This didn’t sound very professional, I smirked:

«Following your logic, narrowly trained specialists can’t help me, but celestial forces will immediately?»

Anyway, people in white coats just shrugged, I didn’t expect any help from them. My mother picked up this thought:

«We have a neighbor on the third floor, Larisa Fedorovna. Her daughter Vika was in a similar situation to you. I don’t know where she got the address, but there’s a healer in our city, Madame Angela. She helps just by looking at a photograph.»

«Interesting—interesting,» I smirked. «This is turning into some kind of ‘Battle of the Psychics.’ And what about this Vika? Did she manage to have a child?»

«You know, yes,» my mother answered. «But there’s one nuance—she changed her beau.»

«Interesting!» I laughed. «What are you suggesting, Mom, that I leave Alexey? Then there’s no need to go to Madame Angela at all.»

«I see how they gnaw at you with your mother-in-law,» sighed my mother. «Good thing we haven’t spoken with that woman since your wedding. An unpleasant woman in all respects.»

True enough. A scandal erupted at our wedding, caused directly by the mother-in-law. My parents paid for the entire wedding, Violetta kept complaining that they had no extra money. At the wedding itself, she criticized everything from the music to the menu. But after the event was over, Violetta began collecting leftovers from the table, carefully packing them into containers.

«Violetta Mikhailovna, there’s no need for that,» my mother gently remarked. My father tried not to get involved in these women’s affairs, standing aside.

«If you’re so rich, then don’t take anything!» declared Violetta Mikhailovna, continuing to collect what was essentially scraps from the tables. «I want to invite friends tomorrow evening who didn’t come to the wedding. They want to, by the way.»

«What do your, pardon, friends have to do with the wedding?» my mother asked reasonably. «However, you don’t need to answer that.» I’m more concerned about what people working in this restaurant will think of us.

«I couldn’t care less about other people’s opinions!» Violetta snapped. «I won’t let the goodies go to waste. There’s enough salads here for New Year’s.»

My mother later confessed to me that she was very embarrassed that day, and to avoid that feeling ever again, she didn’t want to have anything to do with the mother-in-law. Honestly, I would also prefer to see my toxic mother-in-law as rarely as possible, who only aims to hurt me.

«Alexey, why does your mom not like me?» I often asked my husband the same question. «I think I give her no reason for this.»

«She doesn’t like anyone,» frowned my husband. «Ever since my father left us, my mother’s character has sharply deteriorated. Now she’s taken against the whole world, nothing personal. Masha.»

«Well, that’s something,» I was surprised. «Your mother hates the whole world, and I suffer as a result. Don’t be offended, but let her visit us less often, okay? Or you go visit her.»

After these words, Alexey was offended, even began to speak in his mother’s words, saying that I was to blame for us not having children, and for his mother not having grandchildren.

«Is that so?» I was amazed. «All this maternal hypnosis didn’t go to waste on you. — Maybe you should use your mental potential for other things? For instance, think about how we can buy our own home. I’m tired of renting an apartment for 7 years.»

«I don’t know about you, but I’m satisfied,» Alexey objected. «The apartment is excellent, we’ve rented it for a long time, what else can you dream of?»

I began to suspect that you can’t make a porridge with a spouse like that. He’s like that stone in the stream, under which the water does not want to flow. I don’t know how long this timeless state would have continued if not for one sad story.

The thing is, I have an older brother Ivan, who lived in a large two-story country house. At 40, Ivan had never started a family or had children, he worked in the North, and was rarely home. I was always my brother’s favorite, he would blow dust off me. One day, my mother called and informed me that Ivan was no more.

«Masha, when I was looking for his documents, I found a deed in your name,» sighed my mother. «We and your father think it’s very fair. Maybe you’ll solve your housing issue.»

It was very sad to solve my problems this way. But it was very unwise to refuse the inheritance. I learned all the nuances after I had honorably seen my brother off on his last journey. Honestly, I had no special thoughts about what to do with this huge house. It was located a significant distance from my work, and from Alexey’s work, too.

I was grieving, but my husband and mother-in-law somehow even perked up. Lesha became more tender, attentive, even started giving flowers for the first time in five years.

«Tired from work?» my husband greeted me in the hallway. «Rest, I’ve started dinner, can you smell the roasted meat?»

I was just amazed by such a metamorphosis. Violetta also became almost silky:

«Masha, I know how much you love plum jam, here, I brought some, it goes so well with tea. And this, well, lecho, these are stuffed peppers, I froze them myself. Eat, gain some form in the right places, as they say.»

I would have believed that they all understood, realized, made conclusions, but no. It didn’t happen. My husband and his mother had, it turns out, a cunning plan, good that I learned about it in time.

Once I returned from work, my husband did not come out to meet me, but he was home, it could be understood from the loud phone conversation.

«This house will bring in a tidy sum, mom! We’ll all be living the high life, don’t even doubt it. I’ve calculated everything, come over, we’ll discuss all the details!»

«Wow, what I hear,» I smirked. «So that’s why you and Violetta Mikhailovna have become so kind. Already sawing up my inheritance? Well done, nothing to say.»

Alexey struck a theatrical pose and blurted out…

«At the family council, my mom and I decided that you need to sell your apartment,» declared the husband.

«Strange business,» my eyebrows rose in surprise. «And I’m not part of your council? Did you marry me off without me? And what did you decide there?»

«When the time comes, you sell this house, all the money goes to my mom. She knows exactly how to handle it.»

«How so?» I frankly found it funny to listen to all this.

Alexey went to the kitchen. Drank some water, then pulled out a list somewhere:

«Let’s begin. My mom really wants to buy herself a car and it’s fair.»

«What’s fair about that?» I didn’t understand. «If she wants, no problem, let her buy, what do I have to do with it?»

«Don’t interrupt! All questions later!» Alexey loudly declared, like a lecturer. «Moving on. Mom dreams of visiting Turkey, you know she just adores Turkish series. So, we have to respect that. Next, there hasn’t been a renovation in mom’s apartment for 10 years. It would be fair if we did it for her. And so on, shoes, clothes, groceries…»

«That’s all quite sweet,» I smirked sarcastically. «Where am I in your Napoleonic plan? You’ve completely forgotten about me, and I’m the heiress.»

«No, of course, we haven’t forgotten about you,» my husband hastily replied, then corrected himself. «About us. Mom decided to give us money for the down payment, imagine?»

«Thank you very much, good people,» I laughed in my husband’s face. «What would I do without you? I can see myself walking around the world with an outstretched hand. But it will be different.»

«What do you mean ‘different’?» my husband didn’t understand. «We, with mom, have already decided…»

«I commend you for your independence, but did you forget that the house belongs to me?» I felt uncomfortable because of such an action by relatives. «You have absolutely no relation to it, and yet you divide it so eagerly as if it’s yours. Honestly, it’s even disgusting to listen to you.»

«So what are we going to do with the house then?» my husband hesitantly asked. «Mom is waiting for an answer…»

«If she’s waiting, call her,» I smiled sweetly. «Such a respected person as Violetta Mikhailovna should not wait.»

Lesha immediately called his mother-in-law, at my request put the phone on speaker. I cleared my throat:

«Good evening, Violetta Mikhailovna. I accidentally became a witness to your division of my house. Well, impressive, I want to commend you for creativity, resourcefulness. But it just won’t happen.»

«How can it not happen?» Violetta immediately flared up. «Don’t forget, you live in a family.»

«Ah,» I agreed. «All so. But there’s one amendment. I see a family, without seeing a family. Understand what I’m saying? I’ve always been persona non grata for you, and here you’ve showered me with kindness. Well, of course, it’s understandable, so much is at stake… A car, Turkey, renovation… Simply lovely.»

«Your proposals?» the mother-in-law asked me curtly. From her voice, it was clear that she expected nothing good from me and she wasn’t wrong.

«Right now, your smart son will pack up and come to you,» I said with an angelic voice. «I don’t need passengers like you for free. Decided to warm your hands on me? No, it won’t work, my dears.»

My husband and mother-in-law burst out at the same time, she screamed from the phone, Alexey—to my ear. I again listened to how useless I am. Can’t have a child and so on. But I was no longer interested, I had made up my mind long ago, at the beginning of the conversation.

It’s been about two years, I’m doing well, I parted with Alexey, found myself a worthy man. And the main news is that I’m expecting a child, can you imagine? I understood everything. Fate didn’t see me next to Lesha, so it didn’t bless us with children. Our marriage just wasn’t part of its global plans. Now everything is fine—I’m with a worthy man, who is currently doing renovations in our huge house. Soon our family nest will be simply wonderful and very cozy.»