Adelina stepped out of the shower and heard the front door slam. Valentin was back. She threw on a bathrobe and walked into the hallway. Her husband was standing there without taking off his shoes, staring at the floor.
“Hi,” Adelina said.
Valentin raised his head. His face was gray, with dark circles beneath his eyes.
“Hi.”
“Did something happen?”
“We’ll talk later.”
Her husband went into the bedroom and closed the door behind him. Adelina frowned. Again. That same tone, that same closed door. She knew what it meant.
Another failure.
Adelina returned to the bathroom and finished drying her hair. Then she got dressed and went into the kitchen. She began making dinner. She peeled and sliced some potatoes and tossed them into a frying pan. She turned on the television for background noise—news, politics, commercials. Adelina listened with only half an ear.
Valentin appeared half an hour later. He sat down at the table and rested his head on one hand.
“Tired?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Something happen at work?”
“Not at work.”
Adelina placed a plate of potatoes and a cutlet in front of him. Valentin picked up his fork, turned it around in his fingers, and set it down again.
“Don’t you want to eat?” his wife asked.
“Not really.”
“Valentin, just tell me. What happened?”
Her husband rubbed his face with both hands.
“The project collapsed.”
Adelina froze with a spoonful of soup halfway to her mouth.
There it was.
“What project?”
“The one I invested in six months ago. Remember? The one Grisha suggested? A mobile delivery app.”
“I remember. You said it would take off within a year.”
“Yeah. Well, it didn’t.” Valentin gave a bitter laugh. “It went under. Grisha said the investors pulled out. That’s it. Total collapse.”
Adelina slowly lowered her spoon into the bowl.
“How much did you invest?”
“Two hundred and fifty.”
“Two hundred and fifty thousand?”
“Yeah.”
“Where did you get that kind of money?”
Valentin did not answer. Adelina felt a chill spreading through her body.
“Valentin. Where did the money come from?”
“I took out a loan.”
“You took out a loan without telling me?”
“Adelina, I thought it would work. Grisha promised we’d double our money within six months. I wanted it to be a surprise.”
“A surprise?” Adelina rose from the table. “You borrowed a quarter of a million without telling me, and you call that a surprise?”
“I was trying to do something good!”
“Something good?!” His wife raised her voice. “Valentin, this isn’t the first time! How many projects like this have there been already? Three? Four?”
“Adelina, calm down…”
“Don’t tell me to calm down! It’s always the same! Someone promises you mountains of gold, you rush over there with your money, and then you come home with empty pockets!”
Valentin jumped to his feet.
“I’m trying to make money! For us! For our family!”
“For our family?! You’re getting us buried in debt! That isn’t earning money—it’s a disaster!”
“I couldn’t have known the project would fail!”
“You could have stayed away from it altogether! You have a normal job and a stable salary! Why do you need these reckless schemes?”
Valentin paced across the kitchen and stopped beside the window.
“Because I want more. Don’t you understand? I don’t want to spend my entire life working for someone else for pennies.”
“Fifty thousand a month isn’t pennies.”
“For Moscow, it is!” Her husband spun around. “I want to earn decent money! I want us to be able to travel and buy what we want without counting every last kopeck!”
“And to accomplish that, you take out loans you can’t repay?”
“I’ll repay it!”
“How? Where will you get the money?”
Valentin fell silent. Adelina stepped closer.
“How much do you owe?”
“Adelina…”
“How much?”
“With interest, it comes to around three hundred thousand.”
Adelina’s knees nearly gave way.
Three hundred thousand. Dear God.
“When do you have to repay it?”
“There are monthly payments. Twenty-five thousand.”
“And where are you going to get that money? Your salary is fifty thousand. Take away twenty-five thousand for the loan and you have twenty-five thousand left. Are you supposed to live on that?”
“Well… I thought you would help.”
Adelina recoiled.
“Me? Help you?”
“Adelina, we’re a family. We’re supposed to deal with things together.”
“Valentin, I earn sixty thousand. I have my own mortgage, and I pay thirty-five thousand a month. Where am I supposed to find another twenty-five thousand for your loan?”
“Well, we’ll figure something out…”
“No!” Adelina slammed her palm against the table. “That’s it! Enough! I’m tired of carrying the burden of your failures!”
“Adelina, I’ll change…”
“You’ve said that three times! And every time, you got involved in another reckless scheme!”
Valentin sat back down at the table and buried his head in his hands.
“What am I supposed to do now?”
“I don’t know. But I’m not going to pay for your mistakes.”
“What do you mean?”
Adelina took out her phone and opened her banking application. She created a new account and transferred her salary into it.
“What are you doing?” her husband asked.
“Separating our finances. Starting tomorrow, our money will be completely separate.”
“Adelina, that’s ridiculous…”
“No, it’s sensible. You pay your loan and your personal expenses. I pay my mortgage and my personal expenses. We split shared expenses equally—utilities and groceries. Everything else is each person’s responsibility.”
“But we’re husband and wife!”
“Being husband and wife doesn’t mean I have to pay for your irresponsibility.”
Valentin stood and tried to embrace her. Adelina pulled away.
“Don’t. I’m serious, Valya. Either you accept these conditions, or we separate completely.”
Her husband froze.
“Are you blackmailing me?”
“I’m establishing boundaries. Boundaries I should have established a long time ago.”
Valentin went into the bedroom and slammed the door. Adelina remained in the kitchen. Her hands were trembling. Inside, everything was boiling—anger, resentment, exhaustion.
An hour later, her husband came out.
“All right,” Valentin said quietly. “I agree. We’ll keep our finances separate.”
Adelina nodded. She knew he had agreed only because the alternative was divorce. But that did not matter now.
The important thing was protecting herself.
The next six months were tense. Valentin made his loan payments, but he was desperately short of money. He began staying late at work and taking side jobs. He came home late, exhausted and irritable.
Adelina maintained her boundaries. She paid only her share—half the utilities and half the groceries. Her husband had to cover everything else himself.
Or go without.
One day, Valentin failed to pay his share of the internet bill. Adelina noticed two days later.
“Valentin, did you forget to send me the money for the internet?”
“No, I didn’t forget. I just don’t have any money.”
“What do you mean, you don’t have any?”
“I don’t. I paid the loan and set aside money for groceries. That was everything.”
“Valentin, we had an agreement.”
“Adelina, give me a week. As soon as I get paid, I’ll send it.”
Adelina said nothing. One week became two. Eventually, her husband sent the money, but the following month he was late again.
Adelina watched Valentin drowning. He lost weight, became increasingly nervous, and snapped at every comment. But she felt no pity for him. She had warned him. She had told him it would end badly.
Valentin had refused to listen.
Ulyana Romanovna called one evening. Adelina answered and stepped out onto the balcony.
“Hello, dear Adelina.”
“Hello, Ulyana Romanovna.”
“How are you? How is my Valya?”
“Fine. He’s working.”
“I know you’re having difficulties. Valya told me.”
Adelina pressed her lips together. Of course he had told her. He had probably complained about how cruel his wife was.
“Yes, we’re having some minor difficulties.”
“Adelina, I want to tell you something as a mother. Your husband is going through a difficult time. He needs support. A wife is supposed to stand by her husband.”
“I am standing by him.”
“But you aren’t helping him financially. Valya told me.”
“He has his own debts. I’m not obligated to pay them.”
“But you’re a family! Family members help one another!”
“Ulyana Romanovna, Valentin took out a loan without telling me. It is his responsibility.”
“Adelina, I understand that you’re hurt. But a man has the right to make a mistake. You have to forgive him.”
“This isn’t his first mistake. Or his second.”
“So what? You still have to support him!”
Adelina felt her anger beginning to boil.
“With all due respect, Ulyana Romanovna, this is my marriage and these are my decisions. Thank you for calling.”
Adelina ended the call without waiting for an answer. She returned to the living room. Valentin was sitting on the sofa with his phone.
“Your mother called,” Adelina said.
“I know.”
“Did you complain to her about me?”
“I told her about the situation.”
“Why?”
“She’s my mother. I have the right.”
“Valentin, don’t drag our parents into our problems.”
“Why? Are you afraid they’ll find out what kind of person you are?”
Adelina stopped.
“What kind of person am I?”
“Harsh. Heartless. You won’t help your husband when he’s going through a difficult time.”
“I did help you. Three times. Each time, you promised it would be the last. And every time, you got involved in another reckless scheme.”
“Adelina, I’m trying!”
“Trying to do what? Make money, or fail again?”
Valentin threw his phone onto the sofa and stood up.
“You know what? I’m tired. I’m tired of your accusations, your control, and feeling guilty every single day!”
“You should feel guilty! You got yourself into debt! No one forced you!”
“I was trying to make things better!”
“Better for whom?! For me? I never asked you to! My salary is enough for me!”
Valentin fell silent, breathing heavily. Then he turned and left the apartment. The door slammed behind him.
Adelina was left alone.
The following weeks passed in a cold war. Valentin barely spoke to his wife. He came home late and left early. Adelina did not try to repair their relationship. She was tired.
Simply tired of everything.
One evening, while Adelina was preparing dinner, her husband approached her in the kitchen. Valentin’s expression was serious.
“Adelina, we need to talk.”
“About what?”
“Please sit down.”
Adelina turned off the stove and sat at the table. Valentin sat across from her.
“I’m completely buried in debt,” her husband began.
“What do you mean, completely?”
“I have three more loans. In addition to the one you know about.”
Adelina froze.
“What?”
“I took out more loans to repay the first one. Then another to repay the second. Now I have four loans totaling six hundred thousand.”
The room seemed to sway before her eyes.
“Six hundred thousand?”
“Yes.”
“Valentin, have you lost your mind?!”
“What else could I do? The bank kept calling and demanding payments!”
“So you took out new loans to pay off the old ones?”
“I didn’t have a choice!”
Adelina stood and paced across the kitchen.
“My God. This is a nightmare. An absolute nightmare.”
“Lina, I need help. Urgently. The creditors are threatening to take me to court.”
“And what do you expect from me?”
Valentin hesitated.
“I don’t have any spare money,” Adelina said before he could answer. “None at all. I pay the mortgage, utilities, and groceries. I have about fifteen thousand left over. That wouldn’t even cover one of your payments.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you telling me this?”
Her husband looked at her for a long moment.
“Adelina, what about selling the apartment?”
At first, Adelina did not understand what she had heard.
“What?”
“Your apartment. We could sell it and pay off my debts. Then we could rent somewhere cheaper until I get back on my feet.”
His wife stood there staring at him, unable to believe her ears.
“You’re suggesting that I sell my apartment?”
“Temporarily. We’ll buy another one later.”
“My apartment, which I bought before we were married? The one I’ve been paying for for seven years?”
“Lina, think about it. It’s a way out. The only way.”
“A way out for you! So you don’t have to take responsibility for your own recklessness!”
“It’s for the sake of our family!”
“For our family?!” Adelina stepped toward him. “You’re up to your neck in debt, and now you’ve set your sights on my apartment too?!”
Valentin jumped to his feet.
“Don’t shout at me!”
“I will shout! Have you completely lost your mind?! Do you really think I’m going to give up the only thing I have to pay off your debts?”
“This is a family problem!”
“No! It’s your problem! You took out those loans! You did! Not me!”
“But we’re husband and wife! We’re supposed to help each other!”
“I helped you! I helped you three times! And you still got yourself into this mess again!”
Valentin grabbed his wife by the shoulders.
“Adelina, if I don’t pay off these debts, I’m finished. Do you understand? Court proceedings, bailiffs, frozen bank accounts!”
Adelina tore herself free.
“Don’t touch me! And don’t even think that I’m going to sell my apartment!”
“You’re a cold-hearted woman!” her husband shouted. “You don’t care about me at all!”
“I don’t care about your irresponsibility! I’m not obligated to rescue you every single time!”
“So that’s it? You’re just going to abandon me?”
“You abandoned yourself when you got involved in all those schemes!”
Valentin turned and went into the bedroom. Five minutes later, he returned carrying a bag.
“Where are you going?” Adelina asked.
“To my mother’s. I can’t stay here.”
“Valentin…”
“No. Enough. You made your choice. I’ve made mine.”
Her husband left the apartment. Adelina was alone. She sat down on the floor beside the door and burst into tears.
Not because she felt sorry for Valentin.
Because she felt relieved.
Finally.
An hour later, Ulyana Romanovna called. Adelina did not answer. Her mother-in-law sent her a message:
“Valya told me everything. You’re heartless. How could you refuse to help your husband? This is a family, Adelina. A family!”
Adelina blocked the number. Then she called her own mother.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Adelina, sweetheart, what happened? Your voice is trembling.”
“Valentin and I have separated.”
“My God. Why?”
Adelina told her everything—about the loans, the six hundred thousand in debt, and his demand that she sell her apartment.
Veronika Pavlovna listened in silence. Then she said:
“My dear, you did the right thing.”
“Really?”
“Yes. He wanted to drag you down with him. You couldn’t allow that.”
“But I’m so frightened, Mom. What if I made a mistake?”
“You didn’t. You protected yourself. That was the right thing to do.”
Her father came to the phone.
“Adelina, don’t take him back. Do you hear me? He’s dangerous. A person who gets buried in debt and then demands someone else’s property is dangerous.”
“I’m not taking him back.”
“Good. Come and see us tomorrow. We’ll talk everything through calmly.”
Adelina went to her parents’ house the following day. Stanislav Andreyevich met his daughter at the door and embraced her tightly.
“Are you holding up?”
“I’m trying.”
“That’s my girl. We’ll have some tea and discuss what to do next.”
The three of them sat together in the kitchen. Veronika Pavlovna poured tea and set out some cookies.
“Adelina, are you certain that you want a divorce?” her mother asked.
“Yes. I can’t live like this. I’m constantly afraid that he’ll take out more loans or demand my money and my apartment.”
“Then you need to act quickly,” her father said. “File for divorce officially and make sure the apartment is legally protected.”
“How?”
“I know a lawyer named Miron. He’s a good specialist. I’ll call him and arrange a meeting.”
Three days later, Adelina was sitting in Miron’s office. The lawyer listened to her story and nodded.
“The apartment was purchased before the marriage?”
“Yes.”
“And you were the only one making the mortgage payments?”
“Yes. Here are the statements.”
Miron examined the documents.
“Good. Your husband has no grounds to claim the apartment. It belongs to you. But you need to finalize the divorce and formally establish that he has no valid claim against the property.”
“What if he does try to claim it?”
“Let him try. The documents are on your side. The court will rule in your favor.”
Adelina exhaled.
“Thank you.”
“Gather all the paperwork—the purchase agreement, payment statements, receipts, and marriage certificate. I’ll prepare the divorce petition.”
Adelina returned home and began collecting documents. Everything related to the apartment—contracts, payment records, receipts. Everything proving that the property had been purchased with her money.
Valentin called a week later.
“Adelina, let’s meet.”
“Why?”
“To talk. Calmly. Without shouting.”
Adelina agreed. They met at a café near their home. Valentin looked terrible—gaunt and unshaven.
“How are you?” his wife asked.
“Badly.” He rubbed his face. “The creditors call every day. They keep demanding money. I don’t know what to do.”
“Valentin, I can’t help you.”
“I know. I’m not asking you to. I just wanted to see you.”
Adelina remained silent. Valentin looked at her.
“Adelina, what if we gave each other another chance?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because nothing will change. You’ll get involved in something else, and I’ll have to deal with the consequences again.”
“I’ll change!”
“You’ve said that before.”
“But this time I really mean it!”
Adelina shook her head.
“Valya, I’ve filed for divorce. The court hearing is in a month.”
Her husband turned pale.
“Are you serious?”
“Completely.”
“Lina, wait. Let’s try again. I’ll find a better job and pay off the debts…”
“How long will you need? A year? Two years? Five? I can’t keep waiting and hoping that you’ll change.”
Valentin grabbed his wife’s hand.
“Adelina, don’t do this. Please.”
“Let go of me.”
“I love you!”
“Then you shouldn’t have demanded my apartment.”
Adelina pulled her hand free, stood up, and left the café.
Valentin did not follow her.
The court proceedings were brief. Valentin arrived with a lawyer and attempted to prove that he was entitled to a share of the apartment. He talked about their life together and his contributions to the household.
Miron presented the documents: the purchase agreement signed before the marriage, the mortgage statements showing that every payment had come from Adelina’s account, and her income certificates.
The judge examined the papers and looked at Valentin.
“Do you have any evidence that you contributed to the mortgage payments?”
His lawyer hesitated.
“My client paid utility bills and purchased groceries.”
“That does not provide grounds for a claim to the property.”
“But he lived there! It was marital property!”
“The apartment was purchased before the marriage. It is the plaintiff’s premarital property. The defendant has no rights to it.”
Valentin clenched his fists. His lawyer attempted to object, but the judge stopped him.
“The decision has been made. The marriage is dissolved. There will be no division of property because no jointly acquired property has been established. The apartment remains the property of the plaintiff.”
Adelina walked out of the courthouse and smiled for the first time in a long while.
It was over.
Officially.
Valentin continued trying to call her for several days. Adelina did not answer. Then he sent her a long message. He apologized, begged for forgiveness, and promised to repay his debts and start over.
Adelina read it and deleted it.
Too late.
Far too late.
Ulyana Romanovna also wrote to her. She accused Adelina of cruelty, selfishness, and destroying the family. Adelina did not respond. She blocked the number and forgot about it.
Six months passed. Adelina continued paying her mortgage. She worked, came home, and cooked only for herself.
She lived peacefully.
One day, she encountered Valentin by chance in a grocery store. Her former husband and his mother were choosing discounted cottage cheese. He saw Adelina and nodded awkwardly. She nodded in return and walked past them.
That evening, Adelina sat in the kitchen with a cup of tea and looked out the window. She remembered Valentin, his debts, and their arguments.
And she realized that she regretted nothing.
The apartment was hers.
Her life was hers.
Her decisions were hers.
And that was exactly as it should be.
Adelina finished her tea and washed the cup. She went into the bedroom and lay down.
Tomorrow would bring work, payments, and the usual routine again. But now that routine belonged only to her. There were no one else’s debts. No one else’s demands. No fear that someone might take away the last thing she had.
She had protected herself.
And that was what mattered most.
