“So what now, am I supposed to go hungry?” Lev exclaimed, feeling a surge of anger boiling inside him.
“Of course not,” Anna replied calmly. “You can go to the store, pick up some groceries, and cook yourself dinner. Or order delivery. You do have money, after all.”
“Is this some kind of strike?” he finally asked. “Are you refusing to do your wifely duties?”
“I’m tired of being the cash cow in this family! Why do I have to carry everything on my shoulders?” Lev slammed his briefcase onto the table and gestured toward the new kitchen appliance. “Did you buy something again?”
Anna stared at her husband in surprise. This was so out of the blue that she didn’t know what to say at first. Dinner was almost ready, the apartment was tidy, the laundry was done—everything as usual after a full day of work.
“Lev, I’ve wanted this for so long. It was on sale, and I paid for it out of my own salary…”
“Out of your own salary!” he interrupted, pacing the kitchen. “And what’s left of that? Pennies! Who pays for our apartment? Me! Who pays for the car? Me! Who covers all the major expenses? Me again!”
Anna turned off the stove and wiped her hands on her apron. Steam rose from the pot, filling the kitchen with delicious aromas, but any desire to have dinner had vanished.
“But I work too,” she said quietly. “A full day, by the way. And with my wages, we buy groceries. And I cook, clean, do the laundry…”
“Yeah, yeah, you’re just a saint,” Lev snapped as he slammed the cabinet door, grabbing a mug to pour himself some water. “You know what? I’m done. From now on, everything’s going to be fair. We’ll split expenses fifty-fifty, because I’m tired of carrying you.”
“What do you mean?” Anna crossed her arms over her chest.
“Exactly what I said. If we’re so modern and all about equality, then we’re both paying equally. We’ll both put in half for utilities, phone bills, and all other shared expenses. That’s fair—not dumping everything on me alone!”
She wanted to argue that his suggestion wasn’t fair at all—it felt more like bondage, since she would have to hand over almost her entire salary to the family budget, and the household chores weren’t going anywhere. She had things to say, but really, why not just agree and do exactly what he wants?
“Fine, Lev. If you want fairness, fifty-fifty it is.”
Anna woke up before her alarm. Lev was still asleep, turned toward the wall. Yesterday’s conversation kept replaying in her mind, making it hard to rest. She quietly slipped out of bed and headed to the kitchen.
After four years of marriage, they had somehow ended up with a division of responsibilities that now seemed entirely unfair to her. Sure, Lev earned more. And in their first year together, when she was a senior in college, it made sense—he supported them financially, she took care of the house. But then Anna started working too! First part-time, then full-time. And the housework? That still rested solely on her shoulders.
She opened her laptop and started going through her bank statements. Salary, utility bills, groceries, everyday expenses… Almost everything she earned went straight to the family. Was her contribution—those homemade meals and dinners, the clean laundry, the tidy home—really worth nothing at all?
Thinking back to her first meeting with Lev—just Lyova back then—brought a bittersweet smile. He used to woo her so beautifully! He always said she was his queen, that he’d do anything for her. And now? So, she’s just a cash cow now… Amazing how quickly some men turn romance into a numbers game.
Anna took a sip of her tea and sank into deep thought. If he wants to split everything fifty-fifty, so be it. But it has to really be fifty-fifty.
«And you know, Igor, that’s exactly what I told her yesterday—I’m done. We’re going to live like all modern couples—split everything fifty-fifty,» Lev said, leaning back in his office chair as he looked at his colleague.
Igor pulled his eyes away from the monitor and looked at him intently.
«And how did she react?»
«You won’t believe it—she agreed!» Lev grinned triumphantly. «Right away, hardly any argument.»
«Seriously?» Igor raised an eyebrow. «Just like that?»
«I told you—she agreed right away. Guess she realized I’m right,» Lev said, clicking his mouse to open a new file. «What’s the big deal? Fairness is fairness.»
«Everyone has their own idea of fairness,» Igor remarked philosophically as he turned back to work. «My aunt always says: ‘Be careful what you wish for—it just might come true.'»
«And what’s that supposed to mean?» Lev frowned.
«I have no idea,» Igor chuckled. «But it sounds smart, doesn’t it?»
Lev laughed and turned back to his computer. For a split second, a strange sense of foreboding flickered deep inside, but he brushed it off. Everything’s going to be fine. Anna is a sensible woman.
Meanwhile, Anna stood in the store in front of the shelves, thoughtfully examining the price tags. She used to fill her cart for the week—for the whole family. Today, her little basket only held yogurt, a pack of cheese, bread, and a single chicken breast. She didn’t even glance at the fish fillet Lev loved so much.
The evening was unusually calm. At home, Anna quickly made herself some baked chicken breast with veggies, had dinner, did her dishes, started the laundry, and cozied up on the couch with her tablet—she had three shows to catch up on but never had the time before. Her phone chimed with a message from Lev: «I’ll be home in half an hour. What’s for dinner?»
Anna smiled and set her phone aside without replying.
The key turned in the lock, and Lev stepped into the apartment. It had been a long, tiring day, and he couldn’t wait to sit down for dinner. Usually, by now, the kitchen would already be filled with delicious smells…
«Anya, I’m home!» he shouted, taking off his coat.
No answer. Lev went to the kitchen and found it spotless and empty, with no sign of cooking. Opening the fridge, he saw half-empty shelves—yogurt, cheese, a few veggies.
«Anna!» he called again as he walked toward the living room.
His wife sat on the couch, totally absorbed in whatever she was scrolling on her tablet, headphones on. As soon as she noticed her husband, she pulled out one earbud.
«Oh, hi. You’re home already?»
«Yeah, I’m home. So where’s dinner?» Lev looked around like maybe the food was hiding somewhere in the living room.
Anna gave him a slightly surprised look.
«What dinner?» his wife asked. «Did you give me any money for it? Nope! So why are you asking me about it?»
Lev froze, not believing what he was hearing.
«Are you serious?» his voice rose almost to a shout. «I come home after a long day at work, and you haven’t even cooked dinner?»
«You didn’t give me money for your half of dinner,» Anna calmly took out her other earbud. «You said it yourself yesterday: fifty-fifty. I bought food for myself, with my own money. I made my dinner and ate it. Just like we agreed.»
«But…» Lev stared at his wife, obviously lost. «That’s not what I meant! I was talking about shared expenses…»
«Exactly. Shared expenses—split evenly. Dinner isn’t just for me, it’s for you too. So I bought groceries just for myself,» she shrugged. «And cooked just for myself.»
«So what, am I supposed to just starve now?» Lev complained, feeling his anger start to boil.
«Of course not,» Anna answered coolly. «You can go to the store and buy your own groceries and make yourself dinner. Or order takeout. You do have money.»
Lev looked at her, unable to comprehend where his caring, patient wife had gone. Who was this woman with the cold, steady gaze?
«Is this a strike or something?» he finally asked. «Are you refusing to fulfill your wifely duties?»
Anna slowly set the tablet aside and turned her whole body toward her husband.
«Wifely duties?» she repeated, her voice suddenly steely. «I was doing them just fine—up until yesterday. But yesterday, you suggested splitting everything fifty-fifty, and I had to wonder: why are you being so unfair to me?»
«Me?!» Lev gasped, outraged. «I…»
«Yes, you,» Anna cut him off. «Used to be, your money went toward the bigger bills, mine went to groceries and a few things here and there. And I also cooked, cleaned, did the laundry. Every night, after work. And on the weekends, I’d do a full cleaning and cook ahead for several days—just to free up some time during the week. Remember last Sunday when I spent three hours in the kitchen meal prepping? And another three cleaning the apartment? That’s six hours of work, nearly a full workday. On my day off.»
Lev stayed silent, digesting what she’d said.
«And now you say fifty-fifty,» Anna went on. «Fine. Let’s really do fifty-fifty. Not just money—housework too. Cooking, we alternate or everyone makes their own. Chores—we share, everyone picks what they do. Laundry—each does their own. How do you feel about that?»
Lev shifted awkwardly from foot to foot.
«Come on, but that’s… I don’t even know how to use the washing machine…»
«I’ll show you,» Anna smiled. «It’s really not that complicated.»
«And really, if you’re not going to cook or clean, then what do I even need you for?» Lev blurted out—and instantly regretted it.
Anna stared at him for a long time without blinking. Then she slowly got up from the couch.
“Providing for the family is a man’s responsibility,” she said quietly. “But for some reason, I never ask why I need you, even though you never did so well in that role before—I still had to work. And now you’re refusing to do your part as a man at all.” She tilted her head to the side. “But see, I’m not asking that question. Because we’re a family. Or at least, that’s what I thought.”
A heavy silence hung in the air. Lev stared at the floor, feeling his righteous anger slowly turn into shame. Anna stood straight with her shoulders back, waiting for his response.
«I’m sorry,» he finally said. «I overreacted. Let’s just go back to how things were, okay?»
He expected Anna to be happy, to rush over and hug him, to go start making dinner… But she just shook her head.
«And why would I do that?» she asked with genuine curiosity. «Before, this is when I’d be making you dinner, ironing your shirts, doing the dishes. But now I’ve already eaten, finished everything, and I was about to watch a new episode. Honestly, it’s actually more convenient for me this way.»
With that, she went back to the couch, popped in her headphones, and turned on her tablet again, leaving Lev standing in the middle of the room with his mouth open.
«Mom, you won’t believe what she just did,» Lev said, holding his phone to his ear while peering into the empty fridge for the third time that evening, as if hoping food would magically appear.
«Oh, I believe it,» his mother replied with a smile in her voice. «And she did the right thing. You’ve gotten too spoiled, son.»
«What?!» Lev nearly dropped the phone. «Whose side are you on anyway?»
«The side of fairness, Lyovushka. Do you think your father only brought money home? He cooked when I was working the night shift, and he looked after you. Now he’s taken on almost everything since I got sick. That’s what a real man does.»
Lev fell silent. He’d never noticed that side of his parents’ relationship before.
«But that’s not how we do things,» he mumbled. «I always provided for the family, and Anna took care of the house.»
«And now she both works and runs the house,» his mother replied gently. «And what’s fair about that?»
Lev didn’t have an answer. After talking with his mother, he ordered delivery, ate dinner alone in the kitchen, and for the first time really thought about everything Anna did every day.
The first few days without dinner, clean shirts, and a cozy home were a cold wake-up call for Lev. By the end of the week, he was cursing himself for the whole ‘fifty-fifty’ idea. Who knew keeping a home going would be such a headache? The fridge was stuffed with convenience foods, on the stove was a burnt omelet (third attempt!), and the delivery prices were enough to make his eyes pop.
He tried three times to roast meat the way Anna did. Each attempt was a disaster. The first time, he didn’t thaw it properly; the second, he salted it so much it was inedible; and on the third, he forgot it in the oven. Luckily, there was no fire alarm, but he had to air out the kitchen for two hours.
Meanwhile, Anna felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. No more rushing from work to the store, no more ‘what’s for dinner?’ or ‘where are the clean socks?’ She enjoyed a simple dinner by herself, peaceful evenings with a book, and her favorite TV show. On Wednesday, instead of her usual laundry routine, she even met Masha at a café after work—can you believe it? On a weekday! And over the weekend, while Lev struggled with the vacuum cleaner, Anna just lounged on the couch with her book. Pure bliss…
Lev watched all of this, gritting his teeth, but admitted that his wife was right. By Friday, he couldn’t take it anymore. He left work early, dashed into the supermarket, bought all sorts of odds and ends, and rushed home determined to fix everything. He went all out, just like in the early days of dating: candles, a bottle of that special red semi-sweet wine that Anna secretly adored (even though she always told people she preferred dry), and most importantly—chicken roasted in the oven. Maybe not a culinary masterpiece, but made with all his heart.
When the key turned in the lock, Lev almost jumped with excitement. Anna paused in the doorway, taking in the homey smells she hadn’t experienced in a while.
«What’s this?» she asked warily, nodding at the set table and flickering candles.
«Dinner,» Lev answered simply. «For both of us. I cooked it.»
They sat down together, and Lev poured wine into their glasses.
«I’ve done a lot of thinking these past few days,» he began. «And I realized I was wrong. You’ve always done so much more than I ever noticed or appreciated.»
Anna listened closely, not interrupting.
«I want to propose a new agreement,» Lev continued. «We both work full-time. And we both need to take care of our home. I’m ready to handle some chores—grocery shopping, dishes, trash, maybe more, I’m still figuring this out, so just tell me if there’s anything else. And about finances… let’s contribute to the budget based on our salaries? I’ll cover sixty-five percent, you thirty-five. That’s fair, don’t you think?»
Anna thoughtfully swirled her glass in her hands.
«You know,» she finally said, «I agree. But on one condition. We really share the chores—not just me reminding and managing all the time.»
«I promise,» Lev nodded seriously. «I even made a list and a schedule. Here, take a look,» he said, handing her his phone with the file open. «I’ve thought it all through.»
Anna glanced over the list and smiled.
«You know, you just might turn out to be a pretty good husband,» she said with a mischievous grin.
Lev laughed and raised his glass.
«To a new beginning?» he proposed.
«To partnership,» Anna corrected, clinking glasses with him.
They spent the rest of the evening in the kitchen, talking and making plans. And that roasted chicken—even if it was a little dry and salty—seemed like the tastiest dish in the world to them that night.
