So, let’s agree amicably. You give me half of the apartment, and we part ways peacefully,» Stas placed his hands on the table and leaned forward. «Half of grandma’s apartment?» Anita raised her eyebrows. «Are you serious? In thirteen years of marriage, I’ve heard a lot of strange things from you, but this… This is something else.»
«Jointly acquired property is split in half,» he said it in such a tone as if he was explaining an obvious truth, and repeated, «You will give me half of the apartment, and we will part ways peacefully.» «Stas, do you hear yourself? What jointly acquired property? This apartment was passed down to me from my grandmother before we even met. You’re not even registered there!»
«I’ve invested 13 years in renovating this apartment, now there’s my share,» he began counting on his fingers. «Remember how we changed the windows? And the kitchen set?» «Hold on, hold on,» Anita raised her hand. «We changed the windows with my money, I sold grandma’s jewelry. And the kitchen was a gift from my parents for our housewarming. What else?»
Silence hung in the room. Stas paced from corner to corner of the spacious living room, stopped by the window. The view from grandma’s Stalin-era apartment was breathtaking— the city’s central square, ancient buildings with moldings, a park…
«Alright,» he finally said. «Then let’s talk about Masha.»
«What does Masha have to do with this?»
«She has a right to this apartment too. And as her father, I can represent her interests. She will live with me, which means the apartment is now mine.»
Anita slowly rose from her chair:
«So, after twelve years, you suddenly remember you’re a father? Not a single parent-teacher meeting, not a single doctor’s visit when she had bronchitis, not a single birthday last year. But now you’re ready to represent her interests? Now you’ve decided she will live with you?»
«I’m calling Rita,» Stas took out his phone. «Let her explain your rights and duties to you as a lawyer.»
Anita shrugged:
«Call her. I think your sister will explain to you that you have no rights to an inheritance I received before the marriage.»
Half an hour later, Rita—a tall woman in a formal suit—appeared in the apartment. She immediately took out a folder with documents.
«Stas, I checked the records from the Russian registry office. The apartment indeed belonged to Anita’s grandmother and then passed to her through inheritance. No hooks.»
«But I spent all these years…»
«What ‘all these years’?» Rita interrupted. «Living in your wife’s apartment doesn’t give you ownership rights.»
«What about the child’s rights?» Stas crossed his arms over his chest.
«Masha has a legal representative—her mother. And the apartment is not considered jointly acquired property,» Rita snapped the folder shut. «I can file a lawsuit, but it’s a waste of time and money.»
Stas stood up abruptly:
«So, my own sister is against me?»
«I’m not against you. I’m for the law,» Rita calmly replied. «And I advise you not to complicate the divorce with unfounded claims.»
When Rita left, Stas remained silent for a long time, looking out the window. Then he turned to Anita:
«Alright, we’ll do it differently. Masha will live with me.»
«Why suddenly?»
«I’m her father. I have the right to see my daughter.»
«Seeing her—yes. But she will stay living with me.»
«We’ll see about that,» Stas headed to the exit. «You have no idea what I’m capable of.»
The next day, Anita picked up Masha from school. Her daughter looked unusually lively.
«Guess what, dad came today! He brought me a new phone case. Said he’ll soon buy a new iPhone.»
«Really,» Anita tried to hide her surprise. «Has he been coming to school often?»
«Second time this week. What’s the big deal? He’s my dad.»
In the evening, the class teacher called:
«Anita Sergeyevna, I wanted to consult with you. Stanislav Mikhailovich has been coming to school often, inquiring about Masha’s grades, talking to her during breaks. Is this normal?»
«Yes, we’re getting a divorce. He has the right to see his daughter.»
«I see, he was asking about your work schedule, finding out who usually picks up Masha. And he hinted that he plans to apply for sole custody.»
Anita’s hands turned cold. So that’s it. Since he couldn’t sue for the apartment, Stas decided to act through his daughter.
During the weekend, Masha was ready to stay with her father:
«Mom, can I stay overnight at dad’s? He rented such a cool apartment! And his fiancee Vera promised to teach me how to cook Carbonara pasta.»
«Fiancee?» Anita didn’t know about this. «How long have they been together?»
«I don’t know. She’s cool! Works in a real estate agency. Says that being a realtor is a calling.»
In the evening, Rita called Anita:
«We need to meet. There’s something important to discuss.»
The cafe was quiet. Rita looked worried:
«I accidentally found out something. Vera is indeed a realtor. And she’s already looking for a buyer for your apartment.»
«But how? She has no rights…»
«What if Stas wins custody over Masha? Then he can claim a part of the apartment as a representative of a minor child. He and Vera calculated everything.»
«What should I do?»
«First, gather evidence. I have a plan.»
A week later, Masha returned from her father in tears:
«Mom, I won’t go there anymore!»
«What happened?»
«I accidentally heard them talking with Vera. She said she already found a buyer for our apartment, and they’ll move to another city as soon as they settle the documents. And dad said I’d quickly get used to a new school.»
Anita hugged her daughter:
«Now you understand why he started showing such care?»
«Sorry, mom. I was so stupid! I thought he really missed me.»
Rita convened a meeting in her office. An impressive stack of documents lay on the table.
«Here’s what we managed to find out,» she spread the papers like a fan. «First, Stas took out a loan of five million rubles. Second, I checked—the money was cashed and disappeared somewhere.»
«What loan?» Anita was surprised. «First I’ve heard of it.»
«Because he took it out a month before your divorce. And now the bank is demanding repayment. Also,» Rita took out a printout of an email, «Vera already posted an ad for selling your apartment. True, without photos yet.»
«But how could she?»
«Preliminary contract. She takes a deposit from potential buyers, promising that the apartment will soon be free. Already three people paid a hundred thousand each.»
Masha, sitting in the corner of the office, looked up from her phone:
«I recorded their conversation. Vera told dad she found a company ready to buy the apartment in cash, no questions asked.»
Rita nodded:
«Good job. That’s important evidence.»
«And now?» asked Anita.
«Now we file a counterclaim. I have evidence that Stas planned a scam with the apartment before the divorce. Here’s the phone record—he called realtors, consulted about urgent property sales.»
There was a knock at the door. Stas appeared on the threshold:
«Decided to hold a family council without me?»
«Come in,» Rita pointed to a chair. «We’re just discussing your financial matters.»
«What financial matters?»
«For example, a loan of five million. Or preliminary contracts for the sale of an apartment you have no share in. Or maybe discuss the custody application you’re preparing?»
Stas turned pale:
«Have you been following me?»
«No, just doing my job. I’m a lawyer, in case you forgot.»
«You’re my sister!»
«That’s why I’m trying to stop you before you commit a criminal offense. Real estate fraud—that’s a charge.»
Masha stood up from her place:
«Dad, is it true that you and Vera are planning to move to another city?»
«Who told you that?»
«I heard it myself. And I recorded your conversation.»
Stas slumped into the chair:
«You don’t understand. I have large debts. Vera suggested a plan…»
«A plan to deceive your own daughter? To use a child to take an apartment?»
«I needed the money!»
«And I needed a father,» Masha said softly. «A real one, not one who comes to school with gifts just to get access to mom’s apartment.»
Rita took out another document:
«Here’s a complaint to the prosecutor’s office. It has everything: the loan, the preliminary sale agreements of someone else’s property, and attempts to manipulate a minor child. I haven’t sent it yet.»
«And what do you propose?» Stas crossed his arms over his chest.
«You stop all attempts to sue for the apartment. You write a statement that you have no rights to it. You pay compensation to the people Vera took deposits from. And you start communicating with your daughter—without ulterior motives.»
«And if I refuse?»
«Then the documents go to the authorities. And believe me, you won’t like the consequences.»
Stas silently looked at the documents. The office fell into a heavy silence.
«Give me time to think,» he finally said.
«Until tomorrow morning,» Rita cut him off. «Otherwise, I start the process.»
In the evening, Anita and Masha sat in their kitchen. Tea was steaming on the table, and rain drummed on the windowsill.
«Mom, did grandma buy this apartment long ago?» Masha asked.
«Oh, that’s a whole story. She worked here as the chief engineer at the factory. Back then, this entire building was constructed for the management staff. Grandma spent hours on the construction site, overseeing every brick. Then, when the apartments were being allocated, she was offered to choose any. She chose this one—with a view of the square.»
«Did dad know this story?»
«Of course. Grandma told it many times. She lived with us for the first three years after our wedding.»
Anita’s phone vibrated. A message from Rita: «Stas came to me. Says he’s ready for our terms.»
In the morning, they gathered again in Rita’s office. Stas looked haggard, as if he hadn’t slept all night.
«I’ll sign everything,» he said, not looking at anyone. «Where are the documents?»
Rita laid out the papers:
«Here’s the waiver of claims to the apartment. Here’s the obligation to pay compensation to Vera’s deceived clients. And here’s a schedule of meetings with your daughter, if Masha agrees.»
Masha looked at her father:
«Do you really want to see me? Or are you planning something again?»
«Really,» Stas for the first time that morning raised his eyes. «I messed up, right? I only thought about money, about the apartment. And yet you turned out so wonderful. And I missed all that.»
«Not everything,» Masha said quietly. «There’s still time to catch up. Just without deceit, okay?»
Stas nodded and began signing the documents. When the formalities were over, Rita collected the papers:
«Does Vera know?»
«I broke off all relations with her. She wanted to use Masha to make money on the apartment. And I… I let myself be persuaded.»
«What about the loan?» asked Anita.
«I’ll be paying it off. Got a second job. Maybe in three years, I’ll be done.»
A month later, Anita and Masha sat in the same kitchen with a view of the square. The first snow was falling outside.
«Mom, you know, dad has changed,» Masha said, sipping her tea. «Yesterday we went to the movies, then walked in the park. He asked about school, about my friends. And not a word about the apartment or money.»
«I’m glad,» Anita sincerely replied. «Everyone deserves a second chance.»
The doorbell rang. Rita was on the doorstep:
«Decided to drop by my favorite sister-in-law and niece. I see you’re having tea?»
«Join us,» Anita smiled. «You’re not just a relative now, but our family protector.»
Rita walked into the kitchen:
«Stas has fully settled with Vera’s clients. And he got a promotion at work.»
«And Vera herself?» asked Masha.
«She had to leave town. Too many dissatisfied clients. But that’s a whole other story.»
They sat in the kitchen, drank tea, and talked about everything under the sun. Snow continued to fall outside, covering the city square with a white blanket. And in the old Stalin-era apartment, it was warm and cozy.
