Olga irritably ran her finger over the smartphone screen, ending the call. Her heart pounded wildly, and her ears still echoed with her mother’s words. She knew that tone all too well – outwardly calm, yet laced with a hidden threat.
«That means you don’t really want it…»
The phrase came not just as a reproach, but as a warning. But Olga was unyielding. How long would she keep making concessions, sacrificing her own interests for others? Enough was enough.
She sank heavily onto the sofa, clutching her phone. A recent conversation resurfaced in her mind: her mother’s insistent admonitions, attempts to pressure her through guilt.
«Sweetheart, you only have one apartment, while your sister has a family, children! It’s so hard for them…»
«Mom, it’s not my job to solve their problems. Let them work, take out a loan, find options. I’m not obligated to give up what’s mine!»
«Don’t you want to help your family? They’re family!»
«And who are you to me? A stranger? Why do you put them above me?»
Silence hung on the line, then a barely audible whisper sent shivers down her spine.
She knew her mother all too well. The first round had only just begun. Those who did not agree immediately were subjected to a full siege: complaints to relatives, tears, resentments, and guilt-tripping manipulations.
Olga gazed thoughtfully out the window of her apartment, watching the evening bustle of the city. The twinkling lights of the skyscrapers and the hum of cars – all of this had once seemed like an unattainable dream. At last, she had become the mistress of her own life, but it appeared not everyone was ready to accept that.
As the eldest daughter, she had taken out a mortgage seven years ago. She had lived in a communal apartment, renting out her own apartment, and saving on everything. The suburban house inherited from her grandmother had helped with the down payment, but the debt was significant. Yet Olga regretted nothing. Now she owned her own home, free from obligations to the bank. One would think she could breathe easily…
The housewarming was supposed to be a joyous event. But it soon became clear – she had made a mistake.
First, her younger sister Yulia burst in, trailing three children behind her. Then came their mother – haggard, with a vacant stare. The brother-in-law appeared later, silently nodding and absorbed in his phone.
Yulia had always been the complete opposite of Olga – living for the moment. From childhood, she had been accustomed to others solving her problems. When they sold their second grandmother’s house, all the money was set aside for her future home. But fate had other plans.
After a year of college, she dropped out – meeting the «love of her life,» getting married quickly, and soon becoming pregnant. The lavish wedding emptied their bank account. No one thought about housing until the first child arrived. Then the young family decided that renting an apartment was too expensive and moved in with their mother.
Over time, the family grew – a second, then a third child. Yulia’s husband worked irregularly, often drank, yet Yulia continued to insist that she had the perfect family.
The children immediately began to run around the apartment, climbing on the sofas and knocking over decorative pillows. One of them nearly dropped a crystal vase.
«Okay, okay, be careful!» Olga tried to stop them.
«Oh, come on! Healthy children need to move! You have plenty of space, let them run,» Yulia waved off, removing her jacket.
Their mother nodded silently, rubbing her tired hands. Olga gritted her teeth. She didn’t want a quarrel, but her house operated under her rules.
As they were setting the table, Yulia inspected the apartment closely. «Listen, Olga, how did you manage to buy such an apartment?» Her voice was overly sweet, but her eyes betrayed clear suspicion.
«I work like everyone else,» Olga replied curtly, pouring tea.
«Come off it! You can’t earn that kind of money with honest work,» Yulia smirked. «Maybe you have a patron?»
Olga was practically bursting with indignation. She had worked two shifts, taken on extra jobs, and denied herself for years…
«How would you know? You’ve never even tried working,» she snapped.
Yulia frowned, then quickly waved it off: «When have I? Three kids, no education, a husband… What can you expect. And you, being single, have it easier.»
The celebration turned into utter chaos. One child knocked over the salad, another spilled the compote, and a third scribbled on the wallpaper. Yulia remained unfazed, intently scrolling on her phone.
When the guests finally left, the apartment looked like a battlefield. Stains, crumbs, ruined wallpaper…
Olga made a decision: these people no longer had a place in her home.
Her mother, who constantly lived with Yulia, looked haggard – a gaunt face and slumped shoulders.
«Mom, are you okay?» Olga asked worriedly.
Her mother sobbed: «The pressure is wild, the noise at home… Yulia and her husband have finally started working, and everything falls on me. The children are everywhere…»
«Move in with me,» Olga suggested.
«No, I won’t leave my apartment,» her mother replied.
Then her daughter left her a spare key: «Come relax after work.»
Thus began a new routine – her mother spent her evenings at Olga’s.
One day, comfortably settled, her mother unexpectedly said: «It would be nice if we lived together… Move Yulia here, and you – to my apartment.»
Olga choked on her tea: «What do you mean?»
«Simple. There’s more space here; why do you need so much?» her mother replied.
«This is my home, which I paid for over seven years!» Olga protested.
«They won’t manage the mortgage…» her mother began.
«Didn’t you think about that when you had me?» Olga interjected.
«You’re getting angry… No wonder you’re alone,» her mother sighed. «Pack your things; you’re moving tomorrow.»
Olga approached the window: «No, Mom. If you were moving – that would be different. But Yulia? Never.»
«She’s young; she’ll find something…» her mother’s voice turned icy.
«Go home before we fight,» Olga pleaded tiredly.
«Think about it. I’ll be waiting for your things tomorrow,» her mother stated firmly.
As Olga went upstairs, she noticed strange boxes by the door. Her heart sank – movers were bringing in someone else’s belongings.
On the landing, her mother stood with crossed arms: «What’s going on here?» she asked in a trembling voice.
«You’re moving in with your mother, Yulia – here. Everything’s fair and square.»
«You have no right! This is MY apartment!» Olga shouted.
«Don’t be stubborn. Otherwise, you’ll end up on the street,» her mother coldly declared.
Olga went downstairs and called the police.
«Good afternoon. I am being unlawfully evicted from my own apartment. Strangers are occupying it against my will.»
The operator took down the address and assured her that help would arrive soon.
Olga returned upstairs. Now she looked at her mother without fear – only with icy calm.
«Done running around?» Yulia sneered, appearing in the doorway. «Just accept it already. Why do you need a two-room apartment? We have children!»
«Children are your responsibility. And my home – my responsibility. I earned it honestly,» Olga stated firmly.
Within ten minutes, the police arrived. The senior officer surveyed the premises: «Who is the owner?»
«I am,» Olga replied confidently. «Documents?»
She glanced at the piled-up belongings. Her mother’s gaze turned triumphant: «Search, search… You won’t find them.»
But Olga merely smiled: «Everything will be alright soon. You’re celebrating for nothing, Mom. The originals are safely kept – only copies remain here.»
At that moment, Svetlana, her boss’s secretary, appeared with a folder of documents.
After checking, the officer announced: «Citizens, please vacate the apartment.»
The police not only removed the uninvited guests, but also helped clear out their belongings.
Olga called a locksmith she knew. While he was changing the lock, she looked at her mother.
«Do you realize what you’ve done?» she asked quietly.
Her mother silently turned away and left.
After cutting off contact with her mother and sister, Olga learned of them only through distant relatives. The news no longer affected her – only indifference.
An unexpected call from a cousin aunt made her heart contract.
«Olga… Mom is gone.»
«When?»
«This morning. A heart. Are you going to take care of it?»
«Of course. Who else?» she thought about Yulia, who had always lived only for herself.
A drizzling rain accompanied the farewell. People approached with their usual condolences, but Olga did not hear them. In her mind, her mother’s voice filled with reproaches and demands echoed.
Suddenly, Yulia appeared before her: «It’s because of you! If you had changed, Mom would still be alive!»
«Do you really think so?» Olga asked calmly.
«Absolutely! She died from stress! In better conditions, she wouldn’t have been so nervous!»
Olga looked coldly at her sister, who expected tears and excuses, then turned and left.
In the empty apartment, she sank onto the sofa. It seemed all her strength had gone.
But when she closed her eyes, quiet tears began to fall.
After all, it was her mother.
