Larisa met Pavel at an auto repair shop, where she had brought her car after a minor accident. The tall brunette man with kind eyes and skilled hands made an impression on her. He worked as a mechanic and earned about fifty thousand a month, but he said he wanted to open his own business. He dreamed of independence and stability.
They had a modest wedding. Larisa worked as a veterinarian at a private clinic and earned seventy thousand a month. The apartment had been inherited from her grandfather — a two-room place in a residential district, but in good condition. After the registry office ceremony, Pavel moved his things in and settled in with his wife.
The first months of their life together passed peacefully. Pavel helped around the house and cooked dinner for Larisa when she came home from work. He talked about future plans, about how they would save money and open an auto repair shop. Larisa believed in those plans and supported her husband.
Raisa Petrovna entered their lives gradually. At first, she called in the evenings to ask about her son’s health. Then she began coming over on Saturdays with homemade pies and advice on housekeeping. She was a woman of about fifty-five, energetic and talkative, and worked as a saleswoman in a grocery store.
“Son, you’ve lost weight,” Raisa Petrovna lamented, studying Pavel when they met. “Larisa, dear, are you feeding your husband properly? A man needs to be full, otherwise he won’t have strength at work.”
Larisa cooked well, but her mother-in-law always found something to criticize. Either the soup was too watery, the meat was too tough, or she had not made enough porridge. Pavel stayed silent during these discussions, sometimes nodding in agreement with his mother.
Gradually, the visits became longer. Raisa Petrovna began staying overnight, claiming that the late bus to their district was inconvenient. She settled on the sofa in the living room, spreading out the sheets and pillow she had brought with her. In the morning, she took a long time getting ready, drank tea, and gave the young couple instructions.
“Larisa, why do you take a shower every day?” her mother-in-law asked at breakfast. “You’re wasting water. And how much electricity goes into heating it! You need to learn to economize.”
“Raisa Petrovna, I work with animals. Hygiene is essential,” Larisa explained patiently.
“Well, yes, of course. But still, twice a week is perfectly enough. I’ve lived like that my whole life, and nothing bad has happened.”
Pavel nodded, supporting his mother. Larisa began to understand that her husband was not ready to defend her. But she hoped that the situation would change with time.
A month later, Yulia joined the visits — Pavel’s sister. The girl studied at an institute by correspondence and lived with her mother two hours from the city center. She supposedly came for classes and stayed overnight so she would not have to spend money traveling back and forth twice a day.
“Our Yulechka is so smart,” Raisa Petrovna praised her daughter. “She’ll become an economist. Not like some people, fussing around with animals. Yulia will build a career and marry well.”
Yulia was five years younger than Larisa, but she behaved as if she owned the place. She occupied the bathroom in the mornings, left dirty dishes in the sink, and talked loudly on the phone until late at night. Pavel treated his sister tenderly, constantly defending and excusing her behavior.
“She’s a student, she gets tired from studying,” her husband said whenever Larisa tried to discuss the problems. “Be patient for a little while. Her exams will be over soon.”
But the exam session ended, and Yulia continued coming over. Now the excuse was practical classes, then additional courses, and then simply not wanting to waste time on the road. Gradually, the girl moved half of her wardrobe into Larisa’s apartment.
Raisa Petrovna also increased the frequency of her visits. Now she came not only on weekends, but also on weekdays. She explained it as concern for the children and a desire to help with the household. She began holding family councils in the kitchen, where household matters and future plans were discussed.
“Pavlik, why does Larisa use so much electricity?” his mother reasoned over tea. “The lights are on everywhere, the television is running, the washing machine is turned on every day. You need to be more economical.”
“Mom, this isn’t our apartment,” Pavel objected weakly.
“What do you mean, not ours? You live here, so you’re also the owner. And an owner should keep an eye on expenses.”
Larisa listened to these conversations from the hallway and was amazed by her mother-in-law’s nerve. The woman discussed someone else’s expenses as though she were paying the utility bills out of her own pocket. But Pavel did not put a stop to these discussions; sometimes he even agreed with his mother.
Gradually, the atmosphere in the home changed. Raisa Petrovna began giving Larisa advice about work, criticizing her schedule, and explaining how family life should be arranged properly. Yulia joined these conversations too, giving her opinion that a wife should spend more time at home.
“Larisa, why do you come home so late?” her mother-in-law asked when Larisa returned from work at eight in the evening. “Family should come first. Pavlik waits all day, and you’re still fussing around with animals.”
“I have surgeries and emergency calls. It’s not always possible to leave exactly on time,” Larisa explained.
“Well, yes, of course. And what about your husband — isn’t he a person? Look at Yulia. She cooks, cleans, takes care of the home. See how domestic she is?”
Larisa began to realize that she was turning into a guest in her own apartment. Yulia managed the kitchen, cooked for the family, bought groceries with Larisa’s money, and received praise from her mother and brother for it. Raisa Petrovna rearranged the furniture, changed the placement of things, criticized the interior, and gave advice about repairs.
“Why are there two sofas here?” her mother-in-law mused, looking around the living room. “One could be removed to free up space. Yulia needs a wardrobe for her clothes; otherwise everything gets wrinkled in her bag.”
“This is my grandfather’s furniture,” Larisa reminded her.
“So what? A dead man doesn’t need it, but the living could use it. Don’t cling to old junk.”
Pavel supported his mother and sister in everything. When Larisa tried to speak with him privately, her husband brushed her off and asked her to be patient. He said it was a temporary situation, that everything would soon be settled. But more and more time passed, and the situation only got worse.
One evening, Larisa came home from work and found an unfamiliar coat on the hanger in the hallway. It was dark blue, clearly a woman’s coat, and it hung in the spot where her own jacket usually was. Her own clothes had been neatly pushed into a corner to make room for someone else’s things.
In the living room, a stack of bed linen lay on the sofa. Women’s shoes stood on the coffee table, with a makeup bag and a hairbrush next to them. Yulia was sitting in an armchair with a textbook, Pavel was watching television, and Raisa Petrovna was cooking dinner in the kitchen.
“Good evening,” Larisa greeted them, trying to remain calm.
“Oh, Larisa’s here,” Yulia responded without looking up from her book. “We already ate. We left some for you in the pot.”
“Thank you. Whose coat is in the hallway?”
“Mine,” Yulia answered. “I bought it today. It’s pretty, isn’t it? Pavel gave me the money.”
Larisa looked at her husband. He avoided her gaze, switching channels on the television. So her husband was buying gifts for his sister with family money without even asking his wife’s opinion.
“Pavel, can we talk?” Larisa asked.
“Later,” her husband muttered. “An interesting movie just started.”
Larisa went into the kitchen, where Raisa Petrovna was washing dishes. Her mother-in-law felt like the full-fledged mistress of the house, managing the kitchen utensils and groceries at her own discretion.
“Raisa Petrovna, how long are you planning to stay?” Larisa asked cautiously.
“What, am I bothering you?” her mother-in-law turned around with a wet plate in her hands. “I help with the household, I cook, I clean. It’s convenient for Yulia to live here too, close to the institute. What exactly doesn’t suit you?”
“You understand, this is still my apartment. I’m not against help, but I would like to know your plans.”
“Your apartment?” Raisa Petrovna smirked. “And what is Pavel here, a guest? Husband and wife are one whole. His home is your home, your home is his home. Or do you think differently?”
Larisa understood that her mother-in-law’s logic was twisted, but she did not want to argue. Too much exhaustion had accumulated from the constant presence of strangers in her own home.
The next day, the situation repeated itself. Raisa Petrovna and Yulia behaved like full-fledged owners, and Pavel supported them in everything. Larisa felt like an outsider in her own apartment. That evening, she decided to speak with her husband once more.
“Pavel, we need to seriously discuss the situation,” Larisa began when they were alone in the bedroom.
“What situation?” her husband lay down on the bed and took his phone in his hands.
“Your mother and sister have been living here for two months. This is not a temporary visit. This is a move.”
“So what? Is it bad that they care about the family? Mom cooks, Yulia helps. It should be easier for you.”
“It’s harder for me. I can’t relax in my own home.”
“This isn’t only your home. I live here too.”
“But the apartment is registered in my name. And I pay the utilities. And I buy the groceries.”
“Here we go,” Pavel put down his phone and looked at his wife with irritation. “Now you’re throwing money in my face. What am I, some kind of freeloader?”
“I’m not talking about money. I’m talking about the fact that people moved into my home without my consent.”
“People? This is my family. My mother and sister. And if you don’t like that, then the problem is with you, not with them.”
The conversation reached a dead end. Pavel turned his back to the wall, making it clear that the discussion was over. Larisa lay beside him and thought about how much her life had changed over the past months.
In the morning, the situation became even more absurd. At breakfast, Raisa Petrovna announced the plans for the day.
“Pavlik, today Yulia and I will go to the store and buy groceries. Larisa, give us money. And in the evening we’ll watch a movie. I brought a disc.”
“What disc?” Larisa asked.
“A melodrama. Yulia has wanted to watch it for a long time. You don’t mind, do you?”
Larisa did mind, but she stayed silent. In the evening, she had wanted to read and rest after a hard day. But now the television would be on in the living room, and Raisa Petrovna and Yulia would comment on the movie and keep her from concentrating.
All day, Larisa thought about the situation that had developed. At home, three people were waiting for her — people who controlled her space, spent her money, and disregarded her opinion. Her husband not only failed to defend his wife, but supported his mother and sister in everything.
That evening, returning from work, Larisa heard voices in the kitchen. Raisa Petrovna was explaining something to Pavel, and Yulia occasionally inserted her comments. Deciding not to interrupt the family council, Larisa stopped in the hallway.
“Listen, son,” her mother-in-law was saying, “it’s impossible to live with a wife like that. You see how Larisa behaves? Cold, indifferent. She doesn’t value family.”
“Maybe that’s just her character,” Pavel answered uncertainly.
“What character? She’s selfish, that’s what. She thinks only about herself. And look at Yulia — kind, domestic, caring about people. That’s the kind of woman you should have married.”
“Mom, what are you saying? Yulia is my sister.”
“I don’t mean it that way! I mean the type of wife. Yulia is family-oriented, domestic. But your Larisa is only interested in work.”
Larisa froze by the door. Her mother-in-law was openly criticizing her, and her husband did not object. Moreover, judging by the pauses, Pavel was considering his mother’s words.
“You know what, Pavlik,” Raisa Petrovna continued, “maybe it really is time to change something. You’re still young. You can create a new family. With a normal woman.”
“What are you talking about, Mom?”
“I’m talking about divorce. Why suffer with Larisa? Divorce her, and Yulia and I will settle in here. The apartment is good, the district is convenient. It’s close to Yulia’s institute, and not far from my work.”
Larisa felt blood rush to her face. Her mother-in-law was planning her son’s divorce in order to seize someone else’s apartment. And she discussed it completely calmly, as if they were talking about buying groceries.
“I don’t know, Mom,” Pavel said uncertainly. “That’s a serious decision.”
“What is there to think about?” Yulia interfered. “Larisa doesn’t value you anyway. She’s always walking around dissatisfied and disappearing at work. What kind of wife is that?”
“Yulia is right,” Raisa Petrovna supported her daughter. “There’s no point wasting time on a hopeless relationship. Divorce her, and that’ll be the end of it.”
Larisa realized she had heard enough. She quietly approached the kitchen door and pushed it open sharply. The three figures at the table turned toward her. Their faces showed surprise and slight embarrassment.
“Good evening,” Larisa said calmly. “What an interesting conversation you’re having.”
Raisa Petrovna was the first to recover and stretched her usual smile onto her face.
“Larisa, dear, we were just… discussing plans for the weekend. Nothing special.”
“Yes, especially the plan for my divorce,” Larisa walked to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water. “And your future residence in my apartment. Very touching.”
Pavel lowered his eyes. Yulia pretended to study her textbook. Raisa Petrovna tried to change the subject.
“You misunderstood. We were talking about how a family needs harmony…”
“No, I understood correctly,” Larisa interrupted. “You were discussing how to get rid of me and take my apartment.”
Silence hung in the air. Raisa Petrovna pressed her lips together, and Yulia closed her textbook. Pavel finally raised his head.
“Larisa, it’s not that simple…”
“It’s very simple,” Larisa placed the glass in the sink. “I have news for you. Tomorrow, all your things must disappear from my apartment.”
“What do you mean?” Raisa Petrovna tensed.
“I mean I’m ending this comedy. I’m not going to support people who are planning to throw me out of my own home.”
Larisa left the kitchen, went into the bedroom, and locked the door. She heard whispers rise in the kitchen, then loud voices. Raisa Petrovna was explaining something to her son; Yulia was indignant. But Larisa had no intention of listening to their reasoning anymore.
In the morning, she got up early and got ready for work. Only Yulia was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee. The others were still asleep.
“Larisa, were you serious yesterday?” the girl asked.
“Absolutely serious. By evening, all of your things must be gone from here.”
“But I still have to finish institute…”
“Finish it from the dormitory or from the road. That doesn’t concern me.”
Larisa left for work with a firm intention to see the matter through. All day she thought about how to organize the departure of the unwanted guests. By evening, the plan had matured.
When she returned home, she found all three of them in the living room. They were sitting as if at a meeting, discussing something serious. When they saw Larisa, they fell silent.
“Good evening,” the owner of the apartment greeted them. “I hope you’re packing?”
“Larisa, let’s talk calmly,” Pavel began. “We thought about it…”
“There is no need to think. You need to pack,” Larisa went into the bedroom and returned with three large bags. “We’ll start with Yulia.”
The girl jumped up from the sofa.
“What are you doing?”
“Helping you pack your things. Since you can’t manage it yourselves.”
Larisa went into the bathroom and gathered Yulia’s cosmetics, toothbrush, and shampoos. She put everything into one bag. Then she went into the living room, where the girl kept her clothes in the wardrobe.
“That’s my dress!” Yulia protested when Larisa began folding the clothes.
“Exactly. Yours. That’s why you’re taking it with you.”
“Larisa, stop,” Pavel tried to interfere. “We can discuss everything…”
“There’s nothing to discuss. The decision has been made.”
Within half an hour, Yulia’s bags were packed. Larisa carried them out onto the stair landing. The girl stood in the hallway crying. Raisa Petrovna comforted her daughter and glared viciously at Larisa.
“You’re heartless!” her mother-in-law snapped. “You’re throwing a child out onto the street!”
“I’m throwing out an adult woman who lived at my expense for two months,” Larisa replied calmly. “Raisa Petrovna, your turn.”
Her mother-in-law tried to enter the apartment, but Larisa blocked her way.
“I’m not going anywhere!” Raisa Petrovna declared. “This is my son’s home!”
“No. This is my home. Your son lives here temporarily. And if he interferes, he’ll leave right after you.”
Larisa went into the living room and gathered her mother-in-law’s things. Bed linen, slippers, robe, medicines — everything flew into the bag. Raisa Petrovna tried to snatch her things away from her, shouting that she would call the police.
“Call them,” Larisa suggested. “Explain to them that you are living in someone else’s apartment without the owner’s permission and refuse to move out.”
Her mother-in-law’s bag joined Yulia’s luggage on the stair landing. Raisa Petrovna stood at the threshold and had no intention of leaving.
“Pavlik, say something!” his mother demanded. “This is your wife! You’re a man!”
Pavel remained silent, shifting from one foot to the other. Larisa looked at her husband and understood — he was not going to support her. Just as he had not supported her all these months.
“Fine,” Larisa said. “Since you don’t understand the easy way…”
She took out her phone and dialed the district police officer’s number. She explained the situation and asked him to come and help remove people who had settled in her apartment without permission.
“The police will be here in half an hour,” Larisa announced. “You can wait for them or leave yourselves.”
Raisa Petrovna and Yulia exchanged glances. The prospect of explaining themselves to the police did not inspire them. They picked up their bags and headed toward the stairs.
“This isn’t over!” her mother-in-law shouted from the landing. “We’ll talk again!”
“No, we won’t,” Larisa slammed the door.
Pavel remained standing in the hallway, confused and dejected. His wife walked past him into the bedroom and began packing his things.
“What are you doing?” her husband asked.
“Helping you make your choice. You can stay here, but then you forget the way to your mother and sister. Or you leave with them and never come back here again.”
“They’re my family…”
“And what am I, a stranger? For two months they planned our divorce, and you stayed silent. You supported them in everything. Now choose.”
Pavel sat on the bed and lowered his head.
“I didn’t think it was all so serious…”
“It’s very serious. Serious enough that tomorrow I’m filing for divorce.”
“Larisa, let’s try again. I’ll talk to Mom, explain…”
“It’s too late to explain. The decision has been made.”
Her husband packed his things and left. Larisa remained alone in the apartment, which finally belonged only to her again.
A few hours later, the phone rang. Raisa Petrovna demanded that she return her son, threatened court and division of property. Larisa patiently explained that the apartment had been inherited before the marriage, so there was nothing to divide.
“You have a moral obligation!” her mother-in-law screamed. “We were family!”
“We were, but we won’t be anymore,” Larisa hung up.
The next day, she filed for divorce. Pavel appeared at the registry office looking lost and asked for another chance. Larisa was unwavering. They had no shared property and no children. The procedure took minimal time.
“At least leave me the washing machine,” her ex-husband asked as they parted. “It was bought for the family.”
“It was bought with my money,” Larisa reminded him. “So it stays with me.”
A week later, Yulia posted on social media about an evil woman who had thrown a poor family out onto the street. She described Larisa as a heartless egotist, and herself and her mother as victims of circumstance. One of their mutual acquaintances sent Larisa a screenshot.
Larisa read it and smirked. She blocked Yulia on all social networks, and Pavel and Raisa Petrovna along with her. Let them live in their own world and tell their fairy tales.
Another month later, Raisa Petrovna appeared at the entrance to the building. She knocked on the door, shouted under the windows, and demanded that Larisa return her son. The neighbors complained about the noise. Larisa called the police. The district officer explained to her mother-in-law that disturbing public order could result in a fine and administrative punishment.
After the second police visit, Raisa Petrovna did not appear again. Larisa changed the locks in the apartment and changed her phone number. Only her mother received the new keys. Through acquaintances, she passed on to her former relatives that she had no intention of speaking with them.
Pavel stayed living with his mother and sister in a communal apartment — exactly the place where they had planned to send Larisa after the divorce. He lost his job because he had missed too much work while dealing with family problems. Yulia returned to the dormitory; her dreams of a comfortable life in the city center collapsed.
Larisa began living peacefully. She replaced the dishes the unwanted guests had used and rearranged the furniture to her own taste. The apartment once again breathed order and silence. In the evenings, she could read books without listening to loud conversations and advice about how to live properly.
She never again allowed anyone to behave like the owner in her home. Guests came for a couple of hours and left. No overnight stays, no moving in under the guise of temporary living. The lesson had been learned once and for all.
A year later, she met Pavel on the street. He looked tired and older. He greeted her reservedly and asked how she was. Larisa answered briefly and walked on. The past remained in the past, and she had no desire to return to it.
Her grandfather, who had left her the apartment, had been a wise man. He knew whom to entrust his property to. Larisa protected his memory and his inheritance from people who believed that someone else’s property should belong to anyone who called themselves family.