Olga came home after a difficult day at work, dreaming only of silence, but as soon as she stepped through the door, she smelled fried potatoes and heard the voice of her mother-in-law, Oksana Igorevna. She had come again without warning, using the keys her son had given her “just in case.”
“Oh, the daughter-in-law is home! Come in, I’m making dinner!” she announced cheerfully.
“Oksana Igorevna, we agreed that you would warn us before coming,” Olga said tiredly.
“What’s there to warn about? I decided to help. Your refrigerator is always empty, and there’s dust all over the house.”
Her mother-in-law immediately switched to criticizing the new coffee machine, calling it “money thrown away.” When Olga pointed out that it had been a gift from her parents, Oksana Igorevna did not stop, launching into a lecture about how “young people” had no idea how to manage money properly.
“Your money? Well, well! Have you forgotten who gave you the apartment for the wedding?” she said triumphantly. “Maybe it’s time to think about the future. Sell it, buy something simpler, and invest the difference in a business. Or transfer it to me. I know what I’m doing, and I’ll help you with your finances.”
Olga was stunned by such arrogance, but then Sergey came home. Seeing his mother, he was pleased and paid no attention to the tension in his wife’s face. The conversation continued while Olga was in the shower. Her mother-in-law passionately tried to convince her son that his wife was “wasting money” and “thinking of nothing.”
When Olga came out, Oksana Igorevna went on the offensive.
“By the way, I’ve been thinking,” she declared. “You should sign a power of attorney for the apartment. That way I can make sure you don’t do anything foolish with the property. I’m experienced. I’ll help you figure everything out.”
“So you want to control us?” Olga could no longer hold back.
“Mom just wants to help,” Sergey intervened.
Olga remembered how, a week earlier, she had caught her mother-in-law rummaging through the drawers of her desk under the excuse of looking for receipts. The final straw came when Oksana Igorevna spread printed papers across the table.
“I’ve made a plan,” she announced. “First, the power of attorney. Then we’ll take out a loan secured by the apartment and invest it in a profitable business. I’ve already found some options…”
Olga realized that her mother-in-law was planning to take control of their property behind their backs.
“Enough!” she said, slamming her palm on the table. “I’m not signing any papers. You may visit your son when you are invited. But you will not command our lives.”
“Sergey! Do you hear how she’s talking to me?” his mother shrieked.
Sergey stood there in confusion, not knowing whose side to take.
The next day, Olga came home earlier than usual and found her mother-in-law by the dresser where the important documents were kept. In her hands, she was holding their spare apartment keys.
“I just decided to put the keys in a safer place,” Oksana Igorevna quickly found an excuse. “You’re so absent-minded. You’re always losing things.”
That was the last straw.
“Give me the keys and the documents. And I don’t want to see you here again!” Olga could no longer restrain herself.
At that moment, Sergey came home.
“Sergey, your wife is throwing me out!” his mother sobbed. “And I only wanted to help!”
“She was rummaging through our documents! And she tried to take the keys!” Olga explained.
For the first time, faced with undeniable proof, Sergey was forced to take his wife’s side.
“Mom, Olga is right. You can’t take other people’s things without asking.”
Furious, Oksana Igorevna threw the keys onto the table and left, slamming the door behind her.
“Maybe you were too harsh?” Sergey asked uncertainly.
“No. If I hadn’t stopped this now, it would only have gotten worse. Your mother doesn’t see boundaries at all,” Olga replied firmly.
Sergey embraced his wife and promised to talk to his mother. He understood that their family was their shared territory, and it had to be protected. Olga had defended her home and her independence, setting new rules: no visits without a phone call, and no interference in their lives.