Victoria left the office at exactly six in the evening, but she felt no joy at the end of the workday. Ahead of her was an hour-long ride on public transportation, and after that, a predictable scandal at home. Igor had returned from his rotational shift yesterday, and she knew perfectly well what would be waiting for her at the door.
They had married seven years earlier, when Victoria was working as an ordinary sales assistant in an electronics store. Igor had just gotten a job as a driller at oil fields and dreamed of making big money. He promised that in a couple of years they would save up for their own home and live happily. Victoria believed those promises and did not even object when he left for a month at a time for rotational work. The important thing was that he loved her and wanted to build a family.
They did eventually buy an apartment, but with a mortgage. It was registered in Victoria’s name because Igor was constantly traveling and could not provide all the necessary documents to the bank. By then, Victoria had already been promoted to sales manager and had a stable income. The bank approved her loan without any problems.
“It’s our apartment anyway,” Igor would say, kissing his wife. “It doesn’t matter whose name it’s in. The important thing is that now we’ll live together.”
Only they lived together for exactly two weeks a month. The rest of the time, Igor was somewhere on drilling rigs in the northern regions, while Victoria managed the household and paid the mortgage on her own. She did not complain, because she understood that her husband was also working and earning money. Although where that money went, Victoria did not know exactly. Igor bought himself expensive clothes, a new phone every year, and often had dinner in restaurants with friends when he came home. When she asked about a shared budget, he answered evasively.
“I have a specific kind of job. I need to look good in front of my colleagues,” Igor explained. “Besides, you earn pretty well yourself. You have enough for the mortgage and food, so what’s the problem?”
The problem did not begin right away. In the first years, Victoria truly tried to be the perfect wife. When Igor returned from his shifts, she greeted him with a hot three-course dinner. She made soups, roasts, baked meat, and prepared salads. Igor ate with pleasure, praised his wife, and said that he had missed homemade food.
“Now this is what I call a meal!” he would exclaim, serving himself another portion. “For a whole month I had to eat that cafeteria garbage. Only at home can a man eat properly!”
Victoria glowed with happiness when she saw her husband’s satisfied face. She spared no time for cooking, even though she came home tired after work. But Igor was pleased, and that seemed to her the most important thing.
The first months of their family life felt like a honeymoon. Igor came home from his shift tired but happy. Victoria welcomed him with dinner and asked him about work. He told her about the drilling rigs, the harsh conditions, and the difficult shifts. Victoria listened attentively, sympathized, and supported him. It seemed to her that they were a real team.
Back then, Igor still helped with small things. He could take out the trash or wash the dishes after dinner. True, he did it with the air of a man performing an enormous favor. Victoria did not pay much attention to it. The important thing was that he was trying, she thought.
Larisa Fyodorovna visited them every month. She inspected the apartment with a critical eye, checked the cleanliness of the shelves, and commented on her daughter-in-law’s cooking. Victoria clenched her teeth and endured it. She understood that this was her husband’s mother, and she needed to get along with her.
“The soup isn’t bad, but it needs more salt,” her mother-in-law would say, tasting the food. “And you should have added more sour cream. Igor likes it richer.”
“I’ll keep that in mind for next time,” Victoria replied, mentally counting to ten.
Gradually, her mother-in-law’s visits became more frequent, and her complaints became harsher. Larisa Fyodorovna considered it her duty to teach her daughter-in-law how to live properly. She explained how to wash men’s shirts, what groceries to buy, and what time dinner should be served.
“A man should come home to a table already set,” she instructed. “That is the foundation of family happiness. A fed husband is a satisfied husband.”
Victoria nodded and continued living according to her own schedule. She had no intention of changing her daily routine to suit her mother-in-law’s whims. But the tension kept building.
Igor began to change about a year after the wedding. His help around the house disappeared completely. He no longer took out the trash or washed dishes. When Victoria asked why, he answered irritably.
“I’m tired! I worked like a horse for a whole month! Let me at least rest properly at home!”
Victoria understood that work on drilling rigs was truly difficult. She did not insist and took the household chores upon herself. After all, two weeks could be endured, she convinced herself.
But those two weeks turned into a constant obligation. Victoria cooked, cleaned, washed clothes, and ironed. Igor lay on the couch or met up with friends. He stopped being interested in his wife’s affairs, never asked about her work, and never offered help.
“How was your day?” Victoria asked over dinner.
“Fine,” Igor answered without looking up from his phone. “What’s the main course?”
Their conversations became more and more superficial. Igor discussed only his own affairs, his own plans, and his own friends. Victoria felt invisible in her own home.
When she received a promotion at work, Igor reacted indifferently.
“Good,” he said, then went back to watching football.
Victoria had expected congratulations, joy, pride. But her husband did not even ask for details. He did not care. Something cracked inside her in that moment, though she was not yet ready to admit it.
But gradually the situation changed. Victoria received another promotion and now handled major clients responsible for large contracts. She could not afford to leave work early or take a day off just like that. Often she had to stay until eight in the evening, and sometimes she even worked on Saturdays. After days like that, she simply had no energy left to cook elaborate meals.
Igor did not understand and did not want to understand. He believed that his wife was obligated to cook regardless of the circumstances.
“I work an entire month without days off!” he protested. “Those two weeks at home are the only time I can rest and eat properly! And what do you give me? Store-bought salads and ready-made meals!”
Victoria tried to explain that she also had a difficult job. That she got no less tired than he did. That they could heat up ready-made cutlets or order delivery. Igor only waved his hand dismissively.
“That’s not food! I want homemade food, do you understand? Real food — fried potatoes with meat, fresh salads!”
Larisa Fyodorovna, Victoria’s mother-in-law, actively supported her son. She called Victoria almost every day and lectured her.
“Victoria, what is this? Igor complains to me that you don’t feed him at all! He works like a madman, earns money, and you can’t even do the most basic thing and cook dinner!”
“Larisa Fyodorovna, I work too,” Victoria patiently explained. “I have a very difficult period right now, an important project. I physically don’t have time to cook three dishes every day.”
“Nonsense! A woman must always find time for her husband! When I was your age, I worked, kept the house, and raised my son! And my Lyonya was never left hungry!”
Victoria wanted to object that times had changed, that modern women had a right to a career, but she understood it was useless. Larisa Fyodorovna considered housework exclusively a woman’s duty.
Igor never helped his wife around the house. He could lie on the couch for weeks, scrolling through his phone or watching television, but he would not even take his own plate to the kitchen. Victoria washed the dishes herself, cleaned the apartment, and washed his clothes. When she asked him to at least vacuum the room, Igor became indignant.
“I work rotational shifts! I need to rest at home, not do some cleaning! That’s your responsibility!”
“Why mine?” Victoria once finally snapped. “We both work, we both earn money. Why are the household chores only on me?”
“Because I’m a man!” Igor looked at his wife as if she had asked something obviously stupid. “Men earn money, women keep the house. That’s a normal division of duties!”
Victoria said nothing. Arguing with him was pointless — he sincerely believed he was right.
Three weeks earlier, Victoria had received an urgent project from management. A major client wanted to buy a batch of equipment worth several million rubles, but demanded an individual proposal with detailed calculations for every item. She had two weeks to prepare it. Victoria warned her husband that she would be very busy in the near future.
“Igor, I’ll be staying late at work. Try to cook for yourself or buy prepared food. There are ready-made meals in the fridge; you just need to heat them up.”
Igor snorted unhappily but said nothing. Victoria took that as agreement.
The first week was relatively calm. Igor did heat up food from the fridge, though every evening he commented on it in a dissatisfied tone.
“These store-bought cutlets again,” he grumbled. “They’re like rubber. No taste at all.”
Victoria ignored his remarks. She came home late, quickly ate something simple, and collapsed into bed. In the morning, she rushed back to work. The project drained all her strength, but she knew it was worth it. Successfully closing the deal would bring her a good bonus and strengthen her position in the company.
In the second week, Igor began calling his mother and complaining about his wife. Larisa Fyodorovna immediately called Victoria and started interrogating her.
“You’ve become completely shameless! Igor told me you’re feeding him ready-made meals! That isn’t food, it’s poison! You’ll ruin his stomach!”
“Larisa Fyodorovna, I already explained — I have an important project at work. I physically don’t have time to cook.”
“Then quit that job of yours! Why do you need this career? Igor earns well enough; he could support both of you! You could stay home and feed your husband properly!”
Victoria clenched her teeth. She did not want to tell her mother-in-law that Igor spent money only on himself while she paid the mortgage. Larisa Fyodorovna would side with her son anyway and find an excuse for his behavior.
The climax came on Thursday evening. Victoria left work at half past eight. The client presentation was almost ready, with only the final touches remaining. She dreamed only of a shower and bed. When she entered the apartment, Victoria immediately felt the tense atmosphere.
Igor was sitting in the kitchen at an empty table. His face was gloomy, his hands clenched into fists. Victoria understood that a scandal was inevitable.
“Hi,” she said cautiously. “How are things?”
Igor slowly raised his eyes to her. Poorly restrained irritation was visible in them.
“How are things? Great, just wonderful! I sat hungry all day because my wife decided her job is more important than her family!”
Victoria took off her shoes and walked into the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator. Inside were yogurts, cheese, vegetables for salad, and a package of sausages.
“Igor, there’s plenty of food in the fridge. You could have made something yourself.”
“What could I make?” He jumped up and yanked open the refrigerator door so hard that the jars rattled. “This? Yogurts and cucumbers? What am I, a rabbit?”
“There are sausages, pasta in the cupboard, eggs. You can make a basic dinner in fifteen minutes.”
Igor slammed the refrigerator shut so hard that Victoria flinched.
“Have you completely lost your mind?” he shouted. “The table is empty, there’s nothing in the fridge, and I want to eat! I waited all day for you to come home and cook normal food! And you’re suggesting I fry something myself!”
Victoria felt her face burn with outrage. Her fatigue disappeared somewhere, replaced by cold calm.
“Igor, you are thirty-five years old. You are an adult man. You can cook dinner for yourself.”
“That’s not my responsibility!” he barked. “I work, I earn money! And a woman must cook and keep the house in order! That’s the normal division of responsibilities in a family!”
“I work too,” Victoria said quietly but firmly. “I earn money. I pay the mortgage for this apartment. I get no less tired than you do. And I have the right to rest.”
“Your work is nonsense!” Igor waved his hand contemptuously. “You sit in a warm office drinking coffee! I work in the cold on rotational shifts, doing hard physical labor! I need to recover, to eat properly!”
“Then cook for yourself.”
Igor stared at his wife as if she had said something indecent.
“What? Say that again!”
“Cook for yourself,” Victoria repeated. “Or buy prepared food. Or order delivery. I will no longer stand at the stove every evening after work so you can stuff your stomach while lying on the couch.”
“How dare you!” Igor’s face turned crimson. “You are my wife! You are obligated to feed me!”
“I am not obligated,” Victoria took a bottle of water from the refrigerator and headed toward the room. “I am your wife, not your housekeeper.”
Igor grabbed his phone and called his mother. Victoria heard his outraged voice from the kitchen, but she did not interfere. She took a shower, changed into comfortable clothes, and lay down on the bed with her laptop. She still had to finish the presentation.
In the morning, Victoria woke up to a persistent ringing at the door. She looked at the clock — half past seven. Igor was still asleep, sprawled on the couch in the living room. They had not spoken since the previous evening, and her husband had demonstratively slept separately.
Victoria opened the door and found her mother-in-law on the threshold. Larisa Fyodorovna looked determined.
“Hello, Victoria. We need to talk.”
“Hello, Larisa Fyodorovna. Come in.”
Her mother-in-law walked into the kitchen without even taking off her shoes. She sat at the table and folded her arms across her chest.
“Igor told me everything. I am shocked, honestly. How can you treat your husband like that?”
Victoria silently poured herself some water. She did not want to sort things out early in the morning, but she had no choice.
“What exactly did I do wrong?”
“You’re starving him!” Larisa Fyodorovna raised her voice. “My son comes home from hard work and wants to eat properly! And what do you offer him? Ready-made meals! That’s mockery!”
“Larisa Fyodorovna, I am not starving him. I am suggesting that he cook for himself or buy prepared food.”
“A man should not stand at the stove!” her mother-in-law slapped the table with her palm. “That is a woman’s duty! You are a bad wife, Victoria! You don’t know how to take care of your husband!”
Victoria put her glass on the table and looked her mother-in-law straight in the eyes.
“Tell me, Larisa Fyodorovna, why can’t a grown, healthy man prepare food for himself? Why can’t he boil pasta or fry eggs?”
“Because it is not his duty!” her mother-in-law jumped up. “Igor works, he earns money! He provides for the family! And a wife must create comfort and feed her husband!”
“I also work and earn money,” Victoria said calmly. “Moreover, I pay the mortgage for this apartment. Igor does not contribute a single penny to the family budget. He spends all his money on himself.”
Larisa Fyodorovna was thrown off for a second but quickly recovered.
“That doesn’t matter! A man has the right to spend money on himself! The main thing is that he works! And a woman must run the household!”
“Then let your son move in with you,” Victoria was surprised by her own calm. “You can feed him. I no longer intend to be an unpaid servant.”
“How dare you!” her mother-in-law turned pale. “Are you throwing him out?”
“I am suggesting that he behave like an adult. Either he starts cooking for himself and helping around the house, or he moves out.”
At that moment, Igor entered the kitchen. He had clearly heard the conversation.
“Vika, are you serious? Are you throwing me out of the house?”
“Out of my house,” she corrected him. “The apartment is registered in my name. I pay for it. And I no longer want to serve a person who sees me as a servant.”
“You…” Igor did not finish. His mother placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Igor, calm down. She’s not herself. It’s from overwork.”
“I am completely myself,” Victoria objected. “I’m simply tired of living with a man who demands full service for two weeks every month and thinks that’s normal.”
“All women do that!” Igor shouted. “All normal wives cook for their husbands! You’re the only one who thinks you’re so special!”
“Then find yourself a normal wife,” Victoria picked up the apartment keys from the table. “And I’ll file for divorce.”
Silence fell. Larisa Fyodorovna and Igor stared at Victoria in bewilderment, as if they could not believe what they had heard.
“Are you joking?” Igor finally said.
“No. I’m absolutely serious. Pack your things.”
“You can’t throw me out! This is my apartment too!”
“The apartment is registered in my name,” Victoria reminded him. “I pay the mortgage. You can live here only if you behave like an equal partner. But you don’t want to. So pack your things and move in with your mother.”
Igor tried to argue, shouted, and threatened that he would divorce her and take half the apartment. Victoria patiently explained that the apartment had been bought with her money and that during the marriage he had not invested a single ruble in it. Larisa Fyodorovna tried to defend her son, but Victoria was unshakable.
By lunchtime, Igor had packed his things. Victoria took the apartment keys from him.
“You’ll regret this,” he hissed through his teeth. “I’ll find a normal woman who will appreciate me!”
“Good luck,” Victoria replied calmly. “Just warn her right away that you don’t need a wife, but a cook and housekeeper in one.”
Igor slammed the door. Larisa Fyodorovna followed him, throwing one final remark over her shoulder:
“You’ll be left alone! No one will need a woman like you!”
Victoria closed the door and leaned her back against it. She expected to feel regret or fear of the future. But instead, relief came. It was so strong that she wanted to laugh.
She went to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and took out a yogurt. She sat at the table and calmly had breakfast. Then she opened her laptop and finished the client presentation. Work came easily, her thoughts were no longer tangled, and her mind was clear.
That evening, her mother called.
“Vika, how are you? Larisa Fyodorovna called me and said you and Igor separated.”
“Yes, Mom. I threw him out.”
“My God… What happened?”
Victoria told her everything briefly and clearly. Her mother listened silently, sighing from time to time.
“My dear girl, you did the right thing,” she finally said. “I was always afraid that you were living with him only because you were scared of being alone. But you are strong. You’ll manage.”
“I know, Mom.”
“Come to our place for dinner tomorrow. Your father will be happy to see you. And we’ll talk properly.”
Victoria hung up and smiled. She looked around: a clean apartment, silence, no complaints, no scandals. Only herself and her life.
A week later, Victoria successfully presented the project to the client. The deal was closed, and she received a large bonus. Management offered her a promotion — the position of department head. Victoria accepted without hesitation.
Igor called several times, trying to come back and promising to change. Victoria calmly explained that she had filed for divorce at the registry office and that they both needed to come in to complete the process. Igor refused, so she warned him that she would file through the court. A month later, they still dissolved the marriage at the registry office.
The apartment remained Victoria’s. She paid the mortgage, and Igor had no rights to it. He tried to demand compensation, but a lawyer quickly explained that without financial investment in the property, there was nothing to demand.
Victoria continued living alone. She learned to cook simple meals for herself, found time for the gym and meetings with friends. Six months later, she met a man who did not demand that she play the role of a cook, but suggested they cook together. They divided household chores equally and respected each other’s work.
Sometimes Victoria ran into Larisa Fyodorovna at the store. Her former mother-in-law would turn away and pretend not to notice her ex-daughter-in-law. Victoria was not offended. She was grateful for that scandal in the kitchen, because it had opened her eyes. She understood that being alone was better than living with someone who saw you as service staff rather than an equal partner.