“Mom Doesn’t Want to Live with You. Go to Your Parents!” My Husband Shouted Through the Door, Standing in the Middle of My Apartment
Elena had inherited the apartment from her parents five years earlier. It was a two-room apartment on the third floor of a brick building in the city center. Her father had died of cancer, and her mother had not survived his loss for long; a year later, she followed him. Elena was left in the apartment where she had spent her entire childhood, together with her husband, Maxim, and their three-year-old daughter, Varya.
Maxim worked as a television technician. He came home late, tired, but he always found time to play with his daughter before bed. Elena worked as an administrator at a medical center. Her schedule was convenient — from nine to six — so she had time to pick Varya up from kindergarten. They lived quietly, steadily, without any upheavals.
Her mother-in-law, Lyudmila Sergeyevna, rarely visited. After divorcing Maxim’s father, she had moved to a house outside the city — an old dacha that her ex-husband had left her during the division of property. She lived alone, grew vegetables, and kept chickens. She said the bustle of the city exhausted her, while it was easier to breathe out in nature.
In the autumn, Lyudmila Sergeyevna called her son.
“Maxim, I have a problem. They’ve started replacing the pipes and wiring in the house. The builders say the work will take a month, maybe a month and a half. It’s impossible to live there. Everything is torn up.”
“Mom, where do you want to move?”
“Well, I was thinking… maybe to your place for a while? You have two rooms, after all.”
Maxim looked at Elena. His wife was setting the table and had heard the conversation. She nodded, as if to say, of course, let her come.
“All right, Mom. Come over. We’ll arrange something.”
Lyudmila Sergeyevna arrived two days later with two enormous bags and a box of homemade preserves. Elena met her mother-in-law at the door, helped her take off her coat, and showed her to the room.
“Lyudmila Sergeyevna, make yourself comfortable. This will be your room for now. Varya will sleep with us.”
“Thank you, Lenochka. Of course, I feel bad bothering you like this. But what can I do? The builders have already started.”
“It’s all right. We’ll manage.”
Her mother-in-law unpacked her things and went into the kitchen. Varya was playing on the floor with her toys, and Elena was preparing dinner. Lyudmila Sergeyevna sat down at the table and looked around the kitchen.
“Lenochka, does your range hood work?”
“It does. Why?”
“The air just feels a little heavy. Maybe the filters haven’t been changed in a long time?”
Elena opened her mouth to answer, then said nothing. She had changed the filters three months ago. The air was normal. Her mother-in-law was simply finding fault.
“I’ll check, Lyudmila Sergeyevna.”
“That would be good. Otherwise all the smells settle into the apartment.”
Maxim came home from work late. He hugged his mother and kissed her on the cheek.
“Mom, how are you settling in?”
“Fine, son. Lenochka made an effort and gave me a good room.”
They sat down to dinner. Elena served meat with buckwheat and a salad of fresh vegetables. Lyudmila Sergeyevna tasted it and grimaced.
“Lenochka, were you saving the salt?”
“Excuse me?”
“The buckwheat is bland. Completely. And the meat too.”
Elena put down her fork.
“We try to use less salt. It’s not good for the child.”
“It’s not good for the child, but what about the adults? Are we supposed to eat tasteless food? You could have salted it at least a little.”
Maxim chewed silently, not interfering. Elena stood up, took the saltshaker, and handed it to her mother-in-law.
“Please, add as much as you like.”
Lyudmila Sergeyevna took the saltshaker and generously salted both the buckwheat and the meat. She tasted it again and nodded.
“That’s better.”
The first few days passed relatively calmly. Lyudmila Sergeyevna got up early, made herself breakfast, then sat in her room or walked around the neighborhood. In the evening, she came back, ate dinner with everyone, watched television, and went to bed.
But gradually, her behavior changed. She began interfering in household matters. She rewashed all the dishes after Elena, saying they had been cleaned poorly. She rearranged the spice jars in the kitchen cabinets because the old order did not suit her. She moved the armchair in the living room because it was more comfortable for her to watch television that way.
Elena tried not to pay attention. She understood that Lyudmila Sergeyevna was not used to living in someone else’s home and was trying to settle in. But her irritation kept growing.
One morning, Elena woke up to a crashing noise in the kitchen. She rushed out and found her mother-in-law moving pots and pans around, searching for something in the lower cabinet.
“Lyudmila Sergeyevna, what happened?”
“I’m looking for a large pot. I want to make soup. All your pots are small.”
“The big one is on the top shelf. I’ll get it for you.”
“Why is it up there? That’s inconvenient. It should be moved down.”
Elena took down the pot and handed it to her mother-in-law.
“Lyudmila Sergeyevna, it’s convenient for me when everything stays in its place. Let’s not rearrange things.”
Her mother-in-law snorted.
“As you wish. Just don’t complain later that it’s inconvenient.”
Elena returned to the bedroom. Maxim was still asleep. She wanted to wake him and complain, but she held back. Her husband got tired at work; there was no need to burden him with household trifles.
A week later, the situation worsened. Lyudmila Sergeyevna began behaving like the rightful mistress of the home. She gave orders in the kitchen, cooked whatever she wanted without asking Elena, bought groceries, put them in the refrigerator, and then got upset when Elena bought the same thing.
“Lenochka, why did you buy milk? I brought some yesterday.”
“Lyudmila Sergeyevna, I didn’t know. You didn’t tell me.”
“You should look in the refrigerator! Now there are two cartons. We won’t drink them in time.”
Maxim kept silent. When Elena tried to talk to him alone, he brushed her off.
“Lena, Mom just wants to help. She’s bored sitting around with nothing to do.”
“Maxim, she rearranges things, cooks without asking, and interferes with everything.”
“So what? Put up with it a little. The repairs will be finished soon, and Mom will leave.”
“And what if they aren’t finished? The builders say it may drag on.”
“Then we’ll put up with it longer. Lena, she’s my mother. I can’t just throw her out.”
Elena fell silent. She understood that her husband was on his mother’s side. Arguing was pointless.
Lyudmila Sergeyevna started complaining to Maxim. Every evening, when her son came home from work, she found a reason to criticize.
“Maxim, your wife didn’t cook anything again today. I had to do everything myself.”
“Mom, Lena works. She doesn’t always have time.”
“She works! I worked too, and I managed everything. Those are excuses.”
Elena heard their conversations from the bedroom. Varya slept beside her, breathing softly. Elena lay there, staring at the ceiling. She wanted to go out and answer, but she restrained herself. She did not want a scandal in front of the child.
After two weeks, her patience began to run out. Lyudmila Sergeyevna moved on to open criticism. In Elena’s presence, she said that the house was a mess, that Elena did not know how to cook, and that she was raising the child incorrectly.
“Lenochka, why do you take Varya to kindergarten? The child gets sick there all the time.”
“Lyudmila Sergeyevna, I need to work. There’s no one to leave Varya with.”
“And what am I, not a person? I can stay with my granddaughter.”
“You’re only here temporarily. You’ll be leaving soon.”
“So what? While I’m here, I can help. But you’re being stubborn.”
Elena did not answer. She had no intention of taking Varya out of kindergarten. The child liked it there — friends, activities. And most importantly, Elena would not have to depend on her mother-in-law.
One evening, Elena was preparing dinner. She had decided to make baked chicken with potatoes. Lyudmila Sergeyevna entered the kitchen and looked at the baking tray.
“Are you planning to bake the chicken like that?”
“Yes. Why?”
“You need to marinate it first. Otherwise it’ll be dry.”
“I already rubbed it with spices. It’ll be fine.”
“Spices are not a marinade. Let me do it.”
“Lyudmila Sergeyevna, I can manage myself.”
“You’ll manage? Then Maxim will be chewing rubber.”
Her mother-in-law took the baking tray and put it back on the table. She began taking kefir, garlic, and herbs out of the refrigerator.
“Lyudmila Sergeyevna, please don’t.”
“Don’t argue. I know better.”
Elena clenched her fists. Blood rushed to her face, but she held herself back.
“Fine. Do it yourself.”
She left the kitchen, went into the bedroom, and closed the door. She sat on the bed, her hands pressed between her knees. She breathed deeply, trying to calm down.
Maxim returned an hour later. Dinner was ready — chicken in kefir marinade, potatoes, and salad. Lyudmila Sergeyevna set the table and called everyone.
“Maxim, son, sit down. I cooked for myself today. Lenochka was tired, so she’s resting.”
Her husband sat down and tasted the chicken.
“It’s delicious, Mom. As always.”
“You see? And Lenochka wanted to just shove it into the oven. It would have been dry.”
Elena sat opposite them, silently chewing. Varya chattered about kindergarten, telling them about a new teacher. Maxim listened to his daughter, nodded, and smiled. Lyudmila Sergeyevna boasted about her marinade recipe.
After dinner, Elena washed the dishes. Lyudmila Sergeyevna stood beside her, drying plates with a towel.
“Lenochka, I didn’t mean to offend you. I just want to help.”
“I understand, Lyudmila Sergeyevna.”
“You’re not offended?”
“No.”
“That’s good. Because I can see you’re tense somehow. Don’t be like that. We live together now; we need to get along.”
Elena silently rinsed the last plate and placed it in the drying rack. She wiped her hands.
“Lyudmila Sergeyevna, will you be leaving soon?”
Her mother-in-law frowned.
“What, are you already tired of me?”
“I’m just curious. When will the repairs be finished?”
“I don’t know. The builders say another three weeks, maybe four. Everything turned out to be more complicated than they thought.”
“I see.”
“Are you throwing me out?”
“No. I simply asked.”
Lyudmila Sergeyevna threw the towel onto the table.
“You know, Lenochka, I see the way you look at me. As if I’m extra here.”
“Lyudmila Sergeyevna, I never said that.”
“You didn’t say it, but you think it. I can see it.”
“You’re mistaken.”
“I’m not mistaken. You want me to leave. Well, fine, I’ll endure it. I don’t have a home of my own, so I have to live with my son. But I’ll endure it.”
Her mother-in-law turned around and went to her room. She slammed the door. Elena remained standing in the kitchen. Her hands were shaking, and it became hard to breathe. She wanted to scream, to throw her out, but she understood that the scandal would be enormous.
Maxim came into the kitchen and looked at the closed door of his mother’s room.
“Lena, what happened?”
“Nothing. We were talking.”
“Mom is upset. What did you say to her?”
“I asked when the repairs would be finished.”
“And that’s all?”
“Yes.”
“Lena, why do you upset her? Mom is already having a hard time. She doesn’t have a home right now, she’s living with us, and she feels uncomfortable.”
“Maxim, she behaves like the mistress of the house. She rearranges things, cooks without asking, criticizes me.”
“She just wants to help.”
“Help? Today she forbade me to cook dinner!”
“Well, Mom knows how to cook. What’s wrong with that?”
Elena looked at her husband. Maxim stood in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. His face was calm, indifferent. As if they were talking about the weather, not about the fact that his mother had taken over the apartment.
“Maxim, this is my apartment. From my parents.”
“So what? We live here together.”
“Together. But your mother has no right to tell me how to live.”
“She’s not telling you. She’s just sharing her experience.”
“Experience! She’s tormenting me!”
“Lena, don’t exaggerate. Mom is just used to her own way of doing things. Put up with it a little.”
Elena turned around and left the kitchen. She went into the bathroom and locked herself in. She turned on the water and washed her face with cold water. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. A pale face, dark circles under her eyes, a tense look.
A month ago, life had been different. Quiet, steady. Elena worked, raised her daughter, spent evenings with her husband. And now her mother-in-law had settled in the apartment and considered herself in charge.
She left the bathroom. Maxim was sitting in the living room, watching television. Varya was already asleep in the bedroom. The door to Lyudmila Sergeyevna’s room was closed, and the light was off.
Elena went into the bedroom and lay down beside her daughter. She hugged Varya and pressed her nose into the child’s hair. It smelled of shampoo and apple juice.
She wanted everything to go back to the way it had been. But she understood that nothing would change on its own. Lyudmila Sergeyevna would not leave until the repairs were finished. And maybe even afterward, she would find a reason to stay.
Elena closed her eyes. Tomorrow she would have a serious talk with her husband. She would explain that things could not go on like this. Maxim had to understand: the apartment was not made of rubber, and most importantly, Elena had the right to a peaceful life in her own home.
In the morning, Maxim left for work early without waiting for breakfast. Lyudmila Sergeyevna came out of her room late, sat silently at the table, and drank coffee while looking out the window. Elena was getting Varya ready for kindergarten and hurrying to work. Her mother-in-law did not say hello and did not even look in her daughter-in-law’s direction.
By evening, the atmosphere had become even heavier. Lyudmila Sergeyevna sat in the living room, watching television at full volume. Varya could not fall asleep and asked her mother to turn the sound off. Elena went out and asked her mother-in-law to lower the volume.
“Lyudmila Sergeyevna, Varya can’t fall asleep. Please turn it down.”
“This volume is comfortable for me. I don’t hear well.”
“But the child can’t sleep.”
“Let her close the door. Or buy children’s headphones.”
Elena pressed her lips together. She went to the television and lowered the volume herself. Lyudmila Sergeyevna jumped up from the sofa.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m asking you to make it quieter. Varya is sleeping.”
“It’s my business what volume I use!”
“Lyudmila Sergeyevna, you are in my apartment.”
“Yours! Everything is yours! The apartment is yours, the television is yours! And what about people? Don’t people live here too?”
Elena turned around and left the living room. She went into the bedroom and closed the door. Varya was lying there with her eyes open, looking at her mother in fear.
“Mom, is Grandma angry?”
“No, sweetheart. She’s just tired. Sleep.”
“Why is she shouting?”
“She isn’t shouting. She’s just talking loudly. Close your eyes.”
Varya grew quiet, burying her face in the pillow. Elena sat beside her and stroked her daughter’s back until she fell asleep.
Maxim came home around eleven. Elena heard the door open, then heard her husband talking with his mother in the kitchen. Their voices were quiet but tense. Then Maxim entered the bedroom.
“Lena, Mom said you insulted her.”
“I asked her to turn the television down. Varya couldn’t fall asleep.”
“Well, you could have asked differently.”
“Maxim, I asked normally. Your mother refused.”
“She doesn’t hear well! She needs the volume loud!”
“And Varya needs to sleep! She has kindergarten tomorrow!”
Her husband waved his hand.
“I don’t want to listen to this. I’m tired.”
He lay down, turning toward the wall. Elena remained sitting, staring into the darkness. She understood there would be no conversation. Maxim had taken his mother’s side completely.
The following days passed in tense silence. Lyudmila Sergeyevna demonstratively ignored Elena — she did not greet her, did not answer questions, and acted as if her daughter-in-law did not exist. Maxim tried not to cross paths with his wife; he came home late and left early.
Elena continued working, picking up Varya, and preparing dinner. But now every action felt like a battle. Her mother-in-law found fault with everything — the smell of food, the noise of the washing machine, the way Varya played in her room.
“Maxim, I can’t live here! Your wife is creating an unbearable atmosphere!”
“Mom, calm down.”
“I can’t calm down! She does everything to spite me! She turns off the television, cooks whatever nonsense she wants, and doesn’t raise the child properly!”
Elena heard these conversations every evening. She sat in the bedroom, holding Varya, and understood that this could not continue much longer.
One evening, while Elena was washing the dishes after dinner, Maxim’s loud voice rang out from the bathroom. The door was closed, but he shouted so loudly that he could be heard throughout the entire apartment.
“Mom doesn’t want to live with you! Go to your parents!”
Elena froze, holding a plate in her hands. Water ran from the tap, but its sound was drowned out by her husband’s shouting.
“Do you hear me?! Go to your parents! Mom will stay here, and you will leave!”
Elena placed the plate in the sink and dried her hands with a towel. She walked to the bathroom and opened the door. Maxim was standing in the middle of the room, red with tension. Lyudmila Sergeyevna was sitting on the edge of the bathtub, looking at her son with a satisfied expression.
Elena looked at her husband calmly, without shouting.
“Maxim, do you understand what you just said?”
Her husband looked away. He was silent for a few seconds, not knowing what to answer.
“I told the truth. Mom is having a hard time with you.”
“Maxim, this is my apartment. From my parents. You are standing in the middle of my home and telling me to leave.”
“So what if it’s yours? We live here!”
“We live here. But that doesn’t give you the right to throw me out.”
Lyudmila Sergeyevna stood up.
“Lenochka, let’s not have a scandal. We were just thinking — maybe it would be better for you to live separately for a while. Cool down, think things over. And Maxim and I will stay here with Varenka for now.”
Elena shifted her gaze to her mother-in-law.
“Lyudmila Sergeyevna, do you seriously think I will leave you my daughter and my apartment?”
“Why not? Maxim is her father. He has rights.”
“He has rights to his daughter. But not to my apartment.”
“The apartment, the apartment! Everything is only about the apartment!” Lyudmila Sergeyevna raised her voice. “Have you thought about people?”
“I have. That is why I’m going to say this now. Lyudmila Sergeyevna, your repairs were finished a week ago. The builders completed the work. You can return home.”
Her mother-in-law turned pale.
“How do you know?”
“I called the builders. I asked. They said everything is ready. They’re only waiting for you.”
“I’m not leaving!”
“Then I will call the police. This is my apartment, and I have the right to decide who lives here.”
Maxim stepped forward.
“Lena, what are you doing? This is my mother!”
“Your mother, who decided to throw me out of my own home. Maxim, do you seriously think I will tolerate that?”
“Mom is just tired! She needs a break from your nagging!”
“My nagging?” Elena gave a short laugh. “Maxim, your mother spent a month acting like the mistress of the house. She rearranged things, gave orders, criticized me. And now she demands that I leave. And you support her.”
“Yes, I do support her! Because she’s right!”
“I see.”
Elena turned around and left the bathroom. She went into the bedroom and took two large bags out of the wardrobe. Maxim followed her.
“What are you doing?”
“Packing your things.”
“What things?”
“Yours. And your mother’s. Since you decided to throw me out, you will be the ones leaving.”
“Have you lost your mind?”
“No. I’m simply protecting what is mine. Maxim, I gave your mother shelter. Temporarily. She abused my hospitality. And you took her side. That means neither of you belongs here anymore.”
Elena went into Lyudmila Sergeyevna’s room and began putting her mother-in-law’s belongings into a bag. Lyudmila Sergeyevna rushed in after her and tried to snatch the bag away.
“What are you doing? These are my things!”
“I’m packing them. Tomorrow, you will move out.”
“I will not!”
“You will. Or I will call the police.”
Maxim stood in the doorway, looking at his wife in confusion.
“Lena, don’t. Let’s talk.”
“There is nothing to talk about. You told me to go to my parents. In my apartment. Everything has already been said.”
“I lost my temper!”
“Whether you lost your temper or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that you said it. And your mother agreed. That means both of you think that way.”
Elena finished packing Lyudmila Sergeyevna’s things and carried the bags into the hallway. Then she returned to the bedroom and began packing Maxim’s belongings.
“Lena, stop!”
“I’m not stopping. Tomorrow, you will move out. Both of you.”
Maxim grabbed his wife by the arm, trying to stop her. Elena sharply pulled herself free.
“Don’t touch me.”
“Lena, I don’t want to leave!”
“You should have thought of that earlier. Before shouting through the door that I had to leave.”
Elena finished packing her husband’s things and carried the bags out to the others. Maxim and Lyudmila Sergeyevna stood in the hallway, stunned.
“You will take them by tomorrow evening. If you don’t, I’ll put them out on the landing.”
“Are you serious?” Maxim whispered.
“Absolutely.”
Elena went into the bedroom and locked the door. She sat on the bed beside Varya. Her daughter was asleep and had not woken up. Elena stroked Varya’s head, listening as her husband and mother-in-law talked behind the door.
In the morning, Maxim tried to talk again.
“Lena, let’s discuss this. I don’t want to destroy the family.”
“You already destroyed it. Yesterday evening.”
“I didn’t mean it that way!”
“You said exactly what you thought. Maxim, pack up.”
“What about Varya?”
“Varya will stay with me. In her own home.”
“I have rights to my daughter too!”
“You do. You’ll see her on weekends. But you will no longer live here.”
Maxim tried to object, but Elena did not listen. She got her daughter ready for kindergarten and went to work. When she returned that evening, her husband’s and mother-in-law’s bags were standing by the door. Maxim was sitting in the living room, gloomy.
“We’re taking our things. I’m moving in with my mother.”
“Good.”
“Lena, are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“We’ve been together for so many years!”
“We were together. Yesterday, you chose your mother. Live with her.”
Maxim stood up and took the bags. Lyudmila Sergeyevna came out of the room, dressed, with a bag in her hands.
“Maxim, let’s go. We aren’t valued here.”
Elena stood by the door, holding Varya’s hand. The little girl was silent, pressing herself against her mother.
“Daddy, are you leaving?”
“Yes, sweetheart. Not for long.”
“When will you come back?”
Maxim looked at Elena, waiting for an answer. Elena shook her head.
“Daddy will come visit you. But he won’t live here.”
“Why?”
“I’ll explain later. Go to your room and play.”
Varya reluctantly let go of her mother’s hand and went to the children’s room. Maxim and Lyudmila Sergeyevna stepped out onto the landing. Elena closed the door behind them and turned the key in the lock.
She listened. Behind the door, there were muffled voices, then footsteps, then the sound of the elevator. Silence.
Elena went to the kitchen and sat down at the table. She rested her head on her hands. She breathed deeply and slowly. Inside, she felt empty, but calm.
Varya ran out of her room.
“Mom, is Daddy really not coming back?”
“He won’t come back to live with us. But he will visit. He’ll see you.”
“Why?”
“Because Daddy and I can’t live together anymore.”
“Because of Grandma?”
Elena was surprised. She had thought her daughter did not understand.
“How do you know?”
“I heard you arguing. Is Grandma bad?”
“No, sweetheart. Grandma just wanted everything here to be her way. But this is our home. Yours and mine.”
Varya nodded.
“I see. Mom, I’ll be sad without Daddy.”
“I know. I will too. But this is better.”
Her daughter hugged her mother and buried her face in her shoulder. Elena hugged Varya and held her close.
A week later, Maxim called. He asked if he could come for the rest of his things. Elena allowed it. Her husband came alone, without his mother. He collected his tools, books, and documents. Elena watched in silence.
“Lena, I still hope you’ll change your mind.”
“I won’t.”
“Mom says she’s ready to apologize.”
“There’s no need. I don’t want to see her.”
“And me?”
“I will see you. For Varya’s sake. But nothing more.”
Maxim nodded, took the last box, and left, closing the door quietly behind him.
Elena was left alone with her daughter. She walked through the apartment. It was empty and quiet. No one else’s things, no comments, no mother-in-law in the kitchen.
She went to the window. Outside, a light autumn rain was falling, and the trees swayed in the wind. The city was preparing for winter.
Varya was playing in her room, humming a little song. Elena smiled. Her daughter did not look unhappy. She adapted quickly, the way children do.
Elena sat down on the sofa and picked up a book. She opened it at the bookmark and began to read. For the first time in a month, reading felt easy, without tension. No one was making noise, no one was turning the television up to full volume, no one was rearranging things.
Silence.
Not empty silence, but real silence.
The kind that belonged to a home.
The kind she had been missing for the entire past month.
Elena closed the book and went to the kitchen. She put on the kettle and took out her favorite cup. While the water boiled, she looked out the window. The rain grew heavier, running down the glass in thin streams.
Somewhere out there, outside the city, Maxim was living with his mother. He was helping her around the house, listening to her complaints about his wife, convincing himself that he had done the right thing.
And here, in the two-room apartment she had inherited from her parents, Elena drank tea, listened to her daughter playing in the next room, and for the first time in a long while, felt like the mistress of her own home.