“Your salary will now go to my card,” my husband declared after my promotion
“Your salary will now go to my card,” Viktor said, setting his phone aside.
Alina froze with her half-finished coffee in her hand. The July sun was pouring through the kitchen window, and in that bright light, her husband’s words seemed even more absurd.
“Excuse me, what?” she asked, thinking she must have misheard.
“Your new salary. The editor-in-chief salary. It will go into my account,” he repeated calmly, as if he were giving the weather forecast. “I’ll take over the distribution of the finances. It’ll be more rational that way.”
Alina set her cup on the table. Her promotion had become official only yesterday, after six exhausting months of work on a new series of textbooks. Six months of coming home after midnight, and sometimes even spending the night at the office.
“Viktor, is this some kind of joke?” she tried to speak calmly, but her voice betrayed her and trembled.
“No,” he said, looking at her with slight irritation. “You know I understand finances better. I’ve thought everything through down to the smallest detail. Your salary will come to me, I’ll allocate money for our expenses, and I’ll invest the rest in promising assets.”
Alina felt a chill run down her spine. In their eight years of marriage, they had never had conversations like this. Their finances had always been separate, although they contributed to shared expenses in proportion to their incomes.
“Why such a sudden change?” she asked. “All these years, we’ve managed our own money perfectly well.”
Viktor stood up and walked around the kitchen. At thirty-seven, he was still an attractive man: fit, with expressive features, though in recent years a crease of dissatisfaction had settled between his brows.
“Everything has changed,” he said. “Now you’ll be earning significantly more than me. And what am I? A college teacher with a miserable salary. I need to think about our future.”
“I don’t see the connection,” Alina felt tension rising inside her. “What difference does it make who earns how much? We’re a family.”
“Exactly,” he emphasized the word with his tone. “We’re a family. And as the man, I should control the finances.”
Alina tried to gather her thoughts. The man standing in front of her looked like her husband, but he was saying things that felt completely alien and unfamiliar.
“Let’s come back to this conversation tonight,” she said, glancing at the clock. “I have to go to work. They’re waiting for me at the publishing house.”
“Of course, run along,” a sharp note crept into his voice. “Just don’t forget to change the payment details for your salary today.”
Alina did not answer. She silently gathered her bag and left the apartment, feeling a heavy lump of anxiety growing inside her.
The usual working atmosphere reigned at the publishing house, but Alina could not concentrate. The morning conversation with her husband would not leave her mind.
“You seem distracted today,” Svetlana noticed, peeking into her office during the lunch break. “Did something happen?”
Svetlana worked as an editor at the same publishing house and had been Alina’s closest friend for the past five years. She was a bright, energetic woman who had gone through a difficult divorce and started her life over from scratch.
“Viktor said something strange this morning,” Alina said, closing the office door. “He demanded that my salary be paid onto his card.”
Svetlana set down her cup of tea and looked at her friend carefully.
“And I hope you told him where to go?”
“I said we’d discuss it tonight,” Alina sighed. “I don’t understand what’s gotten into him. He’s never shown that kind of interest in my money before.”
“Did your salary increase a lot with the promotion?” Svetlana asked.
“Almost doubled,” Alina nodded. “But we were always calm about the fact that I earned more. At least, that’s what I thought.”
Svetlana thoughtfully turned the cup in her hands.
“You know, my financial enslavement started exactly the same way,” she said after a pause. “At first, Oleg also talked about some joint investments, then he started controlling every penny. In the end, I was left without savings and with his debts.”
“Viktor isn’t like that,” Alina objected, although her inner voice was already whispering doubts.
“All men are ‘not like that’ until they become exactly like that,” Svetlana placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Just be careful. And under no circumstances hand over control of your finances.”
The rest of the day passed as if in a fog. Alina mechanically performed her duties, but her thoughts kept returning to the morning conversation. What was behind her husband’s demand? Why now?
That evening, as she approached the building, she saw her mother-in-law’s car by the entrance and inwardly groaned. Lyudmila Nikolaevna, a domineering woman with an iron grip, adored her only son and believed he deserved far more than life had given him. And certainly far more than Alina could give him.
The apartment smelled of pies — an unmistakable sign of her mother-in-law’s visit.
“And here comes our career woman!” Lyudmila Nikolaevna greeted her, peering out from the kitchen. “Congratulations on the promotion. It was high time they recognized your talents.”
“Hello, Lyudmila Nikolaevna,” Alina forced a smile. “What a pleasant surprise.”
“I came to congratulate you,” her mother-in-law returned to chopping salad. “And at the same time to discuss your plans. Vitenka told me about your conversation this morning.”
Alina shot a quick glance at her husband, who was sitting at the table with an intentionally unbothered expression.
“Did he?” she said coldly. “And what exactly did he tell you?”
“That you finally decided to have a joint budget,” Lyudmila Nikolaevna nodded with satisfaction. “It was long overdue. In a normal family, the husband should manage the finances. That’s how my late Nikolai Ivanovich and I always lived.”
“We didn’t decide anything,” Alina cut her off. “That was… Viktor’s idea, which we haven’t even discussed yet.”
“What is there to discuss?” her mother-in-law was genuinely surprised. “Vitya understands finances perfectly well. He has a degree in economics!”
“Which he has never used,” Alina noted. “He teaches literature, in case you forgot.”
“Don’t be rude,” Viktor intervened. “Mom came to congratulate you, and you immediately start making accusations.”
Alina felt anger boiling inside her.
“I’m going to change clothes,” she said, trying to speak calmly. “We’ll continue this fascinating conversation over dinner.”
In the bedroom, she sat on the edge of the bed for several minutes, trying to calm down. What was happening? Why had Viktor involved his mother? Was this some strange conspiracy?
When she returned to the kitchen, the table had already been set. Lyudmila Nikolaevna was serving the hot dishes, while Viktor was opening a bottle of wine.
“I suggest we drink to your success, darling,” he said with a smile, as if the morning conversation had never happened. “I always believed in you.”
“Thank you,” Alina replied dryly. “But let’s clarify the situation first. I am not going to transfer my salary to your card, Viktor.”
Her mother-in-law slammed a plate down on the table.
“There we go again. No respect for your husband!”
“What does respect have to do with it?” Alina could no longer hold back. “This is basic financial independence.”
“There can be no independence in a family,” Lyudmila Nikolaevna said instructively. “There must be unity in a family. And unity is managed by the husband.”
“We don’t live in the Middle Ages,” Alina retorted. “And we have always had separate finances. Why should everything suddenly change?”
Viktor set the glasses on the table with unnecessary force.
“Because I decided so. You’ll now be earning one hundred and twenty thousand a month. That’s serious money, and it needs to be invested properly.”
“And where exactly are you planning to invest it?” Alina asked, sensing a catch.
Viktor and Lyudmila Nikolaevna exchanged quick glances.
“Vitya has an excellent opportunity,” her mother-in-law began. “His friend Anton offered him a share in a promising project.”
“What project?” Alina felt the ground slipping from under her feet.
“It’s an investment project,” Viktor answered evasively. “Very promising. But it needs start-up capital.”
So that was it. Now everything was becoming clear.
“So you want to take my salary and pour it into some scheme cooked up by your friend?” Alina could not believe what was happening. “Have you lost your mind?”
“It’s not a scheme!” Viktor snapped. “Anton has been in this business for years. The return is guaranteed.”
“If it’s so reliable, why don’t you take out a bank loan?” Alina asked. “Why do you need my money?”
An awkward silence fell.
“Vitya has already taken loans,” Lyudmila Nikolaevna admitted reluctantly. “The banks won’t give him any more.”
Alina stared at her husband in shock.
“You took out loans? When? How much? Why don’t I know anything about this?”
Viktor avoided her gaze.
“Those were my personal financial decisions. I don’t have to report to anyone.”
“But you want me to report to you?” Alina rose from the table. “You know what, Viktor? I need some fresh air. Continue dinner without me.”
She left the apartment, feeling dizzy with outrage and confusion. It was still light outside — July evenings delighted them with long daylight. Alina wandered through the familiar courtyard, trying to gather her thoughts.
Her phone rang. Her father’s name appeared on the screen.
“Hi, Dad,” she answered, trying to hide the worry in her voice.
“Hello, sweetheart,” Pavel Sergeevich’s voice sounded troubled. “Do you have a minute to talk about something serious?”
“Of course,” Alina sat down on a bench. “What happened?”
“I got a call from the bank today,” her father began. “They asked why I wasn’t making payments on a loan. What loan, I asked. Turns out, a loan for one and a half million rubles was taken out in my name.”
Alina felt the ground fall away beneath her.
“What? How is that possible?”
“I don’t understand either,” her father’s voice was full of bewilderment. “I never took out that loan. Someone used my personal data.”
“Did you go to the police?” Alina asked, although a terrible suspicion was already forming inside her.
“Not yet. I wanted to talk to you first. I thought maybe you knew something.”
“Me? Why would I know anything?”
“Because the loan was issued through online banking using my phone. And the only person besides me who has access to my phone is you… or Viktor.”
Alina froze. Last winter, her father had stayed with them for a week while the heating system in his house was being replaced. He had often asked Viktor to help set up apps or online payments.
“Dad, I’ll call you back in an hour, all right?” she said in a trembling voice. “I need to check something.”
When she returned home, Alina discovered that her mother-in-law had already left. Viktor was sitting in the living room in front of the television, pointedly ignoring her arrival.
“We need to have a serious conversation,” Alina said, turning off the TV.
“About what?” he asked, raising an indifferent gaze to her.
“About the loan in my father’s name. One and a half million rubles. Don’t you want to tell me anything?”
Viktor turned pale. That instant reaction was more eloquent than any words.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, but there was no confidence in his voice.
“The bank called my father today,” Alina continued. “They asked why he wasn’t paying a loan he never took. Strange, isn’t it?”
Viktor remained silent, nervously tapping his fingers on the armrest.
“You helped him set up his banking app in February,” Alina looked directly into her husband’s eyes. “You had access to his phone. And to his data.”
“This is some kind of nonsense,” Viktor snapped. “Your father must have mixed everything up. He’s an old man, what do you expect?”
“My father is sixty-three, and his memory is perfectly fine,” Alina cut him off. “The bank sent him a statement. The loan was issued three months ago. Where did the money go, Viktor?”
He abruptly stood up and paced around the room.
“Fine! Yes, I took out that loan. But I was going to pay it back!”
“With what?” Alina asked. “My salary?”
Viktor spread his hands.
“What else was I supposed to do? I got into a difficult situation. Anton and I invested in a project, but everything went wrong. I lost all my savings and got into debt. Then there was a chance to get it all back, but I needed additional funds.”
“And you decided to forge my father’s documents?” Alina could not believe what she was hearing. “That is a criminal offense, Viktor!”
“I would have paid everything back!” he almost shouted. “If you had simply agreed to help, we would have paid it all off quickly. And we would still have had enough left for a comfortable life!”
“You’ve lost your mind,” Alina shook her head. “I’m calling my father and telling him everything.”
“No!” Viktor rushed toward her and grabbed her arm. “You won’t do that. He’ll file a police report, and I’ll go to prison.”
“Let go of me,” Alina pulled her arm free. “You should have thought about that earlier.”
She dialed her father’s number and put him on speaker.
“Dad, it’s me. I figured out the situation with the loan,” she said, looking at the pale Viktor. “Can you come to our place tomorrow? We need to have a serious conversation. And bring Mom too.”
After the short conversation, she hung up and turned to her husband.
“You have until tomorrow to prepare an explanation for my father. And for me.”
“What do you want to hear from me?” Viktor asked wearily. “I messed up, I admit it. But I did it for us!”
“No, Viktor,” Alina shook her head. “You did it for yourself. And now, because of you, my father could lose his pension if the bank takes him to court.”
“I’ll fix everything,” Viktor promised. “Just give me a chance.”
“A chance for what? To keep lying to me? Or to steal my money, the way you stole my father’s?”
Viktor lowered his head.
“I got tangled up,” he admitted. “It all started small. Anton suggested investing in a promising project and promised quick profits. I put in my savings, but the project failed. Then Anton said there was a chance to win it back, but we needed more money. I started taking loans…”
“How much?” Alina interrupted him. “How much do you owe?”
Viktor named a sum that made Alina’s head spin.
“That’s almost three million, not counting my father’s loan!” she exclaimed. “How were you planning to pay all of that back?”
“I thought your promotion would solve all the problems,” Viktor confessed. “We would gradually pay everything off.”
“‘We’?” Alina laughed bitterly. “You wanted to drag me into your debts without even asking my consent?”
She went into the bedroom and took out a suitcase.
“What are you doing?” Viktor asked in fear, following her.
“Packing,” Alina replied briefly. “I can’t stay here right now.”
“You’re leaving me?” genuine bewilderment rang in his voice. “After eight years of marriage? Because of money?”
“Not because of money,” Alina shook her head. “Because of lies. Because of betrayal. Because you used my father without thinking about the consequences.”
“I can fix everything!” Viktor looked truly frightened.
“Maybe,” Alina answered, folding her clothes. “But not today. Tomorrow we’ll meet with my parents and decide what to do next.”
“Where will you go?” he asked.
“To Svetlana’s,” Alina replied. “She’ll understand.”
Leaving the apartment with her suitcase, Alina felt a strange relief. As if a heavy burden, whose existence she had not even suspected, had suddenly fallen from her shoulders.
The next day was not easy. Alina took a day off to meet with her parents. They gathered at a café near the house — neutral ground for a difficult conversation.
Pavel Sergeevich, a tall gray-haired man with military bearing, listened carefully to Viktor’s confused explanations. Beside him sat Alina’s mother, Nina Vladimirovna, tightly holding her daughter’s hand.
“So you stole my data and took out a loan in my name,” Pavel Sergeevich summed up when Viktor finished speaking. “And now you suggest that I not go to the police, but allow you to somehow solve this problem.”
“I’ll return the money,” Viktor promised. “Just give me time.”
“Where are you going to get that money?” Pavel Sergeevich asked. “You yourself say you’re already up to your ears in debt.”
“I’ll find a way,” Viktor said uncertainly.
“At my daughter’s expense?” Pavel Sergeevich’s voice rang with steel. “So she can work herself to the bone paying off your reckless debts?”
“Dad,” Alina gently intervened. “Let’s first decide what to do about your loan. We need to find out whether it can be canceled if Viktor admits to forging the documents.”
“We’ll have to go to the police,” her father shook his head. “Otherwise the bank won’t believe us.”
Viktor turned pale.
“They’ll put me in prison,” he whispered. “Is that what you want?”
“What did you want when you forged my documents?” Pavel Sergeevich asked reasonably. “For me to pay your debts out of my pension?”
At that moment, Lyudmila Nikolaevna approached their table. Alina looked at her mother-in-law in surprise — she had not invited her to this meeting.
“Viktor called me,” Lyudmila Nikolaevna explained, sitting down beside her son. “I couldn’t leave him alone in such a situation.”
“Did you know about his schemes?” Pavel Sergeevich asked directly.
“I knew my son was having financial difficulties,” Lyudmila Nikolaevna answered evasively. “But I don’t know the details.”
“The details are that your son committed a criminal offense,” Pavel Sergeevich said harshly. “And now I have to decide whether to file a police report.”
“You won’t do that,” Lyudmila Nikolaevna straightened her back. “Surely you won’t ruin your son-in-law’s life!”
“Why not?” Pavel Sergeevich objected. “He didn’t think about the consequences when he put my reputation and credit history at risk. Why should I worry about him?”
“Because he is your daughter’s husband!” Lyudmila Nikolaevna exclaimed. “They are family!”
“They were family,” Alina corrected quietly.
Everyone turned to her.
“What do you mean?” Viktor asked in a trembling voice.
“I can’t continue living with a person I don’t trust,” Alina answered. “You betrayed that trust, Viktor. Not once, but many times. You lied to me, hid debts, used my father… How can I be sure you won’t do something even worse tomorrow?”
“You want a divorce?” Viktor asked in disbelief.
“I want you to first solve the problems you created,” Alina said. “And then we’ll talk about our future.”
“The problem can be solved,” Nina Vladimirovna suddenly said, having been silent until then. “We have savings. We can pay off Pavel Sergeevich’s loan so it doesn’t damage his credit history. And Viktor will repay that amount to us.”
“Why should we rescue someone who deceived us?” Pavel Sergeevich objected.
“Because he is our daughter’s husband,” Nina Vladimirovna replied calmly. “And because court proceedings will bring us nothing but stress.”
“And what about his other debts?” Pavel Sergeevich asked. “Did you hear the amount? Almost three million, not counting our loan!”
“That’s his problem,” Nina Vladimirovna shrugged. “He is an adult. Let him deal with it himself.”
“I’ll pay everything back,” Viktor promised passionately. “I swear, down to the last kopeck!”
“I’ve heard your oaths before,” Alina replied coldly. “What are they worth? You promised to love and respect me eight years ago. And where are we now?”
Viktor lowered his head. A heavy silence settled over the café.
“Here is what I propose,” Pavel Sergeevich finally said. “Nina and I will pay off the loan taken out in my name. Viktor will write a promissory note for the repayment of the money and will pay us a fixed amount every month. No excuses and no delays.”
“I agree,” Viktor said quietly.
“And one more condition,” Pavel Sergeevich continued. “You will go with Alina to a financial consultant and show all your debts and loans. Absolutely all of them. Hiding nothing.”
Lyudmila Nikolaevna, who had been nervously twisting a napkin the entire time, suddenly intervened sharply.
“And why should Vitya report to Alina? That’s humiliating!”
“Mom,” Viktor said tiredly. “Please be quiet.”
“No, I will not be quiet!” Lyudmila Nikolaevna protested. “They want to turn you into a debtor, into a second-class person! As if you did all this on purpose! You wanted what was best!”
“Mom,” Viktor raised his voice. “I committed a crime. Do you understand? A crime. And I’m lucky that Alina’s parents are willing to help instead of going to the police.”
“But you’re not some kind of thief!” Lyudmila Nikolaevna would not calm down. “You wanted to provide for your family, to build capital!”
“The best way to provide for a family is to work honestly,” Nina Vladimirovna intervened. “Not to steal money from relatives and drag your wife into reckless schemes.”
“You don’t understand anything!” Lyudmila Nikolaevna jumped up from her seat. “All anyone does is accuse my son! And whose fault is it that he was forced to look for extra money? Maybe Alina’s? She is always disappearing at work and building her career instead of creating a cozy home and supporting her husband!”
“That’s enough,” Alina also stood up. “Lyudmila Nikolaevna, I have never tried to ‘build a career’ at the expense of our family. I simply did my job well. And I always supported Viktor, including financially, when it was necessary.”
“Alina is right,” Viktor unexpectedly agreed. “She was always a good wife. I’m the one who ruined everything.”
Lyudmila Nikolaevna looked at her son with such astonishment, as if he had suddenly started speaking a foreign language.
“Vitya, are you against me too?” hurt rang in her voice.
“I’m not against you, Mom,” Viktor sighed. “I just finally see the situation for what it is. I messed up. Badly. And now I have to take responsibility.”
Pavel Sergeevich nodded with satisfaction.
“It’s good that you understand that. So, returning to our conversation… Nina and I will pay off the loan. You will sign a promissory note and repay the money every month. And you will disclose all your financial problems to Alina. Do you agree?”
“Yes,” Viktor nodded. “I fully agree.”
“And what about your marriage?” Nina Vladimirovna asked, turning to her daughter. “Will you deal with these problems together?”
Alina looked at her husband. In eight years of life together, they had gone through a lot. There had been happy moments and difficulties. But there had never been betrayal on this scale.
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “Right now, I’m not ready to make a decision. I need time to think.”
“I’ll wait as long as it takes,” Viktor said. “And I’ll do everything to earn back your trust.”
Lyudmila Nikolaevna wanted to add something, but changed her mind. For the first time in many years, she saw a determination in her son’s eyes that she had never noticed before.
A week passed. Alina continued living at Svetlana’s, coming home only for necessary things when Viktor was not there. Her parents paid off the loan taken out in her father’s name, and Viktor signed a promissory note to repay the money.
One evening, Alina received a message from her husband:
“I made an appointment with a financial consultant. Tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. If you want, come. I’ll show all the documents and tell the whole truth.”
Alina stared at the message for a long time. Part of her wanted to forget everything, file for divorce, and start a new life. But another part remembered what Viktor had been like before — before something had cracked inside him. She remembered their first years together, full of love and mutual respect.
The next day, she came to the financial consultant’s office — a small but cozy space in a business center. Viktor was already waiting for her, nervously sorting through some papers.
“Thank you for coming,” he said, rising to meet her.
“I’m not doing this for you,” Alina replied. “I’m doing it for clarity. I want to know what I’m dealing with.”
The financial consultant, a middle-aged woman with a friendly smile, invited them to sit.
“So, Viktor has already told me about your situation,” she began. “And he has shown me all the documents related to his debts. I must say, the picture is not exactly rosy, but it is not hopeless either.”
For the next hour, Alina listened to a detailed analysis of Viktor’s financial situation. In addition to the loan taken out in her father’s name, he had four more loans from different banks and two from microfinance organizations with predatory interest rates. The total debt amounted to almost three and a half million rubles.
“How did you even get to this point?” Alina asked when the consultant finished the presentation.
Viktor sighed heavily.
“It started two years ago. Anton suggested I invest in a promising project — importing rare varieties of tea. He promised a quick return and good profit. I invested all my savings — seven hundred thousand.”
“Our savings?” Alina repeated. “You mean yours?”
“Yes, mine,” Viktor corrected himself. “The project failed. The shipment of tea was held up at customs, then it turned out some certificates were missing… In short, the money disappeared. I was desperate and afraid to admit it to you.”
“Why?” Alina asked. “I would have understood. Anyone can make a mistake.”
“Because you were always so… successful,” Viktor said bitterly. “You were promoted, praised. And I was stuck in one place with a miserable salary. I was ashamed.”
“And instead of talking to me, you decided to hide the problems and take on new debts?” Alina shook her head.
“Anton convinced me that I could win everything back,” Viktor continued. “He offered a new project, supposedly more reliable. I took out a loan. Then another one. The same thing happened again. And the interest kept growing…”
“A classic trap,” the financial consultant intervened. “A person takes new loans to pay off old ones and falls into a debt spiral.”
“And how did everything end with this Anton?” Alina asked.
“He disappeared three months ago,” Viktor admitted. “Stopped answering calls. They say he went abroad.”
“So he just used you?” Alina could not believe that her husband had been so naive.
“Looks like it,” Viktor nodded. “I was an idiot.”
“Well,” the consultant said, “now we need to think not about the past, but about how to get out of this situation. I have a restructuring plan for Viktor’s debts. It will take about three years, but with a certain level of discipline, it is entirely realistic.”
She showed them tables with monthly payment calculations and a debt repayment forecast.
“With my current salary, this is unrealistic,” Viktor shook his head. “I’ll have to look for extra income.”
“Do you have any options?” Alina asked.
“I sent my résumé to several private schools and language centers,” Viktor answered. “I have solid qualifications as a literature teacher. And I’m ready to work more.”
Alina silently studied the financial plan. The situation was difficult, but, as the consultant had said, not hopeless. Provided that Viktor truly changed and began treating money responsibly.
“I can help,” she finally said. “Not with money, but with connections. Our publishing house is looking for an editor for educational literature. It matches your profile, and the salary is higher than at the college.”
Viktor looked at her in surprise.
“You would do that for me? After everything I’ve done?”
“I’m not doing it for you,” Alina shook her head. “I’m doing it for my parents, whom you have to repay. And for myself, because I want to close this issue and move on.”
“Thank you,” Viktor said quietly. “I won’t let you down. Not you, and not your parents.”
After the meeting, they stepped outside. The July evening was warm and windless.
“Shall we walk?” Viktor suggested. “I’d like to talk… not about debts.”
They walked along a familiar route — beside the park where they often walked in the first years of their marriage.
“Do you remember how we dreamed of buying a house outside the city?” Viktor asked after a long silence. “With a garden and a terrace where we could drink coffee in the mornings.”
“I remember,” Alina nodded. “That was a long time ago.”
“I ruined everything, didn’t I?” sincere bitterness sounded in his voice. “All our plans, our dreams… I destroyed everything with my own hands.”
Alina did not answer. She looked at the sunset painting the sky orange and thought about how quickly life could change. Just two weeks ago, she had been a happy woman who had received a long-awaited promotion. And now her marriage was cracking at the seams, and the future seemed hazy.
“Do you know what hurts the most?” she finally said. “Not the debts and not the deception. It’s that you didn’t trust me enough to tell me about your problems. We were supposed to be a team, Viktor. At least, that’s what I thought.”
“I was ashamed,” he admitted. “You were always so strong, so confident. And I felt like a failure. Every time they praised you at work, every time you got bonuses and promotions, I was happy for you, but inside… inside, envy was eating at me. Why does everything work out for you, but not for me?”
“You never told me that,” Alina said in surprise.
“Because it’s petty and unworthy,” Viktor shrugged. “A man should rejoice in his wife’s success, not envy her.”
They reached a bench near the fountain and sat down. Children played around them, couples strolled, life moved on as usual.
“I don’t know whether we can save our marriage,” Alina said honestly. “Trust has been destroyed, and it is very difficult to rebuild. But I am willing to give you a chance… under certain conditions.”
“I agree to any conditions,” Viktor answered quickly.
“First, complete financial transparency,” Alina began. “All accounts, all expenses — everything in the open. Second, you will go to the interview at the publishing house, and if they hire you, you will work there. Third, we will start going to a family psychologist, because we clearly have communication problems.”
“I agree,” Viktor nodded. “What else?”
“And the last thing,” Alina looked him straight in the eyes. “You will limit contact with your mother. No weekly visits, no interference in our relationship. She influences you too much, and not in a good way.”
Viktor fell silent, clearly struggling with himself.
“That will be difficult,” he admitted. “But I agree. I want to get you back, Alina. And I’m ready to do anything for that.”
“Not get me back,” she corrected him. “Get our relationship back. The one we used to have, based on trust and respect.”
They sat on the bench for a long time, talking about the past and present, trying to understand exactly where everything had gone wrong. When the half-truths had begun, when trust had started to crumble, when ambitions and fears had taken precedence over love.
A month passed. Alina returned home, although she and Viktor still slept in separate rooms. Viktor went through the interview at the publishing house and got the position of editor for educational literature. The salary was higher than at the college, and with the additional private lessons he began giving in the evenings, there was a real possibility of gradually paying off the debts.
They regularly visited a family psychologist, learning to talk to each other again, to express their feelings and fears without fear of judgment. It was a difficult process, full of painful revelations and unpleasant discoveries. But little by little, the ice began to melt.
At first, Lyudmila Nikolaevna was categorically against her son’s new job and accused Alina of “forcing Vitya to serve her at the publishing house.” But when Viktor firmly set boundaries and said he would not tolerate insults toward his wife, his mother quieted down.
One evening, while they were having dinner together — something that now happened more often — Viktor suddenly said:
“I received my first salary from the publishing house. And a bonus for a textbook I edited well.”
“Congratulations,” Alina smiled sincerely. “You earned it.”
“I transferred most of it to your parents, as promised,” Viktor continued. “And also… I bought something for you.”
He took a small box out of his pocket.
“It’s not jewelry, don’t worry,” he smiled wryly, noticing her wary look. “I know this isn’t the time for gifts like that.”
Alina opened the box. Inside lay a key.
“What is this?” she asked.
“A key to a safe,” Viktor answered. “I installed it in the office. All our important documents will be kept there, including bank statements, contracts, receipts for debt payments… Everything related to finances. And now you have access to it.”
Alina silently looked at the key. It was a small but important symbol — the beginning of new financial transparency in their relationship.
“Thank you,” she said, squeezing the key in her palm. “This means more to me than you think.”
“I know I haven’t earned your trust,” Viktor said seriously. “But I’ll work on it every day. And one day, I hope, we’ll be a real team again.”
Alina did not answer, but for the first time in a long while, she felt a glimmer of hope. The road to rebuilding their relationship would be long and difficult. Perhaps they would never be the same as before. But maybe they could build something new — more mature, more honest, based on the lessons they had lived through and the difficulties they had overcome.
That evening, lying in her room, Alina thought about how strangely life was arranged. Sometimes the hardest trials become turning points that force people to rethink everything. Her promotion, which should have been a joyful event, had turned into a catalyst for a family crisis. But perhaps without that crisis, they would have continued living in the illusion of well-being, not noticing the cracks in the foundation of their relationship.
“Your salary will now go to my card,” she remembered the words her husband had spoken that morning — the morning that had changed everything. How far they had moved from that point in one month. And how far they still had to go.
Outside the window, July rain rustled, washing dust from the streets and bringing long-awaited coolness after a hot day. Alina closed her eyes, feeling a strange peace. Whatever happened next, she knew she had made the right choice — she had not allowed herself to be broken, but she also had not rejected the possibility of saving what had once been important and precious.
And that was already something.