“You Bought Gifts for Your Mother, but You Didn’t Even Contribute to Mine!” Her Husband Accused Her on the Eve of the Celebration
“Alina,” he began during dinner, “what money did you use to buy your mother those gifts? The dress, the gift certificate, the photo album… Your own money, I assume?”
“Well, yes,” she replied gently. “I put a little aside in advance. I ordered the dress two months ago, and I got the spa certificate at a discount through a friend. And the album… I made it myself. I only bought the album and printed the photographs I needed.”
Galina Sergeyevna’s birthday was already approaching. She was turning fifty-five, and she had decided to invite her closest loved ones to a cozy restaurant: her children, grandchildren, a few old friends, and people she had not seen in a long time but who were still dear to her.
That was the kind of mother Alina had—wise and generous. Throughout her entire life, she had never reproached her daughter for anything. Whenever Alina was struggling, her mother gave her gifts and helped her from the heart, without conditions or demands.
When Alina was little, there had never been enough money, so her mother compensated with warmth and affection. Now that Alina was grown, Galina Sergeyevna tried to make up for everything they had missed. Sometimes she paid for seaside vacations. Sometimes she simply took Alina shopping for clothes. At other times, she invited the whole family to a café.
Alina understood everything and accepted it with gratitude. Now that she had a daughter of her own, Olesya, she understood her mother more than ever.
That was why she had decided to make the birthday special. She ordered a beautiful dress that matched her mother’s taste, bought a spa certificate, and prepared a photo album filled with Galina Sergeyevna’s best pictures, beginning with Alina’s childhood and ending with Olesya’s first steps.
Alina desperately wanted to give her mother a wonderful, unforgettable evening.
She carefully wrapped the gifts and placed them inside a box. Only one thought occupied her mind:
“Mom will be so happy…”
But something unpleasant happened the evening before the celebration.
Alina’s husband, Pavel, looked irritated and sullen.
“Alina,” he began during dinner, “what money did you use to buy your mother those gifts? The dress, the gift certificate, the photo album… Your own money, I assume?”
“Well, yes,” she replied gently. “I put a little aside in advance. I ordered the dress two months ago, and I got the spa certificate at a discount through a friend. And the album… I made it myself. I only bought the album and printed the photographs I needed.”
“That’s all very nice, of course. But you didn’t do anything like that for my mother two years ago.”
Alina remembered that birthday.
It was true that they had bought only a gift certificate for her mother-in-law, but it had been worth thirty thousand rubles because Pavel had insisted on buying an expensive gift for his mother, Olga Ivanovna.
“We bought her a thirty-thousand-ruble certificate. All the gifts I bought this year cost less than that, so I don’t see what there is to discuss.”
“That may be true, but the amount of effort you’re putting into your mother is starting to irritate me. You bought gifts for your mother, but you didn’t even contribute to mine! Why do you never make this kind of effort for my parents?”
“Perhaps because they’re your parents. Besides, I’ve only been working for a year and a half. What money was I supposed to contribute? I was on maternity leave,” Alina replied calmly.
“So what?” her husband demanded sharply.
“So nothing. You’re free to arrange as many gifts as you like for your mother. This year, I wanted to spoil mine. She has helped us so much and continues to help us even now.”
“So you’re saying my mother doesn’t help us?”
It would not have been fair to say that Olga Ivanovna never helped at all, but what she did could hardly be called real support. She occasionally swept into their home, took her granddaughter out for a walk for a couple of hours, and considered her contribution complete.
Pavel’s parents had never helped them financially.
“I’m saying that I love my mother and want to give her a heartfelt gift. That’s all. Let’s end this conversation. I’m tired and want to sleep.”
Alina yawned and headed toward the bedroom.
Pavel remained sitting in the kitchen, watching her leave and unable to accept the situation. The injustice toward him and his parents irritated him deeply.
Somewhere in his mind, he understood that Galina Sergeyevna had contributed to many of their vacations and major purchases. But Pavel did not want to admit it.
He muttered under his breath for a while longer, shoved his chair back noisily, and went to bed.
He expected Alina to say something conciliatory or apologize, as she usually had in the past, but she remained silent.
It was not because she was proud.
She simply did not feel guilty.
She had done what she believed was right. Apologizing for showing love to the mother who had rescued their family so many times would have been ridiculous.
The next morning, Alina got up as usual, quietly enough not to wake anyone. She got herself ready, prepared breakfast, dressed Olesya for kindergarten, and left after saying goodbye to a sleepy Pavel.
She spent the day working and thinking about the celebration. She wanted everything to be beautiful. More than anything, she wanted her mother to feel loved.
That evening, after they had put Olesya to bed, Alina carefully took several outfits from the wardrobe.
For herself, she chose a delicate pastel-colored dress. For Olesya, she selected a sweet little dress in a matching shade. She laid out a gray shirt for Pavel that looked perfect with his trousers.
Everything looked harmonious.
“What’s this masquerade?” Pavel asked mockingly when he saw the prepared clothes the next morning. “I’m wearing a white shirt. Save these fashionable little tricks for someone else.”
“Whatever you like,” Alina replied calmly, although his words hurt her.
It was not because of the shirt itself.
It was his overall attitude, as though none of her effort mattered.
The restaurant was beautiful. There were pale tablecloths, elegant place settings, soft music, and the fragrance of fresh flowers. Guests smiled, embraced one another, and talked warmly.
Galina Sergeyevna looked wonderful. She seemed to glow from within.
Pavel immediately sat down at the table and sprawled in his chair like some wealthy lord. All that was missing was for him to demand that someone take his coat and hat.
Holding Olesya’s hand, Alina approached her mother. She presented the gift box with tenderness but without making a show of it.
“Thank you, my darling,” Galina Sergeyevna said, smiling as she embraced her daughter. “I’ll open it later, all right? I want to enjoy the moment slowly.”
Alina nodded.
At that moment, her phone vibrated inside her purse.
She looked at the screen.
Olga Ivanovna.
“This is definitely not the best time,” Alina thought, but she answered anyway.
“Yes, Olga Ivanovna?”
“Hello, Alina. I wanted to send my congratulations to your mother. I hope she stays healthy. After all, she helps you so much, doesn’t she? Unlike your father-in-law and me. You only care about money, and we poor people clearly aren’t good enough to sit at your table.”
“What are you talking about?” Alina stepped away toward the restroom, where she could speak more loudly. “What do being poor or not being welcome at the table have to do with anything?”
“They have everything to do with it. My little Pasha told me all about the celebration you arranged for your mother.”
“I didn’t arrange anything. My mother booked the restaurant herself. I don’t understand what this conversation is about.”
“It’s about the fact, my dear, that you’ll have to make an effort to maintain a good relationship with me if you want to save your marriage. You know I could separate you and Pavel with a single snap of my fingers.”
Olga Ivanovna laughed triumphantly.
“Really? Then don’t trouble yourself. I’ll take care of it myself, since you and your precious Pasha can’t live peacefully. He’ll come to your place tomorrow with his belongings. After all, we’re living in my mother’s apartment,” Alina replied sharply.
“Wait!” Olga Ivanovna’s tone immediately changed. “That isn’t what I meant.”
“What did you mean, then? That you could insult me and my mother without consequences? Pavel has crossed every possible boundary lately. He’s been rude and behaving horribly. I can tolerate a great deal, but everyone’s patience eventually runs out.”
Alina ended the call, looked at herself in the mirror, and fixed her hair. Then she returned to the guests.
She remained friendly, smiled at everyone, poured juice for Olesya, and chatted pleasantly with her cousin, but inside, she was boiling.
Within ten minutes of her return to the table, Pavel drank one glass of wine, then another “to the birthday girl,” then one “to the birthday girl’s daughter,” and finally another “to the wonderful company.”
He joked and laughed loudly as though he were a free man with no obligations and no family.
When an unfamiliar woman in a sparkling, tight-fitting dress approached and invited him to dance, he did not hesitate to accept.
He even winked at Alina with a smirk, as though challenging her.
Alina said nothing.
She only exchanged a glance with her mother.
Galina Sergeyevna frowned, but Alina gave her a barely noticeable nod to show that everything was fine.
“Don’t let him ruin the evening,” she repeated to herself.
Olesya ran happily between the tables, spun around beside her mother, and delighted in the candy, balloons, and beautiful decorations.
It felt like her celebration too. She adored her grandmother and wanted her to be happy on her birthday.
The party ended late in the evening. Everyone left in a good mood.
As they approached their apartment building, Pavel announced:
“I’m going to buy a couple more cans of beer. To keep the mood going.”
Alina did not answer.
She simply went inside and locked the door behind her.
Then she helped Olesya undress, gave her pajamas, and put her to bed. Afterward, she walked into the kitchen and silently sat at the table.
For the first time in a long while, she did not feel frightened or anxious.
She felt calm.
It was the kind of moment when everything inside finally settled like thick fog, and the road ahead became visible.
She could move forward.
She needed to move forward.
Alone.
When Pavel began pulling at the handle from outside and ringing the doorbell, Alina did not open the door.
She approached it and said:
“Spend the night at your mother’s. You’re closer to her anyway.”
“Have you lost your mind? Open the door!”
“No. And don’t call me. I’m not letting you in.”
She heard him curse. A moment later, footsteps echoed down the staircase.
Alina secured every lock, turned off the lights, and went into Olesya’s room.
Her daughter was almost asleep, and Alina lay down beside her.
That evening, for the first time in a very long while, Alina allowed herself to be honest not only with others, but also with herself.
She woke the next morning feeling surprisingly refreshed.
For the first time in a long while, she had slept deeply, without anxious dreams or sudden awakenings. Olesya was breathing softly beside her.
When the little girl opened her eyes and saw that her mother was still there, she looked surprised.
“Mommy, did you sleep with me?”
Alina smiled and stroked her daughter’s hair.
“Today is a special day, sweetheart. That’s why I slept beside you.”
Olesya did not fully understand what her mother meant, but she yawned happily and stretched.
Pavel did not call.
Not in the morning, and not later.
His silence was strange, but at the same time, it was understandable.
The phone rang shortly before eleven.
It was her mother.
“Sweetheart, did you get home safely last night? Is everything all right?” Galina Sergeyevna’s voice was warm, as always. “I just wanted to thank you for yesterday. It was an incredible evening. And the gifts… You moved me so deeply.”
“Mom,” Alina said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “There’s something I need to tell you. I’ve decided to divorce Pasha.”
“You know, I’m not surprised,” her mother replied after a short pause. “He isn’t the right person for you, sweetheart. He’s too immature and incomplete for a man his age. When you’re beside him, it always seems as though you’re trying to convince yourself that things aren’t really so bad. But that isn’t a life.”
“I’ve finally understood that too. I don’t want to keep convincing myself anymore. I don’t want to live beside a man who considers himself the most important person in the world.”
“And you’re absolutely right, Alina. Don’t be afraid of anything. You’re strong and intelligent. You have me, and you have Olesya. Everything else can be rebuilt. We’ll manage.”
Olga Ivanovna, on the other hand, was furious.
A drunken Pavel had arrived at her home at two in the morning, reeking of alcohol and wounded pride. At first she scolded him. Then she listened to his complaints.
By morning, unable to contain herself any longer, she appeared at Alina’s apartment.
She knocked loudly, persistently, and without the slightest consideration for anyone else.
Alina looked through the peephole and simply refused to open the door.
Everything she wanted to say had already been said.
There was nothing left to discuss.
But Olga Ivanovna had no intention of giving up.
“You vicious little creature! Who are you without my son? You won’t survive a single day on your own! He tolerated you, and you threw him into the street! What a disgrace! You brainless girl!”
Alina calmly leaned against the wall behind the door and listened as a neighbor from the fifth floor came out and demanded indignantly:
“Lady, have you no shame? People are sleeping! Should I call the police, or are you going to leave on your own?”
“I came to see my daughter-in-law!”
“Well, judging by the situation, she doesn’t want to see you. And neither do the rest of us.”
A couple of minutes later, Olga Ivanovna finally left.
Only then did Alina exhale.
It was finished.
The boundary had been drawn.
The divorce process was quick and free of major scandals.
Pavel continued to visit Olesya, but apart from that, he disappeared from Alina’s life.
She was only relieved.
There was no longing.
There was no emptiness.
On the contrary, it felt as though her life had gained more air.
Alina did not believe that she would never love again.
Quite the opposite.
She believed that everything was only beginning.
Now she could finally be her true self—calm, whole, and happy.
And life really did begin to smile at her through the smallest but most meaningful things: the morning sunlight, Olesya’s funny little phrases, old songs playing in the car, and the sudden desire to dream again.