Victoria stared at yet another unpaid bill spread out on the kitchen table. She automatically adjusted a stray lock of hair and sighed heavily. In the next room, Artem enthusiastically described his new project—an online self-development course—to someone over the phone.
“Imagine, it’s simply revolutionary!” his excited statement reached her.
Victoria bitterly smiled. Over five years of living together, she had learned to recognize these periodic “epiphanies” of her husband. First, an eco-friendly products store, then a bicycle repair shop, followed by meditation courses. Each time, it was the same: Artem became passionate about an idea, borrowed money, and when the venture failed, she was left to resolve the financial mess.
Her phone vibrated—it was her mother-in-law calling. Victoria briefly closed her eyes, bracing for the conversation.
“Good morning, Tamara Semenovna.”
“Vika, did you transfer money to Artem’s phone?” her mother-in-law got straight to the point.
“I paid that yesterday…”
“But that’s not enough!” she interrupted. “He needs to actively communicate with potential clients, develop his business online.”
Victoria pursed her lips. Massive layoffs had begun at the travel agency where she worked, and every penny was precious. But how to explain this to her mother-in-law?
“I’ll try to arrange something,” she coldly replied.
“That’s great,” Tamara Semenovna’s voice softened. “You always understand how important it is to support our little Artemushka. He’s so special; he just needs time to reveal his potential.”
After the call, Victoria sat staring blankly for a long time. Outside, rain began to fall, the drops blurring the outlines of gray buildings. On the table lay utility bills, a bank notice about a late payment, and a list of debts that needed to be paid urgently.
“Vika!” Artem burst into the kitchen, glowing with joy. “You won’t believe it! A potential partner just called. He says my idea is the bomb!”
“Wonderful,” she managed, trying to smile. “And how much will we need to invest this time?”
Artem hesitated but quickly composed himself:
“About three hundred thousand… But it’s peanuts compared to what we’ll get!”
“We don’t have that kind of money,” she calmly replied.
“I know!” he loudly sat down across her. “But we can borrow. Maxim says…”
“Maxim?” she tensed.
“Yes, my friend from college. He’s ready to lend,” Artem avoided her gaze.
“Ready to lend again? Did you pay him back the last debt?”
“Vika, come on!” he grimaced. “I told you I’d handle it. As soon as we launch the project…”
At that moment, the phone rang again. An unfamiliar number appeared on the screen. Victoria frowned but answered anyway:
“Hello?”
“Victoria Andreyevna? Good afternoon. I’m calling regarding your aunt, Yelena Pavlovna Sokolova…”
Victoria froze. She barely knew Aunt Lena, who lived in another city and seldom visited the family. They last met three years ago at a family celebration.
“Did something happen to her?”
“Unfortunately, Yelena Pavlovna has passed away,” the notary’s voice was sympathetic. “However, she left a will… And you are the sole heir.”
The room began to blur before her eyes. Artem, noticing her state, anxiously jumped up:
“What happened?”
“Aunt Lena…” she struggled to find the words. “She left me an inheritance.”
“What inheritance?” he moved closer.
“A three-room apartment in the city center, a country house, and savings,” continued the notary.
Victoria sat stunned. Why had her aunt chosen her? They hardly communicated… She recalled their last conversation at that family celebration. Aunt Lena had earnestly inquired about her work and future plans, listening very attentively to her answers.
“What wonderful news!” Artem was already unfolding his plans. “So, we now have opportunities…”
He didn’t finish—there was a knock on the door. Tamara Semenovna stood on the threshold with grocery bags.
“I brought you some food…” she began but paused, noticing the expressions on Victoria and her son’s faces. “Something happened?”
“Mom, imagine! Vika has an inheritance: an apartment, a country house, and money!”
Tamara Semenovna froze. Her gaze slowly shifted to her daughter-in-law. Something new, unfamiliar flickered in her eyes.
“An apartment, you say? And a country house? What a turn…”
Victoria felt uncomfortable under her mother-in-law’s scrutinizing gaze. The small kitchen felt cramped and stifling.
“I better go,” she muttered, grabbing her purse. “I need to get to work.”
All day, Victoria couldn’t concentrate. Clients asked about tours, but Tamara Semenovna’s strange, evaluating gaze haunted her. By evening, her phone was burning up with calls—her husband’s relatives had somehow learned about the inheritance.
Returning home, Victoria found Artem and his mother in a heated conversation. The mother-in-law hurriedly hid some documents in her bag, but Victoria caught a glimpse of a familiar bank logo.
“Vika, good you’re here!” Tamara Semenovna beamed with feigned joy. “We were just discussing…”
“What exactly?” Victoria tensed.
“Oh, just family matters,” they exchanged meaningful looks. “You know, I think we should meet tomorrow to discuss everything… Make some rough calculations.”
“Calculations of what?”
“Come on, dear!” Tamara Semenovna leaned forward. “We need to understand how much we can get from selling the property. The apartment in the center—it’s a fortune! And the country house? Do you even know where it’s located?”
Less than a day had passed, and her inheritance was already mentally divided and spent.
The next morning, the phone woke Victoria at seven o’clock.
“Good morning, dear!” Tamara Semenovna’s voice was overly cheerful. “Did you find out the exact value of everything?”
“Tamara Semenovna, I haven’t even seen the documents…”
“How can that be?” Frustration crept into the mother-in-law’s voice. “We need to act quickly! Like Artemushka’s debt…”
“What debt?” Victoria went rigid.
“Oh, right, you didn’t know!” Tamara Semenovna hurried to correct herself. “Artem took a small loan for his business. It’s secured against our apartment. But it’s nothing! Now we can solve everything… And help Dimochka.”
“Which Dimochka?”
“Artem’s brother, of course! He’s having trouble, needs a good lawyer… And funds to cover his debts.”
Victoria hung up without a word. Her mind was reeling. News of the loan stunned her—when had that happened? And why had Artem hidden it? And now his brother’s problems too…
In the evening, Artem unexpectedly suggested a family dinner.
“Let’s invite mom, sit down, chat,” he casually said, slicing bread.
“Why?” Victoria was wary.
“Why? We’re family. We need to discuss our next steps.”
Before she could reply, Artem was already dialing his mother’s number.
Tamara Semenovna arrived half an hour later, armed with a cake. Setting the table, she constantly smiled her peculiar, conspiratorial smile.
“Well, my dears,” the mother-in-law solemnly began, raising her glass. “I want to congratulate everyone! Finally, a good phase has begun in our family.”
Victoria silently stared at her plate. Anxiety grew inside her. She felt that this news would change a lot, but she still couldn’t understand—what exactly.
“Now all family difficulties can be resolved!” Tamara Semenovna continued enthusiastically. “Victoria, as befits a good wife, will be able to help us. Right, son?”
Artem nodded, avoiding his wife’s gaze.
“Let’s celebrate the inheritance from auntie!” the mother-in-law solemnly raised her glass even higher. “And immediately deal with my youngest’s debts. The lawyer is already waiting…”
Victoria’s fingers, gripping the fork, whitened from tension. In the silence, only the ticking of the old wall clocks was heard—those she bought with her first paycheck.
Slowly raising her eyes, she looked at Artem. Her husband was fixated on his plate, smearing salad remains along the edges. No objections, no slightest attempt to support—just silent agreement with his mother.
“Artem,” she called quietly. “Don’t you want to say anything?”
He shrugged, continuing to look down:
“Mom’s right. Dimka really needs help. And me too.”
Victoria took a deep breath. The clocks continued ticking—tick-tock, tick-tock. Five years. Five long years she had been carrying this marriage alone: extinguishing loans, paying bills, enduring her husband’s failures, and endless dictates from her mother-in-law.
“Do you really think I owe it to give my money to your family?” Victoria turned to Tamara Semenovna, not hiding her sarcasm and outrage.
The mother-in-law condescendingly smiled, adjusting a brooch on her blouse:
“Why else would you need money if not for the family? Are you planning to just keep it? In a family, you need to help each other.”
“What family?” Victoria slowly stood up. “In one where a daughter-in-law is seen as a bank account? Or in one where a husband hides debts from his wife?”
“Vika, stop it…” Artem tried to intervene.
But she was no longer listening. In the bedroom, she pulled out an old travel bag and began packing essentials. Her hands trembled slightly, but her thoughts were clear.
“Daughter, where are you going?” Tamara Semenovna appeared in the bedroom doorway. “Let’s discuss everything calmly. Maybe you’re just tired?”
Victoria methodically continued packing: toothbrush, comb, documents, a photograph of her parents.
“Vika, you can’t just leave like this!” hysteria tinged the mother-in-law’s voice. “What about Artem? The family?”
She zipped up the bag and turned to her mother-in-law:
“You know, Tamara Semenovna, I’ve finally understood one important thing. You have a family—you and your sons. And I was just used as a source of funds. But it won’t happen again.”
A week later, Victoria filed for divorce. She rented a modest apartment. Submitted her resignation. Artem called daily, but his words rang hollow:
“Vika, let’s settle this. You understand that you can’t cope alone…”
“I’ve been coping alone for five years, Artem,” she calmly replied. “It’s just that now it’ll be official.”
The divorce was quick and quiet. The shared apartment was sold, and the money divided equally. Once all the inheritance documents were finalized, Victoria decided not to sell her aunt’s apartment. Instead, she renovated it and moved in herself. In the spacious three-room apartment, she set up a home office—just in time, as she soon opened her own travel agency.
She also kept the country house for herself. Every weekend, Victoria drove there, gradually putting the property in order. Physical work in the fresh air helped clear her mind of anxious thoughts. Life in the new city brought relief—no one there could bother her.
She invested the money in her business. Within a year, Victoria’s agency became one of the best in the city. She specialized in exclusive trips and quickly carved out her niche in the market.
One day, while sorting through Aunt Lena’s old belongings, Victoria found a diary. On the last page was a note: “Financial independence is freedom. But only if you decide yourself how to manage your money.”
Victoria smiled—it seems her aunt truly understood her.
Now, sitting in her cozy office with a park view, Victoria sometimes reflected on how one decision can completely change a life. She was no longer the woman who was afraid to say “no.” Her life now belonged only to her—and that was the most valuable inheritance she had received.