The next few days, Viktoria behaved distantly, thinking over what she had heard. Andrei noticed the change in his wife’s mood, but he attributed it to tiredness from work.
At dinner, her husband unexpectedly brought up real estate.
“You know, it’s great that we have our own place,” Andrei said thoughtfully, serving himself some salad. “Lena told me today about the rental prices in the city. It’s just outrageous.”
Viktoria silently poked at her cutlet with a fork. Andrei continued:
“Can you imagine, they’re asking forty thousand a month for a one-bedroom apartment on the outskirts,” he shook his head. “And if we save for the down payment, with rent costs like this, it will take years.”
“Yeah, it’s tough,” Viktoria replied neutrally.
“What if we help her?” Andrei suggested casually. “You have an excellent credit history, your salary is stable.”
Viktoria put her fork down. Here it was. The moment everything had been leading to.
“I’ll think about it,” she replied evasively.
The next day, Lena staged quite a performance. Sitting on the kitchen sofa, the girl sobbed while talking to her friend on the phone.
“I don’t know what to do,” she said theatrically. “It’s so uncomfortable living at my brother’s, but there’s no other option. The prices are so scary to even think about.”
Viktoria happened to walk by and involuntarily became a witness to this scene. Lena noticed her and quickly ended the conversation.
“I’m sorry, Viktoria,” Lena said with feigned guilt. “I understand how uncomfortable it must be for you because of me.”
In the evening, Andrei was especially persistent.
“Vika, I see how much you care about Lena,” he took his wife’s hands. “But can’t you help the family?”
“Andrei, this is a serious decision,” Viktoria began, but her husband interrupted her.
“Of course, it’s serious. But it’s not for strangers, it’s for family,” he reproached her. “Is it really so hard for you to care about our problems?”
Viktoria felt a surge of resentment inside. Hard? She, who had taken Lena into her home?
“Andrei, enough,” Viktoria said sharply, pulling her hands away. “I’ve been putting up with your sister in our apartment for a month. This isn’t insensitivity—it’s common sense.”
“Vika, take out a mortgage for Lena,” Andrei said bluntly, no longer hiding his true intentions. “Look at it rationally. You have an excellent credit history, the bank will approve the application without problems.”
Viktoria stared at her husband in confusion. Was he really asking her to go into debt for his sister?
“Andrei, I just paid off my mortgage!” she exclaimed. “For three years, I denied myself everything!”
“Exactly! You already have your own place, now help the family!” Andrei raised his voice, and his face twisted with irritation.
These cynical words struck Viktoria more than any insult. Her husband took her apartment for granted and saw her as nothing more than a financial source for his relatives.
Andrei stormed out, slamming the door, and Viktoria was left alone in the oppressive silence. Lena disappeared right after the argument. Viktoria paced around the apartment, analyzing what had happened. Everything fell into place with terrifying clarity.
Memories came rushing back like a painful wave. Sleepless nights three years ago when Viktoria calculated the family budget down to the last penny. The fear of not being able to make the payments. Saying no to vacations, to updating her wardrobe, to dining out. All for the sake of her own corner, for independence.
And now, her husband demanded that she sacrifice this hard-earned freedom for the whims of his sister, who was saving money for a vacation in Turkey.
All night, Viktoria stayed awake, contemplating the situation. By morning, the decision had been made.
Andrei came back the next evening with a guilty look on his face.
“Vika, I’m sorry for yesterday,” he began conciliatorily. “I overreacted. But can we discuss ways to help Lena?”
“Sit down, Andrei,” Viktoria said calmly. “We really need to talk.”
Her husband nervously sat in the armchair. Viktoria sat across from him, hands folded on her lap.
“After what you said yesterday, I understood a lot,” she began in a steady tone. “You don’t see me as your wife, you see me as a bank for your family.”
“Vika, you’re exaggerating…”
“But I’m not a bank, Andrei,” Viktoria interrupted him. “I was your wife. I was—because trust can’t be restored after statements like that.”
Andrei’s face paled.
“You can’t seriously be talking about a divorce over just one argument!”
“This isn’t just one argument,” Viktoria replied firmly. “This is a month of living with a freeloader who doesn’t think it’s necessary to help with household chores. This is your indifference to my discomfort. And this is the request to go into debt for someone else. Tell me, did Lena plan to contribute a single penny to the payments? Or would your family just dump everything on me?”
Andrei tried to argue, but Viktoria raised her hand, stopping him.
“The decision is made. You and Lena have a week to find other housing.”
A month later, Viktoria sat on the sofa in her apartment. She relished the silence and order. No one was leaving things scattered around. No one was leaving dirty dishes. No one was making plans at her expense.
“How’s life after the divorce?” her friend asked on the phone.
“You know, Marina,” Viktoria smiled, “I’m finally home again.”
In her hands were the property documents for the apartment. Now Viktoria understood their true value. It wasn’t just real estate. It was a guarantee that no one could use her kindness against her.