What are you thinking about? We’re family. We should support each other, right? And who else is his family, if not me?”
Ira retreated under the onslaught of the formidable woman who seemed ready to start swinging at any moment. Her husband’s sister had never been tactful, but today she had crossed a line. Ira couldn’t take it anymore.
“Luba, where did you get the idea that we owe you anything? Just so you understand, it’s my company. I work like a horse day and night to live comfortably. And you only get off the couch to beg Liosha for money. Got that mixed up?”
“I’m raising three kids, and you’re no one to judge me,” Luba snapped back, hands on her hips.
“Luba, don’t hide behind the kids, ask their father for money, not us—you won’t get another penny from us!”
“What do you think of yourself? I didn’t ask you for anything. Liosha is my brother and loves me and my kids. He’ll help me as much as necessary. You should keep quiet. You don’t have your own kids, that’s why you are bitter!”
After such words, Ira realized her patience had ended. She had long understood that something needed to be done about this situation, but she always put it off. She could no longer stay silent, wait, or endure. It was time to take action.
Ira and Liosha had been married for just over seven years. They were happy together, as their thoughts, desires, and interests were completely aligned. They had been running a joint business, which was quite successful. Stable profits allowed them to live without worrying about tomorrow.
Ira was always active and enterprising, and Liosha supported her in everything and helped with her ventures. She was the one who thought out and planned a foolproof business. And now, after so many years, she was at the helm of a prestigious company, while Liosha covered her back, making sure nothing distracted his wife. They made a perfect team.
The only thing was, they didn’t have children. But that was their choice—to first create a company that would bring stable income and then return to this matter.
Liosha was very competent in many areas, but by nature, he was gentle and extremely non-confrontational. After meeting his family, Irina realized that apart from her husband, there were no reasonable people there.
His mother, Svetlana Mikhailovna, was a coarse and very noisy woman. She could explode from a single word, and no one could calm her down. Sister Luba was also overly emotional and unrestrained.
“As the saying goes, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” Ira thought every time she saw these women.
A year after their wedding, Luba also got married. In four years of marriage, she managed to have three children. Luba’s poor husband couldn’t stand it and ran away. She, of course, filed for alimony, but so far, they couldn’t get a penny from him—no official income. Luba lived on the benefits paid by the state. At the same time, she didn’t lift a finger to slightly improve her dire financial situation. Although she did do something.
With enviable regularity, even when she was still married, she called and wrote to her brother, asking, and sometimes demanding, money.
“Liosha, I need to buy something for the little one. Send some money,” Luba got straight to the point without any niceties.
“And a good morning to you, Lubyanya. I’m busy right now, so no long talks—there’s no money. I sent you two days ago as much as Ira and I don’t spend in a month.”
“Just don’t start. Transfer the money or what, call mom?”
The sister knew that Liosha wanted anything but that. In general, he had been afraid of her since childhood, to say nothing of both of them. Luba had realized in childhood how easy it was to manipulate her brother and effortlessly got everything she wanted from him.
Liosha regularly sent his sister money. Ira had no idea how much the audacious relative’s appetites had grown. Previously, he transferred her some part of his salary, but now he gave her all that he earned himself, and even pulled from their joint savings. Alexei understood that it was wrong to take money from the family safe, but under the pressure of his sister, he “dove” into the safe again and again.
By the way, Luba was clueless and had no interest in how her brother lived. She was sure that Ira was incapable of anything and that Liosha managed everything. Once she heard that her relatives’ company had become a leader in the region. Her eyes lit up.
“So, what’s this all about?” she practically yelled into the phone.
“What are you talking about? Why are you making noise?”
“What does it mean, brother? So there’s no money for me, but it turns out you’re almost turning over millions? You skimped on your own sister? You’re going to take your hen to resorts, and I should scrape by on bread and water?”
“Luba, with the money I send you, you could eat caviar instead of bread. Isn’t that enough?”
“And you begrudge that? You’re not skimping on me, but on the kids. Aren’t you ashamed?”
“I’m not ashamed, but are you? Who told you that Ira would support you?”
“And don’t drag her into this. She’s nobody here!” Luba continued to yell.
“How is she nobody? Actually, it’s her company. I’m just the head of one of the departments.”
“So what? You don’t have your own kids. Anyway, everything you earn will go to my kids. So it’s time to start sharing.”
“Luba, what are you talking about? We’re still young and will have our own kids,” Liosha tried to justify himself, but it wasn’t very convincing.
“Look, it doesn’t matter who’s there and when. If there will be! But I need it now. And not even for me, but for the kids! They are your nieces and nephews, after all. So come on, transfer the money, and let’s end this useless conversation. I’m waiting!” she shouted in a stern voice and hung up the phone.
Liosha put down the phone and sat silently for a few minutes, staring at the blank screen. He realized that Luba had gone too far in her demands, but he couldn’t help it; he pitied her and the nephews. He again transferred money to his sister and went to the kitchen to consult with his wife on what to do next.
“And she’s well settled! Why work when you can sit on your neck? Liosha, let’s agree this is the last time. Just understand, it’s not fair to me. It turns out that your earnings go to her, and I support both you and myself. Think about me for once, not her.”
“Alright, Ira, I get it. This is the last time.”
“Liosha, offer her a job. I’ll find her a place where the schedule is convenient, and the salary is decent. Anything’s better than living like a parasite. Let her earn a penny and try it out.”
Liosha called his sister with the offer, but a few minutes after his conversation with his sister, Ira’s phone rang. The sister screamed so loudly that it could be heard throughout the apartment even without speakerphone. Ira tried to interject, but Luba wouldn’t let her get a word in. When his wife hung up, Liosha cautiously asked:
“I take it she’s not interested in employment?”
Ira didn’t respond and silently walked into another room.
After that conversation, Luba completely lost the remnants of her conscience and began to call almost every day. Moreover, she started coming with all the kids and didn’t leave until she got hers. But she didn’t stop there. She called her mother and complained about her brother’s greed and his wife’s insolence.
Then Svetlana Mikhailovna got involved.
As clockwork, the mother-in-law called Ira several times a day. Every day.
“So, are you going to wise up? How can you be such selfish scum, huh? How dare you stand between my children, and all over what? Some money. You vile creature! Greedy and disgusting! That’s why you don’t have children, because people like you shouldn’t reproduce!”
And so on in the same spirit. A few hours would pass, and the call would repeat. Irina couldn’t take it anymore and blocked the numbers of the shameless relatives. But Liosha couldn’t do the same and continued to listen to how vile his wife was and how badly she influenced him.
One day, Ira came home earlier than usual. Her husband had just returned from a business trip.
“Liosha, I finally found the right building. The space, the layout—everything’s as needed. I’ve already signed the contract, just need the money,” she spoke quickly, opening the safe, but suddenly fell silent, seeing its contents. “Liosha, where’s the money?”
“Ira, I wanted to tell you, but didn’t know how. I thought I’d return it over time, add to it.”
“What do you mean ‘return’? Are you joking? You knew what I was saving this money for? How could you even take it without consulting me?”
“Irina, well, there’s money in the company accounts, take from there, and I’ll compensate over time!”
“You know what? You might compensate over time, but it doesn’t change the situation and certainly doesn’t fix it. My patience is over! I trusted you, and it turns out you simply robbed me. Blatantly! Right to my face! And you even asked for advice on how to influence your sister, but it turns out, you didn’t need any advice. That’s enough for me! By the time I return, I want you gone. I won’t repeat myself!”
Ira took the remaining money and rushed to the bank, while Alexei began packing his things.
The next day, Ira’s phone was literally exploding with incoming calls. Liosha was begging for forgiveness. From different numbers, Luba and the mother-in-law were calling. These utterly shameless relatives, apparently not believing in the seriousness of Ira’s intentions, continued to demand, threaten, and intimidate.
When Ira’s patience ran out, she turned to her lawyer, who filed a police report. What happened with the case she didn’t know, nor did she care, but the calls stopped and she could work peacefully, rather than listening to hysterics on the other end of the phone line.
Liosha initially called, wrote, begged for forgiveness and a second chance, but Irina refused, and eventually blocked his number.
After the divorce, Liosha still worked at the company for a while, Irina insisted—it was necessary for him to repay the debt. Let it be that way. And when the debt was repaid, he left on his own. Alexei found a job, but the earnings were so meager that they barely covered his expenses. His sister could get nothing from him and stopped communicating with him.
Another year passed. Alexei changed jobs and one day decided to surprise his ex-wife. He came to the office where they once worked together, hoping she would agree to have lunch with him. He very much wanted to mend their relationship. Liosha was about to dial her number but saw Irina leaving the building arm-in-arm with some man. His ex-wife was pregnant and, apparently, very happy.
“She won’t agree…Lunch is canceled,” Liosha thought, watching as Irina got into the car.
Alexei sat for a few more minutes just watching the direction the car had gone, then drove to a café. Alone.