Irina came back from the store with two bags of groceries. One—for her own family, the other—for her mother-in-law. October evening had already wrapped the city in dusk, the courtyard lights switching on earlier than usual. The woman climbed to the third floor, opened the apartment door, and the first thing she did was carry her mother-in-law’s bag into her room.
Valentina Ivanovna was sitting in an armchair by the window, watching some TV series. Seeing her daughter-in-law, she nodded:
“Oh, you brought it. Good girl. Put it on the table.”
Irina set the bag down, took out the groceries, and began arranging them on the shelves of her mother-in-law’s refrigerator. Bread, milk, cottage cheese, chicken, vegetables. Same as always.
“Valentina Ivanovna, I’ll stop by the pharmacy after work tomorrow as well. Are you out of your medicine?”
“Yes, I’m out. Buy the same as last time. Just make sure it’s not counterfeit.”
Irina nodded. Her mother-in-law had been living with her husband’s family for two years. After her father-in-law died, Valentina Ivanovna sold her apartment and moved in with her son. She put the money from the sale into a term deposit, saying she was saving it for a rainy day. Her pension was small, and she constantly complained about not having enough.
“Irisha, could you help me a little,” Valentina Ivanovna began when her daughter-in-law was about to leave. “My pension is tiny, I can’t afford the medicine. It won’t cost you much.”
Irina stopped at the door. Her mother-in-law was looking at her as if asking for the very last piece of bread.
“Valentina Ivanovna, I already buy the groceries. And I pay for the medicine. What else?”
“Well, you know, little things. A woman my age needs all sorts of things. Cosmetics, for example. Or a new headscarf.”
Irina kept silent. She left the room and went to the kitchen to make dinner. Her husband Oleg was in the living room in front of the TV, scrolling through something on his phone. Their son Dima was doing his homework at the table.
“Mom, I’ve almost finished everything,” the boy reported. “I’ll just finish math and then I’m free.”
“Good boy. Don’t dawdle, we’ll have dinner soon.”
Irina started chopping vegetables for the salad. She was thinking about how her mother-in-law was becoming more demanding with each passing day. Before it had been just groceries, then medicine, and now money for cosmetics. She understood it was hard for Valentina Ivanovna to live on a pension, but there was that deposit. Why didn’t she withdraw from it when she needed something?
At dinner, Valentina Ivanovna brought up money again. She addressed her son:
“Oleg, maybe you could help me? My pension is just pennies. I can’t make it through the month.”
Irina’s husband nodded:
“Mom, of course. We’ll help. Ira, can you give Mom a little?”
Irina looked at her husband. Oleg didn’t notice the tension in her gaze. He just chewed his chicken and waited for an answer.
“Oleg, we’re already helping. Groceries, medicine. What else is needed?”
“Well, Mom’s asking. We’re not going to refuse her.”
Irina said nothing. She finished her dinner and went to wash the dishes. Valentina Ivanovna was satisfied. That evening she received five thousand rubles from her daughter-in-law.
A week passed. Dima was getting ready for his birthday. The boy was turning ten, and his parents had promised him a computer. But there wasn’t enough money for a new one, so Irina suggested that her son save up himself.
“Dima, Dad and I will give you part of the amount. And you can collect the rest yourself. Grandma gives money for your birthday, and your grandpas too. You can put it all aside.”
The boy agreed enthusiastically. He took out an old metal cookie tin, put in the first thousand he’d been given at the last celebration. Then he started adding spare change he found in jacket pockets or got from his parents for small expenses.
The tin sat on the top shelf in Dima’s closet. He regularly counted his savings, proud of each new bill. Irina was pleased that her son was learning to value money and understand how hard it is to earn.
Valentina Ivanovna knew about her grandson’s savings too. Once she went into Dima’s room when he was showing his mom the latest addition to his stash.
“Oh, what a thrifty boy you’re growing into!” The mother-in-law came closer and peered into the box. “You picked a reliable spot—might as well open a bank.”
Dima laughed. Irina smiled, but something fluttered uneasily inside her. Something about her mother-in-law’s tone felt insincere. But she brushed the thought aside. Valentina Ivanovna was the boy’s grandmother. She couldn’t wish him harm.
A few more days passed. Irina came home from work and decided to check whether Dima had tidied his room. She went in, looked over the shelves, opened the closet. She noticed the tin wasn’t in its usual place. Normally the boy kept it closer to the edge, but now it had been pushed to the back.
Irina took down the tin and opened the lid. Empty. Not a single bill, not a coin. She frowned. Maybe Dima had moved it somewhere else? She started searching the room. She looked under the bed, checked the desk drawers, went through the shelves. Nothing.
Her son came back from school an hour later. Irina met him in the hall:
“Dima, where’s your money? The tin is empty.”
The boy raised his eyebrows in surprise:
“How empty? I put another two hundred in there just yesterday.”
“There’s nothing there. Are you sure you didn’t move it somewhere else?”
“No, Mom. I always put it on the shelf.”
Dima ran to his room, grabbed the tin, and looked inside. His face fell.
“Mom… Someone took it…”
Irina knelt beside her son. She took the tin and examined it. No signs of force; the lid opened easily. Which meant someone had simply opened it and taken everything.
“Dima, you didn’t tell anyone about the money?”
“Only you and Dad. And Grandma saw it.”
Irina froze. Valentina Ivanovna. But that couldn’t be. Her mother-in-law wouldn’t take money from her grandson. That was absurd.
“Mom, maybe Dad took it?” Dima suggested.
“We’ll ask him tonight.”
Oleg came home late from work. Irina waited until he’d finished dinner and then approached him:
“Oleg, did you happen to take the money from Dima’s tin?”
“What tin?” her husband looked up from his phone.
“His piggy bank. It’s empty.”
“No, I didn’t. What happened?”
“The money’s gone. Everything Dima saved for the computer.”
Oleg shrugged:
“He probably hid it somewhere. He’ll forget and then he’ll find it again. Kids are like that—they’re always misplacing things.”
Irina looked at her husband. Oleg had already returned to his phone, scrolling through the news feed. As far as he was concerned, the conversation was over.
“Oleg, there was more than eight thousand in there. Dima saved for six months. Do you think a kid would just lose that much?”
“I don’t know, Ira. Search the apartment. You’ll find it.”
She turned and left the room. Inside she was boiling. Her husband didn’t even think it necessary to help figure it out. He just brushed her off like an annoying fly.
Irina went back to her son. Dima was sitting on the bed, hugging his knees. His face was pale.
“Mom, I really didn’t take it. I was honestly saving.”
“I know, sweetheart. We’ll find it.”
But inside she already understood who was to blame. Valentina Ivanovna. Only her mother-in-law could go into Dima’s room without raising suspicion, open the tin, and take the money. There was no one else.
That evening Irina went to see her mother-in-law. Valentina Ivanovna was in her room knitting a scarf. When she saw her daughter-in-law, she looked up:
“Did something happen?”
“Valentina Ivanovna, did you happen to see Dima’s tin? His piggy bank?”
“I did. Why?”
“The money’s gone from it.”
Her mother-in-law frowned:
“So what, you think I took it?”
“I’m just asking. Maybe you accidentally…”
“Accidentally?!” Valentina Ivanovna’s voice rose. “Are you accusing me of stealing?!”
“No, I’m just trying to figure out where the money went.”
“I don’t know where your son squandered it! Maybe he spent it on sweets! And you immediately point the finger at me!”
She stood up, threw the knitting onto the armchair, and left the room, slamming the door. Irina remained standing there. Her hands were trembling. Her mother-in-law hadn’t even tried to explain, hadn’t offered to help look. She had simply gotten angry and walked out.
The woman returned to her son. Dima lay on the bed with his face buried in the pillow. Irina sat beside him and stroked his back.
“Dima, it’ll be all right. We’ll figure something out.”
The boy turned to his mother. His eyes were red.
“Mom, was it Grandma?”
Irina didn’t know what to say. She didn’t want to turn her son against his grandmother, but she didn’t want to lie either.
“I don’t know, Dima. But we’ll sort it out.”
The next day Irina raised the subject again at breakfast. Oleg was chewing a sandwich, getting ready for work. Valentina Ivanovna sat opposite, sipping tea.
“Oleg, we need to have a serious talk about Dima’s money,” Irina began.
“Ira, we’ve already talked about this,” her husband replied wearily.
“No, we haven’t. You brushed it off.”
“What do you want from me? To search the whole house? I don’t know where the money is.”
“Maybe we should ask your mother again?”
Valentina Ivanovna set her cup down sharply.
“Oleg! Do you hear how she’s talking to me?! She’s accusing me of theft!”
“Ira, that’s enough,” her husband raised his hand, calling for quiet. “Mom didn’t take anything. Stop it.”
“How do you know?”
“Because she’s my mother! And I trust her!”
Irina clenched her fists under the table. Oleg stood, picked up his bag, and headed for the door. Her mother-in-law shot her a triumphant look and went back to her tea.
Irina remained at the table, resentment swelling inside her. Her husband hadn’t even tried to sort things out; he had immediately taken his mother’s side. And her mother-in-law behaved as if nothing had happened.
Irina stood up, cleared the dishes, and went to her son’s room. Dima was getting ready for school. He looked dejected.
“Dima, are you feeling okay today?”
“Yes, Mom. Just upset.”
“I understand. But we’ll definitely buy you a computer. I promise.”
The boy nodded, but there was no joy in his eyes.
In the evening, when everyone had gone to their rooms, Irina heard Dima go into the kitchen. She followed him. The boy was standing by the window, looking out into the dark courtyard.
“Dima, did something happen?”
He turned. His face was serious, grown-up beyond his years.
“Mom, Grandma took it. I know.”
“How do you know?”
“She told me. When you went to work. She said she’d take the money for a while. That she’d give it back when she got her pension. I didn’t want to let her, but she said she really needed it. That she had problems. And that I had to help Grandma because she’s old.”
Irina froze. Valentina Ivanovna had indeed taken the money. And she had also forced her grandson to keep quiet.
“Why didn’t you tell me right away?”
“I thought she would really return it. But a week passed, and she said nothing. And when you asked, Grandma started yelling. I got scared.”
Irina hugged her son. He pressed himself to her, and she felt his shoulders shaking.
“Dima, it’s not your fault. Grandma was the one who did wrong. And we’ll fix it.”
“How?”
“I’ll talk to her. And to Dad. I promise.”
The boy nodded. Irina saw him off to his room and tucked him into bed. Then she went back to the kitchen and sat at the table. Her hands were trembling with anger. Her mother-in-law hadn’t just taken the money. She had manipulated the child into keeping silent, and then she had thrown a fit, accusing her daughter-in-law of slander.
The woman stood up and went to her mother-in-law’s room. She knocked. Valentina Ivanovna opened the door and looked at her with displeasure:
“What now?”
“Dima told me. You took the money and promised to return it.”
For a moment her mother-in-law’s face faltered, but she quickly pulled herself together:
“So what? I’ll give it back. What’s the problem?”
“The problem is that you lied to a child. And made him keep quiet.”
“I didn’t force anything! I just asked him to help! I needed the money urgently!”
“For what?”
“That’s my business!”
“Valentina Ivanovna, you have a deposit. Withdraw from it if you need money.”
“The deposit is for old age! I’m not touching it!”
“But it’s fine to touch a child’s money?”
She folded her arms across her chest:
“I’ll return it. When I get my pension. It’s just a week to wait.”
“You’ve already been saying that for a week.”
“The pension was delayed! It’s not my fault!”
Irina turned and went to the bedroom. Oleg was on the bed watching TV. When he saw his wife, he raised his eyebrows:
“What happened?”
“Your mother took Dima’s money. She admitted it.”
Her husband sat up:
“What do you mean, took it?”
“She asked him for a loan. Promised to return it when she got her pension. A week has passed—nothing.”
Oleg was silent for a moment. Then he sighed:
“Well, if she said she’ll return it, she will. Mom doesn’t lie.”
Irina stared at her husband. Was he seriously saying everything was fine?
“Oleg, she took money from a child! From a ten-year-old boy! Is that normal to you?”
“Ira, Mom isn’t rich. She needed help. Dima is her grandson. He could help.”
“Dima saved for six months! For his dream! And your mother just took it all!”
“She’ll give it back.”
“When?”
“I don’t know. Soon.”
Irina exhaled. The conversation had hit a wall. Her husband didn’t see a problem. For Oleg, his mother was always right. Whatever Valentina Ivanovna did, her son would justify it.
She lay down and turned to face the wall. Oleg kept watching TV as if nothing had happened. And Irina lay there thinking what to do next. Her mother-in-law wouldn’t return the money. She felt it. Valentina Ivanovna would find a new excuse, then another. And Oleg would defend her, as always.
Irina realized the only way out was to act herself.
The next morning she woke up early. Oleg was still asleep, Dima too. Irina got dressed, took her bag, and left the apartment. She headed to the building where her mother-in-law used to live. Valentina Ivanovna had sold her apartment two years ago, but the neighbors were the same. Irina went up to the fifth floor and rang the door across from her mother-in-law’s former apartment.
An elderly woman of about seventy opened the door. She recognized Irina and smiled in surprise:
“Oh, Irochka! What brings you here? Come in, come in!”
“Hello, Tamara Fyodorovna. Sorry it’s so early. Could I talk to you?”
“Of course, dear. Come in, I’ll put on the kettle.”
Irina went into a small kitchen and sat at the table. Tamara Fyodorovna put the kettle on the stove and set out some cookies.
“How are you? How’s Valentina Ivanovna?”
“That’s actually what I wanted to ask about,” Irina paused. “Tamara Fyodorovna, you lived next to her for a long time. Tell me honestly, did Valentina Ivanovna have money problems?”
The neighbor raised her eyebrows in surprise:
“Problems? What problems? Valya always had money. Your father-in-law—God rest his soul—earned well. And she sold her apartment for a decent sum too. Two and a half million, I think.”
Irina nodded. That matched what she knew.
“And she never complained about shortfalls?”
“Goodness, no!” Tamara Fyodorovna laughed. “On the contrary, she always bragged about how much she’d saved. Said she had enough for a comfortable old age.”
“Strange. Then why does she keep asking us for money?”
The neighbor fell silent, then leaned closer:
“I’ll tell you straight, Irina. Valya is used to living at other people’s expense. Always has. If she can avoid spending her own money and take from others—she will. I remember a neighbor who lent her money. Valya promised to return it but never did. She kept making excuses.”
Irina clenched her hands into fists. So this wasn’t the first time. Her mother-in-law was just used to taking without asking, hiding behind pity.
“Thank you, Tamara Fyodorovna. You’ve been very helpful.”
“Don’t mention it, dear. Take care of yourself. And keep an eye on Valya. She’s not easy.”
Irina said goodbye and left the building. Now everything was clear. Valentina Ivanovna wasn’t a poor pensioner. She simply hoarded her money and took advantage of her daughter-in-law and son’s kindness.
She went back home. Oleg had already left for work, and Dima was getting ready for school. Irina saw the boy off, then went into her mother-in-law’s room. Valentina Ivanovna was in her armchair, knitting.
“Valentina Ivanovna, we need to have a serious talk.”
“About what now?” She didn’t even lift her head.
“About money. Yours and Dima’s.”
“I already said I’ll return it. When I get my pension.”
“You already got your pension. The day before yesterday. I saw you coming out of the bank with an envelope.”
Valentina Ivanovna froze. The needles stopped moving. She slowly raised her voice:
“So what? The pension is small. I need to buy medicine.”
“Valentina Ivanovna, you have more than two million on your deposit. That’s what Tamara Fyodorovna told me.”
Her mother-in-law’s face flushed:
“What, have you been spying on me?!”
“I just wanted to know the truth. And now I do. You’re not poor. You’re simply used to taking what belongs to others.”
She stood up abruptly:
“How dare you?! I’m your husband’s mother! I have a right to help!”
“Help is when someone truly needs it. You’re just taking advantage of our kindness.”
“Get out of my room!”
“This isn’t your room. It’s a room in our apartment. And I want you to return Dima’s money. Today.”
“In your dreams!”
Irina stood there gripping the edge of the wardrobe. Her face had gone pale; her hands were shaking. But her voice remained firm:
“Valentina Ivanovna, if you don’t return the money, I will make sure you no longer have access to our home.”
“What?! I live here!”
“You lived here. Until today.”
Irina turned and left the room. Her mother-in-law shouted something after her, but she didn’t listen. She went into the bedroom and took out a spare set of apartment keys—the set her mother-in-law used. She put the keys in her pocket.
In the evening, when Oleg came home from work, Irina met him in the hall:
“We need to talk. Seriously.”
“Ira, I’m tired. Let’s do it tomorrow.”
“Today. Now.”
He sighed, went into the bedroom, and sat on the bed. Irina closed the door.
“Oleg, your mother isn’t going to return Dima’s money.”
“How do you know?”
“Because she has no reason to. Valentina Ivanovna has more than two million on deposit. She is not poor.”
Her husband was silent. Then he shrugged:
“So what? That’s her money. For old age.”
“But it’s fine to take a ten-year-old’s money?”
“Ira, it’s only eight thousand. It’s not the end of the world.”
“For Dima, it is. He saved for half a year. He dreamed of a computer. And your mother just took everything. And made him keep quiet.”
“Mom will give it back. Be patient.”
“She won’t, Oleg. Ever. Because she’s used to taking other people’s money. She’s lived that way all her life.”
Oleg stood and went to the window. He looked out at the dark courtyard, silent. Irina went on:
“I’m taking her keys. From now on, Valentina Ivanovna won’t enter our apartment without an invitation.”
“Ira, are you serious?”
“Absolutely. Your mother stole from our son. And you’re defending her.”
“I’m not defending her! It’s just… She’s my mother.”
“If she wants to come over—she can give notice. Like a guest.”
Oleg turned to his wife:
“And if I don’t agree?”
“Then I’ll buy our son a computer with my own money. And you can deal with your mother yourself. But she won’t get another kopeck from us.”
Her husband looked at her for a long time. Then he lowered his eyes:
“Fine. Do what you think is right.”
Irina left the bedroom. She went to Dima’s room. The boy was at his desk doing homework. He looked up when he saw his mother:
“Mom, did something happen?”
“No, sweetheart. Everything’s fine. Tomorrow after school we’re going to the store. We’re buying you a computer.”
Dima’s eyes lit up:
“Really?!”
“Really. You’ve earned it.”
“But what about the money? Grandma still hasn’t returned it?”
“She hasn’t. But that’s not what matters. What matters is that you know your effort is valued. And that I will always stand up for you.”
The boy hugged his mother. Irina stroked his hair and held him close. The resentment was still simmering inside her, but it felt good to see her child’s joy.
Oleg came home late. He saw the new computer in Dima’s room and stopped in the doorway:
“You bought it?”
“Yes. With my own money.”
“Ira…”
“Oleg, don’t. I did what I thought was right. Your mother stole from our son. And I won’t let it happen again.”
Her husband said nothing. Then he nodded:
“Okay. Maybe you’re right.”
Irina didn’t answer. She went to the kitchen to make dinner. Oleg remained in the hallway, looking at the closed door of his son’s room.
For several days, Valentina Ivanovna sulked. But then she tried to put everything back the way it had been.
“Irisha, can’t we stop being mad? I didn’t mean any harm. I just needed the money.”
“Valentina Ivanovna, I’m not mad. I simply set boundaries. You won’t take anything without asking anymore.”
“I didn’t take anything! I asked my grandson for a loan!”
“You took it without my permission. From a child. That’s wrong.”
“Well, then I’ll return it!”
“Don’t bother. Consider that the last money you ever took in this house.”
She wanted to argue, but Irina turned to the stove, showing the conversation was over. Her mother-in-law stood there a moment longer and left.
From then on, Irina no longer gave her mother-in-law money. She bought groceries only for her own family. She didn’t pay for medicine. Valentina Ivanovna fumed and complained to her son, but Oleg kept quiet. He understood that his wife was right. And for the first time in a long while, he didn’t take his mother’s side.
Dima treated his new computer like a treasure. The boy no longer kept money in a tin. Irina bought a small safe and put it in her room. Whenever her son received cash as a gift, he put it in there. Under a reliable lock. Under his mother’s key.
Several months passed. Valentina Ivanovna stopped asking for help. She realized that her daughter-in-law would no longer fall for the sob stories. When she needed to buy something, she started withdrawing from her deposit. Irina saw her returning from the bank with purchases but said nothing. Let her live on her own funds. That was fairer.
Dima grew older and more independent. He learned an important lesson: don’t entrust your money to people who don’t value others’ work. And that his mother would always protect him, even if she had to go against everyone else.
Irina no longer felt guilty. She had done the right thing. She had protected her son and refused to let her mother-in-law manipulate the family. It was hard, but necessary.
Oleg began spending more time with his son. He realized he couldn’t always cover for his mother and that he needed to see things as they were. The family’s relationships improved. Valentina Ivanovna stopped being the center of the universe around which everyone else’s life revolved.
And Irina learned to say no. Not with malice, not rudely. Just firmly. Because she knew: if she didn’t protect her family herself, no one else would.