“Did you send money again?” Danila did not even look up from his phone when Kristina returned from the bedroom after speaking with her mother.
“She needs medicine!” Kristina sat down on the edge of the sofa, trying to keep her voice calm. “Mom was prescribed a new treatment. Very expensive antidepressants.”
“How much this time?”
“Twelve thousand…”
Danila finally tore his eyes away from the phone and stared at his wife with a look that was somewhere between irritation and disappointment.
“Kristina, we’ve discussed this a million times. Every week your mother needs something. First it’s a sanatorium for forty thousand, then a massage therapist at home, then some miracle vitamins for five thousand rubles. When is this going to end? Seriously! It’s like a curse!”
“When she gets better,” Kristina said, standing up and heading toward the kitchen.
The conversation was moving along its usual track. She already knew every line her husband was going to say by heart.
“And what if she never gets better?” Danila followed her. “What if she has simply gotten used to it? Used to the fact that her daughter pays for everything. Have you thought about that?”
Kristina turned sharply.
“Stop talking nonsense! She’s not pretending! Did you see what she looked like at Dad’s memorial? Did you see how she couldn’t get out of bed for two months after the funeral?”
“I saw. But it’s been a year, Kristina. A whole year! And she keeps getting worse and worse. Maybe because she knows her daughter will buy and pay for everything?”
“My mother is sick! She has depression. It’s a diagnosis, not a whim.”
“Depression,” Danila snorted. “A very convenient way to drain money. Especially when there’s someone willing to pay.”
Kristina clenched her fists.
There it was. That line. The one her husband had been crossing more and more often lately. Six months ago, he had only sighed whenever she sent money to her mother. Then he started calculating aloud how much was being spent every month. And now he was openly calling her mother a manipulator.
“Don’t you dare speak about my mother like that!”
“Why not? Does the truth hurt?” Danila smiled bitterly. “Or are you afraid to admit to yourself that we live like beggars because of your charity impulses? We can’t go on a proper vacation, changing the car is also a problem. But your dear mother gets to go to a sanatorium every six months! At our expense!”
“She is receiving treatment, not resting!”
“Oh, come on! I’ve seen the photos from those ‘treatment centers.’ Spa treatments, pools, restaurants… I’ve never had a vacation like that in my life!”
Kristina turned away toward the window so he would not see the tears shining in her eyes. She remembered her last phone call with her mother. The way her voice had trembled when she asked to borrow money for medication. The way she apologized for every request. The way she said she would have been better off dying together with Kristina’s father.
“We have a shared budget,” Danila continued stubbornly. “And I have the right to know where our money is going. More importantly, I have the right to disagree with expenses like this.”
“Our money?” Kristina slowly turned around. “It’s my money, Danila. I earn it.”
“And who bought the apartment? Who paid for the renovation? Who paid for your car?”
“You did. And I’m grateful to you for that. But now I have a salary, and I will decide whether I help my mother or not.”
Danila raised his eyebrows in surprise and hissed angrily:
“Oh, really? Look how independent you are! Let me remind you of one important thing. In a family, everything should be shared. Money and decisions.”
Kristina said nothing.
Just two hours earlier, she had been planning to tell him about her new position. About the salary of three hundred thousand rubles she would start receiving in June. About the fact that she would finally be able to help her mother without sacrificing their own needs.
But now she did not want to tell him anything. Something held her back.
“Fine,” she finally said. “You’re right about the shared budget. But I’m still buying the medicine.”
Two weeks later, Kristina started her new position. She became the head of the marketing department at an IT company. It was the job of her dreams: interesting projects, reasonable colleagues, and a salary that solved all financial problems at once.
Three hundred thousand a month.
A sum that only a month earlier had seemed almost unreal to her.
Every evening, on her way home, Kristina imagined how she would tell Danila about her promotion. How he would be happy for her. How he would finally understand that all his worries had been unnecessary. How relieved he would be that now they could help her mother and still afford a normal life for themselves.
But that would happen only in six months, once she had saved a decent amount of money.
“Going to your mother’s again?” Danila asked on Saturday morning when he saw her putting groceries into a bag.
“Yes. I want to cook borscht for her. And spend some time with her, support her a little.”
“The same thing every weekend. Don’t we need to spend time together?”
“Danila, it’s very hard for her right now. Dad’s death anniversary is coming up.”
“I see. Just answer me one question. Are we going to live like this for every anniversary now? Next year it’ll be the second anniversary, then the third…”
Kristina did not answer.
Lately, she had felt more and more clearly how an invisible wall was growing between them. Danila constantly counted expenses, constantly hinted that her mother had “climbed onto their necks.” And Kristina stayed silent, exhausted from useless explanations and excuses.
Her mother really was in a terrible state. And that day’s visit confirmed it once again.
“You shouldn’t have come,” the elderly woman whispered when her daughter hugged her. “You have your own life, your own things to do…”
“Mom, don’t say that. You are the most precious person I have. Come on, I brought you some treats, and then we’ll make borscht together.”
They sat in the kitchen. Her mother ate slowly, as if every spoonful required effort. She talked about how she could not sleep, how she woke up at four in the morning and spent the whole day thinking about Kristina’s father. She spoke about how ashamed she was to keep asking her daughter for money for treatment.
“I understand why Danila is angry,” she said. “If I were in his place, I’d be angry too. What kind of mother-in-law am I if all I do is take and take?”
“Mom, he’s not angry. He’s just worried about the situation.”
“Kristinochka, have you ever thought…” Her mother lowered her eyes and sighed heavily. “Maybe I should go to a nursing home? Maybe at least there I wouldn’t be such a burden to you?”
“Mom!” Kristina grabbed her hand. “Don’t you dare say that! No nursing homes! Absolutely not! I am your only daughter. And I will never… do you hear me? Never abandon you!”
But her mother’s words lodged in her soul like a splinter.
That evening, when Kristina returned home, Danila added fuel to the fire.
“So, how is your dear mother? Another tragedy?”
“Danila, stop it! I don’t have the mood or the strength to listen to your sarcasm. I already don’t know what to do with myself. Mom is thinking about a nursing home.”
“And she’s thinking correctly. I’m sure she’d be better off there. Communication, routine, supervision.”
Kristina froze.
“Are you serious?”
“Of course I’m serious. There are plenty of decent places now. They’re not those old Soviet poorhouses anymore. For the money we spend on her, we could find an excellent nursing home.”
“Danila, she is my mother! The only close person I have left. And she is sick.”
“Exactly. She’s sick! And we are not doctors or psychologists. I’m tired of living with your endless guilt and constant spending on treatment that doesn’t even help!”
Kristina silently went into the bedroom and sat on the bed for a long time, staring at the statement from her new account on her phone.
Three hundred thousand.
In six months, there would be more than a million there. Enough to provide her mother with good treatment and not depend on her husband’s opinion.
She decided to wait six months. Her mother had to complete the new therapy course prescribed by the psychiatrist. If she improved after that, Kristina would tell Danila the truth.
Until then, she would stay silent and save money.
For her mother.
At the end of summer, Danila’s sister came to visit. Olga appeared at their home about three times a year, usually when she needed money or emotional support during yet another conflict.
Olga looked well-groomed and slightly theatrical, as always.
“Hello, my dears!” she said, hugging her brother first, then Kristina, before handing over a beautiful box of chocolates. “How are you? How’s your mood? Kristinochka, you look wonderful! And you, Danilka, have you lost weight?”
They settled in the living room.
Olga asked about work, health, and even showed interest in Kristina’s mother. For about twenty minutes, they chatted pleasantly, but Kristina could see that Danila was tense. He knew his sister and understood that all this friendly curiosity was only a prelude.
“Listen, my darlings,” Olga finally began, finishing her third chocolate, “I didn’t come just to visit. I’ve got a situation with the salon. I urgently need to replace some equipment, or I’ll start losing clients. I need one hundred thousand. Two months at most, I swear.”
Danila put down his cup and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“Olya, you see… things are tight for us right now. Very tight. We’re practically living hand to mouth. Counting every kopeck.”
“Hand to mouth?” Olga raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Danila, what are you talking about?”
“I’m telling the truth. Kristina spends her whole salary on her mother, so I have to carry the family alone.”
“Danila,” Olga shook her head and gave him a sarcastic smile, “why are you lying to me? What kopecks are you talking about? Don’t try to fool me.”
“I’m not lying,” he frowned.
“You are, brother. You are lying without even blushing!” Olga shot back, disappointed. “And I know it for certain. How? A new accountant came to your wife’s company, and by pure coincidence, she and I have known each other since university. So I know the truth about Kristina’s income. No need to dodge.”
Kristina felt cold spread through her body. The cup nearly slipped out of her hands.
“What truth?” Danila asked slowly.
“Oh, God, Dania, stop it. This isn’t funny anymore. I know that since the beginning of summer, Kristina has been earning three hundred thousand a month,” Olga said confidently. “Marina sees all the salaries, she’s the accountant. She said Kristina was promoted to head of department in June, and her salary tripled. So don’t tell me fairy tales!”
A dead silence fell over the room.
Danila slowly turned toward his wife and stared at her in confusion for several long moments.
“Is this… true?” he whispered.
Only then did Olga realize she had said too much. She looked helplessly at her brother, then at Kristina.
“Oh… you didn’t… I mean, I thought… Danila, you didn’t know?”
“Kristina,” Danila’s voice trembled. “Is it true or not?”
Her heart was pounding wildly.
Almost three months. For almost three months she had hidden the truth. For almost three months she had been setting aside two hundred thousand for her mother, living on the remaining hundred. The plan had been perfect: by the end of the year, she would save a million and secretly give it to her mother, then tell her husband that her promotion would start on January first. He would never find out about that money. And the conflict would be over.
But now…
“Yes,” she forced out. “It’s true.”
Danila jumped up from the sofa. His face had gone pale, his lips trembling.
“Three months… For three months you’ve been earning three hundred thousand and said nothing?”
“Danila, I can explain…”
“Explain?” Her husband grabbed his head. “God, I can’t believe this! And I, like a complete idiot, was counting every kopeck! You are a monster!”
Olga muttered awkwardly:
“Guys, I’d better go…”
“Oh no, you won’t!” Danila barked. “Now you’re going to tell me the whole truth from beginning to end!”
“And you, my dear wife,” he shouted, pacing the room, “are going to explain how you dared lie to my face for three whole months! You made a fool out of me!”
“I didn’t lie!” Kristina stood up too, clenching her fists. “I just didn’t say anything!”
“That’s the same thing! You deceived me every single day!”
Olga sat in the armchair, lips pressed together, watching the husband and wife argue. She stayed silent for now, but Kristina could see clearly that she was not on her side.
“Danila, listen to me,” Kristina tried to speak calmly. “I was forced to do it. You can see what our family life has turned into. We fight about money every day!”
“And whose fault is that?” he snapped. “Your dear mother’s! The one sucking all the life out of us!”
“My mother is dying! She is not sucking the life out of anyone. She needs treatment!”
“And so I’m supposed to deny myself everything while you save money for her?”
“I was saving so I could solve the problem once and for all!” Kristina felt tears rising in her throat. “I wanted to collect a large sum, give it to Mom for all her treatment at once, and close this issue!”
“Without asking your husband!”
“What was the point of asking if you were against it?” Kristina sobbed. “You call my mother a manipulator! You say she’s pretending! How could I discuss this with you?”
Olga could not hold back and joined in.
“Kristin, honestly, what were you thinking? He’s your husband. How can you hide that kind of income from your husband?”
“It’s my money! I can do whatever I want with it!” Kristina snapped.
“Oh, yours?” Danila laughed angrily. “So now we have separate finances in this marriage? And what an interesting arrangement it is! You save most of your money, spend a smaller part on your mother, and I carry all the household expenses alone. Wonderful!”
“You wanted me to stop spending money on Mom! So I found a way to do it!”
“Yes, you found a way. Truly genius. Stealing money from the family!”
“Danila!” Kristina cried out.
“What? Isn’t that what it is? Hiding income from your husband?”
Olga nodded approvingly.
“Danilka is right. Kristina, this is really awful. You don’t do this to your spouse. He has the right to know how much his wife earns.”
“Especially when his wife earns more than he does!” Danila added. “God, and I was actually worried. For what? For whom?”
“I knew you would be against helping Mom,” Kristina repeated through tears. “I was looking for a way out. I wanted everyone to be okay.”
“Everyone except your husband!”
“You too! I wanted to solve the problem and never come back to it again! How many times can we keep saying the same thing?”
“Never come back to it?” Danila narrowed his eyes. “And what, your mother will suddenly become healthy because of a million rubles? She’ll stop being helpless?”
“She is not helpless!”
“Oh, she absolutely is! And she’ll keep demanding more and more. And you’ll keep giving it. Always. Until she dies. Don’t even try to deny the obvious.”
Olga nodded in agreement.
“Danila is right, Kristina. People are like that. It’s never enough for them. Give them one hundred thousand, they’ll ask for two hundred. What kind of life is that?”
“God, my mother needs proper treatment! That’s all!” Kristina wiped her tears with her sleeve. “She will recover, and that will be it. Why can’t you understand?”
“Do you understand how badly you treated your husband?” Danila looked at her with disgust.
She did not answer.
“I knew it,” he hissed.
“Danila, please understand, I was trapped…”
“Really? Did you ever try talking to your husband? Explaining the situation? Asking for help?”
“I tried! You never listen! You immediately start shouting about manipulation!”
“Because it’s true!”
“No, it isn’t!”
Olga stood between them.
“Enough! Danila, Kristina, stop! The neighbors will hear you!”
Danila walked over to the window and stood silently for several minutes. Then he slowly turned around.
“You know what, Kristina? I’m tired. Tired of your mother, tired of the constant expenses, tired of the lies. Either you stop this charity right now and we live a normal life, or…”
“Or what?”
“Or divorce,” he said quietly. “Because I can’t do this anymore.”
Kristina stared at her husband, unable to believe what she had just heard. The word “divorce” sounded like some absurd joke.
“Are you serious?” she whispered.
“More than serious.” Danila crossed his arms over his chest. “Five years of marriage, Kristina. For five years I thought I knew you. And it turns out you’re capable of lying to my face for months without even blushing.”
“Danila, but Mom…”
“Forget about your mother!” he exploded. “Enough! I can’t listen to another word about your mother! Choose. Either me or her.”
Olga shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other.
“Guys, don’t make rash decisions… It’s easy to destroy something, but building it… Although, Kris, you are wrong. I support my brother.”
“Any reasonable person in this situation would support me!” Danila kept his eyes fixed on his wife. “I’m waiting for an answer.”
Kristina sank onto the sofa. Her mind was in chaos. Three months of secret savings, six hundred thousand rubles in the account, a sick mother who truly needed help… and a husband demanding that she choose between him and her own parent.
“I can’t abandon my mother,” she finally said. “She is alone. She has no one but me.”
“And you have a husband,” Danila answered coldly. “Or you did.”
“Danila, please…” Kristina looked at him pleadingly. “Let’s find a compromise. I’ll spend less. We’ll make a plan…”
“No plans,” he cut her off. “No compromises. I’m tired of looking for compromises. Either you completely stop helping your mother financially, or we get divorced. There is no third option.”
Olga quietly sat down on the edge of the armchair.
“Kristina, your mother is an adult. Let her take care of herself…”
“She has depression!” Kristina raised her voice. “She needs expensive medication!”
“There are government programs,” Olga shrugged.
“Programs that don’t cover even half of what she needs,” Kristina said with a bitter smile. “It’s easy to talk when it’s not your mother falling apart.”
Danila went to the wardrobe and pulled out a bag.
“I’m spending the night at Oleg’s. Tomorrow evening, I expect your decision. Either tomorrow you withdraw the money from the account and swear that you’ll never help your mother financially again, or I file for divorce.”
“Danila, don’t do this,” Kristina stood up. “We love each other…”
“Love?” He stopped at the door. “Kristina, people who love each other don’t deceive each other for months. They don’t hide half a million rubles. They don’t put their parents on a pedestal.”
“I’m not putting Mom above you!”
“You are! You always are!” Danila grabbed his jacket. “You have twenty-four hours to think.”
After the door slammed shut, Olga awkwardly stood up.
“Kris, I… I didn’t mean to start a scandal. I thought he knew…”
“I know,” Kristina nodded wearily. “It’s not your fault.”
“What are you going to do?”
Kristina looked sadly out the window at the lights in the neighboring buildings.
“I don’t know,” she admitted honestly. “I really don’t know.”
But deep down, she already knew the answer. She knew she would not be able to leave her sick mother without help. She knew Danila would not back down from his ultimatum. And she knew that their five-year marriage was most likely coming to an end.
An hour later, Olga left, leaving Kristina alone with a painful choice.
A choice that, in truth, had already been made the moment she first transferred money into that secret account.
Some decisions define the rest of your life.
And Kristina understood that tomorrow she would be living in a completely different world.
A world where she would have to choose between the two most important people in her life.
And that choice would be…
Her mother.