— Since you gave the country house and the car to your son, let him take everything else too, — the daughter-in-law said.
— Viktor Pavlovich, did I hear you correctly? You gave the country house and the car to Sergey? — Natalia actually half-rose from her chair at the table where they were celebrating her father-in-law’s anniversary.
— Why are you getting so worked up? What’s it got to do with you anyway? You’re nobody in our family. An outsider, you could say.
— What?! I’m an outsider? Klavdia Matveyevna, do you think the same thing? — Natalia turned toward her mother-in-law, but the older woman lowered her eyes and silently picked at the flower embroidered on the tablecloth. — Klavdia Matveyevna, you always told me I was like a daughter to you!
— Oh! I completely forgot about the pie in the oven! — her mother-in-law suddenly exclaimed and hurried away.
Natalia and Andrey had started preparing for Viktor Pavlovich’s seventieth birthday well in advance.
Natalia had found an expensive fishing rod for him. Her father-in-law had dreamed of owning one for almost five years, but because of his health problems, fishing had been out of the question.
— Now everything is finally behind you, — Natalia said with a smile to her husband.
She was sincerely happy that his parents were doing better. After all, she had played a major part in that recovery.
Her mother-in-law often stroked Natalia’s hand affectionately and said:
— What would we ever do without you, sweetheart? You may not be my own flesh and blood, but you’re as dear to me as a daughter.
On the day of the celebration, Natalia arrived early to help prepare the table. During the previous week, she had cleaned the entire apartment from top to bottom and had even replaced the wallpaper in the living room.
— You’re entering your second youth, so your home should feel fresh too, — she joked.
Natalia had deliberately arranged her vacation from work around the anniversary so she could help her husband’s parents.
— What seaside trip? — she laughed when a friend invited her to join a last-minute holiday. Two discounted tickets had become available. — It’s my father-in-law’s anniversary. You know they can’t manage without me.
For such an important occasion, Viktor Pavlovich and Klavdia Matveyevna’s eldest son, Sergey, also came to visit. His wife, Marina, stayed home with their child.
— It’s the end of the school year. They couldn’t possibly come, — Sergey explained.
He had lived in the capital for years, where he was building his own business. He had married there, and he and Marina had a son, Pavel, named after his great-grandfather. Little Pasha was just finishing first grade.
When everyone had taken their seats, Viktor Pavlovich stood and tapped a fork against his glass to get everyone’s attention.
— I’m very happy that our whole big family has finally gathered around one table. And today, on my seventieth birthday, I think it’s time to look toward the future. So I’ve made a decision. I’m giving the country house and the car to my eldest son, Sergey. Here you are, — he said, handing his son a folder containing documents. — Everything has already been officially arranged, so there won’t be any misunderstandings later.
— What?! You transferred both the country house and the car to Sergey? — Natalia nearly jumped out of her chair.
— Why are you making such a fuss? It doesn’t concern you in the slightest. You’re an outsider in this family. Just someone who married into it.
— What?! I’m an outsider? Klavdia Matveyevna, do you think that too? — Natalia looked at her mother-in-law.
The woman lowered her eyes and began carefully poking at a red flower on the linen tablecloth with her fork.
— Oh, my pie! It’s still in the oven! — Klavdia Matveyevna suddenly cried, jumping to her feet with surprising agility and disappearing into the kitchen.
Natalia turned toward her husband.
— Andrey, did you hear what your father just called me?
— Well… figuratively speaking, he’s right. You’re my wife, that’s all.
— Sit down, — Viktor Pavlovich ordered, gesturing toward Natalia’s chair. — Sergey is my eldest son. He carries on the family name. You and Andrey are already doing perfectly well.
Natalia froze with her glass of juice still in her hand.
Slowly, she lowered herself back into her chair, feeling something inside her quietly tear apart.
— Could you repeat that, please? — she asked softly.
Her father-in-law looked at her almost indulgently, as though she were a child struggling to understand something obvious.
— Natalia, you’re an intelligent woman. The country house is our family home. Sergey should inherit it. The car too.
— But you promised to give the country house to Andrey!
— You and Andrey already have an apartment. What more do you need?
Andrey continued staring stubbornly at his plate.
Five years.
For five years, Natalia had spent nearly every weekend helping these people. She cooked for them, washed their clothes and cleaned their home.
When Klavdia Matveyevna suffered a stroke, Natalia had taken leave from work and spent sleepless nights looking after her.
When Viktor Pavlovich had a heart attack and could barely move, Natalia changed his diapers, fed him with a spoon and encouraged him not to give up.
Meanwhile their beloved Sergey had been “building his business” in Moscow and called perhaps once a month.
Natalia slowly placed her glass on the table.
— Viktor Pavlovich, you promised us. Five years ago, when Andrey and I had just married, you told us that if we helped you, the country house would eventually be ours.
Her father-in-law snorted.
— Promises? Life changes, Natalia. A year ago, instead of giving us a grandson, you gave birth to a granddaughter. Sergey has a son. A boy who will continue our family line. Our name will live on!
Natalia gave a short laugh before she could stop herself.
— What family name? Ovsyakov? Is that what we’re talking about?
She had always been astonished by how proudly her husband and father-in-law spoke about their surname, as though they belonged to some ancient noble dynasty.
— Don’t you dare laugh! — Viktor Pavlovich snapped. — This is our lineage, understand? Sergey needs the family home. You and Andrey are perfectly comfortable in your two-room apartment.
Across the table, Sergey calmly continued eating his grilled meat, nodding with satisfaction as he flipped through the documents.
Natalia turned toward her husband.
— Did you know?
Andrey sighed without meeting her eyes.
— Natasha, let’s talk about this later.
— No. We’ll talk now. In front of everyone.
Her voice trembled, but no longer from hurt. Anger was steadily replacing it.
— Did you know your parents were planning to give everything to your brother?
Andrey’s face reddened.
A heavy silence fell over the table.
— Dad mentioned something about it a month ago. But we’re not poor. We already have an apartment.
— I have an apartment! — Natalia corrected him sharply. — My grandmother left it to me. You personally have nothing except your precious surname. What was it again? Ovsyakov. Right.
— Natalia, enough! — Viktor Pavlovich shouted, starting to rise. — Sit quietly and stop ruining my birthday.
— Stop ruining your birthday?
Natalia stood up.
Her legs felt weak, but her back remained perfectly straight.
— Fine. Agreed.
She looked around the table.
— You know what? You’re right. Carrying on the dynasty is clearly very important. So from today onward, I’ll truly become what you just called me, Viktor Pavlovich: an outsider.
Klavdia Matveyevna had just returned carrying a large pie. She stopped in the doorway.
— From this day forward, don’t expect any more help from me, — Natalia continued. — No cleaning, no cooking, no overnight care, no running errands, no hospital visits. Sergey is your main son now, the great heir to the family name. Let him and his wife take care of everything.
Klavdia Matveyevna went pale and nearly dropped the pie.
— Natalia, how dare you speak like this?! We’re elderly people! You are obligated to look after us! It isn’t even up for discussion. That is what daughters-in-law are supposed to do.
— Elderly, yes. And very calculating, — Natalia replied calmly. — But you miscalculated with me.
Her mother-in-law stared at her.
— For five years, you used me as a free caregiver, cleaner and cook. And now you give everything to your eldest son? Fine. Then he and his wife can take responsibility for you as well. Marina is your daughter-in-law too, isn’t she?
Natalia turned toward Andrey.
— Do you have anything to say?
— Natasha… don’t make this worse. Mom and Dad are right. We should help them. Sergey and Marina live far away, while we’re nearby.
— We?
Natalia stared at him.
— Why do you say “we” when I was the one doing all the helping? You were always busy. Busy with anything except your own parents.
Andrey said nothing.
— I spent five years working myself to exhaustion because I thought we were building something together. Because I thought your father would keep his word and you’d eventually have a place of your own. And after all that, I hear you telling me, “Don’t make this worse,” while your father calls me an outsider and a freeloader.
She looked at Klavdia Matveyevna.
— And you called me your daughter. I believed you.
Natalia slowly shook her head.
— I think it would be fair if Sergey, the glorious heir to the dynasty, receives not only the country house and the car but also full responsibility for his parents.
Then she looked at both her in-laws.
— Since you gave him the country house and the car, let him take everything else too.
— Natalia, sit down and apologize to my parents and the guests for causing this scene, — Andrey suddenly ordered in a firm voice.
Natalia stared at him for a moment.
— No, Andrey. I’m not sitting down, and I’m certainly not apologizing. I have nothing to apologize for. Your parents publicly called me a stranger and a freeloader.
She paused.
— I’m filing for divorce. Our daughter is coming with me. So pack your things and move out of the “freeloader’s” apartment.
Andrey jumped to his feet.
— You’re divorcing me because of a country house?!
— This isn’t about the country house.
Natalia looked directly into her husband’s eyes.
— It’s because I was always a stranger to your family. A useful stranger, but still a stranger. And I don’t want to be useful anymore.
She turned around and walked toward the door with her head held high.
The next day, Natalia filed for divorce.
Klavdia Matveyevna called every day.
At first she screamed at Natalia and accused her of being selfish and ungrateful.
A month later, her tone changed. She started crying over the phone.
— Natasha, sweetheart, please come over. I can’t manage without you.
Viktor Pavlovich remained silent for a long time.
Three months later, he finally said only one thing to his son:
— We made a mistake. She was a good woman.
Sergey had been delighted with the gifts at first.
But once his parents started calling him in Moscow five times a day, his patience quickly disappeared.
— I didn’t sign up to be your babysitter! — he shouted into the phone.
His wife Marina was even more straightforward.
— They’re your parents. You deal with them.
At first, Andrey was furious with Natalia and accused her of betraying him.
He even told her during the divorce proceedings:
— You’re selfish.
But once he had to start driving his father to the hospital himself, listening to his mother’s endless complaints and dealing with their everyday problems, something began to change.
Four months later, he came to visit his daughter.
He looked quieter and noticeably older.
— I understand now, — he said softly. — You were right.
Natalia simply nodded.
But she did not invite him back.