Sonya flinched when she heard those words. At first, she thought she had misheard. After all, Sonya had been organizing the celebration for the past two weeks. Actually, the entire last month.
“Excuse me, Vera Pavlovna, I didn’t quite understand,” Sonya said, setting aside the guest list she had been working on all evening.
“What’s there not to understand?” her mother-in-law adjusted her perfectly styled gray hair. “At my anniversary, respectable people will gather. Professor Tikhomirov with his wife, my friend Isabella Arkadyevna — a distinguished cultural figure, by the way. Even Nikolai Stepanovich Vodyanov himself will be there!”
“And what does that have to do with me?” Sonya still didn’t understand what her mother-in-law was getting at.
“It means it’s a certain circle. Cultured, educated people,” Vera Pavlovna looked at Sonya appraisingly, as if she were an item on a store shelf. “You know… well, you understand. Culinary courses are not the conservatory.”
Sonya clenched her fists under the table so tightly that her nails dug into her palms. It wasn’t the first time her mother-in-law hinted at the “insufficient level” of her daughter-in-law. But an outright ban on attending a family celebration?
“Vera Pavlovna, but all family members are invited,” Sonya protested, trying to keep her voice steady. “I am your son’s wife.”
“Exactly — only a wife for now,” her mother-in-law hissed. “Besides, my celebration will go much smoother if you don’t make an eyesore with your… cultural peculiarities.”
Sonya froze. What did “only a wife for now” mean? And what “cultural peculiarities”? She had studied at a pedagogical institute, only hadn’t finished due to financial difficulties. Yes, she now worked in a culinary studio after chef courses. And what was shameful about that?
“There will be decent people at the anniversary! Stay home and don’t disgrace yourself or me!” her mother-in-law added reproachfully, seeing Sonya hesitate.
Heavy footsteps in the hallway announced Igor’s arrival. Her husband came home tired but pleased — he had been promoted two weeks ago, and now carried extra responsibility.
“Well, how are my girls?” Igor smiled, entering the kitchen. “Mom, why the long face?”
“Nothing special, son,” Vera Pavlovna immediately changed her tone. “We’re just discussing tomorrow’s celebration.”
Sonya looked up — this was the moment of truth. Now her husband would defend her, explain to his mother that she should not be treated like this.
“Mom thinks it’s better if I don’t come to the anniversary,” Sonya said, looking Igor straight in the eyes.
Igor froze halfway to the fridge. His gaze flicked from his wife to his mother and back.
“How can that be?” Igor frowned. “Sonya worked so hard preparing…”
“Oh, come on, Igor,” Vera Pavlovna laughed, approaching her son and fixing his shirt collar with a familiar motherly gesture. “I just said she’d be bored among our conversations. Besides, there’s so much housework, right? We’ll have to get going somewhere after the banquet tomorrow.”
Sonya couldn’t believe her ears. How skillfully her mother-in-law had turned the situation around! And why was Igor silent? Her husband thoughtfully scratched the back of his head.
“Mom, but Sonya is my wife,” Igor finally said, though without much confidence in his voice.
“Of course, son! I’m not saying she absolutely can’t come. Just, you know, considering her… peculiarities… Maybe she’ll drop by near the end? Just to see you off,” Vera Pavlovna smiled sweetly. “We just want everyone to be comfortable, right?”
Sonya sat stunned. “Peculiarities”? What peculiarities? That she came from a simple family? Or that she wore comfortable clothes instead of business suits? Or that she preferred cooking at home instead of dining out? She badly wanted to stand up and leave, but she held back. She needed to hear her husband’s response.
Igor was about to open his mouth when his phone rang. Looking at the screen, he grimaced:
“Sorry, that’s the office, I have to take this.”
Igor left the kitchen, leaving Sonya alone with her mother-in-law. Vera Pavlovna smiled like a winner:
“Well, you see for yourself — Igor has so many important things to do. And you’re just distracting him with your whims.”
Sonya stood up, preparing to leave the kitchen.
“All the best, Vera Pavlovna,” she said, trying to keep her dignity. “I will talk to Igor.”
“Of course, of course,” nodded her mother-in-law. “Just don’t disturb him at work, okay? He’s really making a name for himself!”
Sonya waited until Igor finished his call and approached him in the hallway.
“We need to talk,” she said quietly.
“Sonya, let’s do it later, okay?” Igor looked worried. “There are problems with the project, I need to send documents urgently.”
“Please, this is important,” Sonya insisted. “Your mother basically forbade me from coming to the anniversary.”
Igor sighed heavily and sank onto the couch.
“She didn’t forbid you, she suggested not to come at the start. Mom just worries about her image… She’ll really have important guests.”
“So I’m going to ruin her celebration because of her ‘image’?” Sonya felt her cheeks burning.
“Oh, stop dramatizing,” Igor tried to calm her down. “Mom’s a bit conservative, but she loves you in her own way.”
“Love?” Sonya couldn’t believe her ears. “Igor, she constantly criticizes me! And you know it well.”
“She’s old-fashioned. It’s important for her that her daughter-in-law meets certain standards.”
“What standards, Igor? To be a silent servant?” Sonya didn’t expect to say that out loud.
“Stop it!” Igor frowned. “You’re being unfair to mom. She does a lot for us.”
“For us?” Sonya even laughed. “Igor, open your eyes! She does it for you, not for us. And I’m just a way for her to offload household chores.”
Saying this, Sonya recalled all the times Vera Pavlovna had loaded her with work. Sonya cooked lunch for seven people while her mother-in-law entertained guests. Sonya went to meet her mother-in-law’s acquaintances at the train station despite just returning from a night shift. Sonya ordered the birthday cake for Vera Pavlovna, visiting five bakeries because “last year it wasn’t fluffy enough.”
Igor was silent, staring at the floor.
“I’m not asking for much, Igor,” Sonya continued. “Just that you take my side at least once. Tell your mother that I am your wife and have the right to be at family celebrations.”
Igor looked up. His eyes showed tiredness and indecision.
“Sonya, I understand, but you know mom… She’s hard to argue with. Let’s try to find a compromise? You come later, when the official part is over.”
“A compromise?” Sonya felt something inside break. “Igor, do you even hear yourself? I’m being humiliated and you suggest a compromise?”
“Don’t exaggerate…” Igor rubbed his face tiredly. “Now’s not a good time for conflict. Work is piled up, mom’s anniversary…”
Sonya looked at her husband and didn’t recognize him. Where was the Igor who, three years ago, took her away on a motorcycle from her parents’ house despite his mother’s protests? Who promised they’d always be together against the world?
“Fine,” Sonya finally said. “I understand your position.”
“Are you angry?” Igor tried to hug her but Sonya pulled away.
“No, I just realized a lot,” Sonya replied. “I won’t distract you from work.”
Returning to her room, Sonya sat on the edge of the bed and thought. Three years of marriage. Three years trying to be part of Igor’s family, to please his mother, to create comfort for her husband. And what in the end? She wasn’t even considered worthy to appear at a family celebration.
Other humiliating moments surfaced in her memory. How Vera Pavlovna said at a family dinner, “Lenochka married a candidate of sciences, and you, Igor, where did you find yours?” And Igor stayed silent. How her mother-in-law noted in front of guests, “Sonya studied cooking courses, not Moscow State University, of course, but good enough for a housewife.” And again Igor was silent.
But Sonya never planned to be just a housewife. She had plans to open her own small cafe; she even made a business plan. But Vera Pavlovna so skillfully manipulated her son that he eventually convinced Sonya to “wait with these ideas for now.”
Sonya took out her phone and opened a chat with her friend Katya, who always said Igor was too attached to his mother. Sonya didn’t want to admit it and defended her husband. But now all the facts fit into one ugly picture.
“What if I really don’t go to the anniversary?” Sonya suddenly thought. “Not even show up at the end like a servant, but not come at all? What will Igor say to his important guests? Where is his wife?”
The thought was daring, almost crazy. But for some reason, it brought relief. Sonya suddenly felt like not a powerless daughter-in-law, but a person who could make her own decisions.
Her phone vibrated — a message from Katya: “How’s the prep for the big celebration going?”
Sonya bitterly smiled and typed back: “Imagine, I was removed from participating in the banquet itself. Not good enough for decent company.”
The phone vibrated again almost immediately: “WHAT?! Are you joking?!”
“If only,” Sonya typed. “Mother-in-law said straight out I disgrace the family.”
“And what about Igor?”
Sonya hesitated, not wanting to admit the bitter truth: “As usual. Mom’s tired, mom’s worried, let’s not make a fuss…”
“Sonya, that’s too much! Even for your mother-in-law! What are you going to do?”
Good question. What was she going to do? Swallow another insult humbly? Or finally show that she had self-respect?
Sonya took a deep breath and wrote: “I don’t know. But I definitely won’t go to the anniversary.”
“Right! — Katya replied immediately. — Even better — pack your things and leave for a couple of days. Let Igor feel what it’s like when you’re not around. I can offer my couch.”
Sonya thought about it. That was an idea. Leave. Not forever, just so Igor would think about his behavior. About the fact that no one can allow their wife to be humiliated without consequences, even if it’s their own mother.
“Thanks for the offer,” Sonya replied. “I’ll think about it.”
Sonya got up and went to the closet. Took out a small travel bag and put it on the bed. Then opened the dresser drawer and began taking out necessary things. She wasn’t going to leave forever. Just to make Igor and his mother understand they couldn’t treat her like this.
There was a knock on the door. Igor peeked inside and froze when he saw the half-packed bag on the bed.
“Where are you going?” his voice held surprise.
“To Katya’s,” Sonya answered without looking at him. “I’ll spend the night.”
“Because of the talk with mom?” Igor entered the room. “Sonya, come on, that’s ridiculous. Are you really upset?”
Sonya didn’t answer. She just stood there. And inside, something broke. Three years of marriage, and her husband still didn’t understand the simplest things.
“Sonya, say something,” Igor came closer. “What’s going on?”
“Your mother said I disgrace you by being here,” Sonya said quietly. “And you supported her.”
“I didn’t support anything!” Igor protested. “I just don’t want fights before the celebration.”
“So my humiliation is okay as long as there are no fights?”
Igor rolled his eyes.
“You know her… don’t be picky. Mom just wants everything to be perfect.”
“Perfect is without me, right?” Sonya kept packing.
“Stop dramatizing!” Igor waved irritably. “It’s just one evening at home.”
Sonya looked at her husband:
“Not one evening, Igor. This is a system. Who am I to your mother? A servant? Someone who must do all the dirty work but has no right to appear in public?”
“Sonya…”
“No, really. When she needs to meet her friend at the station at six in the morning — Sonya’s great. When it’s time to bake pies for guests — Sonya’s indispensable. But when it’s time to receive congratulations and shine in society — Sonya must stay home.”
Igor looked away. It was clear her words hurt him, but he wasn’t ready to admit she was right.
“Sonya, let’s do this: you calm down, and we’ll return to this conversation after mom’s anniversary, okay?” Igor suggested. “Everyone’s on edge now.”
“On edge?” Sonya smiled bitterly. “Igor, I was just kicked out of the family. And you talk about nerves.”
“No one kicked you out!”
“Didn’t they? What do you call what your mother did?”
Igor ran his hand through his hair.
“Sonya, let’s not make a mountain out of a molehill. It’s just one celebration.”
“Fine,” Sonya unexpectedly agreed. “Just one celebration. Go, Igor. You need to prepare. I’ll stay home. Don’t worry.”
Igor clearly didn’t expect such a quick surrender.
“Really?” Relief sounded in his voice. “You’re not mad?”
“No,” Sonya resumed packing. “Go, you have a lot to do.”
When her husband left, Sonya sank onto the edge of the bed. Suddenly, she felt a strange calm. The decision came by itself, as if it had always lived inside her, but Sonya didn’t want to notice it.
In the evening, when Igor started talking about tomorrow, Sonya listened silently. He made plans, talked about the speech for his mother, discussed the menu. Sonya nodded at the right moments, feigning interest.
Before sleep, when Igor was already asleep, Sonya took out the blue dress — the one she planned to wear to her mother-in-law’s anniversary. She ran her hand over the silk fabric. The dress was beautiful. Sonya had chosen it carefully, wanting to impress Vera Pavlovna’s acquaintances. Now it didn’t matter. She carefully hung the dress back in the closet.
The morning of the anniversary was hectic. Igor constantly called his mother to check details. Vera Pavlovna called her son with new instructions. Sonya calmly ate breakfast in the kitchen, watching the whirlwind.
“I’m leaving, Sonya,” Igor said, fixing his tie in the hallway mirror. “Don’t be bored here.”
“Of course,” Sonya nodded. “Have a good time.”
The front door slammed shut. Sonya slowly finished her coffee, washed the cup. Then she took out her phone and called Katya.
“Hi,” Sonya said when her friend answered. “Want to meet? I’m unexpectedly free today.”
“Of course!” Katya was delighted. “Shall we meet at our favorite cafe at Chistye Prudy? They have live music today.”
“Great,” Sonya agreed. “In an hour?”
“Deal!”
Sonya changed into a light summer dress. The day was warm, sunny. For the first time in a long while, Sonya felt she could breathe easily. As if she had dropped a heavy burden she had carried all these years.
On her way to the metro, Sonya, without knowing why, stopped by a jewelry store. She looked at her wedding ring. Plain, inexpensive — back then, she and Igor didn’t have money for anything special. Sonya sincerely believed that wasn’t important. That love mattered more than any ring.
Leaving the metro, Sonya walked slowly, looking at shop windows and faces of passersby. Katya was already waiting at a window table in the cafe.
“Well, tell me,” her friend demanded after greetings. “What happened?”
Sonya told her in detail about the conversation with her mother-in-law and her husband’s reaction. Katya listened, shaking her head.
“And you’re just going to leave it like that?” Katya asked when Sonya finished.
“No,” Sonya answered calmly. “But I don’t want scandals. I just ordered dinner and a glass of wine. We have to enjoy ourselves, right?”
Katya looked at her friend carefully:
“What are you happy about now?”
“I don’t know yet,” Sonya admitted honestly. “But I definitely don’t want to be sad because of people who don’t respect me.”
After dinner, the waiter brought dessert — honey cake, Sonya’s childhood favorite. Katya took a photo of her friend with the cake. Sonya smiled — for the first time in a long while, sincerely.
“Can you send it to me?” Sonya asked. “I want to post it in my stories.”
After receiving the photo, Sonya thought for a bit about the caption. Then she wrote: “Sometimes loneliness is freedom.” And posted it.
Katya raised her eyebrows in surprise:
“Is that a hint?”
“No,” Sonya shook her head. “It’s awareness.”
The evening passed surprisingly calmly. Live music, wine, conversations about everything except family problems. Messages from Igor came to her phone, but Sonya didn’t rush to answer. For the first time in a long while, she felt truly good. Without needing to please, meet others’ expectations, or endure humiliation.
While toasts were made at the anniversary, salads and hot dishes served, Sonya for the first time felt: her celebration was here — in silence and without humiliation. Next to a person who accepts her as she is.
Sonya returned home late at night. Igor was not home yet. She took a shower and went to bed. In the morning, she called work and took a day off — luckily, she had enough saved up. She spent the day thinking about her future.
Igor returned in the evening, a bit tipsy, telling how the anniversary went, how everyone praised his mother, what important guests came. Sonya listened half-heartedly. A clear plan formed in her head.
“Sonya, are you listening to me?” Igor asked at one point.
“Yes,” Sonya nodded. “Very interesting.”
“Mom, by the way, asked about you,” Igor said. “She regretted that you weren’t there.”
“Really?” Sonya didn’t even try to hide the skeptical tone.
“Well, yes. She said maybe she was too harsh.”
“Maybe?” Sonya smiled. “How kind of her.”
Igor grimaced.
“Sonya, don’t start again. The party went great. Forget this incident, okay?”
Sonya was silent. Forget? Easy to say. Forget what? How she was humiliated? Or how her husband sided with his mother and let it happen?
For the next two weeks, Sonya lived as if in a parallel reality. She went to work, cooked dinners, talked to her husband. But inside, the decision made on the evening with Katya was growing stronger.
At the end of the second week, Sonya gathered all necessary documents and filed for divorce. The procedure turned out surprisingly simple — they had no jointly acquired property or children. Mutual consent was enough. Only Igor didn’t know yet.
In the evening, Sonya placed a folder with the divorce papers on the kitchen table. When Igor came home from work, she calmly said:
“We need to talk.”
“What happened?” Igor wearily sat down.
“I filed for divorce,” Sonya said simply.
Igor blinked. Then again. As if he couldn’t grasp what he heard.
“What? Because of one day? Because of mom’s anniversary?” genuine bewilderment in his voice.
“No, Igor,” Sonya shook her head. “Not because of one day. Because of our whole life. Because I was always just background. For you, for your mother. Just a convenient housekeeper who can be asked to do anything but cannot be taken to decent society.”
“Sonya, you’re exaggerating! It was just one incident…”
“No, Igor. That was the last straw. I endured disrespect and neglect for a long time. And you know what’s the saddest? You didn’t even notice. For you, everything was fine.”
Igor sat silently, looking past Sonya. Then raised his eyes:
“Are you sure? Maybe think again?”
“I thought. Two weeks. This isn’t a spontaneous decision, Igor.”
“And what now?”
“If you agree to divorce, it will take only a month. If not — it will take longer, but the result will be the same.”
Igor lowered his head.
“I didn’t think it was this serious.”
“I know,” Sonya nodded. “That’s the problem.”
A month later, Sonya Lebedeva, no longer Morozova, entered a small apartment she rented near work. The divorce went quickly and without incident — Igor, surprising everyone, didn’t put up obstacles and signed everything without objections.
Sonya arranged her few belongings and opened the window. Freshness wafted in — a new day was beginning. She took out her phone and opened her notes — there was a detailed business plan for her future cafe. A plan she had made long ago but postponed “until better times.”
“Looks like the better times have come,” Sonya thought, smiling. Now she was the main character in her life. Not a background for someone, but a lead role. And that feeling was worth all the losses.