June sunlight flooded the spacious kitchen where Anna was leisurely making morning coffee. The foam was rising in the cezve, and the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee was spreading through the apartment.
Igor appeared in the doorway, carelessly fastening his shirt.
“Good morning! It smells wonderful!”
Anna poured the coffee into cups, knowing that her ability to brew the perfect cup was one of those things Igor had always especially appreciated.
“How did you sleep?” She set a cup in front of her husband and sat down beside him.
“Excellent. By the way, Mom called yesterday when you were out.”
Anna took a sip, trying to stay calm. Calls from her mother-in-law rarely promised anything pleasant.
“Did something happen?”
“Nothing special. She just wanted to know if you could take her to the clinic tomorrow. She has an appointment at nine.”
Anna froze with the cup in her hands. The next day she had an important presentation for clients she’d been preparing for two weeks.
“Igor, that’s impossible tomorrow. You know about the presentation.”
“Anya, it’s my mom,” Igor’s voice took on a reproachful tone. “She doesn’t ask for this kind of thing often. Can’t you help?”
“What about a taxi? Or Lena? She’s available.”
“Lena’s busy with the kids, and a taxi… Why the extra expense if we can ask family?”
Anna took a deep breath. Dialogues like this were becoming more and more frequent. At first it was small favors—buying medicine, helping with cleaning, a trip to the dacha. Then they began to snowball.
“Fine, I’ll try to reschedule the meeting,” she forced out, though everything inside her resisted the decision.
“That’s perfect!” Igor brightened. “I’m so glad I have such an understanding wife. You always know how important family is.”
He pronounced the word “family” with particular warmth. From the very beginning of their relationship he had constantly emphasized how important it was to be there for loved ones and support them in difficult moments.
That same evening Lena, Igor’s sister, called.
“Anyechka, dear, could you help with the kids on Saturday? My husband and I have been wanting to go to the theater for ages—we already bought tickets.”
Anna had been planning to visit her parents. Her mother had been inviting them to lunch for a long time.
“Len, I’m sorry, but we were going to see my—”
“Oh, come on, your parents can wait!” Lena’s voice took on a petulant note. “Do I ask for favors often? The kids just adore you.”
Anna glanced at the calendar. She hadn’t seen her parents for a month.
“All right,” she yielded again.
When Igor came home that evening, Anna told him about the conversation with his sister.
“Good for you for agreeing,” her husband approved. “Lena really needs a break; she’s with the kids all day.”
“And I don’t?” Anna asked quietly.
“Oh, please, you spend all day in an office. That’s completely different.”
Anna said nothing. Arguing was pointless.
A week later her father-in-law, Viktor Mikhaylovich, called.
“Annushka, here’s the thing… The car broke down, and I still need to get around. Maybe you could let me use yours for a couple of weeks?”
Anna was taken aback. Without a car her life was almost impossible—work across different parts of the city, client meetings.
“Viktor Mikhaylovich, I can’t manage without the car. My schedule is tight…”
“Oh, come now, you’re young—riding the metro a couple of times isn’t a problem!” her father-in-law replied good-naturedly. “We’re one family; we have to help each other.”
Later there was another conversation with Igor.
“Igor, how am I supposed to work without a car? I have meetings, presentations…”
“Anya, it’s only temporary. Dad really needs it. And he’s right—you can put up with it for the sake of family.”
Anna increasingly noticed that her life was turning into an endless string of concessions. Every time she tried to say “no,” she was reminded: “We’re family.”
The real test came with a promotion at work. Anna had worked hard for the position, studied a lot, put in the effort. Finally it paid off—she was promoted to department head.
Sharing the news with her husband, she added cheerfully:
“Imagine, now we can fulfill our old dream! Remember how we wanted to go to Europe?”
Igor gave a strange smile.
“You know, there’s this… Mom and Dad decided to renovate their kitchen. And Katya’s wedding is coming up…”
Anna went still. Once again, his relatives were more important than their joint plans.
“And?” she asked cautiously.
“Well, they need financial help. Now that your salary has gone up…”
Anna couldn’t believe her ears.
“So you’re suggesting I hand over my money for a renovation and a wedding?”
Igor just shrugged.
“Why not? We’re all family.”
Anna looked at her husband as if seeing him for the first time. When had his family become more important than their own?
All evening she paced, thinking about how they had once dreamed of traveling together, building a future. All those plans were dissolving amid the endless requests from his relatives.
“We need to have a serious talk,” Anna said firmly, walking into the room where Igor was absorbed in a TV show.
“About what?” He didn’t even bother to look up from the screen.
“About our relationship. About money, about plans.”
Igor reluctantly turned off the TV.
“Why are you upset? It’s a normal situation. Family needs support.”
“No, this isn’t normal,” Anna sat on the edge of the chair. “It’s my money, Igor. Money I earned. I worked so hard, I strived for this promotion.”
“And what now? You’re going to manage all the income on your own?” Igor jumped up sharply. “You’ve changed, Anya. You used to be different. Now you only think about yourself.”
The words struck her right in the heart. Anna clenched her fingers into fists.
“I’m thinking about us,” her voice sounded firmer than she expected. “About the plans we made together. About the trip we promised each other.”
“When will you find time for dreams?” Igor waved her off. “My sister’s wedding is around the corner. My parents started a renovation.”
“And where is our family in all this? Our shared dreams?”
“Enough!” Igor raised his voice. “In a normal family a wife helps her husband’s relatives. That’s natural and proper.”
The days after that conversation turned into an endless “silent war.” Anna left for work long before dawn and came home late at night, when the house was already dark. Igor ostentatiously ignored her existence.
Her mother-in-law, Nina Pavlovna, didn’t stay out of it either. Every day she called her son, loudly scolding her daughter-in-law over the phone.
“Your wife has completely let herself go,” she lamented. “In my day, no one behaved like that. We knew our place.”
Anna pretended not to notice these conversations. She buried herself deeper in work. New projects demanded total commitment, but at the office she was valued for her professionalism, not reproached for selfishness.
Their fifth wedding anniversary was approaching. Anna hoped the day would be a turning point. Maybe Igor would remember how happy they used to be together. How they supported each other.
But that evening, when she came home, she found her husband at the kitchen table. He sat with his arms crossed over his chest, his expression tense.
“I’ve been thinking,” he began with a heavy sigh.
Anna stopped in the doorway. From his tone it was clear: the upcoming conversation would be difficult.
“Of course you have the right to your own opinion,” Igor went on, “but you need to understand one simple thing. In a family, everyone supports one another.”
He paused, as if giving her a chance to object. But Anna remained silent, waiting.
“Mom gave her whole life to me,” his voice was growing louder, full of emotion. “Sleepless nights when I was sick. Three jobs to pay for my education. What can I do for her now, if not provide help?”
Igor spoke faster and faster, as if trying to convince not only his wife but himself.
“And Katya? She’s twenty. A wedding is an important milestone. How can we not help? And you and I have enough. We live comfortably.”
Each word felt like a blow. Anna felt a storm of incomprehension rising inside her.
“You’re my wife, not a stranger!” he concluded, slapping his palm on the table. “That means you’re obliged to help my family!”
In that moment, something inside her finally snapped. She looked at her husband and no longer recognized the man with whom she had once made plans for the future. Where was the Igor who said that the two of them together were a complete family?
A different man sat before her. To him she was not a partner, not a beloved, but merely a source of resources for his relatives.
Images from the past surfaced: canceled visits to her parents, weekends spent helping her mother-in-law, money lent with no hope of return. Endless concessions and compromises that seemed never-ending.
Anna slowly sank into a chair. She looked at her husband and tried to understand—when had everything changed? At what moment had she allowed herself to become a convenient component of his life?
Drawing a deep breath, she raised her eyes.
“I’m your wife, not a free source of funds for your relatives,” her voice was cold and steady.
Igor rolled his eyes.
“Here we go again. All you think about is money. That’s the whole point of your life,” the contempt in his voice was obvious.
That night Anna didn’t sleep. She lay staring at the ceiling, remembering everything: their first dates, his proposal, the wedding celebrations. All those memories now tasted bitter.
How had a warm feeling turned into a constant sense of obligation? Every day—new demands. Time, effort, finances—everything slipping through her fingers, and instead of gratitude came reproaches.
In the morning Anna got up earlier than usual. She took out a large suitcase and began to pack her things and documents. Igor watched her with a mocking smile.
“What’s this performance?” he asked, leaning against the doorframe. “Decided to make a show of character?”
“I’m leaving,” she answered calmly, snapping the suitcase locks shut.
Her husband laughed.
“Throwing a tantrum again? You think I’ll believe you’re serious?”
Anna silently picked up the suitcase and walked past him to the front door. Surprise flickered in Igor’s eyes.
“You’re really doing this?” his voice wavered.
An hour later she was opening the door of her old apartment—a small studio she had once bought to rent out. Now it felt like a real refuge. Here no one would demand, judge, or reproach.
For the first time in a long while, she felt free. No more accounting for every penny. No more sacrificing her time for other people’s needs. She could simply live.
Days blended into weeks, weeks into months. Anna immersed herself in work, met up with friends, started exercising. Life acquired new colors again.
Igor showed up three months later. He called late in the evening.
“Let’s meet and talk,” his voice was soft, almost pleading. “I understand everything now. I promise to change.”
Anna smiled, looking at the phone.
“Too late,” she said quietly. “Much too late.”
Her husband didn’t understand the main thing: it wasn’t the refusal to help his relatives that ruined their relationship. The problem was that, in his eyes, she had long ceased to be a full-fledged person. She had become only a function, a part of his life.
Even their fifth wedding anniversary passed unnoticed. Igor forgot the date, and for Anna it was yet another sign. She spent the day at work and took a walk along the embankment in the evening. The wind tugged at her hair; the sun was sinking toward the horizon.
Strangely, instead of sadness, she felt a sense of release. It was as if a heavy backpack had fallen from her shoulders. Now this life belonged to her alone. She didn’t need to be convenient—she just needed to be happy.
Anna took out her phone and opened an airline’s website. Her vacation started in a week. It was time to fulfill her long-standing dream of traveling through Europe. Even alone—at least on her own terms.