— That’s it, the free buffet is over! — Nina stood in the middle of the living room, her voice ringing with long-suppressed anger. — ENOUGH! No more money, no more handouts, no more help!
Her mother, Klavdia Petrovna, froze with a glass of expensive wine in her hand. Grigory slowly set aside the tablet on which he’d been picking out a new watch — on his sister’s dime. His wife Evelina stopped photographing the interior for her Instagram.
— Ninotchka, what’s wrong with you? — her mother tried to feign maternal concern, but a flicker of worry flashed in her eyes. — Are you tired from work? Sit down, rest…
— DON’T tell me what to do in MY house! — Nina swept her gaze over the trio. — Three years! THREE YEARS I’ve been supporting all of you! And what do I get in return? NOTHING but new demands!
Grigory stretched lazily on the sofa — the very one Nina had bought a month ago after his complaints about his bad back.
— Sis, don’t get worked up. We’re family. Helping each other is normal.
— HELPING? — Nina laughed, but there was no humor in it. — You call this helping? You haven’t worked for two years! You live on my money, eat my food, use my things!
— I’m having a creative crisis, — Grigory said, offended. — I’m an artist, I need inspiration…
— An artist? In two years you haven’t painted a SINGLE picture! But you reliably burn through a hundred thousand a month of my money!
Evelina rose from the armchair, her perfectly painted lips curling in a contemptuous smirk.
— Nina, envy is an ugly feeling. The fact you don’t have a husband and children isn’t a reason to take it out on us.
— ENVY? — Nina couldn’t believe her ears. — I envy YOU? A woman who hasn’t earned a single kopeck in five years of marriage? Who only knows how to post selfies and spend her husband’s money… or rather, MY money!
— Sweetheart, — Klavdia Petrovna tried to take control, — we understand you’re under strain. But family must stick together. When you were little…
— STOP! — Nina raised a hand. — Don’t start telling me about my childhood! Yes, you raised me. That was your DUTY as a mother! I didn’t ask to be born!
— You’ve become so heartless, — her mother shook her head. — Your heart’s closed off. That’s why you’re alone…
— I’m alone because YOU SCARE OFF all my men! — Nina blurted. — Remember Maksim? You started telling him how clumsy I was as a child right in front of him! And Artyom? Grigory borrowed money from him and didn’t pay it back! And the last one, Vladislav? Evelina flirted with him right before my eyes!
— If a man leaves over such trifles, then he didn’t love you, — Grigory remarked philosophically.
— TRIFLES? You destroyed three of my relationships!
— We were protecting you from the unworthy, — her mother parried.
Nina pulled a folder of documents from her bag and threw it on the table.
— Here are the bills for the last year. Mom — three hundred thousand for your beauty procedures, two hundred thousand for clothes, one hundred fifty for restaurants. Grigory — electronics for four hundred thousand, clothes for two hundred, entertainment for three hundred. Evelina — beauty salons three hundred thousand, shopping five hundred thousand, fitness and yoga one hundred thousand. Total — TWO AND A HALF MILLION in a year! And that’s not counting food, utilities, and gas!
— So what? — Grigory shrugged. — You earn well. You own your clinic…
— I SLAVE like a cursed soul! Twelve hours a day! I perform the most complex surgeries! And you just BLOW my money!
— Nina, it’s unseemly to count money spent on family, — Klavdia Petrovna intoned.
— And is it seemly to PARASITIZE on your own daughter? — Nina looked her mother straight in the eye. — You’re sixty, healthy as an OX, and you haven’t worked for five years! You live on my money!
— I raised you!
— And I’ve repaid you! I’ve supported you for five years! I bought you an apartment, a car, I pay for all your whims! But ENOUGH!
Evelina gave a demonstrative yawn.
— Nina, your hysterics are tiring. We get it, you’re in a bad mood. Maybe you should see a psychologist?
— A psychologist? Great idea! I just saw one! And you know what she told me? That you’re TOXIC people! You exploit me! You manipulate my guilt and sense of duty!
— Nonsense! — Grigory snorted. — Those psychologists only know how to destroy families.
— No, it’s YOU who are destroying things! You’re destroying my life! I’m thirty-five, I have no family, no children, no personal life! Because all my time and money go to you!
— No one forces you to help us, — her mother said coldly.
— REALLY? What about the constant calls complaining of poor health? The tears about having nothing to eat? The reproaches that I abandoned my own family?
— We never… — Evelina began.
— QUIET! — Nina barked so loudly they all flinched. — You come here, eat my food, drink my wine, and then you CRITICIZE! Saying my cooking is bad, the wine is cheap, the furniture uncomfortable!
— We’re just giving our opinion… — Grigory tried to insert.
— I’m NOT INTERESTED in your opinion! This is MY house! I bought it with MY money! And I no longer wish to SEE you here!
— You’re throwing out your own mother? — Klavdia Petrovna pressed a hand to her heart.
— I’m setting boundaries! From today — NO money! At all! Not a penny!
— But how… I have loans… — Grigory mumbled.
— LOANS? — Nina couldn’t believe it. — You took out loans?
— Well… a little… For a car for Evelina…
— For a CAR? I gave you money for a car!
— We bought a more expensive model, — Evelina examined her manicure. — The one you suggested was too basic.
— Too BASIC… — Nina shook her head. — And who’s going to pay the loan?
— We thought you’d help…
— GET OUT! — Nina screamed. — OUT OF MY HOUSE! NOW!
— Ninotchka, calm down, — her mother tried to approach.
— DON’T TOUCH ME! You think I don’t know about your LOVER? About Aristarh?
Klavdia Petrovna turned pale.
— How did…
— A private investigator, Mom! I hired one! I know you’ve been seeing him for a year! And you spend my money on him! You rent him an apartment — on MY dime!
— That’s… that’s not true…
— Here are the photos! — Nina pulled out her phone. — You two at a restaurant, at the theater, at his apartment! And here are the receipts — all paid with the card I gave you!
Grigory stared at his mother, stunned.
— Mom, is this true?
— None of your business! — Klavdia snapped.
— And you know what’s the MOST DISGUSTING? — Nina went on. — Aristarh is MARRIED! He has a family! Kids! And you’re wrecking someone else’s family with MY money!
— Love doesn’t choose…
— LOVE? He’s twenty years younger than you! He’s using you… or rather, my MONEY!
— Jealous that your mother has a man and you don’t? — Klavdia shot back viciously.
That was the last straw. Nina walked to the front door and flung it open.
— OUT! All of you OUT! You have fifteen minutes to pack your things!
— You wouldn’t dare… — Grigory began.
— Security! — Nina called into the hallway.
Two guards appeared immediately.
— Escort these people out. They no longer LIVE here.
— Nina, come to your senses! — her mother pleaded. — Where will we go?
— I DON’T CARE! Go to Aristarh! And Grigory can finally start working!
— I’m depressed…
— You’re LAZY! Pathologically LAZY!
Evelina stood, chin lifted proudly.
— Let’s go, Grisha. We’re not welcome here. Your sister has shown her true colors.
— My true colors? — Nina laughed. — YOU’VE shown YOURS! GREEDY, SELF-SERVING, VILE!
With the guards watching, the trio reluctantly gathered their things. Klavdia sobbed, Grigory muttered curses, Evelina maintained icy composure.
— And leave the keys! — Nina shouted. — To the apartment, the car, the dacha!
— The dacha? But that’s… — Grigory began.
— MY dacha! Bought with MY money! The paperwork is in MY name!
Grinding their teeth, they left the keys on the entryway table.
— You’ll regret this, — hissed Klavdia. — You’ll end up all alone!
— Better alone than with VAMPIRES!
The door slammed. Nina leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. Her heart was pounding wildly, her hands were shaking. But inside there was a strange lightness. As if a heavy stone had fallen from her soul.
The phone rang five minutes later. Mother. Nina declined. Then Grigory. Declined again. Messages poured in one after another.
“Come to your senses!”
“We’re family!”
“You’re making a mistake!”
“Heartless!”
“We raised you!”
Nina blocked all the numbers. Then she called her secretary.
— Zlata? This is Nina Sergeyevna. If my mother, brother, or his wife call — tell them I’m unavailable. And don’t let them into the clinic.
— Understood, Nina Sergeyevna. Did something happen?
— Everything’s fine. I’m just putting my life in order.
That evening Nina sat in the quiet of her apartment. No one turned the TV up to full blast. No one demanded dinner. No one complained. She opened a bottle of wine — not the cheap stuff she bought for family get-togethers, but the expensive kind she loved. She poured a glass and raised a toast:
— To freedom!
A month passed. Nina blossomed. Colleagues remarked she looked ten years younger. There was a sparkle in her eyes; her smile became genuine. She signed up for dance classes, started going to the theater, meeting friends — things she previously had neither time nor energy for.
There was no word from the family. Only through mutual acquaintances did news trickle in: Klavdia had moved in with her sister out in the provinces, Grigory and Evelina had rented a studio on the outskirts.
Business at the clinic was excellent. Without the constant stress, Nina worked even more productively. New clients appeared, the staff expanded. She even met an interesting man — Timofey, the owner of a network of labs. He was intelligent, well-off, and most importantly, self-sufficient.
— You know, — he said over dinner one night, — I admire your strength. Not everyone can break off toxic relationships, even with family.
— It wasn’t easy, — Nina admitted. — But I don’t regret it.
— Good. Life’s too short to spend it on people who don’t value you.
They clinked glasses. Nina smiled. She was truly happy.
Then calls began from unknown numbers. Nina didn’t answer. But one day she picked up — the number had a different city code.
— Nina Sergeyevna? — an unfamiliar male voice. — This is Investigator Vorontsov. I need to talk to you about your brother.
— What happened? — Nina went cold.
— Grigory Sergeyevich has been detained on suspicion of fraud. He was taking out loans using forged documents.
— What?!
— He used your data, forged income statements. The total is more than five million rubles.
Nina sank into a chair.
— But how… I never gave consent…
— Precisely why you’re listed as the victim. We need your statement.
— I… I need to think…
— I understand. But keep in mind — if you don’t file a statement, the banks will still demand payment from you. The loans are in your name.
After hanging up, Nina grabbed her head. Five million! Grigory had run up DEBTS of FIVE MILLION in her name!
The phone rang again. Mother. From an unknown number.
— Nina! — Klavdia’s voice was full of panic. — Grisha’s been arrested! You have to help!
— I HAVE to? After what he did?
— He’s your brother!
— He’s a CRIMINAL! He forged documents! Took out loans in my name!
— He was desperate! You abandoned us!
— I stopped SUPPORTING you! That’s not the same thing!
— If you don’t help, he’ll go to prison!
— Let him GO! That’s his choice!
— Heartless! I’ll curse you!
— GO AHEAD! I stopped caring long ago!
Nina hung up. Her hands trembled with rage. Even now, when Grigory had committed a crime, her mother demanded she bail him out!
The next call was from Evelina.
— Nina, I know we’re not on good terms, but…
— NO! No “buts”! Your husband is a SWINDLER!
— He did it for the family!
— For the family? He was buying himself gadgets and you a car with STOLEN money!
— If Grisha is imprisoned, I’ll be alone… Pregnant…
— Pregnant? You decided to have a child with no means to live?
— We thought things would work out…
— You thought I would start supporting you again! NO! ENOUGH! That’s your problem!
— You’re killing your nephew!
— I’m killing no one! YOU are irresponsible! Having children without thinking how to provide for them!
Nina switched off the phone completely. Then she called her lawyer.
— Spartak? I need help. My brother took out loans in my name…
The proceedings dragged on for two months. Nina provided all documents proving the signatures were forged. The examination confirmed the forgery. Grigory was found guilty.
In court he looked pitiful. Gaunt, unshaven. When the judge read the sentence — three years in a general-regime colony — he burst into tears.
— Nina! — he shouted. — Forgive me! I was a fool!
She walked out of the courtroom without a word.
Outside the courthouse her mother waited. Aged, haggard.
— Happy now? — she hissed. — You had your brother locked up!
— He locked himself up.
— Because of you! If you hadn’t thrown us out…
— ENOUGH! — Nina turned on her mother. — Your whole life you BLAME everyone around you! But never yourselves! Grigory’s a thief not because I stopped supporting him, but because YOU raised him to be a loafer and a freeloader!
— I gave him everything…
— You gave him everything but the main thing — the ability to TAKE RESPONSIBILITY! And now he’s paying for it!
— Heartless witch!
— Yes, I’m heartless! Toward those who leeched off me for years! Toward those who betrayed my trust! Toward those who saw me as a cash cow!
— You’ll end up alone!
— GREAT! Better alone than with relatives like you!
Klavdia shouted something after her, but Nina didn’t listen. She got into her car and drove away.
Another year passed. Nina married Timofey. A modest wedding, only close friends. She invited none of her relatives.
They were happy. Timofey proved to be a caring, attentive husband. They traveled, grew their business, made plans for the future. Nina became pregnant. Life was settling into place.
And then a letter arrived. From Evelina. Handwritten, on cheap paper.
“Nina, I know you don’t want to see me. But I have to tell you something. About your mother and Grigory. About what they hid from you for years.
Your father didn’t die when you were five. He’s alive. He lives in Germany. He has a new family. Klavdia threw him out when she learned of his affair. But she kept getting alimony all these years. In your name. Only you didn’t know. The money went to a separate account your mother controlled.
Grigory knew. He and your mother shared the money. Over eighteen years a decent sum accumulated. Several million. But they spent it all. On their whims.
I found out by accident while going through Grisha’s papers before his arrest. I found old statements, correspondence with your father. He wrote you letters, but Klavdia intercepted them.
Your father is Veniamin Kryukov, the owner of a construction company in Munich. If you want, you can contact him.
I’m sorry I kept silent before. I was afraid. And now I have nothing to lose. Grisha is in prison, I’m alone with a child, scraping by with odd jobs. Klavdia is also in dire straits — Aristarh dumped her as soon as the money ran out.
I don’t know why I’m writing. I guess I want you to know the truth. You have the right.
Evelina”
Nina read the letter three times. Then she slowly sank onto the sofa. Her father was alive. ALIVE! And all these years he’d paid alimony, written letters, tried to contact her!
— What happened? — Timofey put his arm around her shoulders.
She silently handed him the letter. He read it, and his face darkened with anger.
— How vile! They stole not only money from you, but your father!
— Thirty years… Thirty years of lies…
— Will you contact him?
— I don’t know… Probably… I need time…
Timofey held her tighter.
— I’m here. Whatever you decide.
A week later Nina wrote to her father. A brief letter in German — fortunately, she knew the language well.
The reply came three days later. Veniamin wrote that all these years he had dreamed of seeing his daughter. That Klavdia had blackmailed him — threatened to tell Nina awful things, to turn her against him. That he kept every photo of her he could obtain through acquaintances.
He enclosed tickets to Munich. For two.
— Shall we go? — Nina asked her husband.
— Of course. This is important to you.
The meeting was emotional. Veniamin — tall, gray-haired, with kind eyes — wept as he hugged his daughter. His wife, Marta, and the children — Nina’s half-brother and sister — welcomed her warmly.
— I’m so sorry, — her father said. — That I didn’t fight harder. That I let Klavdia steal so many years from us.
— You didn’t steal them. She did. And Grigory.
— I heard what became of them. Your stepmother… I mean Marta… found information online.
— And?
— Klavdia lives in a government nursing home. Aristarh not only left her, he cleaned her out. He emptied her accounts — she foolishly gave him access. And Grigory… After prison, there’s another case waiting.
— I don’t care, — Nina said honestly. — They chose their path.
— You did well. You managed to break free. To build your life.
— It wasn’t easy.
— But you did it. I’m proud of you, daughter.
They spent a week in Munich. Veniamin showed them the city, introduced them to relatives, told them about his life. When they said goodbye, he gave Nina documents.
— What’s this?
— A power of attorney to manage my stake in some Russian business. I still have assets there.
Nina severed her last ties with the past: she blocked her mother’s and brother’s remaining numbers, changed her address, and even took a new last name after marriage. Klavdia Petrovna spent the rest of her days in the nursing home cursing her “ungrateful daughter,” blaming her for all her misfortunes and never acknowledging her own mistakes. After his release, Grigory fled the city to escape creditors and a new criminal case, leaving Evelina and the child to fend for themselves. And Nina lived a full, happy life with her loving husband Timofey — they had a beautiful daughter, Sofya; the family business flourished; and every summer they visited Grandpa Veniamin in Munich, where little Sofya played with her German uncle and aunt in delight, and where Nina finally found the family she had always dreamed of.