I transferred all the money from your account to my card,” Maria told her stunned husband, “as compensation for moral damages. I’ve been slaving away at two jobs for 10 years, supporting you and our children. I have every right to these funds.”
Masha said these words to her husband exactly one year ago. Since then, she has changed a lot, mainly taking the time to rest and put her life in order. Who would have thought that a promising financial expert could make such a cruel mistake in her choice of partner?
Masha and Igor met during business negotiations. She had recently started working at a large company. She graduated from a financial institute with honors, had interned there, and now secured a respectable position.
The other side was represented by a dashing young man, Igor. He worked with partners and competitors. The young people settled their business matters almost immediately and exchanged phone numbers.
That evening, Igor called Masha and asked her out. She liked him, and agreed to the date. After a few meetings, they realized they couldn’t live without each other.
Their romantic relationship didn’t interfere with their career aspirations. They agreed to keep feelings and work separate. Each respected the other’s interests, and no misunderstandings arose.
This continued for a while. Then, Igor proposed to Masha. After a token hesitation, she agreed.
They decided against a lavish wedding. After all, the event would require substantial expenses. They opted for a modest reception, inviting only the closest people.
There weren’t many. The young professionals had not been focused on personal lives before meeting each other. They preferred to dedicate their time to their careers.
The newlyweds lived in Masha’s apartment. She had already taken out a mortgage and settled into her own home. Meanwhile, Igor continued to move between rented rooms or stayed with friends.
The newlyweds decided not to change jobs. Each had already achieved some success in their companies, so they preferred to keep their official status quiet. In public, they spoke dryly and reservedly, avoiding any liberties.
They meticulously adhered to business ethics. This behavior pleased their superiors. The management was lenient about the spouses working for competing firms.
Time passed. One day, Masha felt unwell. She realized she was pregnant. She was overjoyed and immediately contacted Igor to share the happy news.
Igor shared her joy, though he expressed concern about financial difficulties. Maria earned more than him, and her maternity leave would impact the family’s financial situation.
But Masha assured her husband that she would continue working remotely. The child wouldn’t be a hindrance. This meant that the mortgage obligations would be met on time.
Igor was satisfied with this arrangement. He immersed himself in his career. He rarely came home and brought almost no money home. Maria still supported the family.
The birth of the child did not disrupt their usual pace of life. Masha managed the household, cooked dinners, did the laundry, and wrote reports at night.
During this period, her husband began to complain that things at his company were going poorly. They were cutting his salary. The boss promised to rectify the situation but asked the staff to endure.
Maria supported her husband. She told him that the management valued loyal and dedicated employees. When business improved, Igor would surely be rewarded accordingly.
The child was no trouble for the parents. He was a calm baby, slept at night, didn’t fuss, and was not sick.
Two years passed. They decided to send the little boy to kindergarten. Masha’s boss was already talking about how eagerly he awaited her return to work.
And the day came when Maria returned to her company. She received a promotion, was in good standing, and was promised excellent career growth.
Meanwhile, Igor fell into apathy. Business at his firm was terribly bad. He even reproached his wife for being his main competitor.
He started coming home late, was angry, snapped at his son and wife, and constantly complained about having no money. Masha was deeply hurt by words he said in passing:
“If I hadn’t married you, everything would have been different. Now I’m in a hopeless situation. I can’t leave you and our son. I would feel like a scoundrel. And I can’t work myself to death anymore. You earn much more. What kind of man am I? Nothing, that’s what!”
Maria consoled her husband:
“Igor, don’t talk like that. A husband and wife should share joys and sorrows equally. Want me to talk to the director and get you a job at our company? You’re a good specialist, they’ll definitely appreciate you.”
But Igor refused:
“How will I look in front of your colleagues? They’ll say I’m henpecked, hired at the wife’s request. No, I’ll work at my own company. I’ll wait for better times.”
“Of course, my love, my salary is enough. We’ve already paid off the mortgage. Let’s buy a car. You can drive to work in your own car.”
“Alright, Masha. I, for my part, will do everything in my power to keep the business afloat.”
Seven years passed. The son had started school, Maria was promoted to department head, and Igor had completely fallen apart. He began drinking and once confessed to his wife that he had been fired from his job. True, his boss felt sorry for him and offered him a position as a driver.
Masha was astonished but managed to compose herself and decided: let her husband work as a driver at least. Thus, he would be behind the wheel, and would be afraid to tip a glass.
Maria took on all the financial responsibilities of the family. She worked for two, but the salary was decent. However, stress and exhaustion did not go unpunished. One day, she fainted right in the office.
Frightened colleagues called an ambulance. The doctor’s verdict was unequivocal:
“You’re under severe stress. Your blood pressure is high. You need to be hospitalized.”
But the examination showed completely different results. They surprised Maria. She was not prepared for a new pregnancy. It turned out that her fatigue and malaise were related to this condition.
Confused, Masha returned home. She eagerly awaited her husband to share the news. She was sure her husband would ask her to terminate the pregnancy. But unexpectedly, he said:
“We can’t refuse what the Lord gives. We’ll manage somehow. Besides, the state now supports parents. Maternity capital will help us expand our living space.”
These words somehow did not alarm Masha. She was glad that her husband did not make a scandal and even was happy about the future child.
The second pregnancy was difficult for Masha. She was constantly on medical leave, already unable to work remotely. Doctors recommended avoiding computer work and any work-related stress.
Maria complied with the specialists and took unpaid leave. She planned to return to work duties after the birth of the baby. The management promised to help with hiring a nanny.
But this child was nothing like her firstborn. He cried all night, and it seemed that any infection would cling to him. Maria practically spent the next year in the hospital.
She couldn’t keep up with household chores and was very tired. Igor refused to help, arguing that now he was the sole breadwinner. The situation at home worsened every day.
Igor constantly reproached his wife for “doing nothing.” He believed she deliberately did not return to work, blamed her for the poor care of the child. After all, he was constantly sick. There was a catastrophic lack of money. The family lived on pasta.
Eventually, Masha decided to find a job at night. She figured that while the baby slept, she could alleviate her husband’s financial burden.
She only managed to find work in a shopping center. Here they cleaned the premises at night when there were no customers. Now Maria gave up sleep altogether.
During the day, she took care of the children and the house, and in the evening she went to mop floors. But even this hard period came to an end. Masha endured. She did not despair.
Her second son went to kindergarten. Immediately, time appeared, which Maria decided to use for work. The family desperately needed it. But it turned out that the former management was not ready to accept a mother with two perpetually sick children. They refused her. The disheartened woman was quietly walking home when she was suddenly called out:
“Masha, is that you? Really? Let me look at you,” Maria was turned around by a former classmate. She worked at the same company as her husband. But they hadn’t seen each other for several years.
“Masha, what’s with you? Why do you look like that? Are you sick? Igor didn’t say you had problems! He himself is sleek and well-groomed! A very impressive man!”
Masha didn’t even understand who her acquaintance was talking about now. In her opinion, Igor could not be sleek and well-groomed. He came home tired, talked about how he was exhausted, spending all day behind the wheel. After all, he still worked as a driver for the company’s leader.
But the classmate was already dragging Masha to the nearest cafe:
“Come on, I’ll treat you to coffee. Tell me about yourself. I heard you had a second child? Is that why you look like this? And Igor can’t find a nanny for the baby? His income allows him to hire a staff of servants. He doesn’t appreciate you at all! Masha, ask him, you need help! You’re pale, thin, like a ghost!”
Masha listened to her husband’s colleague in astonishment and thought she had lost her mind. When could a driver afford to hire a staff of servants? Yes, Igor’s salary was only enough for pasta and bread!
She told her classmate:
“You’re confused, Vera. My husband is a driver. What income? We’re scraping by on bread and water. With the birth of the second child, life has changed completely.
He constantly needs medication, he’s often sick, I barely persuaded the head of the kindergarten to accept him. The management fired me, they decided they didn’t need a mother of two children.
And our firstborn went to school. And that, you know, what expenses. We’re not coping. I’m already mopping floors at night to ease Igor’s life a little!”
“There, that scoundrel!” Vera suddenly exclaimed, “You really don’t know anything about your husband! Sit down, drink coffee, now I’ll order a cake too. Strengthen yourself. And listen.
Your Igor is the deputy of our general director. He handles all the major deals. Not a single contract passes without his participation. My friend works in accounting. She loves to chat and gossip. The salary of the general and his deputy—wow, what a salary! Your husband leaves home for several days?
“Well, yes. Just recently he wasn’t home for three whole days. He said that the management went to some forestry. But he’s my driver. He goes wherever he’s ordered!”
“Mashka, you’re out of your mind! Your husband was in Bali with his mistress. We say he bought her a house there. And he has a luxurious cottage outside the city. We were there, he invited us for his birthday. True, he said everything would be modest. Supposedly the wife and children went to visit a grandmother in the village. And he doesn’t want to celebrate the date formally without her, that is, without you!”
“I traveled to the province? I only go to the store for 5 minutes, plus I clean in the shopping center at night. And I don’t have a grandmother. My mom died a long time ago, you know that.
“Well, yes, I kind of forgot about that fact and didn’t suspect anything. What a scoundrel! You know, Masha, you need to teach him a lesson. He’s a smug type, we don’t like him.
They think he’s too stuck up, proud of his position and wealth. And it turns out he’s keeping his wife and children on bread and water! Check his accounts, Masha. It’s easy to do nowadays. Most importantly, get access to his phone.”
The women agreed to meet the next day to discuss details. Additionally, Vera promised Masha to show photos taken at the mansion during Igor’s birthday celebration to confirm her words. And she indeed provided evidence. Masha no longer doubted.
Then everything went according to a planned scenario. Masha suggested a drink when he came home from work. He habitually began complaining about the difficult fate of a driver, obliged to fulfill the whims of a whimsical boss. He supported his wife’s idea.
Igor quickly got drunk, and Masha gained access to his mobile phone. But the gadget’s screen was locked. It required the husband’s fingerprint. Without much thought, the woman applied her sleeping husband’s finger to the screen. A signal sounded, warning of the block being removed.
Maria accessed the service Igor used. Here, too, a fingerprint was needed for entry. But the woman already knew what to do.
When all passwords were removed, she saw a colossal amount on the bank account. Without hesitation, she transferred the money to her own card. Then Maria deleted the transaction history. All that remained was to wait for sobriety and awakening of her husband.
The morning didn’t start with a cup of coffee for Igor. His wife stood at the head of the bed. But her look was not guilty as usual, but determined.
“He’s about to ask for money for sneakers for the eldest and vitamins for the youngest,” Igor thought sadly. But he was cruelly mistaken. Maria asked:
“Igor, tell me, what’s your position in the company?”
“What kind of questions, Masha? You know perfectly well that I’m just a driver. Because of your children, I lost a decent place. And now I’m forced to work as a chauffeur.”
“These children are as much yours as mine. Notice, you don’t spend a minute on them. You don’t help around the house, don’t go shopping, and lately, you don’t even give money for them! You say the company has difficulties and they delay the salary?”
“Yes, that’s true, Masha. What’s with the strange interrogation?”
“Darling, I found out you have a mistress. You bought her a house in Bali and have a good time there, not in the forestry, as you told me!”
“Masha, fear God! Who told you this nonsense? I have to ride with the management across the region. There’s no time even for lunch. And they don’t pay the salary. True, they promised next month. I understand you’re tired, but endure a little longer. By the way, you have the night shift again today. Maybe you’ll ask the store cashier for a loan? We’re out of coffee.”
“Scoundrel and villain! I’ve seen your bank account. You’ve been deceiving me for 10 years. And not just me, but also your children. You’ve been riding on my neck while living at your pleasure. Pretending to be poor and miserable, a victim of domestic problems!”
Igor reached for his phone and opened the banking app. He saw that there was no money in his account, and the transaction history had been cleaned.
“Well, convinced, dear? I and my children deserve a bit of rest!” Maria watched her pale husband and continued:
“I transferred all the money from your account to my card,” Maria told her stunned husband, “as compensation for moral damages. I’ve been slaving away at two jobs for 10 years, supporting you and our children. I have every right to these funds.”
Masha and Igor divorced. The court did not satisfy the aggrieved husband’s petition to divide the property in half. Moreover, Maria’s defense insisted that her husband pay his wife for the years she serviced him.
The children stayed with their mother. His mistress kicked out the impoverished Igor. He was no longer needed. The general director immediately fired the deputy when Vera informed him of the manipulations he conducted in his family. He decided that such a deceitful and evasive person could not be trusted with business.
Maria approached the management of the shopping center where she worked as a cleaner, asking for a chance to try herself as an administrator. The director reviewed her documents and agreed.
Soon, Maria was invited to an interview by the director of the company where Igor once worked. He made her his deputy and did not regret the decision.
Her abilities and talents took the business to a new level. Neither Maria nor her children ever knew deprivation again. And Igor was only reminded by a mug he left behind. And even that was thrown into the garbage can.