Why are you in such a hurry?” Tanya asked, squinting and staring intently at her husband. The New Year had just begun, and he was already planning to leave, which seemed unusual to her.
“To the bus stop. Katya wrote yesterday that she wants to visit us,” Dima replied, already understanding that the news of his sister’s visit might not please his wife. That’s why he had intentionally kept this information hidden until the last moment.
“Katya? Why does she even decide to show up here?” Tanya muttered discontentedly. Their relationship with the sister-in-law had always been cool. Katya was spoiled and capricious, which annoyed Tanya.
“I don’t know exactly,” Dima shrugged. “Maybe she just wants to spend the holidays in peace. She always dreamed of celebrating New Year’s in the countryside, with a sauna and a white snow cover.”
“Hmm,” Tanya stretched out, clearly displeased. “And how long will she honor us with her presence?”
“For a week.”
“For a week?!” Tanya exclaimed, her voice becoming sharper. “So we’re going to languish at home all the holidays?”
“Why do you think that?” Dima smiled. “Katya is already nineteen. She’s an adult and can entertain herself. We can leave her with a friend, let them enjoy themselves. I’ll give them shovels to clear the snow from the paths.”
“With a friend? So she’s not alone?” Tanya frowned.
“Yes, she asked if she could bring a friend. I allowed it.”
“Just wonderful!” Tanya hissed through her teeth, adding clear irony to her words.
“You’re thinking too much about it,” Dima tried to calm her. “It’s even good. Two young girls will find something to do, and we’ll mind our own business.”
Tanya didn’t reply, just lay back down on the pillow. The thought of their house being overrun by noisy students irritated her. But changing the situation was already impossible. Dima dressed and went to meet his sister and her friend.
When the girls arrived, Tanya was just cooking lunch in the kitchen.
“Hello! How’s life?” Katya greeted joyfully as she entered the house. “What are you up to?”
“Hello,” Tanya smiled coldly, trying to maintain outward calm. However, her smile instantly evaporated when she noticed Katya’s tall and slender friend who entered in a revealing outfit.
“This is Veronika,” Katya introduced her, slightly smirking. “We study together.”
“Hello, Veronika,” Tanya said, restraining her emotions but not taking her eyes off the girl’s deep neckline. “What brings you here for the holidays?”
“I’ve always wanted to experience this special countryside vibe…” Veronika began, but Tanya interrupted her:
“There’s no village here, this is an elite community.”
“What’s the difference!” Katya dismissed it. “Alright, I’ll show Veronika around the house.”
A few minutes later, when the girls had gone upstairs, Tanya heard loud laughter coming from the living room. She couldn’t stand it and decided to check what was happening.
In the room in front of the fireplace sat Dima, Katya, and Veronika. Katya’s friend was positioned right next to her husband, animatedly telling him something and occasionally touching his hand. Seeing this, Tanya felt an unusual wave of anxiety. Although she had never been prone to jealousy, she couldn’t help but notice how attractive Veronika looked.
“Dima, could you help me in the kitchen?” Tanya decided to use the moment to distract her husband.
“Of course,” he replied, still smiling, but only got up and followed her after a few minutes.
In the next few days, Tanya’s inner unrest only intensified. Every time she noticed how Veronika flirted with her husband or displayed her provocative behavior, she felt growing annoyance. The girl’s revealing outfits also added fuel to the fire.
Initially, Tanya tried to reassure herself, reminding that she and Dima had been living in this house for over ten years, and during that time, she had never had reason to doubt his fidelity. But one day, as she was going up the stairs, she accidentally overheard a conversation between the two girls.
“Do you think I made an impression on your brother?” Veronika asked quietly.
“Definitely! You should have seen how he was staring at you when you took the book off the shelf,” giggled Katya.
“What next? How should I act?” continued Veronika.
“Just keep doing what you’re doing, seduce him. Imagine if Tanya catches us? She’s so proper, she definitely won’t forgive a betrayal. And then you can be with him, and everything will work out great. This house will be yours, and my brother will marry you!”
“Sounds perfect,” Veronika mused thoughtfully. “He’s really attractive and well-off. If we’re together, you’ll be my sister-in-law too.”
“I can’t wait!” exclaimed Katya, covering her mouth with her hand to not laugh. “I can’t understand what he found in that Tanya.”
These words exploded inside Tanya. Her first reaction was to burst into the room and create a scandal, but she managed to compose herself. Instead, she quietly went down to the living room, pondering how to punish the two of them. However, they themselves provided her with the perfect plan.
“Where’s Dima?” Katya entered the kitchen, followed by Veronika. The latter approached a carafe of water, swallowing another pill.
“Dima’s at the store, he’ll be back soon,” Tanya replied shortly, watching the guest intently.
“What are you taking?” she inquired, trying to maintain calm.
“Just beauty vitamins,” Veronika responded haughtily. “Very useful. You should start taking them too… at your age.”
“I’m fine! I’m only six years older than you!” Tanya hissed, struggling to contain her anger.
“Well, it smells delicious!” sniffed Katya, obviously trying to defuse the situation. “What’s for dinner?”
“Whatever you prepare,” Tanya replied sharply. The thought that she should serve these guests had become unbearable. She was no longer willing to be their unpaid servant.
“What?!” Veronika was surprised. “But we’re guests, not in the kitchen!”
“I’m the hostess of the house, not your cook,” Tanya coldly cut her off, handing a spatula to Veronika. “I’m going for a walk. The snow is particularly beautiful today.”
“Let’s go, Nikusya, let’s take some pictures, and let her figure out the cooking herself,” Katya whispered, leading her friend away.
As soon as they disappeared, Tanya quickly went to the carafe of water, which Veronika had left on the table. Opening the jar of “vitamins,” she carefully examined the contents. The remaining pills were almost all used up, but the white capsules, indistinguishable from ordinary dietary supplements, were just what she needed. She carefully transferred them to another container…
“It’s so wonderful to live in your own home!” Veronika exclaimed enthusiastically, returning from an evening walk. By that time, Dima was already home and helping Tanya clear the table after dinner.
“Oh, we didn’t wait for you?” Katya made a surprised face, noticing the empty plates in the kitchen.
“There’s everything you need in the fridge: fish and minced meat. Cook whatever you want,” Tanya calmly replied, hugging her husband around the waist. “Dima and I were just about to go for a walk. I haven’t had a chance to get outside yet.”
“Your life here is just amazing,” Veronika stretched out enviously, watching the homeowners. As Tanya walked by, she added: “By the way, did you forget your bottle of vitamins? Maybe you don’t need them anymore?”
“Oh, right!” Veronika perked up. “I still need to take them.”
Meanwhile, Katya stood by the fridge, pondering what to cook. However, a few minutes later, she closed the door and ordered food delivery.
A couple of hours later, just before going to sleep, Tanya heard Veronika complaining to her friend about severe stomach pains.
“Probably the food was spoiled,” the girl grimaced, writhing in discomfort.
“But it was tasty,” Katya responded nonchalantly, clearly not attaching importance to the complaints.
All night, while Dmitry peacefully snored in their bed, Tanya lay awake, listening to the noise upstairs. Footsteps and sounds from the bathroom continued until dawn.
The next morning, Tanya got up before everyone else and set the table for breakfast. When Dima woke up, the guests were still asleep.
“They’re sleeping a long time,” he murmured, scratching his head. “Well, I need to go to town for some errands. Will you come with me? We could stop by the stores.”
“No, I don’t feel like it today,” Tanya shook her head. “I’d rather stay home.”
In reality, she decided to carry out her plan to the end, although she would have preferred to spend this time with her husband.
An hour later, when Dima had already left, Katya and Veronika, pale and tired, came downstairs.
“You did this on purpose, didn’t you?” Katya accused, drilling Tanya with her gaze.
“What?!” Tanya genuinely surprised.
“You made Veronika eat fast food so she would suffer all night?!”
“Me?!” Tanya protested. “Maybe you should try some porridge? Sometimes simple food helps.”
After breakfast, Veronika took out her bottle of dietary supplements.
“What’s this?” Tanya feigned surprise. “You’re going to take them again? After spending all night in the bathroom?”
“They’re just vitamins,” Veronika snapped, washing down another pill. “I need to restore the balance to avoid dehydration.”
However, within an hour, the girl again clutched her stomach and ran to the bathroom.
“Tanya, call an ambulance, I feel unbearable!” she almost sobbed, leaning against the wall.
Tanya didn’t engage in an argument and simply returned the contents of the bottle back, then immediately called for medical help. An hour later, Katya and Veronika ended up in the hospital.
When Dmitry returned home, he was immediately curious about the absence of the guests:
“Where are the girls?”
“Well, there’s a thing…” Tanya began, telling her husband that their friend suddenly felt ill and had to seek medical help.
“But why did that happen?” Dima was surprised.
“You know how young people are these days: they stuff themselves with fast food, swallow handfuls of dietary supplements, and then are surprised by health problems,” Tanya replied, barely restraining a smile. She headed to the table where the bottle of “vitamins” used to be, noting that the guests had taken it with them. Apparently, even such lessons remain unnoticed for some—the special remedy that she had discreetly replaced in place of the supplements was hidden so securely that finding it now was impossible.
Veronika spent the rest of the New Year’s holidays in a hospital bed under an IV, convinced that her condition was related to the poor quality of the delivery food. Katya quickly lost patience caring for her friend and preferred to entertain herself, pleased that she remained healthy. This incident was the last straw in their friendship.
A year later, Katya reappeared in their home, but this time as a bride-to-be. Now her mind was no longer occupied with the thought of marrying her brother to her acquaintance. Preparing for her own wedding, she decided to mend her relationship with Tanya, hoping for a warm connection between them in the future.