“You spend too much on yourself,” my husband said. So I suggested he live for one month on his salary alone.

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Look, Tolya, what a great buy!” I showed my husband my new winter boots. “Leather—and they were fifty percent off!” Anatoly glanced at the box and grimaced. “Boots again? You already have, what, five pairs! You spend too much on yourself, Olya. You’re always buying something. A dress, boots, some expensive cosmetics…” I counted in … Read more

“I didn’t invite them and I don’t want to see them! If they come, you’ll be ringing in the New Year without me!” — the wife gave her husband an ultimatum.

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Anton was zipping up the last zipper on the travel bag when Lena walked into the room with her phone in her hand. The look on her face told him immediately—something had happened. “Your mother called,” she said quietly—too quietly. “She congratulated you on the trip. Said she’s very happy for us. And that Sveta … Read more

— “I’ll get straight to the point. You’re going to transfer all your savings to me right now, and I’ll tell Tolya that you’ve realized you were wrong. Then your husband will come back to you.”

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— “I’ll get straight to the point. You’re going to transfer all your savings to me right now, and I’ll tell Tolya you’ve realized you were wrong. Then your husband will come back to you.” “Sorry… what exactly am I supposed to do?” “Don’t play dumb,” her mother-in-law smirked. “I know everything. You were saving … Read more

“Your place is in the kitchen!” the husband shouted in front of the guests. “And yours is with your mother,” the wife replied calmly, handing him the divorce papers.

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“Your place is in the kitchen!” Alexey shouted, cutting his wife off sharply in front of the astonished guests. The table on the veranda, decorated with a festive tablecloth and summer flowers, fell into a stunned silence. Tatyana slowly lifted her eyes from her plate and met her husband’s gaze. There were no tears and … Read more

— “If you don’t like that I come to your home, then don’t come to mine either,” Lera said to her mother-in-law, closing the door.

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Lera wiped the sweat from her forehead and glanced at the clock. It was half past five in the evening, and at home nothing was ready yet for her husband’s return. The August heat made cleaning especially exhausting, but in the two-room apartment she had inherited from her parents, order always had to be maintained. … Read more

“Why do you think my apartment is some kind of communal home?” Vera asked, looking at her mother-in-law as if she were joking.

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Vera was folding the clean laundry into the wardrobe when she heard the familiar cough behind her. Maria Nikitichna stood in the bedroom doorway, surveying the room with a critical eye. Her mother-in-law came to “visit” three times a week, but every visit turned into an inspection. “Verочка, you’re hanging the towels wrong,” Maria Nikitichna … Read more

My mother-in-law came to “stay for a couple of days,” and a week later she started changing the locks. I didn’t argue—I just showed her one old document.

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The doorbell rang at the exact moment Lena finally exhaled after a brutal workweek. Saturday morning was supposed to be lazy: the smell of fresh coffee, plans to repot the flowers on the balcony, and maybe a long breakfast with her husband. But the insistent chime seemed to slice the cozy silence of the apartment … Read more

“You owe 400 thousand and a good wedding gift for my sister!” — the wife was stunned by her husband’s audacity.

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Karina couldn’t stand family gatherings at her mother-in-law’s. Valentina Mikhailovna would always take out her “special occasion” china with gilded rims—kept locked away in the cabinet on ordinary days—and put on a performance as the most hospitable hostess in the world. Today she was bustling around the kitchen again, making a roast and fanning out … Read more

“You owe 400 thousand and a good wedding gift for my sister!” — the wife was stunned by her husband’s audacity.

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Karina couldn’t stand family gatherings at her mother-in-law’s. Valentina Mikhailovna would always take out her “special occasion” china with gilded rims—kept locked away in the cabinet on ordinary days—and put on a performance as the most hospitable hostess in the world. Today she was bustling around the kitchen again, making a roast and fanning out … Read more

Where do you think you’re going?! Guests have come to see you!” the mother-in-law exclaimed in surprise—only to receive the exact answer she deserved

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Alina struggled to open the door, shifting the heavy grocery bags from one hand to the other. Friday evening—the end of a long week—and the only thing she wanted was a hot bath and silence. But the moment she stepped inside, her foot struck someone’s huge backpack lying right in the entryway. “What is this?” … Read more