“Where’s the soup I made yesterday?” Sveta asked, surprised.
“I threw it out,” her mother-in-law replied briskly, stirring something in the pan. “It was too watery. I made a new one — richer and thicker. A man needs to be well fed!”
Sveta and Lesha lived in a small but cozy apartment on the outskirts of the city. Their life seemed steady: their daughter Milana had just started kindergarten, and Sveta finally felt she could consider returning to work. She dreamed of building a career, having financial independence, and rediscovering the part of herself that had been put on hold during maternity leave. But Lesha saw things differently.
“Well, now that Milana’s going to kindergarten, maybe it’s time for the second one,” he said one evening, wrapping an arm around her.
“Maybe we can wait a bit?” Sveta offered gently. “I want to find a job, help with the family expenses. Things have been tight lately.”
“So now you’re saying I don’t provide enough?” Lesha frowned.
“Not at all,” Sveta said quietly. “But I’d like us to be able to plan for the future—maybe save up, renovate the apartment. Things like that.”
The conversation ended awkwardly. Lesha left the room, and Sveta stayed back, scrolling through job listings. She decided to find something closer to home — maybe in a bank or office — so she could balance work and parenting.
The next morning, Sveta walked Milana to kindergarten. “Mom, are you going to work today?” the little girl asked.
“I’m going to talk to someone about a job, sweetie,” Sveta replied.
“Can we get marshmallows on the way home?”
“Absolutely.”
After the drop-off, Sveta headed to a local bank for an interview. She was nervous but hopeful. The interviewer, a kind woman, listened carefully and smiled as they spoke.
“You’re a great fit,” she said. “We’ll be in touch within a few days.”
As she stepped outside, Sveta finally allowed herself a small, joyful smile.
That evening, Sveta cooked dinner with renewed energy. She set the table just as Lesha walked in.
“Wow,” he said, surprised. “What’s the occasion?”
“I just wanted to celebrate. I might have found the right job.”
Lesha’s smile faded. “I didn’t think you’d actually go through with it.”
Sveta looked at him calmly. “I want to work. I want to feel fulfilled—not just as a mom and wife, but as myself.”
The dinner was quiet after that, but for the first time in a long while, Sveta felt like she had taken an important step.
Training at the bank started the following week. Sveta loved it—she felt confident, capable, and energized by the challenges. Every day, she balanced her duties at home and her studies with care and determination. Lesha was supportive in his own way, though he remained distant from the daily chores.
Then one day, Sveta came home and found the front door already open.
“Did I forget to lock it?” she wondered.
Inside, to her surprise, she found her mother-in-law, Galina Anatolyevna, comfortably seated at the kitchen table.
“Surprise!” Lesha said when he got back from the store. “Mom’s going to stay with us for a while.”
Though startled by the lack of notice, Sveta kept her composure.
Over the following days, life at home became increasingly stressful. Galina began to take over the kitchen, dismiss Sveta’s efforts, and suggest how she should run the household.
When Sveta found her favorite pan burnt beyond repair one evening, she sighed deeply.
“I’m sorry,” Galina said, brushing it off. “We cook differently in the village.”
That evening, during dinner, Galina brought up the topic of having another child.
“It’s time,” she said. “You’re already thirty.”
“That’s a personal decision,” Sveta replied calmly. “And it’s not something anyone else can decide for me.”
Lesha looked uncomfortable but didn’t intervene.
Tension grew until one evening Sveta, exhausted from her first full workday, found herself cleaning a messy kitchen again while hearing quiet criticisms about her priorities.
She took a breath and finally said, “I need space to focus on work, on our daughter, and on a peaceful home. Maybe it’s time to talk about boundaries.”
Lesha was surprised. He hadn’t expected her to speak so directly.
After a long conversation, they agreed that changes were necessary. Galina returned to her own home soon after, and while the path forward for the couple was still uncertain, Sveta felt proud of herself. She had stood up for her voice, her goals, and her family’s balance.
Eventually, Sveta and Lesha chose to go their separate ways. While it was a difficult chapter, it led to growth. Sveta focused on her daughter and her new role at the bank. Years later, she remarried — this time on her own terms — and joyfully welcomed a son into her life, not out of obligation, but out of love.
