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<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u2014 This is my apartment. And I\u2019m not going to\u2026\u2014 Yours? \u2014 her mother-in-law interrupted. \u2014 What about the family? Sasha, are you hearing what your wife is saying?<\/p>\n
Katya slowly, almost reluctantly, opened the door to her apartment. It was nearly nine in the evening. She had stayed late at work, never finishing that important project which had consumed her entire day. As always, the kitchen filled with noise\u2014the loud voice of her mother-in-law echoing through half the apartment.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 Late again! \u2014 Lyudmila exclaimed as the door opened. \u2014 Sasha is hungry, he\u2019s waiting!\u201d<\/p>\n
Katya sighed deeply as she removed her coat. She couldn\u2019t understand what was happening any longer. A month and a half ago, when Sasha asked if his parents could stay while their apartment was being renovated, it had seemed like a simple matter \u2014 two or three weeks at most. Time had flown by, yet they still hadn\u2019t left. It seemed that in another month or two, this whole situation would turn into an endless nightmare.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 Good evening, everyone,\u201d Katya said as she stepped into the kitchen.<\/p>\n
At the table, Sasha and Nikolai were seated, their eyes glued to the television. Lyudmila was clanging pots at the stove, as if dinner had never existed.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 I told you to be here no later than seven,\u201d Lyudmila continued, looking at Katya. \u201cWe have a routine; we\u2019re used to having dinner on time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Katya merely shrugged and, without changing, went over to the refrigerator.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 I have work,\u201d she replied calmly. \u201cAn important project. I had to finish it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWork, work\u2026\u201d Lyudmila mimicked with a snort. \u201cAnd what about your husband? Sasha, say something to her!\u201d<\/p>\n
Sasha squirmed in his chair, shrugging his shoulders. There was an awkwardness in his voice, as if he himself didn\u2019t know what he wanted. His answer came with a delay:<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 Katyush, maybe you really should come home earlier?\u201d<\/p>\n
Katya pressed her lips together. This had never happened before. Sasha had never reproached her for being late. But now\u2026 with his parents around, he had become someone else. Or was it just her perception?<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 Yes, yes,\u201d Nikolai, supporting his son, said, not taking his eyes off the television. \u201cA woman should think about the family. In our day\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
For a moment, Katya stopped, feeling her chest tighten. Things had been different before. And now\u2026 she couldn\u2019t understand what was happening.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 I\u2019ll prepare dinner now,\u201d she said as she pulled out bags of groceries.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 Don\u2019t trouble yourself,\u201d Lyudmila snorted without looking away from the pots. \u201cI\u2019ve already done everything. And I rearranged your dishes\u2014they were all wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n
Katya froze, not believing her ears.<\/p>\n
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\n\u201c\u2014 What do you mean, rearranged? This is my kitchen, Lyudmila\u2026\u201d her voice trembled slightly with hurt.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 Exactly, your kitchen,\u201d her mother-in-law cut in. \u201cBut things need to be organized smartly. I\u2019m an experienced housekeeper!\u201d<\/p>\n
Katya felt her body heat up. She glanced at the table\u2014Sasha, who had once been so close and understanding, now sat avoiding her gaze. And the person sitting next to him clearly had no sense of boundaries.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 And besides,\u201d Lyudmila continued, now commenting on the wallpaper on the walls, \u201cthis place clearly needs a renovation. It all looks rather outdated.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 Lyudmila\u2026\u201d Katya tried to speak as calmly as possible, though it was difficult. \u201cWe agreed that you\u2019d stay while your place was being renovated. But the renovation hasn\u2019t even started. Maybe it\u2019s time to think\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, the renovation turned out to be a mess,\u201d Lyudmila sighed, spreading her hands. \u201cThe craftsmen let us down, the materials were all wrong. We\u2019ll have to stay with you a bit longer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow long?\u201d Katya asked in a controlled tone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, two to three months, no more,\u201d Lyudmila replied casually, as if it were a trivial matter. \u201cWhat\u2019s the big deal? We\u2019re not in your way!\u201d<\/p>\n
Katya felt her hands begin to tremble. Two to three months? Will it go on for another two to three months? It was like an unending nightmare.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 Sasha,\u201d Lyudmila suddenly cooed sweetly, smiling in her own unique way. \u201cMaybe we shouldn\u2019t rush with the renovation at all? Let\u2019s sell our apartment and live all together here. There\u2019s plenty of space!\u201d<\/p>\n
Katya felt her breath taken away. This was her apartment. Her property. And now her mother-in-law was suggesting\u2026 what?<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 Great idea, Mom!\u201d Sasha perked up. \u201cRight, Katya? You never finish anything; this would help us!\u201d<\/p>\n
Nikolai nodded, supporting his son.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 Exactly! The young need the support of the elders. We\u2019ll help out when the grandchildren come.\u201d<\/p>\n
Katya sank into a chair, her mind overwhelmed with unbearable thoughts. When had her life turned into this absurdity? When had she ceased being the master of her own destiny?<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 No,\u201d Katya said firmly as she stood up.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d Lyudmila turned sharply, unable to believe her ears.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 I said \u2014 no,\u201d Katya repeated, desperately trying to keep her composure. \u201cThis is my apartment. And I\u2019m not going to\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 Yours?\u201d her mother-in-law interrupted. \u201cWhat about the family? Sasha, do you hear what your wife is saying?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sasha frowned, his face growing more tense.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 Katya, what are you starting? Your mother is talking sense. Living together is easier\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 Easier?\u201d Katya stood up, her voice growing hard. \u201cEasier as in living under constant control? Tolerating strangers commanding in my own home?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean, strangers?\u201d Lyudmila retorted indignantly, her voice nearly hostile. \u201cWe\u2019re your husband\u2019s parents!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd so what?\u201d Katya raised her voice, unable to hold back any longer. \u201cDoes that give you the right to take over my property?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sasha jumped up, his face reddening, eyes widening:<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 Stop yelling at your mother!\u201d he nearly shrieked, like a child who had been smacked. \u201cWhat\u2019s gotten into you? You used to be so understanding\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Katya clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her skin, trying not to unleash all the anger that had been building over the past month and a half:<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 Understanding? Yes, I was. Until you started turning my home into a barracks!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow dare you say that!\u201d Lyudmila exploded, flinging her hands as if someone had spat in her face. \u201cSasha, do you hear what she\u2019s saying?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sasha glanced helplessly between his mother and his wife, as if for the first time seeing people who could not simply live in peace.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 Katya, let\u2019s calmly discuss this\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Sasha,\u201d Katya said, straightening up and holding back tears. \u201cEnough. I\u2019ve been silent for a month and a half. I\u2019ve tolerated my kitchen being overhauled, my belongings being rearranged, people commanding in my own home, in my life!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe only wanted to help,\u201d Nikolai intervened, trying to justify himself, though his voice still sounded like a quiet surrender. \u201cTo set things in order\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOrder?\u201d Katya abruptly turned toward her father-in-law as if he\u2019d said something utterly inappropriate. \u201cWho asked for your help? This is my home, my rules!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 How rude,\u201d Lyudmila pursed her lips, her face paling with anger. \u201cSasha, will you allow her to speak to us like that?\u201d<\/p>\n
Katya felt all her strength draining away, a void filling her inside. How much longer could she endure this? How long would this farce continue?<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 Out,\u201d Katya said quietly, but clearly enough for everyone to hear.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d Lyudmila stood frozen with her spoon raised, unable to believe her ears.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 I said \u2014 out of my apartment,\u201d Katya repeated louder, her voice becoming as firm as concrete. \u201cRight now. Pack your things and leave.\u201d<\/p>\n
A deafening silence fell over the kitchen. Lyudmila turned pale, Nikolai blinked in confusion, and Sasha sat dumbfounded, as if he could not believe what was happening.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t\u2026\u201d Lyudmila began, not believing such a thing was possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can,\u201d Katya cut her off, meeting her gaze. \u201cThis is my apartment. My property. And I will no longer allow anyone to dictate here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Katya resolutely walked into the living room where her in-laws slept and began packing up their belongings. She felt as if every minute dragged on like an eternity, yet she couldn\u2019t stop.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 Katya, stop!\u201d Sasha grabbed her hand like a small child who didn\u2019t understand what was happening. \u201cYou can\u2019t do this to my parents!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can,\u201d Katya freed her hand, gritting her teeth as she held back the storm inside her. \u201cAnd if you disagree, you can leave with them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d Sasha recoiled. \u201cYou\u2019re kicking me out?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Katya shook her head. \u201cI\u2019m giving you a choice. Either you stay with me and respect my rules, or you go live with your parents.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUngrateful!\u201d Lyudmila shrieked, biting her lips in hurt. \u201cWe\u2019ve given you our hearts, and you\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything\u2019s packed,\u201d Katya interjected. \u201cYou have five minutes to leave the apartment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOr what?\u201d Lyudmila squinted, her lips curling in a mocking smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cOr I\u2019ll call the police,\u201d Katya answered calmly, her eyes unflinching. \u201cBelieve me, I have enough resolve to file a complaint about unlawful occupancy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSasha!\u201d Lyudmila shrieked, grabbing his hand. \u201cDo something!\u201d<\/p>\n
But Sasha stood like a pillar, looking around helplessly between his wife and his parents. Panic flickered in his eyes. He\u2019d never faced a choice like this before.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 Time\u2019s up,\u201d Katya said, glancing at the clock, her voice no longer as weary as before.<\/p>\n
Lyudmila opened her mouth to reply, but Nikolai suddenly took her hand, his voice soft yet firm:<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 Let\u2019s go, Lyuda. We\u2019re not welcome here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow can we not be welcome?\u201d Lyudmila protested, her face contorted. \u201cOne does not treat family like this! Sasha, say something!\u201d<\/p>\n
Sasha shifted from foot to foot, seemingly unsure where to turn. His eyes avoided meeting his wife\u2019s, and that unsettled him, but he could do nothing else.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 Katya, maybe we shouldn\u2019t be so hasty? Let\u2019s talk this over\u2026\u201d his voice trembled like a plucked string.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s nothing to discuss,\u201d Katya replied, her tone resonating with such firmness that it seemed the very walls of the apartment rose in defense. \u201cI\u2019ve made my decision.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lyudmila and Nikolai, like two old, dimmed mirrors, silently gathered their things and headed for the door. As Lyudmila paused, still hoping for a miracle, she turned back, her eyes brimming with tears.<\/p>\n
\u201cSasha, you won\u2019t leave us, will you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sasha stood there, frozen, helplessly spreading his hands:<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 Mom, I\u2026I\u2019ll try to talk to Katya. Maybe she\u2019ll calm down\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
After the door closed behind his parents, the air in the apartment grew as heavy as the rain that seemed ready to pour. Sasha turned to his wife, and in his eyes there were so many questions that Katya nearly broke down in pain but held back.<\/p>\n
\u201cListen, I never meant for things to go this far. Your parents really got into a difficult situation\u2026 that renovation\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat renovation, Sasha?\u201d Katya looked at him wearily. \u201cThey never even started. Your parents simply decided to take over my home like a fortress, and you let it happen!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t say that!\u201d Sasha burst out, as if struck by a sharp blow. \u201cThey didn\u2019t mean any harm! They just thought living together would be better.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBetter for whom?\u201d Katya sank onto the couch. As if all her strength had been drained. \u201cFor you? For yourself? Has anyone ever thought about me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sasha sat beside her, reaching for her hand in a desperate bid for solace. But Katya was too far gone.<\/p>\n
\u201cKatyush, let\u2019s fix this. I\u2019ll talk to my parents\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Sasha,\u201d her voice was almost a whisper yet so resolute that it seemed to freeze his blood in its tracks. \u201cIt\u2019s too late to fix anything. I\u2019m filing for divorce.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?!\u201d Sasha sprang up, his eyes widening as if the ground beneath him were crumbling. \u201cOver something so trivial?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTrivial?\u201d Katya bitterly smiled with a sickly cold tone. \u201cYou call it trivial that you let your parents command my home? That you never once stood up for me? You knew they planned to settle in here for good and you stayed silent. This isn\u2019t a mistake, Sasha. It\u2019s betrayal.\u201d<\/p>\n
The next morning, Katya went to court. Her hands didn\u2019t tremble because her decision was as solid as a rock. And when she returned home, there was neither fear nor regret\u2014only emptiness and lightness, as if a heavy blanket had been lifted from her.<\/p>\n
Sasha wavered between her and his parents. He would come, stand at the door with flowers, as if clinging to an old habit\u2014a futile attempt to pretend that everything could still be salvaged.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2014 I\u2019ve realized everything, Katya. Let\u2019s try again?\u201d<\/p>\n
But Katya was as unyielding as a winter wind.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Sasha. You chose your path, and I chose mine.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the divorce, life seemed to exhale. Katya began going to the swimming pool, changed her image, and even started raising a glass with friends\u2014friends with whom she could finally drink without the ever-watchful eye of her mother-in-law. It was everything she had dreamed of but never dared to do.<\/p>\n
One evening, while sitting in her favorite chair with a book, Katya realized she couldn\u2019t remember the last time she felt truly alive.<\/p>\n
\u201cFreedom,\u201d she whispered, looking around her cozy home. \u201cThat\u2019s what really matters.\u201d<\/p>\n
The phone rang, its vibration pulling her out of her reverie. Lyudmila, of course, was trying to call.<\/p>\n
Katya glanced at the screen but didn\u2019t answer. She deleted the number. Her hand didn\u2019t tremble. This was no longer her story, no longer her pain.<\/p>\n
A new life lay ahead. A life where no one could invade her personal space, where she alone would decide who to be with and whom to trust. And that was what mattered most.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u2014 This is my apartment. And I\u2019m not going to\u2026\u2014 Yours? \u2014 her mother-in-law interrupted. \u2014 What about the family? Sasha, are you hearing what your wife… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":24238,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n