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<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Artyom placed the last box on the floor and wiped the sweat from his brow. The move was finally over. Svetlana stood by the window, taking in the view of the city center unfolding from the ninth floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan you imagine, now it really is our home,\u201d Svetlana said as she turned to her husband, smiling. \u201cIt almost feels unreal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMom really pulled through; she chose the best option,\u201d Artyom said as he embraced his wife. \u201cYou know, she has connections everywhere. Without her, we\u2019d never be able to afford an apartment like this in our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
Svetlana fell silent, though something stung inside her. Of course, a two-room apartment in the center was wonderful, but for some reason the very fact that her mother-in-law had insisted on this \u201cgift\u201d caused vague uneasiness. Yet Svetlana brushed those thoughts aside \u2013 there was work to be done, sorting out belongings and setting up their new family nest.<\/p>\n
The first few days flew by in pleasant busyness. Svetlana delighted in arranging the dishes in the kitchen, hanging curtains, and finding the perfect spot for every little thing.<\/p>\n
Her work as a lawyer sometimes allowed her to finish early, and on those days she hurried home in time to prepare something tasty for Artyom\u2019s return.<\/p>\n
\u201cArtyom, what do you think? Should the sofa go by the window or against the wall?\u201d Svetlana asked one evening as they planned the layout of the living room furniture.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt makes no difference,\u201d her husband replied dismissively, not looking away from his phone. \u201cPut it wherever you find it more convenient.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, I want us to decide together. This is our home after all.\u201d<\/p>\n
At that moment the doorbell rang. Standing at the threshold was Galina Petrovna carrying imposing bags.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought I\u2019d check up on the newlyweds!\u201d the mother-in-law declared energetically as she stepped into the apartment. \u201cOh, I see you haven\u2019t properly arranged the furniture yet? Svetochka, my dear, that won\u2019t do. The sofa definitely needs to be placed against the wall \u2013 it\u2019s obvious. And these curtains\u2026\u201d Galina Petrovna wrinkled her nose, \u201cfar too plain for an apartment like this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Svetlana felt her cheeks burn.<\/p>\n
\u201cGalina Petrovna, we\u2019ll handle it ourselves\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course, of course,\u201d the mother-in-law interrupted. \u201cI\u2019m only offering advice. After all, I have experience. Artyom, I brought something to eat, since I know Svetochka tends to work late\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m perfectly capable of cooking,\u201d Svetlana whispered in protest.<\/p>\n
But Galina Petrovna seemed not to hear. She had already taken charge in the kitchen, commenting as she arranged the dishes and appliances. Artyom simply smiled, watching his mother.<\/p>\n
Such visits grew more frequent. Galina Petrovna could turn up at any time, sometimes even when nobody was home \u2013 she had her own set of keys.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, maybe you shouldn\u2019t come unannounced?\u201d Artyom suggested timidly one day.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy dear boy, I worry about you. What if something happens? Besides, the apartment is mine, by the way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those words cut painfully for Svetlana. So it turned out that this wasn\u2019t their family nest after all, but rather a temporary refuge under the watchful eye of her mother-in-law?<\/p>\n
One evening, Svetlana\u2019s school friend Marina dropped by. The women hadn\u2019t seen each other for a long time, and Svetlana decided to prepare dinner to celebrate their reunion.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan you believe it? I finally decided to leave my hated job!\u201d Marina shared her news. \u201cI\u2019m starting my own business.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s wonderful! And I, too, have been thinking about change,\u201d Svetlana replied, slicing vegetables for a salad. \u201cMaybe it\u2019s time for something different\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. In the kitchen doorway, Galina Petrovna appeared.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, look\u2014we have guests!\u201d the mother-in-law said, casting a disapproving glance at the table. \u201cSvetlana, why didn\u2019t you give me a heads-up? I would have helped organize everything properly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGalina Petrovna, I didn\u2019t think\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly\u2014you didn\u2019t think,\u201d snapped Galina Petrovna. \u201cIn respectable families, that\u2019s not done. Such things need to be coordinated.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marina quickly gathered her things and left despite her friend\u2019s protests. As soon as she departed, a quarrel erupted.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour mother is right,\u201d declared Artyom as he returned from work. \u201cAt the very least, you should have warned her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat should I have warned her about?\u201d Svetlana fired back. \u201cThat I want to see a friend in my own home?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot in your own, but in the gifted apartment,\u201d corrected Galina Petrovna. \u201cAnd I, as the giver, have the right to know what\u2019s happening within these walls.\u201d<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
That evening, once the mother-in-law finally left, Svetlana tried to talk to her husband.<\/p>\n
\u201cArtyom, this can\u2019t go on anymore. Your mother is controlling our every move.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s just looking out for us,\u201d Artyom casually dismissed. \u201cYou\u2019re overreacting.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOverreacting?\u201d Svetlana sat on the edge of the bed. \u201cI can\u2019t invite a friend over without your mother\u2019s permission. I can\u2019t move the furniture as I please. I can\u2019t even prepare dinner without her commentary!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour mother has more experience than both of us; she wouldn\u2019t advise something bad.\u201d<\/p>\n
Svetlana had been independent for so many years, building her career and making her own decisions. And now she felt like a puppet, controlled by her mother-in-law.<\/p>\n
The next day, Galina Petrovna appeared at the apartment again. This time she brought new curtains \u2013 ones she deemed more suitable for the interior. Svetlana watched silently as her mother-in-law removed the curtains she loved\u2026<\/p>\n
Once Galina Petrovna finally left, Svetlana surveyed the living room. Everything felt foreign \u2013 from the heavy velvet drapes to the furniture arranged by her mother-in-law\u2019s decree. Not a single detail reflected the character of the young mistress of the house.<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough,\u201d Svetlana whispered as she resolutely moved the sofa towards the window.<\/p>\n
The following few hours passed in a blur. Svetlana shifted furniture, rearranged decorative pillows, and placed cherished photographs and trinkets. A handmade ceramic vase \u2013 a gift from her friend Marina \u2013 appeared on the coffee table. In one corner of the room now stood a cozy floor lamp with a soft glow, and on the wall hung a painting of a landscape that Svetlana had bought at an outdoor fair.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is going on here?\u201d boomed Galina Petrovna as she suddenly appeared in the doorway. \u201cWhat sort of amateur hour is this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI only made a few changes,\u201d Svetlana answered calmly, though her heart pounded faster.<\/p>\n
\u201cFew changes? You\u2019ve turned a proper living room into some sort of \u2018youthful madhouse\u2019! That tasteless vase, those cheap pictures\u2026 And the sofa! I already explained why it should be against the wall!\u201d Galina Petrovna flailed her hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cGalina Petrovna, this is our apartment\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly \u2013 yours! And you didn\u2019t even consult with Artyom!\u201d Galina Petrovna snatched her phone. \u201cI\u2019m calling your son right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Artyom rushed home from work within half an hour. Glancing at the transformed living room, he frowned:<\/p>\n
\u201cSvetlana, what are you doing? What\u2019s with all this chaos?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cChaos? I merely wanted to make our apartment cozier.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCozier?\u201d Galina Petrovna scoffed. \u201cCall things by their names \u2013 you deliberately ruined it just to spite me!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMother, you\u2019re right,\u201d Artyom nodded. \u201cAt least you should have discussed it with us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith us?\u201d Svetlana\u2019s voice trembled as she spoke. \u201cDid you consult with me when you changed the curtains? When you dictated where to set the dishes? When you decided whom I could invite over?\u201d<\/p>\n
Galina Petrovna raised her voice:<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just trying to teach you how to be a good housewife. But clearly, you\u2019re not capable even of the simplest tasks.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSvetlana, stop,\u201d Artyom said wearily. \u201cLet\u2019s just put everything back like it was.\u201d<\/p>\n
Day by day, the atmosphere in the house grew increasingly tense. Galina Petrovna began dropping by multiple times a day, under the pretext of checking whether Svetlana had once again staged a coup. Every action by the daughter-in-law was met with criticism.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you still making those same salads?\u201d the mother-in-law frowned. \u201cArtyom loves meat.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy haven\u2019t you ironed your husband\u2019s shirts yet?\u201d came a voice from the bedroom.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd are you really wearing that skirt to work? No wonder your career isn\u2019t going anywhere\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
More and more, Artyom agreed with his mother, nodding at each remark. Svetlana began to feel like a stranger in her own home.<\/p>\n
One evening, Galina Petrovna arrived carrying a furniture catalog.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been thinking,\u201d she declared, \u201cwe need to completely update the decor. This furniture no longer befits the apartment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d Svetlana nearly dropped her cup. \u201cBut we just set everything up!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly \u2013 you did. And I want to have a proper renovation here. And don\u2019t argue \u2013 I\u2019ve already called in a designer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut this is our apartment!\u201d Svetlana couldn\u2019t contain herself. \u201cYou can\u2019t just change everything!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBy the way, this apartment was gifted to you by my mother,\u201d Artyom interjected. \u201cWe must be grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGrateful? For what? For being controlled like children? For not being able to live in peace in our own home? Was it really a gift, or was it just a temporary living arrangement\u2014a madhouse of sorts?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow dare you!\u201d Galina Petrovna exploded. \u201cAfter everything I\u2019ve done for you! Artyom, will you really allow her to talk to your mother like that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSvetlana, apologize immediately,\u201d her husband demanded.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Svetlana answered softly but firmly. \u201cI will not apologize anymore. I won\u2019t be silent. And I won\u2019t allow you to treat me as if I\u2019m nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, that\u2019s the nature of your wife,\u201d Galina Petrovna shook her head. \u201cI told you she wasn\u2019t right for you\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
In that moment, something inside Svetlana broke. Years of patience, attempts to please, and the desire to keep peace in the family all seemed in vain.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know what,\u201d Svetlana said quietly, locking eyes with Artyom, \u201cI\u2019m not going to dance to someone else\u2019s tune any longer. You forced this apartment on me\u2014so take it and leave it!\u201d<\/p>\n
Galina Petrovna stood frozen, mouth agape, as Svetlana swiftly retreated to the bedroom. Her hands trembled, but she methodically began packing her things into a suitcase.<\/p>\n
\u201cSvetlana, what are you doing?\u201d Artyom appeared in the doorway. \u201cStop this hysterics!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t a hysterical outburst,\u201d Svetlana replied calmly as she carefully folded her favorite sweater. \u201cThis is a decision I should have made a long time ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Within an hour, a taxi was whisking Svetlana away to her parental home. Her mind felt blank, with only a faint dizziness reminding her of the stress she had endured. Her mother opened the door and, without asking any questions, hugged her tightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve ruined everything,\u201d Svetlana whispered as they sat in the kitchen, sharing a cup of tea.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, sweetheart,\u201d her mother soothed, gently stroking her hand. \u201cYou just stopped ruining your life.\u201d<\/p>\n
The first few days at her parents\u2019 house passed in a haze. Svetlana slept, read a lot, and tried not to dwell on what had happened. Her phone rang incessantly with calls from Artyom, but she didn\u2019t pick up.<\/p>\n
\u201cDarling, perhaps you should talk to him?\u201d her mother gently suggested on the fourth day.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Mom. I need time to think.\u201d<\/p>\n
A week later, Artyom appeared at her parents\u2019 doorstep. Svetlana had just stepped out of a store and encountered him by the entrance.<\/p>\n
\u201cSvetlana, let\u2019s talk,\u201d Artyom said softly. \u201cI understand everything now. I promise, your mother won\u2019t interfere anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cReally?\u201d Svetlana replied with a sad smile. \u201cAnd how did you explain it to her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell\u2026 we talked. She agreed to visit less often.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLess often?\u201d Svetlana shook her head. \u201cArtyom, it\u2019s not about how often she comes. It\u2019s about you letting your mother control our lives. No, excuse me\u2014it\u2019s controlling your life now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSvetlana, I love you! Please come back.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou love me? Where was that love when your mother dictated how I should live? When she criticized my every step? When she tried to reshape me to suit her taste?\u201d<\/p>\n
Artyom fell silent, lowering his gaze. Svetlana turned and walked toward the entrance.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m filing for divorce,\u201d she declared over her shoulder.<\/p>\n
The next day, Svetlana went to a law office. As a family law specialist, she knew all the divorce procedures, but now she found herself on the other side of the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019ve decided, then just file the papers,\u201d said Marina, that same school friend Svetlana had turned to for help.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you. You know, I thought it would be worse.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe worst is behind you,\u201d Marina smiled. \u201cBy the way, a position for a lead lawyer has opened up at our firm. Would you like to try?\u201d<\/p>\n
A month later, Svetlana was already working at the new company. The salary turned out to be higher than before, and the team was friendlier. In her free time, the young woman began searching for a new apartment.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook at this option,\u201d Marina said, showing photographs of a small one-bedroom. \u201cThe neighborhood is quiet and not far from downtown.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt looks cozy,\u201d Svetlana observed. \u201cAnd best of all \u2013 no one will tell me where to put the sofa.\u201d<\/p>\n
The friends laughed. Svetlana caught her reflection in the window and noticed how her face had changed \u2013 the tension had melted away, replaced by a sparkle in her eyes.<\/p>\n
The move to the new apartment took only a couple of days. Svetlana deliberately chose bright curtains, reminiscent of those her mother-in-law once removed. On the windowsill, her favorite flowers found a home, and on the walls hung paintings that once irritated Galina Petrovna.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow it feels cozy here,\u201d Svetlana said with pleasure as she surveyed the result. \u201cNow I feel truly at home.\u201d<\/p>\n
The divorce was swift \u2013 Artyom did not put up any obstacles. Svetlana later heard from mutual acquaintances that her ex-husband had moved back in with his mother, and that Galina Petrovna had started renting out the apartment.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t you regret it?\u201d Marina asked once as they sat in Svetlana\u2019s new kitchen.<\/p>\n
\u201cRegret what? That I\u2019m no longer someone\u2019s puppet?\u201d Svetlana shook her head. \u201cYou know, I finally feel like myself. Remember when you talked about change? It seems I found the courage to change everything. And I\u2019m happy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now, every decision, every little purchase was entirely her own choice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Artyom placed the last box on the floor and wiped the sweat from his brow. The move was finally over. Svetlana stood by the window, taking in… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":25282,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n