— You live off my money, so you better stay quiet! — Yegor said sharply, casting a dissatisfied glance at his wife.
— What?! What did you just say? — Sofia could hardly believe her ears. The words that had left her husband’s mouth in the heat of the argument shocked her.
— What you heard! — Yegor frowned. He felt he had gone too far but didn’t want to back down.
— So this is how you speak? Fine! Then you won’t give a single penny. Buy your own groceries. Pay the utility bills yourself, the nursery, and in general… take on all the family responsibilities!
— Sofia felt everything inside her tighten. She hadn’t expected such words from the man she had been living with for years.
— Fine, let’s stop this argument. I’ve had enough! — Yegor, realizing his mistake, stepped back slightly. He didn’t want the fight to end in divorce, so he gestured and left the room, while Sofia sat there, angry and resentful.
Sofia and Yegor had been married for six years. Immediately after the wedding, they agreed to manage the family budget together, regardless of who earned how much.
Sofia was a chief accountant at a large corporation, while Yegor worked as a sales manager at a trading company.
Unlike his wife, the man’s income had never been stable. He had no fixed salary; his earnings consisted solely of bonuses from products sold.
Sofia, however, had a stable and relatively high income. Her extensive accounting experience made her highly valued at the company. For three years, her salary significantly exceeded her husband’s earnings.
Despite Yegor working, there were months when he didn’t bring any money to the family at all.
— Zero sales again. What is this? I don’t even know what to do — he constantly worried.
— Maybe you should switch companies? Try to work at another company, with different products. Maybe there you’ll even get a fixed salary — his wife advised.
— Do you think I haven’t tried? This damn crisis has hit everyone. I wanted to leave, but an acquaintance talked me out of it. He said I mustn’t lose my job now, or later I’ll be completely unemployed.
— Don’t worry. I earn enough; we won’t starve. We’ll survive this period, and then we’ll see — Sofia reassured her husband.
Eventually, Yegor lost his job. He didn’t even have to resign; the company eliminated several positions under the guise of optimization. Yegor was sent off with compensation and advised to look for a new job.
When Sofia learned this, she genuinely felt sorry for her husband.
— What a shame, but don’t be discouraged! Everything will be fine. You’ll see, you’ll find a better position — she encouraged him.
Finding a new job for Yegor wasn’t easy. His acquaintance had been right: there were few good job offers on the market. Sofia not only didn’t pressure him but continued to support him morally, even though her anxiety grew inside.
She worried even more when she found out she was pregnant. She knew she would soon go on maternity leave, and the family’s income would decrease significantly. Yegor was worried too.
Unable to find stable work, he worked as a courier and took night shifts as a taxi driver.
Although the worry grew, Sofia never showed her fear. She worked almost until childbirth, saving every extra penny. She didn’t like that her husband became a courier out of desperation.
This job didn’t match his ambitions or his previous status. But Sofia remained silent. Every penny was crucial for them now.
At night, when her husband slept, the pregnant woman often browsed job listings online. She tried to find extra sources of income.
Once she officially went on maternity leave, Sofia planned to continue working as an accountant, but from home. The devoted wife didn’t want to pressure her husband, who had recently been especially irritable.
— What’s wrong with you? Something is seriously bothering you; you’ve been so grumpy the past few days — Sofia asked gently, hugging her husband who sat at the computer.
— Why would I be happy? I’m thirty-three years old, and I’m working as a courier. What should I be happy about? — Yegor replied discontentedly.
— Don’t worry, everything will be fine.
— Yeah, okay… The baby will be born soon. Do you know how many expenses we’ll have?
— I know, but we’ll manage somehow. My job will pay; we’ll get through it — Sofia reassured him.
Sofia supported her husband in every way. Perhaps thanks to her, Yegor didn’t give up and continued looking for the right job. When their child was born, her husband was unexpectedly offered a position at a large construction company.
— Seriously? They’re calling you to the sales department? — Sofia was happy when she heard this from her husband. Yegor could barely hold back a smile too.
— Yes! I passed the interview, and my candidacy was approved. Finally, I’ll have a normal job! — he rejoiced.
Once her husband started earning well, Sofia could relax. She gave up working from home and devoted herself entirely to their child. When their son was two and a half, Sofia enrolled him in nursery and decided to return to work.
But during her leave, the company management changed completely. They appointed their own person as chief accountant and politely asked Sofia to submit a voluntary resignation.
Sofia, of course, refused. She knew her rights well. However, staying in the company became unbearable.
The new colleagues avoided her, the boss constantly found faults and complained about small things. The atmosphere became extremely tense. Finally, Sofia couldn’t take it anymore and resigned.
— Why? Why did you leave?! They had no right to treat you this way! — Yegor was upset that his wife had been forced to leave.
— Maybe they didn’t have the right, but under this pressure, it was simply impossible to stay. Fine, I’ll look for another job. I have plenty of experience; I’ll find something suitable — Sofia replied.
Sofia was confident she wouldn’t have to stay home long. But finding a new job wasn’t easy. When employers learned she had a young child with no one to care for them in case of illness, they immediately rejected her.
After three months, Sofia became completely discouraged. She applied for dozens of jobs daily, but was rejected everywhere.
She even tried working from home, but there were problems there too: the previous employer had already found another accountant, and the new person didn’t work out.
Seeing his wife’s unsuccessful attempts, Yegor became seriously worried. Although he himself earned reasonably, it wasn’t enough for their quickly growing family.
— Did you find anything? Any progress? — he asked his wife almost every day.
— No, nothing. Maybe it’s just temporary? Maybe later everything will be fine — Sofia said hopefully.
— Stop reassuring yourself like that! You better deliver your CV personally to the companies — Yegor snapped. He thought Sofia hadn’t done enough and could have been employed somewhere long ago, but she hadn’t.
— You think I haven’t gone anywhere? You think while you work, I watch series? — Sofia was outraged that her husband criticized her this way. She had recently been in the same situation and never blamed Yegor for idleness.
— If you don’t find a proper job, you’ll have to become a courier. It’s not exactly women’s work, but there’s no choice — Yegor said unexpectedly.
— What?! Seriously?! — Sofia almost cried when she heard her husband’s words. When Yegor worked as a courier, she had strongly opposed it, considering it a step backward. Now, however, her husband was practically forcing her to carry heavy packages.
Time passed; Sofia had been at home for six months. Since she couldn’t find suitable work, she fully immersed herself in household duties. She took care of the child, kept things tidy, cooked, and meanwhile browsed job listings online.
The family had money, but only for essentials. Sofia understood this and tried to save on everything. But one day, something happened that made her question the fairness of the family budget.
Yegor came home with a huge box.
— What’s this? — Sofia asked, surprised.
— A console. I decided to treat myself. After all, it’s the New Year — Yegor shrugged while unpacking the box.
— Are you out of your mind? Why did you buy it? We’re short on money anyway!
— I earned it; I spent it; I have the right — the husband huffed.
— Our budget has always been shared! Since when has that changed?! — Sofia shouted indignantly.
— You live off my money, so you better stay quiet! — Yegor replied sharply, casting a dissatisfied glance at his wife.
— What?! What did you say? — Sofia could hardly believe her ears. His words shocked her.
— What you heard! — Yegor felt he had gone too far, but his pride wouldn’t let him back down.
— So that’s how you speak? Remember when you earned less than me? I never criticized you for that.
I never bragged about my salary, and I certainly never shut you up when you lost your job and mooched off me for months! I always supported you, and what do you do? Every time, you try to humiliate me?
— Fine, let’s stop this argument. I’ve had enough! — Yegor tried to step back when he realized his mistake. He gestured and left the room, but Sofia didn’t want to give up. She sat on the couch for a few minutes, then went to her husband.
— No, wait, we need to talk about this! Our relationship can’t be built under these conditions. You have to decide: family or everyone goes their own way!
If it’s the second, then I have bad news: I won’t be your debtor, but I also won’t let you use my work for free!
— What do you mean? — Yegor didn’t understand.
— I mean! You may not give a single penny. Buy, pay for utilities, nursery, and take on part of the family duties. From this moment on, I will search for work from morning till night, and you will have to take sick leave to be with the child.
— Fine, sorry. I was dissatisfied — Yegor finally admitted his mistake. — I just wanted a console for a long time, and now it was on sale.
— Fine, but I don’t understand when you’ll play with it? From now on, after work you have to take care of the child, then shop. You won’t have time even on weekends. Someone has to walk the boy while I look for jobs.
— Fine, I understand. I’ll return the console tomorrow. I’m sorry it happened this way. I didn’t think it through — he apologized sincerely.
Sofia was angry with her husband for a few days but later forgave him. She understood that Yegor was only stressed because of the financial situation. But Sofia couldn’t do anything — she really didn’t have a job.
After the console argument, Yegor behaved more gently with his wife. He stopped harassing her about job hunting and became more supportive.
Over time, Sofia found a suitable job in her field. At first, her salary wasn’t as high as before, but gradually her income increased. Soon she was earning well again.
Seeing his wife’s success, Yegor increasingly realized that he had been wrong when buying the console.
Life really often holds surprises: today you’re up, tomorrow you may find yourself elsewhere.
The man realized that a family is a team, where everyone supports each other, problems are not solved alone, and one shouldn’t boast about personal success at the expense of others.
