— Have you gone deaf? I’m asking for the third time: when will the transfer arrive?
Denis stood in the middle of the narrow, airless kitchen, his fingers tapping an irritated rhythm on the worn countertop. The sound echoed between the thin walls, and the rickety furniture trembled slightly, as if it too could feel the tension.
Nika stood by the sink, stubbornly scrubbing a burnt-on stain from the stove. The air was thick with the smell of stale grease, dampness, and the tired scent of an old apartment — the extractor fan had been nothing more than decoration for years.
—I already answered — Nika finally said without looking at him.
She rinsed the sponge, then pressed it back onto the surface. — There will be no transfer. This is my money. My grandmother’s inheritance. And I’m going to spend it on an apartment, just like we agreed a year ago.
Denis let out a loud breath, as if to show how fed up he was with all of this. He stepped closer. The scent of his expensive perfume surrounded him — the kind half of Nika’s last paycheck had gone toward.
— Veronika, let’s drop this provincial stinginess, alright? — he said quietly, but sharply. — Igor’s wife is in her eighth month. They need a bigger place now.
My mom found a perfect two-room apartment in their area. If we don’t put down the deposit now, it’ll be gone. We’re family. Today we help them, tomorrow they’ll help us.
— Tomorrow? — Nika slowly turned around. Soapy water dripped from the sponge onto the worn linoleum. — Your brother hasn’t held a job for more than two months in the past three years.
We send your mother money every month for “medicine” and “rest.” When exactly is this “tomorrow” coming, Denis? We’ve been sleeping on a чужой, uncomfortable couch for five years.
The man’s face flushed with ugly red patches. He hated being confronted with reality. In his mind, he was an underestimated genius, simply not yet recognized.
— It will come! — he snapped, slamming the cabinet door so hard it creaked in protest. — I told you, it’s just a matter of time! Right now Igor is more important! My mom always said you were selfish. You wouldn’t even give a handful of snow in winter!
Nika didn’t respond. There was no hurt in her. No anger either. Just a deep, exhausting emptiness. She remembered her grandmother. How she counted money with aching joints, denying herself a new pair of glasses.
“Take care of it, Nikusha. Don’t waste it on nonsense. This is your starting capital. For your own home,” she had whispered.
And now Denis wanted to take that money… so his lazy younger brother could lie comfortably in a new apartment.
Denis was already in the hallway, putting on his coat.
— Listen — he said, adjusting his scarf in front of the mirror.
— I’m going to a meeting. My mom will be here for lunch any minute. Set the table, apologize, and say you’ll give the money! Cook something proper. Buy a good red wine. And don’t make that sour face!
He turned around. His gaze was hard, almost piercing.
— You’ll say you’ll help Igor. I won’t let your stubbornness ruin my relationship with my family. Understood?
— Understood — Nika replied calmly.
The man smiled with satisfaction. He thought he had won. That the argument was over. That Nika had given in again.
The door slammed loudly behind him, and fine white plaster dust fell from the ceiling.
Silence.
Only the old refrigerator hummed.
Nika threw the sponge into the sink. Five years. Five years of trying to be a good wife and a good daughter-in-law.
Five years of listening to Antonina Pavlovna’s mocking remarks about how she still didn’t know how to iron shirts properly. Five years of funding Denis’s “promising plans.”
She wiped her hands and took out her phone.
Quickly, she found the landlord’s number.
— Matvey Sergeyevich? Good afternoon — she said in a calm, businesslike tone. — I’m calling about something urgent.
A tired sigh came from the other end.
— Nika, if Denis is complaining about the water pressure again, I swear I’ll shut off the pipes myself. It’s perfectly fine there.
— That’s not it. A month ago you said your nephew was looking for a place. And that you wanted us to move out sooner…
The man’s voice perked up.
— That’s right! The guy is suffering in a hostel. But your husband insisted on the contract.
— Then he can move in now — Nika said, stepping toward the window. Outside, the rain was getting heavier. — Right away. I’m moving out. Denis too. You can keep the deposit.
A moment of silence.
— Are you serious? — he asked in disbelief. — And your husband?
— He’ll understand. Tell the boy he can come at half past twelve.
Nika hung up.
First step.
She opened the moving app. Ordered a truck with a loader. Then took out boxes.
Packing turned out to be surprisingly quick.
What was truly hers: books, a coffee machine, some dishes, clothes.
The rest? TV, game console, armchair — all Denis’s “shared” things.
Her phone beeped.
A message from Igor’s wife:
“Hi Niku! Denis said you’ll sort out the money today 😊 I found an amazing stroller! Send 100k quickly because the discount is ending! Thank youuuu 💕”
Nika just looked at it.
Then deleted it.
At 11:30, the mover arrived. The apartment emptied within minutes. The colorful mugs, blankets, small personal items disappeared.
Only bare walls remained.
At 12:15, the doorbell rang.
A young man stood at the door with a sports bag.
— Thank you! — he said cheerfully. — I couldn’t stand the hostel anymore.
Inside, he immediately dropped onto the couch. Nika stepped outside. Got into the truck.
— Let’s wait a bit — she said.
12:50.
Denis’s car pulled into the yard. He went upstairs with his mother. Nika watched the windows.
Upstairs…
— Nika! We’re here! — Denis shouted.
Then silence.
A stranger sat in the living room eating pizza. The landlord stood calmly beside him.
— Your wife moved out — he said.
The bag fell from Denis’s hand.
— What?!
— You should move out too.
Nika’s phone rang.
— VERONIKA! WHAT IS THIS?! — Denis shouted.
— I’m on my way — Nika said calmly. — To look at my new apartment.
— And Igor?!
— Help each other.
— I’ll sue you!
— Inheritance isn’t divisible.
She hung up. Blocked him. The rain stopped. The air cleared.
— Let’s go — she said.
The city looked fresh. Nika opened her banking app. The money was there. Safe. She smiled. Finally… she could breathe freely. And for the first time — truly — her own life had begun.
