— Italy? — Lera stepped backward as if she had been physically struck, barely believing what she had just heard. — You and your mother are going together?
Alyosha stood in the middle of the room with a completely calm expression, as though he could not understand why anyone was making such a big deal out of a simple trip. At the same time, he carefully folded T-shirts into the suitcase, as if every movement had been practiced in advance and no emotion could possibly disturb him.
— Yes, it was a last-minute deal, just Mom and me — he replied as naturally as if it were the most reasonable decision in the world.
Lera sat down on the edge of the sofa and wrapped her arms tightly around her shoulders, as though that was the only way to keep herself together in the suffocating situation. The room with its dark burgundy wallpaper, constantly filled with the smell of lavender and mothballs, suddenly felt foreign and unbearably oppressive.
Only that morning she had believed that the two of them were a team, pulling in the same direction together. They had just taken out a mortgage and were working on renovating a newly built apartment that was still unfinished, where the walls remained bare and every movement stirred another cloud of dust into the air.
To save money on rent, Lera had agreed to move temporarily into Yelena Ivanovna’s apartment, even though it had greeted her with cold hostility from the very first moment.
She endured the sarcastic remarks, tolerated the constant supervision, and kept convincing herself every single day that all of it was only temporary for the sake of their shared future.
Now, however, her husband calmly announced that he would rather travel to the seaside with his mother, as though it were the most natural choice imaginable.
Lera’s voice trembled as she spoke, although she tried her hardest to remain calm in the middle of that suffocating moment.
— Are you seriously telling me you’d rather go on vacation with your mother than help me finish our renovation? — she asked quietly, although every word carried unmistakable tension.
Alyosha clicked his tongue impatiently and continued packing his shorts into the suitcase as though her question meant absolutely nothing.
— It’s only a trip. Mom is exhausted, and she deserves a little rest — he answered, as though that explanation settled everything.
— Is your mother’s vacation really more important than our apartment? — Lera asked as her voice gradually became sharper.
The man smiled, but there was far more mockery than kindness in that smile.
— You’ll supervise the construction workers. It’s not a big deal — he answered. — Besides, I received a nice bonus, so we deserve a little vacation.
Every muscle in Lera’s face tightened as she realized this had never been a spontaneous decision but a carefully planned act of revenge.
Memories from the past several months suddenly crashed down on her all at once, especially the moment when they had decided what to do with the money from selling her grandfather’s house.
After her grandfather passed away, Lera inherited an old country house that he had built with his own hands over many years and that carried enormous sentimental value for her.
Selling the house had been an incredibly difficult decision, but in the end the family agreed that the money should be invested in their future together.
They received one and a half million rubles, and the entire amount immediately became the down payment for the mortgage.
Even then, Alyosha had complained that the amount was too small and that he had expected much more.
Later, however, Lera’s mother warned her that the man had already made selfish financial decisions with their shared savings before.
She reminded her daughter that Alyosha had spent nearly all of their savings on an expensive car that he had registered exclusively in his own name.
That earlier betrayal of trust was exactly why Lera insisted that the apartment be registered solely in her own name when they finalized the mortgage.
Alyosha had been furious at the time, but eventually accepted the arrangement, even though he never truly let go of his resentment.
Now he was using that resentment as a weapon against her.
The room with its patterned wallpaper suddenly seemed even smaller, and Lera felt as though the walls themselves were slowly closing in around her.
During the following weeks, Lera lived in Yelena Ivanovna’s apartment, where every single day brought a fresh humiliation.
The walls of their room were completely covered with photographs of Alyosha from childhood, as though they were permanent monuments to his mother’s devotion.
Every morning, Yelena Ivanovna placed only one cup of coffee on the table, and it was always intended exclusively for her son.
The remarks never stopped, always delivered in a deceptively gentle but poisonous tone.
— My son deserves homemade pastries, not all this modern experimenting — the woman often said.
Lera tried not to react, but every passing day it became more difficult to endure that toxic atmosphere.
One evening, when exhaustion had almost caused her to collapse, the older woman openly began criticizing her appearance as well.
The argument became increasingly bitter until it inevitably turned toward money, which had always been a painfully sensitive subject.
Alyosha, however, never defended her. Instead, he silently ate his dinner and avoided becoming involved in the conflict.
That constant passivity slowly destroyed every bit of trust Lera still had in him.
By the time she finally learned the details of the trip, she was no longer surprised, only painfully disappointed.
Alyosha did not even look at her when he left with the suitcase.
At the airport he laughed happily with his mother as though nothing at all were wrong back home.
Meanwhile, Lera remained alone in the unfinished apartment, where the smell of cement and dust filled every corner.
The silence gradually became overwhelming, yet at the same time it brought with it an unexpected sense of clarity.
When she finally went to her mother’s house, every emotion she had suppressed burst out all at once.
Her mother listened quietly before simply saying that no decent husband should ever behave that way.
Even so, she encouraged her daughter to think carefully and perhaps speak to him before making any final decision.
Lera’s heart was filled with doubt, but her pride would not allow her to call him immediately.
Several days later, however, the telephone rang, and it was her husband’s mother calling.
Her voice sounded cold and triumphant, as though she were celebrating a victory.
— Don’t disturb my son. He’s resting now — she said firmly.
Lera tried to protest, but the conversation ended almost immediately, as though she had no right to answer.
Something inside her broke forever at that very moment.
Every trace of uncertainty disappeared, replaced by complete clarity that left no room for illusions.
When Alyosha finally returned home, he proudly talked about the beach and the carefree days they had enjoyed.
His mother stood beside him, approving every sentence as though she were watching a theatrical performance.
The apartment, however, was empty of any sign of Lera, and they noticed it immediately.
At first the man had no idea what was happening, but then he nervously tried calling his wife.
The phone rang briefly before informing him that she could not be reached.
When he eventually went to his mother-in-law’s house, he found no answers there either.
It was then that Lera’s mother appeared and spoke to him in the same calm yet unwavering tone.
Only then did the man finally realize that everything had turned against him.
At last Lera herself appeared in the doorway, her expression determined and her quiet confidence impossible to ignore.
The argument quickly erupted, but this time she felt absolutely no fear.
Lera calmly explained that she had already filed for divorce and had carefully considered every decision she was making.
The man listened in stunned disbelief before trying to argue angrily, but he no longer possessed any power over her.
In the final moment, Lera handed him an official document that made everything legally undeniable.
The car of which he had always been so proud had now become part of a legal property dispute.
Alyosha’s face turned pale when he realized how much he was about to lose.
Lera, however, no longer felt pain, only an overwhelming sense of relief.
The door slowly closed behind him, marking the unmistakable end of an entire chapter of their lives.
With a warm cup of tea in her hands, the woman walked over to the window, and for the first time in a very long while, she breathed calmly and freely.
