The call came on Saturday morning, while Andrey and I were still in bed, savoring a rare chance to sleep in. My husband reached for the phone reluctantly, and from his voice I immediately understood\u2014it was my mother-in-law.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, Mom\u2026 When? For how long?\u2026\u201d Andrey spoke cautiously, as he always did when talking to his mother. \u201cOf course, come\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes and mentally said goodbye to a peaceful weekend. Valentina Ivanovna didn\u2019t visit often, but every visit turned into an ordeal. And if Nastya came with her\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ll be here tomorrow,\u201d Andrey said, hanging up. \u201cMom and Nastya. For a week.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d\u2014though I already knew. Nastya had run into trouble with men again and was running to her brother to lick her wounds.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnother suitor vanished. Nastya\u2019s upset, and Mom decided she needs a change of scenery.\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded, trying to look understanding. In five years of marriage I\u2019d gotten used to this scenario. Andrey adored his little sister, had spoiled her since childhood, and now thirty-year-old Nastya still felt her brother was obliged to solve all her problems.<\/p>\n
The problem was that both my mother-in-law and sister-in-law openly disliked me. To them I was an upstart\u2014a city girl who\u2019d taken their boy away from his hometown. The fact that I graduated with honors, worked at a large IT company, and made decent money only irritated them. Valentina Ivanovna often hinted that good wives should stay home and take care of the family, not \u201cbuild careers.\u201d<\/p>\n
They arrived Sunday evening. Nastya did look truly upset\u2014eyes red, hair carelessly gathered. My mother-in-law immediately started settling in as if she\u2019d come not for a week but forever.<\/p>\n
\u201cKatya, did you pull out the sofa for us?\u201d she asked, sweeping her gaze over our apartment. \u201cAnd what is this bedding\u2026 It\u2019s synthetic! How can anyone sleep on that?\u201d<\/p>\n
I silently produced the best we had and went to the kitchen to make dinner. Half an hour later Nastya peeked in.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me help,\u201d she said in an unexpectedly gentle tone.<\/p>\n
She usually avoided any housework, so I was on my guard. But I didn\u2019t show it.<\/p>\n
\u201cSure, thanks. You can chop the salad.\u201d<\/p>\n
We worked in silence, but I could feel Nastya throwing me studying looks now and then. When Andrey went to shower, she finally spoke:<\/p>\n
\u201cListen, Katya\u2026 Aren\u2019t you bored with Andrey? He\u2019s so\u2026 homebound. And you\u2019re used to an active life, to colleagues\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m happy with your brother,\u201d I replied, trying to keep my voice calm. \u201cWe understand each other perfectly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRight, of course,\u201d Nastya drawled. \u201cIt\u2019s just\u2026 men are different. Some are more\u2026 exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stayed silent. I had no desire to discuss my marriage with her.<\/p>\n
The first three days passed relatively peacefully. Valentina Ivanovna criticized my cooking and cleaning, Nastya ostentatiously moped and complained about life. I tried to ignore it and spent more time at work.<\/p>\n
On Thursday morning, as I was getting ready, Nastya suddenly asked:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat time will you be home today? Maybe we could meet somewhere? Walk around the city?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a meeting till seven,\u201d I said. \u201cBut we can meet after.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGreat! I\u2019ll call you.\u201d<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t call. But that evening, when I came home, the atmosphere was strange. My mother-in-law and Nastya were sitting in the kitchen looking guilty, and Andrey seemed thoughtful.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow\u2019s it going?\u201d I asked, kissing my husband.<\/p>\n
\u201cFine,\u201d he said, but for some reason he looked away.<\/p>\n
Over dinner, Valentina Ivanovna suddenly said:<\/p>\n
\u201cKatya, we saw you today. You were sitting in a caf\u00e9 across from the department store. With a man.\u201d<\/p>\n
I raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, we had a work meeting with a client. So what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, nothing,\u201d my mother-in-law said quickly. \u201cIt just looked like you were sitting very\u2026 close.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMom,\u201d Andrey gently cut her off. \u201cKatya\u2019s job is like that; she has to meet different people.\u201d<\/p>\n
But I noticed the way he looked at me\u2014there was a flicker of anxiety. So they\u2019d already managed to plant something in his head.<\/p>\n
The next day the story repeated itself. Only now they supposedly saw me getting out of \u201csome handsome brunette\u2019s\u201d car. And the day after that\u2014walking arm in arm with \u201ca tall blond.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood grief,\u201d I said when Andrey and I were alone. \u201cAre they actually following me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t be silly,\u201d my husband said, but I heard uncertainty in his voice. \u201cThey just happen to see you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAndrey, you do realize I have a lot of male colleagues? What am I supposed to do\u2014stop talking to them?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course not. I trust you.\u201d<\/p>\n
But I could see a worm of doubt gnawing at him. Nastya and my mother-in-law were working subtly\u2014they didn\u2019t accuse me directly, they just sowed suspicion. And that was far more dangerous than open attacks.<\/p>\n
On Monday morning, while I was checking my email, a text came from an unknown number: \u201cI can\u2019t forget last night. You were stunning. Can\u2019t wait for more.\u201d<\/p>\n
I showed the message to Andrey.<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably a mistake,\u201d he said after a pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably,\u201d I agreed, but decided to keep an eye on it.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday a bouquet of roses arrived. No signature, just a card: \u201cFrom your secret admirer.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Wednesday\u2014another text: \u201cI think only of you. When will we meet?\u201d<\/p>\n
I told Andrey about everything honestly. He frowned but tried to look calm. My mother-in-law and Nastya, however, exchanged meaningful glances at each such \u201csurprise.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cKatya,\u201d Valentina Ivanovna finally said, \u201cmaybe you should tell your husband who it is? It\u2019s all a bit awkward.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am telling him,\u201d I said. \u201cBut I don\u2019t know who it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow can you not know?\u201d Nastya was surprised. \u201cWomen usually sense these things.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at her closely. Something like gloating flashed in her eyes.<\/p>\n
On Thursday morning a courier brought a package from a lingerie store. Expensive, beautiful, but clearly not my size. It came with a note: \u201cFor a special occasion. Don\u2019t keep me waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then I pretended to be genuinely frightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cAndrey,\u201d I said in a trembling voice, \u201cthis is crossing all boundaries. Someone\u2019s following me, they know our address. I\u2019m scared. Let\u2019s go to the police\u2014let them find out whose names these numbers are registered under, who ordered the delivery.\u201d<\/p>\n
Andrey frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe we shouldn\u2019t go to the police right away? Let\u2019s try to figure it out ourselves\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d I insisted, carefully feigning panic. \u201cI\u2019m scared. What if this person is dangerous? What if he\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t finish, because my mother-in-law and Nastya burst into the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo police!\u201d shouted Valentina Ivanovna. \u201cWe\u2026 we confess\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo what?\u201d I asked coolly, though I\u2019d long since figured it out.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was us,\u201d Nastya muttered, lowering her eyes. \u201cWe just wanted to\u2026 joke around.\u201d<\/p>\n
I slowly shed the mask of a frightened victim and laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cJoke around?\u201d I repeated. \u201cThat\u2019s quite a joke. Sending lingerie, writing love messages, stalking someone\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cKatya\u2026\u201d Andrey began, stunned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWait, dear. I\u2019m not finished.\u201d I turned to Nastya. \u201cDo you think I\u2019m a fool? On Monday I noticed someone was following me. On Tuesday I went to the flower shop and found out who ordered the bouquet. You changed the number, of course, but it\u2019s still registered to you. On Wednesday I checked the second number\u2014also yours, the old one. And the lingerie was ordered by Mom; I saw the store page open on her laptop.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence fell. Nastya stood as red as a beet, my mother-in-law kept clenching and unclenching her hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut why?\u201d Andrey asked quietly.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I stick in your sister\u2019s and mother\u2019s craw,\u201d I said calmly. \u201cThey think you chose the wrong wife. They decided to break us up. Classic plan: sow doubts, make you believe I have a lover.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not true!\u201d Nastya squealed. \u201cWe just\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJust what?\u201d I cut her off. \u201cJust wanted what\u2019s best for me? Your family tried to wreck my marriage, but I put them in their place. That\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Andrey slowly turned to his mother and sister. In his eyes I saw a fury I\u2019d never seen before.<\/p>\n
\u201cGet out,\u201d he said quietly but distinctly. \u201cPack your things and get out of my house.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAndryusha, we\u2026\u201d began Valentina Ivanovna.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now!\u201d he shouted so loudly they flinched. \u201cAnd I don\u2019t want to see you here again!\u201d<\/p>\n
An hour later they left. Nastya was sobbing aloud, my mother-in-law muttered something about ungrateful children. Andrey silently helped carry their bags to the taxi.<\/p>\n
When we were alone, he sat on the couch for a long time with his face in his hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cForgive me,\u201d he said at last. \u201cI should have realized right away. I should have protected you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou did protect me,\u201d I said, sitting beside him. \u201cWhen it mattered.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did you figure it out?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI suspected from the start. Everything began a little too conveniently\u2014right when they arrived. And those looks they exchanged whenever a text came. Nastya could barely keep from laughing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut why didn\u2019t you tell me right away?\u201d<\/p>\n
I paused, choosing my words.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I wanted you to expose them yourself. Or for them to confess. Then I realized it could drag on, and decided to provoke them. The police\u2014that was what they feared most.\u201d<\/p>\n
Andrey hugged me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re too smart for me,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd too good. Anyone else would have left me long ago because of relatives like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNonsense,\u201d I said. \u201cI love you, not your relatives. Though of course it wasn\u2019t pleasant.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey won\u2019t come here again. I promise.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t say \u2018never,\u2019\u201d I said gently. \u201cThey\u2019re your family, after all. But next time\u2014if there is a next time\u2014let them stay at a hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded and held me tighter. And I thought that sometimes family wars end in unexpected victories. The main thing is not to give up and to play smarter than your opponent.<\/p>\n
A week later Andrey received a text from his mother: \u201cForgive us. We realize we were wrong. Katya is a good wife, and we won\u2019t interfere with your happiness anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you think it\u2019s sincere?\u201d he asked, showing me the message.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d I answered honestly. \u201cBut I\u2019d like to believe it. In any case, now they know it\u2019s better not to mess with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
And that was true. No one tried to destroy our marriage again. And I earned a reputation as a woman who can stand up for herself. Which, frankly, isn\u2019t far from the truth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The call came on Saturday morning, while Andrey and I were still in bed, savoring a rare chance to sleep in. My husband reached for the phone reluctantly, and from his voice I immediately understood\u2014it was my mother-in-law. \u201cYeah, Mom\u2026 When? For how long?\u2026\u201d Andrey spoke cautiously, as he always did when talking to his […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33082","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33082","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=33082"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33082\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33083,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33082\/revisions\/33083"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=33082"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=33082"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=33082"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}