— Oh Lord, empty again!
Olga slammed the refrigerator door and sighed deeply. Her husband’s salary had vanished in less than a week. How much longer could they save? Sergey didn’t seem like a spendthrift; they didn’t have large loans, but money was always tight.
—What’s wrong, Olga? — her mother-in-law’s voice made her shudder.
Galina Petrovna had walked back in without knocking. She stood in the kitchen doorway, holding a bag of pastries.
—I was just thinking about what to make for dinner, Olga forced a smile.
—I told you, you have to plan the menu every day! — Her mother-in-law walked purposefully into the kitchen and began bringing out the pastries. —Sergey loved cabbage pies since he was a child. And you keep experimenting.
Olga rolled her eyes when Galina looked away. Three months after the wedding, it felt like I’d lived three years on those “helpful tips.”
“Galina Petrovna, I can handle it.”
“Sure, sure!” her mother-in-law waved her hands. “I just want to help!”
Olga’s phone buzzed with a notification about a utility bill payment.
“Oh no!” she exclaimed. “Another payment has been made, but there’s barely any money left.”
“Sergey doesn’t earn enough?” Galina narrowed her eyes.
“No, the salary is okay, but…”
“Then you spend too much,” Galina interrupted. “When I was your age, I counted every penny and raised Sergey alone. And we survived!”
Olga gritted her teeth. Arguing was useless. Every conversation with her mother-in-law was like walking through a minefield.
In the evening, when Sergey came home from work, Olga decided to talk.
“Sergey, we’ve run out of money again,” she said, sitting next to him on the sofa. “What’s wrong?”
“What do you mean?” Her husband frowned, still looking at his phone.
“Literally. Good salary, but not enough to eat.”
“Loans, utilities, and gas have gone up,” he complained. “Everything’s getting more expensive, you know.”
“But the neighbors are getting by. They even go to the sea.”
“Their situation is different.”
“What kind?”
“How normal!” Sergey jumped up. “Why do you insist? I’m tired!”
A couple of days later, while Olga was going through her husband’s things, she found his wallet. She didn’t normally go through his things, but something clicked inside. She opened it and froze. Among the bills were money transfer receipts. Large sums. In the name of… Galina Petrovna!
“How is that possible?” Olga slumped onto the bed.
Every month, a third of her salary! No wonder they were always short of money.
On Saturday, Sergey went to his mother’s house to “fix a shelf.” Olga didn’t hesitate and followed him. She stopped in the doorway. Why had he come? What would he say? “Hello, I decided to spy on you?”
She was about to turn and leave when voices were heard from the third-floor balcony.
“Mom, maybe we should reduce the amount?” Olga realized there was little money.
“Son, do you know what my pension is? What about medicine? What about repairs?”
“I know, but…”
“Olga is young, she should work. And you only have one mother!”
Olga froze. So that’s it! The mother-in-law was simply milking her son, and he was happy to oblige!
She went home with a plan already prepared. She would give them both a surprise so big they wouldn’t like it! The truth is better than half-truths.
That evening, Olga couldn’t help herself and called her friend.
“Hi, Katya. Are you home?”
“Yes, I’m binge-watching a series. What’s going on?”
“Guess what! My beloved gives a third of his salary to his mother every month!”
“No way!” Katya gasped. “How did you know?”
“I found the receipts in her wallet. Then I overheard their conversation. The mother-in-law takes advantage of compassion, and the fool is happy to try!”
“So what will you do?”
“I’m organizing a family dinner with a surprise!” Olga laughed. “Let you work it out together.”
For three days, Olga prepared the groundwork. First, she called her mother-in-law:
“Galina Petrovna, I want to invite you and Sergey to dinner on Saturday. There’s a reason to celebrate.”
“What’s the reason?” her mother-in-law suspected.
“Surprise!” Olga replied happily. “Come at six.”
Then she told her husband about the important family dinner. Sergey was surprised but agreed to come early.
On the appointed day, Olga prepared a feast. Salads, roast chicken, and she even bought a cake, her mother-in-law’s favorite, with meringue. She lit candles.
Sergey arrived first. He saw the set table and whistled:
“Wow! Is it an anniversary? Did I forget?”
“No, I just wanted to make everyone happy,” Olga smiled sweetly.
“Everyone?”
The doorbell interrupted.
“Mom?” Sergey looked at his wife in surprise. “Did you invite Mom too?”
“Of course, Sergey! We’re family!”
Galina Petrovna came in with a box of chocolates.
“Here for tea…”
“Thank you, come in!” Olga accepted the box. “Sit down, I’ve prepared everything.”
A strange atmosphere reigned at the table. The mother-in-law inspected
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