No money. I’ll spend this vacation at home. And your mother can fix her house by herself! » – I refused to be free labor
In the spacious workshop, there was a bustling, businesslike atmosphere. Margarita bent over a complex pattern, carefully sketching the darts on a new designer dress. Ten years of hard work had turned a tiny room with a single sewing machine into a proper workshop with professional equipment and a team of five skilled seamstresses.
The phone buzzed, displaying the name «Galina Petrovna.» Margarita sighed deeply and put down her pencil.
«Hello, dear,» her mother-in-law’s voice sounded sickeningly sweet. «Will you and Vitya be coming on Saturday?»
«Good afternoon, Galina Petrovna. Yes, as agreed,» Margarita rubbed her nose.
«Wonderful! I’ve made a list of what needs to be brought. The tiles in the bathroom are all chipped, it’s time to replace them.»
Margarita bit her lip. Another renovation that would fall on her shoulders.
«Galina Petrovna, we only fixed the roof a month ago…»
«Margarita, don’t you want to help your husband’s mother?» The voice of her mother-in-law turned icy. «Or is it too hard to spend some money on your parents?»
«No, of course, it’s not too hard,» Margarita gripped the phone tightly. «Send me the list, I’ll buy everything.»
After finishing the conversation, Margarita buried her face in her hands.
Later that evening, footsteps could be heard outside the workshop. Viktor entered, holding a bouquet of wildflowers.
«Hello, darling! How are you?» He kissed his wife on the cheek and handed her the flowers.
«Your mom called,» Margarita took the bouquet. «We’re going to replace the tiles in the bathroom on Saturday.»
The smile faded from Viktor’s face.
«Rita, you know it’s hard for mom to do it alone…»
«Vitya, I don’t mind helping, but why do I always have to do everything?» Margarita carefully placed the bouquet on the table. «You spend hours with her in the kitchen while I’m here painting, sawing, planing, all by myself.»
«Mom says you’re better than me at doing repairs,» Viktor shrugged. «You have a talent for handiwork.»
«This is not handiwork! This is hard physical labor!» Margarita stood up from the table. «And yet your mother calls me a weakling!»
Viktor frowned.
«Don’t exaggerate, she’s just joking.»
«Joking?» Margarita’s eyes widened. «Last week she told her friend that I only know how to do cross-stitch and don’t do anything around the house!»
Viktor shifted uncomfortably.
«You know how she feels about your atelier. She doesn’t see it as real work.»
«Not real?» Margarita gestured around the workshop. «I earn more than you, Vitya! We have five employees, regular clients, we were even invited to a show in Moscow!»
«I know, dear. I’m proud of you,» Viktor tried to embrace his wife.
Margarita pulled away.
«Proud, but you can’t defend me in front of your mom?»
«Rita, let’s not fight,» Viktor glanced at the clock. «By the way, mom asked if you could visit her tonight. She says the porch is creaking, needs checking.»
Margarita froze. Would this never end?
«Vitya, I have an urgent order. A key client is coming for a fitting tomorrow.»
«But mom’s waiting. You can handle the order, right?» Viktor looked at her pleadingly.
«And if I can’t? What’s more important, my work or a creaky porch?»
Viktor remained silent. His eyes scanned the room, avoiding his wife’s gaze.
«Fine,» Margarita gave in. «I’ll go. But I’m bringing work with me. I’ll fix the porch after I finish.»
«Thank you, darling!» Viktor beamed. «Mom will be so happy.»
Galina Petrovna’s house resembled an eternal construction site. In the bright light of the setting sun, Margarita could see the unfinished porch, the crooked fence, and the garden overrun with weeds.
«Finally!» Galina Petrovna appeared at the window. «I thought you had changed your mind!»
Margarita took a box of tools from the car. Her mother-in-law greeted them at the door in a perfectly pressed silk robe.
«Vityenka, darling!» She hugged her son. «And you, Rita, heading straight for the porch? You won’t even have tea?»
«Hello, Galina Petrovna,» Margarita forced a smile. «I’ll finish my work first, then I’ll handle the repairs.»
«What work?» her mother-in-law pursed her lips.
«I have an urgent order,» Margarita pulled out a bag with fabrics and sketches.
«Ah, your little dresses,» Galina Petrovna waved her hand. «You could’ve postponed it for the family.»
Viktor stood silently beside them, watching.
«This is my work, Galina Petrovna. The client is waiting,» Margarita clutched her bag tighter.
«Vitya, tell your wife that family comes before any rags,» Galina Petrovna turned to her son.
Margarita froze. Would he stay silent again?
«Mom, this is a serious business, not just rags,» Viktor spoke softly, without looking at either his mother or wife.
«Business?» Galina Petrovna laughed. «Real business is when you have millions in your account! And your savings, Rita, you only keep for yourself. You won’t even help your parents with money.»
«I’ve never refused to help you,» Margarita tried to stay calm. «I buy everything, bring it over, do it myself.»
«Yourself? Without our help, you wouldn’t have managed!»
Margarita choked on the unfairness of the accusations. The last straw broke her patience.
«Mom, let’s not discuss this now,» Viktor awkwardly intervened.
Margarita dropped the toolbox on the floor. Another evening had turned into a nerve-wracking trial. She completed the work for her client and then started fixing the porch. By midnight, exhausted both physically and mentally, Margarita fell asleep in the car, waiting for her husband, who had stayed with his mother.
May turned out to be hot. Margarita spread out the sketches for the summer collection on the table. Ahead lay the long-awaited three-week vacation—the first in five years.
«Margot, where are you planning to go with Vitya?» asked Alyona, her right-hand woman in the atelier, as she arranged fabrics.
«To Sochi,» Margarita smiled. «We’ve already made the reservation, I’ll pay tomorrow.»
The phone rang, displaying her mother-in-law’s name.
«Ritochka, I have great news!» Galina Petrovna’s voice sounded excited.
«Hello, Galina Petrovna,» Margarita stepped into the hallway of the atelier.
«I’ve decided to do a major renovation! Can you imagine how well it’ll coincide with your vacation? What a lucky coincidence!»
Margarita froze with the phone at her ear. A cold wave of premonition washed over her.
«Renovation? But Vitya and I planned…»
«Darling, you can relax at home,» her mother-in-law interrupted. «Just think how beautiful it will be for New Year’s when you arrive. I’ve already made a list of materials.»
«What list?» Margarita leaned against the wall.
«It’s five pages long, don’t be scared,» Galina Petrovna laughed. «Vitya said you have good savings.»
Margarita clenched her teeth so hard it made her jaw ache.
«What exactly did Vitya say about my savings?»
«Why are you so nervous?» Her mother-in-law’s voice became condescending. «He said you were saving just in case. But that can wait, right? Family comes first, then hobbies.»
«My atelier is not a hobby, it’s my business,» Margarita tried to speak evenly.
«Vitya thinks otherwise,» her mother-in-law snapped. «He said you’ll definitely help. I’ll send the list in the chat.»
The dial tone sounded before Margarita could reply. She slowly lowered the phone. Rage bubbled inside her chest.
At home, Viktor greeted her as if nothing had happened. Margarita didn’t start the conversation. For three days, she remained silent, pondering the situation, while her husband wondered why she seemed so distant.
«Rita, what’s going on?» Viktor finally asked on the third evening. «You’re not even discussing the purchases for mom’s renovation.»
«Why discuss it?» Margarita set her fork down. «You’ve already decided everything.»
«What do you mean?»
«About our vacation plans, about my savings,» Margarita’s eyes sparkled. «You told your mother that I would give money for the repairs.»
Viktor hesitated.
«Rita, you have to understand, mom really needs this help. We can help with the repairs.»
«We can,» Margarita nodded. «But we won’t.»
«What?»
«I called Elena yesterday,» Margarita took a sip of water. «Remember my jeweler friend? She’s expanding her business. I transferred my savings to her as an investment.»
Viktor stared at her as if he’d seen a ghost.
«You… what have you done?»
«I invested in a promising business,» Margarita replied calmly. «It’s a smart move. I’ll get good dividends soon.»
«Rita, have you lost your mind?» Viktor jumped up from the table. «How could you do this without telling me?!»
«And how could you promise my money to your mother without telling me?» Margarita stood up too.
Viktor grabbed his head.
«What am I going to tell mom?»
«Tell her the truth,» Margarita cut him off. «There’s no money.»
A week passed in tense silence. Margarita took some time off and focused on household chores. Viktor returned late every evening, avoiding conversation.
The night before their vacation, he finally made up his mind.
«Rita, mom’s asking when you’ll go shopping for the materials.»
Margarita looked up from her book and stared at her husband.
«There’s no money. This vacation will be spent at home. And your mom can fix her own house!»
Viktor paled.
«You can’t do this!»
«I can, and I am,» Margarita slammed the book shut. «I’ve worked for ten years in her house. Ten years she’s considered my business a joke. Enough.»
«But mom was counting on it…»
«And I was counting on the support of my husband,» Margarita interrupted. «On respect for my work. Where’s that?»
Viktor’s phone rang. The screen displayed «Mom.» Margarita warned her husband:
«Don’t you dare say I refused. Tell her the truth—there’s no money.»
Viktor answered the phone, but instead of replying, he handed it to his wife.
«Say it yourself. I’m not part of this.»
Margarita took the phone.
«Yes, Galina Petrovna.»
«Ritochka, when will you come? It’s time to buy the materials!» her mother-in-law’s voice was excited.
«Never,» Margarita replied firmly. «I will no longer be free labor. And we don’t have money for the renovation.»
Silence hung on the line.
«What do you mean ‘no’?» her mother-in-law’s voice turned cold. «Vitya promised!»
«Viktor has no right to manage my money. I invested it in a business.»
«What business?» Galina Petrovna shrieked. «Has your atelier gone bankrupt?»
«No, I invested in a jewelry company. And this is not up for discussion.»
«Give the phone to Vitya!» her mother-in-law demanded.
Margarita handed the phone to Viktor. He stepped back a pace.
«No, mom, Rita’s right. We can’t…»
«Traitor!» Galina Petrovna screamed so loudly it could be heard even without the speakerphone. «You’re choosing her… this… this upstart over your mother?»
Viktor helplessly looked at his wife.
«Mom, let’s calm down…»
«Go to her, since she’s more important to you!» The sound of sobbing came through the speaker.
«Mom, stop,» Viktor turned pale.
«Make your choice,» Margarita said quietly. «Now, once and for all.»
Viktor kept glancing from the phone to his wife.
«I can’t do this…»
«Then it’s decided,» Margarita turned and walked into the bedroom.
«Where are you going?» Viktor followed her.
Margarita opened the wardrobe and pulled out a suitcase.
«I’m packing your things. You’ve made your choice.»
«What? Rita, wait…»
«I’ve tolerated enough,» Margarita folded his shirts into the suitcase. «I hoped you’d stand by me. Enough.»
«But I love you!» Viktor’s voice was full of desperation.
«And I’m tired,» Margarita shook her head. «You won’t change, Vitya. The road to your mom is open. Go help her with the renovation.»
An hour later, Viktor, bewildered and downcast, stood at the door with a suitcase.
«Rita, let’s not be so harsh…»
«Goodbye, Viktor,» Margarita closed the door without listening.
The bright July day filled the apartment with light. Margarita sat with a cup of coffee, reviewing the financial report from Elena. The first dividends from her investments were already starting to come in.
The doorbell interrupted her thoughts. At the door stood Viktor—gaunt, with a dull gaze.
«Rita, I came to apologize,» he handed her a bouquet of her favorite peonies. «I’ve realized everything. Mom was wrong…»
Margarita silently stared at the man she had lived with for so many years.
«Leave, Vitya,» she said firmly. «We’re no longer on the same path.»
«But Rita, I’ve changed!» His eyes begged.
«It’s too late,» Margarita shook her head. «I’ve changed too.»
Closing the door, she returned to her reports. Life was calmer without Viktor and his family. And her investments in her friend’s business were already yielding profits. A new life was just beginning.
