Lena sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the black dress hanging on the wardrobe door. Tomorrow was the memorial meal. Nine days since her mother had passed away.
She still could not believe it. Every morning she woke up with the thought of calling her mother, telling her something, asking for advice. And every time, reality struck her like a blow to the stomach: her mother was gone.
They had been close. Not just mother and daughter, but best friends. They called each other every day, met on weekends, shared everything. When Lena married Igor, her mother was there. When they moved into a new apartment, her mother helped with the renovations. When Lena was upset because of work, her mother listened, comforted her, and gave practical advice.
And now there was emptiness. A huge, painful emptiness that nothing could fill.
A heart attack. Sudden, swift. Lena had not even managed to say goodbye. The neighbors called; they had found her mother on the floor in the hallway. The ambulance arrived quickly, but it was already too late.
Lena spent the first days after the funeral in a kind of numbness. She did not cry. She simply existed, like a robot. She went to work, came home, went to bed. Igor tried to support her, but it was as if she could not hear his words.
“Len, maybe you should see a psychologist?” he asked one evening.
“No. I’ll handle it myself.”
“But you’re completely…”
“I’ll handle it,” she repeated more sharply.
Igor did not insist anymore.
Tomorrow would be the memorial meal. They had to organize the table, invite relatives and acquaintances. Lena made a list and ordered a memorial dinner at a café. She did everything mechanically, without thinking, without feeling.
The morning of the ninth day was gray and damp. A fine drizzle fell, and the sky was covered with clouds. Lena put on the black dress and gathered her hair into a bun. She looked at herself in the mirror: pale face, dark circles under her eyes, hollow cheeks.
“At least eat something,” Igor asked, handing her a cup of coffee.
“Later.”
“Len…”
“I said later.”
They arrived at the café before everyone else. Lena checked the table. Everything was as she had ordered: kutya, pancakes, salads, hot dishes. A memorial glass with a piece of black bread on a separate plate.
The guests began arriving around noon. They greeted her quietly, hugged Lena, and said the usual words of condolence. She nodded, thanked them, and seated them at the table.
Relatives from her mother’s side came: Aunt Sveta, cousins, distant acquaintances. From Igor’s side, his parents arrived: Zinaida Pavlovna and Pyotr Vasilyevich.
Zinaida Pavlovna was a large, loud woman with a habit of interfering in everything. She always knew how one should live, what was right to do, and what was not. At their first meeting, she had looked Lena over critically and said to her son, “Well, she’ll do. The main thing is that she’s good around the house.”
Lena had never been especially close to her mother-in-law. She kept her distance. Igor visited his parents alone and rarely took Lena with him. That suited her just fine.
Now Zinaida Pavlovna sat at the table like a queen, surveying those gathered. Pyotr Vasilyevich settled next to her, quiet and unnoticeable, as always.
“Well then, shall we begin?” the mother-in-law asked loudly.
Lena nodded. Everyone stood. Aunt Sveta read a prayer. They commemorated the deceased. Then they sat down.
The memorial meal passed quietly. People ate, whispered among themselves, and remembered Lena’s mother with kind words. Lena sat at the head of the table and barely touched the food. She stared at one spot, lost in her own thoughts.
Zinaida Pavlovna, on the other hand, ate with appetite. She helped herself to salad, tried the hot dish, and critically evaluated the food.
“The potatoes are a little dry,” she threw into the air. “They should have asked for some sauce.”
No one answered.
“The kutya is decent. Though mine turns out better.”
Pyotr Vasilyevich quietly tugged at his wife’s sleeve, urging her to be silent. She waved him off.
The conversation at the table moved sluggishly. Someone remembered how Lena’s mother had helped the neighbors; someone else spoke of her kindness. Zinaida Pavlovna listened with half an ear, studying the guests.
“Who is that woman?” she asked Igor in a low voice, nodding toward Aunt Sveta.
“Lena’s aunt.”
“And that one in blue?”
“A cousin.”
“I see.”
The mother-in-law continued looking over the guests with an appraising eye. Lena heard her whispering out of the corner of her ear but did not react. She had no strength for it.
At one point, the conversation at the table turned to inheritance. Lena’s cousin Anton said quietly to the person sitting next to him:
“At least it’s good that she managed to put everything in Lena’s name. The deposit, the apartment. Now it will be easier for Lena.”
“What deposit?” Zinaida Pavlovna immediately asked, turning her head.
Anton stopped, confused. Lena raised her eyes and met her mother-in-law’s gaze.
“How many millions are we talking about?” Zinaida Pavlovna asked loudly, now addressing everyone at the table.
An awkward silence fell over the table. The guests exchanged glances, not knowing what to say. Lena slowly placed her fork on the plate.
“Zinaida Pavlovna, this is neither the place nor the time,” she said quietly.
“What do you mean, not the place? I simply asked. People mentioned there was a deposit. I have the right to know. We are family.”
“What business is it of yours?” Lena felt irritation rising inside her.
“What do you mean, what business? Igor is my son, so it matters to me too.”
Igor sat beside his mother and remained silent. He did not intervene, did not stop her; he simply looked down at his plate.
Lena slowly exhaled. The last thing she needed was a scandal at the memorial meal.
“Excuse me,” she said, standing up from the table. “I need to get some napkins.”
She left the hall and headed toward the entrance, where she had left her bag. She just needed to step away, breathe, calm down. Otherwise she would snap and say too much.
The entryway was quiet and cool. Lena leaned her back against the wall and closed her eyes. Just a few minutes. Then she would return, sit through the rest of the memorial meal, and see the guests off.
She slipped the bag from her shoulder and placed it on the shelf by the mirror. Inside were documents: her mother’s death certificate, papers from the bank, keys to her mother’s apartment. And a flash drive with photographs. Lena had planned to sort through her mother’s things after the memorial meal, but she still could not bring herself to do it.
The door to the entryway opened. Zinaida Pavlovna came in.
“There you are,” her mother-in-law said, closing the door behind her. “I came after you. We need to talk.”
Lena straightened.
“Zinaida Pavlovna, let’s go back to the guests. We shouldn’t leave people alone.”
“Wait. Just a minute.” Her mother-in-law came closer, her voice quieter but more forceful. “Listen, let’s be honest. How much money was left?”
“That is none of your business.”
“How is it none of my business? Igor is my son. That means what belongs to him belongs to me too.”
Lena clenched her fists.
“The money belongs to me. It is an inheritance from my mother. It has nothing to do with Igor, and especially nothing to do with you.”
“Oh, look at you!” Zinaida Pavlovna twisted her face. “Well, I think differently. You and Igor are a family. That means you should share. I always help my children, and here you are being greedy.”
“I’m not being greedy. I simply believe this is my personal money.”
“Oh, come on! Five million! You could share with your husband’s parents. Are we strangers to you?”
Lena went cold. How did her mother-in-law know the amount? She had not told anyone. She had only mentioned it briefly to Igor.
“Did Igor tell you?”
“Of course! A son doesn’t keep secrets from his mother,” Zinaida Pavlovna said, jutting out her chin. “So don’t pretend. We know everything.”
Lena felt anger spread through her body. So Igor had blurted it out. He had told his mother what Lena had entrusted to him in a moment of weakness.
“Leave, Zinaida Pavlovna. Right now.”
“I’m not leaving until we come to an agreement!” Her mother-in-law grabbed the bag from the shelf. “Give it here! There are five million of your mommy’s money in there!”
For a second, Lena froze, unable to believe her eyes. Zinaida Pavlovna stood there with her bag in her hands, gripping the strap with a death hold. Her mother-in-law’s face was distorted by greed and anger.
“What are you doing?” Lena stepped forward. “Give it back immediately!”
“I won’t give it back! You have to share! We’re relatives!”
“What relatives? Give me the bag!”
Lena tried to snatch the bag away, but Zinaida Pavlovna held on tightly. They pulled the strap in opposite directions like two dogs fighting over a bone.
“Let go!” Lena raised her voice.
“You let go! This is my money!”
“Yours? Since when?”
“Igor is my son. That means his wife must help her mother-in-law.”
Lena jerked the bag toward herself with all her strength, but her mother-in-law would not let go. Their stomping, heavy breathing, and the sound of tearing fabric filled the entryway.
The door flew open. Igor stood in the doorway.
“What is going on here?”
“Igor!” Zinaida Pavlovna shouted. “Help your mother! This greedy woman refuses to share!”
Lena expected her husband to intervene, to pull his mother away, to put her in her place. But Igor simply stood there and watched. He watched his mother and his wife struggle over the bag. And he did nothing.
“Igor!” Lena called. “Why are you just standing there?”
He slowly took a step back. He looked away. He pretended nothing was happening.
At that moment, something inside Lena broke. The rage that had been building over these days burst out.
Lena sharply shoved Zinaida Pavlovna in the shoulder. Her mother-in-law staggered back and released the strap. Lena snatched the bag and pressed it to herself.
“Do not touch my mother’s money!” she shouted so loudly that the conversations in the next room stopped.
Zinaida Pavlovna grabbed the wall, trying to keep her balance. Her face turned crimson.
“What are you doing? You pushed me! Igor, did you see that?”
Igor remained silent. He stood by the door, avoiding his wife’s eyes.
The guests began peering into the entryway. First one, then two more, then the whole group gathered at the door, watching the scene in confusion.
“What happened?” Aunt Sveta asked.
Lena turned to the guests. Her hands were shaking, but her voice was firm.
“This woman,” she said, pointing at Zinaida Pavlovna, “tried to take my bag from me. Right at the memorial meal. On the day we are remembering my mother. She decided she had a right to my inheritance.”
“That’s not true!” her mother-in-law screamed. “I just wanted to talk! She attacked me!”
“You grabbed my bag and shouted that there was money in it.”
“That is a lie!”
The guests exchanged glances. Someone coughed awkwardly. Someone else looked away.
Lena took her phone from her pocket.
“Fine. If you think I’m lying, let’s deal with this according to the law.”
She dialed the police.
“Hello, police?” Lena said clearly. “I need help. Address: Lenin Street, 15, Café Uyut. Attempted theft. Yes, right now. I’ll wait.”
She ended the call and looked at Zinaida Pavlovna. The woman turned pale.
“What are you doing?” her mother-in-law hissed. “You called the police? On your own mother-in-law?”
“On a person who tried to take my bag from me.”
“I didn’t take anything! Igor, tell her!”
All eyes turned to Igor. He stood by the wall, hunched in on himself, silent. Lena looked at him and did not recognize him. Where was the man she had married? Where was the support, the protection?
“Igor,” she called quietly. “Say something.”
He raised his head, met her gaze, and immediately looked away.
“Mom, why did you…” he muttered uncertainly.
“Why did I what? I’m trying for you! I want you to get at least something.”
“He won’t get anything,” Lena cut in. “This is my inheritance. Personal property. It is not divided in a divorce.”
“What divorce?” Zinaida Pavlovna stepped forward. “Are you threatening us?”
“I am not threatening. I am stating a fact.”
Igor moved from his place.
“Len, what are you saying? We…”
“There is no ‘we,’” Lena interrupted him. “You stood there and watched while your mother tried to take my bag from me. At my mother’s memorial meal. And you did nothing.”
“I didn’t know what to do…”
“You were supposed to protect me!” Lena’s voice broke. “You are my husband! But you chose to step aside.”
The guests stood in silence, not knowing how to react. Aunt Sveta took a step toward Lena and reached out her hand, but Lena shook her head. No. Not now.
Footsteps sounded outside the door. A minute later, two police officers entered the entryway: a middle-aged man and a young woman.
“Good afternoon. Who called?”
“I did,” Lena raised her hand. “This woman tried to take my bag from me. There are witnesses.”
The officer took out a notebook.
“Tell me more.”
Lena briefly explained the situation. Zinaida Pavlovna began interrupting indignantly, but the officer raised his hand, asking her to be quiet.
“Were there witnesses?”
“My husband saw it,” Lena said, pointing at Igor. “He was standing in the doorway when his mother grabbed my bag.”
“Is that true?” the officer turned to Igor.
Igor hesitated, shifting from one foot to the other.
“Well… They really… There was the bag… In short, something like that happened…”
“Speak clearly. Did this citizen,” he nodded toward Zinaida Pavlovna, “try to take the complainant’s bag?”
Igor remained silent. Lena looked at him and felt the last remnants of love evaporate.
“Igor,” she called in an icy voice. “Answer.”
“Yes,” he finally forced out. “My mother was holding the bag. But she didn’t want to steal it. She just…”
“She just decided she had a right to my money,” Lena finished for him.
The officer wrote down the testimony.
“Fine. Will you file a statement?”
Lena hesitated for a second. Then she nodded.
“Yes.”
“What?” Zinaida Pavlovna shrieked. “You’re going to file a report against me? I’m your mother! Almost your mother!”
“You are not my mother. You are a stranger who tried to steal my inheritance on the day of the memorial meal.”
Her mother-in-law clutched at her heart, pretending to feel weak.
“Oh, I feel bad! My heart! Pyotr, help me!”
Pyotr Vasilyevich, who had remained silent the whole time, approached his wife and took her by the arm. His face was gray and guilty.
“Zina, let’s go. Don’t make a scene.”
“What scene? I’m being accused of theft! A report is being filed against me! Igor, defend your mother!”
Igor stood with his eyes fixed on the floor. Lena looked at him one last time. Then she turned to the police officers.
“Can I write the statement at the station? It’s uncomfortable here.”
“Of course. Let’s go.”
Lena took her bag. She walked past her mother-in-law, past her husband, past the bewildered guests. In the hall, the set table remained: unfinished dishes, the memorial glass.
At the exit, she turned and looked at Igor.
“Here is your passport,” she said, taking the document from her bag and handing it to him. “And the apartment keys. Pack your things and move out by tomorrow.”
“Len…”
“I will file for divorce tomorrow. Don’t try to talk me out of it.”
She followed the police officers outside without looking back.
At the police station, Lena wrote the statement. She described everything in detail: how Zinaida Pavlovna had followed her into the entryway, how she had begun demanding money, how she had grabbed the bag. She mentioned that her husband had witnessed it but had not intervened.
The duty officer accepted the statement and explained the next steps. There would be an investigation, witnesses would be questioned. If the facts were confirmed, a case could be opened.
Lena nodded and listened, but her thoughts were far away. She thought about how quickly life could collapse. That morning she had been a married woman with a family. By evening, she was alone, with a broken heart and a suitcase full of resentment.
When she returned home, she discovered that Igor had already begun packing his things. An open suitcase stood in the bedroom, clothes folded on the bed.
“Len, let’s talk,” he tried when his wife entered.
“There is nothing to talk about.”
“But you understand that I didn’t mean to…”
“You didn’t mean to, but you did nothing. And that is the same thing.”
Igor clenched his fists.
“She is my mother! I couldn’t throw her on the floor!”
“No one was asking you to throw her anywhere. It would have been enough to say, ‘Mom, stop.’ But you stayed silent. More than that, you stepped back and pretended you weren’t there.”
“I was confused!”
“You betrayed me,” Lena said, sitting on the edge of the sofa. “On the hardest day of my life. At my mother’s memorial meal. You sided with the woman who tried to steal my inheritance.”
“I didn’t side with her!”
“You didn’t side with anyone. And that is even worse.”
Igor sank onto a chair. His face looked exhausted and guilty.
“What am I supposed to do now?”
“Pack your things and leave. I said by tomorrow.”
“And then? We’ll just divorce and that’s it?”
“Yes.”
“Len, give me a chance to fix everything…”
“Fix it?” she gave a bitter smile. “How will you fix the fact that your mother reached into my bag at the memorial meal? How will you fix the fact that you watched and stayed silent?”
“I’ll talk to her. I’ll explain that this is unacceptable.”
“Don’t bother. I don’t care what you tell her. I no longer want anything to do with any of you.”
Igor tried to take her hand, but Lena pulled it away.
“Don’t touch me.”
“Len…”
“Leave, Igor. Please, just leave.”
He stood up and remained there for a few seconds, as if he wanted to say something else. Then he turned and left the room.
Lena heard him gathering the remaining things, closing the suitcase, going into the hallway. She heard the sound of the door opening. Then silence.
She sat on the sofa and looked out the window. It had grown dark outside. The rain had stopped, and stars were appearing in the sky.
For the first time in nine days, Lena cried. Without holding back, without shame. She cried from pain, from hurt, from loss. She had lost her mother. She had lost her husband. She was alone.
But somewhere deep inside, there was a faint understanding: she had done the right thing. She could not leave everything as it was. She could not live with a man who had failed to protect her when she needed him most.
The next morning, Lena woke with a feeling of emptiness. The apartment seemed strangely quiet without Igor. She walked through the rooms, and everywhere she felt his absence. He had removed his things from the wardrobe, taken his books, his computer, even the mug with his name on it.
Lena made coffee and sat down at the table. She took out her phone and dialed the lawyer she had met while arranging the inheritance.
“Hello, Viktor Petrovich? Good morning. I need a consultation about divorce.”
The lawyer scheduled a meeting for the afternoon. Lena got dressed, made herself presentable, and went to his office.
Viktor Petrovich listened to her story attentively, taking notes.
“Understood. Do you have children?”
“No.”
“Jointly acquired property?”
“The apartment is mine. I inherited it before the marriage. The car is mine too. His things are only clothes and equipment he bought with his own money.”
“Excellent. Then the divorce should go quickly. We’ll file an application with the registry office, and in a month the marriage will be dissolved. Provided he does not object, of course.”
“I don’t think he will.”
“Then I see no problem. As for the incident with his mother, did you file a police report?”
“Yes.”
“Good. That will help if they start making any claims against you.”
Lena nodded. The lawyer prepared the documents, and she signed them. An hour later, the application had been filed with the registry office.
On the way home, Lena stopped by the bank. She withdrew all the money from the joint account she and Igor had opened for household expenses. She transferred it to her personal account. She closed her husband’s access to her cards.
That evening Aunt Sveta called.
“Lenochka, how are you? I’ve been thinking about you all day.”
“I’m all right, Aunt Sveta. I’m managing.”
“I’m sorry about what happened yesterday. It was awful. To cause such a scene at a memorial meal…”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“Did you really file for divorce?”
“Yes.”
Aunt Sveta sighed.
“Maybe you’re rushing. What if he comes to his senses?”
“I’m not rushing. I’ve thought it through. I don’t want to live with a man who cannot protect me from his own mother.”
“Well, you know best. The most important thing is that you stay healthy and calm. If you need anything, call me. I’ll always help.”
“Thank you, Auntie.”
After the call, Lena lay down on the sofa and turned on the television. She watched without following the plot. It was simply background noise so she would not hear the silence.
Her phone vibrated. A message from Igor: “Len, let’s meet. Let’s talk calmly.”
Lena deleted the message without answering. There was nothing to talk about.
An hour later, another message came: “I understand I was wrong. Give me a chance to fix everything.”
Lena blocked the number.
Then Zinaida Pavlovna called. Lena rejected the call. She called again. Lena blocked that number too.
She did not want to hear anything. She did not want explanations, apologies, excuses. She wanted only one thing: peace.
The following weeks passed in chores. Lena sorted through her mother’s things, completed the paperwork for the apartment, and visited the lawyer. She worked, returned home, went to bed. She lived like an automaton.
Her colleagues at work noticed her condition.
“Lena, maybe you should take a vacation? Rest a little?”
“No, work distracts me.”
It was true. She preferred to work. Home was too quiet, with too many thoughts. At the office, she could focus on tasks and not think about what had happened.
The divorce went through without problems. Igor came to the registry office, signed the documents, and received the divorce certificate. They did not speak. They simply did what was necessary and went their separate ways.
Lena returned home with the certificate in her hands. She sat on the sofa and looked at the stamp for a long time. That was it. The marriage was dissolved. She was free.
But that freedom felt strange. Empty. Cold.
A month passed. Then two. Then three. Lena gradually recovered. She sorted through her mother’s belongings and sold her apartment. She placed the money in a deposit. The inheritance was officially registered: five million, clean, with no debts or obligations.
She changed the locks in her apartment, changed all her account passwords, and closed the joint accounts. She removed everything from the home that reminded her of Igor.
Gradually, life began to settle.
One evening, Lena sat at home looking through photographs of her mother. She turned the pictures over in her hands and remembered. She smiled through tears.
Her mother would have been proud of her. Proud that her daughter had not endured humiliation. Proud that she had put herself first. Proud that she had protected her own interests.
Lena remembered words her mother had once said long ago: “My dear girl, never let people wipe their feet on you. Even if they are relatives. Even if it is your husband. You must respect yourself.”
Back then, Lena had nodded without fully understanding. Now she understood. Through her own experience.
She closed the photo album and placed it back on the shelf. She went to the kitchen and made tea. Then she sat by the window.
Outside, the city lived its own life. Streetlights glowed, cars drove by, people walked. Life continued. And her life continued too.
Without Igor. Without Zinaida Pavlovna. Without toxic relationships. Just her life. Calm, measured, free.
Her phone vibrated. A message from an unknown number: “Lena, it’s Igor. Please answer. We need to talk.”
Lena looked at the screen. She blocked the number. Deleted the message.
No. They did not need to talk. Everything had already been said.
She finished her tea and went to bed. Tomorrow was a new day. A new life. Without the past, without resentment, without people who did not value her.
Six months passed after the divorce. Lena sat in a café with her friend Katya, whom she had not seen for several months.
“Well, tell me, how are you?” Katya looked at her friend attentively.
“I’m good. Truly good.”
“Really? You’re not lying?”
“I’m not lying. You know, at first it was hard. Getting used to being alone, coming to terms with the loss. But then I realized it wasn’t loneliness. It was freedom.”
Katya nodded.
“I’m glad for you. You did the right thing by not putting up with it.”
“I simply realized in time that you can’t live with a person who isn’t on your side.”
“Have you heard anything from them?”
“No. Igor tried to write a couple of times, but I blocked him. Zinaida Pavlovna called from every number she could find. I blocked her too. I don’t want to hear anything.”
“And what happened with the police report?”
“They investigated, questioned the witnesses. In the end, they refused to open a case. They decided there was no crime. But I wasn’t insisting on it anyway. The main thing for me was to show that I would not let them interfere in my life.”
“And you were right.”
They chatted a little more, then Katya laughed.
“You know, you’ve changed. You’ve become more confident. Calmer. It’s obvious you’re doing well.”
Lena smiled.
“Yes, I’m doing well. For the first time in a long time.”
That evening, Lena returned home. She took off her shoes and hung up her jacket. She went into the kitchen, made tea, and sat by the window, as she had liked to do lately.
Her bag lay on the table. Lena looked at it and remembered that day. The memorial meal, the entryway, Zinaida Pavlovna with her greedy eyes and grasping hands.
Back then, Lena had been afraid. Afraid to be alone, afraid to lose her husband, afraid to make a decision. But she had made it. And she did not regret it.
Now there were always documents in her bag: the certificate of ownership for the apartment, bank cards, keys. Everything was with her. Everything was under control.
Lena no longer trusted anyone. She did not talk about money, did not share her plans. She kept everything strictly secret.
Someone might say she had become hard, closed off. But Lena knew: she had simply learned to protect herself.
Her mother had been right. You cannot allow people to wipe their feet on you. Even if they are family. Even if they are close to you. You must respect yourself. You must protect your boundaries.
Lena finished her tea and went to get ready for bed. She lay down and closed her eyes. For the first time in a long while, she slept peacefully. Without fear that someone would again force their way into her life. Without anxiety that she would have to defend herself.
She was free. She was safe. She was home.
And it was her home.
Only hers.
