A Car Gift That Shattered Peace: A Family’s Financial Dilemma
On a cramped minibus ride home, Darya found herself seated beside her neighbor, Valentina Ivanovna. Brimming with excitement, Valentina began sharing unexpected news.
“Did you know your mother-in-law has a brand-new car?” she said, arranging her bag carefully. “A gleaming silver Hyundai! Just yesterday, I saw your husband, Egor, handing her the keys — such a thoughtful son, caring for his mother.”
A sudden chill swept over Darya, her face drained of color while her fingers tightened around her bag’s handle.
“Excuse me, what car do you mean?” Her voice came out oddly strained.
“The new one! A shiny Hyundai, she told everyone it was a birthday gift from her son.”
For the remainder of the journey, Darya sat stunned, her mind a chaotic web of questions. Why would Egor buy such an expensive gift quietly? What funds could he have used? Why had he kept it from her?
Arriving home, the kitchen revealed her husband absorbed in his phone, calm and seemingly at ease. Swallowing her anxiety, Darya placed her bag down and asked carefully,
“Egor, is there something important I should know about?”
He glanced up, puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“Any major family expenses we haven’t talked about?”
Egor’s expression tightened. “I don’t understand where this is coming from.”
“Then explain the origin of your mother’s new car.”
A heavy silence followed. Egor set his phone aside, rubbing his face. When he finally met her gaze, guilt mingled with stubbornness in his eyes.
“Dasha, I intended to tell you…”
“When? After the neighbors do?”
“Don’t yell. The children are nearby.”
“Don’t command me! Why buy a car behind my back?” Her voice cracked with emotion.
“Behind your back? We share finances. I have every right to spend money on my mother!”
“Our money? How much did you spend?” she asked, sinking into a chair as her legs weakened.
“Not much…” he muttered.
“Tell me the number!”
“Eight hundred thousand rubles.”
The figure reverberated in the air. Darya blinked in disbelief.
“Eight hundred? Egor, are you serious? That’s nearly all our savings!”
“Half of it,” he corrected her.
“Half! We’ve been saving for three years—for the kids’ room, vacations, Maksim’s education!”
“Mom deserves a comfortable life. At seventy-two, public transportation is torture for her.”
“And what about me?” Darya’s voice trembled with anger. “I endure packed minibuses daily, get motion sickness, and suffer back pain—but I never demanded a car!”
“You’re young; you’ll manage.”
She froze, stunned by his dismissiveness. Those words felt like a harsh blow.
“Manage? Egor, I’m thirty-four, juggling two children and working long hours while managing the household! Your mother’s retired and shops twice a week!”
“Don’t speak of my mother that way!” he snapped.
“Then don’t spend our money without consulting me!”
“Our money? We have a joint budget, or do you want to split every ruble now?”
“Joint budget means shared decisions! You just spent nearly a million in secret!”
“I didn’t waste it! I gave a gift to the woman who raised me!”
“And what about me? Aren’t our children entitled to adequate care?”
Egor turned away and waved dismissively.
“You’re exaggerating. Postponing renovations a year isn’t catastrophic.”
Darya grabbed her family expense notebook and began listing aloud:
- Mortgage: 27,000 rubles/month
- Utilities: 9,000 rubles
- Groceries: at least 15,000 rubles
- Children’s clothing: about 10,000 rubles
- Maksim’s extra classes: 6,000 rubles
- Medicine, gas, household needs: 20,000 rubles
“In total, nearly 90,000 rubles monthly on fixed costs. With our salaries, just 40,000 rubles remain—for everything else. And you spent one and a half years’ worth of savings in a single transaction!”
“Stop counting! Money isn’t everything,” Egor snapped.
“Easy for you to say when it’s my sacrifice that vanished!” Darya slammed the book down. “I scrimped on the kids’ clothes, skipped hairdressers, avoided gatherings—just to save! And you spent it all at once!”
“I gave a cherished gift!”
“To your mother? What about your wife and children second in line?”
He sighed and rubbed his face.
“You’re acting greedy,” he muttered.
Darya stiffened, anger flashing through her.
“Say that again.”
“Fine! You’re greedy. Mom sacrificed her whole life. Now, when help arrives, you complain!”
She stood, pale and shaking.
“Greedy? I worked just as hard, bore children, juggled work and home—and you call me greedy for asking respect?”
“Mom deserves care!”
“And I don’t? Or the kids?” Tears welled up. “We planned a kids’ vacation after five years—and you replaced it with a car!”
Polina, the younger daughter, entered quietly, sensing the tension.
“Mom, Dad, why are you arguing?”
Darya smiled through tears and soothed her. “We’re discussing grown-up things. Go play, dinner’s soon.”
“Is it about grandma’s car? Maksim said Dad bought it,” Polina whispered.
Exchanging glances, Darya admitted, “Yes. I don’t agree with it.”
“Why can grandma have a car but we can’t go to the sea?”
Egor turned away, and Darya hugged her daughter.
“Sometimes adults make mistakes,” she whispered.
The silence was heavy.
“See? The children sense the betrayal,” Darya murmured. “They realize the truth.”
“I didn’t lie,” Egor grumbled.
“We planned everything together! You betrayed our trust!”
His phone rang. Egor answered, telling his mother Darya supported the gift, further fueling Darya’s fury.
“Mom invites us for lunch tomorrow—to show off the car to the children,” Egor announced.
“So I should feign happiness over a gift that tore us apart?”
“Don’t be like that,” he pleaded.
“Greedy,” he muttered quietly again.
“What?”
“You’re greedy. Mom needs support, and you refuse.”
“I’ve worked for every kopeck we saved. Basic respect isn’t greed!”
“Mom is alone,” Egor said urgently.
“And I’m ignored. I’m tired of being unheard. Your mother means more than your family.”
Then, the mother-in-law, Lidiya Petrovna, appeared holding the car keys, disrupting the fragile calm.
“How did you get here?” Darya snapped.
“Egor gave me the keys for emergencies,” she replied calmly.
She overheard the argument and seemed unfazed by conflict.
When told Darya opposed the purchase, her smile vanished.
“Why be so greedy? Shouldn’t you rejoice for an elderly woman?”
Darya challenged her dismissal, listing the family’s expenses and pointing out the sacrifice.
“You’re young, you’ll manage,” Lidiya Petrovna shrugged.
“And the grandchildren’s dreams?” Darya asked.
“They can wait,” the mother-in-law said coldly. “My time is limited.”
Darya suggested returning the car and urged Egor to buy gifts from his personal funds.
After tension escalated, Egor hesitated but sided with his mother. Darya vowed to consult a lawyer.
“I’ll file to protect our family rights,” she declared firmly.
Legal counsel confirmed her position: joint large expenses require spousal consent; otherwise, they can be contested.
Preparing documents meticulously, Darya stood resolute despite pressure from Egor and Lidiya Petrovna, who tried to sway mutual acquaintances and even the children.
The family court rulings favored Darya, declaring the car purchase invalid and ordering a refund within a month.
Lidiya Petrovna’s grief and Egor’s silence marked the trial’s end, while Darya felt relief in justice’s triumph.
“We’ll sell the car,” Darya stated plainly.
“Mom will never forgive me,” Egor lamented.
“And I won’t forgive your betrayal,” she answered coldly.
Following the sale, family dynamics shifted profoundly. Darya set clear expectations for joint financial decisions and prioritized children’s needs.
Egor accepted these terms to prevent further damage.
Later that year, the family finally enjoyed the long-awaited seaside vacation, a joyful moment after struggle.
Key Insight: This story underscores the necessity of clear boundaries and mutual respect in family finances. Without open communication and shared consent, trust can fracture, impacting relationships deeply.
While rebuilding trust is a gradual process, establishing transparent rules and valuing each family member’s voice are crucial steps towards harmony and stability.