At the kitchen table, Lena rotated a pen between her fingers, facing a pristine piece of paper yet unable to draft the opening word of her résumé. Despite three months of effort, her job search had stalled repeatedly—her credentials often mismatched the roles, offers came with poor wages, or interviews fizzled out prematurely.
“Still idling away?” Andrey entered the kitchen, stretching after his daytime rest from a night shift.
“I’m working on my résumé,” replied Lena, weariness evident in her voice, eyes fixed downward.
“For which position now?” Andrey asked, a faint note of irony underpinning his question.
“A sales manager role at a construction firm,” she responded.
Pouring himself a cup of the strong, almost black tea Lena had prepared earlier, Andrey probed, “Do you have any experience in construction?”
Lifting her fatigued gaze, Lena answered, “I know sales. Remember, I was with Eldorado for three years.”
“That was five years back,” Andrey countered, sitting opposite her. “Perhaps it’s time to consider something more attainable? Not everyone becomes a manager.”
Lena clutched her pen tighter. They revisited this dialogue almost daily. Though Andrey never voiced it plainly, she sensed his heaviness about being the sole financial supporter, covering utilities, groceries, and her transportation costs for job interviews.
“I’m trying,” she whispered.
“I know. It’s just tough,” he admitted, rubbing his forehead.
Lena understood. Their modest two-room Khrushchev-era apartment was hers by inheritance, but sustaining it on a single system administrator’s income, even with Andrey’s stable job, was daunting.
The unexpected breakthrough
A week later, the phone rang while Lena was rinsing dishes.
“Elena Viktorovna? This is StroyInvest. You applied as a sales manager?”
Her heart raced.
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Can you come for an interview tomorrow at two in the afternoon?”
“Absolutely!” she exclaimed, barely suppressing her excitement. After noting the address, she leaned against the fridge, hoping fortune was finally on her side.
The interviews passed swiftly: first with HR, then sales leadership, and finally the deputy director. Lena confidently shared her experience and painted a positive picture. Ultimately, the seasoned sales director examined her intently.
“Elena Viktorovna, you seem like the right candidate. Can you start Monday?”
“Yes, I can!” she restrained a victorious leap.
“The salary is seventy thousand rubles monthly plus commissions, averaging around one hundred thousand. Does that suit you?”
Her breath hitched; this was more than Andrey’s earnings.
She hurried home; Andrey was still asleep with two hours to spare before work. Sitting gently on the bed’s edge, she whispered,
“Andryusha, wake up. I have news.”
His eyes snapped open, alert immediately.
“What’s the news?”
“I got the job! Seventy thousand plus commission!” she beamed.
Andrey sat up, fully awake now.
“Really? Congrats! Finally! We can live like normal people.”
Rapid progress and shifting dynamics
Lena immersed herself in her duties, mastering products and fostering client connections. Sales talent shone through; by month two, she earned a top-employee bonus, and her salary neared one hundred thousand by month three.
At home, improvements followed: Lena began purchasing groceries and sharing utility bills. Andrey’s demeanor brightened; weeks of strain lifted significantly.
Yet six months later, a difficult discussion loomed.
Returning fatigued after a demanding workday, Lena entered the living room where Andrey inactively watched the news.
“Hi,” she murmured, sinking into an armchair.
“Hey. How was work?”
“Tiring, but fine.”
Andrey switched off the TV and faced her.
“Len, we need to talk—about finances and our budget.”
Lena furrowed her brow.
“What about it?”
After pausing to choose words, Andrey explained, “I calculated our expenses during your unemployment—roughly four hundred thousand rubles, maybe a bit more. Groceries, bills, your interview travel…”
“So?”
“Now that you earn more, I think it’s fair for you to contribute more to household expenses so we even out.”
Lena sat upright, astonished.
“What do you mean by ‘even out’?”
Andrey avoided her gaze: “I supported us alone for so long. Now it’s your turn. I suggest you allocate about seventy percent of your salary toward our joint costs, while I cover fifty percent of mine. That way, over time, the previous spending balances out.”
Lena stared incredulously.
“We’re a family meant to support each other. I wasn’t idle; I struggled to find suitable work.”
“I get it, but fairness matters,” he insisted.
Her tone chilled: “Is it fair I handle cooking, cleaning, and laundry without consideration?”
“Len, I only want equity in our arrangement,” Andrey replied.
She rose, looking away. Silence hung heavy.
“I’ll think about it,” she said finally.
Calculating fairness with contracts and chores
Days passed with Lena withdrawn. Andrey cautiously tried to revisit the topic, but she responded tersely: “Still considering.” He knew she was hurt, yet felt his stance reasonable.
On Saturday, Lena returned from an errand, carrying a folder. Andrey, mid-breakfast, asked, “Where were you?”
“Out on business,” Lena answered, settling opposite. She placed the folder on the table.
“What documents?”
She extracted several pages.
“A rental agreement.”
Andrey sputtered, nearly choking on coffee.
“For a room in my apartment,” Lena calmly detailed. “Since we want true fairness, here’s the arrangement.”
“Are you serious?” he blinked.
“Absolutely.” She flipped through the contract. “Market rent for a one-bedroom here is thirty thousand rubles monthly. You’ll get a discount—twenty-five thousand. Not too steep, right?”
Andrey stared uncertainly.
“It’s our home.”
“It’s my inherited apartment. If we split expenses evenly, and you expect repayment for my unemployment period, logically you should cover housing.
“But we’re married!” he protested.
“Marriage means sharing good and bad times. Our current setup feels like tallying every expense separately.”
Setting down his cup, Andrey surveyed the precise, legally sound document.
“You want me to sign this?”
“If I reimburse you for groceries, you pay for lodging. It feels fairer to me—total transparency.”
After silence, Lena added another offer.
“Cleaning services and cooking—weekly cleaning costs 3,000 rubles; a home cook charges about 1,000 per day. That’s 43,000 rubles monthly. For you, my closest person, I offer it for 30,000.”
Andrey, speechless, stared at the numbers.
“Lena…”
“I’m not a salaried housewife. Housework requires effort beyond my job. If we measure everything, let’s do it fairly.”
- Rent: 25,000 rubles
- Cleaning & cooking discount: 30,000 rubles
- Total household contribution from Andrey: 55,000 rubles plus shared utilities and groceries
Andrey absorbed the figures—almost his entire income.
“Are you punishing me?” he whispered.
“No.” Lena sat beside him. “I’m demonstrating where your logic leads. A business mindset in marriage demands full accounting.”
“That’s not what I intended.”
“Then what? Did you expect me to repay unemployment costs but continue unpaid housework?”
He was silent; the fairness he sought now appeared lopsided.
“I didn’t consider all this thoroughly,” he confessed.
“Or perhaps you hoped to benefit a bit?”
The word “exploit” struck sharply.
“I never meant to exploit you,” Andrey gently held her hand. “It was difficult alone. When you earned well, I thought repayment was fair.”
“What if tomorrow I lose my job or fall ill? Would you count expenses then?”
He pondered, then answered honestly, “Probably not.”
“Then what distinguishes those times?”
Andrey laid aside the contract, covering his face.
“I’m sorry. I acted thoughtlessly.”
Her voice softened, “Yes, you did.”
“Can we revert to shared financial responsibility?”
“We can, with one condition.”
“Which?”
“We stop tallying who owes whom. We’re one team, regardless of income.”
He nodded in agreement.
She returned the folder.
“Also, when we have children, and I take maternity leave, no counting expenses either.”
“I promise,” he said earnestly.
They held each other as a gentle spring rain fell, the atmosphere calming.
“I’ll keep the contract though,” she mused, resting on his shoulder.
“Why?”
“Just in case fairness overshadows family again.”
Andrey chuckled, “Lesson learned.”
Sometimes, Lena thought, the deepest family lessons require unconventional teaching—and fortunate are those willing both to teach and learn.
Key Insight: Collaborative understanding and empathy outweigh strict financial calculations in sustaining healthy family relationships.
This story reflects the complexities couples face balancing personal ambitions, financial duties, and emotional bonds. While honesty about resources matters, mutual support remains paramount over formal accounting. Ultimately, fairness in marriage thrives through partnership and compassion rather than ledger-like assessments.