Lena sat quietly at the kitchen table, nervously twisting a pen in her hands. Before her lay a blank sheet of paper, the daunting task of writing the first sentence of her resume proving elusive. For three long months, her job hunt had yielded nothing: either her qualifications were not a match, offers were meager, or interviews ended before they truly began.
Just then, Andrey entered the kitchen, stretching after his daytime nap. Working night shifts, he was accustomed to resting during the day.
“Are you idling again?” he inquired.
“I’m drafting my resume,” Lena replied wearily without looking up.
“What position this time?” he asked, a subtle irony in his tone.
“Sales manager at a construction company,” she answered.
Andrey poured himself some tea from the kettle Lena had prepared that morning. The dark brew filled his cup.
“Do you really understand construction?” he questioned skeptically.
Lena raised tired eyes toward him: “But I know sales. Remember, I worked at Eldorado for three years?”
“That was five years ago,” he reminded her, sitting opposite. “Maybe it’s time to seek something more realistic. Not everyone can be a manager.”
Lena gripped the pen tighter. These conversations had become a daily routine. Although Andrey never voiced it openly, Lena sensed his burden in supporting the family alone—covering utility bills, groceries, and even her transportation expenses to interviews weighed heavily on him.
“I’m trying,” she murmured.
“I know,” he sighed, rubbing his forehead. “It’s just… tough, you know?”
Lena nodded in understanding. The apartment was hers—a two-room Khrushchyovka inherited from her parents. Yet, maintaining it on Andrey’s system administrator salary was challenging, despite his steady job at a reputable firm.
A New Opportunity and a Ray of Hope
A week later, a phone call came unexpectedly while Lena washing dishes.
“Elena Viktorovna? This is from StroyInvest. You applied for the sales manager position, correct?” The voice on the other end asked.
Her heart skipped a beat.
“Yes, that’s me,” she replied.
“Could you come for an interview tomorrow at two in the afternoon?”
“Absolutely!” Lena barely contained her excitement. “May I have the address?”
After jotting it down, she leaned against the refrigerator, hopeful that this time luck would be on her side.
The interview felt like a blur. First, she spoke with HR, followed by the sales department head, and finally the deputy director. Lena confidently shared her experience, striving to make a strong impression. Towards the end, the sales director—a robust man in his fifties—looked at her thoughtfully.
“Elena Viktorovna, you are the right fit for us. Are you ready to start on Monday?”
“Absolutely!” she almost leapt from joy.
“The salary is seventy thousand rubles monthly, plus commissions from sales. On average, this amounts to about a hundred thousand. Does that suit you?”
Lena was breathless; this exceeded Andrey’s income.
On returning home, she found Andrey still asleep, with two hours before his shift.
“Andryusha, wake up! I have news,” she whispered, sitting on the bed’s edge.
His eyes opened, alert instantly.
“What is it?” he asked.
“I got the job! Seventy thousand plus commissions!” she beamed.
Andrey sat up, fully awake now.
“Really? Congrats! Finally, we’ll live well,” he embraced her.
Progress and Rising Tensions
Lena immersed herself in her new role, quickly mastering company products and building client relationships. Her sales talent shone through, leading to a best-employee bonus in her second month and a salary nearing one hundred thousand rubles by the third.
At home, dynamics improved as well. Lena started covering groceries and some utilities, lifting the tension that had been mounting between them.
However, half a year later, tensions resurfaced.
One evening, Lena returned exhausted from a tough day dealing with demanding clients and impossible demands. She discarded her shoes and settled in the living room where Andrey watched the news.
“Hi,” she said, settling into a chair.
“Hi. How was work?” he responded, turning off the television.
“Okay. Just tired.”
Andrey faced her, his tone serious:
“Lena, we need to talk about money—our budget.”
She frowned.
“What’s wrong with it?”
He hesitated before replying:
“I’ve calculated that during the time you didn’t work, I spent about four hundred thousand rubles on both of us. For food, utilities, your travel…”
“And?” Lena pressed.
“Now that you earn more than me, it would be fair if you contributed more to our shared expenses. This way, we balance out what I covered.”
Lena straightened up, stunned by his words.
“Balance out? What do you mean exactly?”
Their conversation took a sharp turn, touching upon fairness and household contributions.
Contracts and Calculations: Setting Boundaries
A few days later, Lena returned from an errand carrying a folder. Andrey was eating breakfast in the kitchen.
“Where have you been?” he asked.
“Running errands,” she replied, sitting down and setting the folder on the table. “I have some documents for you.”
Curious, he asked what kind.
Lena pulled out several papers.
“A rental agreement,” she calmly explained.
He nearly choked on his coffee.
“What?”
“An agreement for renting one room in my apartment,” she clarified. “Since we’re calculating expenses strictly, everything should be transparent and honest.”
He stared at her in disbelief.
“Lena, this is our apartment…”
“My apartment,” she corrected him. “It was inherited by me. If we’re sharing expenses equally and you expect compensation for the time I wasn’t working, then logically, you should also pay for housing.”
“But we’re husband and wife!” he protested.
“Husband and wife means through good times and bad, rich and poor,” she replied. “But here, everyone seems to keep score individually.”
Andrey hesitated, examining the well-prepared legal documents.
“Are you serious about me signing this?”
“If I’m expected to pay for groceries, then you should pay for living here,” she stated resolutely. “It’s just clearer this way.”
Moments of silence passed before she added another proposition.
“Also, I calculated the cost of housekeeping and cooking. Weekly cleaning costs about three thousand rubles, and being a cook would be at least one thousand per day. That totals forty-three thousand a month. But as my husband, you get a discount—thirty thousand.”
Andrey was speechless.
“Lena…”
“The household chores aren’t my profession. I have a main job that pays. Domestic duties are extra work. If we are counting everything, let’s count honestly.”
She collected the cups and looked at him.
- Rent – 25,000 rubles (discounted rate)
- Cleaning and cooking – 30,000 rubles
- Total contribution requested: 55,000 rubles per month plus his share of groceries and utilities
“Fair, don’t you think?”
Andrey was overwhelmed by numbers nearly matching his entire salary.
“You’re punishing me,” he said quietly.
“No,” she sat beside him softly. “I’m merely illustrating where your logic leads. If you want to treat our relationship like a business partnership, then we must account for everything.”
He admitted he hadn’t considered it fully.
She challenged him: “Did you think you could exploit me a little?”
The word “exploit” hurt him deeply.
“I didn’t mean to exploit you,” Andrey clasped her hand. “It was just tough supporting everything alone. When you began earning well, I expected you to compensate my expenses.”
She countered with a question:
“And if I lost my job again or fell ill, would you calculate what you spent on me?”
He confessed he hadn’t thought about that.
“Then where is the difference?”
Reconciliation and Mutual Understanding
Andrey put aside the agreement and rubbed his face.
“Lena, I’m sorry. I acted foolishly.”
“Yes, you did,” she agreed, her tone softening.
“Can we go back to how it was? A joint budget and shared expenses?”
“We can, but on one condition.”
“What condition?”
“Never again will we keep score of debts within our family. We are one team, no matter who earns more.”
Andrey nodded in agreement.
“And when we have children and I take maternity leave, you won’t tally what you spend on me.”
“I won’t,” he pledged sincerely.
They embraced as a light spring rain fell outside, bringing calm and harmony to their home.
“But I will keep the rental agreement,” Lena said, snuggling close to him.
“Why?”
“Just in case you decide again that fairness outweighs family.”
Andrey laughed.
“I won’t. I’ve learned my lesson.”
Lena reflected that sometimes the most vital lessons in marriage must be taught through unconventional methods, and it’s fortunate when there is someone to teach and someone to learn.
“True fairness in a family arises not from accounting but from mutual respect, understanding, and shared responsibility.”
Key Insight: Balancing financial fairness with emotional bonds is crucial for harmony in partnerships.
This story highlights the complexities couples face when merging finances and personal expectations, illustrating that honest communication and empathy lead to stronger, more united relationships.