Elena felt the tension in the air before she even stepped through the door. The weight of her briefcase seemed heavier as she approached her apartment, the rhythmic tap of her shoes on the floor punctuating the silence. She had just returned from Prague, where her project had been a success, the clients satisfied. Yet, as she opened the door, a strange sense of unease settled in her stomach.
The apartment had once been her sanctuary, the place where she could escape the chaos of her work. But things had shifted since Oleg, her husband, had moved in. What was once a warm, shared space now felt cold and impersonal. She had never questioned it before, but now, every corner of the apartment seemed to be a reminder of how little time they had spent together.
“Oleg?” Elena called out, stepping inside.
The sound of muffled voices reached her ears from the kitchen. She made her way toward the sounds, her heart already heavy with the uncertainty of the situation. As she entered the kitchen, she was met with the unexpected sight of her mother-in-law, Tatiana Arkadyevna, sitting at the table with Oleg. The woman’s sharp eyes flicked up as Elena stepped into the room, her lips curling into a faint, almost mocking smile.
“Oh, the traveler’s back,” Tatiana Arkadyevna said, her tone casual but laden with something more. She didn’t bother to stand. “Olezha, your wife’s here.”
Elena’s eyes scanned the table, noticing the pie plates and the worn shoes under the table. The shoes weren’t hers—they were old-fashioned, delicate heels, and the unfamiliar scent of perfume lingered in the air, thick and cloying.
“Oleg?” Elena’s voice was strained now, the knot in her stomach tightening. Her eyes found him standing by the counter, a faint flush coloring his cheeks. He looked embarrassed, not in the way he usually did when he made a mistake, but in a way that made her feel like something was terribly wrong.
“Lena, hi,” Oleg said, avoiding her gaze. “Mom came two days ago. She… she wasn’t feeling well.”
Elena froze for a moment. “How bad?” she asked, her voice tight.
Tatiana Arkadyevna huffed and shifted in her chair. “Blood pressure spiked,” she grumbled, her voice thick with resentment. “Doctor says it’s stress. Olezha took me away, took me to his place.”
Elena’s eyes narrowed, her mind racing to make sense of the situation. She set her suitcase down with a soft thud, her movements deliberate as she looked between Oleg and his mother. “Took you away?” she asked, the words feeling foreign in her mouth. “This is my home…”
Tatiana Arkadyevna waved a dismissive hand. “It’s not as if we’re strangers in your home. You’re gone all the time, working, flying off to your projects.” She looked at Oleg, her eyes narrowing with a silent understanding between them. “A woman should be home more. Should take care of her family.”
Elena felt the weight of her mother-in-law’s words like a slap across her face. She could feel the old familiar resentment rising, a bitterness that had been simmering beneath the surface for years. It wasn’t the first time that Tatiana had insinuated that Elena wasn’t fulfilling her role as a wife and mother.
“I’m still here, though,” Elena said, her voice tight with restraint. “I’m here now, aren’t I?”
Oleg avoided her gaze again, and Elena’s chest tightened. “So what exactly happened? You couldn’t handle things here by yourself?”
“We were fine,” Oleg replied, though the uncertainty in his voice made Elena’s stomach churn. “Mom just needed some… extra care. I didn’t want her to be alone.”
Elena felt her blood run cold. “Extra care?” she repeated, her voice rising. “You moved her into our home, Oleg? Without even asking me?”
Oleg shifted uncomfortably, the guilt written all over his face. “It was a last-minute decision, Lena. I didn’t know what else to do.”
Tatiana Arkadyevna, sensing the tension in the room, leaned back in her chair, her lips curling into a knowing smile. “You should learn to manage better, dear,” she said, her tone condescending. “A woman’s place is in the home, after all.”
Elena’s fists clenched at her sides, the familiar sting of her mother-in-law’s judgments overwhelming her. It wasn’t the first time Tatiana had made her feel small, unworthy. But this time was different. This time, Elena wasn’t going to let it slide.
“Your son doesn’t seem to mind being here,” Elena said, her voice steady but sharp. “But I’m expected to just accept that you’re moving in with us? That my life, my space, my home, isn’t important?”
Oleg’s face twisted with discomfort. “Lena, please—”
“No!” Elena cut him off. “No more excuses, Oleg. I’ve worked so hard for us, for this family. And you just let her waltz in and take over, as if everything I’ve done doesn’t matter.”
Tatiana Arkadyevna stood up slowly, as if savoring the moment. “Lena, dear, you’re too busy. You’ve always been too busy. I worry about my son. He’s been under so much stress.”
Elena stepped back, her heart pounding. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks: she had been so absorbed in her work, so focused on her career, that she had neglected her marriage, her home, and perhaps, most importantly, the person who had always supported her.
She took a deep breath, forcing the hurt aside. “I don’t need your pity, Tatiana Arkadyevna,” she said, her voice colder than she intended. “I just need honesty. From both of you.”
Oleg flinched at her words, but Elena didn’t care anymore. She turned away, heading for the door.
“I’m going out for a walk,” she said, her back stiff. “When I get back, we’ll talk. About what’s really going on here.”
Tatiana Arkadyevna’s voice followed her, laced with a final jab. “Be careful, Lena. You don’t want to lose your family.”
Elena didn’t look back. She stepped out into the cool evening, her mind swirling with confusion, anger, and the realization that everything she thought she knew was unraveling.