Alice stood at the stove, stirring buckwheat in the pot, repeating this same meal for the third consecutive day. The refrigerator was nearly empty, there was still a week until payday, and the last of their money had gone towards rent.
“Buckwheat again?” Yaroslav entered the kitchen, frowning with dissatisfaction. “Have we fallen so low?”
Alice turned towards her husband, feeling a swell of hurt in her chest, yet she tried to maintain her composure.
“We’ve run out of money,” she calmly explained. “I put the last of it into rent just yesterday.”
Yaroslav exhaled irritably and seated himself at the table, running his hand through his hair. “What now? We both work and earn alike—where is all the money disappearing to?”
Alice switched off the stove, her hands trembling with indignation. Meeting her husband’s gaze, she responded directly, “Are you seriously asking? I am the sole person paying rent and buying groceries, while your entire salary ends up with your mother and sister!”
“They are my family!” Yaroslav snapped, standing abruptly. “It’s my duty to support them!”
“And what about me?” Alice stepped closer, voice rising. “Am I a stranger? We’ve lived together for three years, and I have been carrying both of us all this time!”
“No one forced you!” Yaroslav retorted sharply.
“Really?” Alice smiled bitterly. “No one forced you to save this marriage either? Doesn’t our family matter to you?”
In silence, Yaroslav left the kitchen, the front door slamming behind him. Left alone, tears welled in Alice’s eyes, but she held them back. Carefully covering the pot, she walked to the bedroom.
An oppressive silence settled over their apartment, as days became laden with coldness and distance.
Alice approached the dresser and took out a small box containing the last five thousand rubles reserved for utilities. The payment deadline was tomorrow, or the electricity would be cut off.
Opening the box, she found it empty. Her heart skipped a beat as she shook it—there was nothing left.
The bathroom door slammed as Yaroslav entered the bedroom, drying his hair with a towel.
“Where is the money?” Alice demanded, turning sharply. “There were five thousand here!”
“Oh, those…” Yaroslav replied calmly, sitting on the bed. “I took it. Mother urgently needed medicine.”
Stunned, Alice felt a pounding in her temples.
“You took the last money?” Her voice broke. “Bills are due tomorrow! The electricity will be disconnected!”
“We’ll manage somehow,” Yaroslav shrugged indifferently. “My mother is more important; her blood pressure is unstable.”
“Your mother is more important?” Alice choked on her anger. “Don’t you care that we might be left without power?”
“Don’t overdramatize,” Yaroslav lay down on the bed. “Ask your mother for help.”
“My mother barely manages to buy food!” Alice shouted. “Do you realize what you’ve done?”
“Stop hysterics,” Yaroslav muttered, turning his back to her.
Alice stood in the middle of the room, darkness filling her vision with hurt. She left the bedroom and sat alone in the kitchen. Sleep was impossible despite the imminent workday.
The following morning, she silently prepared to leave. At work, the day passed in a blur. By noon, her phone rang. It was her mother.
“Alice,” her mother’s tremulous voice whispered, “your father has passed away.”
Alice froze. Her father had abandoned them fifteen years ago, leaving for another woman and never returning.
“When?” she managed to whisper.
“Last night. Heart failure,” her mother sobbed. “The farewell is tomorrow. Will you come?”
Alice nodded, forgetting her mother couldn’t see her.
“I’ll be there, Mom.”
The next day passed in a haze; a small room hosted only a few people. Alice barely remembered her father. She stood beside her mother, holding her hand. There was nothing to say—this man who had deserted them was now gone forever.
Three weeks later, life began to settle back into routine. Yaroslav never apologized for taking the money. Alice managed to pay the utilities by borrowing from a colleague.
That evening, her mother called again.
“Alice, guess what!” her mother’s voice sounded excited. “The notary just called. Your father left you an inheritance!”
“What?” Alice couldn’t believe what she heard. “What inheritance?”
“I don’t know the details,” her mother said anxiously. “He said the notary office expects you tomorrow. I’ll send you the address.”
Alice hung up, her head spinning. The father who had abandoned them left an inheritance?
The following day, she took time off work to visit the notary’s office in the city center—an elegant space with leather chairs.
“Alice Sergeyevna?” a kindly old notary greeted her. “Please sit; I have some documents for you.”
Alice sat, her hands trembling slightly.
“Your father made a will two years ago,” the notary opened a folder. “He left all his property to you.”
“What property?” Alice asked in confusion.
“A one-bedroom apartment in a residential district,” the notary turned the page. “And cash—five million rubles.”
Alice gripped the chair arms tightly as a buzzing filled her ears.
“Five million?” she repeated.
“Yes,” the notary nodded. “Your father worked hard and saved in recent years, perhaps intending to make amends.”
Mechanically, Alice signed the papers and left the office, her legs weak. Five million rubles—a fortune—and an apartment.
That evening, she told Yaroslav. He was initially incredulous but soon embraced her.
“Wow!” he exclaimed. “Now we will live well! We can move to a proper apartment!”
The next day, they visited the apartment left by her father. It was a modest single-room flat in a panel building. Though it required renovation, it was livable.
“We’ll need to spend on repairs,” Yaroslav examined the room. “But we’ll manage. Now we have money.”
Alice nodded, feeling strange being in a place belonging to a man she barely knew.
A week passed as electricians were hired to replace wiring. After work, Alice returned to their rented flat, carrying grocery bags—a luxury they could now afford without restraint.
Entering the kitchen, she found Yaroslav at the table, flipping through a catalog featuring expensive men’s watches, prices beginning at one hundred thousand rubles.
“Now we’ll live well! I already know how we’ll spend your inheritance!” Yaroslav announced cheerfully, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Alice placed the bags on the table, her insides chilling. Her hands trembled, fists clenched as she fought to remain calm.
“My inheritance?” she asked again. “And where do you plan to spend it?”
“First, watches,” Yaroslav pointed at the catalog. “Then a car. And, of course, help for my mother and sister.”
Alice stared at her husband; he had already scheduled everything without her, acting as if the money belonged solely to him. A lump formed in her throat from bitterness.
“Wait,” Alice raised a hand. “There will be no spending like that. The money goes to repairs and an emergency fund.”
“What?” Yaroslav jumped up so abruptly the chair toppled. “That money is ours! We are husband and wife!”
Alice stepped back. Yaroslav had never yelled so loudly before. Veins bulged on his neck, his face reddened with anger.
“Ours?” Alice smiled coldly though her body shivered inside. “For three years, I have supported our family alone—paying rent and buying food—while you gave your entire salary to your mother and sister!”
“Here you go again!” Yaroslav shouted. “Now that we have money, you’re being stingy!”
Alice gripped the table’s edge, her knees weakening. Was this truly the man she loved?
“I’m not stingy!” she cried out. “I just won’t let you squander it! You even took five thousand for utilities without asking!”
“So what?” Yaroslav stepped closer, towering over her. “I am your husband! I have the right to manage our money!”
Alice pressed back against the wall, her heart pounding furiously. Yaroslav advanced, waving his hands.
“Our money?” her voice wavered. “Where was this money when we ate buckwheat three days running? Where was it when I borrowed for utilities from a colleague?”
“Stop nagging!” Yaroslav slammed his hand upon the table, making the catalog jump. “Now that we have money, I’ll decide how to spend it!”
Alice straightened. Enough fear, enough silence. This money was her only chance to start a decent life.
“You won’t!” she said firmly. “This inheritance is mine alone!”
“I don’t care about formalities!” Yaroslav spat, foaming at the mouth. “We’re a family, so that money is shared—end of story!”
Alice studied her husband, whose face twisted in greed, eyes blazing. The mask was off forever. Before her stood a stranger—a selfish man.
“You know what,” Alice whispered. “If money is all you care about, then you don’t need me.”
“Yes!” Yaroslav blurted but immediately stopped. His eyes widened in horror. “That’s not what I meant…”
But it was too late. The weight of the words hung heavily between them. Alice understood completely. Tears streaked down her cheeks, unbidden, unhidden. Three years—she had loved someone who saw her only as a wallet.
“Fine,” she wiped her face. “I’ll free you from this burden.”
She entered the bedroom, grabbed a bag, packed her papers, laptop, and phone. She left behind belongings that reminded her of their marriage.
“Where are you going?” Yaroslav blocked the doorway. “Alice, wait!”
But she was already putting on her jacket, leaving without looking back. The rain gently tapped on the pavement outside.
She took a bus to her mother’s place. Opening the door, her mother instantly understood. She embraced Alice, seated her in the kitchen, and poured tea.
“Tell me everything,” her mother said softly.
Alice recounted the money troubles, the quarrel, and how Yaroslav revealed his true feelings. Her mother listened quietly, stroking her hand.
“You did the right thing leaving him,” her mother finally said. “You don’t need such a man.”
The divorce was difficult. Yaroslav attempted to claim half the inheritance, hiring a lawyer and threatening court action. Yet inheritances cannot be divided between spouses, and the court denied all his demands.
Three months later, Alice moved into her father’s renovated apartment. Fresh wallpaper, new furniture, spotless and orderly. Sitting on the living room sofa, she felt peace and quiet—no shouting, no debts, no reproaches.
Looking out the window, Alice realized the man who betrayed her remained somewhere out there. But here, a new life was beginning—her own.
Key Insight: This story highlights how financial struggles and betrayal can unravel relationships, but also how taking control of one’s own destiny can lead to a fresh, hopeful start.