At the store, my husband decided to play the sponsor and pay for gifts for his mother with my card — but the truth came out and turned against him.
Yelena tossed a pack of chicken into the cart and calculated the remaining budget until payday. Two weeks ahead. They had to save on everything, as usual.
“Lenya, are you ready?” her husband Andrey approached with his own basket. “Mom is already waiting by the cosmetics section.”
They had agreed to meet his mother, Valentina Ivanovna, at the shopping mall. The woman had recently retired and often complained about not having enough money. Her pension was small, medicine was expensive, and she never had anything left for herself.
“Where is she?” Yelena asked, looking around the spacious department.
“Over there, by the anti-aging line.”
Valentina Ivanovna was standing by the shelf, carefully studying the ingredients of a face cream. She turned a small jar in her hands, squinting as she read the tiny print.
“Hello, Valentina Ivanovna,” Yelena greeted her.
“Hello, dear. Andryusha, look at this cream. Collagen, hyaluronic acid — everything I need at my age.”
“How much is it?” her son asked.
“Three thousand two hundred. A bit pricey, of course. But they say it’s very effective.”
Andrey took the jar and examined it.
“What do you mean pricey? Mom, take whichever one you like. I’ll pay for everything.”
Yelena looked at her husband in surprise. Just that morning he had complained that they were completely out of money. Counting every penny, refusing to go to the movies, saying they needed to save until payday.
“Son, what are you talking about? It’s expensive,” Valentina Ivanovna said shyly.
“Mom, nothing is too expensive for you. You’ve scrimped on yourself for so many years — it’s time to treat yourself. Let’s pick something else too.”
He led his mother to another display showcasing perfume bottles. Yelena silently followed, trying to understand where this sudden generosity came from. Maybe he got a bonus? Or borrowed money from someone?
“I’ve wanted to try this perfume for a long time,” his mother admitted, pointing to an elegant bottle of a French brand. “Remember, the actress in that movie used it?”
Andrey looked at the price tag and didn’t flinch.
“Five thousand? We’re taking it! And take the best cream too. Maybe something else catches your eye?”
“Andryusha, are you crazy? This is way too expensive,” she stammered.
“Mom, what, I can’t buy a gift for my own mother? You deserve it. You worked your whole life, raised my brother and me, and never had time for yourself.”
Valentina Ivanovna blossomed at his words. Truly, her son rarely spoiled her with gifts. Usually it was limited to modest bouquets for her birthday and Women’s Day. But this — this was real generosity.
“Maybe we can look at a foundation too?” she asked timidly.
“Of course! Pick anything you want.”
Yelena watched with growing bewilderment. Her husband was acting like he’d been unleashed. Picking only the most expensive items, not counting the cost. And just yesterday they had argued over buying laundry detergent — he insisted on the cheapest one.
“What’s this cream?” Valentina Ivanovna asked, pointing to a golden box.
“That’s a premium anti-wrinkle line,” the consultant explained. “Very effective, but not cheap.”
“We’ll take it!” Andrey declared without hesitation. “Mom, you’ll be the most beautiful woman out there.”
The woman looked radiant with happiness. She hadn’t felt this cherished and loved in a long time. Her son truly cared for her, appreciated her.
Half an hour later they went to the register with a full cart. The cashier began scanning the items, calling out the prices. Yelena added them up in her mind and felt horrified. Twelve thousand rubles! More than half of their monthly budget for food and supplies.
“That’ll be twelve thousand four hundred,” the cashier announced.
Andrey reached for his wallet — but suddenly his expression changed.
“Oh damn, I left my cash at home,” he said, theatrically slapping his forehead. “Lenya, give me your card.”
And that’s when it hit Yelena. There were no bonuses, no loans. Her husband had simply decided to present himself as a generous son — at her expense. Without warning her, without asking permission.
She handed him the card in silence, boiling inside. How dare he? Spending her salary without even telling her? Especially when they were scraping together every penny? He had completely set her up! How could she refuse his mother now, when they were already standing at the checkout?!
“What a caring son I have!” Valentina Ivanovna said lovingly, clutching the bags of gifts. “Thank you, Andryusha. I’m so happy!”
“No problem, Mom. You deserve it. You’ll look gorgeous — all your friends will be jealous.”
“You’re such a good boy. Hard-working, thoughtful. I’m proud of you.”
Yelena could barely stop herself from ruining his mother’s mood. But she would talk to her husband later. She would talk. He would return every ruble! And explain why he argued with her over five rubles — yet suddenly became so generous here!
They headed toward the exit of the shopping mall. Valentina Ivanovna walked ahead, happily looking through her purchases and planning when she would use each item. Andrey was beaming, clearly proud of the impression he had made.
“Shall we stop somewhere else?” he suggested. “Maybe check out the clothing department?”
“Andryusha, that’s enough. I’m already as happy as a child,” his mother laughed.
They were almost at the exit when a loud voice sounded from behind:
“Andrey! Well, look at that — what a coincidence!”
Yelena turned around. A man of about forty was approaching them — stocky, wearing a leather jacket and a massive gold chain around his neck. His face was tanned, confident. And Yelena immediately noticed how sharply her husband’s expression changed. Andrey went pale in an instant, and his cheerful smile vanished.
“Hi, Kostya,” he forced a smile, clearly trying to pull himself together.
“I see our Andrey strolling around the mall, buying gifts!” Kostya glanced at the shopping bags in Valentina Ivanovna’s hands. “Business must be booming, eh? Means you’ve got money to spare?”
“This is my mother, her birthday is coming up,” Andrey muttered, pointing to the confused woman.
“Oh, I see! Very nice to meet you!” Kostya nodded gallantly to Valentina Ivanovna. “Your son is quite generous, I see. If he’s spending money on gifts like these, then he can finally start paying back his debts.”
An awkward silence hung in the air. Valentina Ivanovna looked at her son in bewilderment.
“What debts, Andryusha?”
“Your son owes me a tidy sum,” Kostya said cheerfully, his smile widening. “Three hundred thousand rubles, to be precise. He’s been dragging it out for half a year now. And here I see him throwing money around left and right at the store.”
The air grew heavy. Valentina Ivanovna took a step back, clutching the bags tighter to her chest. Her face showed confusion and horror.
“Three hundred thousand?” she whispered barely audibly. “Andrey, is this true?”
“Mom, it’s… it’s complicated,” her son began to mumble, still not raising his eyes.
“What’s so complicated?” Kostya continued happily, clearly enjoying the situation. “We were playing po…ker in good company, and your son decided to show off as a big-time player. Made serious bets, tried to bluff. Only the game didn’t go his way. He lost and promised to pay me back within a month. That was six months ago.”
Yelena stood there as if struck by lightning. Three hundred thousand rubles. Andrey gambles? What was he thinking? And more importantly — why had he kept silent all this time?
Kostya turned to Yelena with curiosity.
“You must be the wife? What a beauty! And did you know your husband likes to play? Very fond of gambling, but not much luck.”
Yelena stayed silent, processing the truth. All these months she had been saving on everything — buying the cheapest food, refusing new clothes. She had endured her husband’s constant complaints about her spending! And meanwhile he had been blowing money at the table and had even managed to get himself into such deep debt.
“So, Andrey?” Kostya patted his shoulder in a friendly way. “If you can buy expensive gifts for your mom, then you can pay me back too. At least part of it to start. I’m not greedy, you can do it in installments.”
“I don’t have that kind of money right now,” Andrey whispered, staring at the floor.
“What do you mean, you don’t?” Kostya asked with exaggerated surprise. “And who paid for the gifts? There’s at least twenty thousand here. You guys bought a nice set of fancy jars.”
A torturous silence followed. Andrey stood with his head down, like a schoolboy caught misbehaving. Valentina Ivanovna stared at her son in growing horror.
“Answer him!” she demanded in a trembling voice. “Where did you get money for gifts if you owe three hundred thousand?…”
Yelena could no longer stay silent. All these months she had been working honestly, trying to save every ruble. And meanwhile her husband had the nerve to play the generous son at her expense.
“It’s my card,” she said clearly and loudly. “My hard-earned money. He pretended he forgot his wallet at home on purpose. Your son doesn’t have a single ruble of his own.”
It was as if Valentina Ivanovna had been slapped. The bags slipped from her hands and fell to the floor with a thud.
“So… so you spent your wife’s money on gifts for me?” she said slowly. “While you owe three hundred thousand rubles? And I didn’t know anything?”
“Mom, I’ll explain everything at home. Not here, not in front of people…”
“There’s nothing to explain!” the woman burst out. “You lied to me! Made me believe that everything was fine, that you were successful, a caring son! But in reality… you… you…”
She couldn’t find the words. Kostya watched the family drama with blatant interest, not even trying to hide his amusement.
“So, no payment for now?” he asked businesslike.
“No,” Yelena said firmly. “And there won’t be any until he finds a job and stops gambling.”
“I see, I see,” Kostya nodded. “Well then, see you, Andrey. See you soon. My patience isn’t limitless, keep that in mind.”
He walked away, throwing a meaningful look at the family before leaving. Valentina Ivanovna stood over the scattered bags, staring at her son with pain and disappointment.
“Pick up your gifts,” she said quietly, pointing at the packages at her feet. “I don’t want things bought with someone else’s money and with deceit.”
“Mom, please…”
“Don’t ‘Mom’ me!” she cut him off sharply. “You’ve humiliated me. In front of a stranger! How am I supposed to use that perfume now, knowing you’re drowning in debt and lying to your wife?”
Yelena picked up the bags from the floor and held them out to her mother-in-law.
“Valentina Ivanovna, please keep the gifts. It’s not your fault that your son turned out to be… like this.”
“No, my dear,” the woman shook her head. “I can’t accept something bought with your money while my son owes such sums left and right. It wouldn’t be fair to you.”
“But you didn’t know…”
“I didn’t. And I should have. A mother should sense when something is wrong with her son.”
They left the shopping mall in heavy silence. Andrey trudged behind the women, carrying the bags of groceries and gifts that now nobody wanted. Outside, a light drizzle fell — perfectly matching the general mood.
“I’m ashamed of you,” Valentina Ivanovna said as she got into the front seat of the car. “Ashamed that I gave birth to you and raised you. Where did I go wrong?”
No one said a word on the way home. Yelena stared out the window at the gray, rainy streets, thinking over the situation. Three hundred thousand in debt. A hidden addiction. Constant lies, and now this attempt to make himself look good at her expense.
And just that morning she had thought they were simply having temporary financial difficulties and her husband was just being frugal — that he simply didn’t have money. That they just needed to endure a little longer, and things would improve.
Now she understood — their problems were far more serious than she had imagined. And she needed to make a decision urgently. Before the debt grew even larger, and before her husband sank even deeper into deceit.
The gifts remained on the back seat of the car — silent witnesses to how one attempt to make an impression destroyed several relationships at once.
And, judging by the looks of it, forever.
