“Are you ordering me to feed your relatives?” the wife asked her husband in astonishment, glancing at the empty shelves in the cupboard.
“Are you ordering me to feed your relatives?” Galina asked her husband in surprise, looking at the bare shelves. “Vitya, do you see that it’s EMPTY?”
Viktor stood in the kitchen doorway, arms crossed. Behind him loomed the figures of his brother Pavel and his sister Larisa.
“Galya, don’t make things up. Go to the store and buy something. We have guests.”
“Guests?” Galina slowly closed the cupboard door. “Your relatives showed up without warning, you blew your whole salary on your toys, and now you expect me to magically conjure food out of thin air?”
Pavel squeezed past his brother into the kitchen. His round face gleamed with sweat, even though it was cool outside.
“Galinka, come on now. We aren’t strangers. Is it really so hard to cook something?” He plopped down onto a stool, which creaked under his weight.
Larisa stepped into the kitchen as well, grimacing at the modest surroundings.
“Vitenka said you’re a great homemaker,” she drawled, running her finger across the countertop. “Though judging by the empty shelves…”
“STOP!” Galina raised her hand. “First of all, Vitya knew we had no money. Second, he knew there was no food in the house. Third, he didn’t warn me you were coming.”
“So what?” Viktor shrugged. “Borrow from the neighbors.”
Three years of marriage, and only now was Galina beginning to understand what kind of person she had tied her life to.
“From the neighbors? Vitya, do you remember we still owe the Antonovs two thousand? And a thousand to Marina Petrovna?”
“You always exaggerate,” Viktor waved her off. “Pasha, Lariska, wait in the living room. I’ll handle this.”
When the relatives reluctantly left the kitchen, Viktor stepped close to his wife.
“Galya, don’t embarrass me. They came from another city. What will they think of me?”
“And what did YOU think of me when you blew the last of our money on a new game console?” Galina stepped away from him. “Vitya, I have two hundred rubles left in my wallet. That’s all we have until your next paycheck.”
“Then buy pasta and sausages. Figure something out.”
“No.”
Viktor blinked in surprise.
“What do you mean ‘no’?”
“It means I won’t humiliate myself in front of your relatives pretending everything is fine. If you want to feed them—feed them yourself.”
At that moment Pavel walked back into the kitchen.
“Bro, we’re hungry. The trip was long.”
“Pasha, hold on, just a minute,” Viktor said, running his hand through his hair anxiously.
“Galya doesn’t want to cook?” Pavel smirked. “Some wife you’ve got there. My Svetka would never do that.”
“Your Svetka,” Galina said coldly, “gets money from you for household needs. I get nothing from Vitya but promises.”
Pavel turned red and stormed out, slamming the door.
“Happy now?” Viktor hissed. “You embarrassed me in front of my brother!”
“Me?” Galina laughed. “Vitya, you embarrass yourself every day. When you bring home another useless gadget instead of groceries. When you make promises and break them. When you lie—to me and to yourself.”
“SHUT UP!” Viktor shouted so loudly that Larisa ran in from the living room.
“What’s going on here?” she demanded, glaring at Galina. “Vitya, your wife is completely out of control, isn’t she?”
“One more word,” Galina turned to her sister-in-law, “and I’ll tell your husband Igor all about your ‘meetings’ with Maksim from the neighboring building.”
Larisa went pale and backed away.
“You…”
“I know plenty,” Galina said, grabbing her purse from the table. “And now excuse me, I’m leaving.”
“Where do you think you’re going?” Viktor blocked her way.
“To my mother’s. At least there no one expects me to feed a pack of relatives out of thin air.”
“If you walk out, don’t come back!” Viktor shouted.
Galina stopped, turned slowly to him.
“You know what, Vitya? That’s the best offer you’ve made all year.”
Her mother welcomed her without questions. Elena Sergeyevna simply hugged her and sat her down at the small kitchen table.
“Tell me,” she said briefly as she poured tea.
Galina told her everything—about the empty shelves, the shameless relatives, Viktor’s demands.
“And you left?” her mother nodded approvingly. “You did the right thing. How long can you put up with that fool?”
“Mom, I loved him…”
“Loved—past tense, daughter. Love can’t survive without respect.”
At that moment Galina’s phone rang. Viktor’s name lit up the screen. She declined the call.
“Don’t answer,” her mother advised. “Let him deal with his relatives on his own.”
The phone rang several more times. Then the messages started coming. Galina didn’t open a single one.
“You know,” Elena Sergeyevna said, pouring more tea, “I never told you this, but I never liked Vitya. Thinks too much of himself, leaves no room for anyone else.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Would you have listened? People in love rarely hear reason.”
Galina smiled sadly. Her mother was right.
Meanwhile, back at the apartment, a real drama was unfolding. Pavel paced the room, fuming:
“No, did you see that? Did you see what your wife is like? She didn’t even feed the guests!…”
“Pasha, calm down,” Viktor paced between the kitchen and the living room, desperately searching for anything edible.
“I told you she wasn’t right for you,” Larisa chimed in. “Remember, I said right away — that Galka is not your match.”
“ENOUGH!” Viktor barked. “If you’re both so smart, go stay at a hotel!”
“A hotel?” Pavel’s eyes bulged. “You’re sending your own brother to a hotel? I came here specifically to see you, thought we’d have a nice family evening…”
“A nice family evening,” Viktor said bitterly, opening the empty fridge. “There’s nothing here but ketchup and expired yogurt.”
“This is all your Galka’s fault,” Larisa said, sitting down on the couch. “A normal wife always keeps a stock of groceries.”
“A normal wife has a normal husband,” Viktor said unexpectedly — even to himself.
His brother and sister exchanged surprised glances.
“You’re defending her?” Pavel asked, incredulous. “She abandoned you, ran off to her mommy, and you’re defending her?”
Viktor sank into a chair. Only now was it finally sinking in. Galina was gone. She simply left. And he knew — she was right.
“You know what,” he lifted his head, “you two should just go home. I need to think.”
“Go home?” Larisa protested. “We just got here!”
“I SAID GO HOME!” Viktor shouted, standing up. “GET OUT of my apartment!”
Galina spent three days at her mother’s place. During that time, Viktor called dozens of times, sent messages, even came to the mother-in-law’s door — but Elena Sergeyevna did not let him in.
“Galya doesn’t want to see you,” she said through the door. “Go home, Viktor.”
On the fourth day, Galina finally decided to return to the apartment to pick up her things. She thought Viktor would be at work, but he was sitting in the kitchen.
“Galya!” He jumped up. “You came back!”
“For my things,” she replied coldly.
Galina went into the bedroom and began packing her clothes. Viktor stood in the doorway, watching.
“Gal, let’s talk…”
“About what? About how you humiliated me in front of your relatives? Or about how you waste money on nonsense while I’m supposed to make ends meet?”
“I understand. I get it now. I was wrong.”
Galina paused and looked at him.
“You were wrong? Vitya, you’re always wrong. This isn’t some one-time slip. This is a pattern.”
“I’ll change!”
“No.” Galina shook her head. “You promised to change after you bought a TV instead of a fridge. After you drank away your bonus with your friends. After you—”
“Enough!” Viktor punched the doorframe. “How long will you keep bringing up the past?”
“It’s not the past, Vitya. It’s our life. Or rather—was our life.”
Galina zipped her bag and walked toward the exit. In the hallway, she stopped.
“By the way, your brother Pavel called me yesterday. Apologized. Said he was wrong. And he also told me something interesting.”
“What?” Viktor tensed.
“That you borrowed ten thousand rubles from him a month ago. Spent it on your toys. And told me your salary was delayed.”
Viktor paled.
“That’s… that’s not true…”
“I don’t care anymore, Vitya. Live however you want. Just not with me.”
Galina left the apartment, quietly closing the door behind her.
Two months passed. Galina rented a small apartment near her job. The divorce was underway — Viktor didn’t fight it, apparently realizing it was pointless to try to win her back.
One evening she received an unexpected visitor — Larisa.
“Can I come in?” she asked, standing at the door.
Galina silently stepped aside.
“Tea?” she offered out of courtesy.
“I’d like some,” Larisa walked into the kitchen. “Galya, I came to apologize.”
Galina raised her eyebrows in surprise.
“For what?”
“For everything. For meddling in things that weren’t my business. For turning Vitya against you. For behaving like a complete witch.”
“What happened, Larisa? Why this sudden honesty?”
Larisa lowered her head.
“Igor found out about Maksim. I don’t know how, but he did. He filed for divorce. And do you know what he told me?”
“What?”
“That I got what I deserved. That you can’t destroy other people’s families and expect to build your happiness on someone else’s misery.”
Galina silently poured tea.
“And another thing,” Larisa continued, “Vitya’s living with some girl now. She’s ten years younger. She’s bleeding him dry. He already sold his car to buy her a fur coat.”
“I don’t feel sorry for him,” Galina said calmly.
“You shouldn’t. He chose his path. Just like I chose mine.”
They drank their tea in silence. Finally, Larisa stood up.
“Thanks for listening. And once again — I’m sorry.”
“It’s forgotten,” Galina walked her to the door.
A month later, Galina ran into Pavel at the supermarket. He had lost weight and looked worn out.
“Galina!” he brightened. “How are you?”
“Fine. You?”
“Well,” Pavel waved vaguely, “Svetka left. Said she was tired of my lies and stinginess.”
Galina said nothing.
“Have you seen Vitya?”
“No. And I don’t want to.”
“You’re right. He’s hit rock bottom. Lost his job because of his drinking. That girl dumped him as soon as the money ran out. Now he’s living off our mother.”
Galina nodded. She felt no pity for her ex-husband. Everyone gets what they deserve.
“Well, I should go,” she said, turning toward the exit.
“Galya!” Pavel called after her. “You did the right thing leaving him. Really — you did.”
Galina’s life gradually fell into place. She got a promotion, enrolled in French classes, started going to the theater. Everything she had put off for years while living with Viktor.
One evening, returning from work, she saw a familiar figure near her building. Viktor. He had changed drastically — thin, unkempt, his clothes wrinkled and dirty.
“Galya,” he rushed toward her. “Galочка, forgive me!”
“Leave, Viktor.”
“I get it now! I was an idiot! Please, forgive me!”
“Vitya, it’s too late. GO.”
“But I love you!”
Galina stopped and looked at him attentively.
“No, Vitya. You only love yourself. Right now you’re just looking for someone to take care of you. But it won’t be me.”
“Galka, give me a chance!”
“I gave you hundreds of chances. You wasted them all. GET OUT!”
Viktor grabbed for her hand, but Galina jerked away.
“Don’t you dare touch me! Or I’ll call the police!”
“You’re cruel!” Viktor shouted. “Heartless! I lost everything because of you!”
“No,” Galina replied calmly. “You lost everything because of yourself. Because of your greed, selfishness, and disrespect for others. You got exactly what you earned.”
She walked around him and entered the building. Viktor remained outside, standing in the first drops of rain.
A year later, Galina met Andrey — a colleague from a neighboring department. He was attentive, caring, respected her opinions, and never demanded the impossible.
When they married, even Larisa came to the wedding — sincerely happy for her. Pavel sent a congratulatory postcard from the city he moved to after his divorce.
And Viktor… Galina never heard anything about him again. Rumor had it he left to find work somewhere, but couldn’t hold a job anywhere. His greed, arrogance, and inability to respect others followed him everywhere.
Sitting in the cozy living room of her new home, Galina sometimes remembered the day Viktor ORDERED her to feed his relatives from an empty cupboard. That moment changed her life. The day she said “NO” to humiliation and disrespect. The day she chose herself.
“What are you thinking about?” Andrey sat beside her and wrapped an arm around her.
“Oh, just life,” Galina smiled.
“Want to order a pizza? Or should we cook something ourselves?”
“Let’s cook. Together.”
“Together it is,” Andrey said, kissing the top of her head.
Galina leaned into her husband. Life had finally taken the right shape. And somewhere back in the past remained a man who never understood one simple truth: love and respect cannot be demanded — they must be earned.
