She left you, but the mug stayed? What nonsense! Forget about her! I’ve found you a wonderful girl, the daughter of my friend Zinaida. I’ll invite her for lunch on Sunday.
That was the last straw.
— No, Mom, no lunches with your friends’ daughters. I’m still married.
— On paper! — snorted Klavdiya Gennadyevna. — Soon you’ll sign those documents and be free.
— I’m not going to sign them.
His mother stared at him in astonishment.
— What do you mean ‘not going to’? Are you going to take back that… that careerist?
— Her name is Evelina. — Timur felt a wave of anger rising inside him. — And yes, I want to talk to her, apologize, try to fix everything.
Klavdiya Gennadyevna turned pale.
— After everything she did? After she kicked me out?
— She didn’t kick anyone out! — Timur raised his voice. — You’re the one who showed up uninvited! You decided you could run our lives! You ruined my marriage!
— I did?! — his mother-in-law clutched her chest. — Your own mother?! How dare you! My heart is going to stop from such words!
— Mom, enough with the manipulations! — Timur said tiredly. — I’m not a child anymore.
— You’re ungrateful! — Klavdiya Gennadyevna started screaming. — I gave you my whole life! Everything for you! And you…
— Exactly, your whole life! — Timur interrupted her. — But now I want to live my own life! By myself!
— With her?
— Maybe, if she forgives me.
— She doesn’t love you!
— She never loved you! She only used you! — Timur shook his head. — Evelina loved me, and I betrayed her. I chose you over her. And now I have to fix it.
— You’re choosing her over your mother? — Klavdiya Gennadyevna’s eyes narrowed.
— I’m choosing my own life, Mom. And there’s a place for you in it. But not in my apartment and not in my marriage.
Klavdiya Gennadyevna looked at her son as if seeing him for the first time.
— So you’re kicking me out? Onto the street? A sick, old woman?
— You have your own apartment, — Timur reminded her. — And you’re not old. You’re 57.
— After everything I’ve done for you… — she sobbed theatrically.
— Mom, I’m grateful for everything. But I need space right now. And you need it too.
Klavdiya Gennadyevna looked at her son for a long time, as if assessing the seriousness of his intentions. Then her expression changed: from hurt to calculating.
— Fine, I’ll leave. But don’t count on me helping you with the mortgage.
— I’ll manage.
— And I won’t come for New Year’s. This is your decision.
— And you can just forget I exist! — Klavdiya Gennadyevna raised her voice. — You’ve made your choice? Now live with it.
Timur looked at his mother and suddenly realized he wasn’t afraid of her anger, but of his own weakness. Too often he had given in, too easily surrendered to the onslaught of her emotions.
— I love you, Mom, — he said quietly. — But I have to fix my mistake.
— What mistake?
— I let you destroy my marriage. I let you insult my wife. I lied to the doctors.
Klavdiya Gennadyevna opened her mouth to object, but Timur held up his hand.
— Don’t, Mom. We both know the truth. I pushed Evelina, and we fell. It was an accident. She didn’t intentionally stand in your way. She wanted to talk. Like human beings. And what did I do? I betrayed her!
Timur went to the bedroom and returned with the divorce papers. Slowly, as if performing an important ritual, he took out a pen and signed both copies.
— What are you doing? — gasped Klavdiya Gennadyevna.
— I’m giving Evelina her freedom, — Timur replied. — She deserves better.
Evelina inserted the key into the lock of her apartment. Not a rental, her own. A two-bedroom. Bright. In a good neighborhood. After the divorce, she had fully immersed herself in her work, was promoted to Marketing Director, and a year later, opened her own consulting agency. Business was going great. Clients valued her professionalism, employees — her fair leadership. Having saved enough money, she bought this apartment and furnished it to her taste: light walls, minimalist furniture, lots of live plants.
Today was a special day. Exactly three years since she had signed the divorce papers. Not that she celebrated the date, it just happened to coincide. Today she had completed a major project and decided to treat herself to a bottle of good wine and a new book.
Settling into an armchair with a glass, Evelina allowed herself a little nostalgia. After the divorce, Timur had tried to contact her several times. At first, she ignored his calls and messages. Then, when the pain had subsided a bit, she agreed to a meeting. They met in a café — neutral territory. Timur looked gaunt, older. He stumbled through an apology, admitted his mistakes, talked about his break with his mother.
“I realized that to her, I’m just an extension of herself,” he had said then. “Not a person.”
Evelina listened politely but distantly. There was no resentment or anger left inside her. Only a quiet sadness for what could have been.
“I’m glad you’ve figured yourself out,” she had replied. “I really am. But we can’t go back, Timur. Too much has been destroyed.”
He understood. He didn’t argue, didn’t beg, just nodded and wished her happiness. They never saw each other again. From Marianna, Evelina learned that Timur had sold their former apartment, paid off the mortgage, and split the proceeds, transferring her half to her. She hadn’t expected such a noble gesture but accepted it with gratitude — the funds helped her start her business.
Evelina had heard nothing about Klavdiya Gennadyevna, nor did she want to. Some people come into our lives only to teach us a lesson, and her mother-in-law was definitely one of them.
The phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. The name Alexey appeared on the screen — a colleague with whom she had worked on the last project. Over the past few months, their relationship had evolved from purely professional to something more.
— Hi. How did the client meeting go?
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