— Olenka, it’s me. Don’t hang up, please.
Olga was silent for a moment.
— I’m listening.
— I want to apologize. I got carried away, said things I shouldn’t have. Let’s meet, talk calmly. Without Kirill, just you and me.
— Why?
— To make peace. To fix our relationship. I don’t want us to be enemies.
Olga thought. On one hand, she didn’t want to meet. On the other, maybe it was worth talking, explaining once and for all that boundaries shouldn’t be crossed.
— Okay, where?
— Let’s go to the cafe on Sobornaya, you know, where Kirill and I celebrated our anniversary. Is six in the evening convenient for you?
— It’s convenient.
— Great, I’ll be waiting. Thank you, Olenka.
Olga hung up. Marina, sitting at the next desk, looked at her curiously.
— Was that your mother-in-law?
— Yes.
— Did something happen?
— No, she just wants to meet.
Marina snorted:
— Be careful. Mothers-in-law rarely want to meet for no reason. It usually means something.
Olga nodded. Marina was right. Lyudmila Fyodorovna was not the type to simply apologize and make peace. She always had a plan.
In the evening, Olga arrived at the cafe. She found a table by the window and ordered tea. Lyudmila Fyodorovna arrived ten minutes later — in a light trench coat, with her hair done and a fresh manicure. She looked all dressed up.
— Olenka, my dear! — She hugged Olga and kissed her on the cheek. — I’m so glad you came.
She sat down opposite her, took off her coat, and ordered coffee. She smiled, but her eyes remained cold, calculating.
— Well, let’s be frank. — Her mother-in-law leaned closer and lowered her voice. — I know you’re pregnant.
Olga froze, her heart sinking.
— How?
— Kirill let it slip yesterday. He said you’ve been in the bathroom in the mornings, pale, nauseous. I understood right away. I’m a mother, I know the signs.
Olga was silent. Lyudmila Fyodorovna leaned back in her chair and smiled smugly.
— And now everything is clear to me. You’re saving money for the baby, right? Yes, good girl, smart girl. Here’s what I’ll tell you: you can’t do it alone. A child is a big responsibility. You need help, you need a grandmother nearby.
Olga looked at her, not believing what she was hearing. Lyudmila Fyodorovna continued:
— I’m ready to help: babysit, take him for walks, feed him. But for that, I need access to your apartment. Give me back the key.
— No.
— Olenka, don’t be so stubborn, I just want what’s best.
— You want control, and I won’t give it to you.
Her mother-in-law’s face darkened.
— You’ll regret this. Without my help, it will be hard for you, very hard.
— I’ll manage.
— We’ll see. — Lyudmila Fyodorovna stood up and put on her coat. — I offered peace, you refused. From now on, things will be different.
She left without saying goodbye. Olga sat there, finishing her cold tea. Her hands were shaking. Her mother-in-law had declared war. Openly, without concealment.
At home that evening, Olga lay on the sofa, covered with a blanket. Her stomach was cramping again, not severely, but unpleasantly. She lay there with her eyes closed, thinking. What’s next? Will Kirill come back or not? Her mother-in-law is up to something, that’s for sure. But what?
The phone rang. Kirill. Olga answered.
— Hello?
— Mom said you met. She said you were rude to her.
— I wasn’t rude.
— She was crying when she got back. She says you’re blackmailing her with her grandchild.
Olga sat up, not believing her ears.
— What?
— Mom says you told her you wouldn’t let her see her grandchild if she didn’t leave us alone.
— That’s a lie, I never said that.
— Then why is she so upset?
— Kirill, your mother is lying. She herself said she wants to control our lives, wants the key back. I refused, and now she’s getting revenge.
Silence. Then Kirill’s voice, muffled:
— I don’t know who to believe.
— You don’t believe me?
— I don’t know. You haven’t been yourself lately. Secrets, hiding things, hiding money… How am I supposed to know if you’re telling the truth?
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