“Anya, have you checked the bank statement?” Mikhail asked as he entered the kitchen, holding a bank printout in his hand.
“What statement?” Anna looked up from her phone, where she had been reading news.
“It’s the statement for our joint account. There seems to be a mistake. It shows that three million two hundred thousand rubles were withdrawn.”
Anna’s heart clenched tightly. For four years, they had been managing a joint account, saving monthly—usually fifty thousand rubles or more—toward purchasing a countryside home. It was their dream, their shared future plan.
“Let me see,” Anna reached for the document.
The numbers told the truth: a transaction dated two days prior labelled as “Transfer to an individual – Amount: 3,200,000 rubles.”
“Misha, what is this transfer about?”
Mikhail looked away, distractedly rummaging through the fridge.
“Well… I helped my mother. She urgently had to move out because the neighbors started major renovations; the noise and dust from morning till night made living there impossible.”
“Help? By taking three million?” Anna’s voice softened but sharpened with disbelief.
“She found a nice apartment downtown. She needed to finalize the deal quickly but lacked funds.”
“And how much did the apartment cost?”
“Six million rubles. But she contributed almost three million herself since she had some savings.”
Anna silently stared at her husband. Four years of sacrifices—no foreign vacations, no new car, no home repairs—gone in a snap as he handed half their dream to his mother.
“At least, you planned to tell me?”
“Of course, I intended to. It all happened so suddenly. The sellers were in a hurry, so the payment had to be immediate.”
“And you thought it was okay to manage our joint savings without consulting me?”
“Anya, she’s my mother. She needed help.”
Uncovering the Truth Behind the Move
Anna left the table and stepped onto the balcony, needing to think. She tried to grasp what was truly happening. Tamara Petrovna, Mikhail’s mother, had lived in her two-room apartment for over twenty years. Neighbors? Anna recalled the quiet couple next door on one side and an elderly woman on the other. Recent problems with neighbors? Never.
The day after, Anna visited Galina Ivanovna, the neighbor on Tamara Petrovna’s side. They had known each other for years, occasionally meeting in the local store.
“Hello, Galina Ivanovna! How are you? How is the construction next door going?” Anna asked.
The elderly lady looked at her in surprise.
“What construction, dear? Who?”
“The neighbors of Tamara Petrovna. I heard she moved out because of noise from renovations.”
“Anna, are you serious? There was no renovation. The Kovalev family on the left live quietly; their last renovation was three years ago. And Lidya Mikhailovna on the right is bedridden at eighty-five. What renovation could there be?”
Anna felt as if the ground had vanished beneath her feet.
“When did Tamara Petrovna move out?”
“About two weeks ago. She was happy to relocate downtown. She said her son would help her with the apartment payment. She had dreamed of it for half a year, planning where everything would go in the new place.”
“Half a year?”
“Yes. Since winter she was talking about moving closer to the center. She has a friend there, Zina; they studied together at university. She said they would meet daily and go to the theater together.”
Family Secrets Revealed
Anna said goodbye and headed home with a heavy heart. So, no urgent relocation. No disruptive neighbors. Tamara Petrovna simply wanted to live in the city center and expected her son to support this dream.
That evening Anna reached out to Viktor, Mikhail’s brother, known for straightforward honesty.
“Vitya, hi. Can I ask you something?”
“Sure, Anna. What’s on your mind?”
“Do you know about Misha buying an apartment for his mother?”
After a pause, Viktor replied, “I do. And I think he’s a fool. Sorry for being blunt, but that’s how I see it. His mother is exploiting him. She knew you saved that money for a house. Yet she still asked.”
“She asked?”
“Really. She started hinting at it last winter, saying she dreamed of living downtown, feeling lonely on the outskirts. Said, ‘Vitya, you have no money, but Misha does; he should help his mother in old age.'”
“What did you say?”
“I told her that Misha has a family and plans. That it’s unfair to spend family savings on her whims. We even argued—she didn’t speak to me for a month.”
“Did Misha know about this conversation?”
“Yes, I told him straight: ‘Misha, don’t give money to mom for that apartment. It’s wrong. You have a wife and plans.’ But he told me I was just envious because I don’t have money.”
Anna closed her eyes, understanding this was no impulsive help but a carefully orchestrated plan by her mother-in-law.
“Vitya, whose name is the apartment under?”
“Of course, it’s under mom’s name. She said it was the correct way since it’s her purchase, even though your husband contributed more than half.”
The Tense Family Dinner
During the May holidays, the family gathered at Viktor and Elena’s for the traditional dinner. Anna hesitated but Mikhail insisted she come.
“Mom, how’s the new apartment?” asked Elena while serving salad.
“Wonderful! A view of the park, close to theatres, museums. Zina and I meet daily. Last Saturday, we went to the Philharmonic.”
“What about the old apartment? Did you sell it?” Viktor asked.
“Why sell it? I rent it. The income is decent, thirty-five thousand rubles monthly.”
Anna choked on her juice.
“So, you own two apartments now?”
“Yes. I live in the new one and rent out the old.”
“Mom, remember the neighbors who were renovating?” Mikhail asked.
Tamara Petrovna hesitated briefly.
“Ah, yes. They already finished. But I had already moved, so why go back?”
“Mom,” Viktor intervened, “what renovation? Galina Ivanovna said there was none.”
“Viktor!” Tamara Petrovna snapped, “Mind your own business.”
“How’s it not my business? My brother gave away half of our family savings for your whims, and you spin tales about renovations?”
“Vitya, please,” Mikhail tried to calm the situation.
“No!” Viktor raised his voice. “You betrayed your wife! Four years of saving for a house, and you just gave that money to your mom so she can live downtown and have tea with a friend every day!”
“It’s my money!” Mikhail defended.
“What do you mean ‘your’ money?” Anna choked in anger. “That’s our money! I worked, I sacrificed for these savings!”
“Anna, dear,” Tamara Petrovna softly said, “I understand you’re upset. But a son helping his mother is normal.”
“It would be normal if you’d asked the wife first! To be honest about the renovation! To register the apartment partly in the name of the one who paid more than half!”
Elena confirmed Anna’s suspicions.
“Aunt Toma, you were planning to move since winter. Remember how at New Year’s, you told us you wanted to live near Zina?”
Tamara Petrovna flushed.
“So what? I have the right to dream of a better life. And a son should help his mother.”
“He should,” Anna agreed, “but not at the expense of his own family. Not deceiving his wife. And not taking money saved for our shared goals.”
“What do you propose?” Mikhail asked. “Make mom move back to the old apartment?”
“I propose honesty. Either you return the three million two hundred thousand to our joint account or transfer my rightful share in the new apartment to me.”
“That’s impossible,” Tamara Petrovna quickly responded.
“Why not?”
“Because it’s my apartment. I added my money, I picked it, and I live there.”
“Yours?” Anna looked at her mother-in-law incredulously. “Your son paid most of it, our joint savings.”
“Fine,” Tamara Petrovna realized her evasion wouldn’t work. “I’m willing to return five hundred thousand rubles for something useful for your family.”
“Five hundred thousand out of over three million?” Anna could hardly believe her ears.
“That’s all I have left. I spent my savings on this apartment.”
“You may not have it, but now you earn thirty-five thousand a month renting the old one.”
Mikhail fell silent, cornered. Viktor shook his head. Elena awkwardly cleared the table.
The Aftermath and New Boundaries
The drive home was filled with heavy silence. Only after entering their apartment did Anna find words.
“Tomorrow, I open a separate account.”
“Why?” Mikhail appeared tired.
“Because I no longer trust you with our money. Because you’re willing to give away what we save together to someone else.”
“Mom’s not someone else.”
“For me, she is—especially after tonight. She lied to both of us and planned for six months to extract money from you. And you gave it to her without discussing it with me.”
“I thought you’d understand.”
“Helping a hundred thousand or even three hundred would have been understandable, but not half of four years of savings on her whims.”
Mikhail sat on the sofa, head bowed.
“What do you want?”
“I want a written agreement that any purchase over a hundred thousand rubles must be discussed and decided jointly—both of us together.”
“And if I don’t agree?”
“Then we go to a lawyer and divide all property in half, including this apartment.”
Mikhail realized Anna was serious.
“Fine. I agree.”
A week later, Anna opened her own account, transferring half of the remaining joint funds. Mikhail signed a pact to make financial decisions as a couple. Tamara Petrovna returned the promised five hundred thousand, but her relationship with her daughter-in-law was irreparably strained.
Viktor openly sided with Anna, deepening the rift between brothers. Family dinners became infrequent and strained.
Key Insight: Trust, once shattered in a day, takes years to rebuild—if ever. This experience taught Anna to value family relationships profoundly and stand firm in protecting her future.
Tamara Petrovna settled in her new apartment, profiting from renting the old one, and met with her friend daily. She got what she wanted, but the cost was high—she lost the closeness of her son. Mikhail now called her weekly out of politeness, but their former warmth was gone.
Meanwhile, Anna learned a vital lesson—to guard her interests and trust cautiously, even with those dearest to her.