Driving slowly through the familiar streets of her hometown, Mária felt the weight of a decade spent in the capital city erase many memories.
Using GPS, she finally reached her mother’s apartment, but even before she could ring the bell, the entrance door swung open.
There stood her mother, aged and weary.
“You’re finally here,” Galina Petrovna greeted her with a dry tone. “Come in.”
Crossing the threshold, Mária was immediately surrounded by teenagers crowded in the hallway.
The stepsiblings stared at her with curiosity.
“Kids, this is Mária,” her mother introduced. “Your sister.”
A roughly fourteen-year-old girl openly appraised Mária from head to toe.
Designer coat, expensive handbag, elegant shoes — everything painted the picture of a successful woman from the capital.
“Her car is so nice,” the girl whispered to her son.
“Quiet, Lena,” the mother scolded.
From the kitchen, a middle-aged man appeared.
The stepfather silently nodded at Mária, his gaze scanning her clothes before resting on the expensive watch on her wrist.
In the living room, worn-out furniture filled the space — an old couch and a faded armchair. The television looked like it had seen better days.
Mária sat down and looked around the room.
“You see, we live modestly,” her mother began.
Mária nodded silently.
“Vladimir works as a foreman in a factory,” explained Galina Petrovna. “His salary is barely enough, but the kids need so much.”
In a corner, the teenage boy was absorbed in his phone, whose cracked screen revealed neglect.
Lena fiddled with her worn-out sweater.
“Mom, when will you buy me new sports shoes?” the girl asked loudly. “Everyone at school has proper ones, but I still wear old ones.”
“Not now, Lena,” her mother reprimanded.
Mária remained silent as the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.
“You must be tired from the trip,” her stepmother finally said.
“A little,” Mária admitted.
“How is your job in Moscow?” her mother inquired.
“It’s going well,” Mária responded.
“I heard your father left the company to you,” Galina Petrovna cautiously began. “It must be doing fine.”
Mária sighed inwardly, recalling the meeting she had had with the company’s managing director just yesterday.
The scale of the business amazed her; its turnover was measured in millions.
“Yes, things are going well,” she confirmed.
Vladimir Sergeyevich exchanged looks with his wife, their expressions predatory.
“Mária, could we talk to you privately?” her mother requested. “Just the two of us.”
They entered the bedroom, and Galina Petrovna closed the door firmly behind them.
“My daughter, as you can see, we live modestly,” she began softly. “The kids need a lot.
- Lena needs a math tutor.
- And Andrej requires programming courses.
Mária listened quietly.
“There may be layoffs at Vladimir’s workplace,” her mother continued. “We don’t know what to do.
Now that you have this money…”
“Mom, I just arrived,” Mária interrupted gently. “First, I want to honor my father’s memory properly.”
“Of course, of course,” Galina Petrovna agreed. “But you know, family is family.
Your father always said we need to help each other.”
Mária nodded, unwilling to argue.
When she returned to the living room, a family meeting was underway.
Vladimir whispered something to the children.
At the sight of Mária, everyone instantly fell silent.
“Mária, how long will you stay in town?” her stepmother inquired.
“I don’t know yet. I have to settle dad’s affairs,” Mária answered.
“Is the house still big?” Lena asked eagerly.
“Lena!” her mother admonished sternly.
“What’s wrong? I’m just curious,” the girl shrugged.
Finally, Andrej looked up from his phone:
“Is it true that Mária’s dad owned a construction company? It must be cool to be the boss.”
Observing this family, Mária realized everything revolved around money — her money.
No one asked how she coped with her father’s passing, nor showed interest in her own plans.
“Alright, I’ll stay at the hotel,” Mária said while standing up.
“What hotel?” her mother objected sharply. “This is your home! Stay with us.”
“No, Mom. It’s better if I rest alone,” she replied.
Galina Petrovna accompanied her daughter to the door and hugged her tightly as a farewell.
“Think about what I said. Family is sacred.”
Mária returned to the hotel burdened by heavy thoughts, her mother’s words echoing in her mind.
The next day, she attended her father’s modest funeral. The family maintained a distant demeanor.
Afterwards, Galina Petrovna approached her.
“Come to dinner tomorrow. Aunt Valya and Uncle Petr will be there. We need to discuss everything with the family,” she invited.
Mária agreed, though reluctant to refuse.
The following evening, she entered her mother’s apartment to find relatives seated at the table, their expressions serious.
“Sit down, Mária,” her mother gestured to a vacant chair.
The atmosphere was thick with tension.
Lena and Andrej sat quietly, occasionally glancing sideways at Mária.
“We’ve been thinking,” began Galina Petrovna. “Your father was always a fair man who loved his family.”
Aunt Valentina nodded in agreement.
“Boris often spoke about family values and how loved ones should support each other.”
“And what exactly do you mean by that?” Mária asked cautiously.
Uncle Petr cleared his throat before speaking.
“You see, Mária, you now possess a substantial inheritance, and your siblings live in hardship.”
“It’s unfair,” Aunt Valentina added. “One child is wealthy, and the others are poor.”
Mária tensed as the conversation took an uncomfortable turn.
“We believe,” her mother continued, “that you should share with Lena and Andrej. At least half.”
“What?” Mária struggled to believe her ears.
“What’s wrong with that?” Vladimir Sergeyevich shrugged. “A true daughter wouldn’t leave her family in need.”
“Your father wanted you to share with your siblings,” her mother said coldly.
Lena looked at Mária with hopeful eyes, and Andrej awaited an answer.
“You understand,” Aunt Valentina interjected, “this is a family obligation. You’ve lived in Moscow for ten years and haven’t helped at all. Now’s your chance to make amends.”
“Exactly,” Uncle Petr supported. “Justice is more important than anything else. The children deserve equal parts.”
Mária looked around, noticing everyone’s expectant gazes.
“I am under no obligation to give anything,” she whispered firmly.
“How can you say that?” her mother exclaimed. “This is your family!”
Mária responded calmly, trying to avoid provocation.
“If dad intended to divide the inheritance, it would have been written in his will. He never spoke of you or expressed love. You became strangers to me. I am his only daughter.”
Galina Petrovna was outraged.
“So you don’t care about us?”
“Not entirely…”
“Not at all? Then prove it! Give your siblings their shares back!” her mother interrupted.
Leaning forward, Vladimir Sergeyevich added, “Mária, think reasonably. You have millions. We are starving.”
- “Lena will soon go to university,” Aunt Valentina noted. “There’s no money for education.”
- “And Andrej needs a computer for studying,” Uncle Petr chimed in.
Mária saw how the children looked at her, their eyes filled with a mixture of disappointment and hope.
“Decide,” her mother said sternly. “Either you share the inheritance, or you lose the family forever.”
Silence fell.
Mária slowly stood up from the table.
“No,” she declared firmly.
Galina Petrovna jumped up so suddenly that her chair tipped backward.
“What?! Have you completely lost your conscience?! How can you face the children and deny them?”
“Ungrateful egoist!” Aunt Valentina yelled, waving her hands. “You weren’t here for ten years! You didn’t even come to your mother’s birthday!”
The stepmother shook her head disdainfully. “Heartless. I thought you had some humanity.”
Lena broke into tears, hiding her face in her hands.
“We all hoped… I hoped… And you…”
Andrej silently observed his stepsister, a furious teenager watching his dreams collapse.
Mária explained calmly, trying not to be provoked: “Dad left me the inheritance because I am his daughter. It was meant to be this way.”
“How can you?!” her mother sobbed, clutching her heart. “We are your family! Your blood! Is money really more important than loved ones?!”
“Look how we live!” Lena wept, pointing at her worn-out clothes. “You’re so greedy… I thought my sister would help.”
“Now you’ve revealed your true nature,” Uncle Petr said, standing and leaning threateningly over Mária. “We thought the capital’s upbringing would make you better.”
“You’ve become cold-hearted,” Aunt Valentina whispered. “Worse than a stranger!”
Suddenly, Andrej spoke, his voice trembling with anger:
“You came in a fancy car! Your bag has as much money as we would eat for a month! And we have no money for new clothes!”
“The boy is right,” Vladimir Sergeyevich agreed. “You bathe in luxury while we barely survive.”
Heading toward the door, Mária was stopped.
“Stop!” Galina Petrovna shouted, grabbing her daughter’s hand. “If you leave now, never come back! You’re not my daughter! Not my daughter at all!”
“I will tell the whole town how greedy you are!” Aunt Valentina threatened, trembling with rage. “Everyone will know you abandoned your family!”
“I’ll tell every neighbor!” her mother added. “In the shop, at the clinic! Everyone will know!”
“Your business will suffer too,” Vladimir Sergeyevich warned coldly, his voice raised for the first time that evening. “I have connections. We will ruin your life here.”
“Get out!” Lena screamed through tears. “Leave and never show yourself again! We can manage without you!”
“Family disgrace!” Uncle Petr exclaimed. “Your father is turning in his grave!”
Mária pushed her mother aside and moved toward the door.
Behind her, shouting continued:
“I curse you! Never find happiness!” her mother yelled.
“You’ll be alone! Completely alone!” Aunt Valentina shouted.
The door slammed shut, but the yelling echoed through the walls.
The next day, Mária moved into her father’s house. She changed the locks and tidied the rooms.
The house was large and comfortable.
One year passed.
Her mother still refused to speak to her and deliberately turned away during encounters.
The children held resentment as well.
Neighbors whispered behind her back:
- “Look how greedy she is,” they said. “She abandoned her family because of money.”
- “Completely heartless,” nodded the elderly ladies.
But none of that interested Mária.
The company grew, receiving new orders.
It built houses for others, created jobs, and her father’s business thrived.
She remembered why her parents separated.
Her father focused on building the company but had no money.
Her mother left Vladimir, who was earning well at that time.
Her father struggled with the separation, investing all his love into his daughter.
At first, he took her in himself, then sent her to the capital for education and helped her get back on her feet.
Her mother never spoke about her new family.
Now, she pretended the past never happened and wanted what her father had painstakingly built.
However, Mária refused to demolish her father’s legacy so easily.
In the evenings, she sat in her father’s armchair looking at his photos.
She understood her choice was correct — she preserved the inheritance for herself.
The relatives no longer invited her.
The family bonds were broken forever, but she felt no regret.
Her father entrusted her with the business, and she did not disappoint him.
In conclusion, Mária’s journey reveals the complexities of family loyalty intertwined with inheritance disputes. While familial obligations can often complicate financial legacies, standing firm on one’s principles, especially when honoring a parent’s wishes, is crucial. This story exemplifies how preserving personal integrity sometimes requires difficult choices that may sever family ties but ultimately uphold respect for one’s own path and heritage.