“Your car just sits there while your sister rides the bus,” my husband complained, forgetting how his sister talks to me.

Natalia touched up her lipstick in the bathroom mirror. The reflection showed a tired woman’s face. Today’s visit to her mother-in-law had drained every ounce of energy. The smell of cheap air freshener irritated her nose.
“Oh, Natasha,” came a sugary voice from behind. “Still trying to fix something?”
Natalia turned around. Svetlana, her sister-in-law, was standing in the doorway with an unpleasant smirk on her lips.
“Sveta, did you want something?” Natalia asked calmly.
“You know, makeup’s not going to help you anymore,” Svetlana continued, stepping into the bathroom. “No cosmetic can hide that kind of ‘beauty’.”
“Sorry, what do you mean?” Natalia slowly closed her lipstick.
Svetlana gave her sister-in-law a disdainful look, her eyes scanning Natalia’s face.
“Oh, nothing special. I’m just surprised my brother married you. But I guess the apartment, the car, and your business make it pretty clear.”
Natalia turned back to the mirror, trying to ignore the jabs. But Svetlana wasn’t going to stop.
“No wonder men fall for the bait,” Svetlana sneered. “Only to realize their mistake later.”
“Sveta, maybe you shouldn’t…”
“And why shouldn’t I?” Svetlana interrupted. “Tell the truth? You know Andrey could’ve found anyone. Someone younger, prettier, without all these… flaws.”
Natalia clenched her fists. The urge to snap back fought with her upbringing. Svetlana relished her daughter-in-law’s reaction.
“So, what is that perfume you’re wearing?” Svetlana continued her attack. “Smells straight out of a Soviet department store. Well, I guess you can’t really afford anything else.”
“My salary is enough to buy good cosmetics,” Natalia replied quietly.
Svetlana burst out laughing:
“Salary? You mean your business? Andrey told me you barely scrape together a few pennies over there.”
“My beauty salon brings in a steady income,” Natalia tried to keep calm.
“Oh, beauty salon!” Svetlana mocked. “Calling three chairs in a basement a salon? Sure, for people like you, I suppose that’s impressive.”
Suddenly, footsteps sounded from the hallway. Svetlana’s face transformed in an instant. The nasty sneer disappeared, replaced by a friendly smile.
“Andrey!” she exclaimed sweetly. “Your wife and I were just talking. Chatting about girl stuff.”
Andrey appeared in the doorway. Tall, broad-shouldered, he looked exhausted.
“Ready to go home, darling?” he nodded to Natalia.
“Yes, of course,” Natalia quickly gathered up her makeup bag.
“It’s so nice you have a car!” Svetlana cooed. “It’s such a hassle getting around by bus.”
Andrey didn’t reply. Natalia walked silently past her sister-in-law into the hallway. Svetlana watched her with a look full of hidden malice.
“Mom, we’re leaving!” Andrey called towards the kitchen.
“Goodbye, dears,” came his mother’s voice.
Svetlana waved, keeping her fake smile intact. Natalia didn’t say goodbye. The couple left the apartment in silence.
In the elevator, Natalia nervously fiddled with her purse strap. Andrey stared at the floor buttons. The silence was heavy.
“How are you?” her husband finally asked.
“I’m fine,” Natalia replied shortly.
The elevator stopped on the first floor. They stepped outside into the courtyard, heading toward Natalia’s car. The evening air was cool.
“I’ll drive,” Andrey said, reaching for the keys.
“No, thank you. I’ll manage,” Natalia got behind the wheel.
Andrey buckled his seatbelt. Natalia started the engine and switched on the headlights. The car slowly drove out of the courtyard.
“Did something happen?” Andrey asked as they stopped at a red light.
“Your sister started her games again,” Natalia kept her eyes on the road.
“What exactly did she say?”
“The usual digs about my looks, my job, my earnings. Called my salon a basement and my perfume cheap.”
Andrey sighed:
“Oh, that’s just her showing off her personality. Give her a little more time, and you’ll become part of the family.”
Natalia sharply turned to her husband:
“We’ve been married for three years! Three years, Andrey! And your sister’s attitude still hasn’t changed.”
“Just be patient a little longer,” her husband said reconciliatorily. “Everything will be fine.”
Natalia silently pressed the gas pedal. The car picked up speed down the empty evening street. A heavy silence hung in the car. Only the sound of the engine broke the quiet between the spouses.
Two weeks had passed. Natalia finally figured out how to work remotely. Her years of hard work had paid off. The beauty salon was running smoothly without her being there all the time. The receptionist handled appointments, and the stylists were on a clear schedule.
“How long are you planning to keep working like this?” Andrey asked over breakfast one morning. “Not going into the salon every day?”
“Why should I go in?” Natalia stirred her coffee. “Everything runs fine. I just drop by once a week at most, just to check that the girls are alright.”
“I see,” her husband grumbled, flipping through the newspaper.
A few days later, the question came up again:
“The car is just sitting there. We could easily put it to use for something.”
“For what?” Natalia asked, surprised. “It’s easier for you to take the metro. No traffic, just ten minutes to work.”
Andrey said nothing. But something unpleasant flickered in his eyes.
One evening, her husband came home looking even gloomier than usual. He slammed the door and threw his briefcase onto the couch. Natalia looked up from her laptop.
“What happened?” she asked.
“Sveta called,” Andrey replied sharply. “They changed the bus routes. Now she has to make three transfers to get to work.”
“So?” Natalia didn’t see what this had to do with her.
“It wastes so much time!” Andrey was getting worked up. “Do you realize how many hours a week Sveta spends commuting? It makes no sense!”
Natalia slowly closed her laptop:
“Let her invest in her own car.”
“Her own car!” Andrey exploded. “And your car just sits there while my sister is taking buses! You know she doesn’t have extra money!”
Natalia stood up from the couch. Anger was boiling inside her.
“Andrey, your sister has never been kind to me,” she said quietly. “For three years, she’s belittled me, humiliated me, mocked me.”
“You need to forget that! Leave it in the past!” her husband waved it off. “Sveta needs help now!”
“I don’t think I owe her any help,” Natalia said firmly.
Andrey stepped closer, his face twisted with anger:
“She’s my sister! My family! Are you saying you’re not?”
“I’m your wife!” Natalia raised her voice. “Or at least I was, until you put your sister’s interests before mine!”
“You’re selfish!” shouted Andrey. “The car just sits there and you won’t help family!”
Natalia let out a bitter laugh:
“Family? Your sister called me ugly! She said you married me for money!”
“Maybe she was right!” Andrey snapped in the heat of the moment.
His words hung in the air. Time seemed to freeze. Natalia stopped in her tracks. Andrey realized he had crossed a line, but he wasn’t about to back down.
“Sveta’s always been honest about what she thinks,” he continued in a dull tone. “And you always act like a victim.”
“A victim?” Natalia whispered. “A victim?!”
“Yes!” Andrey was really on a roll now. “You invent reasons to be upset! You’re making a conflict out of nothing!”
Natalia slowly walked over to the window. The car was parked outside under the streetlight. A beautiful, reliable car—bought with her own money.
“I don’t owe anyone anything,” she said without turning around. “Especially your sister.”
“Yes, you do!” Andrey yelled. “We’re family! Everything’s supposed to be shared!”
“No,” Natalia turned to face him. “I have my own possessions. And my own boundaries.”
Andrei grabbed his jacket from the hanger:
“I’m staying at my mother’s tonight. You should think about your behavior.”
The door slammed shut. Natalia was left alone in the empty apartment.
A week went by. Andrei didn’t show up. He called rarely, and only answered her questions with short, cold replies. Natalia realized he was waiting her out. Waiting for her to give in—to agree to give the car to Svetlana.
But his words kept echoing in her mind. Had Sveta been right all along?
On the eighth day, Natalia dialed her husband’s number. Her fingers trembled slightly as she pressed the buttons.
“Andrei, we need to talk.”
“Did you come to your senses?” he asked coldly.
Natalia gripped the phone tighter. Inside, she felt crushed by hurt and disappointment.
“If you really think I should give in to your sister,” Natalia said slowly, “then you can come get your things. Because I’m filing for divorce.”
There was silence. Natalia’s heart was pounding so loudly she thought Andrei might hear it through the phone.
Then her husband gave a nervous laugh:
“You can’t be serious. You’re ending our marriage over a car?”
Natalia closed her eyes. The pain in her chest was almost physical. Three years of marriage were reduced to a single sentence about the car.
“Not because of the car,” Natalia replied. “Because you chose your sister over your wife.”
She hung up the phone and exhaled. Her hands finally stopped shaking. For the first time all week, she felt a sense of peace inside.
The divorce was quick. The car, the apartment, the business—all stayed with Natalia.
Svetlana was furious. She had expected to get at least the car. Andrei sulked and told everyone that Natalia destroyed the family out of greed.
For the first time in three years, Natalia truly felt at peace. She worked from home and no one pressured her. The car sat in the parking lot—her car, bought with her own money.
Sometimes Natalia would get behind the wheel and just drive around the city. With no destination, no rush. Enjoying freedom and quiet. Her favorite music played in the car. No one demanded explanations.
Once, Natalia spotted Svetlana waiting at a bus stop. Her former sister-in-law looked tired and angry. Natalia stopped at the traffic light nearby. Their eyes met.
Svetlana deliberately turned away. Natalia smiled and drove off. She no longer had to put up with other people’s anger or their manipulation.
A cozy beauty salon and a stable business were waiting for her. Life was calm and predictable. Natalia was no longer beholden to anyone’s whims or forced to justify her choices.
The car became a symbol of her new life—beautiful, reliable, and entirely hers.