-Angelina, my love, it’s me! Let me in, honey. Can we talk? Please, don’t ruin our family… – Thomas’ voice sounded in the intercom and Angelina turned it off with a sharp movement.
Half an hour later, the ex, having got into the entrance, whined and rubbed under the door for a long time, causing her nervous laughter and disgust. After another half an hour, everything quieted down.
Angelina carefully looked through the window at the staircase and opened the door. Nobody… Phew, he left at last. And he took the flowers. According to the law of the genre, he had to trample and throw the unfortunate bouquet of roses right at her door. But anyone could have done it, but not Thomas. He is frugal, knows the value of money, never a spender, and simply put – a miser!
-“He must have sent the bouquet to his mother slowly,” Angelina thought sadly.
Angelina married early, she was barely twenty-two. Her husband was ten years older than her, headed a well-known company in the city and was naturally a wealthy man.
At first it seemed to Angelina that she married for love and for several years she really believed it. But time passed and she realized that she mistook courtship, trips abroad and expensive gifts for feelings.
But we must give her credit, Angelina was a good wife to him. She honestly waited for him from endless business trips, accompanied him to the next negotiations, ironed shirts and cooked delicious food. But after eight years of their marriage, she realized that she was unbearably bored. And they divorced. Without hysterics and claims.
He left her a car, a three-room apartment and a nice sum in the bank, which she could live on without working for quite a long time.
A thirty-year-old, beautiful and wealthy woman sounds great. Angelina enjoyed life and freedom at first. She did what she wanted, bought whatever she wanted, went wherever her soul beckoned. And the soul beckoned sometimes to the Maldives, sometimes to Montenegro or Turkey.
Then she got a little bored and got a job. As an administrator in an elite fitness club. The work is not dusty, but in public. Communication was enough for her and she calmed down a bit.
But once, when meeting with her friends, listening to their stories about husbands and small children, she suddenly found herself thinking that she missed family dinners, smoothing out the arrows on her trousers and men’s cologne in the bathroom.
-“Angelina, just find a friend to talk to. Different communication, – her friend Sandra winked at her, – that’s all. You know, no harm in getting married. For example, I would be happy to be in your place. It’s so annoying… And you want to get married. Well, well…
And then fate, apparently, heard her signals and sent her that friend for “different” communication. He came to the club to find out the cost of visiting the pool. They started talking and Angelina enjoyed the conversation for the first time in a long time. He was smart, witty and very handsome. And he invited her for a cup of coffee in the evening. A cup of coffee suddenly grew into something more and they started dating.
Angelina was surprised at what was happening to her. She fell in love! For the first time in her life! She waited for his calls, ran to the date like a girl, touching up her lips on the go. Her friends didn’t recognize her.
-Our Angelina fell head over heels in love. “So when is the wedding?” they pestered her with questions.
And he took her to meet his mother. Thomas was a bit old-fashioned. He opened the door for her, kissed her hands, gave her flowers every day, wrote sweet notes. In general, he was just perfect.
He lived with his old mother in the suburbs. They had a very good, two-storey cottage. Cleanliness in the house, well-kept garden, mowed lawn – everything breathed order and prosperity.
Thomas’ mother, Elizabeth, looked like a lady from the works of romantic writers. For a while it seemed to Angelina that she herself was in the past. A kettle in the gazebo, tea drinking in the open air, bagels on a bundle and umbrellas from the sun…
-Angelina, what do you do, child, where do you live? – Elizabeth asked, sweetly sipping tea from a saucer.
Answers about Angelina’s work, occupation, education, parents living far away and the absence of children satisfied Thomas’s mother completely. And when she heard about the three-room apartment, she revived and her eyes moistened with emotion.
-“My mother liked you very much, my love, and she blessed us to marry,” Thomas said in a trembling voice as they returned to the city.
The next day he proposed marriage to her and Angelina gladly accepted.
Pleasant preparations for the wedding began. Angelina decided that since they had a union of loving hearts, everything should be at the highest level. And she was very surprised by Thomas’ restraint in this matter.
-Angelina, why so many guests? Now you can’t surprise anyone with anything. I think we should invite the closest ones… And what an expensive restaurant, dear! Can’t we rent a cheaper one? Why spend so much?
And the wedding dress? Angelina, you’re not a young bride, you’re a grown woman, and you’re not married for the first time, it’s money to throw away. Maybe we can buy a nice suit, you can wear it later… – her future husband tried to reason with her.
Angelina smiled and attributed all his claims, again, to his old-fashioned nature. Well, he is not of this world, what can you do…
The wedding was thunderous. Everything turned out as Angelina wanted. There was a restaurant, and guests, and a gorgeous wedding dress. But almost everything was at the expense of the bride. In the heat of the wedding commotion, hassle, nerves and lack of sleep, Angelina only after two days of celebration found out that her bank account was much thinner.
After all, she paid almost everything. And it happened so naturally and easily that Angelina did not even notice. Either Thomas forgot his card (Angelina, I’ll compensate you later), or he didn’t come to pay for the restaurant and she had to pay herself (Angelina, got into a terrible traffic jam, pay yourself, I’ll compensate you!), or some other good reason not to pay Thomas the bills…
But she was in love, with butterflies in her stomach, in anticipation of a new family life and just gave up on it, writing it off as an accident
And then came the very family life that Angelina wanted so much.
She moved into a house with her new husband and his mother. That’s what Thomas wanted:
-Darling, we have plenty of space, fresh air and nature. And again, I am the meaning of life for my mother. She is elderly, can you imagine how sad she will be alone in this big house?” and Angelina easily gave in, touched by his touching affection for his mother.
…About a month later Thomas met her after work to go home together. He looked slightly upset. And Angelina asked what had happened.
-Nothing much. I just went to pay the utility bills. Everything is so expensive, just very expensive… I was thinking, let’s rent your apartment, you live at my place anyway. Can you imagine what a plus it will be to our family budget?
Angelina was slightly confused by her husband’s proposal.
-Thomas, it never occurred to me to rent my apartment. First of all, we don’t need it. We both earn good money. And secondly, I can’t even imagine strangers living in my apartment… Sleeping on my bed, sitting on my couch… Brr…
When they arrived home, they sat down to dinner with Elizabeth. The mother-in-law was clearly in a bad mood, constantly sighing, bitterly pursing her lips, and picking at her plate with a fork…
-Elizabeth, are you feeling well? You look pale today, – Angelina asked sympathetically.
-No, Angelina, I’m healthy. Just such prices everywhere. Such prices… – the mother-in-law sighed again, sadly picking at the cutlet. – Yes, dear, do not turn on the light unnecessarily, electricity is expensive now. Otherwise, in the morning the bathroom was not turned off. And the laptop in your bedroom was working. Well, I saw it and turned it off… And so much would have happened! – the mother-in-law looked at Angelina indignantly.
-You went into our bedroom?” – Angelina’s fork in her hand froze halfway
-Of course. What’s wrong with that?” her mother-in-law parried.
-“No, nothing, just asking,” Angelina replied. For some reason she wanted to leave the table. Which she did, quickly finishing her dinner.
-Angelina, are you offended with your mother? She is an old person. And they have their own whims. Speaking of saving money. I think we should take one car to work. Two cars means double gasoline consumption and so on. You want to use mine, you want to use yours? And we will sell the other one, – he gently removed her hair from her forehead, and Angelina was suddenly angry for herself.
-“Thomas, I’m sorry, of course, but I love my car and I want to drive it. And then we have different work schedules. We have to wait for each other and it’s not very convenient.
-Angelina, but it will be economical. We are a family now and we have to learn to be frugal,” he kissed her cheek.
-“Frugal? What are we, spendthrifts? No, I’m not going to sell my car and I’m not going to change anything. That’s all, – she got up and went to the bathroom, leaving him to digest what she had said.
After work she met her friend Sandra. They were drinking coffee and cake, Sandra was telling her something, and Angelina was nodding, almost not listening to what her friend was saying.
-Angelina, what’s wrong? Is something wrong? You don’t even hear me. I asked you a question twice – zero emotions.
And Angelina, sighing, told her friend everything. She listened attentively and made her verdict.
-Well, I don’t know. Maybe he is really very economical, there are such people. Or maybe he’s a miser. But I want to tell you for sure – you will find out soon.
Unfortunately, my friend was looking in the wrong direction.
In the evening, her husband told Angelina that she spends a lot of money on meetings with her friends.
-Angelina, they are taking advantage of you. You’re always paying. But we’re not millionaires to feed everyone, right? Angelina, are you listening? And I strongly urge you to think about renting the apartment. It’s time.
-Thomas, these are my friends and I decide who pays for the coffee. Angelina found herself thinking that she was tired of her husband, his mother and the constant pressure.
In the morning she woke up in no mood at all. On top of that, it was gray autumn outside, raining, and a cold wind was blowing. She drank coffee and a great idea came to her mind – to go shopping. Especially since the weather had changed, and she had long wanted to buy a new coat. And she climbed on the shelf for money. She felt her hand and was very surprised. There was no money.
-Thomas! – she called her husband, thinking that he had just moved it.
-Yes, Angelina, – he appeared on the threshold and, seeing her at the wardrobe, understood everything.
-“Angelina, I gave the money to my mother for safekeeping. She put it in the safe. I am so used to it. Moreover, mom manages it perfectly, at least better than you and me. You see, our house is full and everything is paid on time. I hope you don’t mind.
Angelina was not only speechless, she seemed to have forgotten the entire alphabet. She just stood there, staring at him. It took her a while to come to her senses.
-“Thomas, is it okay that we are family and this is our money? I actually wanted to take the money and go shopping with the girls tomorrow. I need to buy a coat and some things, – Angelina didn’t recognize herself. She had to stand and answer to her husband for her own money!
-Sure, go, honey, I don’t mind. But I think it would be more economical to buy not a coat, but a warm, long down jacket. It will get colder and it will be very useful. And you will wear a coat three times and that’s it, white flies will fly away… You know what, I’ll go with you, we’ll choose together. Yes?
Angelina silently looked at her husband, not recognizing him. Where is that gallant and generous man with a delicate sense of tact and humor? Where are the romance and candlelit dinners? Where are the heart-warming notes and surprises? A calculating and greedy man was looking at her. And what will happen next? When, for example, the baby is born? Will she beg for money for diapers? Oh, no! She looked at the man, and inside her she had already made a decision.
She has to get out of here! Now!
She and her husband left the house, each in their own car. Before leaving, Thomas kissed her warmly on the cheek and gently adjusted her jacket collar.
Angelina, having arrived at work, excused herself and rushed back. She knew that Elizabeth was away on business today and she had two hours to spare. She gathered her things, frantically throwing them directly into the trunk of the car. When the trunk was full, she began to throw them into the cabin. Good thing I haven’t brought the furniture here yet, she thought and smiled as she looked at the piles of skirts, jackets and bags.
Then she put the key under the mat and got into the car. She drove about three kilometers away from home and only then breathed a sigh of relief.
Arriving home, she happily walked around the apartment and sighed happily. Any thing, any object delighted her. She took her clothes apart and smiled at her thoughts. Then she texted her husband that she was filing for divorce and happily sent him to the block.
She knew that he would not calm down so quickly and would not leave her alone. And that today was not his last visit. And he would still get on her nerves…
But she also knew for sure that she did not want to get married now. At least not yet…
