Days later, in a family meeting at a neutral location, Liliya presented the documents to Alla Sergeevna.
The older woman, who wasn’t accustomed to being on the defensive, was speechless for a moment as she looked at the lease agreement with her name on it.
The mediator explained the legal arrangement and emphasized that the contract was valid and that everyone had consented to it.
The revelation was a bitter pill for Alla Sergeevna to swallow. She had spent years trying to make Liliya look bad in Igor’s eyes, only to be confronted with an undeniable fact: Liliya was not only independent but also the mastermind behind her own security and happiness.
Alla Sergeevna’s face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and anger. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out.
For so long, she had been the one doing the criticizing, the one looking down on Liliya. Now, she felt as if the ground had been pulled out from under her feet.
Igor looked at his mother and then at his wife. He felt a pang of guilt for not having noticed the strain between them earlier. “Mom, I can’t believe you’ve been treating Liliya like this. She’s my wife, and I love her. And she’s done nothing but be kind to you.”
Alla Sergeevna finally found her voice. “But… I didn’t know. How could I have known she was so… capable?”
Liliya took a deep breath. “Alla Sergeevna, I didn’t want to flaunt my wealth. I just wanted to be loved for who I am, not for my money. But your constant criticism has been hurtful. I hope you can understand that from now on, we need to respect each other.”
The mediator stepped in. “Now that the truth is out, perhaps we can all move forward. Liliya, do you still intend to enforce the lease agreement?”
Liliya looked at her mother – in – law. “I’m willing to waive the eviction notice on one condition. That we start fresh, and that there’s mutual respect in our relationship from now on.”
Alla Sergeevna nodded slowly. “I’m sorry, Liliya. I was wrong. I should have seen your worth long ago.”
