Victoria had always prided herself on being kind-hearted and responsive, and when she married Konstantin three years ago, she had imagined that her relationship with his mother, Lyudmila Georgievna, would be warm and friendly. At first, it was exactly that. Lyudmila often stopped by their home to help with housework, and Victoria truly appreciated her mother-in-law’s willingness to pitch in. For a long time, everything seemed perfect, and there was no reason to question their dynamic.

However, things began to change after Konstantin’s request one morning. He had asked her for a favor:

“Vic, Mom’s going to the store—can you give her your card so she can buy some bread and milk? I don’t have any cash on me, and the ATM’s right on her way.”

Without thinking much of it, Victoria agreed. She took out her bank card, wrote down the PIN, and handed it over.

“Here you go, Lyudmila Georgievna, just don’t forget to bring the receipt,” Victoria said, smiling at her mother-in-law as she slipped the card into her bag.

Lyudmila smiled back, nodding. “Of course, dear. Thank you for trusting me.”

At that point, Victoria thought nothing of it. It was a simple, one-off favor that seemed completely normal. Lyudmila did, in fact, return with the receipt, and everything appeared fine. Over time, this became a regular arrangement—Lyudmila would sometimes run errands for Victoria and Konstantin, picking up things they needed from the pharmacy or grocery store. At first, Victoria didn’t see anything wrong with it. It felt like a kind gesture from her mother-in-law, who seemed to genuinely care for their well-being.

But as time went on, the requests started to escalate.

One day, Konstantin came home excited, ready to share news of a fantastic find.

“Vic, Mom found an amazing deal on a vacuum! The old one’s broken, and this one is on sale. She’s already on her way to pick it up. Can you give her your card?” he asked. “It’s German-made, really good quality.”

Victoria asked, “How much is it?”

“Well, it’s a bit pricey, but it’s a good vacuum. You know, for the house,” Konstantin replied.

Without hesitation, Victoria handed her card over. She trusted Lyudmila and didn’t mind buying a new vacuum—it was something they needed. When her mother-in-law returned with the purchase, Victoria was taken aback by the sheer size of the box.

“Lyudmila Georgievna, it’s huge! How much did it cost?”

“Twenty-eight thousand rubles, dear,” Lyudmila said proudly. “But it’s worth it. It has a five-year warranty and doesn’t need bags—the container is washable.”

Victoria’s eyebrow twitched in surprise, but she didn’t argue. It seemed like a solid purchase, though the price was certainly higher than what she expected. A week later, the story repeated itself with a microwave—another “amazing deal” Lyudmila had found. Konstantin assured Victoria that it was something they needed, even though she had no recollection of ever discussing it. But the microwave was useful, and so she accepted it.

As autumn continued, the surprises kept coming. One day in October, Lyudmila arrived with an extravagant gift—a set of luxurious bed linens made from natural silk.

“Sweetheart, I saw this exact set on a TV show,” she explained, unfolding the linens. “They said silk is great for your skin and hair. And the color! It’s just gorgeous!”

Victoria’s jaw tightened slightly as she took in the price tag—seventeen thousand rubles.

“Maybe you should have checked with us first, Lyudmila Georgievna?” Victoria asked, trying to maintain her composure.

“Oh, don’t worry about it, dear! It’s for you and Kostya. I wanted to do something nice,” Lyudmila insisted.

Konstantin supported his mother, adding, “Come on, Vic. Mom went to a lot of trouble. It really is beautiful.”

Victoria said nothing. She didn’t want to argue, but the growing pile of purchases was starting to feel overwhelming. As the months passed, there were more and more extravagant purchases, all of which were put on Victoria’s card. A massage certificate for fifteen thousand rubles here, orthopedic pillows for twelve thousand there. The purchases were all justified by her mother-in-law as “gifts” for the family, but the bills were stacking up, and Victoria was starting to feel uneasy.

In December, when Lyudmila casually mentioned that she had bought a set of expensive frying pans and a humidifier, Victoria decided it was time to take a closer look at her bank statements. When she reviewed them, the shock nearly knocked her off her feet. More than a hundred thousand rubles had been spent in just three months—on things she didn’t need and hadn’t agreed to.

Her heart sank. Lyudmila had bought a vacuum, microwave, bed linens, cosmetics, groceries, and countless other things she hadn’t even known about. Victoria took the statements and handed them to Konstantin when he came home that evening.

“Konstantin, please explain this to me,” she said, her voice shaking with a mixture of frustration and disbelief.

He skimmed through the statements, clearly uncomfortable, before muttering, “Well… Mom gets carried away sometimes. But it’s all for the house, for us.”

Victoria’s patience was wearing thin. “For us? Konstantin, this is my money, and I work hard for it. I earn it with my own hands. And your mother spends it as if it were her own!”

Konstantin tried to calm her down, but Victoria wasn’t having it. She had had enough. She stood firm, declaring that she would change the PIN on the card and that no one—no one—was going to use it again without her permission.

The next day, she went to the bank and changed the PIN. When she came home, Konstantin nervously asked if she had done it.

“I did,” she said flatly. “No one but me will use the card from now on.”

Two days later, Lyudmila showed up at their doorstep, red-faced and furious.

“Where’s Konstantin?” she demanded, not even greeting Victoria.

Victoria stepped aside to let her in. “He’s in the shower. Come in.”

“I’ll wait here,” Lyudmila snapped, not bothering to remove her coat.

A few minutes later, Konstantin emerged, bleary-eyed, to find his mother seething with anger.

“Mom? What’s going on?” he asked.

Lyudmila practically shouted, “Your wife changed the PIN on the card! I tried to buy a wardrobe for you, but the card wouldn’t work! The salespeople looked at me like I was a criminal!”

Victoria stepped into the room, her face calm. “Lyudmila Georgievna, why did you think you could buy a wardrobe with my money?”

Her mother-in-law was taken aback by the question. “Because we’re one family! Because Konstantin needs that wardrobe for his things! And because I’ve always helped you!”

“Helped?” Victoria asked, her tone cool. “In three months, you spent more of my money than I spend on myself in half a year. Is that what you call helping?”

Lyudmila was at a loss for words, her face going pale as Victoria laid out the evidence in front of her. Victoria calmly went over the statements, pointing to the list of purchases Lyudmila had made. Each item was another slap in the face: the vacuum, the microwave, the bed linens, the massage course. The list went on and on, along with all the smaller, unnecessary items Lyudmila had bought.

Her mother-in-law tried to justify herself. “So what? You’ve got a good job, a decent salary. What’s the big deal?”

“The big deal is that I earned every ruble of that money,” Victoria said firmly. “And I will decide how it’s spent. Not you. Not Konstantin. Not anyone else.”

Konstantin, uncomfortable with the tension, suggested they find a compromise, but Victoria was resolute. “There will be no more purchases. I’m the only one who knows the PIN now.”

Lyudmila stormed out, slamming the door behind her, vowing never to step foot in their house again. Konstantin, torn between his wife and his mother, stayed silent. Later, he went to a friend’s house to think things through.

When he returned a few hours later, he finally made a decision. “Vic, I’ve thought about it. I know you’re right. Mom overstepped, and I should have noticed sooner. But I’m with you now. I won’t let her spend any more of our money without asking.”

Victoria nodded, relieved that her husband had finally understood.

In the weeks that followed, Lyudmila did try to reconcile, but Victoria stood firm. She would not let her finances be managed by someone else ever again. Slowly, the relationship became more honest, though still strained. But Victoria knew she had made the right choice—boundaries were necessary to protect her peace of mind.

And so, her finances were safe once more, and her family—though a little colder—was learning that trust cannot be taken for granted.