I thought for two years that we were renting from a completely different person, and as it turns out, the landlady is my mother-in-law. I was just dumbfounded.
We got married two years ago. Because I was from the countryside, I didn’t have a place of my own. My husband didn’t have his own place either. My mother-in-law lived with her hubby in a two-bedroom apartment, and she asked her adult son to remove himself.
After we got married, we decided to move in together. I moved in with my husband. The Soviet-style repairs made me a little uncomfortable, but I didn’t want to do anything in someone else’s apartment. I really wanted to get my own place and dreamed of a mortgage.
However, we were unable to save up for a down payment. Our salaries were average – barely enough to live on. I suggested that my husband rent a smaller apartment, but he was reluctant. Although there was some truth in what he said – we had different schedules, and we would not get along in one apartment. The more fighting, the faster the divorce. And that wasn’t the plans we had for the future.
My husband did not even want to change the apartment for another two-bedroom apartment. They say he has long been renting it, with the mistress of a good relationship, so it is not worth the risk. In general, we could not think of a way to save more money, because we did not want to work without days off. If we plow through the down payment now and then want to close the mortgage quickly, when are we going to live?
My mother-in-law did not interfere in our relationship. We got along great with her – I can’t say anything wrong with that. She had her own life and hobbies, so she had no time to even visit us. We met only on holidays, which suited us both.
For two years we lived in the apartment. My husband took care of all the payments and other things in the apartment, because he had established communication with the landlady. And then I accidentally found out that we were renting an apartment from my mother-in-law.
We were invited to my mother-in-law’s for an anniversary party. And there began a conversation between her and her husband about close relatives. They were discussing some kind of wedding.
– What’s the matter, sister’s not married yet?
– No, they’re fighting about her last name. She doesn’t want to change it. And the groom thinks it’s a sign of disrespect, – said my husband.
– In my first marriage I didn’t change my last name either. I worked in a music school, my last name was well-known, why embarrass myself? In my second marriage I changed my last name to Yastrebovskaya.
And then it hit me – I saw this name on the receipt for the communal services. Then I said nothing, because my scandal would have spoiled the holiday.
At home I asked my husband straight out. He did not deny it. He said that we were really paying the rent to his mom. She didn’t want to give him the apartment for free.
I was shocked. And my husband didn’t see anything wrong with that. Like, he still has to help his mom somehow, and that’s fine for everyone.
– We would have had to rent an apartment anyway. And now we rent from our own people. We can make repairs, live for years, and no one will kick us out,” my husband said happily.
And he seems to be right, but I don’t like this whole situation. How is it possible to charge my only son 25,000 rubles? We would have long ago taken out a mortgage, and my mother-in-law would have moved other people in. But profit is more important…
My husband saw me and reassured me.
– Think of it as us paying the mortgage. I’m the only son. I get the apartment.
– Exactly, you.
– Why are you picking on me? It’s not like we’re getting a divorce.
I don’t know what to do. This situation doesn’t give me peace. I don’t feel like a landlady in this apartment, even though I’m paying from my own pocket. What to do?
