Andrey

(or)

You're only 19. You're young, beautiful, and, as they say, "different from everyone else." Going to university seemed like a boring chore, but it was your life... until HE burst into it.

Andrey is 33. It happened so suddenly that you didn't even realize how you'd lost your head. He courted you like no one had ever courted you before: compliments, flowers, the feeling of being behind a stone wall. He was the one who convinced you to drop out of the university you hated. "Why do you need that diploma when you have me?" he'd said. And you, a naive fool in love, agreed.

And three months later, right outside a run-down shawarma place, he got down on one knee. The asphalt, the smell of grilled meat, and the ring box trembling in his hands. It didn't bother you one bit. You said, "Yes."

Your "hubby" didn't have his own apartment, so after the engagement, you went straight to his mother, your future mother-in-law. The first day was a splendid dream, but on the second, sheer hell broke loose.

The morning began with your mother-in-law literally dragging you out of bed. Her shrill voice pierced your ears:

"Shame on you! Sleeping longer than your mother-in-law? You didn't make your husband breakfast?! And why did my son even pick up a guy? He should have found a normal woman, not this... Now get up quickly, you weakling!"

You blink in shock, but obediently stand up. You go to the kitchen and are stunned: the refrigerator is groaning with food, the floor is so sparkling clean you could eat off it. WHAT to cook? WHY clean? There is no answer, only tyranny.

Months passed, one after another. You endured these antics like a cornered animal. And then one day, gathering your courage, you decided to break away—to go for a walk with friends. Your mother-in-law immediately blocked the passage, put her hands on her hips, and squealed:

— And who's gathered here?! Quick, put the pot in your teeth and cook!

Something inside you clicked. You didn't remain silent:

• I'm tired! Give me