CHAPTER 1 — The Woman Who Tried to Take Everything
Sergey stood in the middle of the driveway, unable to move.
The house that he and Liza had dreamed about for more than ten years was standing in front of him.
The same white walls.
The same wooden porch.
The same garden where his daughters had planted their first flowers.
But something was wrong.
His wife and children were standing outside with their bags.
And his own mother, Nina, was holding the keys.
“What are you doing?” Sergey finally asked.
His voice was quiet, but everyone could hear the shock behind it.
Liza looked at him with tears in her eyes.
“Sergey… she told us to leave.”
The two girls immediately ran toward their father.
“Daddy…”
Sergey dropped to his knees and hugged them.
His youngest daughter, Anya, whispered:
“Grandma said this isn’t our house anymore.”
Those words felt like a knife.
Sergey slowly stood up and looked at his mother.
“Nina… explain.”
His mother did not look guilty.
Instead, she smiled.
A calm, confident smile.
“The house belongs to me now.”
For a moment, Sergey thought he had misunderstood.
“What?”
Nina crossed her arms.
“You heard me. Without me, you would never have been able to buy this place.”
Liza stared at her.
“That’s not true.”
Nina turned toward her coldly.
“Don’t interrupt. You were living in a rented apartment when my son needed help. I supported him. I helped his business grow. I gave him advice.”
Sergey felt his anger rising.
“Advice doesn’t make you the owner of my house.”
His mother lifted the keys.
“You’re wrong.”
She reached into her handbag and pulled out a document.
“This proves that I invested money into this property.”
Sergey took the paper.
His eyes moved across the page.
A loan agreement.
A financial contribution.
But something was strange.
The document was old.
And the amount was much smaller than what Nina was claiming.
“You’re lying,” Sergey said quietly.
Nina’s expression changed slightly.
“You should be grateful instead of disrespectful.”
“Grateful?”
Sergey looked around.
“This house was bought with money from my company. Money I earned after years of working. Money Liza saved while raising our children.”
His mother stepped closer.
“You became successful because I allowed you to.”
Liza finally spoke.
“Nina, why are you doing this?”
For the first time, Nina’s expression softened.
But only for a second.
“Because I am tired of watching my son give everything to a woman who doesn’t deserve it.”
The air became silent.
Sergey looked at his mother in disbelief.
“You think my wife doesn’t deserve this family?”
Nina looked away.
“She changed you.”
Sergey understood.
This was never about money.
It was about control.
For years, his mother had believed Sergey belonged to her.
She believed every achievement he made was because of her.
And now that he had built a family of his own…
She wanted to take it back.
Sergey grabbed the document folder from his car.
“Fine.”
Everyone looked at him.
“If you believe you own this house…”
He opened the folder.
“Then let’s find out the truth.”
Nina’s confident expression slowly disappeared.
Because she realized one thing.
Sergey was not the helpless boy she remembered.
He was a man.
May you like
A husband.
And a father.
