03/28/2025
My husband humiliated me in front of our entire family, and I endured it, but one day I decided to get back at him.
Again, that smell. Cinnamon and vanilla. I check the cheesecake recipe for the hundredth time, even though I know it by heart. My hands tremble as I take the form out of the oven. Please, let it be perfect this time.
— Masha, did you fall asleep in there? — Andrei's voice comes from the living room. — The guests are waiting for dessert!
I hurriedly slice the cheesecake, decorating it with fresh raspberries. Every movement is precise — I'm afraid to make a mistake. His words from the last family dinner echo in my head: 'As always, all thumbs. Can't even cut a simple cake properly.'
I enter the living room with the tray. His entire family is there — mom, dad, sister with her husband. They're smiling, chatting. Only my mother-in-law looks on with her usual squint.
— Here comes our little chef! — Andrei greets me with his signature smirk. — Hopefully, no surprises this time?
I set down the plates, trying not to meet anyone's gaze. Andrei is the first to taste it. I hold my breath.
— Hmm… — he dramatically crinkles his nose. — Do you seriously think this is edible? Where did you see a cheesecake this dry?
— I'm sorry, I… — I begin, but he interrupts:
— Can't you remember a simple recipe? How many times do I have to say — the temperature should be 160 degrees, no higher! Any fool could handle it, but you…
My mother-in-law shakes her head:
— Andryusha, don't be angry. Mashenka tried her best…
— Exactly, she tried! — he pushes his plate away irritably. — As always, half-assed. Sometimes I think — maybe I should have married someone who can at least cook?
Everyone laughs awkwardly. And I stand there, clutching the tray with pale fingers. Something inside me snaps — quietly, but irreversibly.
— I'll bring some coffee, — I manage to say and run to the kitchen.
My hands tremble as I set the cups on the tray. In my head, it pulses: 'How much longer? How much more can I endure?'
That evening, after the guests had left, I stand in front of the mirror in the bedroom for a long time. When did I become this? A gray face, dim eyes, slumped shoulders. Where is that cheerful girl who once dreamed of great love?
From the living room, Andrei's voice carries as he calls someone:
— Yes, imagine, she messed up the dessert again. I don't know how to teach her — might as well bang my head against the wall…
I stare at my reflection. Something dark and heavy grows inside me. The ticking of the clock on the wall suddenly becomes deafening.
Enough. Never again.
That night I barely slept. For the first time in ten years of marriage, my mind was crystal clear. The plan formed itself — simple and terrifying at the same time.
Tomorrow I'll show him what it's like to be humiliated. And damn the consequences... Continued in the first comment below👇