— Olga Pavlovna, I cannot hire Polina,” Angela said cautiously.

Her mother-in-law had been asking her repeatedly to hire her daughter.

“— But why not? She’s intelligent, has a college degree, and is married. And if you think she’ll just take sick leave, you’re wrong—if my granddaughter falls ill, I’d step in,” Olga Pavlovna pressed.

“— That’s not the issue,” Angela responded, trying to remain calm. “I have a policy: I do not hire relatives in my company.”

“— What a ridiculous policy!” Olga Pavlovna exclaimed, clearly offended.

“— Unfortunately, yes. I have two main rules: first, never lend money to relatives or friends, and second, never work with them. These aren’t rules I invented, but lessons learned through experience—they almost always lead to conflict, and I don’t need that in my life.”

Trying to shift the conversation, Angela stood up and walked toward the kitchen to warm the kettle. Her husband, Boris, remained in the living room, and as soon as she was out of earshot, Olga Pavlovna turned to him.

“— What are you staring at? She’s your sister, go ahead and convince your wife!”

“Oh no,” Boris immediately replied. “If Angela said no, then it’s best not to press it. Besides, why doesn’t Polina find a job herself? There are so many opportunities out there—she can choose whatever suits her.”

“— And you too,” Olga Pavlovna grumbled, feeling bitter, though she did not press the issue further. After all, Angela was the head of the company, and she had every right to decide whom she hired.

A month later, however, Olga Pavlovna heard gossip that Galina, a relative by marriage, had started working for Angela. This gave her another chance to bring up the subject again.

“— We already discussed this, Olga Pavlovna,” Angela replied, clearly irritated.

“— But your sister is working for you!” her mother-in-law immediately pointed out.

“— Yes, she is,” Angela admitted. “But she works in a field that fits her qualifications, and Polina doesn’t have those skills. Why would I need a historian in my company? I’d have to train her from the ground up, and that costs both time and money. I only hire specialists.”

“— Let her work part-time and learn,” Olga Pavlovna suggested.

“— No, that’s the issue. Training her would require another person’s time and salary, and I’m not willing to pay for Polina’s training,” Angela explained, her tone firm.

“— I understand,” her mother-in-law said, her voice tinged with hurt.

Olga Pavlovna was infuriated by the refusal and, determined to get her way, spent the next day drafting complaints to various government offices, looking for ways to challenge Angela’s business. By lunchtime, she had written three letters. She wasn’t sure what they would achieve—she just wanted to strike back a little and teach Angela not to get too comfortable.

More than a week passed, and Angela never mentioned any issues at work when speaking with her mother-in-law.

“She seems to be getting by,” Olga Pavlovna thought, assuming her daughter-in-law’s business was thriving.

“— How are things at work?” Olga Pavlovna asked, eager for some sign of struggle.

“— Busy,” Angela replied tersely, not in the mood for a conversation about her company.

Angela didn’t like talking about her business—most people didn’t understand the intricacies of it and didn’t have the interest to learn, so she always kept the topic brief.

“— Your father-in-law, may he rest in peace,” Olga Pavlovna began, crossing herself, “spent so much time on our summer house, but now it’s falling apart. I want to ask you to help with the repairs.”

Her tone was so commanding that it felt more like a demand than a request. Angela, who had honed her negotiation skills through years of running her own business, didn’t refuse right away. Instead, she asked about the property details—its trees, the foundation, the roof. After some back and forth, Angela concluded that the house itself was fine and only needed some cosmetic repairs.

“— Yes, I can help,” Angela said finally, “but only using my salary—and only if my husband agrees.”

Olga Pavlovna was taken aback. She had always assumed that a businessman had separate accounts for personal and business matters and could easily access money from his company.

“— Yes, I do have a salary,” Angela explained, “but it’s a percentage of the profits, which fluctuates. If Boris agrees, I can contribute a little—but just a little,” she emphasized.

Olga Pavlovna didn’t understand fully but assumed that the money was easily accessible. So, the very next day, she went to Boris.

“— Your wife is a miser,” she said without holding back. “She has this big business, and yet she won’t help her own mother-in-law. Your father worked hard on that summer house—and now it’s falling apart.”

Boris, who had little understanding of how businesses worked despite his degree in management, listened to his mother, convinced that Angela could easily afford to take money from her business.

When he returned home that evening, he confronted his wife.

“— Why didn’t you help my mother?” he asked, hurt.

Angela, who knew that her husband didn’t grasp the complexities of running a business, responded calmly, “— Listen, Boris. My business has its own finances. It’s not like I have a secret stash of cash. There are plans, obligations to meet—employee salaries, rent, equipment, taxes. If I pull too much money out, the whole operation could collapse. Talk to your mother. Explain it to her.”

Boris was frustrated, feeling humiliated and upset. He respected Angela for building her own business, but he resented her for not helping his mother.

A few days later, Angela visited her mother for a much-needed break. Her mother, Vera, always provided a safe space for Angela to vent and seek advice.

“— I’m so fed up with my mother-in-law,” Angela sighed, sitting down with a cup of tea.

“— Something serious?” Vera asked, concerned.

“— She keeps asking me to hire Polina, then got upset when I hired Galina instead. And just the other day, she demanded money for the summer house repairs, and Boris took her side.”

“Hmm…” Vera muttered thoughtfully. “Well, it makes sense. You’re running your own company—so she probably sees you as a cash cow.”

“— A cash cow?” Angela laughed bitterly. “If only they knew how small the eggs I lay are.”

“Maybe you should involve Boris in your business,” Vera suggested, raising an eyebrow.

“— Don’t start, Mom! I don’t need Boris trying to control what I do. I’ve already got enough headaches with my employees; I don’t need him adding to them.”

“— But a mother-in-law is his mother—it’s natural to help her when needed, within reason,” Vera said, pressing her point.

“— But Mom, Olga Pavlovna has a son. He should be helping her, not me. I have you, Galina, and even a niece to help me.”

“Well, that’s fine, but Boris is your husband, and he’s responsible for his mother too. Think about it.”

“— Okay, Mom, I’ll think about it,” Angela agreed reluctantly.

As much as Angela didn’t mind helping Olga Pavlovna, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the more she helped, the more her mother-in-law would expect. Still, the issue had to be resolved, one way or another.

Boris, in the meantime, had read some of the business books Angela had given him. While some parts made sense, much of it was beyond his understanding, so he decided to drop the matter for now. When he visited his mother, he tried to explain business finances in simpler terms, but Olga Pavlovna wasn’t having it.

“— She’s lying to you,” she told him after hearing his explanation. “Remember the retreat your wife funded? And Galina—she’s getting a new fridge and bathroom renovation. And me… nothing!”

“— Yes,” Boris admitted, now feeling angry at Angela. “I remember.”

“— And your wife doesn’t even help you?” Olga Pavlovna pressed.

Boris’s frustrations grew. He had no idea how business finances worked, but he could see that Angela was spending money on other people, yet not helping his own mother.

That evening, Angela and Boris argued again. Boris insisted that Angela help his mother equally, while she stood firm that it wasn’t her responsibility.

The next day, Angela decided to talk to her sister Galina. Galina had her own set of problems, particularly with her marriage, which was falling apart. Despite her own issues, she had always been a good listener and a source of advice for Angela.

“— So you’re telling me your mother-in-law wants a piece of your business?” Galina asked with a sarcastic chuckle.

“— Kind of,” Angela replied, her voice tinged with frustration.

“— And Boris is taking her side?” Galina asked with disbelief.

“— Yes.”

“— Is he really that stupid? Mine makes money, while yours just sits around and complains about what you’ve achieved.”

Angela had never thought about her situation from Galina’s perspective before. Galina’s bluntness made her realize the problem wasn’t just about money—it was about control.

“— Look at it like this,” Galina said, “If you had a friend in your