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<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u201cOf course,\u201d she replied. \u201cIt\u2019s actually a great idea. We should have done this long ago.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now Dmitry began to feel uneasy. There was something strange in her tone \u2014 too calm, too certain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen it\u2019s settled,\u201d he said, trying to regain control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Olga interrupted him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLet\u2019s clarify the details,\u201d she continued, looking him straight in the eyes. \u201cIf everything is separate\u2026 then everything is separate, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d he frowned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And that was the moment everything shifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell,\u201d she said evenly, \u201cthe apartment is in my name \u2014 so you\u2019ll be paying rent. We each buy our own groceries. I cook only for myself. I do only my own laundry. And vacations \u2014 separately. That\u2019s what you wanted, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Each of her words landed precisely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re joking\u2026 right?\u201d Dmitry\u2019s voice faltered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot at all,\u201d she replied calmly. \u201cI\u2019m just following your logic. Separate means separate in everything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He felt a knot tighten inside him. The scenario he had imagined \u2014 convenient, controlled, practical \u2014 was collapsing right in front of him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWait\u2026 we\u2019re a family,\u201d he tried to argue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Olga leaned slightly forward and said quietly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA family shares life. What you just \u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u043b\u043e\u0436\u0438\u043b is living like roommates.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those words struck like a verdict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dmitry went pale. For the first time, he had nothing to say. Everything that seemed reasonable moments ago now sounded cold and wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Olga wasn\u2019t finished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She stood up, took her plate, and as she walked toward the sink, added:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd starting tomorrow, don\u2019t forget to pay half of the utilities. I\u2019ll prepare the breakdown.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At that moment, Dmitry almost choked. He realized he hadn\u2019t just lost control of the conversation \u2014 he had lost something much more important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That night, they barely spoke. But the silence between them was louder than any argument. Dmitry lay awake, staring at the ceiling, wondering if he had just \u0440\u0430\u0437\u0440\u0443\u0448\u0438\u043b everything they had built over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Olga, on the other hand, slept peacefully. Like someone who had finally made a decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the real shock came the next morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Dmitry woke up, he found a neatly folded sheet of paper on the table. It was a list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A list of \u201cnew rules.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And the last line made his heart stop:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf this arrangement works for you \u2014 we continue. If not\u2026 we need to have a serious conversation about our future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That was the moment he understood:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was no longer about money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n