Today, Margaret decided to finish her workday about an hour and a half earlier than she usually did. The thing was, her husband Nicholas had his birthday today, and she needed to prepare for the upcoming celebration. — Nancy, I’m leaving early today, it’s my hubby’s happy birthday, so keep that in mind, okay? — Margaret said to her coworker and with a habitual gesture took off her apron, shaking off the hair from it.

Her coworker nodded gloomily and impassively continued working on the hairdo of a full-figured lady, her regular client. But, catching a glimpse that Margaret was already packing her tools, getting ready to leave work, she wished her goodbye: — Margo, just watch yourself, hold it together, don’t let your Gargoyle Patterson mess with your head, okay? — Okay, I won’t, — Margaret smiled.

Gargoyle Patterson, or according to her passport Zelda Patterson, was Margaret’s mother-in-law. She, like no one else, knew how to brainwash any person, leaving their self-esteem in ruins. Margaret knew about this trait of Nicholas’s mom firsthand.

But what could she do? Today was the birthday of her beloved sonny, and Zelda Patterson simply couldn’t miss it. Therefore, Margaret was prepared for aggression from her mother-in-law. But today was her holiday too, so Margaret wanted to rejoice for her husband no matter what.

Today she really wanted to be the best wife in the world for Nicholas, and for that, she herself needed to be perfect. Zelda Patterson had to be pampered, one had to fuss around her, begging for commands. She always had to be given a lot of attention, so right after work, Margaret flew to the other end of the city to buy a cake for Nicholas.

That very cake that mommy had picked out for her precious sonny. Zelda Patterson herself couldn’t trek that far due to her health condition, doctors forbade it. But Margaret could do it no problem, she’s young, right? She won’t fall apart, she’ll go.

As soon as Margaret lifted her foot to board the bus, her cell phone buzzed in her pocket. It was Nicholas calling. — Honey, hello, — a sugary voice of her husband sounded from the receiver.

— I’m calling to tell you this. So you know, I invited Lena and Victor over today. I hope you won’t mind? — Margaret had just managed to sit in the only free seat on the bus when her husband asked the question, hinting at coordination with her.

Lord, of course she was against it. How could it be otherwise, since Lena was Nicholas’s ex-wife, and Lena’s current husband Victor was his direct boss. Therefore, Margaret didn’t object to her husband’s will…

In particular, because lately there was talk of Nicholas’s upcoming promotion. — Okay, let them come, — Margaret replied in such a sepulchral voice that Nicholas got embarrassed. — Margo, what’s with you? Why are you making up nonsense again? My relationship with Lena is ancient history.

— You know that perfectly well yourself. And I need to get closer to Victor. He’s important for me right now, dear…

— This visit will help my career. I could become the head of the supply department. And you always cook amazingly well.

— You and your culinary talents are my most important aces. Now it was Margaret’s turn to get embarrassed. Nicholas always knew how to crawl right into her soul.

Moreover, he had a truly hypnotic timbre of voice. Margaret got flustered from the unexpected compliment and hurried to reply in a much friendlier tone: — Alright, darling, as you say.

— Let them come. It’s your holiday today, after all. When Margaret learned that Lena and Victor would be in their apartment today, she got very upset.

Lena, Victor, and Nicholas worked and still work in the same company, but in different positions. Nicholas once worked as a supply clerk and was also married to the accountant Lena. But when a new boss Victor appeared in their company, Lena left her husband for this handsome imposing man.

In her opinion, with him she had more prospects for development, and the abandoned Nicholas took the divorce from the wife he loved very hard. This happened almost eight years ago. Nicholas got haircuts twice a month back then and always went to the same stylist, Margaret.

There, during haircuts, he told the beautiful hairdresser about his wife’s treachery, sighed and gasped, basically whined. And Margaret, getting carried away by his stories, was touched by the sincere sufferings of this unfortunate man and in her own way tried to convince him not to grieve so much, but to gradually pull himself together and get back to business. And since Margaret naturally had developed psychologist skills, she quickly managed to do it.

However, of course, in doing so she got a bit carried away and allowed herself to fall in love with Nicholas, and he gratefully accepted it. But did he love her himself or just allowed himself to be loved? This question tormented Margaret all these years lived with Nicholas. Outwardly, Nicholas fully recovered from the heavy melancholy and dove headfirst into managing his new family, especially when their son Cody appeared…

However, at corporate parties, which Nicholas sometimes took Margaret to, she often noticed what piercing looks Lena sometimes threw at her husband. But the scariest thing was that she saw how his gaze almost constantly followed Lena too. Not to mention what happened at those parties where Margaret wasn’t present.

In general, Margaret had a weighty reason for jealousy. She pondered long and painfully why Lena needed her husband Nicholas now. And she came to the conclusion that she still loved him…

However, she couldn’t be with him because she lived with the much more valuable Victor. With him, she had no financial problems and could afford a lot. So why would she trade down for some supply clerk Nicholas? Immersed in these unpleasant thoughts, Margaret barely dragged herself home.

She had a gigantic cake in her hands, which Zelda Patterson had ordered to bring for her sonny. Approaching the entrance, she started figuring out how to open the door most conveniently without dropping the cake. And at that moment, the entrance door swung open, making Margaret flinch from surprise.

Out of the entrance jumped Margaret’s neighbor, bug-eyed red-haired Veronica. Margaret almost dropped the cake from surprise and almost fell herself. But Veronica managed to catch the girl in the nick of time.

— Where are you rushing like that, Veronica? Open your eyes when you burst out of the entrance. — Sorry, Margo, sorry, sunshine, — Veronica chirped. — Why so angry? Margaret paused for a second, drifting off in thought.

And Veronica, not hearing answers to her questions, hurried to ask new ones: — You still cutting hair? Haven’t left the salon yet? Judging by everything, Veronica wanted to chat. — Yes, cutting.

— Why would I leave? Well, Zelda Patterson told me that lately you’ve been cutting hair poorly. She says last time you butchered her like a mutt. Probably just burnout time.

— Or your eye got jaded. They say that happens often when you do the same thing for a long time. Red-haired Veronica smiled with all her teeth.

And, realizing that she probably shouldn’t have said all that to Margaret, she ran off as quickly as she appeared. And Margaret, feeling tired from the heavy box, barely climbed to the third floor. Zelda Patterson never approved of her son’s choice, not understanding how one could do that.

Dump a super cool accountant and marry an ordinary hairdresser. However, having such a radical opinion about her daughter-in-law, she got haircuts exclusively from her. Not only did Margaret never take money from her for haircuts or styling.

She also did everything super-super, so you couldn’t find fault with anything. And how could it happen that this time she butchered her dear mother-in-law like a mutt, she couldn’t understand. Entering the empty apartment, Margaret carefully placed the heavy box with the cake on the nightstand and sat down next to it herself.

She decided to chase away all the burdensome thoughts and tune into the birthday. Today is Nicholas’s holiday, which means it’s hers too, and therefore there’s no reason to be sad, she needs to rejoice and have fun. Great that yesterday evening and this morning she had already prepared everything to start setting the festive table.

Margaret put the main dish, pork with potatoes, in the oven, and then started laying out the salads prepared the day before. Right after the last sprig of dill was placed on the Mimosa, the front door slammed. Margaret was sure it was Zelda Patterson…

Only she slams the door so that the whole building hears it. Sure enough, on the threshold stood the mother-in-law in person, holding by the collar the flushed first-grader Cody. — Here, mommy, take your idiot, he was sliding down the hill.

— All kids are like kids, but yours is different. Tore his backpack all up. I don’t know if he slid on it himself or the whole school including the principal rolled on it…

— I can only state the fact. The backpack is torn and unlikely to be repairable. What do I expect from him, Lord? Like mother, like son.

Cody looked guiltily at his mother, sneakily pushing the torn backpack under the nightstand with his foot. Margaret peeked into the hallway from the kitchen for a second and, saying nothing, just staring at her son, returned to the kitchen. — We’ll deal with him later, Zelda Patterson.

— Run, Cody, get undressed. We’ll eat soon. The boy, happy that mom didn’t scold him for the torn backpack, joyfully dove into the kitchen to her.

— Mom, I’m hungry as a wolf. Give me something to eat quick. Margaret, engrossed in setting the table, didn’t have time to answer her son.

Instead, Zelda Patterson, who appeared out of nowhere, answered, rattling the pot lid. — And what could she give you here? It’s slop all around. The mother-in-law daintily stuck her nose right into the fridge, pulled out a pot of cabbage soup for some reason, grabbed a ladle, and started stirring it disdainfully.

But at that time, hungry Cody grabbed a sandwich with red caviar from the table and gobbled it in two bites, warily glancing at grandma. — Mom, can I have another sandwich? I’m so hungry I could eat an elephant. Margaret frowned.

— Wait, son, eat some cabbage soup for now, and soon the guests will come, then we’ll sit at the table. Cody sighed and, seeing that arguing with mom was useless, trudged to his room to change for the guests. And the mother-in-law immediately pounced on the daughter-in-law.

— Margaret, how can you do that? Your son does whatever he wants, and you don’t react at all. The mother-in-law planted her hands on her hips and imagined herself an oracle foreseeing the future of this little criminal. — Everything starts in childhood and builds from little things.

— First, he’ll start destroying everything around him. Then he won’t respect his mother, then he’ll start beating his wife, and then prison isn’t far. Is that what you want? Margaret was stunned, stopped, and looked attentively at her mother-in-law.

Something was clearly off with her today. Zelda Patterson was on a roll. — Zelda Patterson, don’t talk nonsense.

— I’ll deal with Cody later. Better tell me, why didn’t you like your last haircut I did? Veronica told me about it. Why does she even know? If you tell all the neighbors like that, I’ll be out of work and clients.

Zelda Patterson shot a gaze cold as steel at her daughter-in-law and said: — Yes, you’ll be out of clients. But pardon me, I don’t see anything terrible in that.

— What kind of job is that, hairdresser? I’m trying for you, fool. That way you’ll find a normal job faster. For example, become an accountant.

She spoke maliciously, brazenly poking a fork into the Mimosa salad that Margaret had finished just half an hour ago. That’s what it was, Margaret realized. Got it…

So, the accountant Lena, cruising in a fancy SUV, wouldn’t let her rest. The girl watched the brazen action her mother-in-law was doing to her salad. For some reason digging the fork over its surface, and even inside, she didn’t understand at all.

All the dill laid on the salad’s surface bunched to one side, and the dish itself started looking like a crater from an exploded bomb. That’s how much the mother-in-law had wrecked it. Margaret silently snatched the plate with the salad from Zelda Patterson and put it in the fridge.

And after that, she declared: — I’m not Lena. She wanted to say more, but the mother-in-law rudely interrupted her. — Of course you’re not Lena, don’t even compare yourself to her…

— And do you know how you differ from her? She helps her husband, but you only drag him down. To where you wallow yourself. She, by the way, managed to turn dumb Victor into a big boss, director of a large company.

— And what have you done? You put Nick under your heel, ruining his career forever. Margaret jumped up like scalded, not knowing what to reply to her mother-in-law. More than anything, she wanted to hit her insolent face with something heavy.

And just then, the front door creaked. Following that, a languid scent of women’s perfume spread through the apartment. Women’s laughter was heard.

It turned out Nicholas had come home with Lena. — Greetings everyone, we’re here, — Nicholas bellowed from the hallway so the whole apartment heard. With great effort, bypassing the wide Zelda Patterson, the enraged Margaret headed to the entryway to meet her husband and guests.

However, Victor wasn’t among the arrivals for some reason. On the threshold, Nicholas was taking off his shoes, and by the mirror, his ex-wife was primping, refreshing a layer of bright red lipstick on her lips. — Victor will be late today, talking to clients, and Lena’s car is at the shop, timing belt repair, so I brought her from work.

— Margo, please, sunshine, make me and Lena some coffee right now, be a dear, our eyes are closing. Lena greeted Margaret with a barely noticeable nod and, taking Nicholas by the hand, swaying her hips, dragged him to the living room. Towards them from the kitchen purposefully strode the smiling Zelda Patterson.

— Lena dear, hello, berry! You look so gorgeous today, like a star from the runway! — she gave a juicy compliment to her former daughter-in-law. — Your lipstick is so bright! It suits you so well! — Thanks, Zelda Patterson, — Lena beamed in a satisfied smile. — Lena dear, what did you gift Nicky for his birthday? — Zelda Patterson addressed her again.

Lena rolled her eyes for a couple seconds, then started vividly describing the merits of the laptop she presented to Nicholas as a birthday gift. Zelda Patterson listened very attentively, and when it came to the gift’s cost, she gasped in surprise. As for Margaret, she stood aside, feeling completely out of place…

She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was the extra one here today. Lingering a bit in these unpleasant thoughts, Margaret got lost when she heard her husband’s indignant-capricious voice, repeating the order to brew coffee for him and his ex-wife. — Margo, why are you standing there? I asked you five minutes ago.

— Make us coffee. Sleepy. On our feet all day.

— Deadly tired. Come on, get to it. — Okay, — she said, pushing aside her husband who blocked the kitchen passage with his body.

— Come here, dear. Margaret grabbed Nicholas by the sleeve and led him to the kitchen, closing the door behind her. — Want coffee, huh, Nick? You could’ve stopped at a coffee shop with your Lena and had some there.

— I’m not done with the salads yet. And your mom is messing with my head, won’t let me relax. — Margo, don’t be mad, — Nicholas got his wife’s hint.

— Make the coffee, please, and we’ll help you with the table now. Nicholas vanished from the kitchen, and after putting the coffeepot on the stove, Margaret started laying out ham rolls on a large platter. And just then, an indignant-disdainful voice of Lena reached her ears from the living room…

— Oh, Zelda Patterson, ew, what is this even? We should’ve gathered at a cafe and celebrated Nicholas’s birthday properly. — Decent people should’ve gathered. How did you not foresee this, Zelda Patterson, with your mind and life experience.

— And what is this anyway? What kind of amateur hour, ew? Margaret peeked from the kitchen and saw Lena, saying all this, pointing at her Mimosa salad with her manicured finger. — What kind of salad is this even? It bombed Margaret. Her face flushed deeply red, and she was about to reply when the doorbell rang.

Nicholas, as if stung, rushed to open it, and behind him, lewdly swaying her hips, hopped Lena. Margaret stood bewildered by the table in the living room when her mother-in-law quite painfully elbowed her in the side. — Why are you standing, fool? Didn’t get the hint? You can’t serve this to decent people.

— Come on, quickstep, redo everything and set the table anew. — Are you kidding? Nicholas is almost head of department, and you present him with your worthless salads. With these words, Zelda Patterson grabbed the trash bin and one after another started dumping the appetizers and salads prepared by Margaret into it.

Margaret didn’t even have time to come to her senses as only her ill-fated Mimosa salad, wrecked by her mother-in-law’s efforts, remained on the festive table. — What the hell are you doing! — Margaret got angry and forcefully grabbed her mother-in-law by the arm. — If you don’t like it here, get out and take your former daughter-in-law with you.

Zelda Patterson wouldn’t tolerate such disrespect and slapped her daughter-in-law hard, making tears fountain from her eyes instantly. After the physical punishment, the mother-in-law opened her mouth to add verbal slaps, but instead got a fist right to the nose. Margaret wouldn’t tolerate assault and retaliated immediately, without delay…

Zelda Patterson squealed in pain and yelled at the top of her lungs: — Nick! Nicky! Help! Murder! People! Help! However, at least a minute passed before Nicholas rushed to the living room at his mother’s cries. Zelda Patterson instantly quieted, and Nicholas started figuring out what happened here.

However, Margaret noticed one feature on her husband’s face, thanks to which Zelda Patterson and her insane aggression immediately faded into the background. Nicholas’s entire face, from neck to bridge of nose, was thickly smeared with lipstick traces, the one shining on Lena’s lips. — Nicky! Son! Has she gone completely nuts? She needs to be put in a loony bin.

— Look, she broke my nose to blood, and before that she threw all her appetizers into the trash bin. How does the earth hold such people? — Margo, what have you done? — Nicholas yelled at his wife in rage. His face twisted in anger.

However, Margaret stood silently with an impenetrable expression, militantly crossing her arms on her chest. — Go look at yourself in the mirror, — she said in a metallic voice, pushing Nicholas toward the mirror. — And when did you even manage that, huh? She licked you from head to toe already…

— You’re all in lipstick, clown. What do you say? Glancing at himself, Nicholas hesitated and started justifying: — Margo, enough, huh? Why make up extra again? Lena just congratulated me.

— Congratulated? Yeah, she congratulated you well. Margaret took off her kitchen apron and threw it in her husband’s face. — And celebrate the birthday without me, please.

— You have full idyll here anyway. The whole family assembled, and I’m extra. Having said all that, Margaret slipped into her bedroom to quickly pack her things.

The fact that the main things were already packed because Margaret was planning to go to her mom’s cottage in a few days pleased her greatly. She just needed to pack Cody and toss a couple important things into the bag. Margaret was struggling to zip the bag when upset Nicholas tumbled into the bedroom.

— Margo, where are you going? What about the guests? — Screw you! — Margaret disdainfully pushed Nicholas aside and headed to the kid’s room. — Cody! Get ready, kiddo! We’re going to grandma’s cottage right now, like you wanted! — Yay! — shouted happy Cody. All that was left was to pack some food for the road, and Margaret went to the kitchen to the fridge…

Not for nothing had she prepared just yesterday. However, here too Nicholas wouldn’t leave her alone, abruptly blocking her path to the fridge. — Listen, what do you want from me? — Margaret yelled irritably at her husband.

— Everyone you need is staying here. Only Cody and I are leaving. Nicholas looked angrily at his wife and huffed.

— Margo, stop the hysteria immediately and get to the table. Who’ll serve? The guests are all here. In response, Margaret sharply turned toward the living room and burst in there, holding Nicholas by the hand.

By the window stood satisfied Lena, puffing a thin lady’s cigarette out the vent. — You’re asking me who’ll serve you? — Margaret asked her husband with a smile. — Here, she’ll serve you.

With these words, Margaret took from the festive table what was left there. The bowl with Mimosa and, with all her might, smashed it right into Lena’s face. — Or you can run to a cafe, as you please? — Margaret laughed out loud, shaking off the salad pieces flying everywhere from her hands…

— You’ll find where they serve tasty food to decent people. At that moment, Margaret noticed the extremely surprised face of Victor, whose arrival in the heat of passions no one had noticed. Meanwhile, the man stood silently watching what was happening…

He looked at his wife’s face turned into a salad mess, then at Nicholas’s face smeared with her lipstick.

Victor had long suspected his wife was unfaithful, and now he got the most irrefutable confirmation of his guess.

Right that second, Victor decided that tomorrow he’d fire Nicholas; he definitely didn’t need such employees.

Margaret, hand in hand with Cody, was leaving the ill-fated apartment at that time.

— How good that I didn’t sell my pre-marital apartment that grandpa left me.

Too bad I’ll have to evict the tenants and give up the rent.

— But oh well, with my job I won’t perish, — thought Margaret.

— And I won’t see this whole bunch for a long time, at least until the court hearing that will consider the divorce case.