Youll never earn love that way, Stan shook his head.
And after twentyseven years of marriage I have to earn love now? Olivia asked, eyes glittering. How fascinating!
Youre a clever woman! Stan grimaced. Is it really that hard to see what I meant?
When a woman is told shes clever, Olivia replied, people usually value the opposite trait!
So youve misunderstood again! Your attempt at manipulation doesnt count! In this case youre wrong, not me! Stan declared.
Ah, in this particular situation! Olivia stretched out. And what a curious situation it becomes!
Youre exhausted after work and need a break, and I, as the understanding wife, should not only stay out of your way but also bring dinner to the sofa, right?
Olivia, you say it as if Im a tyrant! Stan pursed his lips. But as a normal person, cant you see Im tired?
I understand youre tired, Olivia nodded. But you can still walk to the kitchen! Youre not a cripple, nor on your deathbed!
So only then will you serve me food? Stan snapped. Or perhaps youd like me to become a cripple, or, heaven forbid, something worse?
Less talk, more action, Olivia replied, pointing toward the kitchen. Its right there.
Come now, Olivia! Stan whined. Dont you get it? Im a normal man, and Im exhausted!
Stan, stop trying to persuade me! Olivia raised her voice. Im worn out from work too. I have no desire to run back and forth with trays.
And youll still ask me for salt, ketchup, sour cream, mayo, extra bread, or any garnish! Yet everythings within arms reach in the kitchenjust grab it and be content!
Yes, Stan muttered, youll never win my love with that attitude! He shuffled toward the kitchen with the gait of a dying swan.
Drama queen! Olivia scoffed, settling deeper into her armchair.
She waited. She waited. She anticipated. And she waited until
Olivia! What does that mean? Stans shout echoed from the kitchen.
Olivia didnt stir. Not a muscle twitched.
Olivia! Stan burst into the room. Over there! Whats that?
A pot in the fridge, a plate on the drying rack, the microwave where it belongs, Olivia said calmly.
Youve got to be kidding! Stan rasped through clenched teeth. Thats absurd!
Just so you know, Olivia smiled sweetly, Im also exhausted from work. The point?
Stan stared at his wife for a minute, cursed under his breath, and slipped back into the kitchen.
It could have ignited a fullblown family scandal with tragic overtones, but the next day a visit was scheduled.
Olivias mother, Laura, decided to gather relatives, citing Its been ages since weve all met! The reason was flimsy, and theyd postponed it dozens of times before.
Meanwhile, Aunt Margaret wanted to bring the family together simply to chat.
Stan thought of complaining to his motherinlaw.
Let the motherinlaw have a word with her own daughter!
He waited for the formal part of the gathering to end, when everyone moved on to sweets, then blurted out:
I understand, Margaret, but somethings off with your daughter!
Ill say it plainly: changes are heading toward the kind of paperwork that ends in divorce! Youd think that would sway things, but life is full of surprises!
Good heavens! Whats happening? Margaret shrieked, clutching her chest.
Yesterday I came home from work, utterly spent, my words failing. I earn the money for the family, yet the week was brutally stressful! They drained me dry! I asked my wife to feed the provider, and she just pointed at the fridge, not moving a finger!
Margarets eyes widenedastonishment, outrage, despair, and horror all at once.
Olivia met that gaze calmly, almost detached.
I didnt mean to say anything, Olivias brother Tom interjected, but somethings not right with Olivia! I go to Sunday services! You know my exgirlfriend Anneno shame, no conscience! I only get a weekend with Zoe, and thats once a month! I live alone, support my daughter with childsupport, so I have no time to clean! I asked Olivia for help, and she never refused because she knew where I was and where the chores were! Then she pointed me to a broom, threw a rag by my feet, and told me not to be sloppy!
She fell ill, apparently, replied the son of Olivia and Stan. I politely asked her to iron my shirt!
I was gearing up for a date, and she handed me an iron, played a video on her tablet showing how to press a shirt, and that was that!
Olivia listened to both complaints without a flicker of annoyance.
Her mother, however, lost her composure.
Olivia, what does this mean? Margaret demanded, exasperated. You were such a good girl! Kind, polite, helpful! Im ashamed of you!
Im not ashamed of myself! Olivia replied firmly.
Sunspots appear on a clear day. Likewise, patience, once praised, is now dismissed as a flaw. People speak of it with negativity.
Why endure?
Why endure so long?
I wouldnt have endured!
I wouldnt have tolerated!
Outrage multiplies when anyone shows patience, as if it were a sin, while burning bridges at any convenient moment is hailed as genius.
Yet dialogue is praised when problems are solved with words, not with fists or charred bridges.
Delicacy was Olivias essence. She was raised to treat every person as a distinct world, and to impose ones own standards on anothers soul was, at best, foolish; at worst, disastrous.
To understand someone, you must stand in their shoes, see through their eyes, think as they think, and only then judge their actions.
Following that rule, Olivia grasped why her friend had stolen her boyfriend. It hurtfirst love and all that.
She first placed herself in the boyfriends position:
He wanted more, and I wasnt ready. Katherine was not only ready but wanted it herself. If Kirill were ten years older, his hormones would be tamed. His actions were therefore logical.
Then she switched to the friends viewpoint:
She comes from a large family, always short on cash, with parents forcing her to watch younger siblings. Kirill, on the other hand, has wealthy parents, is an only child, and to her he was a ticket out of a familial nightmare, a promise of a better life.
That was just one of many examples. She never gave up at the first obstacle; she always tried to see what drove a persons deeds.
Olivia even managed to read the motives behind colleagues who tried to set her up at work. She often proved her innocence and restored justice.
She never blamed the offender; she simply uncovered the cause. Any cause, unless its madness, has a legitimate right to exist and can excuse the behaviour.
For Stan, Olivia became a treasurea priceless gem.
Most of Stans flaws were forgiven, relegated to irritating quirks. Its not perfect, but its tolerable, almost unnoticed.
Not every man knows how to compliment or court a lady, Olivia mused. So should I scold him for not bringing flowers or opening doors? Ill just pull my own chair at the restaurant; that way Im comfortable.
In the same vein, Olivia let go of many expectations.
She accepted that Stan was hopeless at tidyinghis mother always did it. He couldnt cook, for the same reason. He didnt know how to operate the washing machine. In short, at home he was a novice at everything. Olivia realised not all men are handy.
She asked Stan to do things, explained, taughtyet most of the time she did it herself.
She also understood why Stan showed little overt fatherly feeling toward their son. Science backs him: men typically begin to engage with a child around age three, when they can interact, play, and teach. Theyre clueless about a wailing bundle in the crib, often fearful.
Hence Stans irritation when little Dennis cried, and why Olivia spent more time with the boy than with her husband. Fear and jealousy explained it all.
When the marriage passed its tenyear mark, Olivia accepted Stans growing chill.
The habit stuck! Were not boys any longer, with hormones raging!
She also understood his need for outings with friends.
Workhome, homework. He too craves a change of scenery, a reset, a fresh picture.
A strange question surfaced: how would Olivia react if Stan took a lover? Could she accept and understand? No answer was needed, because Stan never looked the other way; he had no such flaw to reconcile.
Olivias life wasnt defined by a single man.
Their son Dennis followed his fathers path. No matter how much Olivia taught him to help his mother, the lesson never sank in; he preferred videogame battles. That sparked a genuine connection between father and son.
Olivia realised Dennis saw his dad as a role modelnatural enough.
She also had a younger brother, Tom. His temperament was opposite: he loved noise, drama, conflict, feeding off others energy. As a child Olivia often wept over his mischief, later recognising it as jealousy and a need to control emotions.
Toms marriage was a brief sprint. His wife had a strong personality; they clashed for years before divorcing. Their little daughter, Zoe, would grow up without a complete family.
Tom became a Sundaychurch dad, yet, like most men, he was clueless about household choresessentially another Stan.
Before taking Zoe for the weekend, Tom asked Olivia to tidy his flat and cook something decent, because he survived on takeaway.
Zoes former mother visited Tom about once a month, so Olivias duty was occasional.
Then there was the motherinlaw.
People say Mum is sacred! and theyre right. When a mother asks for help, a child cannot refuse. Yet when the request becomes extreme, refusal is permissible.
Margaret never overstepped. She could clean and cook herself; she invited Olivia precisely for company, not labor. Olivia answered the request with understanding: not much help was needed, just companionship. They sat, talked, while she tidied and cooked.
Nothing foretold trouble, yet Olivia finally said a firm No. Why? Because she was done being everyones convenience.
Im not ashamed of myself, Im sad for myself, Olivia confessed. I was foolish to think I could shoulder all your flaws and behaviours.
The foolishness lay in caring for you, trying to do more, believing youd think of me, love me, respect meonly to realize you never did.
The room fell silent. They were used to Olivias quiet. Now she spoke.
Im no longer a girl, she continued. Its too late to rewrite my life, but from now on Ill do only what I truly want!
If I feel like feeding my husband after work, Ill serve, set the table, wash the dishes. If I dont, Stan, you know where the fridge is!
Youre not five years old; you can feed yourself! This applies to Dennis toohes seventeen now! He can manage cooking, cleaning, ironing, if he wants a pressed shirt.
Olivia turned to her brother:
If I want to see my niece, Ill come over and tidy your place! If I dont, learn the simple task yourself, or hire a cleaner. Not me!
And you, dear mother, can welcome your daughter in a tidy flat and offer a treat, instead of forcing me to do everything!
Olivia saw the sour faces of her relatives; they didnt like what they heard. She simply didnt want to be everyones convenience any longer. She wanted to be convenient for herself.
Im heading home, Olivia announced, rising. If you dislike the new rules, I wont summon anyone, and dont call me!
Her husband and son returned only for their belongings. Her brother stopped calling. Her mother rang only to accuse her of selfishness.
Selfishness isnt just thinking of yourself; its demanding everyone think of you first, then yourself! Reflect on that!
Olivia might not have intended such a radical shift, but life rearranged itself. A new life for a new Olivia. A happy life, all because she said No.
