Her husband left her for another woman, and her mother-in-law supported her son. But three months later everything changed, and Nastya paid back her former in-laws
— I can’t live like this anymore.
Sergey’s words rang out like thunder from a clear sky. Nastya froze with a half-washed plate in her hands, unable to believe what she had just heard.
Ten years of marriage collapsed like a house of cards because of one short sentence.
— What do you mean, you can’t? — her voice trembled, though she tried with all her strength to remain calm.
The water kept running from the tap, creating a strange background noise for the drama unfolding in the kitchen.
Sergey stood in the doorway, avoiding her eyes. His fingers nervously tugged at the strap of his wristwatch — the very one Nastya had given him for his last birthday.
— I met someone else. Her name is Olga. She… she understands me better.
Nastya felt as if the ground had disappeared beneath her feet. A ringing started in her head, and a treacherous lump rose in her throat.
— Understand you better? And what about ten years of life together? What about our plans, our dreams, our future?
— I’m sorry. I’ve already packed my things, — Sergey said quietly, as if apologizing, but there was no real remorse in his voice.
Her first impulse was to scream, smash that cursed plate, and fall into hysterics. But Nastya only slowly dried her hands on a towel and turned to her husband.
— How long have you been with her?
— Three months. Nastya, I didn’t want to hurt you.
— Of course you didn’t. You simply decided to secretly get yourself a mistress and then present me with the fact, — the bitter irony in her words was sharper than any knife.
Her mother-in-law called the next day. Naively, Nastya hoped to hear words of support — after all, Lidia Pavlovna had called her “daughter” for so many years.
— Nastenka, I know everything, — her mother-in-law’s voice sounded unusually formal. — Sergey told me everything. You know, anything can happen in life. If he left, then that means it had to be that way.
Nastya felt a new dose of poison being added to the bitterness of her husband’s betrayal.
— Lidia Pavlovna, are you serious? Your son cheated on me for three months!
— My dear, men don’t leave just like that. That means you were doing something wrong. Maybe your borscht wasn’t good enough? Or maybe you didn’t give him enough attention?
Nastya gasped with indignation.
— So, if he betrayed his family, then it’s my fault?
— Oh, why dramatize everything so much? Olga is a good girl, from a respectable family. And younger than you, by the way. Sergey will be better off with her.
— You have no idea how disappointed I am in you, — Nastya said, and for the first time in her life, she hung up on her mother-in-law without saying goodbye.
That evening she sat alone in the empty apartment, flipping through the family photo album. Here they were with Sergey on their wedding day, so happy. A vacation together in Turkey. A New Year’s corporate party. The photos multiplied before her eyes, turning into blurred spots through her tears.
— It’s all right, — she whispered, slamming the album shut. — I’ll manage. I have to manage.
The first weeks after Sergey left turned into a real nightmare.
Nastya mechanically went to work, cooked food she could not eat, and spent long nights staring out the window. The apartment, once so cozy, now seemed huge and empty.
— Maybe I should call them? — a treacherous thought sometimes flashed through her mind.
But every time she passed the neighboring entrance, where her mother-in-law lived, Nastya remembered her words about the “wrong borscht” and stubbornly pressed her lips together.
The changes began unexpectedly. One rainy Tuesday, her boss called her into his office.
— Anastasia Vladimirovna, we’re launching a new project. We need a capable department head. I thought of you.
Nastya blinked in confusion.
— But I don’t have experience.
— But you have brains and character. I’ve been watching you for a long time. Especially these last few months. Many people would have broken down, but you’re holding on.
A week later, in the supermarket, she accidentally overheard two neighbors talking.
— Did you hear? Our Sergey really got himself into trouble! That young beauty of his is involved with some businessman. They say he caught them together the other day.
Time passed, and Nastya’s life truly began to change.
— It’s as if you’ve been reborn, — one of her colleagues remarked. — I’ve never seen you so energetic.
And then something happened that no one expected.
Late one evening, the doorbell rang. Tearful Lidia Pavlovna stood on the threshold.
— Nastenka, forgive an old fool, — she sobbed. — Sergey is completely falling apart. That Olga… she kicked him out. It turned out she was having an affair with some rich man. And now my son is drinking, he’s having problems at work.
Nastya silently looked at the once-powerful mother-in-law, who had turned into a pathetic old woman.
— He remembers you all the time. He says what a fool he was. Maybe… maybe you’ll forgive him? You lived together for so many years.
— Come in, — Nastya stepped aside. — Would you like some tea?
Over tea, Lidia Pavlovna kept crying.
— He has become a completely different person. He rents an apartment in a residential district, he doesn’t have enough money. And you… you’ve become so beautiful, you’ve blossomed. I keep thinking — how could I have taken his side back then?
Nastya stirred sugar into her cup, watching the spoon create a small whirlpool. A whirlpool of emotions raged in her soul in exactly the same way.
The next day, Nastya could not fall asleep for a long time. Her mother-in-law’s words echoed in her head, forcing her to replay the events of the past few months again and again. She turned on the night lamp and walked to the window. The city glittered with lights, indifferent to her torment.
The doorbell rang. Sergey stood on the threshold — rumpled, with red eyes.
— May I come in? — his voice sounded hoarse.
Nastya silently stepped aside. Sergey entered the hallway, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot.
— You’ve changed, — he finally said.
— And you haven’t, — she replied calmly.
— Nastya, I was an idiot. A complete moron. Olga… she was just using me. All this time she had a rich lover. And I…
— And you thought you had found something better? — Nastya smiled bitterly. — You know what’s funniest? I should thank you.
Sergey looked at her in confusion.
— If it hadn’t been for your betrayal, I would never have understood what I was really worth. I wouldn’t have started growing. I wouldn’t have gotten promoted. I wouldn’t have become the person I am now.
— I understand everything now, Nastya. Let’s start over. I swear, never again—
— No, Seryozha, — she shook her head. — Do you know what I realized over these months? Love is not only about feelings. It’s about respect, loyalty, and support. All the things you trampled on.
— But we were together for so many years.
— We were together. Now I’ve learned to be happy alone. And you know what? I like this new version of me.
Sergey sank onto the sofa, clutching his head in his hands.
— What should I do, Nastya? I’ve lost everything. My job, you, my parents’ respect…
— Start by stopping feeling sorry for yourself, — she smiled for the first time that evening. — You made your choice. Now live with it.
When the door closed behind Sergey, Nastya felt an extraordinary lightness. As if the last thread tying her to the past had finally snapped.
The next day, she signed a contract to buy a new apartment.
It was in the same building where Lidia Pavlovna lived, one floor above her. The realtor raised her eyebrows in surprise when Nastya insisted on that exact option.
— Are you sure? There are similar apartments in other neighborhoods.
— Absolutely sure, — Nastya signed with a broad stroke. — Sometimes you need to look your fears in the face. Every day.
That evening, she received a message from her mother:
“Daughter, maybe you should still give Seryozha a chance? He’s so remorseful…”
Nastya typed her reply:
“Mom, I’ve finally understood one important thing. You must not let others define your worth. And you know what? I’m worth much more than the role of a backup option.”
Moving into the new apartment coincided with an important stage in Nastya’s career.
On the day of her presentation, she wore that very red dress. As she passed Lidia Pavlovna near the entrance, she noticed the woman avert her eyes.
— Good morning, — Nastya said deliberately loudly.
Her mother-in-law flinched, but answered with a restrained nod.
There was tension in the office. Colleagues whispered among themselves, discussing the upcoming meeting. The investor, Andrey Mikhailovich Severov, was known for his demanding nature and sharp evaluations.
— Ready? — her boss asked, peeking into the meeting room.
Nastya straightened her shoulders.
— More than ready.
The presentation went like clockwork. Nastya felt an unprecedented confidence, answering every question clearly and to the point. Severov listened attentively, making notes in his notebook.
— Impressive, — he said after she finished. — Especially the risk analysis. Have you been in business long?
— To be honest, this is my first project as a manager.
— That makes it even more interesting. I suggest we discuss the details over lunch.
At the restaurant, the conversation unexpectedly went beyond business. Andrey turned out to be an interesting conversationalist with a wonderful sense of humor.
— You know, — he admitted, — I rarely meet people with such a combination of professionalism and sincerity.
Nastya felt herself blush.
— I simply do what I believe is right.
— That’s exactly what is so captivating.
On her way home, she ran into Sergey near the entrance. He looked even more rumpled than the last time.
— You live here now? — he asked dully.
— Yes. Is that a problem?
— Why? Do you want to finish me off completely?
— No, Seryozha. I want to remind myself every day that I will never again allow anyone to consider me not good enough.
Something like understanding flashed in his eyes.
— You really have changed.
— And you are still clinging to the past, — she took out her keys. — Goodbye, Sergey.
As she rode up in the elevator, Nastya thought about how strangely life worked. Sometimes you have to lose everything in order to find your true self.
Half a year flew by like a single day.
The project took off and turned out to be remarkably successful, while her businesslike tone with Severov gradually turned into dates. Andrey proved to be nothing like Sergey.
One evening, returning from another dinner, they ran into Lidia Pavlovna in the entrance hall. She gave them a long look.
— Nastya, may I speak to you for a minute? — her mother-in-law’s voice sounded unusually soft.
— I’ll wait in the car, — Andrey said tactfully.
They went up to Lidia Pavlovna’s floor.
— I owe you an apology, — she began, nervously fiddling with the edge of her cardigan. — All these years I was unfair to you. I thought you weren’t good enough for Seryozha, but it turned out…
— That he wasn’t good enough for me? — Nastya finished for her.
— Yes. You know, he still hasn’t managed to get back on his feet. He drinks, changes jobs. And you… you’ve blossomed.
Nastya looked at the once-formidable mother-in-law, who now seemed small and lost.
— You know, Lidia Pavlovna, I stopped being angry with you a long time ago. You loved your son and wanted the best for him. It’s just that sometimes our idea of what is best turns out to be wrong.
— That man… does he treat you well?
— Yes. But most importantly, I finally treat myself well.
That evening, lying in bed, Nastya reread her old diaries. The entries from six months earlier breathed pain and despair. How much had changed since then.
Her phone chimed with a message from Andrey:
“Good night, my strong woman.”
Nastya smiled. Yes, she truly had become strong. And it was not about career success or a new relationship. The main thing was that she had learned to value herself, her desires, and her dreams.
The next morning, as she passed by the old apartment where she and Sergey had once lived, she did not even turn around. The past was behind her, and ahead awaited a new life — bright, meaningful, and filled with love.
Above all, love for herself.