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Take your freak and scram. You’ll spend the winter in the communal apartment,’ growled the husband as he shoved his wife and child into the blizzard.

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Snowflakes spun slowly in the light of the streetlamps, resembling dancing performers in pristine white costumes. Maria Andreevna stood frozen by the window of her fourth-floor apartment, immersed in the February darkness. Every time the headlights of passing cars illuminated the courtyard, her heart began to beat faster. Andrey was soon to return from yet another business trip.

Their meeting had taken place ten years ago in the university library: she—a student of the philological faculty, he—a promising economist. It was a beautiful romance that led to an early wedding and the birth of a son. Back then, it seemed that happiness would last forever. But in the past two years, everything had changed.

—Mommy, will Daddy really come home today? —the voice of six-year-old Kostya interrupted her thoughts.

—Yes, sunshine, —Maria replied, trying to smile despite the unsettling feeling in her chest.

—Let’s bake his favorite cabbage pie?

—Hooray! —the little boy exclaimed joyfully. —I’ll help!

The aroma of freshly baked goods filled the kitchen. Maria recalled how Andrey used to always hurry home, drawn by that very scent. «A home should smell of pies,» his mother, Nina Vasilievna, used to say as she taught the young daughter-in-law to cook.

Nina Vasilievna had been living with them for three years following her stroke. This kind-hearted yet stern woman remained the only one who could still influence her son. Although lately even her authority seemed to have lost its weight.

The click of a key turning in the lock made Maria jump. Her husband appeared at the doorway—emaciated, unshaven, with eyes red from fatigue. He carried a barely perceptible scent of someone else’s perfume.

—Dinner ready? —he snapped, ignoring the son who had rushed toward him.

—Daddy! —Kostya cried, trying to hug his father by the legs.

—Leave me alone, I’m tired, —Andrey brusquely pushed him away. —Why are you baking those pies again? Stop transferring money.

Maria said nothing. She had learned to remain silent when her husband was like this. Wordlessly, she set the table and placed the most appetizing piece of pie on her husband’s plate.

An oppressive silence settled over the table, broken only by the clink of cutlery and the soft voice of Nina Vasilievna, recounting tales from her youth to her grandson.

—How did the business trip go? —Maria cautiously inquired once Andrey had finished eating.

—Fine, —he replied curtly. —Enough with the questions.

—I just wanted to…

—Just what? —he snapped, pushing his plate away. —I’m sick of your endless questions! All you do is keep an eye on me!

Kostya clung to his grandmother in fear. Nina Vasilievna shook her head:

—Andryusha, calm down. Masha is just showing interest…

—and you too? —he growled. —All of you are against me!

 

At that moment, Andrey’s phone rang. He stepped into the corridor, but even through the closed door, a feminine murmur could be heard. «Alyona,» Maria thought. She had long known that name, though she had never met the woman to whom it belonged.

When Andrey returned, his face contorted into a grimace of anger.

—Enough! —he seized his bag. —Take your kid and get out!

—Andrey! —Nina Vasilievna cried out. —Pull yourself together!

—Shut up, mother! I’m fed up! You’re all fed up with me!

He grabbed Maria by the hand and dragged her toward the exit. Kostya, sobbing, ran after them.

—You’ll freeze in the communal apartment! —the husband roared as he shoved his wife and son right into the blizzard.

The last thing Maria saw was Andrey’s angry face and the tears on Nina Vasilievna’s cheeks, as he rudely shoved her away from the door.

Outside, the blizzard raged. Maria held tightly to the shivering Kostya, trying to shield him with her coat. There wasn’t any money for a taxi—Andrey held all the bank cards. Her phone had run out of battery earlier that day.

—Mommy, I’m cold, —Kostya whimpered plaintively.

—Hold on, sunshine, we’ll figure something out.

As if in answer to her quiet prayer, an old Moskvich pulled over nearby, its wing noticeably dented.

—Get in quickly, —a soft proposal came from inside the car, voiced by an elderly gentleman. —In this weather, you can’t stay outside with a child. I’m Mikhail Petrovich; I used to work as a mechanic, now I’m retired.

Maria hesitated for only a second. What could be scarier than freezing with her son?

Mikhail Petrovich indeed turned out to be a true angel. He took them to his modest apartment, where his wife, Anna Grigorievna, immediately began to help: offering steaming hot tea, wrapping them in warm blankets, and finding some old clothes for Kostya.

—Do you have anywhere to go? —Anna Grigorievna asked when Kostya finally fell asleep.

—There’s a room in the communal apartment, left from my mother, —Maria whispered. —But I haven’t been there in a long time…

—Misha will drive you in the morning, —the woman said confidently. —For now, just rest.

The communal apartment on the outskirts of Lipovsk greeted them with the wary glances of neighbors. Five families sharing one kitchen and a single toilet was always a challenge. But there was no other choice.

The room was small, yet neat. The yellowed wallpaper, the creaking sofa, the rickety wardrobe. Kostya immediately climbed onto the windowsill, gazing out at the snowy courtyard.

—Mom, are we going to live here?

—Temporarily, sunshine. Until we find a better option.

Mikhail Petrovich frequently dropped by to help with repairs. Thanks to his expertise, new shelves appeared in the room, and the dripping tap in the communal kitchen was fixed. Over time, the neighbors grew more amicable, especially after Maria began baking her signature pies for everyone.

Mikhail Petrovich had worked all his life at an automobile factory. Even in retirement, he couldn’t stand still—he had assembled his Moskvich from old parts, which the locals had nicknamed «Frankenstein.» Together with his wife Anna Grigorievna, they had spent forty years, raised three children who now lived in different cities. The elderly couple found joy in helping those in need.

—You know, Masha, —Anna Grigorievna would say while tucking Kostya in, —Misha and I have been through a lot too. In the nineties, the factory was idle, there was no work. We thought we wouldn’t survive. But people helped one another, sharing what little they had. Now it’s our turn to pay it forward.

Meanwhile, Andrey was enjoying his freedom with Alyona. He immediately brought her into the house, ignoring his mother’s protests. However, their happiness was short-lived. Alyona soon realized that living with a tyrant was unbearable, and she fled with a young fitness trainer.

In the communal apartment, Maria met Dmitry, a programmer renting the neighboring room. After being laid off from a major company, he was trying to launch his own startup. At the same time, he worked as a tutor. He helped Kostya with mathematics and often kept him company in the evenings, telling amazing stories about computers and robots.

Dmitry had ended up in the communal apartment after a bitter divorce. His project to create educational applications never gained popularity. His wife couldn’t withstand the constant financial difficulties and left him for a wealthier man. Yet Dmitry did not lose faith in humanity and retained his capacity for empathy.

The first time he met Maria—seeing her crying with little Kostya—moved him deeply. Perhaps he saw in them a reflection of himself—a confused and lonely person…

Gradually, life began to improve. Maria found work as a waitress at the café «Siren,» where her talent as a cook was soon recognized. Before long, she became the assistant to the head chef.

The owner of the establishment, Stepan Arkadyevich, began to show interest in her. Elegant courtships, gifts in the form of flowers, and plenty of compliments. He seemed to be the complete opposite of Andrey—charming, successful, caring.

Dmitry tried to warn her: —Masha, be careful. There’s something shady about his business. I’m wary of the people who go there in the evenings. —You’re just jealous, —she replied, though inside she felt uneasy.

 

Trouble crept in subtly. Stepan suggested taking out a loan to develop the business, promising enormous profits. And within a week, he disappeared, leaving Maria with a substantial debt and shattered hopes.

At that moment, Andrey’s neighbor called: Nina Vasilievna had fallen ill. She didn’t survive her second stroke. Just before her death, she changed her will, leaving the apartment and her savings to her grandson and ex-daughter-in-law.

Andrey rushed over as soon as he heard about the inheritance: —This is mine! You set it all up! —Get out, —Maria replied decisively. —I’m not afraid of you anymore.

Stepan was detained in Thailand. His scam with fraudulent loans was uncovered, and the money was recovered. At an auction, Maria acquired the café «Siren» and, with Dmitry’s help, transformed it into a cozy place with an original kitchen and a children’s room.

Mikhail Petrovich took on the role of chief mechanic—the value of his versatile skills, from repairing the coffee machine to maintaining the ventilation, proved indispensable. Anna Grigorievna sometimes dropped by to help with the baking, and her signature gingerbread became the café’s calling card.

Dmitry was always by her side. He helped with the paperwork, spent time with Kostya, and provided support during the tough moments. One evening, while they were working on reports late into the night, he simply took her hand. And Maria realized—that this was true happiness.

A year later, their daughter Nadya was born. Kostya proudly bore the title of the older brother and actively helped his mother with the baby. And Dmitry became the father figure the boy had always dreamed of.

Sometimes Andrey passed by «Siren.» He would see through the window a joyful Maria, a grown-up Kostya helping Dmitry with new equipment. Once, he even came in for a coffee, but upon meeting his ex-wife’s gaze, he silently left.

In little Lipovsk, it is still said that there is no cozier place than the café «Siren.» If you listen closely to the conversations of its visitors, you might hear the amazing story of how a winter blizzard changed one family’s fate, gifting them with true happiness.

Every year, with the first snowflakes, Maria stands by the window of her café and recalls that terrible night. Now she knows—sometimes you have to lose everything to find true love and happiness. And the blizzard… it only clears the way for a new life.

Get away from me and don’t you dare touch me! You have someone else to touch, go back there!

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Lena, I’m off, I’ll be late! Don’t wait up if you go to bed!» Ivan shouted from the hallway to his wife. «Stop right there!» Lena shouted back.

She came out of the bathroom with a towel on her head. «Why are you going to be late today? Did the office schedule change, or did you take a part-time job as a stoker at your organization? What’s going on?» she asked suspiciously. «Last week you came home after midnight four times! Before that, it was the same thing several times… Did you find someone else, Ivan?»

«What are you talking about?» Ivan’s face changed, and his eyes darted around. The man looked everywhere but at his wife.

«And what did I say that was so outrageous? You used to come home from work at seven! And now suddenly you’ve started staying late! What’s all this about?»

«Lena, keep your voice down! Why do you start yelling right away? The kids will hear!»

«What are you talking about?» Elena was surprised. «What kids, they went to school an hour ago! Daddy, huh! Doesn’t even know if his kids are home!»

«Ah,» Ivan managed. «Maybe that was when I was in the shower?! I didn’t notice!» he smiled.

«I see you’ve stopped noticing a lot of things, Ivan! So what’s going on at work that you’re planning to stay so late again today? Explain to me, please!»

«Nothing special! Just a lot of work piled up!» Ivan replied to Lena.

«Well, I see you couldn’t even bother to come up with a decent excuse! Thought I would continue to believe your nonsense, right?»

«What excuses? What are you really talking about, Lena? If you don’t believe me, call Igor, he’ll confirm everything! And he’ll say that we really are staying late!»

«Maybe I should call your boss instead, I have his number somewhere! I wonder if he will confirm your words? And maybe even explain what you can be doing in the office until midnight on a computer?!»

«Lena, there you go winding yourself up again! You fill your head with nonsense and then just get nervous and take it out on me!»

«I wouldn’t be winding myself up if you didn’t start acting weird! I wouldn’t have said a word against you if you weren’t blatantly lying to me and treating me like a fool! I can feel you’re just lying to me!»

«What makes you think I’m lying to you?» Ivan asked and again averted his eyes.

«Because you can’t even look me in the eyes! You’re looking everywhere but at me! And that’s the first sign you’re lying! You’re even starting to sweat now!» Elena pointed at her husband’s forehead.

«Oh, Lena, stop making things up! Maybe you just want me to quit my job and sit at home? To be only with you? Well, I can quit, and then you can support all four of us! It’s not hard for me!»

«Why do you always go to extremes? What does quitting have to do with anything? You’re just lying to me, that’s all! And you start making up all kinds of nonsense! That’s always what happens when someone has nothing else to say!»

«Anyway, Lena, I’m off to work! And I don’t intend to discuss this topic with you anymore, and I certainly don’t intend to justify myself to you! Call anyone you want! Just remember, if you shame me in front of the boss like this, I really will quit and sit at home on your neck! Got it?»

«Wait, how exactly can I shame you in front of your boss? I don’t understand this at all? You, I see, have lied to such an extent… Well, never mind, I won’t call anyone! I’ll just come to your office myself today, and let your boss confirm your words!»

«Just try!» Ivan suddenly roared.

And Lena, now, when she spoke about going to his work, was precisely expecting this reaction from him.

«Anyway, my dear!» the woman began in a stern voice. «Either you tell me who she is now, pack your things nicely and leave without any fuss, like a man! Or I will make you so infamous at work and among acquaintances and friends that, believe me, you will not like it! And your father, he will rip your head off for this!»

«What does my father have to do with this?» Ivan didn’t understand.

«Just think about it! Remember… If you don’t want to, I’ll remind you! He said in front of you that, God forbid, if you ever cheat on me, he will pull all your arms and legs off! And evict you from this apartment! Remember?»

«Are you going to complain to my father about me?» Ivan’s hands trembled.

«Oh, how nervous you suddenly got! So who is she, someone from work? Do I know her?»

«There’s no one but you!» Ivan began to panic. «Stop constantly suspecting me of all the deadly sins!»

«Why are you yelling? Don’t raise your voice, you hysterical!» Lena replied calmly. «Why are you so nervous? That means you have something to hide!»

«That’s it, I don’t want to talk to you about this topic anymore! If you don’t trust me, that’s your personal problem! And I,» the man quickly glanced at his watch, «am going to be late for work because of you! I’m off!»

 

«Nothing serious, you’ll make up for it at night!»

Ivan gave his wife a malicious look, then opened the front door and left the apartment.

Lena took the towel off her head, wiped her hair a little, and went to her bedroom for her phone. She had no desire to go to her husband’s work. So she quickly found the boss’s number in the phone book and called him directly.

The phone was picked up almost immediately.

«I’m listening!» a gruff male voice answered. «Who is this?»

«Hello, Vyacheslav Konstantinovich! My name is Elena, I’m the wife of one of your employees, Ivan…»

«Ah, yes-yes-yes! I understand, hello, Elena! How can I help?»

«My question might sound strange… But… I wanted to know, do you have some sort of backlog there? Do they, I mean your office staff, and especially my husband, really work until night, or what?»

«What makes you think that?» the man asked in a questioning tone. «No! They all work until six as they always did! And Ivan has even been leaving early lately! What happened?»

Lena was silent for a few seconds. Then she gathered herself and replied to her husband’s boss.

«It’s nothing special! Thank you, Vyacheslav Konstantinovich! I’ve learned everything I wanted to! Goodbye!» said Lena and hung up.

Her mood was almost non-existent already, and after the words of her husband’s boss, it completely vanished. She needed to get ready for work, but her head was filled with completely different things. And she couldn’t think about work at all.

She dried her hair, got ready, and still went to work. But there Elena could not concentrate on her task at all. Various strange thoughts constantly crept into her head, which couldn’t just be shrugged off. She understood that her husband, with whom they had been married for almost fifteen years, was simply cheating on her. And all that remained was for her to catch him in the act. To finally, irrevocably.

Her work ended exactly at five, an hour earlier than her husband’s. The kids had already texted her that they were home. So she got ready and drove her car to the office where Ivan worked.

When she arrived and parked near the office building, her husband’s car was still there. But it wasn’t five minutes before Ivan suddenly came out of the building. At that moment, he was talking on the phone.

His wife’s car went unnoticed by the man, so absorbed was he in the conversation. He got into his car and drove off. Lena, without much thought, followed him. She immediately wanted to call him under the pretense that she was going home, and find out where he was. But she didn’t do that. The woman decided to follow her husband to the end.

The journey took about forty minutes for Lena. She didn’t lag far behind her husband, but she also tried not to get too close to him.

In the end, this private detective game led the woman to a very familiar area. One where one of Lena’s friends lived. And this thought disturbed her.

«No, it can’t be!» she tried to convince herself. «Not just Vika lives here!»

But a little later, when Ivan turned into one of the courtyards, the very courtyard where this Vika lived, and parked his car next to her entrance, all doubts disappeared.

Ivan got out of the car and headed for the entrance. Lena stopped, waited about ten minutes, and then decided to take her phone and dial her friend’s number. But then she suddenly changed her mind, got out of the car, and headed for Vika’s entrance.

Victoria was one of her best friends. With whom she practically always shared everything that happened in Lena’s life. And not so long ago, just a month and a half ago, her husband left. And Vika told Lena that she had caught him with a lover.

Approaching the entrance, she thought about how to play her visit to Vika so that she would open the entrance door for her without questions through the intercom. But she didn’t have to do that because children ran out of the entrance right in front of her, and she quickly slipped through the open door.

Riding the elevator to the sixth floor, the woman was determined. She approached her friend’s apartment door and rang the bell. Lena knew that Vika should be home at the moment, as she was temporarily not working and was looking for a job.

But they were in no hurry to open the door for Lena. So she pressed the bell button again and held it until the door finally opened.

Vika, shocked, stood in front of Lena in a bathrobe and with tousled hair.

«Where is he?» Lena asked her friend sternly.

«Who?» Vika tried to pretend she didn’t understand.

«You know exactly who I’m talking about! Step aside!» said Elena and simply pushed the hostess aside.

«Have you lost your mind?» the friend began to protest. «Lena, where are you going with your shoes on?» Vika shouted after Lena.

But Lena wasn’t listening anymore. She charged forward like a tank. Opening the door to Vika’s bedroom, she found who she had actually come for. Ivan at that moment was frantically trying to pull on his pants.

«Lena, just don’t be mad! Please!» Ivan begged his wife. «I’ll explain everything to you now!»

«I don’t need you to explain anything, I’m not blind!» the wife calmly replied to her husband.

She entered the bedroom, approached her husband closely, and with all her might kneed him between the legs. So hard that Ivan even squealed like a piglet. From pain and shock, he fell to his knees in front of his wife and held onto his groin, while Lena, instead of simply turning around and leaving, managed to kick him several times, and again right there, where she had hit him with her knee.

 

Ivan turned pale and red at the same time. His eyes, the woman thought, might just pop out of their orbits.

Vika stood behind and was afraid to even peep. Lena calmly turned around, looked at her friend, and walked towards her.

«Lena, calm down, I’ll explain everything to you now!» Vika began to wail.

«Another one!» the woman smirked.

She sharply grabbed Vika by the hair and yanked her towards her. Vika, by inertia, began to fall on Lena, and she simply stepped aside. She didn’t start kicking her friend, although she very much wanted to.

The woman left her friend’s apartment, walked down the stairs, sat in her car, and thought she would just burst into tears. But no, there wasn’t a single tear in her eyes. Just offense and pain. She started the car and drove home, where her daughter and son were waiting for her.

Twenty minutes after she was home, Ivan walked into the apartment.

«And what are you doing here? You can turn right around and go back to where you’ve been working late!»

«Lena, let’s talk!» he walked forward from the door and tried to take his wife’s hand.

«Get away from me, and don’t you dare touch me with your filthy hands! You have someone else to touch, go wear yourself out there! But you’re not welcome here anymore! I’ve already filed for divorce!» the wife waved a phone in front of her husband.

«Lena, let’s not rush things! Why destroy everything just like that? Over some trifles! I’ve sent Vika away, I won’t set foot there anymore! I don’t want to lose you! Please forgive me!»

«I’m not interested in that right now! You can go back to her! By the way, I called your father while I was driving home! And I told him all about your escapades! He said he would come soon!»

Ivan turned pale when he heard about his father again. Although he was almost thirty-six years old, he was still afraid of his father like fire. Because now and then, if he didn’t like the son’s words during a conversation, especially if the son complained about his wife and children to his mother in his presence, he could heartily slap him in the face. And it didn’t matter to him whether it hurt Ivan or not, whether he would have a bruise or not. His father simply couldn’t stomach whiners and those who betray their loved ones.

And the most interesting thing is that all these years, Lena, Ivan, and their children, whom Ivan’s father adored, lived in the grandfather’s apartment, which he never transferred to his son.

After the father’s arrival, Ivan got it even more. True, unlike his wife, his father didn’t hit him. And he told Ivan that his son better not dare appear in this apartment anymore. Because after they divorced, he would write off the apartment to his daughter-in-law and grandchildren. And he would no longer consider such a despicable person as Ivan his son.

I lied to my husband my entire life that the child was his, but when he learned the truth, I was stunned by his reaction.

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Are you sure this is the right path?” my mother’s voice trembled, though she tried to hide her worry. The small crease between her brows gave away her doubts.

“What choice do I have?” I lifted my chin, trying to make my voice sound steadier than I felt.

Mother only pressed her lips together. Her face took on an expression I had seen only once before—at my father’s funeral. A mixture of helplessness and primordial fear. She already understood there was no persuading me.

That night, for the first time in a long while, I slept without nightmares. Misha lay beside me, his even breathing soothing my nerves. I studied his features: his pronounced cheekbones, determined chin, the barely noticeable line between his brows. We’d only been together three weeks, yet he had already become my refuge. I placed my hand on my stomach. Beneath my skin, a new life was taking shape—a life that was not his. The man who had given me this pregnancy had vanished, leaving only memories behind.

Misha sighed in his sleep, his lips curving in a slight, trusting smile. That smile settled my decision. I would keep silent.

I wouldn’t tell him that the night two days after we met couldn’t possibly have led to this. That the child was part of a different story. I would become the perfect wife. Build an impeccable family. Bury my lie beneath a hundred genuine moments.

“Dad, look!” Igor raced around the room with a toy sword, imagining himself a knight. “I defeated the evil dragon!”

Misha set aside his newspaper and bowed solemnly to his son.

“Your Majesty, you are the bravest knight in the kingdom.”

Igor burst into laughter and ran toward his father. I stood in the doorway with a tray of hot cocoa, watching Misha scoop the boy up and twirl him around. Our son. I couldn’t breathe for a moment. Seven years of living a double life. On the outside, a happy wife and mother; on the inside, the keeper of a secret that could destroy everything we had created.

“Why are you just standing there?” Misha turned to me, and something flickered in his eyes. Concern? Suspicion? “The cocoa’s getting cold.”

I forced a smile and walked over. Igor grabbed a cup, leaving a chocolate “mustache” on his upper lip.

“Who does he look more like?” Misha suddenly asked, gazing at his son with such pride that my heart tightened.

“You, of course,” I lied, avoiding his gaze. “Especially the eyes.”

Misha nodded thoughtfully.
“I think he’s all you. Just as stubborn.”

He ruffled Igor’s hair—dark as a raven’s wing, the same shade as his real father’s.

“Can I have more cocoa?” Igor held out his empty cup, looking irresistible.

“Only if you promise to brush your teeth right after,” I said, stroking his cheek, overwhelmed by how much I loved this little human.

Misha hugged me, and the weight of his closeness became unbearable. As though each touch was an unspoken reproach I rightfully deserved but that he would never voice.

“Are you alright?” he whispered.

 

“Just a tough day,” I said, leaning in and lightly touching his cheek. “Has anyone ever told you you’re the best husband in the world?”

He nodded with a slight smile, but something in his eyes made my skin prickle.

It was as though he saw everything—every lie, every fear, every tear I’d swallowed. And yet he still looked at me as though I were a priceless treasure that had ended up in his hands by pure chance. I turned away so he wouldn’t see how my hands shook as I poured the cocoa. How long could I carry this burden? How long would the facade of a perfect family, built on a single but so devastating lie, hold up?

The years flew by. Igor turned twenty. I looked at him—tall, with dimples appearing on his cheeks whenever he smiled—and I couldn’t believe that the young man before me had once fit in the cradle of my hands.

We were preparing for his party. I was busy marinating kebabs when Misha came in holding a worn photo album.

“Look what I found in the closet,” he said, placing it on the table and brushing off dust. “I haven’t opened this in forever.”

I froze, feeling a chill race down my spine. This album was a chronicle of our life—both the real version and the one I’d invented. There were our earliest photos before Igor was born, with me forcing hopeful, fearful smiles. Misha began flipping through the pages, chuckling at old‑fashioned hairstyles and clothing from the nineties. I wiped my hands and sat next to him, forcing myself to breathe normally.

“Remember how nervous you were before giving birth?” He pointed to a photo of me in late pregnancy, clinging to his shoulder, my expression showing raw terror.

“How could I forget,” I answered, managing a smile. “I was sure I wouldn’t survive.”

He pulled me close and kissed my temple.

“But I knew you’d get through it. You’ve always been stronger than you think.”

His words struck like thunder. Strong? Me? A woman who had lived twenty years under the weight of a lie, facing her husband and her son every day without telling the truth?

“Don’t exaggerate,” I said quietly, stepping away to resume my work on the cutting board. “I just did what I had to.”

“Like the rest of us,” Misha said philosophically, continuing to leaf through the album.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched him closely, wondering what he thought when he looked at pictures of Igor. Did he notice someone else’s features, subtle inconsistencies? Did he ask himself questions he had never spoken aloud?

“Here’s the birthday boy!” he exclaimed, pointing to a photo of two-year-old Igor covered in chocolate. “He was always getting into trouble!”

Something inside me cracked, like thin ice under the weight of truth. I had carried this burden for twenty years, like a prisoner dragging chains. It had ground my heart to dust, drained my strength, and turned real joy into a performance.

I couldn’t bear it any longer.

That evening, after Igor went out with friends, I stood in front of the bathroom mirror for a long time. The face looking back at me seemed like a stranger’s—shadows under the eyes, a bitter line at the lips. The face of a liar.

Misha was in the living room, absorbed in something on his phone. He looked up when he noticed me and, for a moment, I thought he knew everything. Had known for a long time.

“Misha,” my voice sounded strange, as if it belonged to someone else. “We need to talk.”

He put down his phone. His face assumed that familiar expression of attentive concern that appeared whenever he sensed my unease.

“Is something wrong?” he asked gently.

I sat across from him, hands clenched so tightly my knuckles were white. The room blurred, but his face remained distinct—the face of the man I had come to see as my entire world, the man I had deceived for twenty years, day after day.

“There’s something I need to tell you,” I began, each word feeling like a razor against my throat. “Something I should have said a long time ago.”

Misha leaned forward, his eyes flickering with worry, expectation—or perhaps understanding.

“Igor…” My tongue twisted, but I forced myself to go on. “Igor isn’t your son.”

I shut my eyes, bracing for the explosion: shouting, anger, a door slamming, the end of everything.

But there was only silence, so deep I could hear the ticking of an old clock and my own heartbeat. Opening my eyes, I met his calm, sorrowful gaze.

“I know,” he said quietly but firmly.

Those two brief words knocked the wind out of me. The room swirled, and I clung to the armrest to stay upright.

“What?” My voice shook. “How…how long?”

Misha rose and walked over to the window. Beyond it, the city lights shimmered, indifferent to our drama. Against the glow, his silhouette looked ghostly, as if cut from shadow.

“From the very start,” he replied, each word echoing in my mind. “Your mother told me a week after we met.”

“My mother?” I felt the floor drop out from under me. “But why did you—why did you never say anything?”

Misha turned to face me. In the dim light, I couldn’t read his eyes, only the tense line of his jaw. It wasn’t anger but emotion held in check.

“Because I already loved you,” he said simply, as though stating a fact. “And blood ties aren’t what matter; it’s how you love someone.”

He paused and added in a near whisper:

“Besides, I can’t have children. I’ve known that long before I met you.”

I froze, as if struck by lightning. I looked at the man I believed I knew inside and out—and saw a stranger.

“Why did you never…”

“…tell you?” he finished. “For the same reasons you didn’t tell me. Fear.”

Misha returned to the couch and sat beside me. His large, strong hands—the same ones that had cradled newborn Igor—gently covered mine.

“When your mother came to me, I was furious,” he said, his voice still calm, though I felt the effort it cost him. “Not about the pregnancy itself, but because she tried to use that knowledge to push me away from you. I still remember her exact words: ‘She’s expecting a child that isn’t yours. Do you really want that kind of trouble?’”

He fell silent, and I noticed the vein pulsing at his temple—the only outward sign of his tension.

“What did you say to her?” I managed.

“That it was none of her business,” Misha said, tightening his hold on my fingers. “And that I loved you. That I would love the child, if you would let me.”

The tears I had held back for twenty long years poured out all at once, burning my cheeks, blurring my vision, dripping onto our interlaced hands. I sobbed openly, releasing every unspoken word and pent-up emotion.

Misha pulled me close, and I listened to his heartbeat. He stroked my hair—a gesture that had always calmed my pain or fear.

“You never really lied to me,” he whispered. “You were faithful. You never betrayed me. And Igor…he’s my son because I’m the one who raised him, not someone else.”

Wiping my tear-streaked face, I struggled to make out his expression.

“All these years…how could you bear it? How could you look at me without despising me?” I asked, my voice trembling.

 

Misha smiled that special smile that always made me forget my worries.

“How did you put up with a boring old stick like me?” he teased, gently brushing away my tears. “Love doesn’t ask those questions, Anya. It just is.”

We sat quietly, listening to the rain outside and to my sobs fading away. I thought about my mother, who believed she was protecting me by interfering. I thought about Misha, who had known the truth and still chose us. And about Igor, who, despite not sharing Misha’s blood, could not have asked for a more devoted father.

And about myself—a woman who had built her life on a lie, yet received a truth far greater than she ever imagined.

“Should we tell Igor?” I finally asked.

Misha gazed into the distance, as though looking through me.

“That’s your decision,” he said. “But you know…some truths matter less for being revealed than for being carried and lived with.”

Just then, the key turned in the lock. Igor was home. I hurried to wipe my tears, but Misha stopped me.

“It’s alright,” he said. “We’ll handle it. Together. Like always.”

A month later, we stood by the river—Misha, Igor, and I. The setting sun stained the water in liquid gold.

“Why the sudden trip?” Igor grumbled in mock annoyance, though it was clear he was glad we were spending this time together. “I had plans!”

“What plans could be more important than time with your parents?” Misha teased, nudging him.

I watched them—so alike in their gestures, the tilt of their heads, even the way they spoke. And for the first time, I understood what Misha had known all along: fatherhood is determined not by DNA but by the daily act of being there. It isn’t blood that binds us, but love.

“Mom, why that mysterious smile?” Igor reached out and gently pushed aside a stray lock of my hair. “Are you plotting something?”

“I’m just happy,” I said. And for the first time in twenty years, it was the absolute truth.

Misha put his arm around my shoulders. Igor stood next to us—tall, handsome, with an entire future stretching out before him like a long, open road. My family. Real and bound by love.

The sun slipped below the horizon, and the first stars emerged in the darkening sky. I was no longer afraid of the darkness—neither around me nor within me.

Because even in the deepest darkness, there is light. You just have to know where to look.

The restaurant owner ordered a homeless old woman to finish her bread and leave immediately

0

Sitting in his office, Vyacheslav leaned back in his comfortable chair with a satisfied smile playing on his face. He couldn’t stop marveling at how his restaurant, now the pride of the entire city, had gained such great fame.

The restaurant owner ordered a homeless old woman to finish her bread and leave immediately! But soon he fell to his knees in front of her and burst into tears… The best restaurants nearby. And certainly, thanks to the refined cuisine and a well-coordinated professional team, and of course, the superb atmosphere. In his thoughts, Vyacheslav returned to his long journey to his dream, which lasted more than 20 years, and began in the difficult nineties. At that time, he had to make decisions instantaneously and often take risks to survive in a highly competitive environment.

Remembering that period, Vyacheslav thought especially warmly of his grandfather, Leonid Makarovich. The grandfather undoubtedly played a decisive role in his success when, despite his age, he made an important decision—to sell the family dacha and transfer the money to his grandson. Leonid Makarovich said that the dacha was no longer needed, and that he saw in his grandson a person ready for business.

These funds became the starting capital for Vyacheslav’s restaurant ventures. Starting with opening a small snack bar at the local market, then a cafe at the station, the man worked hard and gradually expanded his business. His efforts and pursuit of perfection led to his restaurant becoming the best in the city, boasting a renowned chef from Italy.

This path was not easy, but every decision made and every step taken were justified, gradually leading the businessman to achieve the dream of his entire life. And here were the pleasant reflections of the man. Suddenly interrupted by quiet voices outside the door of his office.

Verochka, one of the waitresses, was discontentedly sharing her indignation with a colleague about an elderly woman who often appeared near the restaurant and irritated all the employees. Vyacheslav approached the window and saw on the street an old woman who looked very poor and unkempt. Despite the fact that she was not very old, her terrible sloppiness aged her, as evidenced by her dirty clothes, tangled gray hair, and grayish face.

The woman stood, staring intently into the restaurant windows where guests were enjoying their exquisite dishes. She only swallowed saliva greedily and was clearly very hungry. At that moment, there was a quiet knock in Vyacheslav’s office.

Verochka, the same waitress, peeked into the door, and her face expressed great anxiety. With a slight tremor in her voice, she informed Vyacheslav Ivanovich that the unpleasant situation with the homeless woman had occurred again. Feeling an involuntary irritation, Vyacheslav immediately asked where the security guard was, as he was supposed to deal with such issues, not the restaurant owner.

Maria, another waitress, also appeared in the doorway and quickly added that the security guard had already tried to drive the woman away, but she had returned. Vyacheslav really did not want his restaurant to be the center of unwanted attention, as this homeless old woman clearly repelled customers. Every time visitors noticed her at the restaurant windows, their faces showed expressions of disgust, which, of course, negatively affected the atmosphere and appetite of the guests.

Realizing that the situation required an immediate solution, Vyacheslav decided not to delay solving the problem. He immediately called the police, asking them to maintain order as tactfully and quietly as possible, and for the police to simply take this woman away from his restaurant. The police officers quickly arrived at the scene, carefully seated the old woman in the car, and took her away without attracting the attention of bystanders. The best restaurants nearby.

Vyacheslav attentively watched the scene, pondering what could have led this woman to the street. In his head, memories of his grandmother Anna surfaced, who along with his grandfather, Leonid Makarovich, raised him from the age of five, after the tragic death of his father. He barely remembered his mother, as she simply disappeared from his life shortly after her husband’s death.

As a child, little Slava often listened to his grandparents’ stories that his mother had gone far away. But deep down, he always continued to wait for her return. He cried for a long time, feeling abandoned, and even tried to find her by writing several letters to the police, asking for help.

However, his touching letters were returned to his grandfather, who worked in the city administration. When the family was about to move to the capital, little Slava firmly stated, «What if mom comes back, and I’m not here? How will she find me then?» These childhood fears and grievances lived in his heart for a long time, but life took its course.

And over the years, memories of his mother began to fade, giving way to new cares and achievements. And then one day, in the midst of another heated argument, the grandmother, completely losing patience, angrily shouted a terrible thing. «Your mother died a long time ago!» Adding a second later that she probably just froze somewhere at a fence from alcohol and cold.

Slava froze in shock, unable to believe what he had heard. The grandfather immediately became indignant, condemning the grandmother for her harsh words, insisting that it was wrong to speak like that, especially in front of a child. The grandmother, turning away, immediately began to cry, confessing that she could no longer carry this pain, which was literally tearing her heart apart.

The grandfather, approaching her, gently embraced her and whispered something in her ear, trying to calm her down. Then, turning to Slava, they called him to them and began to assure him that they would always be there to support and surround him with love, despite all the difficulties and bitterness they had to endure together. Slavka was completely confused, unable to believe that his mother, whom he remembered as beautiful and joyful, would never return.

He had waited for her for so long, hoping that one day she would appear on the doorstep. Over time, the pain gradually subsided and eventually faded from his memory. However, his beloved grandfather, true to his word, was always there, supporting Slava in all his endeavors, using all his connections and financial opportunities to help his grandson achieve success.

When Vyacheslav opened his first small restaurant, his grandparents were already very elderly. They passed away one after another, the same year his establishment began to bear its first fruits. By that time, Vyacheslav had already created his own family, which helped him cope with the loss more easily. Restaurant takeout orders

Married to his beloved Lilia, whom he considered the perfect woman, he found his true happiness. They had a wonderful son Ivan, named after Slavkin’s father. When the grandparents learned that they would soon have a great-grandson, their joy was simply boundless.

 

Over time, Vyacheslav and Lilia had a daughter. Vyacheslav dreamed of naming her after his mother, but bitter memories of the past and his wife’s disagreement led him to change his decision. After long discussions, they settled on the name Olya.

Years flew by quickly, their children grew up, and their son soon planned to marry a good girl. Vyacheslav and Lilia gladly approved of his choice, as the future bride was to their liking. And now, when both spouses were over fifty years old, thoughts increasingly returned to future grandchildren, about whom they had already begun to dream.

For Vyacheslav, family always remained a sacred priority. As important as his restaurant business, which he continued to develop with unchanging success. One morning, arriving at work, Slava decided to conduct a small audit in his restaurant.

Check how the kitchen works, whether everything is in order in the storerooms. And during the inspection, he stumbled upon an unexpected scene at the service entrance. An elderly woman of a homeless appearance was sitting next to the new cleaner Anya, who was feeding her from a plate.

Anya, noticing the appearance of the restaurant owner, instantly fell silent and became flustered. The owner asked her in surprise, «What’s going on here?» But beneath his outward calm, a real storm of emotions was hidden. Inside, Slava was literally boiling with anger, of course, worried about the reputation of his establishment.

In his thoughts, he constantly worried that Anya did not care at all how such a scene could affect the prestige of the restaurant, where, incidentally, influential and respected people dine. When Anya tried to justify herself, explaining that she brings food from home because she feels sorry for the old woman, Vyacheslav could no longer contain his emotions. He abruptly interrupted her, pointing out the great risks that the presence of such a woman could pose to the restaurant’s clients. The best restaurants nearby

The reputation of the establishment, which he had built for years, was his top priority, and the mere thought that one careless act could destroy everything enraged him, how dare she. Anya stood silently, looking down and clutching a piece of bread in her hands, which she had not yet managed to pass to the poor old woman. At that moment, the elderly woman tried to stand up for Anya, trying to calm the enraged boss.

But Vyacheslav was too enraged to listen to her, and obvious contempt reflected on his face. The old woman, despite Slava’s irritation, once again asked not to scold Anya, explaining that the girl was just trying to act humanely. However, the man, blinded by anger, only threw a malicious glance at her, and then turned his gaze back to Anya.

Suddenly, he snatched the bread from her hands and threw it right in the old woman’s face, accompanying the gesture with a scream and demanding that she leave and never appear here again. Following this, he sternly warned Anya that next time she would be fired. Anya merely nodded quietly, indicating that she understood the threat.

The old woman silently picked up the bread from the ground and carefully shook the dust off it, and, looking at the girl with gratitude, said that «any trouble can be survived with bread,» then calmly walked away. These words unexpectedly pierced Slava, causing him to freeze on the threshold of the restaurant. Suddenly, he remembered how in his childhood his mother, who had long disappeared from his life, said the same words «Any trouble can be survived with bread.»

Turning to the grandmother, Slava asked insistently, «Where do you know this expression from?» The woman calmly replied that it was just a saying, and when he asked her name, she introduced herself as Lyubov Vasilyevna. Hearing this name and patronymic, Slava immediately felt a shiver run through his body.

It seemed to him that these words were like a return to his childhood when his mother, who was also called that, comforted him with a piece of fresh bread right after he fell off his bicycle. He had never heard this phrase from anyone else, and suddenly he was overcome with anxiety. Could it be that this homeless-looking old woman was his long-lost mother? When the elderly woman turned, preparing to leave, Vyacheslav, gripped by a vague premonition, abruptly stopped her and invited her into his office.

Anya and the grandmother exchanged glances, and their faces expressed complete incomprehension. Such an unexpected turn in Slava’s behavior simply stunned both of them. Just now, he seemed the embodiment of cruelty and coldness, and now suddenly he was showing signs of unexpected compassion.

Trying to soften the sharpness of his previous words and actions, the man made another unexpected move. He offered the old woman to come into the restaurant, where he sincerely wanted to apologize and invite her to lunch. The staff of the establishment was astounded by such an unexpected change in the boss’s behavior.

Slava himself did not quite understand what exactly was driving him. In fact, he was trying to find in this woman the features of his long-gone mother, thereby trying to comfort his childhood desire to return his lost parent. The words of gratitude spoken by the old woman touched a deep chord in Slava’s soul.

Suddenly he became interested in whether she had a son and other relatives. But the answer was very sad. Her life, full of simple joys and everyday difficulties, was destroyed in an instant by a terrible tragedy.

The story of her son Slavochka and a happy family life that suddenly collapsed along with the death of her husband Ivan shook Vyacheslav to the core. He began to look for connections and coincidences with his own fate, possibly even finding unexpected parallels between their lives. Listening to her story, the man began to experience new feelings, and compassion and understanding were awakening in his soul.

Vyacheslav, absorbed in the grandmother’s story, could not believe what was happening. Each of her words seemed to him an echo of his own story. After all, the memories of his parents and even their names completely coincided.

He continued to listen attentively to her life story, which contained more and more parallels with his own past. «When they buried my Vanechka, a week later my in-laws unexpectedly came and stated that my grandson Slavochka should move in with them. I, of course, categorically refused, but then they threatened that if I did not agree voluntarily, they would take my son by force.

I didn’t believe them and simply kicked them out of the house. However, exactly a month later at the store where I was working then, a serious audit began, and such large financial shortages were discovered that it was hard to believe. The documents all looked impeccable, but I was accused of major embezzlement,» Lyubov Vasilyevna continued to recall.

«And in the end, I was sentenced to a long term—almost ten years in prison. An absolutely innocent person, I was put in jail. Why did they do this to me? And I served my term from beginning to end.

Already in prison, I learned that I had been deprived of parental rights. My little Slavochka was left without his biological mother. When I was released, I found out that other people were living in our service apartment, and my in-laws had left.

And where exactly—no one informed me, and my son was taken away. But life went on. A few years later, I remarried a good man, but it was too late to have children.»

Vyacheslav was stunned to the core. Could this woman be telling a story that so strongly coincided with his own past, overcoming inner confusion, he decided to ask her the name of the city, as well as the names of her husband’s parents. And again he encountered an amazing coincidence.

But how could this be? Slava’s heart beat in an accelerated rhythm, as now sitting before him was his own mother, alive and real. But why then did his grandparents convince him that she had long died? It turns out they just lied. But how could they? After all, they saw how much their son suffered without his mother.

 

Obviously, this way they simply got rid of an unwanted daughter-in-law, destroyed her life, and separated her from her son. Slava felt a sharp pain in his chest, again remembering his childhood love for his mother, her tender kisses, and warm words of consolation after falls from a bicycle. But could all this be just some silly coincidence? His grandparents couldn’t have been that cruel? Love continued her life story, as if she needed to pour out her pain to someone, just to be heard.

«After the death of my second husband, I immediately left the city for the village,» continued Lyubov Vasilyevna, «there I lived in my parents’ house and worked on a farm until retirement. But one day, there was a fire in my house caused by a wiring short circuit. I barely managed to escape, and the house burned down to the ground.

I stayed with neighbors for a month, and then I was offered to move to the capital. They were looking for workers at a sewing factory there, even promising to provide a dormitory. I, of course, agreed, as I knew how to sew, and I didn’t care how much they paid.

Slava immediately rushed there. «We do have one homeless person,» said the nurse in the reception disdainfully. «Does she have tuberculosis?» asked Slava.

«No, her lungs are fine,» the nurse shook her head. «But she was hit by a car, and she has complex injuries. The doctors, of course, performed surgery, but she needs expensive medicines for serious treatment, and she simply doesn’t have them, and without them, she won’t last long.»

Slava insisted that they show him this woman immediately. When he entered the ward, he immediately saw her, so familiar and beloved. She was simply lying in bed, her face gaunt and pale.

Vyacheslav, remembering his young and beautiful mother, gently touched her hand. «My dear mommy, hello!» he whispered. The nurse standing by even recoiled from what she heard.

«Could such a decent man have such a mother?» Lyubov Vasilyevna opened her eyes and looked at Slava tenderly. «Who are you?» she whispered with dry lips. «I’m your son!» the man answered with a trembling voice.

«I don’t believe it!» The woman’s forehead broke out in sweat. She tried to sit up, but from pain, she fell back onto the pillow. «Could you really be my Slavochka?» «No, it can’t be.

This is just some mistake.» She carefully studied his face, and with each moment, she found more and more familiar features. She remembered how at their first meeting, she thought he was just a kind man who wanted to help her.

«But could he really be her son? This is clearly some silly joke!» Vyacheslav pulled out a paper with DNA test results and read aloud what was written. There were no more doubts. «Did you guess right away?» the woman smiled, still not believing what was happening.

«My son, how long I’ve dreamed of our meeting!» «Not right away, of course,» admitted Slava. «There were just so many amazing coincidences. And this is your saying about bread.

Remember how I used to come to you with scraped knees, and you comforted me with hot bread?» «I remember everything, son,» Love cried. «It’s a pity we met so late. I don’t have much time left.

No, don’t say anything!» Slava immediately shouted. «I found you. And I can’t lose you again.

I will definitely cure you. And you will live a long and happy life. Hear me? I won’t abandon you, mom!» And indeed, Vyacheslav transferred Lyubov Vasilyevna to the best clinic in the city.

He bought her the most expensive and effective medicines, and gradually her condition improved. And soon, Slava took her from the hospital together with his entire family. The children and wife quickly found a common language with their mother-in-law and grandmother, who turned out to be a very sweet woman.

All the household members were simply happy, but especially Slava, because his mom was now again by his side. Lyubov Vasilyevna, although elderly, finally found true happiness. Genuine maternal happiness.

Affluent classmates mocked the janitor’s daughter, yet she arrived at the prom in a limousine, leaving everyone’s jaws on the floor.

0

Hey, Kovaleva, is it true that your mother washed our locker room yesterday?» Kirill Bronsky asked loudly, leaning on his desk and deliberately waiting until the class quieted down.

 

Sonya froze, not even having time to put her textbook into her backpack. A tense silence fell over the classroom. All eyes turned to her.

«Yes, my mom works as a cleaner at the school,» she replied calmly, continuing to gather her things. «So what?»

«Nothing,» Kirill sneered with a smirk. «I just imagined how you’ll be getting to the prom. By bus, with rags and a bucket?»

The class erupted in laughter. Without a word, Sonya slung her backpack over her shoulder and headed for the door.

«Your mother is just an ordinary cleaner!» Kirill shouted after her. «Get used to it!»

Sonya didn’t look back. She had long learned not to react to mockery. Back in fifth grade, when she transferred to this prestigious gymnasium on a quota for gifted children, she realized: here, money and status rule. And she had neither.

Nadezhda Kovaleva was waiting for her daughter at the staff entrance of the gymnasium. At thirty-eight, she looked older—years of hard work had left their mark on her face. A simple jacket, faded jeans, and her hair tied up in a careless bun.

«Sonya, you seem a bit gloomy today,» Nadezhda remarked as they walked to the bus stop.

«Everything’s fine, Mom. I’m just tired. There was an algebra test,» Sonya lied.

She had never told her mother about her classmates’ teasing. Why add to her worries? Nadezhda already worked three jobs: in the morning at a business center, during the day at the gymnasium, and in the evening at a supermarket. All for Sonya to be able to attend a good school, go to extra classes, and prepare for university entrance exams.

«You know, next week I have Wednesday off. Maybe we could go somewhere together?» Nadezhda suggested.

«Of course, Mom. Just not on Wednesday—I have extra physics classes,» Sonya replied.

In reality, there were no extra classes at all. Sonya had taken up a part-time job at a nearby café—as a waitress for half-time. The pay was low, but it was a start.

«Kirill, are you really up for the bet?» Denis asked when he and his friends were sitting in the school café.

«Absolutely,» Kirill said as he took a gulp of juice. «If Kovaleva’s mother shows up at the prom not by bus but in a decent car, I’ll publicly apologize to both of them.»

«And if it’s a taxi?» Vika chimed in, biting into her sandwich.

«A taxi doesn’t count. I’m talking about a proper car. At least middle class.»

«Deal!» Denis extended his hand.

Sonya was standing around the corner with a tray, collecting dirty dishes from the neighboring tables. They didn’t see her, but she heard every word.

That evening, she couldn’t fall asleep for a long time. A decent car for the prom… It was a chance to rub Kirill and his entire crew the wrong way. But where could she get the money? Even renting the most modest car with a driver cost more than what she could earn in a month at the café.

At the «Mercury» business center, Nadezhda Kovaleva began her workday earlier than anyone else—at six in the morning, when the offices were still empty. By eight, she had to finish cleaning the corridors and restrooms so as not to disturb the employees.

«Good morning, Nadezhda Andreyevna!» a voice rang out as she wiped the glass doors of the «VIP-Motors» office on the third floor.

Igor Vasilyevich Sokolov, the owner of the company, always arrived before others—at the beginning of eight.

«Good morning, Igor Vasilyevich,» Nadezhda replied politely, a bit flustered. Most of the business center’s employees didn’t even notice the cleaners, but this successful businessman always greeted her by name and patronymic.

«How is your daughter? Preparing for prom?» he asked, unlocking the door with his key.

«Yes, only a month left. Time flies so fast.»

«My Maxim is also graduating next year. Although he thinks more about cars than about studying.»

Nadezhda smiled. Igor Vasilyevich often spoke about his son—with pride and warmth. He was raising him alone since his wife had left when the boy was eight.

«By the way, we have some important meetings today. Could you please take an extra walk through the conference room after lunch? I’ll process it as a separate payment.»

«Of course, no problem.»

For two weeks, Sonya worked almost without a day off. Studies, her part-time job at the café, and then home—preparing for exams. She counted every penny, but she was still far from the needed amount.

On Saturday evening, as she was returning from work, a heavy rain began. Soaked to the bone at the bus stop, Sonya noticed a black SUV slowing down nearby.

«Need a lift?» a guy asked from behind the rolled-down window.

Sonya became wary. Getting into a stranger’s car was the last thing she wanted.

«You’re Sonya Kovaleva, right? I’m Maxim Sokolov. My father—Igor Vasilyevich from VIP-Motors—employs your mom.»

Sonya studied the guy carefully. He looked ordinary—jeans, a T-shirt, short hair. Nothing out of the ordinary.

«Hop in, don’t be afraid. I asked my dad to pick up our system administrator; he lives nearby. He saw you on the way.»

It was warm and dry inside the car. In the back seat sat a middle-aged man with a laptop.

«What grade are you in?» Maxim asked as they started moving.

«Eleventh. Prom is in a month.»

«I’m in tenth. I study at the 22nd school.»

They got home quickly. When Sonya got out of the car, Maxim handed her a business card.

«This is my online channel. I talk about cars. It might interest you.»

At the end of April, Nadezhda noticed that her daughter began coming home later than usual.

«Sonya, has something happened?» she asked directly. «You’ve been so nervous lately.»

Sonya sighed. There was no point in hiding any longer.

«Mom, I’m working part-time. At the café ‘U Mikhalycha’ as a waitress.»

«What? Why? Exams are right around the corner!»

«I wanted to make you a gift for prom. A beautiful dress, shoes…» Sonya left out the main goal—the car.

Nadezhda embraced her daughter.

«Silly girl, I don’t need any gifts. I have a decent dress. You should focus on your studies.»

But Sonya was stubborn. The day after their conversation, she visited Maxim’s channel and sent him a message.

«I don’t think it’s a good idea,» Maxim said when they met at the mall. «Even renting the simplest car with a driver for the evening costs more than twenty thousand.»

«And without a driver?»

«Does your mom know how to drive?»

«No.»

They sat in the food court; Sonya was picking at a salad with a fork, not really eating.

«Listen,» Maxim suddenly perked up. «What if we ask my dad to help? He has an entire fleet at his company.»

«He wouldn’t agree,» Sonya waved off. «Why would he do that?»

«I don’t know. But he always speaks so respectfully about your mom. He calls her a ‘responsible person.’ And that’s the highest compliment coming from him.»

Igor Vasilyevich listened to his son with an unreadable expression.

«So, you’re suggesting I provide a car with a driver for the mother of your new acquaintance because some school kids are making fun of her?»

«Yes,» Maxim leaned forward. «Dad, you should have seen how Sonya was upset. She’s really working hard at that café, saving every penny. And those rich kids are mocking her mom just because she’s a cleaner.»

Igor Vasilyevich tapped his fingers on the table thoughtfully.

«What if we do even better?» he suddenly asked. «Not just a car, but something truly impressive?»

A week before prom, Nadezhda was wiping a desk in Igor Vasilyevich’s office when he entered.

«Nadezhda Andreyevna, I have a business proposal for you,» he said as he sat in the chair.

«I’m listening,» she replied cautiously.

«As far as I know, your daughter’s prom is coming up soon. I thought, maybe I could give you a ride? I’m headed that way anyway—partners from the Moscow suburbs are arriving, and I’ll be picking them up near your gymnasium.»

Nadezhda was taken aback.

«Thank you for the offer, but I don’t want to impose.»

«No imposition at all. Consider it gratitude for keeping our office in perfect order,» Igor Vasilyevich smiled. «Besides, I know how important prom is for parents. You want to look your best.»

Nadezhda hesitated. On one hand, being driven by her boss would be wonderful. On the other, it felt a bit odd.

 

«And also,» Igor Vasilyevich added, «we have a vacancy for an administrator. I think you would do an excellent job. The salary is twice as high as your current one, plus a benefits package.»

«Me?.. As an administrator?» Nadezhda almost dropped the cleaning cloth.

«But you have responsibility and attention to detail. We’ll teach you the rest. Think it over before prom.»

The day of prom began for Sonya with a message from Maxim: «Everything’s set. Operation ‘Cinderella’ is a go.»

She smiled. Over the last month, they had grown very close. Maxim turned out to be nothing like the snobbish classmates—simple, with a great sense of humor and a passion for cars.

«Mom, are you ready?» Sonya shouted from her room as she finished her makeup.

«Almost!» Nadezhda replied. «Just need to fix my hair.»

Sonya had saved not only for a dress for her mom but also for a trip to the beauty salon. That morning, for the first time in many years, Nadezhda got a professional hairstyle and manicure.

There was a knock at the door.

«Will you get it? It’s probably Igor Vasilyevich,» Nadezhda said from the bathroom.

Sonya swung open the door and froze. Standing at the threshold was Maxim in a sharp suit.

«Hi, Cinderella, your carriage is ready,» he winked.

Sonya looked out into the yard and gasped. Instead of the promised car, parked by the entrance was a long white limousine with the «VIP-Motors» logo.

«What’s this?..»

«Surprise!» Maxim smiled. «My dad decided that if you’re going to do it, do it right.»

Nadezhda emerged from the bathroom and also froze upon seeing the limousine.

«This is… for us?»

«Yes, Nadezhda Andreyevna. My dad asked me to pass on his apologies—he was urgently called away by partners. But he arranged for our best driver to take you to prom.»

When the white limousine arrived at the gymnasium, a crowd had already gathered—graduates, parents, teachers. Everyone turned at the sound of the approaching car.

The driver opened the door, and Sonya was the first to step out, wearing a simple yet elegant light blue dress. Behind her, Nadezhda followed. In an emerald dress, with a new hairstyle and makeup, she looked like a completely different person—confident and dignified.

Sonya immediately noticed Kirill with his parents. He stood there, mouth agape, hardly believing his eyes.

«Come on, Mom,» Sonya said, taking her mother by the arm.

They walked past whispering onlookers straight to the main entrance. Along the way, the class teacher called out to Nadezhda:

«Nadezhda Andreyevna, you look absolutely stunning today!»

«Thank you, Elena Petrovna.»

At the door, Kirill caught up with them.

«Sonya, can I have a word?» he asked.

She stopped.

«I…,» he hesitated. «I wanted to apologize. To you and your mom. For all the stupid things I said.»

«You really lost the bet, huh?» Sonya asked bluntly.

Kirill blushed.

«Yes. But it doesn’t matter. I truly was wrong.»

«Apology accepted. But not for me—bring them to your mom.»

Kirill then turned to Nadezhda.

«Nadezhda Andreyevna, please forgive me for disrespecting you. It was foolish and unkind of me.»

Nadezhda looked at the young man in surprise, then at her daughter.

«What’s going on, Sonya?»

«I’ll explain later, Mom. Come on, we’re late for prom!»

The evening turned out to be magical. The graduates danced, took photos, and swore eternal friendship. The parents discreetly wiped away tears.

At one point, Sonya noticed that a dignified middle-aged man had approached her mother.

«Who’s that?» Vika asked, following her gaze.

«Igor Vasilyevich Sokolov. The owner of VIP-Motors.»

«Really? And what does he want with your mom?»

Sonya smiled.

«I think he just wants to invite her to dance.»

Two months later, as Sonya was preparing for university admission, Nadezhda came home with a special sparkle in her eyes.

«What’s wrong, Mom?»

«I got promoted. Now I’m the head of the administrative department.»

«Wow!» Sonya threw her arms around her. «Congratulations!»

«And also…» Nadezhda hesitated. «Igor Vasilyevich has invited us to spend the weekend at his country house. You, me, and him with Maxim.»

«Are you two dating?» Sonya asked bluntly.

«No! Well… not exactly. We just have lunch together sometimes. He’s a very interesting person. Not at all like the rich businessmen I imagined.»

Sonya smiled slyly.

«Mom, remember how you used to read me Cinderella stories as a child? It seems that in our family, that fairy tale is becoming a reality.»

A year passed. Sonya studied at university on a state-funded basis. Nadezhda managed the administrative department at VIP-Motors and attended English courses on weekends.

One day, in the university café, Sonya ran into Kirill. He had also enrolled there, though on the paid program.

«Hi,» he said, sitting down at her table. «Mind if I join you?»

«Hi. Sure.»

They sat in silence for a moment.

«You know, I wanted to apologize once again,» Kirill began. «Not for the bet or in public. I mean it sincerely. I was a real idiot back in school.»

«Yes, you were,» Sonya agreed. «But that’s in the past.»

«And how’s your mom?»

«Good. She’s now the head of department at VIP-Motors.»

«Really? What a career!»

Sonya smiled.

«It’s not about the career. She finally got what she deserves.»

«And you? How are you doing?»

«Fine. I study, work as a tutor on the side. And also…» she hesitated, «I’m dating Maxim Sokolov. His father owns that very company.»

Kirill whistled.

«So that’s where that limousine at prom came from!»

«Not just there. I was also saving money, working at the café. I wanted to prove to all of you that my mom deserves respect. That it doesn’t matter what someone does for a living—what matters is who they are.»

Kirill thoughtfully twirled his coffee cup in his hands.

«You know, the strangest thing? My dad went bankrupt. His construction company collapsed. Now I know what it’s like to have no money.»

«I’m sorry,» Sonya said sincerely.

«Don’t be. Maybe it’s for the best. I’ve rethought a lot over this past year.»

They talked a little more about life, studies, and future plans. As they said goodbye, Kirill suddenly said:

«Thank you.»

«For what?»

«For the lesson. The most important lesson in my life.»

That evening, when Sonya returned home, she found her mom preparing dinner. A vase of flowers stood on the table.

«From Igor Vasilyevich?» Sonya nodded toward the bouquet.

 

«Yes,» Nadezhda blushed slightly. «We’re going to the theater tonight.»

«You’ve been seeing him for six months, and you’re still as shy as a schoolgirl.»

«Sonya!»

«So what? It’s wonderful. I’m happy for you.»

Nadezhda approached her daughter and embraced her.

«You know, sometimes I think this is all a dream. A new job, new relationships, your admission to university…»

«It’s not a dream, Mom. It’s life. Our new life.»

In the corridor, the phone rang. Nadezhda went to answer.

«Yes, Igor, I’m almost ready. In half an hour? Okay.»

Sonya watched her mother and smiled. Who would have thought that the phrase «Your mother is just an ordinary cleaner!» would one day completely lose its meaning. Now her mother was a successful businesswoman, a respected manager, and, most importantly, a happy person.

And that white limousine at prom was not just a means of transport—it became a symbol of the changes that had forever transformed their lives.

At the wedding, my mother-in-law slipped me a note, and I immediately disappeared through the back door for 15 years.

0

My gaze was fixed on my mother-in-law, whose state resembled that of a person who had seen a ghost. A small envelope trembled nervously in her hand, and her eyes were frozen in an expression of panic. The loud music of the banquet hall in the old mansion drowned out all sounds, making our conversation completely confidential.

 

This sunny May morning was supposed to be a perfect day. The ancient mansion of my fiancé Sergey’s family was preparing to host a multitude of guests. Waiters deftly arranged crystal glasses, and the air filled with the aromas of fresh roses and elite champagne. Expensive portraits in massive frames seemed to observe the proceedings from the walls.

«Anastasia, have you noticed that Sergey seems a bit strange today?» whispered the mother-in-law, nervously looking around.

I frowned. Indeed, Sergey had looked tense all day. Now he was at the far end of the hall, pressing a phone to his ear, his face frozen like a mask.

«Just wedding nerves,» I tried to dismiss, adjusting my veil.

«Look at this. Right now,» she handed me the envelope and quickly disappeared among the guests, reclaiming her usual social smile.

Hiding behind a column, I hastily unfolded the note. My heart stopped.

«Sergey and his company are planning to get rid of you after the wedding. You are just part of their plan. They are aware of your family’s inheritance. Run if you want to stay alive.»

My first thought was mockery. Some silly joke by my mother-in-law. But then I remembered Sergey’s suspicious conversations, which he interrupted whenever I appeared, his recent coldness…

My gaze found Sergey across the hall. He finished his conversation and turned to me. His eyes showed the truth—a stranger with a calculating gleam.

«Anya!» called the bride’s friend. «It’s time!»

«Just a moment! I’ll just check the restroom!»

Through the service corridor, I ran outside, pulling off my shoes. The gardener raised his eyebrows in surprise but received only a wave in response: «The bride needs some air!»

Outside the gates, I caught a taxi. «Where to?» asked the driver, eyeing the strange passenger. «To the station. Make it quick.» I threw the phone out the window: «The train leaves in half an hour.»

An hour later, I was on a train to another city, dressed in purchases from a station store. Thoughts swirled around one thing: could all this really be happening to me?

Back at the mansion, there was likely a panic starting. I wondered what story Sergey would invent. Would he play the role of a grieving fiancé or show his true face?

Closing my eyes, I tried to sleep. Ahead lay a new life, uncertain, but definitely safe. Better to be alive and hidden than a dead bride.

Changing myself for safety—that’s what fifteen years of perfect coffee practice meant.

«Your favorite cappuccino is ready,» I set a cup in front of a regular guest at a modest café on the outskirts of Kaliningrad. «And a blueberry muffin, as usual?»

«You are too kind to me, Vera Andreyevna,» smiled the elderly professor, one of those who regularly warmed our little coffee shop.

Now I was Vera. Anastasia dissolved in the past along with the white dress and shattered hopes. I had paid a considerable amount for new documents, but it was totally worth it.

«What’s new in the world?» I nodded at his tablet, where he scrolled through fresh news.

«Another businessman got caught in manipulations. Does the name Sergey Valeryevich Romanov ring a bell?»

My hand trembled, and the cup clinked slightly against the saucer. A familiar face appeared on the screen—painfully familiar, though a bit aged, but still as confidently impeccable.

«The head of ‘RomanovGroup’ is suspected of major financial frauds.» And below, in small print: «Discussions continue around the strange disappearance of his bride 15 years ago.»

«Lena, do you realize what you’re saying? I can’t just return!»

I paced the rental apartment, phone pressed to my ear. Lena, the only one I trusted with the truth, spoke quickly and insistently:

«Nastya, listen! His company is under close scrutiny, he’s never been so vulnerable. This is your chance to take back your life!»

«What life? The one where I was a frivolous girl, nearly a murderer’s victim?»

«No, the one where you are Anastasia Vitalyevna Sokolova, not some Vera from a coffee shop!»

I paused in front of the mirror. The woman looking back at me had grown older and more cautious. Silver threads had started to appear in my hair, and a steely gleam shone in my eyes.

«Lena, his mother saved my life then. How is she now?»

«Vera Nikolaevna is in a nursing home. Sergey has long distanced her from the company’s affairs. They say she asked too many questions.»

The nursing home «Golden Autumn» was located in a scenic area just outside the city limits. Posing as a social worker (the necessary papers were easily accessible thanks to my savings), I was easily led to Vera Nikolaevna.

She sat by the window in a chair—so fragile and aged that it took my breath away. But her eyes—those same perceptive and tenacious eyes—recognized me instantly.

«I knew you would come, Nastenka,» she simply said. «Sit down, tell me how you’ve lived these years.»

I told her about my new life—about the café, quiet evenings with books, about learning to start over. She listened, occasionally nodding, then said:

«He planned to stage an accident during the honeymoon on a yacht. Everything was prepared in advance.» Her voice trembled:

«And now he’s sent me here to live out my days because I started digging into his affairs. Do you know how many ‘accidents’ have happened over these years with his partners?»

«Vera Nikolaevna,» I cautiously took her hand. «Do you have proof?»

She smiled:

«Dear, I have a whole safe of evidence. You think I’ve been silent all these years for nothing? I was waiting. Waiting for you to return.»

The same steely fire that I saw each morning in the mirror sparked in her eyes.

«Well, dear bride,» she squeezed my hand, «shall we give my son a belated wedding surprise?»

«Are you from the inspectors?» the secretary skeptically examined my documents.

«Exactly,» I adjusted my glasses in a stern frame. «Emergency audit related to recent publications.»

The office assigned to me within the walls of «RomanovGroup» was two floors below Sergey’s. Every morning, I watched his black Maybach arrive at the main entrance. Sergey had hardly changed—still impeccably postured, elegantly suited, with the customary look of a man who commands everything. His lawyers had successfully quashed the scandal so far, but it was only a matter of time.

«Margarita Olegovna, do you have a minute?» I approached the passing chief accountant. «It seemed or are there certain… discrepancies in the 2023 report?»

The chief accountant visibly paled. As Vera Nikolaevna suspected, this woman knew too much and was looking for a way to clear her conscience.

«Nastya, something’s wrong,» Lena’s voice trembled on the phone. «I’ve been followed for two days now.»

«Stay calm,» I locked the office. «Is the flash drive in a safe place?»

«Yes, but Sergey’s people…»

«Be ready. And remember—tomorrow at ten, as we agreed.»

I approached the window. Two burly men in civilian clothes loomed at the entrance. The company’s security service was getting anxious. It was time to accelerate events.

 

«Sergey Valeryevich, a visitor for you,» the secretary barely contained a tremble in her voice.

«I made it clear—let no one in!»

«She says… you left her at the altar fifteen years ago.»

A heavy silence hung in the office. I decisively entered, not waiting for permission.

Sergey slowly raised his head from the documents. His face was a frozen mask.

«You…»

«Hello, dear. Didn’t expect me?»

He abruptly pressed a button on the phone:

«Security to me!»

«No need,» I placed a folder on the desk. «Your documents are already with the investigators. Margarita Olegovna turned out to be surprisingly talkative. And your mother… she’s been gathering compromising material on you for years.»

His hand reached for the desk drawer.

«I wouldn’t advise it,» I cautioned. «Gunfire will cause unnecessary noise. And prosecutors are already waiting at the main entrance.»

For the first time, I saw fear appear on his face.

«What do you want?» he hissed.

«The truth. Tell about the yacht. About the ‘accident’ you planned.»

He leaned back in his chair and unexpectedly laughed:

«You’ve grown up, Nastya. Yes, I was going to eliminate you. Your inheritance was supposed to be an investment for the business. And then… I had to play the role of a grieving fiancé for years to keep anyone from asking too many questions.»

«And how many lives have you taken over these years?»

«This is business, kid. There’s no room for feelings here.»

The noise outside the door grew louder—the investigators were approaching.

«You know what?» I leaned closer to him. «Thanks to your mother. She not only saved my life but also taught me patience: sometimes you need to wait a long time to strike accurately.»

Three months later, I sat in my favorite coffee shop in Kaliningrad. The courtroom proceedings were broadcast on the TV—Sergey was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. Exactly the amount of time I had spent wandering.

«Your cappuccino, professor,» I set a cup in front of a regular customer.

«Thank you, Vera… I mean, Anastasia Vitalyevna,» he smiled sheepishly. «Will you return to your former life now?»

I looked around my coffee shop, the cozy corners, the regulars who had become a second family.

«You know, professor… Maybe the former life wasn’t real? Maybe I’m just starting a full life now. I’ve bought this coffee shop and I’m staying here.»

Outside, spring rain filled the air with the freshness of freedom.

From the husband’s perspective, the story might have unfolded like this:

I adjusted my tie in front of the mirror. There was a week left until the ceremonial ceremony, and every step was calculated to the smallest detail. Except for one thing—my damn mother, who had been too observant of me lately.

Three months ago, everything seemed perfectly simple. We sat in the «Jean-Jacques» restaurant with Igor and Dima, partners in business, or rather, what we called business.

«Guys, there’s a problem,» I swirled a glass of whiskey in my hands. «We need five million euros to start. Without them, our Chinese contract is doomed.»

«We could take out a loan…» began Dima.

«Who would approve such a large loan for us?» I smirked. «After the real estate failure, that’s hardly possible.»

Igor silently examined the ceiling, then slowly said: «What about your fiancée? Didn’t you tell us about her family’s decent fortune?»

I froze. Anastasia. Beautiful, trusting Anastasia with her inheritance from her grandfather—a network of jewelry boutiques and impressive accounts in Swiss banks.

«Don’t even think about it,» shook his head Dima. «It’s too dangerous.»

«Why?» Igor leaned forward. «Accidents happen. Especially during the honeymoon. Yachts are so unreliable…»

Anastasia lost her heart to me on our third date. I realized it when she looked at me across the table in the «Pushkin» restaurant. Her eyes glowed, and her fingers nervously played with a napkin. She talked about her work in the gallery, and I diligently feigned interest, mentally rejoicing at how easily everything was unfolding.

«Serezhenka, why do you always turn off your phone when we’re together?» she once asked.

«Because I want to be only with you,» I answered with a smile, grateful for the acting courses I attended at university.

She blushed and believed. Believed everything else—my stories about successful deals, compliments, promises. I nodded and smiled, calculating sums in my mind.

Only my mother watched me with suspicion. Especially when she noticed documents for a yacht on my table.

«Sergey,» she addressed me during dinner, stirring the cooled borscht, «you never liked water. What yacht?»

«For the honeymoon, Mom. I want to create a surprise for Nastya.»

She looked at me for a long time, then quietly said: «I don’t recognize you, son. What have you gotten into?»

The day before the ceremony, we met with the guys in my office. The plan was thoroughly worked out:

Wedding. Honeymoon on a yacht. Tragic incident in the open sea. A grieving widower gains access to his wife’s finances. «What if she refuses to go on the yacht?» asked Dima.

«She won’t refuse,» I smiled. «She’s so happy she’ll agree to anything.»

In the evening, my mother tried to talk to me again: «Sergey, stop this. I see that this is not you. Remember who you used to be…»

«Who, Mom? A loser with debts? No, I’ll solve my own problems.»

«At what cost?» her voice trembled.

«Any cost,» I sharply replied and left for my room.

The wedding morning started with hustle and champagne. I stood in front of the mirror, examining my reflection—impeccable suit, confident smile, cold gaze. In my pocket were tickets for tomorrow’s flight and documents for the yacht.

«Ready?» Igor peeked into the room.

«More than,» I adjusted my tie for the last time. «Time to become a happy groom.»

Events then developed out of plan.

I perfectly played the role of a worried groom for the first half hour.

«Where’s Nastya? Who saw the bride?»

Guests scattered throughout the mansion, checking every room. I darted among them, demonstrating anxiety, occasionally dialing her number. Nastya’s phone was unavailable.

«Maybe she’s just nervous?» suggested one of the bridesmaids. «Pre-wedding jitters happen…»

I absently nodded but continued to watch my mother. She sat in a chair, motionless, with an expression of strange satisfaction on her face. This was not concern—this was certainty.

«Damn it, Sergey!» Igor paced my office when the guests had dispersed. «What do we do now?»

«We file a report with the police,» I rubbed my temples. «We’ll search for the missing bride.»

«You don’t get it. What about the plan? The yacht is booked, all details are worked out…»

«The plan is adjusted,» I poured brandy into a glass. «Now I turn into a grieving fiancé whose beloved mysteriously disappeared on the eve of the celebration.»

«And the funds?» dared to interject Dima, who had been silent until then.

«We’ll find an alternative approach.»

Dima, after some silence, asked: «Sergey, could Mom have influenced it somehow?»

I sharply turned to him: «What are you implying?»

«Well, she’s been acting pretty strange lately. Maybe she suspected something?»

The picture in my head began to clear: my mother’s behavior, her questions, her actions at the wedding…

«Damn,» I muttered through my teeth. «She ruined everything.»

Late in the evening, I found her in the winter garden. She tended to her favorite orchids as if nothing special had happened.

«What did you tell her?»

 

Mother didn’t even turn around: «The truth, sonny. The very one you’ve been so diligently hiding.»

«Do you even realize what you’ve done?» grabbing her shoulder, I raised my voice. «How much money and effort were wasted!»

Finally, she looked up: «And do you realize what you were about to do? Destroy a girl who believed in you?»

«Business, Mom. No personal emotions.»

«Business?» she laughed bitterly. «When did you turn into such a person? Could that little boy who cried over his hamster’s sore paw calmly plan murders?»

«Enough!» I knocked the watering can from her hands. «You’ve ruined everything. But don’t worry, I’ll find a way to fix the situation.»

«How exactly? Will you destroy me too?»

I froze. In her gaze, there was no fear—just boundless fatigue and deep disappointment.

«No, Mom. However, you will have to step back from participating in the company’s affairs. For your own good.»

A week passed. The story of the mysteriously vanished bride gained wide publicity. I gave interviews, offered a reward for information, displayed the sorrow of an alleged groom. The press swallowed this story whole.

«And where to now?» Igor asked when we met in the new office.

«We’ll develop the business in other ways,» I handed him a folder with documents. «There are a few companies that can be acquired at a reasonable price. Their owners suddenly found themselves in a difficult situation…»

«A coincidence?» he smirked.

«Something like that,» I smiled. «Main rule—no more weddings. Too complicated to organize.»

Looking out the window where city lights twinkled in the darkening sky, I thought of Nastya. Wherever she was now, it no longer mattered. New prospects lay before me, and this time, no one could break them.

Even my own mother.

However, she still managed to do it, and you know the ending.

— Give me a son! Otherwise, I won’t let you into the house! You’ll be spending the night in the chicken coop!

0

Dear, think up there—up high—about how to offend your wife. When you’ve figured it all out, let me know! I’ll let you down, – shouted a pretty woman from the cab of the crane. And dangling from the hook was a little house, the kind you’d see in every village courtyard.

When this story is recalled in the village, the women burst into laughter while the men lower their eyes shyly and blush. Everyone in the vicinity knows the legend of how Taya taught her husband a lesson. Now it’s time for you to hear this tale.

Taya, a delicate and attractive girl, had dreamed of becoming a crane operator since childhood. It is unclear exactly what drew her to this profession. While other girls played with dolls, she happily tinkered with toy cars alongside the boys and constantly pleaded with her parents to buy her a toy crane.

But her mother and father were not accustomed to indulging childish whims. Village life is harsh; there is little time for amusement. Instead, her parents kept telling her that it was time to leave childish pastimes behind and take care of the household.

Obediently, Taya followed the cows to the herd, watered endless vegetable beds, scrubbed the floors, fed the livestock, collected eggs, and carried firewood and water for the bathhouse.

At school, the girl didn’t stand out in any special way. She was an average student. There were no failing marks in her diary, and for that she was grateful. In every subject, she consistently earned average grades.

Teachers shook their heads. They advised Taya’s parents to send her to learn a trade as a seamstress or a cook. At least she would have some profession. In their opinion, she shouldn’t dream of anything greater.

But Taya dreamed. In her fantasies, she saw herself not as just anyone, but as a crane operator skillfully handling a machine on a big construction site.

She considered this work romantic and easy. To her, sitting in a cab and moving levers was a trifle—just grab the loads and move them from place to place. Beautiful!

So Taya finished school. The time had come to choose an educational institution. She understood that with her mediocre certificate, dreams of getting into an institute were out of the question, so she called technical colleges and vocational schools in neighboring towns with one question: do you have a department that trains future crane operators?

And finally, such an institution was found. They even admitted students without exams. In the admissions office, they told her that there was a shortage of students that year, and she would be accepted. Yet they still advised her to choose another field.

 

The teachers looked at the slender girl, as delicate as a reed, with doubt and said:

“You, little one, must have come here to look for husbands? Only boys study here! Of course we’ll take you, since you so desperately want to become a crane operator. But remember: things are strict here. If need be, we’ll expel you right away. Don’t you dare bother our boys!”

But Taya had no intention of bothering anyone’s head, much less searching for a husband. She rejoiced that her dream was coming true. She would master the profession and become a real crane operator!

Astonishingly, her studies came easily to her. She quickly absorbed the theory, learned all the rules and regulations, and passed all the tests and exams.

Perhaps she was motivated by the words of one of the instructors. He told the students:

“Anyone who does not know the theory will not be allowed to practice! Remember that. And don’t even think about taking the controls until you’ve learned everything taught in the lectures.”

And so Taya studied. Then she became fully engrossed in her training, mastered the new terminology, and answered the teachers’ questions so confidently that they had no choice but to give her solid top marks.

Her fellow male students initially laughed at the girl, but soon they fell silent. Moreover, the strict teachers began to hold her up as an example, which greatly bruised the men’s pride.

During practical classes, Taya impressed not only the teachers and fellow students, but even experienced masters marveled at her skill in operating the crane. Yet one of them said to Taya:

“You, dear, are a natural crane operator! But you’ll never work with a crane. No self-respecting foreman will take a woman to a construction site! And at such heights, no less! Your hormones will control you! You never know what’s going on in your head!”

Taya merely smiled and eagerly awaited her graduation from the school. In the city, construction of a new residential complex was just beginning. She firmly decided that she would work there.

And Taya carried out her plans. With a red diploma in hand, she went to the construction manager. He listened to her but shook his head:

“No, dear, I won’t take you, so don’t beg! If you want, take a paintbrush and go join the painters! Or serve lunches to the workers—there’s no way I’m taking you as a crane operator. It’s not a woman’s job. It’s like with sailors: a woman on a ship brings trouble. Don’t even ask!”

But Taya went to him every day. She pleaded for a chance to show her abilities. In the end, he relented. He ordered her to sit at an unused crane and move a small load. It had to be placed exactly where the spot was marked with chalk.

The clunky machine obediently followed all commands of its unusual operator. In an instant, the little box was hooked onto the crane’s hook and, after a brief pause in the air, gently lowered onto the marked spot, drawn by the foreman with chalk.

The workers, who were watching, whistled in admiration! The manager, meanwhile, rubbed his head. He already regretted allowing the girl to take the controls. But a man’s word is law, and he had promised Taya a place on the team if she succeeded with the task.

Thus, Taya became a crane operator. She felt on top of the world, like a fish in water. She was trusted with transporting the most valuable loads. Everyone knew that the petite girl could handle the job. Even fragile structures were delivered intact.

Taya began to earn well, receiving bonuses. Yet she didn’t rush to spend her money on fancy outfits or cosmetics. She had another dream: to build her own house with her own hands.

After all, Taya was from the village. She dreamed of returning there. The city felt cramped to her. But she didn’t want to be a burden on her parents. So she dreamed of having her own home.

One day, the workers noticed that the cheerful Taya had changed. She no longer joked and seemed somehow depressed.

“She’s in love,” said one of the masters. And he wasn’t wrong.

Taya indeed fell in love. She met Misha by chance as she was walking home from work. The young man almost knocked her off her feet. He was riding a bicycle and in a hurry. He immediately apologized and suggested meeting up.

From then on, the young couple started spending time together. They strolled and laughed, yet Taya couldn’t bring herself to confess that she was a crane operator. She was ashamed of her “unfeminine” profession.

But when it turned out that Mikhail was not a professor, but merely a tractor driver who had come to the city for an advanced training course, she opened up to him.

Mikhail said:

“Taya, I dream of building my own house in the village. But without a wife it will be difficult. Be my wife. And that you’re a crane operator—it doesn’t matter. A woman’s place is to cook lunch for her husband and take care of the children. Everyone has a past.”

Taya could hardly believe that this handsome man was asking her to be his wife. His words about a woman’s fate did not wound her. She gladly agreed.

Thus, Taya found herself in Mikhail’s village. At the wedding, the relatives gifted them a respectable sum, which was enough to immediately start construction. The young couple didn’t delay.

Work sprang into action in the spring. Taya’s skills came in handy. One day, while observing another crane operator, she frowned and said:

“Get out of the cab. I’ll do it myself!” From then on, she personally supervised the construction of her house. The workers obeyed her, while her husband merely clicked his tongue and said:

“That’s a wife! Truly, one who can stop a galloping horse and even enter a burning hut!” – exactly the kind of partner he had dreamed of.

The construction neared completion. The house was ready. The couple held a housewarming party and went on to live in love and plenty.

Of course, there was no mobile crane in the village. But Taya was undaunted. Her character had changed. She became obedient and gentle, allowing Mikhail to command her, after all, he was the man.

And so their married life flowed. Everything went smoothly for them. The house shone with cleanliness, the aroma of fresh baked goods filled the air, and the garden yielded a rich harvest.

Mikhail worked on the local farm. He left early in the morning and returned only at sunset. From his wife he demanded love and respect, and she tried her utmost to give it. After all, Taya truly loved her Misha.

However, over time, Mikhail began to abuse his position. He started to allow himself rudeness and sharpness. In the house, his orders were heard time and again:

“Tayka! The floors are filthy today, and the garden beds—I checked, and they’re overrun with weeds! What on earth have you been doing all day? And yesterday’s borscht you served me—how can that be?”

“Misha, I’m struggling with the household work. After all, we’re expecting a baby soon!”

The thought of impending fatherhood somewhat calmed Mikhail. He smirked smugly and patted his wife on the back:

“Give me a son! Otherwise, I won’t let you into the house! You’ll be sleeping in the chicken coop!” He was convinced that Taya would “obey” him and give birth to a boy who would be his exact replica.

But a daughter was born. Blue-eyed and fragile. Yet she cried out at night so loudly that it seemed as if a real man had taken up residence in the house. Mikhail, of course, did not send his wife to the chicken coop. But his dissatisfaction began to show more and more.

Every day in the house, his commanding voice resounded:

“Tayka, the cutlets are burnt! The bathhouse is barely warm, not properly stoked! It’s time to dig up the potatoes! What on earth have you been doing all day?”

“Mishenka, I was with Katyenka. I can’t be away from the garden for too long. She’s a very capricious little girl. She won’t let her mother go!”

Mikhail frowned in discontent and hurriedly left the house, leaving his wife alone with the noisy daughter.

Soon, his behavior became entirely inappropriate. Sometimes he would come home at dawn, other times he would get so drunk he lost consciousness, and sometimes he would hurl dishes, which, in his opinion, were not clean enough.

Taya endured. She blamed herself for having a daughter instead of a son. She tried to please her husband to avoid inciting his displeasure.

If her former classmates or former colleagues from the construction site saw her now, they would not recognize the once slender and cheerful girl in this exhausted woman. The spark in her eyes had gone out; she stopped dreaming and seemed to have completely forgotten that she was a talented specialist—a far cry from the woman her husband desired.

One day, a relative invited both Taya and Misha to a visit. She insisted that the couple must attend the feast because an important guest was expected.

Taya arranged with her neighbor to watch her daughter. The neighbor agreed. And Taya happily began to choose an outfit. She hadn’t left the house for a long time and was delighted about the occasion.

She cheerfully styled her hair, ironed her dress, and was just applying mascara when Mikhail returned home. He was in a foul mood. Taya immediately shrank under his gaze. He furrowed his brows and asked:

“Where do you think you’re going all dressed up? Where are you off to? Trying to attract men? A woman’s place is to cook her husband’s lunch and look after the children! I’ve told you a hundred times! Go and clean the toilet. I made a mess in there. It’s not a woman’s job to go about visiting people. Stay home; I’ll go alone.”

Taya couldn’t believe her ears or eyes. Her husband had turned out to be a true despot and tyrant. She obediently removed her dress, started wiping the mascara from her eyes. Meanwhile, Mikhail changed his clothes and left, smiling smugly.

As soon as he was out of sight, Taya burst into tears. She let the long-suppressed tears flow. At that moment, the neighbor arrived, as arranged, to look after the child. Seeing the distressed, crying woman, she said:

“Taya, what happened? Why are you crying? Go on, get ready to go out! I ran into Mikhail. He looked all puffed up and handsome!”

“But he forbade me, Natasha!” Taya bitterly exclaimed. “He ordered me to clean the toilet!” She began to cry even harder.

“Good grief, that scoundrel! I wasn’t going to tell you, Taya, but it seems it’s time. Your Mikhail has taken a mistress from the neighboring village. She’s an accountant, a fashionista; men flock around her, and she chose your Misha!”

He had gone out without you because he had arranged it with the relative. And she, that city beauty, will be there! Just think what you’ll do! They’ll take the man away from your family!

Suddenly, Taya composed herself. She looked at her tiny daughter, remembered how affectionate her Mikhail had been before the wedding, and asked Natasha:

“Watch my daughter, Natasha. I’ll be back before dark.”

“Of course, I’ll watch her, don’t worry! Are you going out? Give her a good talking-to so that she doesn’t run after other men and confuse them!”

But Taya was in no hurry to go out. She took a regional bus and headed out. There she found her former foreman. It’s unclear what they talked about, but Taya returned to the village in a crane.

She parked the machine in the yard, deciding that her drunken husband simply wouldn’t notice. Then she went into the house and relieved the neighbor of her duties.

Night was drawing near. It was getting dark. Taya put her daughter to bed and lay down herself. Mikhail was still not home. Finally, in the darkness, his footsteps were heard. The husband returned, cheerful and tipsy. He was humming something and dropping his belongings. It was evident he was eating in the kitchen.

Taya did not come out. She waited until her husband entered the room. Finally, he did. The woman pretended as if she had just woken up and said to her husband:

“Misha, the toilet at home is broken. I’ve shut off the water. Please go out to the yard. Otherwise, you might get confused right after waking up and head to the outdoor lavatory.”

Mikhail grumbled:

“Leave you at home! You’d mess everything up. Now you have to go out. Well, at least they haven’t disassembled the outdoor toilet! Still, I’m resourceful and clever. I sensed you’d mess everything up.”

Misha went to the toilet. As soon as he sat down to take care of his business, something inexplicable began to happen. The little house started swaying, spinning, and it seemed to hang in the air. He hesitantly opened the door and nearly lost the gift of speech.

The outdoor toilet was hanging in mid-air. And his wife’s voice echoed:

“Dear, think up there, up high, how to offend your wife. When you’ve figured it all out, let me know! I’ll let you down!”

Mikhail just sat back down. This abnormality had hoisted the wooden little house with the crane. She had gone mad! He shouted:

“Tayka! Immediately stop fooling around! Lower me to the ground. I’ll have a word with you!”

“What are you saying, dear? I can’t hear a thing. You’d better be careful! You might fall—this height is several meters. And have some shame for the neighbors! What will they think when they see you screaming without pants in the sky? They’ll report you to your dear queen! How will you ever look her in the eyes?”

 

Mikhail thought he must have overdrunk and was simply dreaming a terrible dream. He leaned against the side of the little house and closed his eyes. Soon the intoxication would wear off, and he would find himself in a warm bed next to his wife.

But nothing like that happened. As soon as the roosters crowed and dawn broke, he again found himself suspended in the air. His wife was no longer in the crane’s cab. Evidently, she had gone home to be with her daughter.

And the wooden little house swayed in the gusts of wind, threatening to collapse. Mikhail screamed at the top of his lungs:

“Good people, help me! Taya has suspended me! Taya, get me down from here, you know I’m afraid of heights!”

On the porch, Taya appeared, and neighbors began to gather around the house, roused by Misha’s cries.

And Taya stood on the porch and said:

“Dear, have you forgotten how you used to love me? I decided to remind you! Think about your behavior. If you want to leave the family, go ahead. I won’t hold you back! And I won’t allow you to abuse yourself anymore. And clean the toilet after yourself. I bet you made such a mess!”

“And cleaning isn’t my thing—I’ve got another talent! The foreman has invited me to work; I’m going to the city. It’s only a 15-minute bus ride. I’ll make it! And Natasha will watch the daughter. You’ll have to learn to cook lunches, do the washing, and everything!”

Mikhail realized his wife was not joking. He wailed:

“Taya, please forgive me for Christ’s sake! I’ve lost my mind! I love you. I love our daughter. I swear I won’t hurt you again! Get me down from here!”

Taya slowly walked to the machine, settled into the cab, and started the engine. The toilet swayed a little longer in the air and then gently landed back in its rightful place.

The neighboring women laughed and elbowed their husbands, threatening that they’d call Tayka if they dared to disrespect her. They say that in that village there are no more quarrels or discord. And the men now live with respect for the female half and are gentle! Don’t believe it? Come and see!

I woke up at night and didn’t find my husband beside me. Then I walked over to the front door and saw

0

— Yulia, I’ve prepared a surprise for you! — said the mother-in-law with a strange and slightly frightening tone. — I know you love surprises! You’re definitely going to like this one!

Yulia looked skeptically at her husband’s inexplicably cheerful mother, who was also oddly dressed—in a white medical coat and bright, multicolored polka-dot trousers.

Arina Mikhaylovna stood in the doorway of her apartment and was clearly tipsy.

— Arina Mikhaylovna? — the daughter-in-law wondered as she scrutinized her mother-in-law. — What’s gotten into you? And what’s the occasion for such merriment? And you’ve even come up with a surprise. Why? After all, you’ve never loved me! — Yulia was bold and spoke without reservation.

— I’m having fun because as soon as you see my surprise, everything will finally fall into place. And I’ve been waiting for that!

Arina Mikhaylovna laughed so heartily that the daughter-in-law got goosebumps. Then, with confident steps, she strode into Yulia’s bedroom along with her son Vyacheslav.

— Now, open it! — the inebriated woman pointed to a large built-in wardrobe, to which she had absolutely no connection.

— What do you mean? — Yulia was surprised by her mother-in-law’s insolent act.

— Come on, come on, don’t dawdle! Open it; a surprise awaits you.

Suspecting something was amiss, Yulia dashed to the wardrobe and, upon opening it, was stunned.

All her clothes were wrinkled and marred by some terrifying dark stains, and some were simply torn to shreds!

— What is this? — gasped Yulia and finally… woke up.

The bedroom was unusually dark and stuffy. Slava had somehow drawn the night curtains, even though his wife didn’t like that—she preferred to see the sky and stars as she fell asleep. And the window was closed, even though Yulia clearly remembered leaving it on the ventilation setting before going to bed.

— Slava, Slava? — she reached out for her sleeping husband nearby. — Where are you? Why did you close the window? It’s unbearably stuffy. You know how much I love the cool air.

She needed reassurance. The strange dream had pulled her from a blissful sleep and, for some reason, greatly disturbed her.

But where her husband should have been—peacefully snoring and caught up in his tenth dream—there was emptiness. The bed had even cooled down, indicating that Slava had gotten up long ago.

— I don’t understand. But where is he? — the woman said in astonishment, not yet fully recovered from sleep.

The bedroom door was ajar, but Yulia could clearly see that there was no light anywhere in their small apartment. Not in any room. Everywhere there was an ominous, frightening darkness.

Yulia got up and decided to search for her missing husband. What if he needed help and was lying in the living room or in the hall, unable to move?

“Ridiculous! What kind of thoughts are these? Surely he must have gone to the bathroom with his phone. I told him—don’t drink so much beer at night. No way! He drinks and drinks like he’s out of his mind!” she thought as she moved through the apartment in search of her husband.

Imagine her surprise—and even perplexity—when she didn’t find Slava in the toilet or the bathroom.

— I don’t get the humor… What’s going on? — the woman looked around at the empty rooms in bewilderment. — Has he been abducted by aliens? What a fine mess! The wife is sleeping peacefully, and the husband has disappeared to who-knows-where.

Yulia even went to the balcony to check if perhaps he was there. The door was tightly closed, and there was no one on the balcony.

 

— What wonders! What is happening?

Trying not to panic and hoping that the situation would soon become clear, she found her cell phone and dialed her husband’s number.

Her fingers wouldn’t obey; she began to tremble. No matter how hard Yulia tried to calm herself, it was in vain. Panic started to grip the woman, who was completely overwhelmed with fear.

When the call to her husband finally went through, another shock awaited her. She even jumped in surprise and gasped. The phone lay quietly on the small table in the hall, silently vibrating.

— He left without his cell! How is that possible? Slava never goes anywhere without it! — Yulia stared at the gadget in disbelief.

She picked it up and tried to check the call and message history to see who her husband had last contacted. But, unfortunately, she couldn’t discover anything new or interesting.

— And what now? — she asked the picture of the beautiful girl standing in the rays of the setting sun, with a foolish expression. The beauty remained silent.

Yulia began pacing back and forth in the apartment, unable to settle down from worry. Then she sat on the sofa and started thinking.

Maybe Slava had said something to her that evening, and she just hadn’t paid attention?

— Okay, I need to concentrate and try to remember what he told me. What did he say? Nothing! We sat in silence all evening. I was texting with Dashka, and he was once again browsing his favorite car website.

She desperately wanted to share what had happened with someone, to hear words of support and at least some theory about where to look for her missing husband. But when she glanced at the clock, Yulia realized it was too late to call anyone—it was three in the morning.

Thinking logically, she decided to check what clothes and shoes her husband had disappeared in. And then another shock: Slava had left in his home clothes and slippers—the ones he always wore at home.

— I just don’t understand any of this! Has he really been abducted? What normal person leaves home in the middle of the night in their pajamas and slippers without taking his cell? Who can answer that? Am I going crazy? Slava, where are you?

Yulia shouted these words quite loudly, as she was beginning to have a mild breakdown.

Suddenly, in the deafening silence, she heard a noise. Yulia didn’t immediately understand what it was. Then she dashed to the hall, hoping to see Vyacheslav coming home safe and sound. After all, the entrance door was creaking.

But when she ran to the door, Yulia sadly saw that the hall was empty. However… the entrance door was slightly ajar.

— My God! How did I not notice that sooner? I’ve walked past it several times.

Yulia looked out into the stairwell. It was quiet. No one! Not a soul! So her husband must have left somewhere, leaving the door unlocked. Otherwise, it would have been bolted, and he would have had to unlock it with a key—waking Yulia, who always slept very lightly.

— So, so… Where on earth did my dear husband go off to, practically in his underwear and slippers, and without closing the door behind him? Did he decide to take out the trash in the middle of the night? Maybe he had a silly dream too? What if he’s a sleepwalker? What a mess! — one absurd theory after another raced through the woman’s agitated mind.

Yulia even leaned toward the kitchen window, from where she could clearly see the entire courtyard. Vyacheslav was not there. And there was no one—the city was sleeping peacefully.

There was only one possibility—her husband was somewhere nearby, perhaps even in one of the neighboring apartments.

She went out into the entrance hall and quietly walked past all the apartments on her floor, listening for any sounds. Then she went down one floor and did the same. After that, she climbed to the top floor, checking all five floors of her building. Everywhere was silent. Only from one apartment, where a young couple had recently had a baby, could she hear some noise. The parents were too awake to sleep.

Returning home, Yulia sat down to wait for her missing husband. She was sure that sooner or later he would return, and then… then he would get it!

To calm her nerves a bit, the bewildered woman took a half-finished bottle from the refrigerator and poured herself some wine into a large goblet. Then, after a moment’s thought, she drank it almost in one gulp. A warmth spread through her chest, and Yulia even managed to look at the situation with humor.

— Really, like in a joke, oh my! — she giggled, adding a bit of a soothing agent to her goblet.

In the stillness of the night, all sounds were heard clearly and distinctly. Twenty minutes later, Yulia heard a door opening in one of the apartments on the lower floor. Like a cat trying to be silent, she dashed down the stairs and witnessed a rather telling scene.

Her dear husband was now tenderly embracing the neighbor, Lena, seemingly saying goodbye to her after a wonderful time together.

— Slava, I’ll miss you, — whispered the neighbor, flushed after their pleasant encounter.

— Me too, — he said, clinging to the other woman as if she were his.

The enamored couple was completely unaware that an incensed wife was watching them, barely containing her anger.

— Now you must try to return home unnoticed. Can you do that? — Lena quietly asked Slava.

— I’ll try; maybe it’s not the first time, — the man replied with a laugh.

Yulia could no longer tolerate this mockery.

— Ah, there you are, dear! And here I thought you’d been kidnapped! — the wife declared loudly, looking down at the lovebirds from above.

Both, caught off guard and not expecting such a twist, were momentarily confused, dumbfounded, and staring at Yulia.

That was all the time she needed to pounce like a tigress, rushing down to grab her rival by the long hair that lay in a coquettish wave on her shoulders.

— Aaaah! — Lena shrieked throughout the entrance. — Help! Slava, save me! Help!

— Yulia, stop what you’re doing! — Slava stammered, trying to remove his furious wife from the back of his companion.

Yulia managed to sit so deftly on the neighbor, grabbing her by the hair, that it wasn’t easy to shake her off. Meanwhile, she didn’t forget to administer heavy slaps to her victim, declaring:

— I’ll show you how to deceive me! I’ll arrange for you to have nighttime rendezvous!

She also managed to use her legs. Skillfully, she managed to kick Vyacheslav, who was spinning nearby, unsure how to separate the two women. The kick landed squarely in the eye.

— Ladies, please, calm down! Stop fighting! — the man pleaded, dancing around while rubbing his bruise, but it was all in vain.

Screams, noise, and shouts soon woke up the entire building. Neighbors began peering out in surprise and discontent. Some, deciding to watch the outcome of the fight, even stepped out onto the landing. The men laughed, making bets on one or the other rival. The women gasped and pleaded for someone to break up the brawl.

— They’re about to kill each other! Do something already! Why are you just standing there, men!

— What, Slava, did you finally get what you deserved? — joked an elderly neighbor. — Don’t you know the saying: “don’t behave like the one where you live.” Now, here’s your problem.

— All you men are the same, always looking for a place to settle, — his wife retorted indignantly, standing right there.

— Were you trying to catch me? Huh? To make such claims? Look, you got carried away. Go home, stop staring! — her husband replied, shoving his wife toward his apartment door.

Finally, Yulia exhaled and let her victim go. The neighbor looked miserable—her face scratched, her hair quite disheveled, and a bruise beginning to redden under her eye. Yulia had also been hit, but at that moment she felt no pain.

 

Stunned by the events, the betrayed wife silently walked through the crowd of onlookers and headed home. Slava obediently followed her. A confrontation even worse than the one that had just occurred awaited him.

But the wife decided she’d had enough. It wasn’t worth spending any more energy on her husband.

— Yul, you… — Slava began uncertainly as he entered the apartment.

— Don’t even start! Don’t open your mouth! Just gather your things in silence and get out! — Yulia declared, still overwhelmed by her emotions.

— You won’t forgive me? — Slava tried once more. — That Lena, she seems to have bewitched me, hypnotized me. I didn’t mean to, honestly! I never intended to go to her. I don’t know how it happened. I wasn’t myself when I went to her. Listen, maybe she’s a sorceress?

— Oh, don’t make me laugh! Even if she did cast a spell on you and muddled your mind.

— Forgive me? — Slava asked again hopefully.

— Forgive? Are you completely out of your mind? Do people forgive such things?! I never want to see or hear from you again. I simply can’t. And you talk about forgiveness! We’ll sell this apartment; I can’t live here after such disgrace. And you, get out right now. That’s only fair. You messed up, and you must leave.

And then, rather inopportunely, Yulia suddenly remembered that silly dream with her mother-in-law.

— Well, that dream came in handy! — she exclaimed in surprise. — See, don’t trust dreams! Oh, mother-in-law! At least in one thing, I got something good from you. You woke me up in time.

Yulia and Vyacheslav soon divorced and sold their shared apartment. And for a long time afterward, all the residents of that building recalled the farcical incident that had occurred with their neighbors.

And as a warning to husbands, wives often said—don’t behave like Slava, or you’ll end up badly.»

My husband INSULTED and HUMILIATED me in front of our friends, calling me UNEMPLOYED and penniless – but he didn’t know that I had secretly become a MILLIONAIRE.

0

Chapter 1. The Shadow Player

Kira had learned to be inconspicuous.

Her wardrobe consisted of simple items – beige sweaters, modest trousers, and minimalist earrings. She didn’t mind when her husband disdainfully introduced her as his “unemployed but thrifty” wife. She didn’t argue when he declared before his friends that “women were not made for business.” And she never contradicted his belief that the head of the family was the one who brought in the income.

Kira remained silent. Because her game was much deeper.

Secret Strategy

At the beginning of their relationship, she truly believed in Nikolai – in his strength, intelligence, and business acumen. He was building a company, confidently negotiating, and sketching out grand plans for the future.

But the more Kira observed, the more it became clear: he was not a strategist, but an adventurer.

He couldn’t plan, analyze risks, or devise a backup plan. Nikolai pursued quick deals, easy money, and dubious partnerships. What mattered most to him was appearing successful rather than truly being so.

And then Kira decided: if you can’t trust your husband, you must build your own foundation.

She started small – investing her saved funds in young internet projects. Marina, her longtime friend, assumed official leadership as the public face of the business.

After several years, this modest investment turned into a significant success. Their company specialized in logistics solutions, marketplaces, and digital technologies, and now Kira was earning considerably more than her husband.

But he didn’t know. And Kira wasn’t in any hurry to tell him. She waited.

Chapter 2. Warning Signs

Nikolai always ignored the details.

For him, only grand gestures mattered – flashy deals, extravagant parties, and expensive gifts that he bought more for image than from any genuine desire to please.

And Kira? She noticed everything.

She saw how her husband’s business began to crumble. Clients were leaving. Suppliers were delaying deliveries. Debts were mounting, yet Nikolai continued to act as if everything were under control.

Kira knew that telling him directly was pointless – he would just brush her off. So she tried to gently steer him.

“You’re investing too much in risky projects,” she cautiously remarked over dinner.

Nikolai raised his eyebrows in surprise: “Oh, of course! A woman who doesn’t even know how to negotiate is going to advise me!”

Kira fell silent. “Should I even ask for your permission?”

She fell silent again.

At that moment, Kira realized: the situation was hopeless. He not only didn’t listen to her – he was incapable of doubting his own correctness. His downfall was inevitable. And when it came – Kira would be ready.

Chapter 3. The Fall

Nikolai did not believe in failure.

Every time he faced difficulties, he convinced himself: “It’s temporary,” “Things will get better soon,” “I’ll manage somehow.”

But this time, he couldn’t cope.

The problems Kira had suspected crashed down on him all at once.

A key partner refused to renew the contract. Loans taken to cover old debts turned into an insurmountable mountain of obligations. New suppliers demanded advance payments, yet the company had no funds.

Kira watched the events unfold from the sidelines without intervening.

She knew that if she tried to help now, he would reject her assistance.

 

And when Nikolai burst into the house with a lost expression and immediately shouted: “Can you believe what happened?!”

…she simply placed a cup of tea before him.

“I’m bankrupt!” he cried, unbuttoning his shirt collar in a frenzy as if he were suffocating. “It’s all over. I’ve been completely ruined!”

Kira looked at him intently. “Who ruined you, Kolya?”

He grew sullen. “What difference does it make now? The main thing is – we have no money!”

We.

Kira almost smiled. He still considered them a team. But her ship had long left the harbor. His, on the other hand – was sinking.

For the first time in a long while, Kira felt powerful.

Nikolai sat before her confused, broken, vulnerable. He expected a reaction – support, tears, panic.

But she offered him none of those emotions.

“What are you going to do?” Kira asked calmly.

He ran his palms over his face. “I don’t know yet… I’ll find some kind of job. Damn, I can’t believe…” Kira nodded. “You can work for me.”

Silence. Nikolai slowly raised his head. “What?!”

“I’m offering you a position in my company.” It was said simply, matter-of-factly.

“But you don’t even have your own business,” he murmured in astonishment.

Kira tilted her head slightly. “Are you sure about that?”

Chapter 4. The Veil Falls

A heavy silence hung between them. Nikolai looked at Kira as if he had met a completely different person.

“What did you just say?” he asked again, blinking as if to make sure he hadn’t misheard.

Kira calmly took a sip of her tea. “I’m ready to hire you.”

He snorted in disbelief. “Don’t joke with me, Kira. What business? You have…”

He faltered, noticing something in her expression.

“What business are you talking about?” he asked cautiously, already feeling alarmed.

“Mine.”

Nikolai frowned. “Did you find a job somewhere?” Kira smiled slightly. “No, I created this business.”

Moment of Revelation

Irritation flashed in his eyes. “Are you trying to crush me with this? That I’m a failure and you suddenly became successful? How much are you even earning? You have no business experience!”

Kira set her cup on the table. “Enough to offer you a position.”

Her tone held no challenge or mockery. She wasn’t trying to humiliate him.

Yet Nikolai still felt as if he’d been hit in the gut. “I want to see the documents!” he demanded sharply.

Without a word, Kira pulled out a folder, retrieved the papers, and calmly slid them over to him.

Nikolai quickly scanned the contents. Reality hit him with renewed force. Her company was worth far more than his own business ever was in its most successful years. She was wealthy. His Kira. The very one he had considered unemployed.

“How long has it been around?” he asked dully. “A few years.” “And you kept it hidden?” “I didn’t hide it. You just never cared.”

Her voice was calm, without a hint of offense. That struck him the hardest.

First Reaction – An Attempt to Defend

“Isn’t it true that it’s not only your money?” he said with a hopeful tone. “We’re married, so half belongs to me!”

Kira calmly folded her hands on the table. “No.”

“What do you mean ‘no’?!” he exclaimed.

She patiently took the documents and pointed to a line. “Legally, the business belongs to Marina.”

Nikolai froze, absorbing the information.

“To whom?!” “Marina.” “But you…” “I’m merely an analyst. I work behind the scenes, providing consultations. Formally, I’m not part of the company.”

His face drained of color. Nikolai realized he had no right to any claims. All these years, Kira had been not only smarter than he thought – she had planned everything in advance.

He clenched his fists. “Did you set this all up on purpose? Wanted me to collapse and then laugh at me?!”

Kira tilted her head slightly. “No, Kolya. I was striving for stability. You never cared about the future, so I took care of it for both of us.”

She stood up. “If you want to work – there’s a place for you. But if you’re planning to fight for what isn’t yours…”

Her gaze was direct and resolute. “Then deal with the law.”

With those words, she headed to the bedroom, leaving him alone.

Chapter 5. A New Reality

Nikolai’s first day at work began with a shock. Kira turned out to be wealthier than him. The very Kira – quiet, unobtrusive, whom he had long considered weak. And now he worked for her.

When Nikolai entered the office, he expected ridicule. He assumed that Kira’s employees would treat him with arrogance, whispering behind his back.

But their reaction was calm. Marina, the company’s co-founder, nodded briefly: “Welcome. HR has prepared all the documents. Come on, I’ll show you what you’ll be doing.”

She led him through the office, explaining the processes. Nikolai listened distractedly. His thoughts swirled around one idea: How do I regain control?

The first surprise awaited him in the office when Marina handed him a contract: “Sign it.”

Nikolai scanned the text. Salary – ordinary, average by market standards, with no bonuses or perks. Position – a regular employee in the logistics department, with no managerial duties. Probation period – three months.

He looked up. “I was hoping for a higher position.”

Marina smiled wryly. “Of course. But you’re on probation now. Just like everyone else who comes without experience.”

Nikolai clenched his jaw. Without experience. After twenty years in business, he found himself in the same row as novices just starting their careers!

But if he refused… He no longer had a financial cushion. Through gritted teeth, he took the pen and signed the contract.

The First Days – A Test of Pride

His workstation turned out to be in a regular open space, among ordinary employees. No private office, no assistant. His first assignment? Analyzing warehouse documents. “Didn’t you insist before that your employees start with the basics?” Marina reminded him with a smile.

Nikolai silently took his seat at the computer. He wasn’t used to taking orders. He was used to giving them. But now, there was no choice.

The First Attempt to Demonstrate Authority

 

Within a week, he began to feel more confident. A plan gradually formed in his mind: he would showcase his leadership skills, prove his competence – and regain his lost status.

However, one day he made a mistake. In the office kitchen, he encountered Kira. She was washing a cup. Without thinking, he blurted out: “And you still can’t afford a dishwasher?”

She didn’t even turn around. After carefully drying her hands with a towel, she calmly turned and said in an even tone: “Today you’re working the night shift.”

Nikolai blinked in surprise. “What?!”

“You heard correctly.” “But my schedule is for the day!” Kira smiled – softly, yet without any hint of warmth. “Now you have a new schedule. Nighttime loading. If you want to complain – contact HR. They know where you are.”

Nikolai froze. He realized that Kira would not let him feel his superiority. And then, for the first time in a long while, he said: “Understood.” And went off to prepare for the night shift.

Chapter 6. Changes

Nikolai was changing. At first, he thought he was only working temporarily until he found a better option. But weeks passed, and the new reality sank deeper into his consciousness.

Kira no longer depended on him. She didn’t ask for his consent. And, surprisingly, now he depended on her.

Decisive Moment

Two months had passed since he declared himself bankrupt. He woke up early, worked late, and was mastering a new field. Had he given up? No. But he had learned to follow Kira’s rules.

He stopped trying to command her. He didn’t ask for money, nor did he demand a share. Even Marina noted that he began working diligently, without hysteria or complaints.

Yet there was one thing that troubled Nikolai. He saw the new Kira. She had become calm, confident, untouchable. She no longer sought his approval. And most importantly – her gaze had changed.

Previously, he saw love, devotion, and hope in her eyes. Now, there was only confidence.

And that became his real test.

The Final Dialogue

They were in the kitchen. Just an ordinary evening, like many others. Kira placed a cup of tea before him. Nikolai silently took it, studying it thoughtfully, and suddenly said: “Before, I was sure I could lead you…” He paused, gripping the cup tighter in his fingers. “But now, you are the one who sets the rules of the game.”

Kira gave a barely perceptible smile. She slowly poured the tea, remaining calm. Then she raised her eyes and replied softly yet firmly: “I’ve always made the decisions. You just never noticed.”

Nikolai looked away. He realized – his power was gone. He understood that Kira had stayed with him. But one thing he knew for sure: now everything depended solely on her choice.

A classmate took advantage of her, and she ended up getting pregnant by him. But she married his father, and then:

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— Yulka, it’s no use running from me. You’re going to be mine anyway—whether you like it or not.

— Oh, come off it! Do you really think that just because your dad works in the police everything’s allowed for you? The law is the same for everyone. Just try it—and you’ll end up behind bars.

 

— I’ll try, but for now it’s difficult. After that incident, your granny started taking you to school and picking you up. She even keeps an eye on you at home.

— That’s all your fault. Why did you drag yourself into the schoolyard bushes during recess? A janitor saw you from the window and intervened.

— And that’s why he got his comeuppance. His father forced him to resign, sell his house, and leave town.

— Your father did that?

— I said all that to him… He’ll always remember how he tried to interfere with me.

— You’re just spoiled by your father’s attention. How could he have fallen for your provocations? Vadim Sergeyevich is a respectable man—our local officer.

— And what about mom? Seven years ago she left me and dad, ran off with some outsider. She didn’t even show up for the divorce proceedings; dad handled everything himself. You women are all the same. You fixate on someone, but not out of love. Understand?

Nikita stepped away from the girl, and at the classroom door his friends burst into laughter.

— So, are you going to keep humiliating yourself, Nikitos? Yulka is a tough nut to crack.

— I’ll crack her when the opportunity arises. How about a bet—at graduation I’ll charm her into it? Dimka, you’re on for the computer, and Yurka, you’re getting a new phone.

The boys high-fived and went into the classroom. Yulia sat at her desk, and Nikita stuck his tongue out at her. His friends only smirked.

The graduation day arrived. In the assembly hall, diplomas were handed out, and the celebration continued in the gymnasium where tables were set up.

The graduates didn’t linger long indoors. According to a long-standing tradition, at ten o’clock they headed to the river. There, they lit a bonfire, and plenty of conversation topics arose. Yulia sat between her friends Katya and Sonya, feeling protected from Nikita. They promised to see her safely home at dawn.

— Girls, let’s slip away into the bushes before Nikita, Yurka, and Dimka show up in the clearing. They took Larka to the river, — Katya suggested.

Of course, each chose her own spot among the bushes, but it was all in vain. It seemed Nikita had been waiting for this. He crept up from behind, covered Yulka’s mouth with his palm, grabbed her waist, and dragged her into the woods. Thanks to his training in a sports club, he was strong and enduring. Yulia, though she struggled, couldn’t do anything. From afar, her name was being shouted, but she couldn’t answer.

Nikita ran until the voices completely died down. He crossed the road, reached the edge of the settlement, veered towards the forest, and stopped at a small hut, where he finally dropped her.

— There, Yulka, now you’re going to get exactly what I’ve longed for. Don’t complain later. After all, your father will blame you…

Yulia appeared at her home at daybreak. Her grandmother, grandfather, and parents, having lost hope of finding her in the woods, were waiting in the yard.

— Yulenka, darling, — her mother wept, looking at the tattered, dirty graduation dress with its ruffles dragging on the ground. The bodice, missing its buttons, was wrinkled on her chest. Makeup mixed with tears.

Her grandmother hugged her, and her father asked:

— Who did this to you, darling? Nikita?

— Him, dad, — she immediately admitted.

Her father rushed outside. His path led him to the local officer, where he filed a report.

— Take this, Vadim Sergeyevich, and do what’s right by conscience and law. I’m taking my daughter to the clinic for tests. If you try to interfere or swap the results, you’ll have only yourself to blame. Under Yulka’s nails, there’s the skin of your son.

— Calm down, Valentin Ignatievich. My son will answer for everything under the law. I’m not going to cover for him. I’ll personally take him to the clinic. He’s sleeping at home now. I noticed scratches on his shoulders and arms, but he said he got into a fight.

Nikita received his sentence. His father resigned from service and started working as a private detective, opening his own agency.

Yulia learned about the pregnancy and signed up for an abortion. At the clinic, she encountered Nikita’s father and tried to pass by, but he stopped her.

— Wait, Yulia. We need to talk.

— I have nothing to discuss with you. Your son ruined my future. I had so much trouble scheduling the procedure. I have a rare blood type, and there’s a risk I might never be able to have children again. But I definitely don’t want this child.

— Let’s get into the car. I have an important conversation to have. Please, listen.

— Fine, I’ll listen.

In the car, Vadim confessed: — I went to the colony to see my son… and buried him there. I couldn’t bring myself to take him home, so I left him in the local cemetery. You’re carrying his child, and I have no one left. I grew up in an orphanage myself; my mother abandoned me in a cardboard box by a dumpster. I survived to always act honestly. But I lost my son.

— Lost him? Is that what it’s called now? And who forced the janitor to resign from the school, sell his house, and leave?

— Yulia, I swear, I had nothing to do with that.

— And Dina, the saleswoman? Her boss fired her for refusing to sell cigarettes to your son. And you deny that too?

 

— I swear, I didn’t know anything. For such “exploits” I was always very strict with Nikita—confiscating his phone, laptop, money. He was never a spoiled kid.

— That’s enough, I’ve heard you. I must go.

— Wait. If you decide to keep the child, he will be my grandson, a part of my family.

— I’m not going to be your incubator. Get married and let your wife have the baby. You’re not that old and you’re attractive. You’ll find someone.

— And will you agree to be my wife? Together we can raise the child.

— How can you suggest such a thing? I won’t tell anyone. — Yulia dashed out of the car.

At home, she told her grandmother about the impending abortion and its possible consequences.

— My dear, I understand your feelings. But when you find love, you’ll understand: without children, a family is incomplete.

— Grandma, what are you saying? This is Nikita’s child! I’ll never be able to love him.

— Think it over for a couple of days, and then we’ll decide.

At the store, Yulia met Vadim again. He approached her and led her outside.

— So, have you decided to marry me? The thing is, after my injury I became sterile. Now, I have neither a son nor any chance for offspring. The grandson you bear will be the meaning of my life. I’m willing to arrange a sham marriage; you move in with me. Everyone will believe that the child is mine. Do you agree? That way, you’ll preserve your health and the chance to be a mother again.

— With you? You’re sterile, and in marriage I won’t be able to stray or get divorced. You’ll take the child away immediately.

— That won’t happen, I swear. The main thing is—the child must be born. I’ll come by this evening; we’ll discuss it. Do you agree?

— Fine, you won’t let up anyway.

Yulia went home, while Vadim continued on his way.

In Yulia’s family, heated disputes broke out. In the end, they reached a compromise: Yulia would marry Vadim and move in with him.

There was no wedding celebration. They registered the marriage and returned to Vadim’s home.

— Make yourself at home, settle in. Nikita’s room is off-limits, but upstairs you can choose any room. My bedroom is large, and there are two spare rooms. One will become a nursery.

— Alright, Vadim Sergeyevich.

— No patronymic. So that everyone truly believes it’s a genuine marriage.

— Fine, Vadim. You’re my husband, and I’ll get used to it.

Yulia gave birth to a boy, and soon everyone noticed that he resembled Vadim.

The shock for her family came with the news of a second pregnancy. She explained: — I’ve come to love him. It turned out he thought he was sterile, but he was mistaken.

The second son was biologically Vadim’s, yet he also adored his grandson.

This is the story of an event that took place in one of the towns in the Moscow suburbs.