All Amazing Babies

Mom, you have to help me.»

«I’m sorry, sweetheart, but I don’t have to do anything for you.»

Those words hung in the air like heavy raindrops before a storm. Yekaterina Vasilyevna gripped the phone receiver so tightly her knuckles turned white. On the other end of the line, a deafening silence prevailed.

«What do you mean ‘don’t have to’? You’re my mother!» Elena’s voice trembled.

Yekaterina Vasilyevna closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Outside, yellow leaves swirled in the air — autumn painting the world in its favorite hues, as if trying to hide the harsh truths of life behind a golden curtain.

«Lena, listen…»

«No, you listen!» her daughter interrupted. «You’re selling the house that you and Dad spent your entire lives building. Your entire lives, Mom! And you didn’t even consult me!»

Yekaterina Vasilyevna slowly sank into an old armchair — the very one her husband, Petya, used to sit in while reading the newspaper in the evenings. It had been three years since he passed, yet she still felt his presence in this massive house. In every corner, in every floorboard that remembered his footsteps.

«Why should I consult you, daughter?» she asked quietly. «This is my house. It was ours with your father, and now it’s mine.»

«But you do realize it’s an inheritance! It’s my and Yanochka’s future!» Elena’s voice rang with tears. «And now you’re just… just destroying everything! For what? To buy yourself a tiny apartment in the city?»

«How don’t you understand?» thought Yekaterina Vasilyevna, gazing at a photo of her husband on the wall. Petya smiled back at her from the frame, still as young as he was thirty years ago when they first began building this house.

«Lena, my dear girl,» she began softly, «it’s hard for me to live alone in such a big house. I feel… suffocated here.»

«Then move in with us! We’ve invited you!» Elena retorted.

Yekaterina Vasilyevna chuckled bitterly. Yes, they had invited her. Once or twice, out of politeness. And then came endless hints about how cramped they were, the four of them in a three-room apartment, how they couldn’t afford a new car for Vlad, how little Yanochka was growing and needed her own room…

«No, Lena. I’ve already made up my mind. I’m selling the house, buying a small apartment near the city center, and—»

«And what about the rest of the money?» There was a metallic edge to Elena’s voice now.

Here it is. Yekaterina Vasilyevna felt her heart clench. Was that all her daughter cared about? When had she become like this?

«The rest of the money?» she repeated. «Why does that matter to you?»

«Mom, stop pretending you don’t understand!» Elena exploded. «Vlad needs a new car for work. The old one is falling apart. We were thinking of taking out a loan, but if you’re selling the house—»

«Then what?» Yekaterina Vasilyevna straightened in her chair. «Go on, finish.»

«You could help us! That’s what! You’re alone anyway; you don’t need much. And we’re a family, we have a child to raise…»

Each word hit like a stone. Yekaterina Vasilyevna stared out the window at the swirling leaves, feeling something new and unfamiliar growing inside her. Perhaps it was resentment. Or maybe it was liberation.

«You know, Lena,» she said, her voice unexpectedly firm, «you’re right. I am alone. And that’s exactly why I can finally think about myself. For the first time in… how long? Forty years? My whole life has been for others — for your father, for you. And now I want to live for myself.»

«What?! How can you—»

«I can,» Yekaterina Vasilyevna replied calmly. «And I will. I’m selling the house, and I’ll spend the money on myself. I’ve always dreamed of traveling, you know. Your father promised me we would, but we never got the chance…»

There was a loud crash on the other end — Elena had likely slammed her fist on the table in frustration.

«So that’s it?» she hissed. «Traveling, she says! You should be in a coffin, not gallivanting around resorts! You selfish witch!»

Yekaterina Vasilyevna flinched, but her voice did not falter:

«Yes, my dear. Selfish. Finally.»

The sound of the receiver being slammed down cut sharply through the air. Slowly, Yekaterina Vasilyevna placed the phone back on its cradle and leaned into the back of her chair. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but a faint smile played on her lips.

Deep down, she knew she was doing the right thing. For the first time in her life — absolutely the right thing.

The new apartment greeted Yekaterina Vasilyevna with the scent of fresh paint and silence. Not the oppressive silence of her old house, where every corner screamed of loss, but a kind of… promising silence. The bright one-bedroom apartment on the fourth floor felt like a cozy nest the moment she crossed the threshold.

«Well, Katya, how’s the settling in going?» came the cheerful voice of her neighbor, Zoya Petrovna, who popped in “just for a moment” with a pie and some tea.

«Bit by bit, Zoya,» Yekaterina Vasilyevna replied with a smile as she pulled cups from a box. «I didn’t bring much, just the essentials. The rest…» — she waved her hand — «what do I need it for now?»

Zoya Petrovna — a slightly younger woman with mischievous sparks in her eyes — made herself comfortable at the small kitchen table.

«And your daughter? Is she helping with the move?»

Yekaterina Vasilyevna paused for a moment, then slowly poured the tea.

«Lena hasn’t come by. She’s upset.»

«Upset about what?» the neighbor asked in surprise.

«About the fact that her mother decided to feel like a person for once,» Yekaterina Vasilyevna said bitterly, with a smirk. «Can you imagine, Zoya, she sent me a text yesterday: ‘I hope you’re happy. Yanochka is crying, asking to go to Grandma’s house in the village.’ But I invited them! I said, ‘Come over, the apartment’s small, but there’s room for everyone…’»

«And?»

«And nothing. ‘We have no reason to be there,’” Yekaterina Vasilyevna quoted. “Just like that.»

Zoya shook her head.

«Ah, Katya, Katya… Remember how we used to live when we were young? I keep wondering: when did we forget how to enjoy life? When did our children decide we owe them something?»

Yekaterina Vasilyevna stirred her tea thoughtfully.

«You know, I’ve thought about that a lot too. Maybe it’s our own fault? We did everything for them, gave them everything… But when do we think about ourselves? On retirement? In the grave?»

«Exactly!» Zoya said enthusiastically. «And speaking of which… There’s a dance group at our cultural center, for those of us ‘of a certain age’» — she winked playfully. «It’s called ‘Silver Waltz.’ Care to join me?»

«What?! Dancing at my age?» exclaimed Yekaterina Vasilyevna, throwing up her hands.

«What’s the big deal? We’re not doing pirouettes,» Zoya laughed. «It’s just for fun. Waltz, tango… And, by the way, there are gentlemen there!» she added with a meaningful raise of her eyebrows.

«Oh, stop it!» Yekaterina Vasilyevna blushed, but her cheeks betrayed her with a rosy hue.

«Why not? A widowed woman, looking her best…» Zoya gave her friend an appraising look. «Speaking of looking your best — how about we go shopping? You need something brighter than this funeral wardrobe.»

«Zoya!»

«What? I’m just telling the truth! Enough mourning, you’ve grieved long enough. It’s time to start living.»

Yekaterina Vasilyevna wanted to protest but caught a glimpse of her reflection in the window glass. When had she become a typical old woman? That dark, drab housecoat, that dull cardigan…

«You know what?» she said decisively. «Let’s go! And to the dance group too. By the way, Petya first noticed me at a dance…»

«Well, that’s wonderful!» Zoya beamed. «The first class is on Wednesday. Just one thing…» She hesitated.

“A dress. You need a fancy one.”

And they burst into laughter, like schoolgirls. What followed was a shopping trip filled with fittings, exclamations from saleswomen, “Oh, this color looks perfect on you!” and the purchase of an unexpectedly stunning burgundy dress.

That evening, as Yekaterina Vasilyevna unpacked her purchases, she caught herself humming a tune from her youth. She walked over to the mirror and critically examined her reflection. Yes, the wrinkles were still there. Yes, her hair was streaked with gray. But her eyes… her eyes had changed. They were alive.

Her phone buzzed with a new message from Elena:
“Mom, Vlad and I did some calculations for the car. Could you at least lend us half the amount? We’ll pay you back when we can.”

Yekaterina Vasilyevna looked at the new dress hanging on its hanger, then at the phone. For the first time in her life, she simply deleted the message without responding.

Then she turned on some music and spun around the room in an imaginary waltz.

The cultural center greeted Yekaterina Vasilyevna with the echo of footsteps in its long corridor and the sound of a waltz drifting from behind the auditorium doors. Her heart pounded—whether from nerves or the brisk walk, she wasn’t sure.

“Don’t be scared!” Zoya whispered, giving her a nudge toward the doors. “We’ll be fine!”

Inside, about fifteen people were gathered—women roughly their age and, indeed, a few men. A slim, silver-haired instructor in an elegant shirt was demonstrating the basic steps of the waltz.

“Ah, newcomers!” he exclaimed brightly when he noticed them. “I’m Ignat Stepanovich. Come in, join us!”

Yekaterina Vasilyevna hesitated but stepped forward, smoothing down her new dress. “Dear God, what am I doing here?” flashed through her mind. But then Ignat Stepanovich extended his hand:

“May I have this dance? Let’s show everyone how it’s done.”

And suddenly… something clicked inside her. Like a switch being flipped, her body remembered movements it had long forgotten. One-two-three, one-two-three…

“Marvelous!” Ignat Stepanovich exclaimed after the first round. “You’re no beginner to dancing!”

“A long time ago…” she managed to say, feeling lightheaded—whether from the waltz or the compliment, she couldn’t tell.

“And you said, ‘What dancing at my age!’” Zoya teased, clapping her hands.

After the lesson, as everyone headed for the exit, Ignat Stepanovich caught up with them in the hallway.

“Pardon my curiosity, but what is your name?”

“Yekaterina… Yekaterina Vasilyevna.”

“A pleasure to meet you.” He gave a gallant bow. “You know, we have a small concert coming up next week. Perhaps you could—”

“No, no, absolutely not!” She waved her hands in protest. “I’ve just started…”

“Don’t be modest,” he said with a smile. “You have natural talent. And besides…” He hesitated. “We’re short on good partners for the waltz.”

“Say yes!” Zoya nudged her playfully. “Or else Nina Pavlovna will swoop in on our Ignat Stepanovich!”

“Zoya!” Yekaterina Vasilyevna blushed.

The three of them burst into laughter, and somehow it ended with them going to a café “just for tea.” Tea turned into a two-hour conversation, as Ignat Stepanovich turned out to be a captivating storyteller. He spoke about his travels, having just returned from Greece.

“Can you imagine? You can still dance the syrtaki right on the waterfront there!” he said with sparkling eyes. “And the sunsets… Oh, you should see those sunsets!”

“I will,” Yekaterina Vasilyevna blurted out.

“Really?” He looked at her closely. “Maybe… we’ll see them together?”

She floated home on wings. In her purse was Ignat Stepanovich’s business card (“Call me anytime!”), and in her heart, a bright melody was playing.

As she opened the door to her apartment, a familiar voice startled her.

“Mom?!”

Elena stood near the entrance with Yanochka. Her daughter looked at her with poorly concealed surprise.

“Where have you been? We’ve been waiting for an hour! I called, but you didn’t pick up…”

“I was at a dance class,” Yekaterina Vasilyevna replied simply, walking past them into the apartment.

“At what?!” Elena’s eyes widened. “Mom, have you lost your mind? You’re sixty-five years old!”

“Sixty-three, dear. And I feel wonderful.”

“Grandma, did you really dance? Like a princess?” Yanochka chimed in.

“Yes, sweetheart. A real waltz!” Yekaterina Vasilyevna winked at her. “Would you like me to teach you?”

“Yes!” The little girl jumped up and down excitedly.

“Enough of this circus!” Elena snapped. “Mom, we need to talk.”

Inside the apartment, after sending Yanochka to watch TV, Elena hissed:

“What’s going on with you? Dancing? Princesses? You’re… you’re…”

“What am I, Lena?” Yekaterina Vasilyevna asked calmly. “An old woman? A wreck?”

“For heaven’s sake, how can you… It’s embarrassing! What will people say?”

Yekaterina Vasilyevna smirked and suddenly leaned forward. Something flared in her eyes, making her daughter instinctively step back.

“Let me tell you something,” she said, her voice low and raspy. “Do you know what’s truly shameful? Hm? It’s when someone’s written off like scrap just because they’ve turned sixty. It’s when a mother is treated like an ATM—expected to hand over her last penny. That,” she tapped her knuckle on the table, “is something to be ashamed of. But my dancing? Tsk!”

The ringing of the phone interrupted her monologue. On the screen, the name “Ignat Stepanovich” appeared.

“And who’s that?!” Elena grabbed the phone before her mother could.

“He’s my…” Yekaterina Vasilyevna hesitated, “…dance partner.”

A look of horror flashed in Elena’s eyes.
“Don’t tell me you…”

“Don’t tell you what?” Yekaterina Vasilyevna asked calmly, taking the phone back. “That I’m living? That I’m enjoying life? That I may even have fallen in love?”

“Good Lord…” Elena collapsed into a chair. “You’ve lost your mind. Completely lost it!”

“No, my dear. For the first time in years, I’m completely sane.”

The phone continued to ring. Resolutely, Yekaterina Vasilyevna pressed “answer.”

“Yes, Ignat Stepanovich! Of course, I remember tomorrow’s rehearsal. I’ll be there!”

Then, putting the phone in her pocket, she turned to her daughter:
“And you know what? I really am going to Greece. To watch sunsets.”

Three months later, Yekaterina Vasilyevna stood by the window of her small apartment, looking at the ring on her finger. Simple, silver—Ignat had given it to her before their trip to Greece.
“A marriage proposal at our age is ridiculous,” he’d said. “But I want you to know I’m serious about us.”

The doorbell pulled her from her thoughts. Standing in the doorway was Elena, unusually quiet and somewhat lost.

“May I come in?”

Without a word, Yekaterina Vasilyevna stepped aside. Elena walked to the kitchen and sat at the table in silence. A heavy pause hung in the air.

“Yanochka keeps asking when Grandma will teach her to dance,” Elena finally said, staring out the window. “She asks every day.”

“You could have brought her over,” Yekaterina Vasilyevna replied evenly, setting the kettle on.

“Mama…” Elena hesitated. “I saw it on TV yesterday. Your performance at the cultural center.”

“And?”

“You… you looked beautiful. In that dress. And you danced…” She paused again. “I didn’t know you could dance like that.”

Yekaterina Vasilyevna smirked.
“There’s a lot you didn’t know about me, dear. And you didn’t care to find out.”

“Mama…”

“What?”

“Is it true you’re going to Greece?”

“It’s true.”

Elena looked up sharply.
“Forever?”

“No,” Yekaterina Vasilyevna sat across from her daughter. “For three months. Ignat rented a house by the sea. He says the velvet season is just starting…”

“And after that?”

“After that, I’ll come back. My home is here. My granddaughter is here…” She paused. “And my daughter, who I hope will finally realize that her mother is a person too. With dreams, desires, and the right to happiness.”

Elena suddenly burst into tears.
“I’m such a fool, Mom! Such a fool! All I cared about was money, that stupid car… And you… you just wanted to live, didn’t you?”

“To live,” Yekaterina Vasilyevna nodded. “Not just survive or exist—live.”

“You know…” Elena wiped her tears. “Vlad and I decided to take out a loan for the car. We’ll manage on our own.”

“That’s the right choice,” Yekaterina Vasilyevna smiled. “It’s more reliable when you do it yourselves.”

“And you… could you…” Elena hesitated. “Bring me something from Greece? Even just a fridge magnet?”

They both laughed—together, for the first time in months.

“I’ll bring you one,” promised Yekaterina Vasilyevna. “And a dress too. So you can go to dances.”

“Oh, stop it, what dances…”

They laughed again. Then they sipped tea with lemon as Elena talked about Yanochka’s achievements in school.

Before leaving, Elena hugged her mother tightly, like she used to as a child:
“Forgive me, Mom. For everything. And… be happy, okay?”

“I will, dear. Now, I definitely will.”

That evening, Zoya called.
“So, are you packing your bags?”

“What bags… I’m just picking out dresses,” laughed Yekaterina Vasilyevna. “Ignat says the sunsets there are amazing…”

“Oh, I’m jealous!” sighed her friend.
“You know, Zoya… I realized something important.”

“What’s that?”

“Life is like a dance. It doesn’t matter how old you are. What matters is that the music is still playing, and you can still waltz.”

The sunset painted the sky in soft pink hues. Somewhere far away, along the Greek coastline, the same sun was sinking into the sea. Yekaterina Vasilyevna smiled at her reflection in the window.

No, she didn’t owe her daughter anything—she owed herself. And she had finally delivered.

Outside, autumn leaves swirled in the air, just like the day she had decided to change her life. But now they didn’t seem sad. Now, they were a dance. Her dance. Her life.

And it was only just beginning.

The wind, like a celestial shepherd, drove the dark clouds across the sky, and the air was sharply scented with rain.

In the courtyard, on an unremarkable bench by the flowerbed, a young girl sat with her eyes closed, quietly crying.

It seemed that the approaching rain didn’t frighten her at all, and she was so immersed in her own suffering that she noticed nothing around her.

The first heavy raindrops had already fallen on the asphalt, signaling that a downpour would start in a minute or two.

 

Residents from the surrounding apartment buildings hurried home to avoid being caught off guard by the bad weather.

No one paid any attention to the crying, lonely girl, except for the janitor, Klavdiya Nikitichna, who couldn’t just walk by.

«Hey, dear… Why are you crying? The rain’s about to start, and you’re sitting under the open sky… Did something happen?» she asked, touching the stranger’s sleeve.

«Something happened, auntie…» the girl said through tears, looking timidly at the janitor.

«Well, tears won’t help your sorrow… Especially now with the rain starting… Come with me to the storage room, and you can tell me everything there,» said Klavdiya Nikitichna, leading the tearful girl to the basement where she had a small room set up for storing equipment.

Once inside, the janitor first put the kettle on the electric stove and seated her guest in an old chair in the corner.

At that moment, a real downpour with thunder and lightning slashing through the sky erupted outside.

Meanwhile, the change of scenery benefited the girl, who stopped crying and looked gratefully at Klavdiya Nikitichna.

«Well, dear… Tell me, what happened and who hurt you?» the woman asked, pouring her guest a cup of hot tea.

With a heavy sigh, the girl sniffled and began her story.

As it turned out, the stranger was named Dasha and she had come from a remote, godforsaken taiga village.

Darya was an orphan who had recently buried her grandfather, the only family she had.

Seeking a better life, she had moved to the city, where she got a job as a warehouse worker at a grocery base.

After working the required month, she eagerly awaited her salary, but as it turned out, her cunning employers cheated the provincial orphan, blaming her for a huge shortfall.

Thus, the unscrupulous businessmen intended to use the unpaid debts to make the unfortunate girl work for them for free.

Having barely escaped this trap, Dasha left without knowing what to do next.

Klavdiya Nikitichna, without saying a word, patiently listened to the guest, only occasionally shaking her head in dismay at human malice.

Then, after coughing, she said:

«Oh dear, such things happen… But don’t worry, maybe I can be of some help…

My daughter works at an agency… They’re hiring staff for hotels and homes of wealthy people… It’s all honest and above board… If you want to work, everything else will fall into place.

So, shall I put in a good word for you?»

Dasha’s eyes lit up when she heard such a good proposal for herself:

«Of course, Aunt Klav! I have plenty of desire… Especially since one must live for something!»

«Well, that’s settled then. You’ll stay with me tonight, and tomorrow you’ll go for an interview. In your situation, this is a favorable option, Dashenka,» Klavdiya Nikitichna responded, encouragingly smiling at the guest.

That day, they chatted until late evening, feeling a growing mutual sympathy for each other.

Aunt Klava, as promised, called her daughter and outlined the situation.

The next morning, Dasha was already given the address of the house where she would soon work as a maid.

The house was located in an elite cottage area, where one building was more beautiful than the other.

At first, Dasha felt like she had entered a fairy-tale city where kings and queens lived in beautiful castles.

But when she found the address she needed, she was simply stunned by everything she saw.

The mansion of her future employers was so large that it stood out even against the palaces of other wealthy citizens of the settlement.

The owners of the house, Adelina Vasilyevna and her son German Viktorovich, received Dasha warmly.

Their demands were quite reasonable, so both the employee and the employers were generally satisfied with each other.

But especially, Dasha caught the fancy of German, who from the first day of acquaintance began to show her all sorts of attentions, literally undressing her with his eyes.

Darya did not understand the young master’s gaze, because at that moment, preparations for a wedding were underway in the house, and, judging by Adelina Vasilyevna’s opinion, the bride came from a very wealthy and influential family.

«Why would you need me… An orphan, a pauper…» Dasha thought, embarrassed by German’s lecherous glances.

The girl did not know that her master’s passion were girls, whose hearts he broke with imagination-shocking regularity.

Adelina Vasilyevna turned a blind eye to her son’s antics, believing that a young man needed interaction with the opposite sex to gain experience.

In relation to German, Dasha behaved pointedly coldly and politely, trying not to stand out and not attract attention to herself.

But unfortunately, her looks did not give the young master peace and one evening, having despaired, he decided to go to extremes.

Dasha had just finished up around the house and was about to go to sleep in the servant’s cottage.

But German, who ambushed the maid in the kitchen, grabbed her by the hand and literally dragged her behind him into one of the many guest rooms.

The young rogue was drunk and could no longer restrain his desires.

«German Viktorovich, what are you doing? What do you want from me? I’m going to scream now…» Dasha timidly objected.

«Scream all you want… You’ll scream, and tomorrow you’ll be out on the street. And I’ll write such a review to the agency that they won’t even take you as a cleaner in a barracks,» German said, unabashedly.

No matter how hard Dasha tried to resist the impudent master, she still failed. She liked her job and German turned out to be very persuasive. The girl cried, begged on her knees, but the rich son did not back down until he got his way.

«Why, German Viktorovich? Aren’t you getting married?» Dasha asked through tears, after it all happened.

«Of course, I’m not getting married… What a thought… So what? Keep working and keep quiet. And I’ll throw you a bonus,» the major replied, catching his breath.

Dasha felt so disgusted that she wanted to quit and leave wherever her eyes looked.

«But where will I go? Who needs me, an orphan without a penny in my pocket? And I can’t let down Klavdiya Nikitichna’s daughter… After all, she vouched for me when they took me without work experience and recommendations,» Dasha thought, crying and smearing bitter tears on her face.

Deciding that the encounter with German would be a one-time thing, the girl stayed and endured the offense.

It’s worth saying that after everything that happened, the master behaved as if nothing had happened, assessingly glancing at the maid.

 

They say that time heals, and Dasha had no other choice, so she chose to forget about the incident, erasing the unpleasant episode from her memory.

Soon, thinking about the events of that fateful night became irrelevant, as the Wedding Day approached and even the always unflappable German experienced inner anxiety about it.

The wedding ceremony and subsequent three-day celebrations were held with particular splendor and were even covered by reporters from many local newspapers.

After German’s wedding, Dasha sighed with relief, deciding that now everything was over and the master would no longer bother her.

Partly, this turned out to be true. German, pretending to be a loving husband in front of his influential wife, did not even look her way.

But Dasha didn’t get to rejoice about this for long.

One morning, she experienced mild nausea and discomfort, which, continuing for several days, accompanied her.

Trying to dispel anxious thoughts, Dasha took a pregnancy test, the results of which shocked her so much that she lost her ability to speak for a moment.

«My God… I’m pregnant.. What now? …What a disgrace… What will people think? Got pregnant by a rich man for money… what a maid,» Dasha thought, crying and burying her face in the pillow.

Not knowing what to do next, Dasha told everything to German, whose guilt for what happened was undeniable.

«Well, you really give news, especially after the wedding… You want to ruin my life?

Okay, don’t cry, silly. Good thing you came to me right away. I’ll call a doctor I know and sign you up for an abortion,» German said, recovering from the initial shock.

«It’s a sin, German Viktorovich… How can you do this?» Dasha tried to object, but the major, brushing her off, didn’t even want to listen to anything else.

When the master left, the girl covered her face with her hands and loudly sobbed, mentally complaining to herself about her unjust life.

But as much as Darya wanted to keep the baby, on the appointed day, she was already standing in front of the clinic door, where, after some time, her pregnancy was supposed to be terminated.

The girl tried twice to overcome embarrassment and fear and step inside the medical facility, but each time, something held her back.

The third time, she turned around and, with her head bowed, walked away.

Raised by her grandfather in Christian traditions, Dasha could not commit such an atrocity and deprive her unborn child of life.

Remembering the promise given to the master, the girl took the phone out of her purse and called the wealthy major.

«German Viktorovich, I’m sorry… Do what you want, I couldn’t,» Dasha sobbed…

«Yeah, well, she couldn’t… You women, only know how to spread your legs… But when it comes to paying, you all hide in the bushes… Fine, wait, I’ll come,» German said irritably and hung up.

Dasha waited for him, sitting on a bench near the clinic.

German arrived about twenty minutes later and handed her the keys to a rental apartment and a bag of groceries.

«Here, take this… You’re no longer a maid. Your belly will soon be noticeable, and everything will become clear. Live in the apartment and don’t show your face outside. You’ll give birth, and then we’ll figure it out…»

Dasha, blushing to the roots of her hair, timidly took the keys and groceries.

«Well, that’s right… Don’t look for me, I’ll find you,» the major said in farewell and, getting into the car, drove off in an unknown direction.

Dasha felt disgusting and sick, but there was no other way out. The girl, who grew up without parents, couldn’t even imagine depriving a child of life.

So she preferred disgrace and future condemnation to sin.

«It’s okay… I’ll give birth, and then… I’ll go back to my remote village and raise my son or daughter,» Dasha thought, trying to find justification for herself.

Time passed, and throughout the entire pregnancy term, German, as promised, visited the former maid, bringing groceries and everything necessary.

Of course, his visits seemed like a petty handout to Dasha, with which the major tried to atone for his guilt.

Frequent absences of the son aroused suspicions in Adelina Vasilyevna, who decided to ask him about everything directly.

Of course, the woman expected to hear anything but this.

«German, are you an idiot, brainless? Christina’s father will destroy you… Understand, we are fleas against him… There, such money and connections are involved that we don’t even stand close…

So, while there’s still time, deal with the girl…

You messed up, now learn to clean up after yourself…

Next time, you’ll think a hundred times before jumping on the first maid you come across,» Adelina Vasilyevna said angrily, and slamming the door, went to her office.

Meanwhile, German, holding his head in his hands, began to agonizingly think about what to do next.

«Fine, let her give birth… And then we’ll see. Anyway, she’s now under observation in the maternity hospital,» German thought, pleased with such a sound decision.

The major thought the situation was under control and when, a couple of days later, a happy Dasha called him to announce the birth of twins, he already knew what he needed to do.

The babies were born healthy, strong little ones, and to Dasha’s joy, they didn’t keep her in the maternity hospital for long, sending her home after a week.

The young mother’s happiness knew no bounds when she moved into the rental apartment, holding Nastenka and Kiryusha in her arms.

Of course, she didn’t see any particular joy in German’s eyes, but during the pregnancy, Dasha had become so accustomed to his sorrowful expression that she preferred not to pay any attention to it.

But, as it turned out, Dasha was deeply mistaken, underestimating German’s cunning.

One evening, he arrived happy, holding a cake. Pretending to be a caring father, he put Kiryusha and Nastenka to bed and then sat down in the kitchen to have tea with Dasha.

But the girl hadn’t even drunk half a cup when she suddenly experienced severe weakness and dizziness.

Losing consciousness, she noticed how German hid some tiny vial in his pocket.

Dasha woke up a few hours later in an unfamiliar place. Her head hurt terribly, and her vision was doubling.

Gathering her thoughts, the girl realized that she was being transported, tied up in the back seat of an unfamiliar car.

«Where am I going? Where am I?» she asked in a weak voice.

«Quiet, you damned wretch… Look, she’s come to… Don’t fidget, we’ll arrive soon,» someone growled at her from the front passenger seat of the car.

Hearing this, Dasha fell back into oblivion and woke up in a hut that looked very much like a forester’s or ranger’s dwelling.

Dasha realized this by the simple camping gear and the multitude of various herbs drying above the stove.

The atmosphere in her late grandfather Trofim Petrovich’s watchman’s hut was almost exactly like this one, only larger in size.

Dasha’s hands were tied with rope, and her mouth was sealed with adhesive tape.

Listening to the conversation behind the wall, Darya could barely make out snippets of phrases:

«Pity her… Maybe we won’t drown her?» one of her kidnappers rumbled.

«But we were paid, Fed… She gave birth to twins for some rich guy and they decided to get rid of her,» his partner replied in a vile falsetto.

Shocked by such news, Dasha looked around, trying to find a way out of the situation.

Suddenly, her gaze landed on a window, through which a forest thicket was visible.

Realizing that this was her only chance to escape, Dasha carefully turned the latch and flung open the window.

Most likely, her kidnappers hadn’t anticipated such a scenario, thinking that a city girl wouldn’t know how to open the ingenious bolts in rural homes.

But Dasha grew up in a village and had been taught all the forest wisdoms by her grandfather Trofim since childhood.

Therefore, when the kidnappers entered the hut, deciding to finally drown her, the brave girl was already long gone.

Dasha ran, pushing through thickets of juniper and wolfberry.

Of course, moving with her hands tied was more difficult, but she hadn’t run even a kilometer when she stumbled upon a young bearded man with a dog on a forest path…

Startled, Dasha shrieked and pressed her back against the trunk of a tree.

«Don’t be afraid… Trezor won’t bite… It’s a hunting breed, not a fighting one,» the man said quietly, adjusting his cap with a cracked brim.

«Please help me… There are bandits… They kidnapped me and wanted to kill me… It’s all because of my poor little children,» Dasha pleaded, stretching her bound hands towards the man in protective clothing.

The stranger, who turned out to be a local ranger, quickly freed the runaway from her bonds, and then, without saying much, took a walkie-talkie out of his pocket and contacted the local police officer.

 

Describing the situation, he gave approximate coordinates of the criminals’ location.

To Dasha’s surprise, the local law enforcement acted quickly, and soon a search helicopter was circling over the forest.

«Let’s go to the watchman’s hut… I’ll make you some tea… You’re not yourself at all… My sister just came to visit…

I wasn’t going to go on patrol today, but Trezor insisted… Probably felt we’d meet you,» the ranger said with a smile, patting the dog on the back.

Feeling sympathy for this big and strong guy, Dasha willingly followed him.

In the ranger’s hut, it was bright and cozy.

«Oh, Andryusha… Who is this with you? Is she your bride?» a girl standing on the threshold asked. At first glance, her urban upbringing and the audacity of a megacity resident were evident.

«No, she’s just a girl… well… She’s in trouble… And I helped… Just pour some tea first… and then you can start with your questions,» the boy replied, embarrassed.

Over a cup of fragrant lime tea, calming down, Dasha told her story from beginning to end, exactly as it happened, without omissions or understatement.

All this time, the ranger’s sister, Polina, listened attentively to the girl’s story, occasionally making some notes with a pencil in a small notebook.

Responding to the unspoken question in Dasha’s eyes, Polina smiled and took a journalist’s ID from her pocket.

«I came here to my brother in the wilderness… To cover the issue of poaching and corruption in local areas… But your story will be much more important, so rest assured… I won’t leave this case unaddressed, and everyone will learn about it,» the journalist said confidently.

«No, what a scoundrel this rich guy turned out to be… Decided to get rid of the mother of his own children… I would carry them on my hands, and he, you see, came up with this…» Andrey said angrily, having taken a liking to Dasha deep down.

Soon, the local police officer called the ranger via walkie-talkie and reported that the kidnappers had been detained and were giving full confessions.

«Well, soon it’ll be this major’s turn… And if it doesn’t reach him, then Polinka with her article will help… She’s known in all publishing houses… and for such a hot story, they’ll go to any lengths,» Andrey said, trying to reassure the agitated Dasha.

It should be said that the young ranger was right.

Polina’s article was published two days later and caused a real sensation not only among the public but also among the highest echelons of power and law enforcement.

Thanks to the testimonies of the detained kidnappers and Dasha’s story, German was taken into custody.

Because of the wide publicity, the investigation proceeded at a rapid pace, and soon, the rich major was given a guilty verdict, which required him to spend several years in a colony.

Darya took Kiryusha and Nastenka from the rental apartment, rejoicing that German had not managed to harm the children.

Adelina Vasilyevna, burning with shame, offered the former maid her help, but Darya refused.

The girl decided to leave the city, which had been so unkind to her, and settle in the village, together with the ranger Andrey.

The guy had a difficult past and already had experience with tragic relationships when his wife and daughter died in a car accident.

Therefore, learning about the misfortune that befell Dasha and her children, Andrey gladly welcomed them into his home, inherited from his parents.

Of course, initially, Andrey and Darya lived under one roof as friends… But over time, as often happens in life, friendly relations evolved into something more, instilling love and feelings in their hearts.

Sister Polina, who had a knack for understanding people, approved of her brother’s choice and joyfully plays with her nephews, of whom she now had two.

With a mysterious smile, Dasha and Andrey hinted that this was not the limit and they were thinking about a third child, which would undoubtedly add its own portion of happiness to their strong family life.

— Tonya, are you feeling unwell? What’s wrong with you?

Antonina did not respond; she just continued to lie on her side.

— Mom, tomorrow I will come home not alone but with a fiancé, — Larisa surprised Antonina over the phone. — I’m getting married!

Antonina was taken aback:

— Getting married? When did you find a fiancé! Well, come over, we will be waiting. It’s good that you warned me, I will inform your father.

The woman hung up the phone and stepped out of the house onto the porch.

She found her husband in the garden; he was fixing a small fence, replacing the rotted pickets with new ones.

— Roma! — Antonina called out to him. — Drop everything. Tomorrow our daughter is coming, not alone, but with a fiancé! We will meet him!

The evening was busy, Antonina and her husband were grinding meat for mince and making dumplings, the woman was busy at the stove late into the night, preparing pies and baking pancakes, while her husband washed the floors in all the rooms.

The Anokhins tried hard to make a good impression on their daughter’s fiancé.

The next morning, the house was spotlessly clean, and the table in the hall was laden with treats. Roman hurriedly swept the yard, while Antonina made the final touches inside the house, decorating the table with various jars of jam and candies.

Finally, the guests arrived, surprising the hosts with their luxurious and stylish car, which entered the yard with loud music playing.

Larisa was the first to exit with a large bouquet of white roses in her hands. Following her, a slim woman in a strict coat waited until a young man, who had jumped out from behind the wheel, opened the trunk and handed her a box with a cake.

The guest looked around the house, and her eyes settled on the Anokhins.

— Good afternoon, — she smiled. — Larisa, introduce us.

Her daughter was nervous, her hands trembling slightly.

— Mom, dad, this is Valentina Gennadievna, Oleg’s mother. And this is Oleg, I’ve told you about him.

Antonina curiously looked at the guests and gestured for everyone to come inside. A mother’s heart told her that Valentina Gennadievna was not thrilled about her son’s choice, but she maintained her dignity like a true lady.

«But that’s just at the beginning,» — Antonina felt a chill inside.

During the acquaintance, it became clear that her maternal instincts were right.

— I suggest the children do without a wedding, why the unnecessary expenses, — Valentina said at the table. — Let them register and stay at home. I, for one, don’t like noisy parties and guests. Larisa got her diploma, so we’ll find her a job in the city soon. In six months, the young ones could take out a mortgage. And it would be great if we help them a little to get settled. I will give Oleg a small amount, which I saved for him. Of course, it’s not a million, half as much, but better than nothing.

 

The future mother-in-law looked hopefully at Larisa’s parents.

— Since that’s the case, we will also not stand aside, — Mr. Anokhin said. — We also have some savings, and when the young ones decide to get their own place, we’ll give it to our daughter.

After Larisa married the city boy, the Anokhins happily began helping the young family. They had chickens, a few sheep, and a cow with a calf on their farm.

With the onset of winter, they slaughtered the calf for meat. Mr. Anokhin took part of the beef to the city, sharing it between his daughter’s family and the mother-in-law. He stayed as a guest for several days.

Antonina called her husband every hour, but Roma initially said he was visiting Larisa, then turned off his phone.

Antonina was not bored, as her household work kept her busy. She made cottage cheese, turned it into cheese, collected cream, and churned butter. All this she set aside to give to the mother-in-law, really wanting to earn her favor.

But soon trouble came to Antonina’s house. Her husband, Roman, returned home only to pack his things and leave. He bluntly explained to his wife that he had been waiting for their daughter to settle her personal life to separate. And he admitted that he no longer had any feelings for her.

— I no longer want to live with you. I leave you the house and the farm and ask you to understand. I’ve wanted to leave you for a long time, but our daughter held me back. Now she’s settled, and I have no reason to pretend any longer. Let me go!

Antonina burst into tears, clutched desperately at her husband’s jacket, and begged him to stay. But Anokhin pried her fingers loose and left.

People who can stoically endure any trials of fate are truly strong. However, Antonina did not possess such a gift.

She lay on the bed, dressed in a thermal shirt, her legs in boots. A neighbor who entered her house in the morning came across the lying hostess and got worried:

— Tonya, are you feeling unwell? What’s wrong with you? Let me call our paramedic.

Antonina did not answer her, only continued to lie on her side.

Within an hour, almost the whole village gathered at the Anokhin house, people gossiping among themselves:

— They say, Tonya’s husband left her.

— How did he leave, where to? — the women were worried.

Ravil, Roma’s close friend, came out of the crowd:

— Roma went to another woman, she lives in the city. I don’t know the other details.

— What an Asmodeus! And what about Tonya?

— Well, it’s unclear what. She’s lying down. Doesn’t get up. Doesn’t answer questions. The paramedic examined her, says it looks like a stroke. Well, he called the doctors, now they’ll come, let’s see what they say.

The news that the mother had taken ill quickly reached Larisa. She rushed from the city, dropping all her business, and began fussing around her mother.

Illness confined Antonina Anokhina to bed; she spent two weeks in intensive care.

Initially, she couldn’t speak, and her eyes were constantly wet with tears.

Roman Anokhin categorically refused to see his wife. He dryly informed his daughter that he had filed for divorce and had no intention of returning home.

He told his daughter:

— I don’t believe in her illness. I think she’s pretending and manipulating me to get me to return.

Larisa was shocked by her father’s words.

Anokhin lived with his new woman and was afraid that the situation would force him to return to his wife.

He even bitterly told his son-in-law that it would be better if Antonina «suffered through» and freed their daughter from the burden.

Larisa could not understand how her father could say such a thing about a person with whom he had lived for many years. She was horrified and furious at his words.

The girl took leave from work, moved her mother to her rented apartment, and voluntarily cared for her.

In the village, neighbors and friends of the Anokhins also did not sit idly by; in the absence of the owners, they cared for the livestock.

Oleg was angry at his young wife because of the mounting problems.

— This is not life. How long will your mother lie like this? A year, two, or maybe all her life? How long will we have to spend on medicine and her care? Sorry, but when I married you, I didn’t plan on having to fuss over a mother-in-law.

That same day, the mother-in-law came to visit, and Valentina shook her head:

— Larisa, forgive me if my words seem harsh to you, but we all, including your father, lean towards the idea that Antonina should be placed in some kind of nursing home. Or send her back to the village and hire a caregiver for her. Because you have a family, work, you can’t drop everything for a sick person.

Larisa, holding her mother’s hand all this time, looked indifferently at her mother-in-law:

— Valentina Gennadievna, my mother is part of my family. And why did you interfere in her life, after all, it was to you that dad went? Why did you allow him to live with you? How could this have happened at all?!

The guest did not want to answer the question and immediately turned her back.

Oleg realized that Larisa would not yield to his demands, and the mother-in-law would stay with them.

He asked for a divorce, explaining that family life turned out not as he had imagined.

Larisa agreed to the divorce, not hiding her tears. She thought about how lucky she was that she hadn’t gotten pregnant and hadn’t bought joint property with Oleg. They had nothing to argue about.

The money that was in Larisa’s bank account, intended for the initial mortgage payment, came in very handy. On it, Antonina and Larisa lived: they rented an apartment near the hospital, bought food, medicine, and paid for massages and rehabilitation procedures.

During one such procedure, Antonina met the smiling Raisa. This fifty-two-year-old woman was recovering from a road accident. Although Raisa was confined to a wheelchair, she remained cheerful and active.

Chatting, the women exchanged phone numbers, and their friendship began.

— I would give anything to regain the ability to walk, — Raisa shared with Antonina, her words full of pain. — Before the illness, I was a regular person, but I lived like an amoeba. Always sitting in a chair, too lazy to go for a walk. I was depressed, although I had everything: my own expensive car, a good job, and an apartment. But most importantly, I have the best son in the world. However, I didn’t appreciate this before and lived in depression. Every evening I made up problems for myself.

Now, having lost the ability to walk, I realized how much I have. I want to get back on my feet and return to my usual life. As soon as we recover, let’s go to a restaurant.

Antonina modestly smiled:

— I’ve never been to such places.

Raisa was surprised:

— Are you serious? Then all the more let’s go. I want to find myself in a decent place again, among well-dressed, laughing people.

First, Tonya sat up in bed by herself, then learned to slowly lower her legs to the floor from the bed. And finally, she got out of bed and learned to walk again.

All this time, her beloved daughter was by her side, who believed in her, patiently cared for her, and massaged Tonya’s legs.

 

Antonina assured Larisa that she would make it to the restaurant without any adventures.

The daughter still followed her when they arrived at the appointed place, and they were met by Raisa.

She was sitting in a wheelchair, which a young man was pushing.

— Hello, Tonya, — smiled the friend. — Meet my son Andrei.

— And this is my daughter Larisa.

Larisa blushed, Andrei also felt awkward:

— When mom was going to the restaurant, I didn’t let her go alone. I thought, what kind of restaurant could it be, she was just discharged.

Larisa stifled a laugh, covering her mouth with her hand:

— I was also surprised, but decided to escort my mom. I’m still worried about her health.

The restaurant had a cozy atmosphere, classical music played softly, and the women chose a table and sat down.

Larisa was about to leave but froze.

In the corner, at a table, sat her father; he was not alone, with Larisa’s former mother-in-law Valentina.

Anokhin did not take his eyes off his daughter.

— Larisa, — a pathetic smile flickered on his face, he waved to her.

Antonina also saw the couple of betrayers, she stopped moving.

— May I leave?

Antonina could see how her husband continued to sit at the table as if nothing had happened. She got angry and opened the menu folder.

— Did we come here for nothing? Larisa, dear, sit at the table, and you, Andrei, please sit down.

Antonina enjoyed the company and the food, and thought that she would also rejoice in life.

The world did not revolve around her ex-husband. She would no longer be upset: he left, and that’s where he belongs.

Anokhin looked at the table where Antonina and Larisa were sitting all evening. He really wanted to come over and find out what they were doing here. After all, the restaurant was an expensive establishment that a sick village woman couldn’t afford.

After a brief relationship, Andrei married Larisa. She did not invite her father to her wedding.

Larisa was lucky with her husband and mother-in-law—they turned out to be wonderful people.

Raisa began to walk with crutches, but at the celebration, she sat in a wheelchair, and Antonina was constantly by her side.

After her daughter’s wedding, Antonina returned to her native home. Ravil, Roman’s former friend, who lived alone and came to look after the livestock during the owner’s absence, continued to come.

He helped the woman in every way he could. Perhaps Antonina would notice him, and two solitudes would come together.

«What are you stuck in there for? Come out, let’s go!» Anna Makarovna was banging on the bathroom door with her fist.

«Please wait just five more minutes,» responded the daughter-in-law, Albina.
You’ve lost all conscience! What could you possibly do there for half an hour? Were you unloading wagons or something?!»

It was always like this. Only three months had passed since Alya and Semyon got married, but the young woman felt as if she had been under the relentless oppression of her demanding mother-in-law forever. She hurried and, rushing out of the bathroom while buttoning up her robe, quickly disappeared into the room she shared with her husband. She checked her phone—it had been ten minutes since she last messaged her husband, then she had grabbed her things and gone to take a shower, so she had spent no more than eight minutes there, but Anna Makarovna counted half an hour.

The mother-in-law burst into the room without knocking and started to express how terrible her daughter-in-law was. Albina could repeat everything she said word for word; she knew all her phrases by heart.

«Not only are you using up the electricity—the rates have gone up again—but you’re also wasting water while the meters keep ticking. Can’t you turn off the tap while you’re washing your loofah? No, the water runs non-stop with you. Think about how much that costs. And why do you need to shower every day as if you work as a laborer? You sit at home all day, staring at the screen. Go on, make dinner, Semyon will be home soon tired, and you don’t care about feeding your husband.»

Albina obediently stood up and went to the kitchen. She had boiled pasta earlier, had taken ground meat out of the freezer in the morning. All that was left was to fry the onion, which was also already peeled, with the ground meat, and then mix it with the pasta. They would have Navy-style pasta, Semyon’s favorite dish.

«More dough!» Anna Makarovna sneered, stopping in the doorway. Right, keep giving your husband an ulcer. People need soups! And you just stuff your husband with dry food.»

Albina knew—arguing was pointless. She had tried to say something in her defense to her mother-in-law several times but quickly realized it was futile.

When Semyon came home from work and had dinner, Alya tried to talk to him again.

«Semyon, maybe you’ll change your mind, and we’ll move to a rental apartment, huh? I can’t stand your mom’s outbursts anymore. She won’t let me concentrate on work. And I work with numbers.»

Albina managed the accounts for several companies remotely, and they both wanted to save money for a down payment on a mortgage, and then they could move away from his mom.

«Just endure a little longer, baby. Mom’s just used to everything being her way. Don’t pay attention. If we pay rent, we’ll never save enough for our own place. Just endure!»

«Alright, I hope I can hold out for a while,» Alya agreed once again. She understood that in their situation, every penny in their savings account was crucial.

But with each day, her strength to endure the constant attacks and feel caged was diminishing.

It wasn’t long before Albina felt a bout of nausea one morning, and then again and again. She bought a pregnancy test, and her suspicions were confirmed as soon as the second line appeared.

That day she flitted around the apartment, rushing the minutes to share the news with her husband sooner.

She ran down to the deli on the ground floor of their building, bought a cake. She prepared a «Mimosa» salad and baked chicken. Instead of wine, she placed cranberry juice on the table. Her mood improved knowing that Anna Makarovna was not home all day and nobody interfered with her plans.

«And what kind of celebration have you arranged here?» the mother-in-law exclaimed, having just stepped over the threshold.

 

«A celebration!» Albina nodded, coming out of the kitchen in a fancy dress.

«Is it your birthday or something?» the elderly woman asked, squinting her eyes as if trying to remember something.

«No, but you’ll find out soon. Semyon will be back.»

But her husband was significantly delayed at work that evening. He came home quite drunk and immediately yelled into the depths of the apartment:

«I’ve lost my job! They’re closing down that rickety company!»

Albina came out of the room and, seeing her husband’s distressed face, tenderly embraced him.

«Well, it’s alright, we’ll manage. You’ll find something better, and I can take on a few more sole proprietorships for accounting if you start helping around the house.»

Semyon hiccupped and nodded.

«I made a delicious dinner, let’s go?! I was waiting for you to share the news.»

«No, I’m going to sleep!» Semyon stomped past the kitchen with unsteady steps.

«Well, have we come to this?!» the mother-in-law emerged from her room. You drove your husband to drinking. Not only did you sit without work, but now both of you will be sitting on my neck.»

Albina silently smirked. She had paid all the utility bills immediately since moving into this apartment after their marriage registration, and she also bought groceries. Semyon transferred his entire salary to their savings account, as did Alya make some savings. But Anna Makarovna refused to even listen to the idea that her daughter-in-law could earn more than her husband from home.

Closer to noon, when Semyon finally woke up, Albina reheated the chicken, took out the salad from the fridge, and set the table again. But the mood was completely different. There was none of the joy that had uplifted her the day before. The mother-in-law walked around frowning all morning, like a turkey, and her husband got up from bed gloomy. It was the last thing she wanted to share such joyful news in such a depressing atmosphere, but there was nothing else to be done. The family needed to know that they were expecting a new addition.

«We’re going to have a baby!» said Alya after a long silence during lunch.

Her husband silently raised a surprised and scared look at her, and the mother-in-law threw her fork on the table.

«Are you mocking me? No, you’re definitely not the brightest girl! You live here by the skin of your teeth, and now you’ll bring a baby into the house! I didn’t plan on becoming a grandmother. And what do you think you’ll live on? My answer is a categorical no! No, and again no! Either you move out immediately, or get rid of this mistake before it’s too late.»

Albina’s gaze darted from the mother-in-law to her husband, who sat head bowed, and remained silent.

«Semyon, aren’t you happy?» Alya asked cautiously, but he didn’t respond. He silently went out to the balcony, grabbing cigarettes.

«What’s there for him to be happy about?» his mother answered for him. «You think breeding poverty is joy? I didn’t dare have a child until I was forty because I wanted to acquire a home first. There was no hope on my husband. That’s how I achieved it, if it weren’t for me, where would you be living now? All together, you would be wandering from place to place. Don’t fool around, first provide a financial cushion, then you can think about children, if you don’t run away from each other by then.»

Albina silently left the kitchen, and the mother-in-law shouted after her:

«And who will clean up from the table? It should be sparkling here in half an hour! No need to breed cockroaches.»

Albina locked herself in the room, curled up on the sofa, knees to her chest, arms wrapped around them, and cried. Bitterly and hopelessly.

Semyon came, sat down in the armchair with his phone, and was silent.

«Semyon, at least say something,» Alya couldn’t stand the oppressive silence.

«What can I say if I don’t even know if I’ll have a job in the near future? It’s too early to dream about a mortgage, we’ll have to endure. Maybe, seeing a granddaughter or grandson, mom will thaw.»

Albina exhaled with relief. When Semyon cheered up a bit, they discussed how they would renovate the room, rearrange the furniture to make space for a crib. But when they returned from the store with new wallpaper, they met Anna Makarovna’s sparkling gaze.

«And what are you up to here without asking?»

«We want to change the wallpaper in the room to make it brighter, happier, these old ones though.»

Semyon said it as it was, but immediately regretted having said it.

«And did I allow you to renovate in my apartment?» Anna Makarovna glared at her son. «You can manage in your own apartment, but in my territory, I dictate the rules!»

Albina walked into the room with her head low, and Semyon stayed briefly, trying to talk to his mother about how she, without realizing it, was poisoning their lives.

«Mom, why are you starting again? If you want, when we move out, we’ll redo the renovation to your taste. But for now, we want to refresh the room. I don’t have a job now, what better reason to put things in order.»

«I’ve said my word, son, and this is no joke. You won’t live here with a child, and even without a child, it’s already cramped with you under one roof. Convince your queen to get rid of this burden.»

Semyon came into the room, as if dipped in water.

«Albina,» he sat down next to his wife and put his arm around her shoulder, «maybe… Maybe mom is right, and we should really postpone having a child? We don’t have anything of our own, we need to invest in earnings now, otherwise, we will always depend on someone else.»

«Semyon, just listen to yourself! It’s impossible to postpone having a child, there’s no such mode, and if you mean something else, then know—I will never do that!»

«Well, then we’ll have to forget about our own home! Get ready, tomorrow we’ll start looking for an apartment for rent, let’s see what you’ll say then.»

Albina sighed heavily.

«Everything will be alright, Semyon, I’ll take more work, I’ll sit day and night with reports, but we won’t need anything.»

Said and done. The next day Albina started calling from ads early in the morning, and after lunch, they went to look at the selected options. They settled on a one-bedroom apartment that was cheaper than the others, and it had more pluses. Not far from the house—a lake and a park where you can walk before bed, all shops nearby, you can walk to the women’s consultation, and the children’s clinic is nearby. The renovation, of course, left much to be desired, but they managed to agree with the owner that they would paste their own wallpaper, especially since they had already been bought.

Anna Makarovna was glad and didn’t hide it when her son and his unwelcome daughter-in-law were moving out of the apartment with their things.

 

«I hope you’ll quickly understand, son, that mother was right, and you chose the wrong wife!» she said in farewell and added, «You’ll run back, but remember, I won’t let her in! She decided she’s too independent, let her pull this yoke by herself!»

Albina didn’t pay attention to the mother-in-law’s words; now it didn’t matter to her, she had decided for herself that no matter how life turned out, she would never return to that apartment. In the worst case, she would move to her parents on Sakhalin. She stayed here after school because she met Semyon, and the matter was approaching marriage, but her husband didn’t want to leave his hometown, especially to such remote areas.

Albina, as promised, took on the accounting for several more companies and now had almost no free time. Semyon, quickly realizing that his wife was earning enough for him to not work at all, took on household duties.

«Why do I need to look for a job?» he asked. «You can save now, and we don’t need anything. And when the baby is born, it will be hard for you to manage both work and the household, so I’ll help.»

«That’s true,» Albina agreed.

But in the fifth month of pregnancy, Albina started to feel not very well. She was constantly drawn to sleep, wanted to rest more, and then she thought about it.

«Semyon, what if, suddenly, I can’t work so much, then we’ll be left with nothing, the savings will quickly run out. Maybe you should find a job after all?»

«Here we go!» the husband was indignant. «When you decided to keep the baby and leave your mother, you spoke completely differently. You didn’t even entertain the thought that you wouldn’t be able to work!»

Semyon had already gotten used to spending a good part of the day playing computer games, and Alya understood this well, but she didn’t want to argue with Semyon, and his help would indeed come in handy after the baby’s birth.

Once, during a video call with her mother, Albina accidentally let slip that it was getting harder for her to work every day.

«Alka, have you thought about expanding your company? Your organization is officially registered. You could delegate at least part of the work to other people.»

And Albina thought about it. Such thoughts, of course, had come to her, but it was somewhat scary—hiring people, being responsible. But now it didn’t seem supernatural to Albina. Without delaying the decision for long, the next day she contacted a lawyer, asking him to draft an employment contract for her, posted a job vacancy online, and in no time, Albina went from being a performer to a manager. Moreover, she could now easily expand her client base. So when her son Nikita was born, the work at Albina’s company was perfectly organized, and she only had to monitor the quality of the process.

Semyon now felt even more at ease. Albina managed everything beautifully, Nikitka was a calm child, and Semyon only had to perform minor tasks for his wife, which suited him perfectly. Anna Makarovna came to meet her grandson, but, looking at him, she declared to her son demonstratively:

«Interesting, who does he look like?! I don’t see any of us in him!»

Even Albina’s parents, coming from afar, stayed with their grandson for almost a month, although they had to rent an apartment, as Albina and Semyon didn’t have room, and Semyon’s mother no longer appeared.

When Nikitka turned three years old, Albina already had enough savings to finally buy their own house. It wasn’t as big as they would have liked, but it was just the beginning. The main thing was that now it would be their own home, and they wouldn’t have to depend on anyone. They had to check out quite a few options before choosing the most suitable one. There was a yard with a gazebo and a children’s corner, and the house was spacious. The rooms were small, but there was a separate bedroom, a nursery, and a living room with access to the terrace.

«Should we invite mom to the housewarming?» Semyon asked when they were moving into the house.

«Invite her,» Albina nodded, «out of decency, she’s unlikely to come, she hasn’t even come to Nikita’s birthday once, although you invited her. She didn’t even send a single gift to her grandson when you visit her. My parents almost every month send something for their grandson. No, of course, we don’t need anything, but the fact itself…»

But, contrary to expectations, Anna Makarovna came to the housewarming, again without a gift for her grandson.

«I live on a pension, utilities are expensive, so there’s no money for gifts,» she said, sitting down at the table. Then she looked closely at Nikitka, who was shy around her, hiding behind his mother, and muttered through her teeth, «He’s changed, looks like his father now.»

After dinner, the mother-in-law began to walk around the house, commenting on every little thing:

«The tile in the bathroom is so old-fashioned… Were there no options with separate bathrooms? You could remove the bathtub and put in a shower cabin, there would be more space. And the rooms are so small, a cow would lie down, and there’s nowhere to stretch its tail…»

«We’re all satisfied,» Albina dared to reply.

«I have no doubt that you’re satisfied,» the mother-in-law replied with a smirk. «You’ve never had any taste.»

Albina didn’t argue with her. Now she was the mistress in the house and felt free, and the mother-in-law could say whatever she wanted. Now she would leave, and everything would fall into place. However, soon Alya realized that everything would hardly ever fall into place again.

Semyon went to see his mother off when Albina noticed that Anna Makarovna had left her scarf. She picked it up from the chair and ran out of the house to give it to her mother-in-law. It was already dark outside, Semyon and his mother were standing by the gate, waiting for a taxi, and Alya, hearing the conversation, stopped in the yard.

«But I’m not working, I’m just sitting on Alya’s neck,» Semyon was saying.

«And what, she’s raking it in, buying such a house, let her share then. You’re obligated to help your mother, and if you’re not working, then let her help. Twenty thousand a month, I think, is not money for her, but a good support for me.»

«I’ll talk to Albina, but I don’t promise anything,» Semyon said timidly.

«Don’t talk, convince! In the end, if it weren’t for me, there would be neither you nor a son for her! Convince!»

At that moment, a car pulled up to the gate, and Albina, forgetting why she was there, ran back into the house. Semyon returned not very cheerful, and didn’t start a conversation about his mother right away, but Albina pretended she hadn’t heard anything. Her husband decided to talk only the next day, after talking to his mother on the phone.

«Albina, I’ve been thinking,» he started, «mom lives on a pension, barely making ends meet, it’s hard for her to cope. Her fridge is often empty. And besides us, she has no one.»

«Do you want to take her some groceries?» Albina asked.

«No,» the husband waved his hand. «I thought just that, well, now that we’ve bought a house, a lot of money will be left over. Maybe… We’ll start transferring at least twenty thousand a month to mom?»

«At least?» Albina couldn’t hold back. «Or maybe, dear, it’s time for you to find a job and transfer your entire salary to your mother? How about that option?»

«Why do I need a job if we don’t need anything?» Semyon argued, but mom is already old.

«Do you even know how I earn those twenty thousand? Do you think it’s easy for me to manage a whole team, communicate with clients, resolve employees’ mistakes? You have no idea what nerves are needed here, and you just casually say— at least twenty thousand! As for your mother’s age, my parents are almost her peers, but that doesn’t stop them from continuing to work while on a pension. Who’s stopping her from finding a part-time job for herself? Or you, if you want to help your mother?»

«Albina, you’re wrong. Just think about it, if there’s an opportunity to help, why not do it?»

«I have an opportunity to help! And I’m ready to help my parents, but they don’t need help! And your mother, who never considered me anything, I’m not going to help! Take care of her yourself!»

«Alright! I heard you, Albina! They say money corrupts people!»

Albina smirked. A few days Semyon walked around as if he’d been dipped in water, especially after a call from Anna Makarovna, but then he cheered up. Albina didn’t pay attention to such changes, but when she received a message about a debt for the developmental center where they took Nikitka, she turned to her husband.

«Did you forget to pay for the children’s center?» she asked, looking him in the eye.

«No, I…» Semyon’s gaze darted around. «I forgot to tell you… Mom asked for money for medicine, she’s feeling unwell, and I transferred it to her.»

«Seriously? You started stealing from me for your mother?» Albina was outraged.

«Choose your words! What does theft have to do with it?» Semyon jumped up from the chair.

«What is it then? You took my money without asking, intended for completely different purposes! Semyon, if this happens again, I’ll simply file for divorce! Not only do I support you for so many years, you also want to saddle me with your mother? That’s too heavy a burden!»

«Well, sorry, Albina, never again!» Semyon said, then added a bit louder, «But who else will help mom!»

Albina was silent, but the next time Semyon lied to her that the car needed maintenance, and he actually took the money to Anna Makarovna, which Albina found out not right away, she didn’t make a scandal, filed for divorce, and presented Semyon with a fait accompli.

«You’re heartless!» Semyon yelled. «No wonder my mom told me!»

 

«Yes, I am!» Albina simply replied.

Sitting on a bench outside the courtroom, Albina was very surprised when she saw Semyon accompanied by his mother. They sat down on the neighboring bench, pretending they didn’t see Albina.

«The house was bought during the marriage, so demand half. Don’t settle for less!» the mother instructed her son. «Divide the car too, leave her with nothing, since she didn’t want to sacrifice the little one!»

But Semyon was surprised when Albina declared during the court session that the house was registered in her mother’s name, Albina had made the purchase through a notarized power of attorney, anticipating this situation. And the car she didn’t mind leaving to her ex-husband, she wouldn’t even divide it, but it was bought on credit, let him pay and enjoy it! Besides, Albina immediately filed for alimony, and they were awarded in hard currency, as Semyon had no job.

Semyon left the courtroom with his head bowed.

«Well, what,» the mother rushed to him with questions, «did they divide the house? Why are you silent? What did they decide about the car?»

But Semyon didn’t respond. He quickened his pace and quickly left the building.

And Albina decided to sell all her property in this city, including the business, and return to her hometown. Now she knew how to organize a business, she could start the same firm from scratch there, and she didn’t regret anything. The main thing was that she would be surrounded by people who loved her and her son and whom she could trust.

Alenushka, please… listen to me!» cried the mother-in-law.

«No, Vera Vasilievna. There’s nothing to talk about,» Alena cut her off. She looked at four-year-old Valyusha. He was the spitting image of his father. But now that no longer mattered.

Not long ago, Alena would have given anything for these words. Back then, when she sat at the bus stop praying for someone to help her. She couldn’t call an ambulance—she had no phone or money on her: the mother-in-law had seen to that.

Vera Vasilievna had long awaited this moment, disliking the bride from the very first day.

She came to Vera Vasilievna’s son’s home with just a small bag. She had no dowry, only some personal belongings that fit in the bag. Later, the mother-in-law constantly reminded her that the bride had not a penny to her name.

 

«She didn’t even have money for a purse, came with a bag!» she often discussed Alena with a friend; the women liked to sit in the living room and spoke loudly. So that Alena heard every word intended for her. What did not concern her, Vera Vasilievna spoke quietly, even her friend sitting next to her had to ask again.

Alena often remembered the last days with her mother-in-law…

«Alena! The kettle is about to fly into space! Turn it off!» the mother-in-law yelled, unwilling to do anything around the house. She was used to Alena coming at the first call to pour tea, bring sugar, run to the store for cookies…

«Right now, Vera Vasilievna. I can’t move that fast…» holding her stomach, Alena went to the kitchen to turn off the boiling kettle and pour tea into the cups.

«I won’t drink from a dirty cup,» the mother-in-law grimaced, as if searching for tea drops on the service. «Too lazy to wipe the dishes? You’ve punished yourself. Go and pour me new tea! And don’t forget the milk. I like it warmed up. And bring cream for my friend.»

«Your son drank the cream this morning.»

«And what?»

«We have no cream.»

«So what are you standing for?! Go to the store!»

«Vera Vasilievna, it’s hard for me… The elevator is under repair, and we’re on the seventh floor…»

«Pregnant women should walk, go!» Vera Vasilievna made her favorite regal gesture, pointing at the door with her long nail.

«Behaves like a queen! And I’m like a servant…» thought Alena. She couldn’t utter a word against it, afraid.

Alena was taught in childhood that elders should be respected. Her grandfather, a retired colonel, raised and educated her and did not allow the girl what other children were allowed. Instead of cute secrets and bows, Alena had history books and a clear, almost military regimen of the day with lots of obligations. At 8, she fully managed the household: cooked, cleaned not only after herself but also for her grandfather, and knew how to iron the uniform shirts he preferred to wear even at home.

Perhaps that’s why when Alena got married in another city, far from her native home, she couldn’t imagine that her future mother-in-law would turn out to be even more strict and heartless than her grandfather. At first glance, Vera Vasilievna was a real angel in the flesh. She and her grandfather, a two-meter-tall bearded colonel, were so different that Alena «escaped» into her husband’s family with joy and some relief.

However, she was right: the mother-in-law and the grandfather were indeed different, but the main difference was that her grandfather loved his granddaughter. Despite his methods of upbringing, he was for her a relative and the only close person. Vera Vasilievna, however, couldn’t stand her daughter-in-law and did everything to make Alena leave their family as quickly as she appeared in it.

Alena’s husband, Ivan, initially tried to protect his wife, but Vera Vasilievna was too cunning. She played a double game, being neutral to the daughter-in-law in front of her son, but as soon as he left the threshold, she turned into a sheer devil.

«Ivan, maybe we should move? Let’s not embarrass your mom?» hinted Alena, unaccustomed to complaining and whining. But Ivan seemed not to understand what she meant.

«Why? Everything is wonderful! We have family idyll, a large spacious cozy apartment, soon a child will appear, mom will help,» Ivan hugged his wife, instilling hope for a bright future. But it never happened. As it turned out, Alena fell ill. She was diagnosed with an endocrine disease that could affect her reproductive function.

«You won’t be able to have a baby now. That’s actually good, otherwise the child may be born defective. You need to treat yourself and only then think about planning a pregnancy,» the doctor said.

Alena was very upset, but tried not to despair. But Vera Vasilievna, learning that her daughter-in-law had failed even in this regard, stopped hiding her attitude and even began to humiliate Alena in front of her son, calling her defective.

«Why do you need such a woman? A woman’s main function is to carry healthy offspring, and this one can’t even get pregnant! Spit on her!»

«Mom, the doctor said it’s treatable.»

«Doctors say a lot of things! They said about your father that he would recover. And no, he passed away, rest his soul…» Vera Vasilievna raised her eyes to the sky.

The unhealthy atmosphere did not contribute to the young woman’s recovery. Instead of getting better, Alena only felt worse. Hormones jumped like horses in a circus, she felt tired from the morning, constantly dozed off, everything fell from her hands, and her unstable emotional state was aggravated by new claims from the mother-in-law.

Vera Vasilievna did not work and directed all her energy towards managing her daughter-in-law. Alena, coming home from school, like Cinderella, dealt with performing various assignments.

Such sweet life reflected on Alena’s appearance. From a rosy, healthy young woman, she turned into a dry, nervous aunt, her hands shook, and she got gray hair prematurely.

Moreover, the disease affected the family life of the spouses. Alena completely lost interest in intimacy, and no matter how hard she tried, she could not make herself enjoy it. And Ivan, a man in the prime of life, seeing what was happening with his wife, did not even attempt to solve the problem. It was much easier to find a new hobby. Moreover, Vera Vasilievna herself pushed her son towards this step, introducing him to a young girl.

«Ivan, I can’t do this anymore,» finally, Alena realized that her husband was fascinated by another woman.

«Can’t? Then leave. You are no longer needed.»

«What about our family?»

«There is no family for us. And there won’t be! You won’t bear me a child, my mother hates you, and you don’t pity her, only this damn ring connects us,» he tore it off his finger and threw it on the floor, at Alena’s feet.

«But you said… You said you loved me!» Alena tried to take her husband by the hand, but he pushed her away.

«I said it drunk! Who knows what I could do in such a state…» Ivan grimaced. A couple of weeks ago, he came home tipsy. His wife was already asleep, but Ivan suddenly decided to remember that they were a married couple, woke her up, blabbed something, and got what he wanted. And after five minutes, having received all he needed and calling her by the name «Ksyusha,» he fell onto the pillow and started snoring.

Alena could not sleep that night. She cried, pitying herself and their marriage.

Then Alena realized that her husband had another woman. And some time later, Ivan himself confessed to her about his affair.

«I think it’s time to end this show called marriage. Pack your things, Alenka. Return to where you came from.»

Alena silently dressed, she had nothing to take: she left with what she came with… she thought, pulling on her jacket. But fate decided to torment this unfortunate woman a bit more. At the last moment, when she was about to leave, she was suddenly pierced by sharp pain.

Ivan, though not the most decent man, called an ambulance, and the woman was taken away. And an hour later, Ivan was informed that his wife’s and future child’s health was not threatened.

«What child?!» Ivan gasped. Vera Vasilievna was nearby and dropped a cup from her hands, so it fell and shattered into pieces.

«Yours. It’s hard to determine the gender yet, but we’ll find out soon,» the doctor informed.

«Let her have an abortion!» said Vera Vasilievna, realizing what was being discussed. But this time, Ivan, for some reason, showed firmness.

«No, mom. I wanted a child, let her give birth.»

«But you won’t live with her. You don’t love her!»

«But the child will be born in a full family. Alena will endure, she won’t blame me for my affairs. So let her remain my official wife. Other women won’t go anywhere from me,» Ivan said.

Vera Vasilievna was surprised. She didn’t expect such a thing from her son. Nevertheless, she had to come to terms with it.

The first three months were relatively not bad. Ivan, though not too kind, was involved in arranging the nursery, bought things for the child, paid for his wife’s doctors and tests. The pregnancy went according to plan. Even Vera Vasilievna was silent, or maybe Alena had no time to pay attention: she was busy with her thesis.

Having graduated from the university, Alena experienced all the delights of morning sickness and other pleasant things.

 

She couldn’t get out of bed, she felt terribly nauseous, and she needed care and help.

Then Vera Vasilievna showed herself: she pressed even harder than before.

«Alena! The kettle will fly into space now! Turn it off! I won’t drink from a dirty cup,» the mother-in-law grimaced, as if searching for leaks on the service. «Too lazy to wipe the dishes? You’ve punished yourself. Go and pour me new tea! And don’t forget the milk. I like it warmed up. And bring cream for Lenochka. No cream? So what are you standing for?! Go to the store!»

Due to stress, Alena’s body activated hidden reserves. She got better, and Ivan noticed it.

«See, how good! You were lying flat, and now you’re running around.»

«She’s just a lazybones, that’s all,» the mother-in-law answered for Alena.

Perhaps Alena would have lived like this until childbirth if not for a random discovery. Vera Vasilievna found test results where certain indicators were exceeded.

«You will give birth to a defective child! I don’t need such a grandson!» the mother-in-law screamed, waving papers in front of her daughter-in-law’s nose.

«Vera Vasilievna, everything will be fine. What makes you think there’s a risk?» barely restraining herself, Alena asked.

«Because you’re sick! And the child will be the same! I already found out everything from an acquaintance doctor.

«Yes? And who is this doctor? Not Ksenia, is it? Isn’t she my husband’s lover?!»

Vera Vasilievna pursed her lips and left. But this was only the beginning.

She started to work on her son, convincing him that the child would be born sick. By that time, Ivan had already convinced himself that Alena was just an incubator for giving birth to a baby and was making plans on how to deprive her of parental rights. But the news that the child would be «defective» destroyed his plans.

«If so, then I don’t need this burden,» he finally gave up. Vera Vasilievna and Ksenia very skillfully described to him the hardships of life with a disabled person. Ivan thought it over, observed his wife, and… Told her that she could be free.

«If you need to—give birth. I’ve decided to renounce my rights to the child,» he said one evening. «It’s too late for an abortion, you can hand him over where appropriate, it’s your business. Here, take this small amount of money to last you for the first time. Consider it my gift for our anniversary,» he laughed. But Alena didn’t find it funny.

Ivan threw the money on the table and left. Vera Vasilievna did not drag things out.

«Get out of my house, parasite! I’ve endured you for so long!» she said, scooping up things into a bag. Where the mother-in-law got the same bag with which Alena had come to her house several years ago—Alena did not know.

Tears choked her, but she said nothing. Silently took the bag and, forgetting about the money, left. She had nowhere to go, so she hoped to spend the night with an acquaintance. And in the morning go home, to her grandfather.

At the bus stop, she felt bad. For some reason, none of the passing cars stopped, apparently, people were in a hurry with their own business and simply did not notice the pregnant woman who needed urgent help.

If not for a schoolgirl passing by, Alena might have died at that bus stop. But fortunately, the girl managed to call an ambulance, and the doctors did not lose their nerve and provided the necessary help.

Until childbirth, Alena lay in preservation. Neither her husband nor her mother-in-law ever came to visit her. However, Alena did not wait for them. She only prayed that the baby would be born on time, healthy and strong.

The child was born prematurely, but without deviations.

She had to stay in the maternity hospital longer than usual, but the young mother was happy. Ivan did not file for divorce: he understood that they would not divorce them with a newborn child. But Alena did not return to her mother-in-law’s house. She was afraid that Ivan would change his mind and take the child away from her.

With the help of acquaintances, Alena managed to contact her grandfather, who remained in her native city, and was able to buy a ticket with the money sent to her. The grandfather, though he was angry with his granddaughter, accepted her along with his great-grandson.

The first time was very hard. Alena had to take care of both her grandfather and her newborn son. The pension was not enough, and she applied for alimony.

Ivan did not want to pay, but he had to do it. The transferred money helped Alena survive.

After a year, she managed to get a part-time job. The grandfather stayed with the great-grandson for a few hours, and Alena worked at that time in a beauty salon at home: she was taken as an administrator. Later she learned how to do pedicures and started earning more.

From two years old, Valyusha went to kindergarten, and finally, the grandfather could breathe easily. Everyone was busy.

Alena did not think about her husband, it was unpleasant for her to remember those years she had spent on the family of Vera Vasilievna.

Nevertheless, her husband’s social media page was full of photos with Ksenia. They no longer hid their relationship, and Ivan more and more often demanded a divorce.

 

Alena agreed. But they did not manage to divorce. Ivan got into an accident and broke his spine. Alena learned about it from her mother-in-law. Why Vera Vasilievna called her, Alena could not understand.

«He lies… Immobilized…» Vera Vasilievna cried into the phone. «I don’t know what to do…»

«Call Ksenia. Let her advise, she’s a doctor,» Alena could not hold back. She did not feel sorry for either her husband or his mother.

«You were nasty, and you remained nasty!» Vera Vasilievna shrieked and hung up the phone. Later, she called several more times, but Alena did not answer her.

After half a year «between life and death,» Ivan passed away. Ksenia disappeared into the mist, forgetting that she loved this man. And Vera Vasilievna suddenly remembered that she had a blood grandson.

Somehow she saw his photo on social media and realized that he was a copy of Ivan. Maternal feelings stirred in her, and she took a train ticket to personally show up at her daughter-in-law’s and demand the opportunity to see the boy.

But Alena did not open the door to her.

«Leave, Vera Vasilievna. I won’t let you see your grandson. He’s not yours and never was.»

«How can you say that?!»

«You yourself directed me to have an abortion. You yourself kicked me out with a big belly! You can die at the door, but I won’t let you in. Neither into the house nor into our lives. Leave.»

Vera Vasilievna stomped, cried, and left. She tried to call for a long time, wrote messages, and even appealed to television. But everywhere she was refused.

The woman met her old age alone. Even the spacious apartment did not brighten her existence, and friends, once gladly coming to her home, dispersed—everyone to their own…

Why did you come home so early?!» the husband exclaimed, startled, instinctively closing the door in his wife’s face.

«What do you mean?» Svetlana managed to insert her bag into the doorway to keep the door from slamming shut. The situation resembled a cheap joke. Only in this joke, the role of the «business trip husband» was played by the wife, Svetlana…

She had not wanted to leave, suspecting her husband of infidelity!

Svetlana had always dreamed of building a career. She worked hard and eventually achieved the position she desired. Initially, her husband, Gosha, was skeptical about his wife’s new job.

«And why were you appointed? Couldn’t they find someone else?»

«What do you mean?»

«Well… A man, for example, or a younger girl…»

«So, you think only guys or young girls should hold good positions? What about mature, experienced women? Are they supposed to be dumped? To just fade away?» Svetlana was offended.

«No, I didn’t mean that,» Gosha flustered. He tried to explain, to justify himself, but it didn’t work out.

Svetlana was hurt and did not speak to him for several days. Then she announced that she was going to Moscow.

«Why?!»

«They’re calling me to the main office. For business.»

«For how long?»

«No, just a couple of days.»

«Next time, let me know in advance! How am I supposed to live alone?»

«You’ll manage. You’re not a two-year-old. Sausages, pasta, dumplings—they haven’t been banned.» Gosha nodded gloomily. Svetlana left, but it was just the beginning.

From that moment, she often had to travel either to Moscow or to Saint Petersburg. She never left for more than three days and always informed her husband of her trips. Usually, Gosha was upset, muttered to himself, but lately, something in his behavior had changed. He became secretive, acted strangely, and seemed to only wait for when his wife would leave.

And Svetlana, as if to spite him, did not leave. Her company was facing changes again, and she had to work even harder. She stayed late at the office, and Gosha had a lot of free time without his wife. And when free time appears, activities are usually found. Sometimes these activities lead to the breakup of a family.

Svetlana understood this, noticing how her husband had changed. He often hung out on his phone, showed no interest in her news, and openly worried about his wife «sitting at home.»

«Honey, do you have problems at work?» he asked once.

«No… What makes you think that?»

«I figured you haven’t been to Moscow for over two months,» Gosha looked disappointed. «Did they find a replacement?»

«Not at all! I’m just needed here. But why are you asking?»

«Just wondering… Maybe you forgot to tell me something important? Just wanted to check.»

«Don’t worry. If I go anywhere, you’ll be the first to know,» Svetlana snorted. She thought about her husband’s behavior, his questions, and strange looks.

«Probably found himself a mistress,» Svetlana thought. Moreover, she noted that her husband completely stopped bringing money home.

«Maybe we should go to the store together?» she suggested, calling her husband.

«I don’t think I want to spend time on that. That’s what the internet is for.»

«In that case, order the groceries yourself. I don’t have time for it, and you’re already home.»

«Alright,» Gosha agreed. Half an hour later, the payment was deducted from Svetlana’s card.

«Why didn’t you pay yourself?!» she asked.

«I’m having some financial difficulties, my salary was delayed… And usually, you pay for the groceries. I don’t see a problem.»

«I see a problem! You’ve become a freeloader, and you don’t even do basic things: you even forget to say good morning, immediately grabbing your phone! You lock yourself in the bathroom and sit there for hours. What are you doing there for so long?!» Svetlana exploded.

«I thought ‘bathroom’ matters were something every person is entitled to. Ever heard of personal boundaries?» Gosha responded unhappily. He didn’t like that his wife called him a freeloader.

«You need personal boundaries? Tired of me, are you?» Svetlana crossed her arms. «Fine, then rejoice: they’re sending me on a business trip.»

«When?» His eyes sparkled. He couldn’t hide his joy.

«Actually, tomorrow. It’s an urgent, long trip…» Svetlana wanted to say it was for a year but feared he wouldn’t believe her, and her plan wouldn’t work.

«How long are you leaving?»

«For a month,» she blurted out, noticing that his hands were reaching for his phone.

«Wow… he can’t even control himself! I haven’t even left yet, and he’s already inviting his mistress over!»

Svetlana’s thoughts were sadder than ever. Yet, she had recently been worried not about this, but about the fact that her boss had called her into his office and talked for a long time.

«Think it over, I’m not rushing you.»

«I understand, but I have a family… It’s too difficult a decision to make alone.»

«Of course. I’ll give you time to think.»

«How long do I have?»

«One and a half to two months. By summer, I need to submit a report to the main office. Perhaps, you’ll be the one to deliver it, already in your new position.»

Svetlana smiled modestly. She could hardly dream of such an offer. But her husband, Gosha, was against such changes. Therefore, the woman did not experience the full spectrum of emotions. She postponed the conversation for some time: she needed to prepare her husband for this news. And then such a turn.

It turned out that her husband couldn’t wait for his wife to free up living space!

Svetlana packed her suitcase with a heavy heart. Her inner voice told her not to leave, but she went anyway. Fortunately, they did approve her trip, from which she planned to return unexpectedly, without warning.

Svetlana left: she left her husband, and he didn’t even notice that the refrigerator was empty, that his wife had not prepared clean shirts for him…

This trip was different. Gosha did not call his wife to find out how her flight went, how she reached the hotel. He didn’t send her messages and, in general, seemed to forget about her existence. Moreover, when his wife called, he responded quite dryly, in passing. As if he was always in a hurry, and he had no time to spend a few minutes on a simple conversation.

At first, Svetlana pitied herself, cried into her pillow, realizing that their marriage was doomed, but after a few days, she caught herself thinking that any ending is the beginning of something new.

Two weeks later, during a conversation with her boss, she made a fateful decision:

«I agree, Boris Lvovich.»

«Have you thought it all through?» he asked, restraining a smile.

«Yes.»

«In that case, we’ll have a meeting tomorrow. It’s fortunate that you’re currently in Moscow.»

«Okay.»

Svetlana was unanimously approved. Another rung on the career ladder was passed. She would have been happy, but domestic problems prevented her from feeling complete happiness.

«You can start your new duties from Monday. Perhaps you need to finish some matters at home?» her new boss clarified.

«Yes. You’re right.»

«In that case, go to your town, close all issues, and return. I hope a week will be enough for you to resolve everything.»

«Yes. That’s quite enough,» Svetlana nodded. She booked a return ticket and, without delay, headed home. She did not call her husband. She needed to catch him by surprise. Which is what happened.

Entering the building, she took out her key and, with trembling hands, unlocked the door.

«Who’s there?» her husband’s voice came from near the door. For a moment, Svetlana thought she had worked herself up, that her husband was faithful to her, and now, at home, she would not find proof of his infidelity.

«It’s me.»

«Sveta?! Why did you come home so early?!» the husband was frightened, closing the door in front of his wife’s face.

«What do you mean?» Svetlana managed to shove her bag in so the door wouldn’t close. «Do you think I should ask for permission ‘to enter?’ Come on, move aside! I’m tired from the trip.»

Svetlana pushed the door with force and entered the apartment. Her husband’s facial expression was indescribable. It seemed he was ready for anything just to make his wife disappear.

«Aren’t you happy to see me? Didn’t miss me in two weeks?» she looked at the stranger’s items in the hallway. A jacket, sneakers… Svetlana expected that her husband’s mistress would wear heels, not these cloth «slippers.»

«I-I missed you… But why so early? Or are you just passing through?» the husband babbled nonsense, and Svetlana suddenly found it funny.

«Exactly, I’m just passing through. I’ll settle some things and then I’ll go on,» she walked deeper into the apartment, from which noise was coming. Svetlana was so agitated that she didn’t immediately notice the layer of dust on the floor, nor did she see the bags of glue. Only upon looking into the room did she understand what was happening. In her absence, her husband decided to renovate! True, he hadn’t managed to finish because his wife had come home earlier.

«Did the surprise not work out?» she propped her hips with her fists. «How sweet, I see we have pink walls and a cartoon picture on the wallpaper. Did you regress to childhood? Or decided to set up a room for our 18-year-old son? He’s a boy, not a princess! And he lives in a dorm at the institute, and it’s too early for him to get married and have kids!» Svetlana snapped. Gosha looked down. «I’m waiting for explanations, don’t be silent!»

«It’s a room for my daughter.»

«You have a mistress who gave birth to a daughter?!»

«No… I have a daughter, who gave birth to a daughter. God, I understand how strange all this sounds… After all, we’ve been together for twenty years…»

«Yes! You’re right, it sounds like you’re out of your mind!»

«Listen, Sveta, I have a daughter. I didn’t know about her existence until recently… She’s twenty years old… Her mother died, there’s no one to help her. Recently, I found out I became a grandfather. Basically, Alice found me and asked for help. Her man left her, and she has nowhere to live. She’s alone with an infant… And I feel guilty that she grew up without a father. Let me at least give my grandson what I didn’t give my daughter!» Gosha spoke disjointedly, and Svetlana couldn’t believe his words.

«I see the renovation is almost finished?» she squeezed out.

«Yes, the crib will be delivered the day after tomorrow. Don’t worry, everything’s already paid for. Svetochka… Dear, I didn’t tell you in advance because I thought you wouldn’t agree, that you’d be angry and wouldn’t allow me to shelter the poor girl. I was hoping that when you returned from your business trip, everything would already be ready, and Alice with the baby would move in here. I just hoped you wouldn’t kick a young mother out into the street… You’re a kind woman!»

«You’re absolutely right. I won’t kick a mother with an infant out. I’ll kick you out! Pack your things now, so there’s no trace of you here in an hour!» she yelled. «And you, continue working!» Svetlana addressed the woman doing the renovation. «You have 24 hours to finish.»

The woman nodded.

Gosha stood as if dead or alive.

«Sveta… How can you kick me out? We’ve been together so many years… Where will I go? And why do you need such a big apartment alone?»

«I’ll figure that out without you. Go to your ‘daughter and her daughter’!»

When her husband left, the renovation woman approached Svetlana.

«Where should I deliver the crib? Or will you refuse?» she asked.

«Bring it here. Everything’s paid for.»

Svetlana sat on a chair and pondered. How fortunate that she was offered this job with relocation to Moscow. Otherwise, she would now be struggling with her own sanity over letting a stranger with a child into her apartment. Who was Alice really to Gosha, a daughter or a mistress, Svetlana didn’t know. But she couldn’t allow another woman to live on her territory. And the renovation? It was very timely.

Svetlana dialed her friend’s phone number.

«Anya, hello. I’ve decided to move after all. They’re paying for my accommodation in Moscow, my son lives in the dormitory of the institute, and my husband…» she paused. «I kicked out my husband. In general, the apartment is free. Move in, live there. I won’t charge much for rent, we’re friends after all. And don’t buy furniture for the granddaughter. Gosha ‘took care of’ the future tenants.»

Anya was delighted by the fresh renovation in the children’s room. She had been renting an apartment nearby, but the owner decided to sell the property, and the woman and her daughter and granddaughter were left without a roof over their heads. They had no property of their own—a complicated story. She hadn’t hoped that her friend would decide to move, but now she was very happy.

«Thank you, Sveta! I promise the apartment will be in safe hands. And don’t be sad about your husband’s infidelity. There are few men who stay faithful to their wives… Let him now live with his ‘daughter and granddaughter,’ pay for a rental apartment, and buy groceries. You’re not obliged to support them.»

The women talked for a bit, and Svetlana went to pack her things. Serious changes were ahead in her life, which she needed to prepare for carefully.

Divorce, property division, and a new job, a new place to live, and new horizons. In Svetlana’s new life, there was no place for old Gosha, although he tried very hard to reconcile and even came to visit her in Moscow. But Sveta did not forgive mistakes…

Inga Alekseevna nervously adjusted her apron as she approached the door. The doorbell rang again, this time more insistently.

She flung open the door, and there stood Zhenya, her daughter.

«Sorry, Mom. It was hectic at work. Couldn’t get away earlier. And I won’t stay long. Igor is still on a business trip, and I need to pick up Olya from dance class.»

 

«It’s okay, it’s okay… I understand.»

Inga Alekseevna nodded, but something in her gaze was different than usual. She almost immediately turned around and gestured for her daughter to come into the kitchen.

«Let’s go, I’ll make some tea. You must be freezing.»

The kitchen smelled of mint and brewing tea. As Zhenya took off her coat, her mother fussed at the table, but her trembling hands gave away her agitation: tea leaves spilled right onto the tablecloth.

«Mom, what’s wrong?» Zhenya looked up at her mother. «You’re acting strange today, as if… I don’t know, scared.»

Inga Alekseevna took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

«I don’t know how to tell you this, dear,» she finally spoke, fiddling with the corner of a towel. «Something strange is happening in our house.»

«Strange? What do you mean?» Zhenya frowned, her voice growing serious.

Inga Alekseevna carefully stood up and, opening a kitchen drawer, began to take out items, which she laid on the table. Zhenya watched as her mother displayed: a pair of mismatched earrings, a bright shade of lipstick, a piece of nail polish, a small round mirror.

«Mom…» Zhenya squinted, trying to understand. «What does all this mean?»

«Wait. That’s not all,» her mother interrupted. She bent down and pulled out a bag from under the table. And from it—a silk robe, Inga Alekseevna unfolded it before her daughter.

Zhenya stared at the item. It was a delicate pink robe, hardly something her mother would wear. Zhenya felt her stomach twist.

«Mom… Are you thinking that dad…» she stumbled over her words, as if they were stuck in her throat, «is cheating on you?»

Inga Alekseevna turned sharply, her face flushed as if she had been insulted.

«What?!» she exclaimed. «Zhenya, how could you think such a thing? Your father would never do that! And certainly not in my house!»

«Are you sure?»

«Yes, dear, I’m sure,» the woman stated firmly. «But I also don’t understand where all this comes from. We return from the dacha every Sunday, and then… Then I start finding these things. Something new every week.»

Zhenya was silent for a long time, trying to piece everything together.

«Have you told anyone?» she asked cautiously. «Did you tell dad?»

Inga Alekseevna shook her head.

«No. What am I supposed to tell him? He’ll think I’ve lost my mind.»

«Okay,» Zhenya tried to take control of the situation. «Listen… Does Yurik have the keys?»

Inga Alekseevna nodded.

«It’s odd to bring girlfriends to your parents’ house when you live alone… Don’t you think, daughter?»

«It’s odd, odd… But I think it’s worth asking… I’ll talk to him myself. So he won’t have to blush in front of you…»

Zhenya stood at the university gates, waiting for her younger brother. Students noisily exited the building, discussing classes and plans for the evening. Finally, she spotted Yura among the crowd. He walked calmly, with a backpack slung over one shoulder.

«Hi, little brother,» Zhenya smiled.

«Hi, Zhenka,» Yura nodded in response. «What are you doing here? Did something happen?»

She gestured with her hand, inviting him to step aside from the crowd.

«I want to show you something. Tell me if you recognize these items.»

Yura frowned.

«Zhen, what? Are you moonlighting as a detective?»

She took out two earrings and a bright red lipstick from her pocket. Handing them to her brother, Zhenya closely observed his reaction.

Yura looked at the items in surprise, turning the earrings in his hands.

«Don’t recognize,» he gave his sister a puzzled look. «What is this even?»

«Spill it,» Zhenya started with light sarcasm. «Why are you bringing girls to your parents’?»

Yura laughed awkwardly.

«What am I doing?» he blurted out.

«Don’t play dumb. I’m not mad. Just curious.»

Yura looked at his sister as if she were insane, then smirked.

«Zhen, are you sure dad didn’t drop you on your head as a kid? I don’t bring girls to my parents’. I have my own apartment.»

«Then where does this come from?» Zhenya frowned. «Mom finds such stuff at home. Different earrings, lipsticks, mirrors. A cute robe, by the way.»

Yura was clearly intrigued.

«And you don’t think it’s dad?»

Zhenya sighed.

«No, Yura. Everything appears only when he’s back with mom from the dacha. He’s not even home during that time.»

Yura fell silent, digesting what he’d heard.

«That’s really strange…» he finally said. «And mom? What does she think?»

«She’s as shocked as I am. We thought of you…»

 

Yura shrugged.

«Listen, Zhen, if it’s not me and not dad, then who?»

«That’s what I want to find out,» Zhenya cut him off. «And you’re telling the truth, right?»

«Zhenya!» Yura rolled his eyes. «Again: I have my own apartment. And I meet girls there. My parents’ house isn’t a brothel.»

Zhenya chuckled involuntarily, but her anxiety only grew inside.

«Alright, good. Then we’ll keep looking.»

In the evening, when Zhenya put Olya to bed, she quietly closed the nursery door, making sure the girl was really asleep, and went to the kitchen. She dialed her mother’s number.

«Zhenya? Did something happen?» Inga Alekseevna’s voice sounded anxious.

«No, mom, everything’s fine,» Zhenya reassured her immediately. «I talked to Yura. He’s not involved.»

Silence hung on the other end of the line.

«Lord…» her mother finally spoke, and her voice carried despair. «Well, where does all this come from in my house?! I’m simply going mad with this mystery, Zhen.»

«I don’t know, mom,» Zhenya took a sip of tea, thinking over her next words. «But I have a plan.»

«A plan? What kind?» Inga Alekseevna became alert.

«Don’t go to the dacha this weekend. And don’t tell anyone.»

«But why?» the mother asked bewilderedly.

«Listen further,» Zhenya interrupted. «Igor returns on Sunday, right?»

«Yes,» confirmed Inga Alekseevna.

«Great,» Zhenya quickly thought through the details. «Let dad take Olga to the movies. And you and I will set up an ambush at your house!»

«An ambush?» the mother asked, trying to understand what her daughter had in mind. «Zhenya, what nonsense is this? It’s silly.»

«No nonsense, mom! We’ll just sit in the room, quietly, with the lights off. If someone comes, we’ll see everything. We’ll find out who it is and how they get into the house.»

The mother moaned.

«Do you think this will work?»

«I’m sure,» Zhenya answered firmly. «Just don’t tell dad. This is just for us.»

«Alright,» Inga Alekseevna agreed after a brief pause. «But, honestly, I’m scared to find out what all this means…»

«Don’t worry, mom. We’ll figure it out!»

Ending the conversation, Zhenya thoughtfully looked out the window. She had loved detectives as a child, but she never imagined she’d be solving such mysteries.

Saturday turned out surprisingly sunny, but Inga Alekseevna’s house remained dim. Zhenya and her mother settled in the living room, having drawn the curtains tightly. The door to the room was closed so no one accidentally noticed them from the corridor.

«Zhen, this is some kind of foolishness,» whispered Inga Alekseevna, nervously fiddling with her dress. «And what if no one comes?»

«Then we’ll just spend a nice and quiet day at home,» Zhenya answered calmly, trying to speak as quietly as possible.

«And what if I need to use the restroom?» asked the mother.

Zhenya smiled, shaking her head:

«Mom, you’ll go. Relax.»

Inga Alekseevna sighed. And suddenly they heard the key turning in the front door. The women exchanged glances, and Zhenya’s heart pounded harder. The door opened, and a cheerful female laughter swept through the hallway.

«Oh, Igor! I bought us so much today!» said a high, ringing voice.

Zhenya froze in place, disbelieving her ears.

«Igor?» she repeated the name aloud before her mind could make sense of the situation.

Zhenya jumped to her feet and rushed to the hallway. There she faced a surprise: her husband, Igor, stood at the entrance, embracing a blonde with bright makeup. In her hands, she held a couple of bags with fruits and delicacies.

«Zhenka?» Igor froze as if he saw a ghost. The blonde in his arms stood still, not understanding what was happening.

«What is this?!» Zhenya’s voice trembled with anger.

«It’s not what you think!» Igor stammered.

«Really?» Zhenya stepped forward. «And what should I think, Igor? Is this your colleague? Or did you bring gifts for my parents from Kazan?»

The blonde tried to step back but tripped over a carpet. Her gaze darted between Igor and Zhenya.

«Zhen, I… This is accidental…» Igor began to defend himself.

«Accidental?!» Zhenya raised her voice. «You brought another woman into my parents’ house! Accidentally?»

At that moment, Inga Alekseevna peered out of the living room.

«Zhenya, maybe we can discuss this later?» Igor took a step back.

«There’s no ‘later’, Igor,» Zhenya said coldly. «I want to know who this woman is and why you’re here at all. Immediately.»

The blonde quietly mumbled:

«Maybe I’ll go?»

«Yes,» Zhenya snapped back sharply, not taking her eyes off her husband. «You’ll go. Right now. And you, get to the kitchen!»

«Zhen…» Igor tried to object.

«Get moving!»

The blonde, realizing she was unwelcome, hurriedly fled. Igor shuffled to the kitchen.

Zhenya watched Igor, and a storm raged inside her. Zhenya felt neither pain nor disappointment—only rage and disgust. With each word from her husband, her anger grew stronger.

«It’s not what you think!» Igor began hastily, backing up to the wall. «This… This is the first time!»

«Don’t lie to me!» Zhenya exploded, stepping toward him. «Don’t lie!»

«I’m not lying!» he shouted, throwing his hands up. «I thought no one would be here! Your parents usually go to the dacha!»

«And this time they decided not to go!» Zhenya nearly shouted, her voice breaking. «And do you know why? Do you?!»

«Why?» Igor looked pitiful, but he tried to maintain the last vestiges of composure.

«Because your girlfriend left us clues!» Zhenya began pounding his shoulders with her fists, as if she couldn’t express all that was happening inside any other way. «Mom! Show him!»

Inga Alekseevna, who had been standing at the kitchen door all this time, looked bewildered.

«Zhenya, maybe we shouldn’t…» she attempted to object.

«Show it!»

Inga Alekseevna, realizing that arguing was futile, went to the cabinet and took out the previously prepared finds. Earrings, lipstick, and then the robe appeared on the table.

«Oh, my God…» Igor groaned, grabbing his head.

«Here’s your God!» Zhenya shouted again, her face blazing. «You couldn’t even clean up after yourself? Or was that also ‘the first time’?»

«But I cleaned up!» Igor squealed, trying to justify himself. «I washed everything, laundered…»

«What a good boy!» Zhenya burst into sarcastic laughter. «A medal for you, labor hero!»

Then Inga Alekseevna, who had been trying to stay out of it until now, suddenly exclaimed:

«Igor! Did you do all this in our bedroom?!»

Igor froze and said nothing, but his silence spoke volumes.

«That’s disgusting!» his mother-in-law shouted, stepping back from him. «No, the whole situation is a nightmare! But this detail is just horrible!»

«Forgive me…» Igor looked pathetic.

«Forgive?!» Zhenya raised her voice again. «You couldn’t rent a hotel room?!»

 

«You monitor my cards!» Igor tried to find an excuse, but it sounded pathetic. «I didn’t want to spend money… Natasha herself bought food so I wouldn’t be compromised…»

Zhenya felt something snap inside her. His words, full of pettiness and selfishness, seemed to open her eyes to how despicable her husband was.

«You’re not even a man,» she said coldly, looking at him as if seeing him for the first time. «You’re pathetic, vile, cowardly…»

She didn’t know what killed her more: the fact of the infidelity or how insignificant the person she had tied her life to turned out to be.

After Zhenya threw Igor out, he tried for a long time to regain her favor. He called, begged to meet, wrote apology letters. Sometimes she found him at the entrance, where he stood with a bouquet or a box of chocolates, but none of his actions moved her. For Zhenya, he ceased to exist.

They decided not to discuss the father’s infidelities with their daughter, little Olya. They told the girl that dad had temporarily gone on a business trip, but that didn’t make it easier. Zhenya’s mother often visited her. And during one of their conversations, Inga Alekseevna said:

«Zhenya, I’ve thought it all over… And I’ve decided that I can’t sleep on this bedding anymore. I’ll burn everything.»

«Everything?» Zhenya asked, not immediately realizing what was meant.

«And the sheets, and the towels… Your father already took the mattress to the dump, but that’s not enough. It feels disgusting somehow…»

So they ended up at the dacha, where they set up a bonfire in the backyard. A huge bag with bedding, towels, old blankets, and coverlets lay at their feet. Zhenya and her mother took turns throwing fabrics into the fire, which instantly burst into flames.

Inga Alekseevna suddenly hugged her daughter.

«Maybe we’ll burn something else? To feel lighter?»

Zhenya, thinking it over, looked at her mother and said sarcastically:

«Can we burn that ‘dog’?» Zhenya handed her mother a photo.

Inga Alekseevna laughed.

«It’ll be okay, dear,» she said, patting Zhenya on the back. «In five years, you’ll remember all this and laugh.»

Zhenya nodded, but her smile was bitter.

«If it wasn’t happening to me, I’d be laughing already.»

They stood, watching as the flames seemed to devour memories of betrayal.

«Soon you’ll be ready to start over from scratch…» Inga Alekseevna mused, watching the fire.

Zhenya just shrugged.

«I’ll start small: with the first alimony payment, I’ll buy you new bedding!»

The mother smiled. They both hoped that a brighter future lay ahead.

Igor, left without a family and a roof over his head, deeply regretted his rash act. He had to pay a large sum in alimony to his wife, and with the remainder, he rented an apartment in a remote corner. There was no money left for women… He had to be content with little and wait for better times.

Rita’s phone trembled in her hand. The voice of an unfamiliar woman, quiet but clear, echoed in the background. Just a second ago, she was waiting for the familiar voice of her husband, and now—this strange whisper in the background.

«Where are you?» she wanted to scream, but Rita clutched the phone tighter, holding her breath and asked as calmly as possible:

«Where are you?»

A woman’s laugh—short, nervous—jolted her nerves. Sergey remained silent, and this silence was more eloquent than any words.

Years of their life together flashed before her eyes: morning coffees, family Sundays, quiet evenings. Was it all a lie? One second—and the world that seemed so familiar now cracked at the seams.

Rita closed her eyes. The truth was somewhere close, very near. She just needed to find the strength to see it through to the end.

Sergey was still silent. Somewhere nearby, a woman’s voice sounded again—this time even quieter, more intimate. Rita felt everything inside her clench from unspoken suspicions.

«I’m at work,» Sergey finally spoke, his voice sounded too calm. Too mundane.

«What’s that noise?» Rita asked in what seemed like a neutral tone.

Her husband hesitated. The second stretched painfully long.

«A meeting,» he replied shortly. «I have… colleagues here.»

But Rita already knew—it was not the truth. The woman’s laughter, the intonations, the warmth of the foreign voice—all of it was unlike a business environment. Her mind raced with thoughts: infidelity? a coincidence? misunderstanding?

She decided to act. Slowly, calculatingly. Sergey must not suspect that she had almost exposed his lie.

All evening Rita was extremely calm. Dinner, talks about work, usual household chores—each of her movements was deliberate, every intonation—measured. Sergey noticed nothing.

Only late at night, when her husband was asleep, did she take his phone. She had known the password for a long time—their son’s birthday. Her fingers trembled treacherously as she opened the messages.

The first thing that caught her eye was a name. Angelica. Dozens of messages that became more and more explicit with each passing day. Photos that revealed the nature of their relationship better than any words.

Rita watched and felt something inside her cool down. Not anger, not despair. Just a cold, lifeless calm of ultimate understanding.

The affair was not an accident. It was a calculated betrayal that had been going on for months.

Rita put the phone back, trying not to move or betray her state. Sergey continued to snore peacefully beside her, suspecting nothing. She dug her nails into her palm, holding back the emotions that welled up in her throat.

In the morning, everything was as usual. Breakfast, coffee, a quick kiss before leaving for work. Sergey didn’t even look her way—engrossed in his thoughts, in his secret life. Rita smiled—now her smile was as sharp as a blade.

All day she pondered her plan. Destroy their marriage? Forgive? Make a scandal? No, that was too simple. Too trite for what had happened. She decided to act differently.

By evening, the plan was ready. Rita invited her friend Natalia—the only person she could trust. Natalia was a lawyer and knew what to do in such situations.

 

«I need the documents,» Rita said quietly. «All the documents about our property, joint savings.»

Natalia understood without further words. Female solidarity is a remarkable thing. Within two days, Rita had everything she needed: copies of contracts, account statements, documents about their jointly acquired property.

Sergey still suspected nothing. He continued playing the role of the perfect husband, sending messages throughout the day, calling. Each of his calls was now a painful mockery for Rita.

Then came the day when everything was supposed to change.

Rita invited Sergey to a restaurant, choosing the very one where they had celebrated their wedding ten years ago. He was surprised but agreed readily. Perhaps he thought his wife just wanted to refresh memories.

At the table, amid the dim light and soft music, Rita was utterly calm. She ordered his favorite wine, smiled as easily as ten years ago. Sergey relaxed, thinking everything was fine.

«To us?» he offered, raising his glass.

«To the truth,» Rita replied.

At that moment, Sergey sensed something was wrong. Her gaze was too calm, too cutting.

«I know about Angelica,» she said quietly.

A moment of silence. Sergey turned pale, the wine froze halfway to his lips.

«What do you mean?» he tried to object, but his voice betrayed him—it broke, became hoarse.

Rita placed a folder with documents in front of him—printouts of his correspondence with Angelica, financial statements, copies of contracts. All the evidence of his infidelity and all his actions to destroy their shared life.

«The choice is yours,» she said. «Either we divorce civilly, and you give me half of everything we’ve earned, or I will make a scandal that will utterly destroy your reputation.»

Sergey looked at her—the woman he thought he knew for ten years, now realizing he never truly knew her at all.

Sergey slowly set down his glass. A drop of wine slid down the white tablecloth, leaving a dark spot—a symbolic omen of the impending disaster.

«Rita, I can explain everything,» he started, but she cut off his attempt with one look.

«It’s too late to explain,» she replied coldly. «You had a chance to be honest with me months ago.»

The waiter, sensing the tension, discreetly moved away. Around them, a vacuum seemed to form—a quiet island amidst the noisy restaurant.

Sergey realized—there was no going back. His affair was fully exposed, his marriage irrevocably destroyed. Angelica, whom he had considered a temporary fling, now became the cause of the total collapse of his family life.

«What do you want?» he asked quietly.

«Justice,» Rita answered.

Her plan was meticulous. Lawyer Natalia had prepared all the documents, gathered irrefutable evidence of the infidelity. Sergey was stripped of the right to their joint apartment, half of the savings, and practically any claims.

«We have a son,» Sergey tried to object.

«That’s exactly why I’m acting this way, not making a scandal,» Rita replied harshly. «For his sake.»

At that moment, her phone vibrated. A message from Natalia: «Everything’s ready. The documents can be filed in court tomorrow.»

Rita finished her wine, enjoying it absolutely calmly.

In the days when Rita was preparing the divorce papers, Angelica was completely confident in her triumph. She believed that her affair with Sergey would turn into something more—a real, serious relationship. When he would leave his wife, of course.

Angelica worked at the same company as Sergey. A sales manager, accustomed to achieving whatever she wanted. Her charm and assertiveness had helped her get what she desired. She met Sergey a year ago at a corporate event. First, there were innocent flirts, then long talks, then—infidelity.

She was not afraid of the consequences. Moreover, she was sure that Rita—a quiet housewife—would simply acquiesce when Sergey filed for divorce. Angelica imagined how they would have a child together, buy an apartment, create a new family.

But Rita was not at all as Angelica had imagined her.

When Sergey called her late one evening and told her about the conversation in the restaurant, Angelica realized that everything was not going as she had hoped.

«She knows everything,» Sergey said dryly. «And is preparing to file for divorce. She’ll sue for half the property.»

Angelica was silent. For the first time in a long time, she didn’t know what to say.

Week after week unfolded a grueling battle. Natalia’s lawyer acted firmly and professionally. Sergey understood that he had lost before the court case even began.

 

Angelica oscillated between the fear of losing Sergey and the hope that their relationship might somehow survive. She had not expected such cold calculation from Rita.

Maxim, Rita and Sergey’s son, didn’t understand what was happening. Rita protected him, shielded him from the family conflict. But children feel tension more sharply than adults think.

One evening, when they were alone, Maxim finally spoke openly with his mother:

«Will Dad leave us?»

Rita placed her hand on his shoulder. Her movements were gentle, but they conveyed an unbreakable strength.

«Dad has already left,» she replied softly. «He just physically was still here.»

At that moment, she realized: revenge was not her path. She needed not to destroy Sergey but to protect herself and her son. To build a new life where betrayal would not define her existence.

The court process became a formality. Sergey barely resisted.

Then Angelica disappeared from his life as suddenly as she had appeared—realizing that the affair would not bring her what she wanted.

Rita won everything: the apartment, half of the joint savings, the right to raise her son. But her greatest victory was her inner peace.

Life continued.

A year later, Rita hardly recognized herself. She seemed to have been reborn after that devastating period. The work in a pharmaceutical company’s office, which she once considered routine, now became a source of professional growth and inner satisfaction.

Maxim grew up. Initially painfully experiencing his parents’ divorce, he now became a real support for his mother. Between them, a surprisingly trusting relationship developed—not just mother and son, but true close friends.

Sergey occasionally appeared to see his son. Their meetings were brief, formal. No warmth, no attempts to restore relationships. Rita was so calm in these encounters that it scared her ex-husband more than any scandal.

Natalia, her friend-lawyer, often said:

«You’re stronger than you think. You turned betrayal into a pivot point.»

And that was true. Rita not only survived the blow—she transformed her life. She took professional development courses, changed her image, started traveling more. Her demeanor became more confident, her life—richer.

One evening, as she and Maxim were having tea, he suddenly asked:

«Mom, do you regret how you dealt with Dad?»

Rita smiled. Her gaze was calm and wise.

«I don’t regret the truth,» she replied. «About protecting myself and you.»

Sergey’s fate was less fortunate. After the divorce, his career took a downturn. The company, learning about the office romance and the scandal, demoted him. Angelica, whom he thought was a support, quickly disappeared as soon as she realized that Sergey was not rushing to propose to her.

Once, meeting Natalia in a café, he tried to inquire about Rita. But the lawyer was adamant:

«You have no place in her life,» she said coldly. «You destroyed everything yourself.»

Maxim gradually distanced himself from his father. Their rare meetings became increasingly formal. Sergey understood that he was losing his son—perhaps forever.

And Rita continued to live. Her inner strength became more apparent with each passing day. She wasn’t seeking revenge, not staging hysterics. Just moving forward, taking with her everything best—her son’s love, her friend’s respect, faith in herself.

New colors appeared in her life. Work, travels, interesting acquaintances. She wasn’t rushing into new relationships, enjoying her newfound independence and freedom.

One day, Maxim said:

«Mom, you’ve become completely different.»

«The better version of myself,» Rita replied.

And that was the pure truth.

Ivan met Alena at a volunteer center. However, he wasn’t there to help the disadvantaged, but to look for a girlfriend for a relationship. A friend persuaded him to this odd action.

«If a girl volunteers and carries heavy bags of food for elderly strangers on her own, she will do everything and even more for her husband,» the friend advised Ivan when he complained about his fate.

Ivan’s first marriage ended in divorce: his wife was a blatant lazy person. She didn’t want to work, take care of the household, or help her mother, and responded to all complaints with screams and scandals. That marriage didn’t last even a year: the couple divorced. Ivan was single for a whole five years.

On one hand, he was comfortable with his bachelor status, but on the other, he understood that sooner or later he needed to settle down.

«It’s time for you to marry, son. You’re thirty-nine years old, it’s time to have children, and I need a helper!» Ivan’s mother, Faina Romanovna, insisted.

«Mom, I’m working on it,» Ivan said and went to find the perfect wife, using his friend’s advice.

He noticed Alena right away. She was quite sweet and shy. Her only flaw was a rather large mole on her cheek, which Alena believed spoiled her appearance. At just 22, Alena already dreamed of quickly escaping from her mother, who constantly berated her about her inadequacies, fostering complexes and psychological issues in her, which is why Alena had no serious relationships before. She was embarrassed by her appearance and felt unworthy of having a normal man.

Therefore, when Ivan, an imposing, mature, and wealthy man, started courting her, she was delighted and agreed to a relationship without hesitation.

«Shall we go to the movies, Alena?» Ivan found it convenient to invite the girl to the cinema. Tickets were inexpensive, and he didn’t have to spend on a restaurant. And Alena was comfortable knowing that he couldn’t see her face in the dark theater.

When Ivan came to meet the bride’s mother, the woman bluntly asked:

«What do you want from my daughter? She’s a nobody, couldn’t you find anyone better? What’s wrong with you?»

Alena listened to her mother, and her eyes filled with tears.

«I think your daughter suits me and I want to marry her,» Ivan replied.

«Well, if you want, marry her. But I won’t give you money for the wedding; I’m sure your marriage won’t last long.»

«We don’t need anything from you. We won’t celebrate the wedding,» said Ivan, and Alena cried. She had dreamed of a white dress! But apparently, someone like her didn’t deserve a real fairy tale.

«Stop smearing snot on your cheeks, go wash your face!» her mother commanded, and Alena obediently complied.

«So, as I understand, you agree to our marriage?» Ivan asked.

«Of course, who else would take such a nobody?»

«Okay, glad to meet you. I have to go,» Ivan lied. The mother-in-law made a terrible impression on him. But Alena’s family situation suited him. He found a way to the girl: he bribed her with affection and care, exactly what his ex-wife took for granted. But for Alena, even a simple compliment seemed like real magic.

«I thought that since you want a wedding, there will be one,» he said after a pause.

«Really?» Alena’s eyes sparkled. For that phrase alone, she was ready to love Ivan to the grave.

«Yes. We’ll celebrate at our country house. My mother will bake pies, you’ll make salads, I’ll provide the ‘fuel.’ You don’t have any friends anyway, no one to invite. So we’ll fit at one table.»

«What do you mean? There is. Lena, a friend… From the center. And George, her brother and my friend.»

«Well, okay, Lena then, but we won’t invite your mother. She’s of no use.»

Alena remained silent. The thought of the wedding literally revived the girl. Ivan decided they would celebrate in early September, when the harvest ripens.

To earn money for the dress and makeup, Alena took a part-time job. Volunteering brought her nothing but satisfaction and a sense of necessity. The girl earned a living in a call center, where no one saw her, only heard her beautiful voice.

After a month and a half, Alena had a little savings. She knew she couldn’t afford a luxurious dress and found several budget options. But Ivan did not allow her to spend her savings.

«Better give me the money, it’s very convenient to have everything ready… No, I don’t allow you to make thoughtless expenses!»

«But I can’t without a dress… It’s a wedding! Once and for a lifetime!»

«Why do you need this rag?! I already have one hanging in the closet at the cottage… Worn once, but now it’ll take up space for a lifetime.»

«I don’t understand? Where did you get it from?» Alena widened her eyes.

«My ex-wife spent half the wedding budget on the dress, wore it once and that’s all.»

«Why didn’t she take it?»

«Because I paid for it and didn’t give it to her, now I understand it wasn’t for nothing. So there will be a dress for you,» Ivan laughed. «Actually, I planned that my second wife would wear it. We’ll go to the cottage on the weekend, you’ll help my mother with the garden, and you’ll try on the dress too. You’re not as curvy as Lyudka, but it can be tailored.»

Alena really didn’t want to wear someone else’s dress. It was dusty in the closet, smelled unpleasant, and had a certain melancholy about it…

But Ivan insisted, Alena dressed up… And looked like a doll. The very one that was once put on a teapot to keep it from cooling.

«Wow! It even looks better on you!» he evaluated her, flattering and pressing the right «buttons» in her chosen one’s heart. «You are my beauty.»

Alena looked at herself in the dress again, and it no longer seemed so old-fashioned and silly.

«Okay, but let’s take it to the dry cleaners?»

«If you want, take it. I don’t care,» Ivan shrugged.

He couldn’t fit into his wedding suit, so he decided he would be in shorts and a T-shirt.

«You need a dress, and I’ll be casual,» he waved it off.

«Well… as you wish,» Alena was disappointed. «I’ll be with a bouquet. And you in flip-flops…»

«Your mother will pick a bouquet from the garden flowers. My friend will bring a camera, he will take photos, we’ll buy a ready-made cake at the country store…» as if not noticing the reproach in the bride’s voice, continued Ivan. «You’ll do the makeup and hairstyle yourself, it’s not hard. No need to waste money. Enough talking! Go to the garden, we need to weed the carrots.»

Alena remained silent. She wanted to be beautiful on her holiday, so she saved some cash for a hairstyle and makeup, despite Ivan making her give her salary for the table food.

Encouraged by the upcoming wedding, Alena didn’t notice the flaws in her fiancé. She considered his thriftiness a virtue and his desire to command and push her around as care. She tried to please his mother, and Faina Romanovna willingly loaded the future daughter-in-law at her country house so much that she barely had the strength to return to the city before collapsing into sleep.

When the wedding was just around the corner, Alena was visiting Ivan, and a documentary about Saint Petersburg was on TV.

«What a beautiful city! I’ve never been there, but I’d love to visit…» Alena said dreamily.

«What would you do there?»

«Walk, contemplate… It’s living history!»

«You’re the living history.»

«Look, an ad for a bus tour! Not as expensive as you might think… I could earn for this tour…» Alena said quietly. «Maybe we’ll go after the wedding? You said you’d take a few days off, for a honeymoon…»

«What St. Petersburg do you need, Alena? I’ve already decided: we’ll spend our honeymoon at my mother’s garden beds,» Ivan cut her off. «You’re now part of our family, you have to help mom! Or do you want to be like Lyudka, sitting on the couch and growing fat?! Mother is slaving away, and you decided to chill?!»

Ivan, as if replaced, grabbed Alena by the shoulders and started shaking her. The girl lost her speech from fear.

«Why are you silent?! Thought you found a groom and will sit on his neck? You’ll make my mother clean up after the wedding while you run off to St. Petersburg? No, darling! You will do what I tell you, got it?!»

«Yes…» Alena managed to say.

«Louder!»

«Yes!» Tears squirted from her eyes. She didn’t think Ivan could be so… terrifying.

«Go wash yourself. And no more hints of foolishness!»

Barely breaking free, Alena ran to the door. She had one desire — to escape from this house, far away from Ivan and his crazy black eyes.

She didn’t want to go home, so Alena had no better idea than to call her only friend, Lena.

«Come over, granny went to the nursing home, and we’re watching a movie with Zhora,» the siblings rented a room from their grandmother, they were brother and sister and treated Alenka well. Zhor was by nature as quiet and reserved as Alena, his glasses—old-fashioned, in a large frame, and with thick lenses were to blame. Lena was just an ordinary girl: simple, kind, and responsive.

Alena arrived, her hands shaking, and her friends immediately understood that something had happened to the girl. Lena made tea, and Alena told them everything.

«Well, that’s something… And you kept quiet?» Lena looked at her friend and stroked her hand, trying to calm her.

«What can you say? Ivan loves me…»

«Really loves! He needs a maid, not a wife! What normal man, loving his woman, would make her walk down the aisle in the dress of his hated ex-wife?! And the wedding table? Why should you set it yourself on your wedding day? That’s mockery! There are plenty of cafes now with discounts on mini-banquets. It’ll be cheaper than cooking yourself!» Lena persuaded. «This Ivan is just an abuser! He’s torturing you! Look at your hands, as if you plowed a field without a shovel! You owe them nothing, why are you slaving away at that country house? What kind of honeymoon can there be with a mother-in-law at the garden beds? Wake up, Alena!»

«So, was my mother right when she said that no one could love a nobody like me?» Alena cried even harder. «I’m such an ugly freak!»

«Why do you think you’re a freak?» Zhora looked at the girl in surprise. He and Lena exchanged glances.

«I have an ugly face! And a mole, horrible, huge, that spoils everything! If I had money… I’d remove it right now!»

«Alen, it’s very dangerous. And you’re exaggerating. I know at least one man who likes you just as you are,» Zhora said quietly.

«To Ivan?» Alena looked up.

«Get away from him!» Lena couldn’t stand it. «Obviously, he’s using you!»

«Then who needs me?..»

The room tensed, but Zhora still didn’t muster the courage to confess that he was in love with Alena, and the news of her wedding was a big blow to him. But he was too shy and timid to tell her about it.

«Alright, I need to go home. Mother will be angry…»

«Zhora will walk you,» said Lena, nudging her brother.

«Ah? Yes… Of course…» he jumped up and handed the girl her jacket.

Alena didn’t sleep all night. She didn’t know if she wanted to continue communicating with Ivan, let alone marry him.

Meanwhile, Lena was trying to reach her brother.

«Why did you keep quiet? You obviously can’t take your eyes off her! Don’t lie to me, at least admit it!»

«I’m afraid she’ll think badly of me.»

«And that she’ll marry someone else? Aren’t you afraid of that?! You know the saying: if you look at a girl for too long, you can see her getting married!» Lena snapped.

Zhora was silent. The next day he bought a small bouquet and went to Alena’s work. When the girl came out, he approached her and handed her the flowers.

«What’s this?» she was surprised. «Did you forget my birthday is next week?»

«No… I remember… Alen, listen…»

«What’s going on here?!» Ivan appeared like thunder from clear skies. «You haven’t even married yet, and you’re already putting horns on me?! Come on, quickly into the car,» he pushed Alena toward the vehicle. But she didn’t move.

«Go, I said!»

He painfully grabbed her wrist. Alena looked pleadingly at Zhora, and for the first time in his life, he gathered the courage to stand up for the girl he loved: he grabbed Ivan by the shirt edge.

Ivan wasn’t expecting that, so he released Alena’s hand.

She jumped back and hid behind her friend’s back, from which Zhora took a good beating. Ivan swung and hit Zhora. Fortunately, the boy was lucky: his teeth remained intact. Security came out during the scuffle, and Ivan had to flee to avoid problems.

«How are you?» Zhora received first aid.

«Everything’s fine.»

«There’s a recording of the attack on the cameras,» reported the guard. He knew Alena and wanted to help.

«Thank you, it will come in handy…» Alena said quietly.

Lena met her brother with a smile:

«Scars adorn a man. You did well. And you, Alena, should break up with Ivan before he cripples you or your loved ones.»

Alena agreed. That evening, she finally took off her rose-colored glasses.

«I want to give you a gift a bit earlier, I saved up for your birthday,» confessed Zhora, pulling out a small envelope.

«Seriously? You shouldn’t have…» she was embarrassed.

«Here, it’s enough for you to remove the mole. If that makes you feel more confident and better,» Zhora looked away.

Alena couldn’t help it and hugged him.

«Thank you! I… don’t even know how to thank you.»

«Just don’t get involved with any more abusers. There are many other men who will appreciate your soul, not your appearance.»

Alena looked at Zhora and understood everything.

Breaking up with Ivan was very difficult. The man only backed off when Alena and Zhora filed a police report.

After that, Ivan disappeared from Alena’s life, deciding to find a new wife (or victim).

A few days later, Alena nervously walked to the clinic to remove the hated mole and start a new life. As she walked, she finally felt happy. Zhora confessed his feelings, and they decided to live together. Her mother got a new job, and she was no longer nagging, and a promotion finally loomed at work.

The sun gently warmed, birds sang, and her heart felt good. Walking past a showcase, Alena looked at her reflection and suddenly realized that beauty is inside, and happiness does not depend on the location of moles.

«Hello, this is Alena Savelyeva. I want to cancel the appointment. Yes, I changed my mind. I decided to leave everything as it is,» she called the clinic and hung up. Her heart felt even happier. And from Zhora’s reaction to staying herself, butterflies fluttered in her stomach.

«I’m glad, Alena! Glad that you are as you are. And I love you.»

«And I love you!» she smiled. «You know, let’s spend this money on a trip?»

«Let’s! How about St. Petersburg?»

«I’ve been dreaming of visiting there for a long time,» Alena agreed. She realized that Zhora was the perfect, wonderful guy. And how had she not realized earlier that they were halves of a whole?

Dear, I’ve left!»

«Wait, did you forget anything? Did you take food for the road?» Veronica asked caringly.

«Of course. I’m not going to go hungry for hours.»

 

«Call me when you get there.»

«Yes, of course,» Igor kissed his wife on the cheek and set off.

Veronica and Igor had been married for over 10 years. It was the third time he had left for a month-long business trip. Of course, she didn’t want to let her husband go, but there was no choice. That was his job.

When Igor had left and called to say he had arrived, Veronica wondered what to do now. All the housework was done. There was hardly anyone to meet. Over time, she had lost her friends because she firmly believed that a married woman didn’t need friends.

So she didn’t even know what to occupy herself with. She could meet with acquaintances. But what was the point? They surely had their own matters.

Then Veronica remembered her husband’s country house, which they hadn’t visited for 3 months. They had never gotten around to it, and the season had just started.

«What are you planning to do?» asked Veronica’s mother, who lived in another city.

«I don’t know yet, I’m thinking of going to the country house tomorrow. I haven’t been there in a long time.»

«And what will you do there without Igor? Aren’t you afraid to stay alone?»

«What’s there to be afraid of? I’m the rightful owner there, and there’s no one to fear.»

«What if some strangers wander around the country houses and steal?» her mother said worriedly.

Veronica just smiled at her words.

«Mom, don’t wind yourself up and don’t make things up. Everything is quiet and peaceful there.»

«Are you staying there long?»

«I thought for a week.»

«Wow, that long? Then promise me you’ll call more often, agreed?»

«Of course.»

Veronica packed all the necessary things and checked the car before the journey. She planned to be at the country house by tomorrow noon.

In fact, the country house was great. A perfect option for relaxation. Just think, some people are willing to pay fabulous money just to relax at a resort.

And here, no extra payment was necessary. Everything was familiar and homely. The only nuance was that the country house required some gardening. However, this didn’t negate all the other benefits.

Some even envied the family for having a country house.

«It’s nice to have such a country house. Lucky!» said Igor’s brother Roman.

«Lucky? Igor earned it himself. That’s why he bought it. Earn it and you can buy one too.»

«Easy for you to say. You know, everyone’s financial situation is different,» Roman sighed heavily.

However, for Veronica, these were just excuses. Because if a man really wants to earn, he looks for all possible ways, and if not, he finds reasons.

Therefore, she was sure that Roman was simply looking for excuses and continued to envy his more successful brother, who really tried to achieve something in life, rather than just sitting idle.

Veronica was approaching the country house when she saw that the gate was open. Clearly, someone was there.

Yes, perhaps her mother’s worries were not in vain. Still, Veronica was very curious to find out who was there. Could it really be thieves? Maybe she should call the police right away?

She was about to dial the emergency number when she saw a familiar silhouette in the distance. Then she bravely walked towards the house.

«Oh, Veronica, what a surprise!» said Lyuba and was about to hug her, but Veronica stood still, like a post.

 

«What are you doing here?»

«Well, there’s a thing…»

Lyuba didn’t finish her sentence when Igor’s brother Roman appeared nearby.

«And what are you doing here? Explain to me, finally, what’s going on here?» asked Veronica, not hiding her displeasure.

«Oh, Veronica, hello! Yes, we came to live here for a while.»

«What do you mean ‘live here’? What does that mean?»

Roman seemed uneasy but still found an answer.

«Didn’t Igor tell you?»

«About what?»

«That he let us stay here. You know, we just wanted to get away from the city hustle, so we came.»

Veronica couldn’t understand such audacity. Even if they were relatives, they should have asked her. And she also didn’t know why her husband hadn’t deigned to consult her.

«I don’t know what my husband allowed you, but personally, I didn’t allow anyone anything.»

Then Lyuba joined the conversation.

«Veronica, stop quarreling. We’re relatives, after all. We’ll live together just fine. Besides, I’ve fried some potatoes. Let’s go to the table.»

«Stuffed!» Veronica replied and went upstairs.

Roman felt the atmosphere heating up and also tried to smooth things over.

«Veronica, we would like to stay for at least a week. Do you mind?»

«I do mind.»

«Come on, on a familial basis. Besides, Igor himself invited us. You understand, I took a vacation just for this. Lyuba asked me so much, you wouldn’t believe.»

Then Veronica realized that perhaps she shouldn’t have been so heated and agreed. In the end, the relatives stayed on the first floor, and she was on the second.

It seemed they had forgotten about the incident and even managed to have a normal conversation. If not for one main ‘but.’ Roman and Lyuba were still slobs.

They hardly washed the dishes, dirtied the floors, and messed up the pool. To all comments, they just joked or promised to clean up later.

«I’m not joking, I’m already tired of this pigsty!» Veronica said.

However, in response, she heard the same:

«Don’t exaggerate. Think about it, we left some crumbs on the table, so what?» Lyuba shrugged her shoulders.

«So what? I don’t need to breed mice here!»

Eventually, she managed to make them clean up after themselves, but often she had to do it herself. Because it was easier to clean up right away rather than constantly ask and wait another 3 days.

Then, unexpectedly, Veronica had a great idea. The next day she decided to wake up the guests early in the morning.

«Get up!»

«Veronica, why so early? What happened?» Roman rubbed his eyes.

«Now we’ll go work in the garden, while the sun is not too hot. So, you can sleep later. And you, Lyuba, get up too.»

Lyuba lazily stretched in bed.

«Why me?»

«Why? You’ll help too. Since you came, there’s no time to waste, let’s help.»

Eventually, Veronica got her way, and the relatives went outside.

«What do we need to do?»

«Oh, we have a ton of work here. For example, we need to weed the whole garden, then water it, and ideally transplant the flowers.»

By lunchtime, the relatives worked with her in the garden.

«And aren’t you tired, Veronica, of dealing with all this?» Lyuba yawned.

«No, if you want to live at the country house, then you need to work. Or did you think people just relax here?»

Lyuba kept silent, and Veronica already knew her answer.

«Alright, we’ll continue in the evening.»

«What do you mean ‘in the evening’? When will we rest?» Roman asked, surprised.

 

«When it gets dark.»

Eventually, after lunch, Veronica saw her guests quickly start to pack.

«Where are you going?»

«We’re leaving.»

«How come? You wanted to stay for a week. I thought it would be nice, you could help out.»

Roman and Lyuba’s eyes darted around.

«You know, I got a call from work. So we can’t stay. We have to leave. Maybe another time.»

«Well, alright,» Veronica barely held back a smile.

When the guests had left, she decided to call Igor to clarify the situation.

«What keys? I didn’t give them anything!» the husband claimed.

«Alright, then how did they have them?»

«That’s exactly what we need to find out.»

Then Igor remembered that Roman had once come to visit him and was in the office when Igor received a call. Most likely, he secretly decided to make a duplicate. How dare he?

In general, Igor and his brother had a very serious conversation ahead. And he was also proud of his wife’s cunning. To think, she even managed to make them work. So that, so to speak, it wouldn’t be customary to wander around where they weren’t needed.