“My God! I didn’t come here for nothing — I wanted to help you pick the perfect dress!” exclaimed the mother-in-law loudly, her voice trembling with indignation. “What do you look like now? This… this is just an absolute absurdity, not a bride’s outfit! Where is the luxury? Where is the sparkle? Where is the elegance?”
Lena stood before the stern woman wrapped in a dark silk dress as if petrified. The words got stuck deep inside her, unable to find an outlet. A whole crowd of guests had gathered around them—every gaze fixed on Lena like spotlights on an actress who had forgotten her lines. She felt like the victim of a visual trial, with her newly minted mother-in-law as the accuser.
Andrey, seeing the tension rise, tried to stop the brewing scandal:
“Mom, please, let’s keep it down? Not here and not now…”
“Keep it down?!” the woman snorted without lessening her intensity. “Do you think lowering your voice will make everything better? Or do you hope that no one will notice that your fiancée showed up at the wedding with no taste or common sense? Look at her!”
Andrey sighed, took his mother’s hand, and gently led her aside, leaving Lena alone in the middle of the attentive eyes of the guests. Each person seemed to be trying on the role of critic, whispering their opinions loud enough for Lena to hear.
It all began with a simple dress choice. Lena refused the model strongly recommended by her mother-in-law—it had too many feathers, beads, embroidery, and artificial glitter. She wanted something clean, classic, and graceful. Simplicity is luxury too, she told herself. And although the outfit was not cheap, it was free of unnecessary pomp. It was her image—calm, refined, restrained.
But in others’ eyes, it looked like a challenge.
Especially venomous was Svetlana’s gaze—Andrey’s ex-girlfriend, who still nursed hopes of becoming his wife. Her father held a high position in a large bank, and she was considered a “suitable match.” And Lena—an ordinary girl with an ordinary job, no influential connections or money, whom the mother-in-law repeatedly called a poor match with no dowry.
With every glance, every whispering pair, Lena felt her confidence drain away. Her heart tightened with bitterness. These people—almost the entire wedding—were invited by Andrey’s mother. Only a few of Lena’s friends, sitting in a distant corner of the hall, tried to remain invisible, not getting involved.
And then she realized: Andrey had not defended her. He chose to stay silent, perhaps afraid of losing his parents’ financial support. This thought struck her harder than her mother-in-law’s words. She had not just made a mistake—she had made a terrible mistake. Marrying him was madness. He would always be part of another world—a world where love is measured by price tags, not feelings.
Unable to bear the tension, Lena spun sharply and ran away, leaving behind not only the restaurant but everything connected to that day. She would not let them see her tears. Never.
Bursting outside, she stopped, breathing heavily. The wedding was held at one of the city’s most prestigious venues—near a picturesque park and a calm river. Without much purpose, Lena headed there—toward the water, hoping to find at least a drop of solitude. As she ran through the alleys in her pristine wedding dress, passersby looked back—some with curiosity, some with confusion—but she didn’t care at all.
Not long ago, she dreamed that her life would be filled with love, family warmth, children’s laughter. She wanted to create a home where it was warm, safe, and no one had to count every penny. She wanted them to go to the sea as a family once a year, walk along the shore, collect seashells—like in movies or books. She wanted everything that seemed like a normal life.
Andrey seemed to her that very person—strong, reliable, kind. They had met not long ago, but Lena felt: here he is—the one. She closed her eyes to how he sometimes forgot appointments, how he spent evenings with friends instead of being with her. She thought of it as a manifestation of male freedom, a bright nature that had to be accepted as it was.
Now, recalling her first meeting with his mother, Lena understood—there were plenty of warnings. Back then, at the dawn of their relationship, the woman stated outright that her son deserved another, more suitable woman. Andrey was silent then, and that silence echoed in her heart with pain even now.
The wedding collapsed like a house of cards. The future became foggy, anxious, full of doubts. Lena reached the riverbank, sat down on the grass, and burst into tears. Tears flowed endlessly, soaking the edge of her dress. She didn’t move or try to fix anything. Only after an hour, when her strength began to fade, did she calm down a little.
Wiping her tear-streaked eyes, Lena looked at the water’s surface. Suddenly, she noticed movement above—on the high bank, behind a barred fence, stood a woman. An old lady dressed in a modest coat, eyes closed, whispering something as if praying. But the place where she stood was too dangerous.
“What are you doing?” Lena shouted, feeling fear clutch her chest. “Are you really going to… jump?”
The grandmother slowly opened her eyes and looked down. Seeing Lena in a wedding dress, she hesitated.
“Sorry, girl… I didn’t think anyone was here. I probably disturbed you…”
“No, no, you didn’t disturb me,” Lena replied, feeling sudden relief. The woman spoke—that meant she still wanted to live.
“Why do you think so? Sometimes it seems everything is bad, but it’s not the end…”
The old woman shook her head:
“When they want to throw you out of the house where you lived your whole life, when children start seeing you only as a burden, there’s no hope left. I’m nobody’s need.”
“No,” Lena softly objected. “Everyone matters to someone. Even if not to those you wish.”
She herself had just lost faith in her family, but now her thoughts were focused on a different task—saving this woman, giving her life meaning again.
“What’s your name?”
“Ekaterina Sergeyevna.”
“I’m Lena. Today was supposed to be my wedding… but I ran away. But I won’t let my tears be anyone’s reason for laughter. And you shouldn’t be anyone’s reason for mockery either. Come with me. I’ll make you some tea. I have a special recipe. You haven’t tried anything like it yet!”
Ekaterina Sergeyevna barely smiled:
“What’s so special about it?”
“You’ll find out when you try it.”
After a long pause, the woman stepped back, then looked at Lena:
“Why do you need me, girl? You have enough worries of your own…”
“So what! I just realized I made a big mistake, but that’s no reason to lose others. Come on!”
Lena held out her hand. After a moment’s hesitation, Ekaterina Sergeyevna took it.
The woman’s story was sad, like thousands of others. She had a son who had now become a father himself. After the death of his fiancée and the grandson’s move to another city, Ekaterina was left alone. A year ago, the son remarried—a young, beautiful woman became his second wife.
At first, it seemed everything was going well. The decision to combine living arrangements—sell her apartment and buy a shared one—was made gladly. After all, Ekaterina dreamed of family, support, not growing old alone. But now that dream shattered like a crystal vase falling on stone.
Now they tried to evict her from the new home—the one she moved to hoping for warmth and care. Her son pretended not to notice what was happening, as if everything was fine. But his new wife… She was completely different—sharp, cold, and cruel. Relations with Ekaterina Sergeyevna were tense from the first days. Over time, it grew into real harassment. The daughter-in-law mocked and humiliated the old woman at every opportunity, once even raising a hand against her.
When Ekaterina Sergeyevna decided to talk to her son about his wife’s behavior, he not only didn’t take his mother’s side but threatened to send her to a psychiatric hospital, saying she was “not right in the head.” These words left a painful mark on the woman’s heart. How could she live to such a point—to be accused in her own home? Afraid things might get worse, the grandmother simply packed some things and left. Left the house where she wanted to spend her last years, left those she once loved boundlessly.
For three days she wandered city streets, hungry, frozen, lost. No roof over her head, no shoulder to lean on. And today, on this gloomy day, she thought of ending it all. After all, what was happening couldn’t be called living. It was an endless nightmare with no light left.
“And your grandson… does he treat you like that too?” Lena asked, feeling the heavy weight of another’s pain.
“Oh, no, my dear Lenochka…” Ekaterina Sergeyevna’s voice softened, as if a single memory of her grandson returned a piece of warmth. “Misha is my real sunshine. But he stopped visiting us after that snake came into our family. We used to call often; he always asked about my health, joked around. Then they took my phone away. Sometimes he calls my son, who tells him I’m either asleep or out walking. Just wants to hide the truth…”
An idea spun in Lena’s head. A fleeting thought like a ray of hope in this darkness.
“Ekaterina Sergeyevna, tell me your grandson’s name and his last name?” she asked quickly. “For now, go rest—I laid out a place for you on the couch. Don’t worry. I’m sure everything will be okay.”
The old woman nodded gratefully and soon fell into a troubled but still sleep. Lena, leaving her guest in peace, went to her laptop. Pouring herself a large cup of hot coffee, she sat at the kitchen table. Only now did she remember she hadn’t checked her phone for a long time. Pulling it out of the pocket of the wedding dress lying in the bathroom, she almost choked on the number of missed calls—more than a hundred! But only one was from Andrey.
After standing for a few seconds thinking, Lena pulled out the SIM card and carefully broke it. She didn’t want to hear from that man anymore. Twenty minutes later, she was already searching for information about Ekaterina Sergeyevna’s grandson. And here he was—a young man with the right name, age, and school. Everything matched.
Morning brought an unexpected knock at the door. Lena woke rubbing her eyes. Ekaterina Sergeyevna was already up, sitting on the couch, listening attentively to every sound.
“Who could that be?” Lena wondered.
She understood Andrey would find a way to look for her sooner or later. But she needed to solve her own problems first and help the grandmother. Gathering her strength, she approached the door and cautiously looked through the peephole. Andrey wasn’t there. Standing on the threshold was a tall, broad-shouldered man whose face seemed vaguely familiar.
Hesitating, Lena opened the door.
“Elena? My name is Mikhail, I’m Ekaterina Sergeyevna’s grandson.”
Ekaterina Sergeyevna jumped up from the couch and clasped her hands to her chest, rushing to the door:
“Lenochka, it’s my Misha! Oh, Lord, Misha… How did you know I was here?”
“Grandma, why didn’t you tell me? We memorized my number exactly together. You could have asked neighbors for help.”
“Oh, Misha, I didn’t want to bother you. You already have tense relations with your father…”
“Grandma, how else will they be with all this going on?”
Misha turned to Lena and gave her a warm, grateful smile.
“Thank you so much for not passing by my grandmother. She means incredibly much to me. I’ve wanted to take her away for a long time, but something always kept her here. We even argued about it…” he admitted. “I may seem pushy, but I wouldn’t refuse a cup of coffee after four hours behind the wheel.”
Lena, as if waking from a long sleep, straightened up:
“Sorry… I think I’m still half asleep… Coming now,” she replied shyly.
Soon a decision was made: Mikhail and his grandmother would stay with Lena for a few days. During this time, they planned to sort out the documents. It turned out Ekaterina Sergeyevna had invested significant funds in buying the apartment that was now being taken away. So, throwing her out onto the street was not only unfair but illegal.
“That’s unacceptable, and I will definitely file a lawsuit,” Misha said firmly. “I won’t let them treat you like that, grandma. Neither you nor I will let this go.”
In the following days, Lena lived as if in a half-dream. She knew grown-ups had to be more reasonable, especially after betrayal. But she could do nothing—around Misha, she got lost, forgetting everything. His kindness, care for his grandmother, confidence—it all fascinated her.
Before the guests left, Lena gathered courage and told Misha about her feelings. He was genuinely surprised.
“Really? I didn’t think that was possible. What are your plans?” he asked.
“I’ll file for divorce tomorrow,” Lena answered calmly.
“But you loved him?”
“Apparently not,” she smiled sadly. “Maybe I should even thank fate for that.”
After Mikhail and Ekaterina Sergeyevna left, they called regularly. Lena filed for divorce, and although her heart ached, she felt a new life being born inside her. Gradually, she began to come out of depression, learning to enjoy simple moments again.
At some point, she decided happiness wasn’t her fate and threw herself completely into work. One day a colleague asked with a smile:
“Lena, did you hear? We have a new boss?”
“They said Grigoryevich would leave only in two months.”
“No, he’s already gone. And the new one… he’s young and very handsome,” she added meaningfully.
“So what? Probably inexperienced. It’ll be tough,” Lena sighed.
“God, you’re not even thirty yet, and you’re already thinking about work. Are you going to marry work?” the other laughed. “By the way, they say he’s not married yet.”
Lena just shrugged and kept typing. But at that moment, a voice behind the door made her catch her breath:
“Elena Vladimirovna, the new manager is calling for you.”
Entering the office, Lena froze. There stood Mikhail, smiling as if he knew this day would come.
“Hi…” he said, extending his hand.
Two months later, the whole office celebrated their wedding. A colleague, dying of curiosity, approached Lena:
“Come on, spill it—how do you act around men to get such a husband? Just walk into the office, and he immediately proposes?”
Lena laughed, looking at her beloved:
“Sometimes fate itself knows how to find those who really matter.”