Son, maybe you should stay here after all?” a charming brunette woman tried to convince the man sitting in the chair. “Managing such a business isn’t easy. Not to mention, the owners are unlikely to sell a well-functioning asset.”
“Mom, why are you worrying? I’m already thirty years old, and you act like I’m a decade younger! When I was doing shifts up North, you worried too, but nothing bad happened! On the contrary, I gained some initial capital and have a chance to invest it wisely.”
“Kolya! This is a huge responsibility, no joke. Especially since you’ve never managed anything on this level before!”
Trying to calm his anxious wife, the gray-haired man supported her opinion:
“Yes, son! Mom is right. On paper, it might seem like everything is fine, but what’s really going on behind those numbers—nobody can tell!”
“Well then, I’ll manage everything remotely. I’ll issue orders by phone or through one-way video communication, and I’ll settle into an ordinary office job to see everything from the inside!”
Varvara Andreevna threw up her hands:
“Son! This is pure folly! Even if you get a job as a simple manager, they’ll ask for your documents in HR. Don’t think everyone around is a fool! Even the least sharp HR person will guess that you’re the full namesake of the invisible director. And then, it’s simple: if two know, a pig knows too.”
Unexpectedly, Sergey Leonidovich supported his son’s idea:
“Actually, Varya, Kolya is right in many ways. My father used to say: if you want everything to be as it should, then you need to do it yourself or fully understand the entire process to steer it right. For that, you need to explore all the nooks and crannies. Find out what the employees are really like. Otherwise, you’ll keep running into problems.”
“Sergey! What are you comparing! Your father, may he rest in peace, managed a workshop at a Soviet factory. Times were completely different then, and so was life. Today, people are savage: it’s a dog-eat-dog world, or even shark-eat-shark.”
“Varya! Don’t worry! Kolya is strong and serious! He’s smart. He won’t just be eaten. Right, son?”
Kolya nodded:
“Don’t worry, mom! I’m not planning on becoming anyone’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner!”
“Okay, son. Go then, build your destiny far from us, but remember: you’re always welcome here! If anything, come back!”
The son, hugging his parents one by one, retreated to his room, while Varya quietly whispered to her husband:
“Seryozha, I think Kolya is leaving because he got burned by that vixen Alice. Just like a bad joke. His wife cheated with a friend while he was making money.”
“It’s even better that everything came out. Dad always told me not to rush into marrying just anyone.”
“That’s why you proposed a week after we met!”
Sergey tenderly hugged his beloved wife:
“Oh, but it was obvious right away—you were a wonderful miracle. I had to marry you before someone else did! My parents accepted you immediately, they knew how to judge people. But we shouldn’t have let Kolya get involved with that Alice. It was clear she was after his wallet. How many times I repeated my father’s wisdom, and he just ignored it. And so, he suffered.”
Varvara sighed:
“Well, let’s hope that our son has learned his lesson and won’t rush into relationships.”
The business acquisition and relocation happened, but Kolya didn’t rush to buy an apartment. He decided to get to know the city better before settling down. For now, a small rented studio suited him just fine.
“Well, time to do some reconnaissance, as Grandpa used to say,” Nikolai thought, placing his bags in the rented apartment, changing into clothes bought on sale, and heading to his company’s office. A sign on the door announced an urgent vacancy for a cleaning lady, and the new owner had a wild thought. He decided to apply informally, “under the table,” not really counting on success. To his great surprise, it worked out.
“Do you understand, Nelli Vasilyevna, I really need this job,” Nikolai explained to the HR manager. “I’m restoring my documents after losing them, and I need to live on something in the meantime. It’s awkward to beg from parents and friends. Maybe I can be useful even as a cleaner?”
After listening to the visitor, the woman with thickly mascaraed eyelashes unnaturally smiled:
“You seem decent and smart. In principle, anything is possible in life. I was taught from childhood to always extend a helping hand to people in difficult situations. So, Nikolai, I offer you this. You work and get paid in cash from me. Say, four thousand? You understand, I’m taking a risk by letting you, a person without documents, work in a reputable company. That should be compensated.”
Nikolai almost whistled. The amount Nelli Vasilyevna mentioned was three times less than what was stated in the ad, and he decided to bargain for credibility:
“If you add another thousand, I can even do minor repairs.”
“Well, alright, Nikolai! We have a deal!” the woman rejoiced, calculating the future profit from repairs, which on paper would seem to be done by a team known to her husband, but in reality—this hapless document-less guy.
Even the first visit highlighted obvious shortcomings in the office, but Kolya’s mood was excellent. The adventure had started successfully. In the evening, he decided to celebrate alone and went to a restaurant based on Internet reviews. Visitors characterized the establishment as not the most luxurious or pompous, but praised both the food and the atmosphere.
Two girlfriends sitting at the next table seemed suitable to make the evening a bit more fun. Without thinking of anything better, Kolya asked the waiter to send the strangers a bottle of champagne.
The pretty curvy blonde, clearly trying to emphasize her resemblance to Monroe, scanned the room. Seeing who had sent the gift, she waved to Nikolai invitingly to join her table.
The man didn’t refuse and approached with a question:
“May I introduce myself to you, lovely ladies?”
The blonde began to flirt:
“My name is Inga. Sometimes they don’t even call. I just come. And this is my charming friend Sofia.”
The introduced girl smiled sweetly and uttered a banal phrase about being pleased to meet.
Kolya did not like the active blonde throwing languid glances at him, but her more reserved friend caught his attention. However, remembering his father and late grandfather’s advice, he did not rush to make a stunning impression on the girls. On the contrary, remembering his bitter experience with the mercenary Alice, Kolya decided to downplay his financial well-being. So when Inga, squinting her eyes slyly and tilting her head as a sign of her keen interest, inquired about his job, he almost truthfully responded:
“I’m a cleaner.”
The wide smile slid off the girl’s face. Smirking crookedly, she incredulously clarified:
“Wait, are you serious or what? Do cleaners go to restaurants? Come on, be honest.”
The man decided to firmly stick to his chosen story, but realizing that a regular cleaner couldn’t afford the selected restaurant, he slightly adjusted the information:
“Yes, that’s right. I work as a cleaning service specialist. It’s not a big position, but the main thing is where I work! You’d never guess!”
“Inga, stop the interrogation!” pleaded Sofia, but she couldn’t stop her friend.
“Well, don’t keep us in suspense! Tell us straight: where do you work? Surely in Gazprom?”
He told the girls the name, but even that, quite well known in the city and even the region, did not significantly improve the situation. The active Inga lost interest in Nikolai and soon told her friend:
“Oh, Sonya, I totally forgot! I have to run! Today they’re supposed to deliver my order! Are you coming with me?”
Nikolai understood perfectly the reason for such a sudden change in mood, and hiding a smirk, he offered:
“Ladies, allow me to pay our bills and escort you?”
Such generosity somewhat softened Inga, and she again began to make eyes at the new acquaintance, though without the same activity as at the beginning of the evening.
The first to hop out of the taxi was the blonde, who headed to the building entrance, apparently out of habit, seductively swinging her hips.
When the car stopped at the house Sofia had named, Kolya asked the girl for her phone number, explaining:
“I hardly know anyone in this city, and I would be glad if you agreed to meet with me.”
“Why not?” the girl shrugged and smiled. “Write it down and call when you have time!”
Two weeks later, when Sofia told Inga that she was dating Nikolai, the blonde was in shock:
“Sonya! What? Seriously? You’re dating a cleaner?”
“What’s the problem? He’s quite cultured. Plus, I’m not planning to live with him or build a family right away. Just meeting him. Purely for maintaining tone.”
“No. I don’t understand you. To lower the bar like that—it’s just some kind of Spanish shame,” lamented the friend, and Sofia, unable to stand it, snapped back sharply:
“Oh, come on! I find Kolya interesting. He’s quite satisfying for now. You know how it is: as soon as one suitor appears on the horizon, the others follow. It’s better than being lonely.”
Inga was offended, considering the closing remark a dig at her, and coldly said goodbye:
“Suit yourself! Just don’t go telling everyone that your boyfriend is a pauper. Bye!”
Sofia and Nikolai’s meetings became more frequent, but the girl did not rush into intimacy, not wanting to sell herself short. The man did not insist too much, deciding that such restraint was very characteristic of the girl. They strolled through the city streets, stopping to snack or drink tea in small establishments, and one day the man asked:
“Sofia, what’s your education?”
The girl scrunched her neat little nose:
“My parents insisted that I study economics, although I dreamed of becoming a famous and popular designer. Now I broadcast about fashion on the Internet, but it’s just like that, more for the soul, it hardly brings in any money.”
Kolya dared to suggest:
“Listen, I overheard that the company where I work needs someone for the position of deputy director of personnel. I think you’d be a good fit. If you want, I’ll ask where to send your resume.”
Although everything inside was rejoicing at the prospect of entering the staff of a large company, Sofia reluctantly agreed:
“Why not?”
After saying goodbye to Nikolai more tenderly than usual, the girl, once home, called her friend and started bragging:
“Inga, guess what, I might get into the same company where Kolya works. He promised to talk to someone and put in a good word for me. And not just like that, but for a high position!”
“Oh, you naive girl! Your suitor is lying to get you into bed! How can a miserable cleaner push you to a good position?”
“Don’t be jealous,” Sofia snapped back and ended the conversation.
Unaware that he was carrying out the assignment of a man illegally working as a cleaner in his own company, Nelli Vasilyevna sent Sofia an email notification that she was accepted for the position of deputy director, but with a mandatory two-month internship.
Literally floating on clouds of happiness, the girl was especially gentle with Nikolai at their meeting. Showering him with kisses, she announced:
“Kolenka! Sunshine! They took me! Imagine! I’m starting there tomorrow. It’s real luck.”
The girl didn’t breathe a word that Kolya had helped her get the position. This slightly irked him, especially when Sofia asked:
“Please, Kolya, just don’t advertise that we know each other.”
Holding back a bitter smirk, the man nodded:
“Of course. Subordination and all that.”
“Smart boy!” an inspired Sonya kissed the man on the tip of his nose.
After starting work, the girl seemed to forget Nikolai’s existence. She reconciled with her friend to have someone to go shopping with and hear honest reviews about the chosen outfits, and during one shopping trip, she shared her plans:
“I’ll cling to this position and sort out my personal life. I’ll hook myself a rich man.”
“And what about Kolya?”
“Why do I need a simple ‘plumber’? Now such opportunities have opened up for me that it’s just wow!”
“Well, you’re smart,” responded Inga and asked: “just don’t forget about me! After all, we’re best friends!”
Nikolai, of course, noted the change in relations with Sofia, who acted as if she didn’t know him at all and even publicly scolded him a couple of times.
Complaints from the girl, whom Kolya almost considered his fiancée, seemed endless. The man endured, thinking that soon Sofia would realize that power had gone to her head and would start fighting her weakness, but in vain.
The girl quickly found common ground with the deputy for commercial issues and the head of HR, and unpleasant changes began to occur in the company. A system of fines and various kinds of penalties was introduced, and Sofia began to dictate who to fire and hire.
Kolya was not too surprised when he saw Inga in the office corridor. The blonde walked past him without even greeting him. Later, other friends of Sonya appeared in the office, who spent all their working time gossiping and drinking tea.
In a phone conversation, the man shared his surprise with his father:
“I’m scared to see what the sweet shy girl has turned into. I never suspected that such a cruel personality was hiding behind an angelic appearance.”
“Testing by power is not passed with honor by everyone,” confirmed Sergey Leonidovich.
“The worst thing is that many people actually like such power. Lazies who flatter Sonya thrive, while rare hard workers toil for everyone, with nowhere to go.”
“And that’s not uncommon, son,” the man confirmed again. “By the way, don’t you think it’s time to reveal yourself? I think it’s about time!”
“A little more. I’ll observe one girl who is currently interning for a manager position.”
“Be careful, Kolya, don’t play too long! Think about it! The longer it goes on, the harder it will be to clean up this mess!”
“Alright, Dad! Say hello to Mom for me!” Kolya hurried to end the conversation.
He really had something to think about. The day before, he had witnessed an unpleasant scene. Sofia was reprimanding an intern:
“Victoria! In our company, there is no dress code yet, but that’s just due to an unfortunate misunderstanding. I’m just developing a uniform for the staff! For now, try to dress stylishly on your own. You communicate with our business partners. You could say, you are the face of the company. And now before me is a pale and boringly dressed employee! This is simply unacceptable.”
Then Sofia, who fancied herself a great boss, also took it out on Kolya.
“Why is the floor wet again! How many times do I have to say: you must ensure cleanliness, not forgetting about safety!”
Seeing what was happening in the company, Nikolai repeatedly decided to reveal his incognito, but he wanted to see to what extent of absurdity Sofia and her minions could go, and also figure out who among the staff could be left in their places.
Vika was one of the few who showed him humanity. Once, passing by, she handed him a bundle:
“Here, take this! These rags are much better for cleaning. They absorb water quickly, leaving the floor clean and dry.”
Surprisingly, Vika’s present turned out to be useful. In the evening, Kolya caught up with the girl, who was quickly walking to the bus stop, and, thanking her, asked:
“Where did you get such knowledge in the field, as it’s fashionably expressed, of cleaning?”
Vika naively answered:
“It’s simple, I work as a cleaner in the mornings, then I run here to work. In the evening, I have several entrances in the neighboring house. This experience, unfortunately by necessity, I have because my mom is seriously ill. Expensive medicines and special nutrition are required,” the girl sighed sadly.
“Listen, I feel awkward! Let me reimburse you for the cost of these, as you called them, tools of labor.”
“No, what are you!— Vika waved her hand. — Trifles!”
The next morning, Kolya brought the girl a bag of apples:
“My parents sent them with a carrier. Here, I’m sharing homemade deliciousness. Vitamins and all that.”
The girl was embarrassed, even blushed, but took the bag.
In the evenings, Kolya increasingly began to see Vika off. The girl rushed to return to her mother, and, partly ignoring the conspiracy, the man rented a car to save his new friend from long trips on crowded public transport. On the way, they talked a lot, and one day Vika asked for advice:
“Kolya, I don’t even know what to do. I accidentally found out that Sofia Semyonovna concocted a vile plan. She’s in cahoots with the deputy. The situation is a nightmare. They intend to carry out financial machinations so that our company’s affairs deteriorate significantly, and competitors buy it out for pennies. How can I reach the director to warn about the impending betrayal?”
“Don’t worry. We in the company are small people, but I promise you that the right person will learn this information.”
During the negotiations that were supposed to lead to the company’s collapse, Nikolai entered the office without knocking and loudly declared:
“Enough. Enough of this circus, Sofia.”
“I don’t understand? You seem to have forgotten your place! Who are you? A miserable cleaner.… Get out of here before I call security!” the girl shrieked, jumping up from behind the desk.
When Nikolai said who he really was, a tomb-like silence fell in the office. Sofia looked like a fish out of water. She silently flapped her lips and stared in disbelief at the supposed cleaner.
“Sofia! You’re fired! I’m appointing Victoria to your place. Since Nelli Vasilyevna also discredited herself, she will now be removed from the HR department. The paperwork will happen tomorrow, when a trustworthy person will take over all affairs.”
The company’s employees were shocked. The head of HR was angry at herself for not recognizing Nikolai’s deception and getting herself into trouble. Sofia was furious. How could it be: prosperity slipped through her fingers twice? She couldn’t reach her former suitor and, thinking it over, decided to spite the upstart. Getting hold of Vika’s home phone number, the fired girl called her mother:
“Tamara Petrovna, you are being contacted from the laboratory. Your test results have come in.”
The woman was surprised. Usually, the doctor communicated the results, but apparently, this time was different, and she asked:
“Do I need to pick up the results?”
“No, you don’t need to. We’ll pass them on to the doctor ourselves, just wanted to warn you to take care of yourself. The tests are bad, and right now you can’t afford to get sick. Even a simple cold could, let’s say, send you to the other world.”
Believing she had terrible test results, Tamara Petrovna, with a faltering voice, clarified:
“Oh, dear.. what’s happening… How long do I have?”
“I’m not a doctor. It’s a small matter, but if I were to judge by similar results from a very close acquaintance of mine, then no more than a month.”
Ending the conversation, Sofia winked at her reflection in the mirror. “That’s how it should be! Let her suffer herself, and let her daughter cry a bit!”
Sofia’s vile plan worked. Tamara Petrovna got nervous and ended up in the hospital. When Vika, who was at work, was informed, she barely held back tears, asking the director:
“My mom was taken to the hospital, her blood pressure shot up… May I go to her?”
“Of course. Let me drive you?”
Vika did not refuse the kind offer and, although she was not up for conversations, she explained:
“My mom is generally dangerous to be in the hospital. She has a whole bouquet of diseases, but the scariest thing is that she needs a bone marrow transplant. We’re looking for a donor, but so far without result.”
Kolya was surprised:
“Can’t you be a donor?”
Vika bashfully explained:
“I would do anything for my mom, but I can’t help in this matter. Not because I’m afraid. My mom adopted me. I hoped that a miracle would happen and my samples would fit. In vain. You know, Nikolai, it’s terrible to feel completely powerless. The donor database is tiny, but the queue, on the other hand, is huge. Even if a suitable donor is found in the database, it’s not a fact that the operation will be done for my mom, but for someone who gives a bribe.”
The man was so moved by the subordinate’s grief that he offered, without even realizing how:
“Listen, call me by you, as usual. And anyway, let me try to take the test, just in case. Just tell me where and who to contact. Maybe at least the parameters will match or whatever doctors call it.”
“Oh, of course. I’ll write everything down: where to go, who to contact. You understand, I’m ready to grab any chance.”
Nikolai reassuringly squeezed Vika’s hand:
“Believe in the best!”
The test result for compatibility was a complete surprise for Nikolai. It turned out that he could indeed become a donor for Vika’s mother. The man didn’t really understand the medical terms the doctor used, and at the end of his speech, he explained:
“You see, by certain signs, it can definitely be said that there is a clear familial connection between you and the potential recipient.”
Stunned, Nikolai could only politely say goodbye to the doctor. The information was too surprising and strange. He wanted to call his parents to try to figure out what was happening, but he suddenly got scared. What if it was all a mistake, and there was no kinship between him and Vika’s mother at all? Why then bother his parents in vain?
The man knew Vika was anxiously waiting for news. Sitting on a bench, he called the girl, briefly reported that he was suitable as a donor, and asked for permission to visit her at home. He didn’t want to have a complicated conversation over the phone.
“Oh, Kolya, thank you so much for the good news. Only I just went to the pharmacy. I’ll be home in about an hour, at best, but please, come over—mom will be very happy to see you!”
That turned out to be true. When Nikolai pressed the doorbell, he didn’t even have to wait a fraction of a second. Obviously, Vika had already shared the good news. Quite likely, Tamara Petrovna was watching from the window to open the door to her potential savior immediately. The speaker instantly came to life. A joyful voice sounded:
“Kolenka, hello! Please come in!”
The woman bustled about the kitchen, not knowing how and what to treat the guest with. Kolya declined refreshments and immediately moved on to a difficult conversation.
“As I understood, you already know the good news, but I have a very unexpected question. The doctor told me that we have a blood kinship, very close. I was so confused that I didn’t even clarify: is an error possible?”
Tamara Petrovna gasped. Covered her mouth with her hand. She reached out to Kolya, then jerked her hand back, as if afraid of hurting him with her touch.
The woman sat down on a chair, was silent for a while, as if gathering strength, and finally said in a hoarse voice:
“I think there’s no mistake. I’m both joyful and ashamed at the same time. It seems you are my son, whom I once betrayed… Many years ago, I was a freshman student. I came from a small village, where my aunt raised me, to a big city and thought: here it is, happiness! When a handsome cadet paid attention to me, my head was completely turned. But then the magical fairy tale turned into a sad life story. As soon as my beloved found out that our love had a continuation, he immediately stated that this was only my problem. Of course, this doesn’t justify me at all, but I was young and foolish. How many nights I didn’t sleep and thought: what should I do, but the options seemed only worse than each other.
In general, I barely passed the session. Many teachers felt sorry for me and gave me credits and exams ‘automatically.’ The girls, my dormitory neighbors, went home, and in their absence, I prepared for childbirth. I was terrified of publicity, didn’t want to go to the hospital. I disinfected scissors. Ironed the swaddling clothes, from both sides, as I heard from someone that it’s supposed to be done like that. I gathered everything and went to a cottage belonging to one of my classmates. I knew the house was livable, and where the key was hidden in the agreed place. And that no one would be there—my classmate and her whole family went abroad for a vacation, I also knew. When it all started, I tried not to scream and even not to groan loudly. I don’t know where the strength and knowledge of what and how to do came from, but I gave birth to a beautiful son, you, Kolenka. Simply adorable. I swaddled you as best I could. Lay down to rest. Quietly cleaned up the mess. Thought to return to the dormitory. Ask to let me stay there, even just as a janitor. I understood that the chances of getting out of this and raising you in abundance were almost none. I’m walking and see—a neat cottage. A decent, solid house. The light is on. The window was without curtains, and I could see a young couple perfectly. I don’t know how I decided, but out of desperation, I sneaked behind the gate. I placed you on the porch. Myself behind the gate and threw a pebble at the window. I hoped that at least they would take you to a children’s hospital, and I—away from this area. After all, it was the height of the season. Who knows. Maybe some attentive person would notice me. Made it back to my dormitory and trembled like an aspen leaf for several years. I was waiting for punishment for my sin, but retribution was delayed.
I graduated. Got my diploma, and there wasn’t a day that I didn’t think about you. Got married, but I couldn’t get pregnant. Independent childbirth and the fact that I was afraid to see a doctor came back to haunt me. Retribution caught up with me for abandoning you. I argued with my husband for a long time, but we decided to take a girl from an orphanage. I really wanted to atone for at least part of my guilt and give someone all my maternal tenderness and care. That’s how Victoria appeared in our family. Our victory. My husband, however, soon left us, he never managed to love someone else’s child, but I’m not mad at him. The main thing is, I have a daughter.”
Nikolai sat and said nothing. Tamara Petrovna nodded her head as if agreeing with this silence and exhaled phrases that were very difficult for her to say:
“You, Kolenka, have every reason to despise me. I’ll understand if you refuse to be a donor for me. Really, I will! Fate has already given me a luxurious gift. Believe me, it’s enough for me that I learned about my son, about you, on the threshold of eternity. This is simply happiness, that everything is alright with you.”
The woman didn’t cry, but in Nikolai’s gaze, she saw so much pain that he hurried to stare out the window as if he had seen something incredibly interesting there. He felt incredibly bad himself. He had never even suspected that he grew up in a non-biological family. No one from his surroundings, neither close nor distant, even hinted that he could be adopted.
His first desire was to call the people who raised him, but what for, to disturb mom and dad? They will always remain the closest people to him anyway.
The heavy silence, filled with unspoken questions, thickened the air in the small cozy kitchen. Nikolai said goodbye and was about to leave, but almost at the door, he ran into Vika. The returned girl began to thank the friend for his willingness to help her mom, and she didn’t want to let him go at all:
“No! Have dinner with us. I know for sure you’re hungry.”
Unable to refuse the girl, who was very dear to him, Kolya agreed. While Victoria bustled about the kitchen, setting the table in the room, he whispered to Tamara Petrovna:
“I think it will be better for everyone if we keep our common secret and tell no one about what happened in the past. You will remain for me the mother of a girl who is not indifferent to me. I will continue to consider the people who raised me as my parents.”
The woman nodded, hugged Nikolai, and whispered in his ear:
“Thank you, son.”
Victoria noticed some tension at the table but decided it was just quite natural excitement due to the upcoming transplantation.
Nikolai continued to see Vika, growing more and more attached to her. Tamara Petrovna, watching her biological son and adopted daughter, was happy for her children. The woman hoped that life would never force them to make a difficult choice.
Before the operation, Kolya left the company in the care of the new chief accountant, a kind and long-time friend of Tamara Petrovna:
“I won’t be here for about a week, but if necessary, call me. As soon as it’s convenient—I’ll call back!”
“Don’t worry, Nikolai Sergeevich!” the chief accountant assured the director. “Everything will be fine!”
The doctor explained that there was nothing dangerous in this manipulation, but Vika was incredibly worried both for her mom and for Kolya, whom she was falling in love with more and more.
To everyone’s joy, everything went well. Tamara Petrovna gradually began to recover, and six months after the operation, when her health no longer caused concern, Nikolai proposed to Vika, and the girl agreed.
They decided not to invite many guests. A few friends of the bride, her mom, and, of course, the groom’s parents. Tamara Petrovna was very nervous before meeting the people who had raised her son. For some reason, she thought they might somehow be able to reveal the secret that she and Kolya had decided to keep. However, the meeting only brought positive emotions.
At the wedding, Varvara Andreevna and Sergey Leonidovich said touching words to the newlyweds, and after the groom’s parents, the excited Tamara Petrovna stepped into the center of the banquet hall.
“My dear children! Congratulations on this celebration. I wish that tender feelings and fidelity remain between you until the end of your happy days.”
The woman’s voice trembled. She approached the newlyweds’ table and handed them her gift.
On the dance floor, couples swirled in a slow dance when Sofia, dressed in a short white dress and veil, appeared in the hall. Not entirely steady on her feet, she approached the dancing newlyweds and began to loudly protest:
“Stop the wedding! The bride is fake. I should be in her place! Kolya, I met you first. You were supposed to marry me!”
The guests froze. Sergey Leonidovich reacted faster than anyone and tried to lead the girl out of the hall. However, the drunken Sofia was not joking. Slurring her words, she shouted to the whole hall:
“I’m not going anywhere! Come on, Kolya, don’t be shy! If you want, we can have our first wedding night right here and now.”
“Sonya, please leave immediately!” the groom tried to persuade the drunken guest, but it made no difference to her.
Tamara Petrovna noticed that one of the waiters was recording the unexpected performance on a smartphone and asked:
“Better help get this madwoman out of the hall!”
The end of the wedding banquet went without incidents, but the next morning, a video of Sonya trying to disrupt the wedding became incredibly popular on social networks, but the fame brought the girl no joy.
It was impossible to go outside without someone, recognizing the heroine of that video, not shouting:
“Wow! That’s the girl from the wedding who made a scene!”
Sonya was not up for sitting in restaurants and, sitting in the kitchen, complained to her friend, smearing tears across her face:
“Basically, Inga, I’m left with nothing. Well, could I have imagined that Kolya, the love of my life, was just pretending to be a cleaner?”
“Yeah, girlfriend. We ran into a rich man, and we couldn’t recognize him. Nothing, maybe we’ll get lucky again!” sighed the friend, not feeling a bit of sympathy for the disgraced Sonya.
Kolya and Vika didn’t think about the incident at the wedding anymore. They had no time for that. They enjoyed married life and planned to soon delight their relatives with a grandson or granddaughter.