Sergey Gennadievich, I need a day off tomorrow! My husband and I are celebrating our anniversary—twenty years of marriage. Please, try to understand my situation, — Arina pouted, even though she knew she was old enough to act more serious.
Arina Vladimirovna, what am I going to do without you? I’m literally lost here when you’re not around, — the older man shook his head. — Alright. Take your day off, what can I do? But be back at work the day after tomorrow! And don’t go overboard with the celebrations.
We never touch a drop… You know that. Our family has a dry law, — Arina smiled contentedly. — You’re the best boss. You know that, right?
Such a flatterer, — her boss shook his head, but couldn’t hide a smile.
Arina had worked at the tool factory for a long time, starting from the bottom but rising to the position of head of sales. To Sergey Gennadievich, she was almost like a daughter, and he was glad she had a strong marriage. His own son hadn’t been as lucky—he’d been divorced twice, since women only married him for convenience, and he had never learned to spot deceit.
I wish I had a daughter-in-law like you, Arina Vladimirovna. Your in-laws are lucky, — the man sighed heavily.
Arina hurried to finish her work because she couldn’t wait to get home and share the joyful news with her husband—that she would have the whole day off with him tomorrow, and they would celebrate their wedding anniversary at a nice restaurant in the evening.
When Arina got home, she was in high spirits and peeked into the study, but her husband wasn’t there. Boris wasn’t home at all, even though he usually got back before she did. Taking advantage of the moment, she hurried to the kitchen to prepare a light dinner. Her heart was blooming, she could feel spring in her soul, and she just wanted to smile and enjoy life.
Boris came back an hour later. He looked tired and somewhat sad. Arina chose not to ask any questions right away, hoping he would open up on his own, but he stayed silent. He ate in autopilot mode, avoiding her eyes.
Borya, what’s wrong? You don’t seem like yourself, — Arina began gently, trying to sense what was going on. Years of marriage had taught her that if he wasn’t ready to talk, she wouldn’t be able to drag it out of him.
Nothing’s wrong. Actually, I wanted to talk to you. We’ve been together since high school, but time takes its toll. Sadly, we don’t get better or prettier as the years go by, and new desires come up that are hard to resist. — Arina tensed up, not liking how this was going. — I’ve had to think a lot about this lately.
Didn’t you have anything better to do? — Arina asked. — What are you getting at? Is this your midlife crisis or something? You’ll always be my best and most loved. So don’t start with any nonsense.
I never doubted that, — Boris’s lips curled into a fleeting smile before fading into deep thought. — But you’re no longer that for me.
His words hit her like a punch to the gut. At first, it seemed like a bad April Fool’s joke—but no, who could be so cruel as to joke about this?
“What does that mean?” Arina asked, her face falling. She couldn’t understand what could have suddenly changed, but she could see that her husband was looking at her differently now.
“I won’t lie to you because you deserve the truth. Half a year ago, a new employee joined our department. At first, I tried to fight the attraction I felt toward her, but it turned into a real torment. I couldn’t keep pretending—I want her by my side, not you. She’s not much younger than you, just five years, but she really takes care of herself… She’s perfect in every way. And she feels the same way about me. Arina, you’re getting older while I’m still in my prime. I’m leaving you. But don’t blame yourself. There’s nothing you could have done or changed. You can’t command feelings. I hope you’ll understand, and find strength to move on. Life doesn’t stop here. Maybe you’ll meet another man who’ll be happy with you, but after twenty years I’m just tired. I need something new. I’ll talk to our son myself, so don’t worry about that. He’s a grown man, he’ll understand. I hope you won’t make a scene and will let me go peacefully. I’ve decided to leave this apartment to you.”
Arina couldn’t hold back a bitter laugh. The apartment was already hers anyway. It was a gift from her parents and wouldn’t have to be divided in a divorce. The one they bought for their son was already officially in his name, so Boris wouldn’t have gotten anything either way, but none of that mattered to her right now. Pain flared up in her chest, squeezing her heart in a steel grip. Her head was spinning. She felt weak, unable to even move.
“Nothing to say?” Boris tried to appeal to her emotions. Maybe he wanted Arina to cause a scene? Wanted her to insult him? Maybe he thought that would make it easier for him? “I never cheated on you with her. We agreed that I would officially end my old relationship before starting a new one. So you don’t need to worry about that.”
A nervous chuckle slipped from Arina’s lips, but she still didn’t dare to say anything. She was a mature, independent woman, and she knew that words or insults wouldn’t help now. You can’t glue back a broken cup and pretend it was never shattered. Shouting and arguments can drive guilt, can try to stop someone, but was there any point in clinging on if everything was already broken? Looking at her husband, Arina saw a different person in front of her. The years had truly changed them. As Boris talked about the new coworker, he was practically glowing with happiness, so let him go to her. She didn’t want to grovel, to beg him to stay. Right now she didn’t want anything at all. Arina felt crushed and empty inside. She’d been so happy planning tomorrow’s event, but now she didn’t even want tomorrow to come.
“So, you’ve decided to stay silent. Alright, that’s your choice. I didn’t want things to end this way, but there’s nothing I can change. Forgive me, if you can.”
Boris left. From the other room, the creaking of cabinet doors echoed—he was packing his things. Arina wanted to get up and help him, but stopped herself. If he had decided to leave, then he could do it on his own. She didn’t need to help her husband anymore, didn’t need to come running at his first call or keep trying.
Once the door closed behind Boris, Arina found the strength to finally get up from the corner sofa. Her legs felt like jelly and nearly gave out, but she managed to make it to the bed, using the wall for support, and collapsed onto it. Arina didn’t cry, but inside her soul was being torn to pieces. So this was her anniversary gift. This was not how she pictured celebrating their special day.
In the morning, Arina sat in front of the mirror for a long time, just staring at her reflection. She really was getting older, but everyone goes through this cycle. Everyone changes. Boris had lost quite a bit of hair, but that had never made her love him less. Maybe the little wrinkles at the corners of her eyes bothered her husband? Or maybe he was just truly tired? Arina didn’t want to curse Boris. She was grateful to him for everything they had been through together. She had been happy for twenty years of marriage. They had raised a wonderful son. That was something to remember.
Arina decided to go to work since the celebration was out of the question now. As soon as she arrived, her boss called her in and asked what had happened.
“Just yesterday you were begging for the day off, and today you show up. Did your husband’s work not give him time off after all?” Sergey Gennadievich asked, concerned.
“I’m not sure. Yesterday he told me we’re getting a divorce and left. May I start my work, please? I’d rather not talk about it.”
Sergey Gennadievich immediately went pale. He didn’t ask any more questions, and half an hour before the end of her shift, invited Arina to his office and offered to have a drink together.
“I shouldn’t. I know you want to comfort me, but disappointment is all you’ll find at the bottom of a bottle. I can handle it. I’m not a young girl anymore whose heart shatters with a loud crash. Life sometimes throws surprises our way, but you have to withstand every trial bravely. I really am okay, but thank you for your help.”
Arina came home and was very surprised to see Dima, their son. He rarely visited his parents, but today he looked worried.
“So, your father already told you everything?” Arina asked, a sad smile on her lips.
“Mom, how could you just let him go? How could he do this to you?”
“It’s okay, son. The main thing is, don’t try to take sides. We are both your parents. And I know you and your dad have always been close. I’m not angry at him, and I’ll definitely get through this. I promise you, I’ll be fine. Life isn’t over.”
Dima hugged his mother tightly, and Arina barely managed not to break down in tears. Holding all that pain inside was incredibly hard. If Arina hadn’t loved her husband so deeply, it would have been easier to handle his leaving, but she didn’t want to cry and tried her hardest to stay strong. She especially didn’t want others to see how much she was hurting.
A few months went by. The pain slowly faded, replaced by a cold indifference. The divorce was peaceful. They managed to split their savings themselves—no fights, no grudges—though Arina’s empty heart was still hard to fill. She threw herself into work, breaking sales records, and avoided being alone with her thoughts to keep from drowning in them. She signed up for yoga, started swimming on weekends, and often wandered through shopping malls. Arina’s life began to change. She tried something new: cut her hair shorter, colored it, and started paying more attention to her appearance—even learning how to do her own makeup at last. Her husband had always discouraged this, insisting he preferred natural beauty, but now… Arina highlighted her beauty and began to like herself. She decided to start living for herself. If she ever chose to be with someone again, she wouldn’t let him tell her how she should look. If he didn’t want her as she was, then good riddance.
“Arina Vladimirovna, you’re such a beauty,” her boss would say. “The divorce did you good! Now the whole office can’t take their eyes off you. The men want to ask you out, and the women are green with envy.”
“Oh, come on, Sergey Gennadievich,” Arina would brush him off, though she couldn’t help but enjoy hearing such compliments.
“Maybe, just maybe, you’ll be my daughter-in-law one day? How could I possibly miss out on such beauty?”
“Sorry, but I’m not in a hurry,” Arina would joke. “Marriage feels like shackles… I feel much freer without them, it’s even easier to breathe.”
Arina tried not to think about her ex-husband or how he was doing, until one late autumn evening he appeared at her door to remind her he still existed. Boris asked for forgiveness. He admitted that life with her had become a habit, and he had gone looking for something new and exciting elsewhere—only to realize too late that he’d lost what mattered most: his love. Now he knew he truly loved Arina and wanted to get everything back. But she stopped him. She remembered too well how hard it was to bury her feelings, how tough it was to heal her wounds. She had no desire to go through that pain again. Who knows, maybe Boris would get bored again in a couple of years, and if new wrinkles appeared on her face, he’d just look elsewhere?
“I’m sorry, but I’m not ready to give you a second chance. I told you before—if you leave, you leave for good. Once trust is broken, it can’t be rebuilt so easily. I’ve made my peace and moved on. I suggest you do the same.”
Boris had no choice but to leave empty-handed. Arina finally let him go. She no longer waited for his return and knew a truly new chapter in her life had begun—a chapter that would be full of bright, colorful events, untarnished by any regrets.