Lida lived with her husband, Oleg, for twelve years. But then she found a trace of another woman’s lipstick on his shirt.
She was not a foolish woman and understood immediately. But just to be sure, she checked his phone and found several messages from a certain Varvara.
At first, it was business correspondence, but then came the affection, photos, and even… a joint business trip to the south.
Lida understood that her husband had been deceiving her for a long time. It was bitter and hurtful. She decided to leave, but their daughter, Mila, was too attached to her father, thought he was perfect, and couldn’t live without him. And Oleg, it seemed, was staying in the family only because of their daughter. Lida decided to endure. But with each passing day, Oleg became more distant, no longer hiding that he was spending his evenings with another woman, and one day Varvara even showed up at their house.
At first, Lida was stunned by such audacity, but then she still let Varvara into the kitchen and even poured her some tea.
— What do you want?
— Let Oleg go. He doesn’t love you.
— What makes you think that? — Lida laughed sarcastically.
— Look, he loves me! I should be in your place! — Varvara showed Lida several photos that were enough to understand what Oleg was doing when he was alone with her. But Lida didn’t cry or attack her husband’s lover. She calmly listened to her and nodded.
— You want to be in my place? Fine! — Lida took off her apron, threw it on the table, and started packing her things under Varvara’s surprised gaze.
Lida quickly stuffed her dresses and valuables into a large suitcase, took the car key, and left.
— And where are you going? — Varvara yelled after her. She was glad that her rival had given up so easily, but dissatisfaction and anger still lingered. She wanted a scandal, and that’s why she came to Lida.
— It’s none of your business. You’re staying here now. There’s meat in the freezer, and a manual meat grinder in the drawer. Grind the meat, make some steamed cutlets. Oleg has gastritis, he can’t have fried food. The electric meat grinder is broken, so go ahead! And don’t forget to wash the dishes; Oleg is a cleanliness freak and won’t sit at a dirty table, — Lida said, slamming the door behind her.
Lida was terribly hurt and upset, but she held back her tears.
“Let her live in my shoes if she wanted so badly! How long will she last?”
Lida went to her mother’s house in the countryside, told her everything, and shed a tear.
— It’s good Mila’s at camp; don’t tell her anything yet. Maybe Oleg will come to his senses. After all, you have a family.
— I don’t know… if I can forgive him.
— We’ll see.
Lida stayed with her mother. Her job was remote, so there were no problems.
She rested from the daily grind, felt rejuvenated by the fresh air and organic food, and even got a tan… She didn’t answer the phone, although Oleg called her. Lida knew she had to hold off. If he wanted a divorce, he could deal with it on his own. She wasn’t ready to meet him, although she secretly followed his life through social media. Varvara had no shame in posting their joint photos. Lida learned that she had moved her four-year-old son into their home and moved in herself.
— Well, well… — Lida’s mother threw up her hands when she saw the photos on social media. — Should I intervene? Pull her hair and throw her out?
— No, Mom, I won’t degrade myself, — Lida refused.
A month passed. It was time to pick up Mila from camp. Lida didn’t know how to tell her daughter about the separation from Oleg, so she was worried. To her surprise, she spotted Oleg in the parking lot at the camp’s gate.
He stood there looking at her. Guilty, like a naughty dog.
— Lida…
— There’s nothing for us to talk about, Oleg. Leave, — she waved him off.
— Mom! Dad! — Their happy daughter ran up to them, dragging a suitcase behind her. — I’m so glad you’re both here! I missed you so much!
Mila was so joyful that Lida couldn’t bring herself to confess. It turned out that Oleg had purposely come to her on the train. But he hadn’t told Mila about it.
Oleg approached Lida, and what he said to her changed her life forever.
— Please, for our daughter’s sake… — Oleg whispered.
— What for her? To lie? — Lida shot him an angry look.
— Let’s be a family for now, and then we can admit that we’ve separated.
— You want that? Fine! — she pushed him in the chest. — Then act like you love me! And don’t you dare call your Varvara! Turn off your phone or I’ll tell Mila who’s been living in her room while she was at camp!
Oleg lowered his head, but for Mila’s sake, he agreed.
— Are we going to Grandma’s? — Mila cheerfully asked.
— Yeah. We’re going to live with her until the end of summer.
— What about Daddy?
— He’ll come on weekends when work allows, — Lida quickly said. — Dad has a new… position. It’s very important, that’s why he’s willing to…
— Lida! — Oleg interrupted. — What are you saying? I’ll come in the evenings and on weekends! I love you so much, sweetheart.
— What about Mom?
— And Mom too, of course!
— So everything’s good with us? — Mila seemed to notice that there was tension between Lida and Oleg.
— Everything’s wonderful! We had talked about moving to Grandma’s for the summer. She needs help, and we need a break.
— Well, okay, — Mila agreed and continued sharing her camp experiences. It seemed like nothing had changed. But Lida knew it was all an illusion, and that her husband was waiting for another woman in the city.
Her mother greeted Oleg with a rolling pin. But Lida quickly explained the situation to her mother, and she didn’t get a chance to lecture her son-in-law. In the end, everyone behaved as if nothing had changed, and they were a happy family. For Mila’s sake. And Oleg stayed the night. And went to bed with his wife.
Lida was angry at her husband. She remembered how lately he hadn’t shown interest in her. And after his betrayal, sleeping with him felt pretty strange. On the other hand, she felt a sudden surge of excitement. It seemed like her husband had left her, but now he was with her.
While she was processing this, Oleg didn’t waste time. He suddenly seemed to feel an incredible love for his wife. At first, Lida pushed him away, but then she thought, why not? They hadn’t divorced. So she had every right. In the end, the night felt like their first one. Lida hadn’t felt this good in a long time. And most importantly, after that, she didn’t feel used. On the contrary, she threw her husband’s clothes at him the next morning and said:
— Leave. You’ve visited long enough.
— Lida? What about…?
— I’ll tell Mila you were called to duty.
Her husband remained silent.
— Hurry up, the bus leaves in an hour. After that, only in the evening. I’m not spending the whole day with you.
Oleg was surprised, but didn’t argue. He quickly put on his jeans and left.
Mila was upset, but when she found out Grandma was going to buy her a bike, she happily went to the nearest store and spent the afternoon riding around the village.
A few days later, in the evening, the gate creaked, and Oleg walked into the house. But he wasn’t empty-handed. He brought a huge bouquet for Lida and gifts for Mila.
— This is for you, dear, — he said and kissed his wife. Lida didn’t even have time to push him away. The kiss felt very natural. Mila turned away, not wanting to embarrass her parents. Grandma just shook her head.
— Sit down for dinner, son-in-law, since you came.
They fed Oleg, and afterward, Mila took her parents to the riverbank. It was their favorite spot. They roasted sausages, built a hut, and played tag. But then Lida tripped over a log and twisted her ankle.
— How will I walk? — she complained, and Oleg picked her up and carried her home. Mila ran beside them, laughing. They seemed so happy. Such a strange phenomenon. It seemed like the father and husband were now strangers, but he was right there with them and was happy to be there!
That night, everything repeated. It felt like Lida had a second honeymoon with her husband. Who cared about everyday problems when such passion was burning at night?
— You’re in love… — her mother remarked, noticing the sparkle in Lida’s eyes.
— Oh, come on, I’m just having fun, — Lida waved her hand.
— Your relationship is strange.
— Strange is when I cook him borscht, and he gives flowers to another woman.
— That’s also true, — her mother said, confused. She didn’t know whether to feel happy or sorry for her daughter. But judging by how often her son-in-law visited and how lovingly he looked at Mila and Lida, she decided not to give any advice.
And Lida blossomed! Even men started looking at her. A happy woman is easy to spot from afar.
And Oleg noticed. He started visiting almost every evening, and one day he even placed tickets to the south in front of Lida!
— What’s this?
— Let’s go, shall we?
— What about Varvara?
He didn’t answer.
— She’ll be jealous of you for your real wife! — Lida found it amusing.
— Let’s go… remember how you wanted? There’s a sea view, all-inclusive! We’ll take Mila.
— To the sea?! I want to! — Mila saw the tickets, and of course, Lida had to agree.
The vacation was magical. Lida felt free, desired, and beautiful. She no longer feared her husband might leave her. She flirted with men, enjoyed herself to the fullest. And Oleg pampered her, never calling his lover. In fact, Lida didn’t care. But somehow, Varvara found her number and called her.
— You… I know everything! — Varvara shouted into the phone, showering Lida with insults.
— What do you not like? — Lida asked indifferently.
— What?! I… — Varvara began again, but Lida interrupted her.
— You wanted to be in my place. Well, enjoy, your dreams came true, — she said, hung up the call, and blocked Varvara’s number.
— Who was that, dear? — Oleg asked, placing a glass of freshly squeezed juice in front of her.
— Wrong number. They thought they were calling a wish fulfillment agency, — Lida laughed.
— You’re my Golden Fish… and will you fulfill my wish while Mila’s at the kids’ club? — Oleg smiled and pulled his wife toward their room.