Once, Marina studied at university, dreaming of becoming an economist and had promising prospects. Her professors noted her analytical mind, sharp eye for numbers, and ability to see things others didn’t notice. It seemed like everything was ahead of her. But now, she was just happy to have gotten a job as a cleaner at a large company.
Everything changed after one love — the one she had thought was real. He was caring, confident, strong. And even though he was the son of a wealthy man, it didn’t matter to Marina. She loved him truly. And he… simply disappeared as soon as he got what he wanted. He didn’t even know she was pregnant.
She had to forget about her studies. But then, a son was born — Pavlik. His birth became a light in the darkness, but soon it turned out: the child needed a lot, and there was no money. There had never been any. At first, they lived with her mother in the suburbs — it was warm and cozy. But after her mother’s death, a streak of misfortune began. Her stepfather fell into alcoholism, and their home turned into hell. One day, it burned to the ground.
Marina was left with nothing. A former student, a young mother with no education and experience — who would hire someone like her? For a while, she scraped by with odd jobs: handing out leaflets, working in a kiosk, doing whatever she could. But the income was unstable, and deceit was a frequent guest. One day, she saw an ad for a janitor position — and decided to try.
The company she applied to was serious. Once, she had dreamed of getting a position there after university. Now, it seemed to her that even cleaning floors was a gift. Officially hired as a cleaner, she dressed modestly, without any hint of heels or evening dresses. The HR manager, Zoya Fyodorovna, immediately noticed something more in her than just a worker. Her intuition helped convince the company director — Ilya Matveyevich — to take Marina on a trial period.
“Only under your responsibility,” he grumbled. “I don’t trust her.”
The job provided stability. The schedule allowed her to take Pavlik to kindergarten and pick him up on time. Marina tried to be unobtrusive, neat, and performed her duties conscientiously. But sometimes, passing by employees’ offices, she overheard phrases, terms, formulas — everything she had once known by heart.
One day, while cleaning the director’s office, she accidentally noticed documents on the desk. Something about them seemed odd. She quickly understood — the mistake was gross and could lead to serious financial consequences. But how to inform Ilya Matveyevich himself? He didn’t take her seriously. And what if she was accused of “meddling where she shouldn’t”?
She turned to Zoya Fyodorovna.
“Are you out of your mind?” she warned, shaking her head. “If you stick your nose in other people’s business, you’ll be fired, and rightly so. You’re not an economist. You’re a cleaner. Cleanliness is your responsibility. The rest is none of your business.”
Marina agreed, but she couldn’t let it go. At night, she thought about how to warn someone. And then, she decided to directly approach the director’s wife, Vera Vyacheslavovna. Having seen her earlier with her daughters — sweet, lively girls, the same age as Pavlik — Marina realized the gap between them. Vera was well-groomed, confident, belonged to a world that a cleaner like her could never enter.
But still, she took the risk. She went to the woman with her troubling observation. Vera listened attentively, asked questions, didn’t laugh or brush her off. She promised to look into it.
The next day, Marina hoped everything would be settled. But instead, she was called into Ilya Matveyevich’s office. He was furious:
“Important papers are missing! It’s you!”
“I didn’t take anything!” she tried to defend herself.
“Maybe you didn’t take them, but you could have thrown them away. Out of stupidity. You don’t think things through!”
“I didn’t even touch the documents…”
“Enough!” he shouted. “Pack your things. You’re fired. No severance pay. Don’t ever show your face here again.”
Marina left the office, unable to hold back her tears. Zoya Fyodorovna was already waiting for her in the HR department.
“Well, savior?” she said sympathetically. “Didn’t listen… did you tell them?”
She wasn’t condemning her. She just understood: Marina got caught in the crossfire. “I can’t help you, sorry. But you know how things work.”
Marina nodded. She understood. And even though she might have saved the company from a financial disaster, it didn’t bring her any relief. “Saved the company, but left myself without a job.”
But what she didn’t know was the most important thing: it was Ilya Matveyevich who had planned to bankrupt the company. He had married Vera for convenience, and now he planned to leave, taking everything with him. His new lover, Lara, had long dreamed of becoming his wife. And the twin daughters, whom he considered his own, were actually not his. He wanted to start over. But his plan collapsed when someone noticed the mistake. Someone he had thought was just a cleaner.
Ilya knew it was Marina. But the truth didn’t matter. He needed to settle scores with someone. And the best person to do that with was someone he despised the most.
That evening, as Marina sat at home, sadly reflecting on her situation, the phone rang. At the doorstep stood Vera Vyacheslavovna, smiling, with a bright bag in her hands.
“This is for your son. Thank you, Marina.”
Only then did she cautiously add: “May I come in? I need to have a serious talk.”
The children happily disappeared into the room, and the women sat at the table.
“You saved us,” Vera said straightforwardly. “Not just the company. You helped me see my husband for who he really is. And because of that, I want to offer you a job. A financial consultant at my branch. I think you’ll manage.”
Marina blinked, confused.
“But I was just a cleaner…”
“Come on! A person who can see mistakes where even I, with two higher educations, don’t notice them — that’s a talent. I need people like you by my side.”
“Of course, I accept!” Marina exhaled, feeling something inside begin to change.
The next day marked the beginning of a new life. Marina quickly got up to speed. Under her leadership, the branch started bringing in twice the revenue compared to the company Ilya had managed. And all the while, Vera was preparing for her exit — she knew her husband was cheating, that he had never truly loved her. And that she couldn’t stay with him.
Ilya also realized something was wrong. His wife began to act confidently and businesslike. And when he found out that his former cleaner now worked directly with Vera, it hit him hard. He was furious. He felt like he was losing control.
Lara, his mistress, found a way out:
“Maybe we should stop putting up with this? Transfer all the money, leave, and start a new life.”
“No,” Ilya replied. “First, I have to get rid of Vera. As long as she’s alive, I’m not free.”
He sabotaged her car. And soon, the accident became a reality.
Vera died. Leaving behind two little girls. Without their mother.
And Marina understood: it wasn’t an accident.
She went to the police. Provided documents, testimony, and evidence. Ilya was placed under investigation. His name became a disgrace — not just as a husband, but as a murderer.
But what concerned Marina the most was the children. Katya and Liza. They were left alone. Before her death, Vera confessed to her:
“The girls aren’t his. Their father left before me. Ilya took them for the money. I hoped he would become a father to them. But I was wrong.”
Marina couldn’t let them end up in an orphanage. She took guardianship of them.
One day, she got a call from the clinic. Liza’s diagnosis was horrifying — a heart defect, urgent surgery needed. Marina transferred money from the company’s account. The girl survived. After treatment, the doctor, astonished by her selflessness, said:
“Few mothers would do this, even for their own child.”
“She’s not my child,” Marina replied. “But I couldn’t do otherwise. They became closer to me than my own.”
Six months later, she officially married the very doctor. He saw her strength, her kindness. And understood: she deserved to be a mother.
A year later, Marina became one — she adopted Katya and Liza.