Margareta, standing by the window in the hospital corridor, couldn’t take her eyes off the scene below. Near the entrance to the building, her husband Igor was once again flirting with a nurse named Marina. This had been happening for several days in a row. Every glance he cast, every touch to another woman, stabbed Rita’s soul like a knife. She felt everything inside tighten with pain and resentment, but gathering her last strength, she turned away to avoid seeing the scene.
At home, another quarrel awaited — as predictable as dawn. Igor, without even looking at her, sat absorbed in his phone, scrolling through social media or messaging someone who interested him more. When she spoke, he just sneered:
— The apartment is mine. If you don’t like it here — go to your relatives in the village. Don’t like it — get out.
— Don’t you have any shame at all? — Margarita asked, feeling her voice tremble with held-back emotions. — Everyone at the hospital sees how you’re having an affair with Marina.
Igor smirked without looking up from the screen:
— What did you expect marrying a doctor? Isn’t it funny to you?
Those words hit like a blow. Never before had he spoken to her so bluntly, so harshly. Before, he would just retreat into silence, allow himself to be cold, but now he openly mocked her. His mother-in-law had hinted before the wedding that her son could be bitter but would come around. For two and a half years, Margarita had believed this, hoping that sooner or later everything would change. But it only got worse.
— I hoped for love, for children… I thought we’d support each other, — she whispered, feeling the last wall inside her protecting her from destructive loneliness collapse.
— You made it up yourself, got offended yourself, — Igor spat contemptuously and, without looking back, left for work.
At that moment, Rita realized: no matter what happened, it had been over for a long time. She had doubted, endured, pretended everything was fine. But now it was clear — Igor could really be in love with this woman. Then she decided: she had to talk to Marina. Maybe only a face-to-face meeting would help unravel this tangled web of feelings and lies.
But a strange coincidence — Marina’s husband worked in the same hospital and held a high position — head of a department. He was Igor’s boss. Could he really know everything and stay silent?
After her husband left, Margarita went to the hospital. Seeing her in the corridor, Marina was slightly surprised:
— Why did you come? It’s not your shift.
— I wanted to talk. Honestly.
— About what?
— Tell me, is it serious between you and Igor?
— Of course not! — Marina said boldly. — My husband is the department head. He earns more than you, has more prospects, no bad habits.
— Then why do you need Igor?
— Don’t tell me you’re suffering! Your husband’s a player anyway. If not with me, then with another.
Margarita wanted to reply, but then Marina’s husband Roman appeared in the corridor. His face was as pale as chalk.
— Marina, is it true? Are you cheating on me?
— No, of course not! — Marina hurried to her husband. — I just wanted to joke with Rita. Someone spread rumors…
— You know, I’ve heard enough. I wish you and Igor happiness. And, of course, I’m firing both of you. Don’t come home.
Roman slammed the door loudly and left.
Marina, furious, grabbed Rita by the hair:
— Look what you’ve done! Now I’m without an apartment, without a job!
She ran to Igor to tell him what had happened:
— Your wife set us up! Roman’s firing us!
— Wait, — Igor was surprised. — You said your husband knew about your affairs and didn’t mind.
— I thought so… But now he’s divorcing me!
— Listen, I love you! Live with me, and I’ll kick Rita out.
Marina wanted to laugh — live in a Khrushchyovka apartment on a doctor’s salary? But then she realized: it was better than going back to her mother.
— You’re right. How long can you live a lie?
Igor smiled happily, caught up with Rita, and said angrily:
— Don’t come home. I’ve already called my mother — she’s changing the locks. And I asked the chief doctor to fire you.
— How come? I have things there…
— You’ll write later where to send them. If you find a place to live, — Igor laughed.
Rita wandered down the street in complete despair. She only had her passport with her. She wanted to withdraw money from the card but forgot — their account was joint. Igor had already emptied it.
She didn’t even have money for the bus.
She was about to turn back to the hospital — planning to borrow some money from Zina — when she noticed a poorly dressed young guy being chased by two big men with unfriendly faces.
— Auntie, please! — he gasped. — Pretend you’re my mom, or I’m done for!
The pursuers stopped uncertainly.
— Where have you been? Dad’s at work, and you’re twenty minutes late! You make me pay for parking every time!
— Mom, sorry! But doesn’t dad, as a cop, get free parking?
The boy realized those men probably wouldn’t want to mess with the son of a cop.
— He does, but only in designated spots!
The men paced around a bit more, then one said:
— He’s not a runaway kid. Maybe just looks like one. Okay, let’s go back and look some more.
When they left, the boy began thanking Rita.
— My name is really Konstantin. How did you guess?
— I don’t know myself. It’s been a hard day — my third eye opened, — Margarita joked darkly. — Hey, are you hungry?
— Yeah…
— Then come with me. I’ll borrow money from a friend and feed you.
— Do you have troubles too?
— My husband kicked me out, I got fired.
— I sympathize. What did I do wrong? I saw those two trying to plant something in a rich man’s car. Warned him. The car exploded, but he was already gone. That’s why they’re mad.
— You’re a good guy. Glad I helped.
— Maybe. But good people don’t live long.
At the hospital, Zina fed them and gave them money. Then Roman came in.
— Rita, sorry. I found out your husband asked to fire you. Looks like it’s my fault. What can I do?
— I was about to complain about your wife. She got what she deserved.
— Roman, she has nowhere to live! And this kid she took in — hiding from bandits. They wanted to blow up the rich guy’s car, but he interfered, — Zina interrupted.
— Wait, what car did they want to blow up?
Kostya told what happened.
— Looks like you saved my brother. I owe you.
Half an hour later, a whole cavalcade of expensive cars arrived at the hospital. Roman never said his brother was a famous businessman.
— So that’s who I owe my life to! — Ignat said seeing Kostya. — I recorded those two on my phone.
— Don’t worry, we’ll handle it. But while we look for them, you may be in danger. You’ll live in my cottage.
— Should I give loans? — Zina asked.
Ignat was surprised, listened to Rita’s story, and told a guard to go to the ATM. The guard returned with a hefty stack of bills.
Kostya and Rita barely had time to blink before they were in a luxurious cottage with a housekeeper.
— We’re not exactly rich. We eat what we get, — Kostya winked at Rita.
So they lived for a week. The Bugayevs were caught, and it turned out Marina knew about her husband’s rich relative and dreamed of getting the inheritance. She hired those people.
Rita was offered a job at the cottage and a substantial reward.
— What about Kostya? You can’t abandon him, — she said to Ignat.
— Maybe you should adopt him? That’s the only way to make a teenager’s life safe.
— But I have no husband, no apartment…
— You can marry me. Fictitiously, of course. Then you won’t have to work — my wife should rest.
Ignat immediately liked Rita and decided that a fictitious marriage was a good excuse to get to know her.
— Agree, — Kostya asked. — I’m very independent, won’t cause trouble.
The boy was tired. Finally, fate was turning towards him. With Rita, you could be friends, and Ignat was reliable. For the first time in his life, there were people nearby he could rely on.
A year later, the whole hospital buzzed with gossip:
— Look how cleverly Rita arranged everything! She broke up with her husband just in time, probably knew the rich guy in advance. She lied that the marriage was fictitious, but her belly is growing!
— Calm down already! — Zina tried to calm everyone. — Rita found happiness — she deserved it!
But people were outraged. Some country bumpkin cleverly caught a rich man, and they — no better!
Igor completely fell apart. He came to surgery drunk just as the commission arrived. Fired. Fortunately, Roman took him at least as an orderly. And Marina managed to spend the savings. When his mother found out her son was involved with a fraud, she kicked him out. Now he lived with friends, turning to the bottle.
— Envy and cruelty lead to the abyss, — Zina explained. But did Igor listen?
And Margarita blossomed — unrecognizable. She was expecting a girl, the birth was imminent. Her husband looked at her like a treasure.
Female happiness does exist after all. Sometimes it comes unexpectedly, through trials and losses. But if the heart remains kind, if a person doesn’t lose faith in the good — happiness will surely find a way.