Lera was walking home, lost in thought, as if silently treading along the street where cars hummed, passersby laughed, and the lights of the evening city flickered. Her mind was in complete turmoil — thoughts swirled like autumn leaves in a gust of wind, chaotic and cruel. She had just returned from that very date that changed everything. Ivan… he had proposed. Suddenly. Abruptly. Right here, today. And now her heart ached like a wound that couldn’t be stitched. She wanted to say “yes,” but couldn’t. Her voice froze somewhere deep inside, and her hands trembled from fear and uncertainty.
She was afraid. Afraid to make a mistake again. Afraid to repeat the same tragedy that had already destroyed her life once. The divorce still tormented her soul, hadn’t faded from the horizon of her thoughts. How could she even consider a new marriage when old scars still bled? She hadn’t even managed to get herself together after the breakup, let alone start over. She wanted first to figure herself out, to understand who she was now — without a husband, without her former life, without those promises that turned out empty. And now — a ring, an engagement, a future someone had already written for her.
Not long ago, Lera had agreed to only a few dates with Ivan, hoping they would help her out of depression, forget Pavel, and start living anew. But Ivan was in a hurry. He moved so fast that it made her head spin. She knew he had liked her for a long time, but this wasn’t love… or was it love after all? And could she return his feelings? Could she even love now? These questions tore her mind apart, as if two forces were pulling her in opposite directions: fear and hope, pain and the possibility of new happiness.
Reaching the entrance of her building, Lera absentmindedly pressed the doorbell button but, as always, heard only silence. The bell was broken again. She had lost count of how many times it had been repaired, but every time it refused to work, just like her own life. After knocking, she got no response. Probably her mother was watching the TV series she loved most in the world or had just dozed off after a hard day. Lera didn’t want to disturb her. She took out her keys from her bag — among them was the one to her mother’s apartment, given “just in case.” Her mother always said, “You must be ready for anything. What if I get sick, or something happens…”
Entering quietly, almost soundlessly, Lera heard muffled voices coming from the living room. Her mother was not alone. Someone had come to visit. After a few seconds, she recognized the voice of her mother’s friend — Nina Vasilyevna. Her heart clenched. That was Ivan’s mother. What was she doing here? Lera involuntarily froze in the hallway, not daring to enter. The thought of leaving and postponing the conversation until tomorrow flashed through her mind. But something held her in place. Something important that demanded attention.
“I hope everything will work out, Anechka!” came Nina Vasilyevna’s confident voice. “Now our dream will come true. Our children will finally marry. Just as we wanted!”
“They already know everything,” flashed through Lera’s mind. And somehow, she felt hurt. Why hadn’t Ivan given her time to think? Why did he tell his mother before getting an answer? Was he really so sure of her consent?
“And don’t mention it,” her mother continued. “When she married Pashka, I nearly lost my mind. You know, I never liked that pauper. No family, no education, no future. Lera then kept insisting they loved each other, but is love alone enough to feed a family? I always wanted only the best for my daughter, you know that. And with your Ivan, she’ll be as if behind a stone wall.”
Nina laughed. She whispered something, but Lera didn’t catch it. She took a cautious step forward, trying not to step on a creaky floorboard. Her breath caught. She felt that if she waited a little longer, she would hear what was meant to turn everything inside out.
“I’ll be calm about my son too. Lera is a good girl,” said Nina Vasilyevna. “Smart, beautiful, responsible. She respects me. You won’t let her offend me, I know that for sure. She will become like family to me. When I learned Ivan got a good inheritance from his father, I nearly lost my mind. I was afraid my son would find some fortune hunter with a nasty temper who would strip him bare. But your Lera is not like that. It’s good that they gave each other a chance after all.”
Lera’s heart stopped. She knew nothing about Ivan’s inheritance. This fact struck her like lightning, recalling old conversations. Even as a schoolgirl, she had heard how the mothers dreamed of their children being together. But later, her own mother advised her to stay away from Ivan.
“He has nothing behind him. Just a simple student. By the time he settles in life, you’ll be old. You need a wealthy husband so you lack nothing.”
These words stuck in her memory. That’s when Lera started to distance herself from Ivan, seeing him more as a brother than a lover. Then Pavel appeared. She fell in love. But Pavel betrayed her, deceived, humiliated her. The pain was unbearable. But now the answer to the question that tormented her all evening became clear. She could not marry without love. And there was no love from her side. All this time, she had been pushed in one direction — for profit, for inheritance, for someone else’s plans.
“I had to try really hard to get Lera to break up with her Pashka,” said her mother, and Lera froze. “She adored him. Let your Ivan not hurt her and appreciate her. I didn’t do all this for nothing.”
Her heart raced. What exactly had her mother “done”? What did she mean? Lera felt a chill crawl over her skin. If she stayed in the shadows a little longer, maybe she’d hear the whole truth. What if Pavel hadn’t cheated on her? Then what? How would she look him in the eyes? How would she explain her distrust?
The world suddenly seemed like a mask behind which intrigue, secrets, and lies hid. And she, Lera, was in the very center of this game, where every player had their own interests, and she was just a chess piece being moved without asking her opinion.
At that very moment, just as she was about to leave, something was said in the conversation that made her freeze completely.
“You’re such a clever girl, Anechka! If it weren’t for you, we would have never succeeded. But it’s okay. Lera still believed Pavel cheated on her. We won’t tell anyone that we planned this together. We’ll take this secret to the grave. But our children will be happy with each other, and we’ll be calm about them. Vanya loved her all this time. He never even thought of serious relationships with another girl. He was so happy when he said he would propose to your daughter today. By the way, do you think she has already agreed?”
“If she hasn’t agreed, I’ll make sure she does. What’s there to think about? Don’t worry. If I dared to get my son drunk and put a girl into his bed, I’ll finish what I started.”
The words struck like a thunderclap on a clear day. Lera staggered. Her whole world collapsed in her eyes. Everything turned into a solid black canvas. The closest and dearest person — her beloved mother… She had betrayed her and didn’t even regret it. She saw how painful it was for her daughter, knew that she didn’t want to live after learning of her husband’s betrayal. She saw how Pavel suffered, tearfully begging his wife to believe him and not to refuse him. Yet she believed her own eyes.
That evening, Lera stayed at her mother’s for a long time because she couldn’t return from the dacha — an electrician promised to come and check what was wrong with the doorbell again. Lera waited a long time, but no one came, and then her mother called to say she ordered a taxi and was about to arrive. Lera returned home and found her husband with another woman. She couldn’t believe her own eyes, didn’t want to… but she didn’t find the strength to listen or forgive. And this is how it all really happened — her mother deceived her. So cunningly tore her heart out of her chest for some stranger’s inheritance. If not for that, none of this would have happened. She and Pavel would still be happily married.
Burning streams of tears still slipped down her cheeks. Lera sharply inhaled through her nose and entered the living room. Nina Vasilyevna and Anna Ivanovna even jumped from their seats in surprise and fear. They trembled looking at Lera because her appearance said everything without extra words.
“Lera, why did you open the door yourself? The bell doesn’t work, but you could have knocked!” began Anna Ivanovna, trying to understand if her guesses were correct and whether her daughter had heard everything.
“I came to you, mom, for advice…” Lera said in a suppressed voice. “Vanya proposed to me. I wondered if it would be too hasty to say ‘yes’… How would it look from the outside? Who else could I turn to if not the closest person I have always trusted more than myself.”
Anna Ivanovna rushed to her daughter and tried to take her hands, but Lera pulled away and shook her head.
“No need for so much tenderness. The answer came by itself. Thank you for helping me make the right decision. I will remember your kindness.”
Each word was uttered with great difficulty. Lera turned and headed for the exit. Anna Ivanovna tried to stop her daughter. She wanted to explain, but what could she say? Everything was clear as day. The mother had deliberately misled Lera, did everything to destroy her marriage and force her to marry Ivan.
Lera didn’t remember how she got home. She entered an empty apartment, devoid of life since their separation from her husband. Remembering the pain in Pavel’s eyes, Lera collapsed onto the bed and wept bitterly. If she called her ex-husband, what would she say to him? How would she justify her actions? She hadn’t believed him, refused to listen, and now she knew the truth — but wasn’t it too late?
Anna Ivanovna kept calling her daughter, but Lera asked to be left alone. She was so disappointed in her mother that she couldn’t even think about her anymore. The only thing guiding the woman was greed. If not for Vanya’s inheritance, she wouldn’t have tried to pair her daughter with her friend’s son. Both women acted meanly, and their children ended up suffering. Lera felt sorry for Ivan deep down but had no intention to reciprocate his feelings. Calling him, Lera told him she would never marry him and couldn’t return his feelings. She didn’t explain, knowing that if he wanted, he’d find all the answers himself. She had no strength left at all.
For several days, Lera couldn’t find peace. She kept trying to call Pavel, but each time something stopped her. When she finally dared, she heard the emotionless message: “The subscriber is out of network coverage.” It was foolish to expect he had been waiting for her call all this time. Half a year passed. Lera had rejected and pushed him away many times. Maybe he had already found someone else and was happy with her? And how was she to live from now on? She was completely alone in this world full of betrayal and deceit.
Arriving at the factory where Pavel worked with his best friend Vladik, Lera learned that her ex-husband had quit.
“He found another, didn’t he?” Lera asked, trying not to look into Vlad’s eyes, knowing she’d find judgment there.
“How could he find another when he loved only you? Of course not. Trying to forget and stop thinking about you, he left for a shift job in the north. He said he’d stay there and earn money. Only so could he leave you alone, as you asked, and not visit anymore, but he calls now and then, asks if I’ve seen you, if you’re okay. All his talks are about you.”
“Vlad…” Lera grabbed the man’s hands and finally looked him in the eyes. “Please, tell me exactly where he went. Give me the address. I will go to him. I need to talk to him about many things and beg for forgiveness.”
Vlad gave her the address, and that very day Lera bought a plane ticket. She had to buy warm clothes because the climate there was harsh, but that didn’t scare her at all. Lera worried all the way, afraid Pavel wouldn’t accept her or want to hear her now. But as soon as she picked up her luggage and stepped into the airport hall, she was caught in strong arms. Looking up and seeing such a familiar face, Lera burst into tears, and Pavel held her tighter. He tried to hold his emotions inside, but tears of happiness still slid down his cheeks.
They had much to discuss, but now they just enjoyed each other’s closeness and silently promised that no one would ever dare destroy their family happiness again. They had been foolish and failed to protect their love but found the strength to untangle the mess and come back to each other. Pavel held no grudge against Lera; he loved her with all his heart and could no longer hope for a second chance. However, having received it, he understood he would never let go of the hand of the woman he loved. And whatever happened in the future, they would face it together. Never again would they allow gossip and misunderstanding to separate them. And they would always listen to each other before making any decision.