Larisa sighed heavily, stroking her belly. Since the morning she had been having contractions — judging by the intervals, they were practice ones, but the overall condition was unpleasant. There was still time before the delivery, but the thought that it might start early frightened her. Her bag had been packed for weeks already, yet she still worried. Since morning, a bad premonition wouldn’t let her go, as if something terrible was about to happen. Maybe she should go to the maternity ward early? This was their first child. Relatives and friends had already described to her in detail what childbirth was like, but Larisa still worried. What if something went wrong with her?
— Why are you lying around? Laris, lunch won’t cook itself. You remember my friends are coming today?
She looked at her husband reproachfully. In recent months, he had changed beyond recognition, becoming rough, inattentive to her condition. Maybe he had found another woman? People say it happens if a wife feels unwell and keeps her husband at a distance. Larisa tried her best to please Makar, but sometimes she truly felt awful. The constant pain in her lower back was exhausting. Even walking around the house was hard, yet she still managed the cleaning and cooking. Though her body ached, she never allowed herself to laze around. She forced herself to move, do chores, keep active, not just lie there and wait for the swelling to worsen. Who else would do it for her? She even had to go shopping alone, because her husband would come home tired from work and claim that running errands wasn’t a man’s job.
— Makar, maybe you could order something from a café today? I feel really unwell. I doubt I’ll manage cooking, — she admitted. She rarely complained, but today she truly had no strength left.
A nasty laugh slipped from her husband’s lips before she even raised her eyes to him. He clenched his jaw and shook his head.
— Are you out of your mind, Larisa? What café? You expect me to feed my friends that garbage? Why did I even marry you if you’re so lazy? I warned you about the guests in advance, and I don’t want to hear excuses. You’ll cook lunch yourself, and you’ll start right now. If you don’t finish in time, don’t blame me for what happens. I’ve tolerated too much already.
— What’s wrong with you? Do you regret marrying me? Don’t you want a healthy child? Why are you treating me like a servant? — Larisa sobbed.
— Because you are a servant. First of all, a housekeeper, and only then a wife. You’ll do everything I say. I should have taken control a long time ago — you’ve gotten spoiled, relaxed, and lifted your nose too high. But no more. From now on, everything will be different. The man is in charge, the woman should shut up and obey. Unless you want your husband to start looking elsewhere. So get off the couch and move it. I don’t like repeating myself. And don’t forget to clean the living room — I want it spotless.
Larisa couldn’t believe her ears, but on autopilot she forced herself to stand up and head to the kitchen. Her lower back throbbed worse than before, the baby moved restlessly, kicking, making her uncomfortable. Breathing heavily, she began cooking. Everything felt foggy, she barely remembered what she was doing. Sweat trickled down her forehead, and inside her grew a wild urge to drop everything, pack her things, and leave her husband. But where would she go? Her relationship with her parents was awful. She was the unwanted daughter they had hurried to marry off. The only person who had always welcomed her was her aunt, her father’s sister. She had always said Larisa could rely on her. But what if she came with a baby? Would her aunt take her in? And not just for a day or two… but for weeks, months. How soon could she recover and start earning? She couldn’t really count on alimony from her greedy husband.
— Think your life is hard? You need to understand, Laryonka, if you try to leave me, you’ll have nowhere to go. Your parents won’t take you in, and your aunt won’t want you with a kid. You depend on me, like it or not. So do as you’re told, and I won’t even raise my voice. Today you’ll serve my friends and keep quiet. Smile, and make everyone believe how happy you are with me.
Makar grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. She quickly turned away, breathing sharply.
— Do you even realize how hard it is for me to stay on my feet? I need to lie down… maybe go to the hospital early? I feel terrible. All these nine months I never complained, but today I truly…
— Don’t make things up, okay? — Makar cut her off. — You’re scheduled for hospitalization in three days. Think I forgot? Don’t you dare slack off, unless you want big trouble.
She didn’t recognize her husband at all. It felt like someone had swapped him for a cruel copy, sending the real Makar away. Was that possible? He had no twin. He was an only child. True, his mother had spoiled him rotten, raising him selfish, but until now it hadn’t shown this way. What had changed? Why was he so cruel? She had no answers. When his friends arrived, Makar glared at her and reminded her not to forget what they’d discussed.
Setting the table, smiling through pain at her husband’s friends, Larisa cursed fate. She scolded herself for not noticing earlier what kind of man Makar truly was. Or had he only just become like this? Maybe he had problems at work? He had always been impulsive, often taking his frustrations out on family. Lost in thought, she almost forgot her discomfort until a sharp pain gripped her belly. She groaned and bent over, nausea rising.
— Larisa, you should sit, rest. With that belly, you’re buzzing around us like a bee. We’re grown men, we can serve ourselves. You lie down, okay? — someone rushed to her aid… not her husband, but his best friend, Anton.
— Thank you… — she rasped. — I’ll do that.
— Larok, don’t forget our talk, — her drunk husband hissed through clenched teeth. — And you, Toh, don’t interfere. Don’t tell another man’s wife how to behave. Lara’s a grown girl, she knows her place.
She had no strength to argue, even to listen. Breathing grew harder. The contractions grew stronger.
— I think it’s starting, — she whispered, clutching Anton’s arm in fear.
— Don’t be ridiculous! You’ve got three more days till the hospital! — Makar snorted, while his friends laughed.
Anton, supporting her by the elbow, helped her to the couch. The pain was unbearable now. Realizing Makar wouldn’t drive her anywhere, Anton called an ambulance. But since it would take too long, he rushed her downstairs himself. Larisa muttered broken words of gratitude between waves of pain. How she reached the hospital, how she gave birth — she barely remembered. She lay in the ward, looking at her newborn son, tears running down her face. Tears of joy? Yes, she was glad he was alive and healthy. But another thought tormented her: where could she go now with the baby? Going back to her husband was out of the question. She replayed the day over and over and understood: Makar didn’t care about her. He mocked her. If not for Anton, who knows how it would have ended… She might have given birth at home, and whether her child would be healthy was uncertain.
Anton texted, asking if she was okay. His care warmed her, but it also reminded her how little her husband cared. Makar didn’t even ask if she had delivered, if the baby was fine. She didn’t tell him. Instead, she wrote to Anton, her mother-in-law, and her aunt. If her husband didn’t care, why should she bother?
The next day, her phone buzzed constantly with calls. Relatives congratulated her, her aunt and mother-in-law asked what she needed. Even Anton offered to shop for her. Then he sent her a difficult message:
— Laris, I know this isn’t the best moment, but I can’t keep silent. It’s hard to stand by. I can see things between you and Makar aren’t right. I thought he adored you, but after what I’ve seen… He’s cheating on you. He’s had a young mistress for a while. I’m sorry to tell you this now, but you deserve the truth. If you need help, say so. Don’t tolerate this. Run before it gets worse.
Larisa thanked Anton for his honesty. Now she had no doubts — she had to leave her husband. What came next, only time would tell. For now, the urgent matter was housing. She didn’t want to leave the hospital and return to Makar. She told her aunt, who promised she could stay with her.
— You’ll live with us for a while. We’ve got a spare room. I’ll help with the baby while I’m on leave. We’ll manage, Larochka. I’m glad you confided in me.
Larisa felt a weight lift. She looked at her tiny son, finally seeing him as the long-awaited piece of happiness. Whatever happened with Makar, her baby wasn’t to blame. She loved him with all her heart. Her husband didn’t call, but her mother-in-law worried about the discharge. Larisa told her the truth: she wasn’t going back.
— I know Makar has a woman on the side. He’s changed too much. While I was pregnant, I didn’t have the strength to fight back, but now I won’t tolerate it. Your son has become a stranger to me. He hasn’t even called once. What relationship is there left to speak of?
— Larochka, is it really that bad? I never thought my son capable of such betrayal. I always thought your marriage was ideal. You should have told me sooner. I’d have tried to talk sense into him… but now it’s too late. Where will you go with Olezhek? Not back to your parents…
— First to my aunt’s. Then I’ll figure something out, — Larisa reassured her.
— Or come to me? I live alone. I’ll gladly help. Olezhek is my grandson. I’ll protect you from Makar — he won’t dare come near you.
Larisa trusted her mother-in-law. She hadn’t expected her to take her side, but now she even wondered why she hadn’t thought to go to her from the start. Staying with her aunt, who had a husband and children, would be cramped. She agreed and called her aunt, explaining the decision.
— Are you sure she won’t harm you or try to take the child? — her aunt asked.
— Nothing is certain. I thought my husband would never betray me, and look what happened. But I’ll be careful. Thank you for supporting me.
Preparing for discharge, Larisa received a drunken text from Makar:
“So? When you coming home? No food… Clothes unwashed.”
Disgust washed over her. How long had he been changing into this stranger? Looking at her sleeping baby, she realized it didn’t matter anymore. She couldn’t forgive his neglect and betrayal. While she slaved away at home, he paraded his mistress around.
Her mother-in-law met them with balloons and a cozy corner ready. She admitted she’d confronted Makar. He said he never wanted the baby, wasn’t ready to be a father, and would agree to a divorce as long as Larisa didn’t ask for child support.
— Don’t fall for it, Larochka. Make him pay every penny. He wants to spend on his mistress while you scrape by? No way. We’ll find a good lawyer.
Larisa thought of Anton — he worked in a law firm. She called him, hesitating.
— Anton, you can refuse me, since you and Makar are friends. But I’ve no one else.
— We’re not friends anymore. I don’t know what happened to him, but last time we met, he said too much. I gave him a good beating, and that ended our friendship. I won’t deal with a man who’s lost all decency.
Makar was losing everyone: friends, relatives. Even his mother sided with Larisa. He showed no interest in his son. She remembered how happy he’d been when she announced her pregnancy. Now, influenced by his new crowd — introduced by his mistress — he’d gone astray. He’d always been weak-willed, easily swayed.
Anton took over the divorce case. It dragged on for three months — Makar even tried to renounce paternity — but the court ruled in Larisa’s favor.
With her mother-in-law’s help, Larisa returned to work in a couple of months. She wasn’t rich, but she and her son had enough. She grew close with Anton, enjoying their walks with little Olezhek. It felt like the early days with Makar, but she didn’t expect more. Yet slowly, their bond deepened. Anton eventually invited her on a date, and even her mother-in-law encouraged her.
He didn’t play games. From the start, he was clear about his intentions, promising to care for her and her son. Only when Olezhek turned one did Larisa feel ready, and she agreed to move in with him. Watching him play with her son, she knew no better father could exist. Makar never could have been that.
Later Anton learned Makar had sunk deeper — drugs, arrests. Larisa still pitied him, unable to erase him completely from her heart. She grieved that people could waste their lives, but she couldn’t save him.
She and Anton eventually married. Olezhek’s first word was “Papa” — addressed to Anton. The man was overjoyed. And when Larisa became pregnant again, he treated her like a queen.
As for Makar… he never came back. He lived recklessly, ignoring his mother. Two and a half years later, he died. His mistress tried to claim his apartment, but the inheritance went to his mother and son. Nadyezhda Viktorovna gave up her share for her grandson, urging Larisa to sell the place full of dark memories and buy a new home for her boy.