Lying on a hospital bed and listening to the conversations of her wardmates, Lera thought wistfully about her work, which wouldn’t do itself while she “cooled her heels.” If only she could have guessed that this was the least of her worries soon to come…
Who would have thought that she, who had never suffered from allergies, would suddenly develop a severe one to seafood? The doctors barely managed to intervene as Lera began to suffocate. She still horrifically remembered the evening at the restaurant, celebrating the birthday of her beloved man. Perhaps it wasn’t the seafood, but some spices? Now, everything had to be checked thoroughly, and how much money would that cost? The doctor immediately said that the tests to find the allergen were not cheap. And she’d need a comprehensive panel to understand what exactly had to be excluded from her diet. In short, she had to arm herself with patience and money to get to the root of the problem.
Her wardmates jovially talked about their families, discussing the latest gossip. Their favorite topic was the behavior of their mothers-in-law, while Lera just dreamt of lying in silence, as she still felt unwell. The doctor promised that if everything was normal, she could leave in a couple of days, but she wanted to escape home right now. At least she would have rested properly, as there was neither decent rest nor treatment here. The nurse could have administered the daily drip, as there was a medical center near her home where specialists could be called to the house.
Lera eagerly awaited the doctor, hoping she could persuade him to discharge her today.
“And this is my husband. Girls, everyone envies me, saying that I snagged such a handsome man with my figure,” boasted the plump ringleader, Darya. It seemed she was the one who talked the most, as if she found a vent in the hospital.
Lera just lowered her legs from the bed and sat up. She planned to walk a little down the corridor and look for a nurse or doctor to talk about discharge; she couldn’t stay longer in a ward that buzzed like a beehive. Such an atmosphere certainly didn’t facilitate recovery. If it helped someone, it wasn’t her. Lera desperately needed silence. She even considered asking her relatives to give her a couple of days of peace, to be alone with herself and let her body recover from all the hardships.
Her gaze accidentally fell on a neighbor’s phone, which she held, boasting to everyone a photo of her husband. Lera was burned because she saw such a familiar face and wondered if it was a joke or if it was time to sound the alarm.
“Just like that, girls! I snagged myself a handsome husband.”
Twirling her engagement ring, Lera couldn’t keep her tongue behind her teeth. She was so tired of the chatter that she wanted to put her neighbor in her place. Surely she downloaded the photo from the internet, and now she boasted as if there was nothing else to talk about.
“It can’t be! – Lera hissed through her teeth. – This is my husband… soon to be.”
Grisha had proposed to her two and a half months ago. They planned to have their wedding at the beginning of autumn, just in time to save up a bit, and they agreed on a vacation to go on their honeymoon. And now such news!.. He couldn’t be married, just couldn’t!
Darya only laughed out loud. She shook her head and declared that envy should be silent. However, the woman noticeably blushed, looking at Lera as if mentally cursing her. Caught in a lie? Was that why she now looked askance?
“Dasha, so you’re lying to us here, sitting all day? And we listen like fools!..”
“And I’m not lying! This is my husband! And if you don’t believe it, I’ll prove it to you now. I’ll call him on video and show you, so that all you jealous ones can’t doubt my words. Imagine that! My husband, she dreams.”
Lera clicked her tongue in displeasure. She didn’t want to participate in the ongoing farce at all. However, a worm of doubt still wriggled in her chest. She wanted to see how it all would end. Darya dialed her spouse, or called her second phone? No one answered, and she sighed in disappointment.
“He’s just at work now. He’ll definitely call back!.. You’ll see! And you’ll regret very much that you didn’t believe me, especially this liar!” Darya nodded towards Lera, but she chose to ignore it.
That proved it. There was no husband there, and the photo was most likely downloaded from the internet. There was no protection these days. Someone wants your photo, they’ll take it, and then try to find the wind in the field… Lera left the ward and went to find the doctor, determined to return home today. There was absolutely no desire to stay in the hospital and endure such mockery. Maybe Dasha deliberately found her page and downloaded Grisha’s photo? How else to explain what was happening? No other thoughts came to mind. Her fiancé definitely couldn’t have a second family. That only happens in TV shows, and even then they usually have a low rating.
Having arranged with the doctor to be released on her own recognizance, promising to take all the drips at home and focus on her health, Lera returned to the ward to pack her things.
“Ler, Grigory Dashkin called! His voice is so nice! What now, how will you justify your envy?” asked one of the neighbors.
“I won’t believe it until I see it myself!” Lera adhered to this rule.
She didn’t respond. She texted her fiancé that after the drip she would go home. She really wanted to ask him why his photo was with her neighbor, but Lera didn’t. The nurse administered the drip, informed Dasha that she was also being discharged today, and she, pleased, began calling her husband, asking him to come and pick her up from the hospital. As if she wanted to boast to everyone – look, I told you so. Lera didn’t believe in this staged deception at all. She had no strength to wonder why a person would need this. She just wanted to be home and sleep in silence in her own bed.
Grisha didn’t say he would come for Lera. She didn’t insist, knowing that the man was at work. However, she was very surprised when she saw him standing near the car with a bouquet of her favorite tulips. But just then Dasha, almost knocking Lera off her feet, rushed to her fiancé and hung on his neck. Lera stopped. She hadn’t quite come to her senses yet, her condition left much to be desired, and here was such a… What a surprise. Was her fiancé really somehow connected to Dasha? Married? Then why did he propose to her?
“Do you not want to explain anything, my love?” Lera asked in a strained voice, approaching Grigory.
“Ler, we’ll talk later. Okay? I need to take Dasha home. I’ll explain everything to you for sure.”
“Explain? There’s nothing to explain here. Don’t even think about showing up at my apartment door. And forget that I will listen to you,” Lera shook her head negatively and hurried to a waiting taxi. Her eyes stung from hurt. The woman felt nauseous, and her head spun as if she had ridden a terrifying ride around and around at breakneck speed for several minutes.
Darya clutched the flowers, waved to the girls who watched her from the hospital window, and smiled broadly. She glowed with happiness, pleased that she had managed to put Lera in her place.
“And I didn’t know you knew Grisha. Don’t you want to tell me anything?” asked Dasha, getting into the car and throwing the flowers onto the back seat. “Why didn’t I know about this girl? Who is she? And most importantly – why did she call you her future husband?”
Lera didn’t remember how she made it to the apartment. She locked all the locks, collapsed on the bed, and cried bitterly. She hadn’t even guessed that Grisha had a wife. He behaved normally, and Lera thought their relationship was simply wonderful. And now what? Nothing good? Her eyes stung, as did her skin from the salty tears rolling down her cheeks.
Grigory called several times, but Lera had absolutely no desire to listen to ridiculous excuses. He didn’t deny that he was married, allowed Darya to hug him, and acted as if he felt guilty, but at the same time, he wanted to maintain the relationship. It would be interesting to see how Darya would react to the fact that her husband had another woman. Would she kick him out? Or forgive him? She was so proud that Apollo himself had condescended to her that she was unlikely to decide to ruin the relationship because of infidelity. Perhaps deep down, she guessed that a man like Grigory wouldn’t remain faithful. Yes, he was good-looking, but the first thing Lera saw in him was a bright soul. And now she understood how much she had been deceived, and that made it even more painful.
After calling her mother and reporting that she was home and going to bed, Lera wrapped herself in a blanket and fell asleep. She had a nightmare in which she had to make a choice, find the best solution to save the life of a loved one. Waking up in a cold sweat, Lera got out of bed, approached the window, and flung it open. Fresh air burst into the room, chilling her to the bone, but it made breathing easier.
Lera kept thinking about why Grigory had proposed to her if he was already married, but she couldn’t find an answer. It didn’t fit in her head that a person could lie like that, simply look into her eyes and say that he loved her, but in reality… If there was no real love? If he hadn’t planned to marry her? Or was planning to divorce Darya? But Lera was acquainted with Grisha’s parents. And they never said a word about his wife. Something didn’t add up. Lera even thought it might be good to listen to the man, but resentment immediately reminded her of itself. What to listen to? Another lie?
Closing the window, the woman went to the kitchen to drink chamomile tea because she didn’t feel like sleeping anymore. Although her eyes were drooping, she was afraid to close them and see another nightmare. Lera looked at the flashing phone screen. Grigory was writing her messages, asking how she felt, asking her to contact him as it was important to discuss everything.
Maybe later it would make sense, but for now, the emotions were too strong, and Lera was afraid to meet the man. She didn’t know what to expect next. What would he say? However, she didn’t run away like a little offended girl but responded that she felt fine but wasn’t ready to meet Grigory until she cooled down and made an important decision for herself.
Grigory was tormented. He couldn’t close his eyes until he received a message from Lera. Just answering that she was alright meant a lot. The man felt guilty. He wanted to tell the woman the whole truth, open his soul, hoping for her forgiveness. But would she forgive him? And would she want to listen?
Closer to morning, Lera finally dozed off. She woke up to the alarm clock reminding her to call the nurse. She could have gone to the medical center herself, as there was a procedure room there, but she didn’t feel like leaving the apartment.
After calling the nurse, Lera quickly tidied up the apartment and got herself together. She kept thinking about yesterday, but the more she thought, the more confused she became because she couldn’t find a logical explanation for what had happened. Grisha had come to the hospital not for her – for Darya. And he knew that she was also being discharged. Didn’t he think they wouldn’t meet? Or wasn’t he afraid at all that she would find out the truth? Her head was splitting apart. After the drip, Lera slept a bit more. Grigory tried not to call her but wrote messages, and it was clear that he was worried. Lera wasn’t used to making decisions in the heat of emotion, so she responded to the man that he could come in the evening for a conversation. After all, it was better to listen and then make a decision than to remain in ignorance and suffer because you definitely couldn’t explain everything that had happened on your own.
Grisha came with flowers. He didn’t dare to look Lera in the eyes, averted his gaze, and silently chewed his lips, as if trying to find the words but had lost them all along the way.
“Would you like some tea? Coffee? Or just talk?” Lera broke the silence first.
“I’d drink something stronger, to be honest, but I’m driving, and I highly doubt you’d let me stay after you find out the truth.”
Lera hadn’t planned to let him stay at all. She intended to listen to Grigory and then put an end to their relationship. Most likely… because every justification she had imagined sounded like “I have a second family.”
“I can only offer strong coffee. Either start, so as not to waste time. I had plans for today,” Lera said in an agitated voice.
They went to the living room.
“You made me look like a complete idiot, if you don’t realize that. If I had known that I occupied the place of a mistress in your life, I would never have…”
It was hard to talk, so Lera fell silent. She approached the window, looking at the city shrouded in dark fabric, illuminated by bright lanterns. She hadn’t even noticed how the day had passed, and night had fallen on the earth. Late evening, to be precise.
Grigory approached his fiancée, wanting to hug her. He yearned to do it down to his bones. His hands hovered a few centimeters from Valeria’s shoulders.
“Don’t. Just say everything you planned… And better keep your distance,” Lera said with a voice full of pain.
“Of course. Sorry.” – Grisha sat on the couch, lowered his head, and began his story. – Darya and I are not actually married. We’ve never had anything between us, just a friendly relationship. Three years ago, I worked as a personal driver for her father. I got into trouble, and Darya bailed me out. If not for her, I would still be paying crazy money for the damaged car. She told her father that she took the car and scratched it. However, that’s putting it mildly. Darya asked me for a favor – to pretend to be her husband. You know, change the status on social media, take a few photos together. In her circle of friends, who could hardly be called such, she was always an outsider, wanted to stand out, show that she was lucky with her husband at least. In general, I didn’t support this idea, but I owed her, so I agreed. A couple of times she reached out to me, asking me to go with her to a charity evening. We barely talked and saw each other, and then she started calling again and insisted that she would tell her father who really damaged the car if I didn’t come to pick her up from the hospital. I was planning to talk to you and tell you everything, but deep down, I hoped we wouldn’t run into each other. I planned to talk to Darya, settle everything and explain that it’s not normal, that I can’t pretend to be her husband all my life, especially since I was planning to marry you. I was ready to take the punishment, wanted to confess to her father myself. However, we talked yesterday and parted amicably. I made her understand that she deserves more than such a fictitious husband. She’s a decent girl, but she should work with psychologists to solve the traumas that prevent her from moving forward, meeting men, and building her happiness.
Lera listened, and she wanted to laugh out loud. She had imagined Grigory’s confession differently, had thought up so many things, but she never imagined that he pretended to be Darya’s husband. And it was immediately obvious that she wasn’t telling the whole truth. But the hurt didn’t go anywhere. A stranger hugged her fiancé, hung on his neck, showing everyone that she had supposedly met her husband… And it still wasn’t clear how she behaved when they attended charity events together. How often did this happen when Lera and Grigory were already in a relationship? It’s possible to understand this situation, but whether to forgive… that’s a big question.
“It’s all too… wrong,” Lera shook her head. – Honestly, I don’t know how to react properly in this situation. Did you think I would be happy to hear that there was no cheating… but you made me out to be a liar. And it’s okay – I don’t care what those gossipers think… you hugged another girl, looking at me. You knew how I was feeling. I wasn’t up for arguments… and you still let her do that. If it came to that, I would rather have given all the money saved for the wedding to cover that blunder with the car if they had made me do it, rather than now remember your hugs and… sorry. It’s better you leave, Grish.
Though it was hard for him, Grigory left. He understood that Lera needed time. And who knows how he would have behaved in such a situation? He was wrong and acted very ungracefully towards her. And he would understand if she decided to leave him. It’s hard to understand and accept his action. He didn’t understand himself. Perhaps, past fears had surfaced in his mind. And deep down, he felt sorry for Darya, but he didn’t think about how his action would look to his beloved girl.
Losing sleep and appetite, Grigory waited for what decision Lera would make. He tried not to impose on her, but he asked how she felt and sent couriers to her every day with flowers or some treats.
A week later, Lera ran into Darya near her entrance. The woman was visibly nervous, leaning towards her. She asked for a conversation. Lera didn’t want to invite her into her apartment, so she suggested sitting in the nearest café. Dasha said she had started seeing a psychologist and was working through her issue. She apologized to Lera for treating her so harshly. Angered, she wanted to hurt her, threatened Grigory that if he didn’t listen, she would almost accuse him of assaulting her.
“It was stupid of me. I regret that I behaved like that. And I wanted to apologize for such foolish behavior.”
Lera didn’t hold a grudge against Darya, forgave her, and wished her to quickly conquer her inner demons. She decided to give her relationship with Grigory a second chance, but this time they agreed to have no skeletons in the closet. They would solve all problems together, to avoid another bizarre situation where someone felt like the third wheel.