After her workout, Vika hurried home—she’d promised her husband she’d cook fish soup. When she walked into the apartment, she saw her husband, Leonid, sitting in the kitchen drinking wine.
“Wow, drinking alone, huh? Lenya, couldn’t wait for me? Let me at least make some snacks…”
“Don’t. Sit down, we need to talk.”
Vika had never seen her husband like this—upset, lost. God, what on earth happened?
“I don’t even know where to start… Ah, I’ll just say it straight. My secretary Katya is pregnant by me. I’m leaving for her.”
“Well, I’ll be… Just like a bad melodrama. How long has this been going on?”
“About a year. As soon as she came to work, she started flirting, and I didn’t hold out. She’s young, beautiful, lively—just like you were in your youth… I fell in love like a schoolboy! I wanted to be honest with you right away, but I didn’t have the courage. I felt sorry for you…
“And now there’s no way around it—we’ll be parents soon. You understand I’ve always wanted a child of my own. Your Igor is like my own to me, but he isn’t by blood… And I need an heir to pass my business on to, you get it? And I feel good with her; it’s like I’m younger… Probably a midlife crisis finally caught up with me—have you heard of that?
“Vikulya, I’m a scoundrel, of course. But I won’t leave you and Igor empty-handed. The apartment, the car—you’ll keep everything. I’ll help with money, don’t worry. I’ll pay for his studies like I promised. I’ve already bought a new house, put it in Katya’s name—she’ll be the mother of my child, after all.”
“I understand, Lenya—hard to resist such a beauty as Katya, and you’re a real man, after all… And you can’t abandon a child—that’s noble. Thanks for the financial help, I won’t refuse; I want to start traveling and live for myself.
“When are you moving out? Want me to help you pack?”
Leonid stared at his wife, bewildered. So calm… All the better, really—no scenes, no hysterics.
“Well then, goodbye, hubby. Thank you for the years we spent together—I felt good by your side. But life has its own script… Maybe I’ll fall in love too and be happy with someone new. Okay, off you go—Katya’s probably worried, thinking I’ve got my claws sunk into you here…”
Leonid grabbed his suitcases in a hurry, gave an awkward smile, and headed for the elevator.
After closing the door, Vika went to the kitchen. She took a bottle of champagne from the fridge, opened it, filled a glass to the brim and drank. Her husband had left her. How absurd that sounded.
She’d never even imagined it. All those years they’d lived peacefully; maybe there wasn’t a wild, passionate love, but there was attachment, habit, respect.
All right, no use sniveling. New life, new rules! She would find things to do—and her husband would pay for it. It would be silly to refuse the money; with money, there are more opportunities. She just had to get used to her new status as the “abandoned wife.”
And Vika was swept up in a whirl of new impressions. She signed up for dance classes and went after work. On weekends she visited museums, the movies, did her workouts. Luckily, she had company—her neighbor Irochka, single, happily tagged along.
Her son Igor studied in another city and rarely came home. Vika was left to herself. She cooked only what she liked—no need to cater to anyone. She did what she enjoyed; no one could forbid her anything. She didn’t even think about a new man—she was fine on her own.
The divorce went through quietly and peacefully. She glimpsed Katya in the courthouse corridor—gorgeous, what can you say… Her husband had good taste, after all!
Every month Leonid wired money, just as he’d promised. Vika was grateful for such a generous gesture. She knew he had money—his business was thriving—and he could easily support her and Igor. A thank-you for the years they’d spent together. Katya, apparently, didn’t know about it; she likely wouldn’t have approved.
A year passed. Nothing much changed in Vika’s life—dancing, workouts, a couple of trips abroad. The money from Leonid stopped coming; Vika felt awkward asking why. Most likely, Katya had forbidden it. Well, she’d manage. Igor was earning decently while at university and could pay his own tuition. Her salary covered her needs.
It was a day off—no rush to be anywhere. Vika savored every day. After cooking fish soup, she discovered she was out of bread, and she loved bread. She popped out to the bakery and ran into Leonid.
“Lenya, what are you doing here?”
“Vikusya, hi. Oh, I… live nearby now. Bought an apartment.”
“That’s news… And what about Katya? The baby? By the way, what did you have?”
“A daughter… And there’s a whole story… Can you believe it—turns out Katya was planted by a competitor. She gained my trust, I fell in love—you know the rest… Then she started pressuring me to transfer the business to her, afraid I’d dump her and leave her with nothing…
“I agreed—after our daughter was born, caught up in the emotions, I signed everything over to her. I kept a certain amount in an account she doesn’t know about. In the end, she kicked me out. The child turned out not to be mine, and the business went to the competitor… That’s the hole I’m in. Funny, right? Exactly like a bad melodrama.”
“I bought an apartment, found a job; I’m not destitute, but I’ll never have my old life back. And I can’t help you anymore… I’m sorry. You probably won’t even want to talk to me now—I hurt you so badly, traded you for that…”
Vika actually felt sorry for him. He didn’t look well… What a fraud Katya turned out to be! He’d put so much work and effort into that business.
“You fool, Lenya! Come on over—I just made fish soup, your favorite…”
They had a warm talk in the kitchen where they’d met every day for years to discuss the news. Only now they were no longer husband and wife.
They kept in touch from time to time. There was no talk of getting back together—each had their own life. Vika met a man at her dance classes, married him, and was happy.
She invited Leonid to the wedding; he came and was even glad for his ex. At the wedding he met the groom’s sister… Six months later, Vika and her new husband were guests at his wedding.
Life is an unpredictable thing! You must never lose heart or put a cross over yourself, no matter what happens. You never know what’s around the corner—just live and take joy in each day!