The universe is arranged in a remarkable way. Sometimes it seems you’re walking along a clearly marked path, and then something happens that turns your whole existence upside down. And you realize that all the previous years were only preparation for this meeting, for this very moment that split your life into “before” and “after.”
Marina Ivanova had devoted most of her life to working in a medical facility. Fifteen years is no small stretch of time. In that period she had seen many human stories. Some filled her heart with warmth; others made her ponder the fragility of existence. But the story that began on one rainy October day left a special, indelible mark on her soul.
A new patient had been admitted to ward number seven. Andrey Petrovich Semyonov. A respected man, co-owner of a large firm. People like that were always noticeable— even within the walls of a hospital they retained their posture and inner core. Yet in his eyes there was emptiness, a lack of interest in anything going on around him.
That morning, as usual, Marina went into the ward to clean.
“Good day, I’ll just tidy up, if you don’t mind?” she said politely as she crossed the threshold.
He lay there staring at the windowpane, where raindrops were sliding down, and did not react.
“Of course, go ahead with your work,” he answered softly, slowly turning his head. “At least it’s some movement in this static world.”
The woman glanced around the room. It was a private room, with all amenities. Such rooms were rare and cost a lot.
“You should find something to occupy yourself with,” she remarked, dusting the bedside table. “Time will pass faster that way.”
“I don’t feel like it,” he sighed heavily. “You see, when you don’t know how much of that time you have left…”
Marina stopped and looked at him more closely. A tall, still strong man, probably about her age— around fifty. But illness had left a mark of fatigue and exhaustion on his face.
“Don’t let dark thoughts get the upper hand,” she said, returning to her work. “Our doctors are experienced; they’ll definitely help you.”
He gave a bitter smile.
“If only. This is already the third medical facility in the last six months. And there’s still no clear explanation for my condition. I can feel my strength leaving me with each passing day.”
For some reason she wanted to support him, to cheer him up.
“You know, a friend of mine had a similar situation. For a long time nobody could help her, until one young specialist advised her to take simple vitamins and go for regular walks in the fresh air. Can you imagine? And it worked! Now she’s full of energy and life.”
He looked at her with a glimmer of curiosity.
“And I see you’re a positive person.”
“How else?” she shrugged. “If you keep thinking about bad things all the time, they’ll definitely come into your life. Law of attraction, nothing you can do about it.”
When she finished her work, she said goodbye and left. And for some reason, the entire rest of the day she kept thinking about that patient with the extinguished, joyless gaze.
The next day Marina went into ward number seven again. Andrey Petrovich was sitting in an armchair by the window.
“Good morning,” he said, and it seemed to her that there were notes of joy in his voice.
“How are you feeling today?” she asked, starting on her duties.
“No change. But at least I got a good rest. At home there was no such opportunity— endless calls, business meetings.”
“Does anyone visit you? Relatives, friends?”
He slowly shook his head.
“My parents are no longer alive. We never had children. My wife…” He hesitated. “My wife came yesterday, but only for a short while. She has a lot of her own concerns.”
Something in his tone made Marina tense up. Bitterness? Disappointment?
“By the way, my name is Marina,” she said to change the subject. “Just Marina is fine.”
“Very nice to meet you, Marina. And I’m Andrey.”
That was how their acquaintance began. Every day, when she came to clean, they exchanged a few words. Gradually he began to tell her about himself. About the business he had built from scratch. About trips to different countries. About a spacious house outside the city. She listened with genuine interest— it was another world, a reality she did not know.
Then, quite naturally, she too began sharing details of her own life. About her daughter, a university student studying far from home. About her job at the hospital, about her neighbors, about her favorite works of literature.
“You know, Marina,” he said one day, when she was about to leave, “it’s very easy to talk with you. You don’t try to seem like someone else, you don’t play a role. You’re genuine.”
She blushed.
“What’s so special about me? I’m just an ordinary woman, without any pretensions.”
“That’s the value,” he smiled. “Sincerity.”
Several weeks passed. Andrey’s condition did not improve, though it didn’t worsen either. The doctors were at a loss— his test results showed strange fluctuations with no obvious cause.
And then one day the door to the ward flew open without warning. A woman walked in— a tall, well-groomed blonde of about forty, in an expensive suit and with impeccable makeup.
“So this is where you’re taking your vacation,” she threw from the doorway. “While I, by the way, have been trying all day to reach your financial director!”
Marina was collecting the dirty laundry and couldn’t leave without finishing the job. Andrey gave her an apologetic look.
“Irina, I’m undergoing treatment, in case you haven’t noticed,” he replied calmly.
“Yes, yes, of course,” she waved impatiently and dropped into a chair. “So what’s going on with that signature on the papers? We have to make it in time before the end of the week.”
“What papers?” Andrey frowned.
“For the sale of part of the company, the one we agreed on,” she rolled her eyes. “Andrey, have you lost your memory or what?”
“We never discussed anything like that,” he said firmly.
Marina hurried to finish up and leave the room, but still heard Irina raising her voice:
“Do you even understand what’s going on? I’m trying to save your business, and you…”
The door closed, but the unpleasant aftertaste remained. Poor Andrey, she thought. With such a woman by his side— not a drop of support, not a spark of warmth.
The next day, when Marina came in, Andrey looked even more dejected. Pale, with dark circles under his eyes.
“Did you sleep badly?” she asked.
“I spent the whole night thinking,” he nodded. “Marina, may I ask you an unusual question?”
“Of course.”
“Do you believe that someone close to you can actually wish you harm?”
She froze with the cloth in her hand.
“In what sense?”
He hesitated, as if unsure.
“I have a strange feeling… Every time Irina brings me something to eat, my condition gets worse. I’ve noticed this pattern for a long time, but I chalked it up to coincidence.”
“You suppose…?” She didn’t finish the sentence, but he understood.
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s just morbid paranoia. But yesterday she brought fruit again, and that night I felt really bad…”
Marina didn’t know what to say. It sounded unreal, like a figment of the imagination. But something in his eyes made her think.
“Andrey Petrovich, if you have such fears, talk to your attending physician,” she suggested. “Or… maybe it’s worth trying to check this somehow?”
“Check?” He gave a bitter smile. “And how exactly do you imagine that?”
“Well, for example…” she thought for a moment. “What if next time she brings something, you don’t actually eat it? Or… we could try to find proof.”
His gaze became focused, attentive.
“What kind of proof?”
“I don’t know,” she shrugged. “But if you feel worse after her treats, it needs to be confirmed.”
At that moment she still did not realize what she was getting herself into— or how radically it would change their lives.
The plan formed spontaneously. Andrey wanted to turn to a private specialist, but she talked him out of it— it would take too long, and they didn’t want unnecessary attention. They decided to act on their own.
“Next time she comes with food, I’ll pretend I’ve eaten it, but in fact I’ll hide it,” said Andrey. “And then we’ll try to find out what’s what.”
“But how?” Marina was surprised. “It’s not like we can just take it to a laboratory.”
“I have a friend who’s a chemist by training, an old buddy of mine. He might help.”
So that’s how they agreed. Marina didn’t know what to believe— in the malicious intent of Andrey’s wife or in his own paranoia brought on by illness. But she decided to support him. In the end, it couldn’t make things worse.
Irina showed up two days later. Marina had just finished cleaning the neighboring room when she heard her voice. Irina was walking down the corridor, heels clacking, a bag in her hand.
“Hello, darling,” she sang as she entered Andrey’s room. “I brought you some apples, your favorite— red ones. And some homemade compote.”
Marina couldn’t help but listen.
“Thank you,” she heard Andrey’s voice. “Leave them on the bedside table, I’ll eat them later.”
“Why not right now?” Irina insisted. “They’re so ripe, I picked them especially for you.”
“I don’t feel like it right now,” there was tension in Andrey’s voice.
“As you wish,” she sniffed. “By the way, I’m flying to Sochi tomorrow for a few days. With my girlfriends. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Of course not,” he replied. “Have a good rest.”
As soon as Irina left, Marina peeked into the ward. Andrey was sitting with a stone-cold expression, staring at the bag of fruit.
“What are we going to do?” she asked.
“Call Dmitry,” he answered firmly, pulling out his phone.
Dmitry— that very old friend— arrived in the evening. A short, quick-moving man in glasses, he looked nervous and kept glancing around.
“Is this even legal?” he asked, examining the apples.
“Dima, we’re not going to the police with it yet,” Andrey reassured him. “Just check the contents.”
“Well, they look fine on the outside,” Dmitry turned the apple in his hands. “They need to be taken to a lab.”
“Can’t you do it any faster?” Andrey asked.
“What am I, a magician?” Dmitry protested. “I need special equipment, reagents…”
Marina stood off to the side, feeling out of place. The whole situation felt like a bad dream. Could Andrey’s wife really be capable of something like this…
“All right, I’ll take them, I’ll tell you the result tomorrow,” Dmitry offered. “Just don’t tell anyone I was involved.”
Andrey nodded.
“Of course. Thank you, Dima.”
When Dmitry left, they were alone again.
“Do you really think she could…” Marina didn’t finish the sentence.
“I don’t know,” Andrey sighed. “Our marriage has long run its course. Irina is fifteen years younger than me. When we met, I was at the peak of my success, she was a beginning model. A beautiful story, but without real feelings.”
“But why would she…?”
“Money,” he answered simply. “According to our agreement, in case of divorce she would get very little. But if I… run into health problems… all the inheritance goes to her.”
Marina silently digested what she’d heard. It sounded like the plot of a low-budget movie, yet he spoke so convincingly that her doubts began to melt away.
“Let’s wait for the test results,” she said at last. “We shouldn’t jump to conclusions.”
Dmitry called the next day. Andrey switched on the speakerphone so Marina could hear too.
“Andrey, you won’t believe this,” Dmitry’s voice sounded agitated. “They found a substance in the fruit… basically, it’s a compound from the heavy metals group. In small doses it’s hard to detect with standard tests, but with regular consumption it accumulates in the body and causes symptoms similar to yours.”
Andrey turned pale.
“So I really am being…”
“Looks like it, yes. Listen, this is serious. You need to go to the authorities.”
“Hold on,” Andrey rubbed his temples. “I need to think it through. Thanks, Dima.”
He ended the call and looked at Marina with a lost expression.
“What am I supposed to do now?”
She didn’t have time to answer— a nurse, Tatyana, walked into the ward.
“Andrey Petrovich, time for your procedures,” she said, then noticed Marina. “What are you doing here? They’re waiting for you in room three.”
“I’m coming,” Marina nodded and, casting a glance at Andrey, left.
All day she couldn’t find peace. Poor Andrey! Could his wife really be capable of this? How could someone harm their own spouse all this time? Her mind couldn’t grasp it.
In the evening, after her shift ended, she went to see him again. He looked thoughtful but collected.
“I have a plan,” he said as soon as she entered. “I talked to the doctor, hinted at my suspicions. He agreed to run additional tests. And… I’ve decided to file for divorce.”
“Right now?” she asked, surprised.
“What’s the point in waiting? We have evidence. Now the main thing is to restore my health.”
She nodded.
“That’s the right decision.”
“Marina,” he suddenly took her hand, “thank you. If it weren’t for you, I would never have found out the truth.”
His fingers were warm, and at that touch something inside her trembled. An inappropriate, unprofessional feeling.
“I just wanted to help,” she said, gently pulling her hand free.
Events began to move quickly. The next day Andrey got a call from a lawyer he had entrusted with handling the divorce. And the day after that, Irina burst into the ward.
“What is the meaning of this?!” she shouted from the doorway.
Marina was just finishing the cleaning and turned around in fright. Irina looked as though she was ready to tear the room apart.
“What are you talking about?” Andrey asked calmly.
“Don’t play dumb! Your lawyer called me spouting some nonsense about divorce!”
“Not nonsense. Facts,” Andrey straightened up in bed. “I’m initiating divorce proceedings.”
“On what grounds?!” Irina’s gaze darted to Marina. “And what’s she doing here? Eavesdropping?”
“I’m doing my job,” Marina replied quietly, trying to remain calm.
“Working, she says!” Irina snorted. “Andrey, tell me what’s going on!”
Andrey sighed.
“Irina, I know everything. About the fruit, about what you were adding to my food. About your plan.”
She froze, and for a moment something like fear flickered across her face. Then it was quickly replaced by feigned indignation.
“You’ve lost your mind! What plan? What fruit?”
“Don’t pretend,” Andrey said wearily. “The tests showed the presence of dangerous substances. The doctors already know. And the authorities will, too.”
“This is complete nonsense!” Irina laughed nervously. “You’re just looking for an excuse to get rid of me!”
“Irina, it’s over,” Andrey said firmly. “Leave. And yes, the prenuptial agreement comes into effect. You’ll get nothing.”
She turned pale.
“You can’t do this. I have proof that you yourself…”
“Enough,” Andrey cut her off. “Leave before I call security.”
Irina threw him a murderous glance, then turned to Marina.
“So you’re the new fling? Think he’s going to shower you in riches? Naïve!”
“Please leave the room,” Marina asked quietly.
To her surprise, Irina obeyed. She stormed out, slamming the door so hard the glass rattled.
Andrey and Marina looked at each other in silence.
“I’m sorry,” he said at last. “I didn’t want you to witness this ugly scene.”
“It’s all right,” she shrugged. “These things happen.”
The next day Andrey felt worse. When Marina came in, he was lying pale, eyes closed.
“How are you feeling?” she asked softly.
“Not great,” he smiled weakly. “Last night was rough. The doctor says my body just needs time to clean itself out.”
“Get well soon,” she said, gently placing a small bouquet of wildflowers on his bedside table— she’d picked them on the way to work. “These are for you.”
He opened his eyes.
“Thank you, Marina. You’re so attentive to me.”
“It’s just basic human kindness,” she said, embarrassed.
“Not only that,” he shook his head. “You know, I’ve been thinking a lot lately. About life, about people. It’s strange— it took me getting to the brink to finally see the truth.”
She didn’t know what to say. She just stood there beside him, looking at this man who had so unexpectedly entered her life.
A week later Andrey was discharged. The doctors prescribed a course of rehabilitation therapy, and his condition gradually stabilized. Before leaving, he gave her his phone number.
“Call me when you have a chance. I’d like to thank you properly.”
She nodded, without promising anything specific.
Two weeks went by. Marina didn’t call— she didn’t want to seem intrusive, and besides, what could she say? The story with Andrey seemed like a distant, strange dream.
And then he showed up himself— waiting for her at the hospital entrance after her shift.
“Marina!” he called, and she turned around.
He looked completely different— refreshed, fit, with a lively sparkle in his eyes. As if he had shed ten years.
“Andrey?” she said in surprise. “How are you?”
“Much better,” he smiled. “And you still haven’t called. So I decided to come myself.”
“Sorry, I’ve been busy,” she said, a little embarrassed.
“I understand,” he nodded. “Would you have dinner with me? I know a wonderful place not far from here.”
She hesitated.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea…”
“Just dinner,” he said gently. “As a thank-you. I promise I won’t take up much of your time.”
And she agreed. She didn’t even know why. Maybe out of curiosity, or maybe she just didn’t feel like going back to her empty apartment.
The place turned out to be small and very cozy, with soft lighting and quiet, pleasant music.
“How is your health?” she asked once they’d ordered.
“Better every day,” Andrey replied. “The doctors say that after another month of recovery I’ll be completely fine.”
“And what about your… situation?” she asked carefully.
He understood what she meant.
“The marriage is dissolved. Law enforcement is running an investigation. Irina is still at large, but she’s been questioned. They also found her accomplice— a young man she’d been planning it all with.”
Marina shook her head.
“I can’t believe things like that happen in real life. It’s like a movie.”
“Unfortunately, they do,” he sighed. “You know, Marina, I wanted to thank you. Not just for helping uncover everything, but for giving me back my faith in people. In the fact that real, genuine feelings still exist.”
She blushed.
“Don’t exaggerate. I just did what any decent person would do.”
“Exactly,” he nodded. “Decent. Genuine. That kind of person is rare nowadays.”
That was how their meetings began. At first seldom— once a week, then more often. They walked in the park, went to the cinema, talked about everything under the sun. He told her about his childhood in a small provincial town, about how he came to conquer the capital with very little money in his pocket. She shared her stories— about her work at the hospital, about her daughter, about her dreams.
And little by little, day by day, a feeling grew between them. It didn’t resemble the fiery passion from romance novels; it was more like a quiet, calm attachment between two mature people who had known both joy and sorrow.
Six months after they met, Andrey proposed to her. They were sitting on a bench in the same park where they often walked.
“Marina,” he said, looking into her eyes, “I understand that there’s a big difference between us. Not in age— in social status, in money. But over these months I’ve realized that finances don’t matter when you’re with someone who makes you feel warm and peaceful. Will you be my wife?”
She didn’t answer right away. She thought about what people would say— a hospital cleaner and a successful businessman, what a banal plot. About what her daughter would think. About whether she was ready for such changes in her life.
“I’m not rushing you,” he added, seeing her doubts. “I just want you to know that my feelings are sincere and deep.”
“I need to think,” she replied quietly.
She thought about it for two weeks. And then she said “yes.”
A BEAUTIFUL ENDING
Exactly three years had passed since the day Marina first stepped over the threshold of ward number seven.
Their life together now resembled a quiet, peaceful river after the turbulent rapids of the past. They chose not to stay in his big house, which held too many heavy memories. Instead, they found a cozy little nest on the outskirts of the city, with a garden where Marina lovingly grew flowers and vegetables. Every morning began with a cup of fragrant tea on the veranda, to birdsong and discussions of plans for the day ahead.
Andrey gradually withdrew from the day-to-day running of his business, entrusting it to reliable partners, and founded a charitable foundation that helped equip medical facilities in small towns. He often said that illness had opened his eyes to the fact that true wealth is health and the ability to help others.
Marina no longer worked as a cleaner, but she didn’t turn into a lady of leisure either. She found herself in a job as an administrator at a private clinic, where her human touch and experience were highly valued. Their daughter, Svetlana, who had initially looked at her mother’s new partner with suspicion, eventually grew genuinely fond of him— especially after he supported her dream of continuing her studies abroad.
As for Irina… The court found her guilty, but no direct evidence of poisoning was discovered, only circumstantial proof. She received a suspended sentence and soon left the country. From time to time her name appeared in society columns— apparently she had found another wealthy companion.
Sometimes in the evenings, sitting in their garden, Marina would look at the old apple tree they had kept despite the gardener’s advice to cut it down. Every spring it was covered in delicate pink-and-white blossoms, and by autumn it gave them a harvest of small but incredibly sweet yellow apples with a rosy blush. They had become their talisman, a living reminder that the sweetest, brightest feelings can grow out of the bitterest trials.
Their life was not perfect; they had disagreements and minor quarrels. But they had learned the most important thing— how to speak to one another, how to hear and listen, how to forgive and compromise. They had found in each other not passion, but a quiet harbor, a place where they could be themselves without pretending or playing roles.
One such quiet evening, Andrey took her hand and said, “You know, sometimes I think that none of this was accidental. That our meeting was destined from above. As if fate itself reached out and brought us together on that rainy autumn day.”
Marina smiled, looking at the setting sun painting the sky in soft peach tones.
“Not fate,” she replied quietly. “Choice. We both made a choice— to be honest, to stay, to trust. And that choice turned out to be the best one we ever made.”
And in the silence, filled only with the chirping of crickets and the soft rustle of leaves, they sat side by side, holding hands. Two grown people who had gone through trials and found their happiness not in the sparkle of diamonds or the luxury of mansions, but in the simple warmth of each other’s presence, in the calm certainty that they were now walking through life together. And in that simple moment— in the quiet evening, in their tightly intertwined fingers, in an understanding look— lay an entire universe. The very same universe that had once brought them together in a hospital ward to give them a chance to start over. And they did not let that chance slip away